SPIN - “The 10 Best Songs With Matt Cameron On Drums”
Author: Al Shipley (Spin | Twitter)
From Pearl Jam to Soundgarden to Wellwater Conspiracy, Cameron has become one of the all-time greats. Full ArticleExcerpt:
10. Pearl Jam – “The Fixer”
Pearl Jam’s best lead single of the Cameron era is also the one with the heaviest writing input from him. The guitar riffs came from Cameron’s demo “Need To Know,” featured on the soundtrack to the 2011 documentary Pearl Jam Twenty, while the rest of the band beefed it up with new lyrics and a soaring bridge to become an uncharacteristically snappy three-minute radio jam.
9. Wellwater Conspiracy – “Sleeveless”
During their time as Soundgarden’s rhythm section in the ‘90s, Cameron and Ben Shepherd formed two side projects with ex-Monster Magnet guitarist John McBain. Both bands explored ‘60s influences, with Hater making fuzzy garage rock and Wellwater Conspiracy paying tribute to psych-rock and even covering Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd. Since Cameron’s most often heard playing in expensive studios with big-name bands, it’s a kick to hear his playing captured in a more casual lo-fi environment on early Wellwater Conspiracy songs like “Sleeveless,” which was recorded in the drummer’s basement.
6. Soundgarden – “Fresh Tendrils”
Cameron wrote the music for several Soundgarden songs, including minor hits like “Rhinosaur” and “By Crooked Steps.” He also collaborated with Chris Cornell on the lyrics to “Fresh Tendrils,” an underrated deep cut from the band’s 1994 masterpiece Superunknown. With a funky Cameron backbeat and clavinet by Eleven’s Natasha Shneider married to a hauntingly ominous tune, there’s nothing else quite like “Fresh Tendrils” in Soundgarden’s catalog.
