For an act that was one of the definitive album artists of the late '80s and '90s, Soundgarden was a surprisingly effective singles band. Their singles effectively conveyed all of their best ideas, from their sludgy early Sub Pop recordings to the elaborate, post-metal psychedelia of their last two albums, Superunknown and Down on the Upside. That's the reason why the 17-track compilation A-Sides is such a successful overview of the band's too-brief career. Most of their peers wouldn't be well represented by a compilation that concentrated solely on singles, but Soundgarden are, because their singles do capture what they're all about. There are many great songs left off A-Sides, from "Big Dumb Sex" to "My Wave," but it's hard to argue with what's here. Each single from every album - from the 1987 debut EP Screaming Life through SST's Ultramega OK, to their four records for A&M - is here, with the Down on the Upside outtake "Bleed Together" added as an enticement for collectors. Almost every one of the group's best-known songs are here, including "Hands All Over," "Loud Love," "Jesus Christ Pose," "Outshined," "Rusty Cage," "Black Hole Sun," "The Day I Tried to Live," "Spoonman," "Fell on Black Days," "Pretty Noose," "Burden in My Hand," and "Blow Up the Outside World," resulting in a near-definitive summary of one of the most important and influential bands of the '90s.



Tracklist:

01. Nothing To Say (3:58)
02. Flower (3:29)
03. Loud Love (4:57)
04. Hands All Over (6:02)
05. Get On The Snake (3:45)
06. Jesus Christ Pose (5:53)
07. Outshined (5:12)
08. Rusty Cage (4:28)
09. Spoonman (4:08)
10. The Day I Tried To Live (5:21)
11. Black Hole Sun (5:20)
12. Fell On Black Days (4:42)
13. Pretty Noose (4:13)
14. Burden In My Hand (4:52)
15. Blow Up The Outside World (5:48)
16. Ty Cobb (3:09)
17. Bleed Together (3:52)