Description
Temple Of The Dog – Temple Of The Dog – Vinyl Record
Temple of the Dog’s self-titled album, released on April 16, 1991, stands as one of the most poignant, powerful, and historically significant releases to emerge from the Seattle music scene. Formed as a one-off tribute project by Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell to honor his late friend Andrew Wood, the charismatic frontman of Mother Love Bone, Temple of the Dog is both a deeply personal memorial and an unintentional cornerstone of the grunge movement. The album bridges soulful classic rock, heavy riff-driven grunge, and heartfelt lyricism, resulting in a timeless record that captures the emotional and creative crosscurrents of early 1990s alternative rock.
The project began shortly after Andrew Wood died of a heroin overdose in March 1990, just before the release of Mother Love Bone’s debut album. Cornell, Wood’s former roommate and close friend, began writing songs in his grief—tracks like “Say Hello 2 Heaven” and “Reach Down” were direct elegies, written to process the shock and sorrow of Wood’s passing. These songs formed the seed for Temple of the Dog.
To bring the project to life, Cornell enlisted Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament, both former members of Mother Love Bone, as well as Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron and then-unknown guitarist Mike McCready. During the sessions, a young vocalist named Eddie Vedder—who had just arrived in Seattle to audition for Gossard and Ament’s new band (which would become Pearl Jam)—was invited to contribute. Vedder’s powerful baritone and Cornell’s soaring tenor would collide memorably on one of the album’s most iconic tracks.
The album opens with “Say Hello 2 Heaven,” a cathartic power ballad that sets the emotional tone. It’s a soaring tribute, filled with gospel-tinged chords, aching vocals, and a sense of spiritual release. Cornell’s performance here is one of his most vulnerable and transcendent—he sings as if trying to reach the beyond.
“Hunger Strike” is the album’s most famous track, and the only single to chart during the band’s brief lifespan. The now-legendary duet between Cornell and Vedder—Vedder’s first official vocal appearance on record—emerged organically during rehearsals. The song’s call-and-response structure, with its themes of economic disparity and moral hunger, gives it a raw urgency that transcends its acoustic simplicity. It became a radio staple and a retrospective anthem of the grunge era.
Other standouts include:
“Reach Down” – A ten-minute epic driven by a cathartic blues-rock jam, featuring one of McCready’s most expressive guitar solos and Cornell in full preacher mode. It’s both a tribute and a release, equal parts sorrow and defiance.
“Call Me a Dog” and “Times of Trouble” – Stripped-down ballads that explore the emotional wreckage of loss, relationships, and self-worth, evoking the reflective tone of Neil Young or Zeppelin’s acoustic side.
“Pushin’ Forward Back” and “Your Saviour” – Grittier, more groove-driven tracks that hint at what Pearl Jam would explore on Ten, mixing punk energy with bluesy overtones.
The album’s production, handled by Rick Parashar, is warm, organic, and analog-rich, reflecting the more classic rock side of the band’s influences. There’s less distortion and aggression than on contemporaneous Soundgarden or Nirvana records, giving Temple of the Dog a unique soul-rock ambiance among early grunge releases. It feels timeless—part 1971, part 1991.
When it was first released in 1991, Temple of the Dog received modest attention. Grunge had not yet exploded into the mainstream, and the project was not marketed as a supergroup. But after Pearl Jam’s Ten and Soundgarden’s Badmotorfinger blew up later that year, A&M reissued the album in 1992, and it achieved platinum status, earning belated acclaim as a landmark of the Seattle sound.
Critics and fans have since hailed Temple of the Dog as one of the most emotionally sincere and musically rich tributes in rock history. It captures a unique moment when future legends—Cornell, Vedder, McCready, Gossard, Ament—came together not for fame, but for grief, friendship, and creative catharsis.
In 2016, the band reunited for a brief 25th-anniversary tour, performing the full album live with Vedder absent from most shows. The reunion reaffirmed how lasting and beloved the project had become, despite being born from tragedy.
Temple of the Dog is more than just a prelude to Pearl Jam or a footnote in grunge history. It’s a genuinely moving album, born out of sorrow, but transcending it through music. It stands as a testament to friendship, loss, and the healing power of artistic collaboration. Whether you’re drawn to its emotional rawness, its fusion of soul and rock, or the unique chemistry of its now-legendary lineup, this album remains an enduring and essential listen.
140g black vinyl
25th Anniversary remix
Brand new, never played and still in the factory plastic
Track Listing
Say Hello 2 Heaven
Reach Down
Hunger Strike
Pushin’ Forward Back
Call Me A Dog
Times Of Trouble
Wooden Jesus
Your Saviour
Four Walled World
All Night Thing
