A Nice Pair: Soundgarden

It’s Sunday and we’re back with A Nice Pair where we match up related books and vinyl. Today we’re pairing the book Lightning Striking: Ten Transformative Moments in Rock and Roll by Lenny Kaye with the album Badmotorfinger by Soundgarden.

Lightning Striking tells a distinctive history of rock through ten pivotal scenes spanning Elvis’s Memphis and the Beatles’ Liverpool to punk, metal, and the explosive Seattle scene of 1991. The book explores how rock evolves when artists, audiences and the cultures surrounding them come together. The Seattle chapter places Soundgarden within the vibrant early-90s scene alongside Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and other influential bands. It also highlights Chris Cornell and Soundgarden’s pivotal role in shaping the sound and impact of Seattle rock.

Badmotorfinger is Soundgarden’s third studio album. Released in 1991 on the heels of Pearl Jam’s Ten and Nirvana’s Nevermind, it’s been credited with helping to break alternative rock and grunge into the mainstream. It features hits such as Rusty Cage and Outshined.