Soundgarden Down on the Upside

3 Stars (out of 5) - "...[eschews] innovation for the simpler payoff of just rocking out....While there are plenty of genuinely enjoyable moments throughout the album, their cumulative effect is undercut by the strict adherence to hard-rock form....The outlook remains bleak throughout..."
8 (out of 10) - "...as sprawling and generous-spirited as SUPERUNKNOWN, but...is a looser and live-er-sounding affair, not seeking the same level of aural precision....There's a new rhythmic tilt in a few songs that suggests the influence of the unjustly maligned '70s boogie tradition..."
"...When the band does latch onto a hook,...[Soundgarden] seems to instantly tire of it and contort its melody and tempo. Deviant, yes, but at least Soundgarden are on their musical toes..." - Rating: B+
3 (out of 5) - "...they're now fully capable of penning some damned spiffy pop songs....this is a raw, warm....sounding record, high-tech for 1975 and having more to do with tubes than transistors....they sound more human here, like they're playing in your living room..."
Recommended - "...[they are] never again going to be the band they used to be....Soundgarden were the band in whose honour Sub Pop were formed, but their roots don't matter now. All I care for now is the immediacy of their pop moments. You're Oasis fans. You understand..."
"...[Cornell's] not a happy camper--and the sadder he gets, the nastier Soundgarden sounds....his bandmates revitalize him with odd instruments..., weird new mixes..., and skewed tempos and dune-shifting melodies that unfold and enfold over repeated spins..."
Village Voice (2/25/97) - Ranked #25 in the Village Voice's 1996 Pazz & Jop Critics' Poll.