On This Day: Badmotorfinger and Ben Shepherd’s Arrival
Badmotorfinger was Ben Shepherd’s first Soundgarden album. Its credits reveal a bassist who also helped shape the songs.
Soundgarden released Badmotorfinger on October 8, 1991. On its 35th anniversary, there is a useful detail to follow beyond the familiar opening riffs: this was the band’s first album with bassist Ben Shepherd, and his name also appears in the songwriting credits. Soundgarden’s album and songwriting credits
The bassist brought songs
Soundgarden’s official catalogue credits Shepherd with the music and lyrics for “Somewhere.” The music for “Slaves & Bulldozers” is credited to Shepherd and Chris Cornell.
The bassist had a writing role as well as an instrumental one.
“Jesus Christ Pose” carries music credits for Matt Cameron, Shepherd, Kim Thayil and Cornell, with lyrics credited to Cornell.
Read the individual song credits before treating an album as the work of a single writer.
Return to the original twelve
The original sequence opens with “Rusty Cage,” “Outshined” and “Slaves & Bulldozers,” then works through to “New Damage.” Universal’s later anniversary release kept those twelve tracks distinct from the outtakes and concert recordings added around them. Universal’s original-album track list
For a fresh listen, start with “Somewhere” and “Slaves & Bulldozers,” then put them back into the full album. Follow the bass and the other parts around it. Which track most clearly shows what Shepherd brought to Soundgarden?