Black Hole Sun

The first time I heard Black Hole Sun was actually the first time I saw the Black Hole Sun video. I didn't watch Much Music, I watched re-runs of the Wonder Years at 4:30pm on CBC, but for some reason in May of 1994 I was watching music videos right before dinner and Soundgarden came on. I was, and still am the type of person who is mesmerized by visuals and colours (even though I'm colour blind)and this video at the time seemed revolutionary, but also I really connected with the song. It just sounded great and that's all I've ever cared about in music is if it sounds good or not, that's the point right? I never usually care what the artist is saying because half of the time it's bullshit. I care about riffs and drum fills and pocketed bass lines. That moment watching Chris Cornell with his new haircut was what got me into music. And what a great time to get into music it was, right when the storm of alternative nation was erupting, indie music was mainstream, under produced bands were being exposed, it was glorious.
After I heard this song I wanted to hear more new songs so I got my friend Jess to make me a mix tape. On this tape was Radiohead - Creep, Soul Asylem - Someone to Shove, Smashing Pumpkins - Rocket, Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun, Hole - Violet, White Zombie - Thunderkiss 65, and Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit. I listened to this tape all summer, at cottage campfires until 3:00am, on road trips to my grandparents house in Rochester and on my walkman that played to fast sitting outside the convenience store all night drinking liter, glass bottles of Coke. The summer of '94 was one of the greatest summers of my life, it would be the last summer with no actual responsibility because I wasn't old enough to be forced to get a real job. I cut lawns all summer and made about a hundred dollars a week which when you were 14 in 1994 was the equivalent to a million dollars. I spent it all on food because I wasn't drinking, smoking pot or buying CDs (because I didn't have a cd player yet). I rode bikes all summer, went swimming and camped in my back yard as an excuse to wander around the neighbourhood all night with my friends. I wanted to have a girlfriend but I didn't get one until the fall when I entered high school, because I didn't want to date any of the 10 girls that I knew at the time.