Slaves & Bulldozers
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| “Slaves & Bulldozers” | |||||
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| Song by Soundgarden | |||||
| Album | Badmotorfinger | ||||
| Released | October 8, 1991 | ||||
| Recorded | March 1991–April 1991 | ||||
| Genre | Alternative metal, grunge | ||||
| Length | 6:56 | ||||
| Label | A&M | ||||
| Writer | Chris Cornell, Ben Shepherd | ||||
| Producer | Terry Date, Soundgarden | ||||
| Badmotorfinger track listing | |||||
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"Slaves & Bulldozers" is a song by the Seattle grunge band Soundgarden. It appears as the third track on the band's 1991 album Badmotorfinger.
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[edit] Origin and recording
The song features lyrics written by Chris Cornell and music co-written by Cornell and bassist Ben Shepherd. According to guitarist Kim Thayil, "Slaves & Bulldozers" was the second song (after "Flower") in which he blew across his guitar strings:
That's the second song we did where I blow on the guitar. I'd do it live and people would think I was playing with my tongue or my teeth or my beard. 'Hey look, he's playing guitar with his beard!' No, I was blowing on it - making a wish![1]
Kim Thayil said that the song's guitar solo is one of his favorites.[2] Kim Thayil on the guitar solo:
One of my favourite solos with the band is on "Slaves & Bulldozers". When our A&R guy came in we played it to him, and he was like, 'This is finished? Huh? C'mon guys.' I just said, 'You don't get it, do you? That's it, finished!' To me it's great - it seems free, it's real kinetic, it gives the song this great jarring feel..."Slaves & Bulldozers" live is when I'm real free. I just approach the fretboard with a 'what do I do now?' attitude. Sometimes it's great, sometimes it doesn't work. That's what music is like.[3]
[edit] Reception
Though never released as a single, the song has been applauded for Chris Cornell's outstanding vocals on it. Producer Rick Rubin played the song for the former instrumentalist members of Rage Against the Machine, to showcase Cornell's strong vocal ability before he joined them to form Audioslave.
[edit] Live performances
A performance of the song is included on the Motorvision home video release. Another live recording can be found on the Soundgarden EP Satanoscillatemymetallicsonatas (also known as SOMMS). The band also sometimes covered The Doors song "The End" during extended preformances of the song. Chris Cornell has also performed the song on his solo tour.
[edit] References
- ^ Gilbert, Jeff. "Primecuts: Kim Thayil". Guitar School. May 1994.
- ^ "Seattle Supersonic: The Screaming Life & Odd Times of Soundgarden's Kim Thayil". Guitar Player. July 1996.
- ^ Leonard, Michael. "Unknown Pleasures". The Guitar Magazine. December 1996.
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