Hear Chris Cornell’s Previously Unreleased ‘When Bad Does Good’ From New Box Set

The estate of Chris Cornell has unveiled the previously unreleased song “When Bad Does Good,” as part of a new, career-spanning, four-disc box set, Chris Cornell, featuring 11 previously unreleased songs. Some of the unreleased numbers, including “When Bad Does Good,” will feature on a pared down, single-disc version of the release. Both versions will come out on November 16th.

Cornell recorded, produced and mixed the song itself. The track opens with organ tones, giving a hymnal quality to Cornell’s opening line, “Standing beside an open grave/ Your faith decided/ Your life erased,” he passionately sings. “Your final hour has come today/ Lit by the fire of your temples burning.” The solemnity soon melds into hope as uplifting guitar melodies buoy the repeated chorus of “Sometimes bad can do some good.”

The collections offer a 360-degree look at Cornell’s artistry, drawing tracks from his time in Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog and Audioslave, as well as his own solo recordings and collaborations with musicians like Slash and Santana. Cornell’s widow, Vicky, worked with the singer and guitarist’s bandmates for help curating the tracks; Cornell’s friend Josh Brolin, for instance, was the one who reminded Vicky of “When Bad Does Good” and encouraged her to release it. Producer Brendan O’Brien, who worked with Cornell over the years, helmed the project and Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament worked on its packaging.

“Since Chris’ sudden passing I have put all my efforts and energy into sharing his music and legacy with his fans from all over the world,” Vicky said in a statement. “I felt we needed to create a special collection to represent all of him ”“ the friend, husband and father, the risk taker and innovator, the poet and artist. His soaring vocals found their way into the hearts and souls of so many. His voice was his vision and his words were his peace. This album is for his fans.”

In addition to the CD releases, the collection will be available as a double-LP, pressed on 180-gram vinyl. There will also be a limited edition, super-deluxe set, which includes the deluxe edition, which contains the four discs from the deluxe edition, seven LPs and a DVD, which adds two previously unreleased videos. Each release will come with booklets of varying lengths with insights from his bandmates, Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron, Tom Morello and Mike McCready, as well as Brendan O’Brien. The super-deluxe edition upgrades the notes to a hardcore book and adds three artist lithographs, three photochromatic lithographs that change when held under sunlight, a turntable mat, a microfiber vinyl cleaning cloth and a poster.

In addition to “When Bad Does Good,” the unreleased material includes a duet Cornell recorded with Yusuf/Cat Stevens’ of the latter artist’s “Wild World,” a duet with his daughter, Toni, on Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song,” recordings from Temple of the Dog’s 2016 tour and Cornell’s solo performance of “One” ”“ a song that interpolates both U2’s and Metallica’s songs of the same title. The collection also includes a recording from Audioslave’s 2005 performance in Cuba (“Show Me How to Live”) and a solo performance from London’s Royal Albert Hall, where he did the Beatles’ “A Day in the Life.” It’s rounded out by live, acoustic performances recorded in Sweden in 2006, when he got the idea for what would become his solo “Songbook” tours.

The music videos include a solo acoustic performance of “Scream” and a newly reworked Soundgarden video for “Live to Rise,” which excises the Avengers movie footage from the one that circulated previously.

Chris Cornell Single Disc Track List

1. “Loud Love” (Soundgarden)
2. “Outshined” (Soundgarden)
3. “Hunger Strike” (Temple of the Dog)
4. “Seasons”
5. “Black Hole Sun” (Soundgarden)
6. “Can’t Change Me”
7. “Like a Stone” (Audioslave)
8. “Be Yourself” (Audioslave)
9. “You Know My Name”
10. “Billie Jean”
11. “Long Gone” (Rock Version)
12. “Call Me a Dog” (Live Acoustic)
13. “Been Away Too Long” (Soundgarden)
14. “Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart”
15. “Nothing Compares 2 U” (Live at Sirius XM) *
16. “The Promise”
17. “When Bad Does Good” *

