Down On The Upside - Release and Reception

Release and Reception

Down on the Upside reached number two on the Billboard 200 album chart. It was held off the top spot by the Fugees album, The Score. The record has gone on to sell 1.6 million copies, and has been certified platinum by the RIAA.

Spin gave the album an eight out of ten. The review said that the album is "as sprawling and generous-spirited as Superunknown, but...is a looser and live-er-sounding affair, not seeking the same level of aural precision." Alternative Press gave the album a three out of five. The review said that Soundgarden are "now fully capable of penning some damned spiffy pop songs," and added that "they sound more human here, like they're playing in your living room." Rolling Stone staff writer David Fricke gave Down on the Upside three out of five stars, observing that the album has "some quality frenzy," but criticizing it for "lack defining episodes of catharsis." Fricke said, "Soundgarden seem to be digging in their heels rather than kicking up dirt, relying too much on drone-y impressionism and clever (as opposed to cleaving) guitar motifs." Neil Strauss of The New York Times called the album the "rawer, looser follow-up to Superunknown." He added, "Generally, identifying with animals in song lyrics is a sign of low self-esteem, and Soundgarden is no exception. For all the virility and macho power that rock singers have tried to wring from the, Soundgarden remains more interested in the fact that it is the only animal cursed to spend its days slithering on the ground."

David Browne of Entertainment Weekly gave the album a B+. Browne said, "Few bands since Led Zeppelin have so crisply mixed instruments both acoustic and electric." He praised several songs as being "as powerful as anything the band has done." Browne criticized the album's production, saying "like many self-produced efforts, it shows." He added, "With arrangements that crest and fall to the point where a road map would have helped, the overlong (16-song) album is often unwieldy and could have benefited from judicious trimming." Allmusic staff writer Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the album three out of five stars, saying that "it might seem like nothing more than heavy metal, but a closer listen reveals that Soundgarden haven't tempered their ambitions at all." The reviewer for Melody Maker said that "their roots don't matter now. All I care for now is the immediacy of their pop moments." Critic Robert Christgau gave the album an honorable mention of one star and described it as "brutal depression simplified," while Jason Josephes of Pitchfork Media called it a "double shot of grunge, no foam but plenty of caffeine."

Down on the Upside included the singles "Pretty Noose", "Burden in My Hand", and "Blow Up the Outside World", all of which had accompanying music videos. All three singles placed on the Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock charts. The album's other commercially released single, "Ty Cobb", did not chart, however its acommpanying B-side, "Rhinosaur", also from the album, did chart. "Burden in My Hand" was the most successful song from Down on the Upside on the rock charts, spending a total of five weeks at number one on the Mainstream Rock charts and reaching number two on the Modern Rock charts. At the 1997 Grammy Awards, "Pretty Noose" received a nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance.