A spate of grunge classics are going to be hitting the quarter-century mark this year, and certainly one of the biggest is coming back in a big way this month.
Temple of the Dog only released one self-titled album in the spring of 1991 to relatively little fanfare. But by the end of the year, when critics started to take notice of the tidal wave of rock bands from Seattle and lighting the fuse on an eventual grunge explosion, people began to take notice.
Temple of the Dog, conceived as a tribute to the late Andrew Wood, frontman of Seattle group Mother Love Bone, featured two musicians who played in that band (rhythm guitarist Stone Gossard and bassist Jeff Ament); lead guitarist Mike McCready, from Gossard and Ament’s new band Pearl Jam (frontman Eddie Vedder also guested on the album); and Wood’s friends, singer Chris Cornell and drummer Matt Cameron, both of whom earned recognition with Soundgarden that same year. (Cameron currently is the drummer for both Soundgarden and Pearl Jam!) The album, featuring the mainstream rock hits “Hunger Strike” and “Say Hello 2 Heaven,” went Top 5 in America and sold more than a million copies. The band never toured at the time, but made sporadic appearances together in the quarter-century since Temple of the Dog album was released.
For its 25th anniversary, A&M/UMe are pulling out all the stops with a four-disc CD/DVD/Blu-ray deluxe edition, due out September 30th. Featuring a new mix of the album by longtime Pearl Jam associate Brendan O’Brien, plus three alternate mixes from the original multitracks by Adam Kaspar
Seven demos (including unheard songs “Angel of Fire” and “Black Cat” plus five newly mixed outtakes by Adam Kaspar
A DVD featuring many of the band’s most notable performances, including a “rehearsal” show at Seattle’s Off Ramp Cafe, while the album was being recorded; the “Hunger Strike” music video; fan-shot footage of the band’s reunion at the PJ20 festival in 2011 (combined with professional audio of the show) and Seattle’s Benaroya Hall in 2015
A Blu-ray featuring a 5.1 surround mix by Kaspar, who mixed Soundgarden’s Superunknown into 5.1; the “Hunger Strike” video in 5.1; plus HD stereo versions of O’Brien’s mix and select HD bonus video
This set will be marked by the band’s first real tour, a sold-out affair across five cities in November. Double-disc, CD and vinyl editions are available, too.
CD 1: New remix of original album by Brendan O’Brien (released as A&M Records 750 215 350-2, 1991)
Say Hello 2 Heaven
Reach Down
Hunger Strike
Pushin’ Forward Back
Call Me a Dog
Times of Trouble
Wooden Jesus
Your Savior
Four Walled World
All Night Thing
Say Hello 2 Heaven (Alternate Adam Kaspar Mix) *
Wooden Jesus (Alternate Adam Kaspar Mix) *
All Night Thing (Alternate Adam Kaspar Mix) *
CD 2: Demos and outtakes (previously unreleased except for Track 1, from Pearl Jam Twenty soundtrack – Columbia/Monkeywrench 88697 96035-2, 2011)
Say Hello 2 Heaven (Demo)
Reach Down (Demo)
Call Me a Dog (Demo)
Times of Trouble (Demo)
Angel of Fire (Demo)
Black Cat (Demo)
Times of Trouble (Instrumental Demo)
Say Hello 2 Heaven (Outtake)
Reach Down (Outtake)
Pushin’ Forward Back (Outtake)
Wooden Jesus (Outtake)
All Night Thing (Outtake)
DVD: Videos
Hunger Strike (Live @ The Off Ramp Cafe, Seattle – 11/13/1990)
Wooden Jesus (Live @ The Off Ramp Cafe, Seattle – 11/13/1990)
Say Hello 2 Heaven (Live @ The Off Ramp Cafe, Seattle – 11/13/1990)
Reach Down (Live @ The Off Ramp Cafe, Seattle – 11/13/1990)
Call Me a Dog (Live @ The Off Ramp Cafe, Seattle – 11/13/1990)
Times of Trouble (Live @ The Off Ramp Cafe, Seattle – 11/13/1990)
Say Hello 2 Heaven (Live @ The Moore Theatre, Seattle – 12/1990)
Hunger Strike (Live @ Lollapalooza, Desert Sky Pavilion, Phoenix – 9/8/1992)
Hunger Strike (music video)
Say Hello 2 Heaven (Live @ Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, WI – 9/3/2011)
Hunger Strike (Live @ Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, WI – 9/4/2011)
Call Me a Dog (Live @ Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, WI – 9/4/2011)
All Night Thing (Live @ Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, WI – 9/4/2011)
Reach Down (Live @ Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, WI – 9/4/2011)
Call Me a Dog (Live @ Benaroya Hall, Seattle – 1/30/2015)
Reach Down (Live @ Benaroya Hall, Seattle – 1/30/2015)
The Fat Angel Sings 