* Previously unreleased

Chris Cornell Deluxe Edition Track List

Disc One

1. “Hunted Down” (Soundgarden)
2. “Kingdom of Come” (Soundgarden)
3. “Flower” (Soundgarden)
4. “All Your Lies” (Soundgarden)
5. “Loud Love” (Soundgarden)
6. “Hands All Over” (Soundgarden)
7. “Say Hello 2 Heaven” (Temple of the Dog)
8. “Hunger Strike” (Temple of the Dog)
9. “Outshined” (Soundgarden)
10. “Rusty Cage” (Soundgarden)
11. “Seasons”
12. “Hey Baby” (Land Of The New Rising Sun)” (M.A.C.C.)
13. “Black Hole Sun” (Soundgarden)
14. “Spoonman” (Soundgarden)
15. “Dusty” (Soundgarden)
16. “Burden in My Hand” (Soundgarden)

Disc Two

1. “Sunshower”
2. “Sweet Euphoria”
3. “Can’t Change Me”
4. “Like a Stone” (Audioslave)
5. “Cochise” (Audioslave)
6. “Be Yourself” (Audioslave)
7. “Doesn’t Remind Me” (Audioslave)
8. “Revelations” (Audioslave)
9. “Shape of Things to Come” (Audioslave)
10. “You Know My Name”
11. “Billie Jean”
12. “Long Gone” (Rock Version)
13. “Scream”
14. “Part of Me” (Steve Aoki Remix)
15. “Ave Maria” (with Eleven)

Disc Three

1. “Promise” (Slash featuring Chris Cornell)
2. “Whole Lotta Love” (Santana featuring Chris Cornell)
3. “Call Me a Dog” (Live Acoustic)
4. “Imagine” (Live Acoustic)
5. “I Am the Highway” (Live Acoustic)
6. “The Keeper”
7. “Been Away Too Long” (Soundgarden)
8. “Live to Rise” (Soundgarden)
9. “Lies” (Gabin with Chris Cornell and Ace)
10. “Misery Chain” (with Joy Williams)
11. “Storm” (Soundgarden)
12. “Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart”
13. “Only These Words”
14. “Our Time in the Universe”
15. “”˜Til the Sun Comes Back Around”
16. “Stay With Me Baby”
17. “The Promise”
18. “When Bad Does Good” *

Disc Four

1. “Into the Void” (Sealth)” (Live at the Paramount) (Soundgarden)
2. “Mind Riot” (Live at the Paramount) (Soundgarden)
3. “Nothing to Say” (Live in Seattle) (Soundgarden)
4. “Jesus Christ Pose” (Live in Oakland) (Soundgarden)
5. “Show Me How to Live” (Live in Cuba) (Audioslave) *
6. “Wide Awake” (Live in Sweden) *
7. “All Night Thing” (Live in Sweden) *
8. “Nothing Compares 2 U” (Live at Sirius XM) *
9. “One” (Live at Beacon Theatre) *
10. “Reach Down” (Live at the Paramount) (Temple of the Dog) *
11. “Stargazer” (Live at the Paramount) (Temple of the Dog) *
12. “Wild World” (Live at Pantages Theatre) (Yusuf/Cat Stevens with Chris Cornell) *
13. “A Day in The Life” (Live at the Royal Albert Hall) *
14. “Redemption Song” (Live at Beacon Theatre) (with Toni Cornell) *
15. “Thank You” (Live in Sweden)

* Previously unreleased

Chris Cornell Super Deluxe Edition DVD Track List

1. “Flower” (Soundgarden)
2. “Loud Love” (Soundgarden)
3. “Hunger Strike” (Temple of the Dog)
4. “Outshined” (Soundgarden)
5. “Jesus Christ Pose” (Soundgarden)
6. “Black Hole Sun” (Soundgarden)
7. “Fell on Black Days” (Soundgarden)
8. “Burden in My Hand” (Soundgarden)
9. “Can’t Change Me”
10. “Preaching the End of the World”
11. “Like a Stone” (Audioslave)
12. “Cochise” (Audioslave)
13. “Show Me How to Live” (Audioslave)
14. “Be Yourself” (Audioslave)
15. “Original Fire” (Audioslave)
16. “Arms Around Your Love”
17. “No Such Thing”
18. “Part of Me” (featuring Timbaland)
19. “Long Gone” (Rock Version)
20. “Scream” (Acoustic) *
21. “Live to Rise” (Soundgarden) *
22. “By Crooked Steps” (Soundgarden)
23. “Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart” (Lyric Video)
24. “The Promise”

* Previously unreleased