NEW YORK (CNN) -- Chris Cornell has taken to Twitter like Tweety Bird took to making mischief.



Chris Cornell's new solo album, "Scream," was produced by Timbaland. He acknowledges it's an odd mix.



Not to suggest he's using the popular social networking service to cause trouble. Hardly.



The 44-year-old rock musician said he enjoys the open stream of chit-chat with his fans.



"It's actually created an environment where I can answer simple questions that someone's probably had forever," said Cornell. "And I don't mind answering them. And I can actually have conversations with fans that are quick, but still more meaningful than the typical situations you're put into. I've really liked it."



His more than 200,000 followers can revel in bite-size musings about life on the road ("crowd was amazing last night") or sweet tweets to his wife, Vicky ("hi baby! i miss you!").  Watch Cornell talk about his Twitter fascination »



The former front man of Soundgarden and Audioslave -- who is also known for singing the James Bond theme "Casino Royale" -- is the first to admit he's a fan of experimenting. His new solo album, "Scream," has him meshing his rock vibe with dance-floor beats by the much sought-after producer Timbaland.



The collaboration has left some people scratching their heads. Nine Inch Nails lead singer Trent Reznor took a swipe by twittering: "You know that feeling you get when somebody embarrasses themselves so badly YOU feel uncomfortable? Heard Chris Cornell's record?"



Ouch. The album debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 chart, but it took a substantial tumble the second week.



But Cornell -- who said he's never met Reznor nor read or responded to his tweet -- was more than ready for criticism.



"You could kind of see it coming," he said. "Some of it is a script that was written just by putting [me and Timbaland] together. And most of the negative responses fit that script perfectly: 'You can't put these two things together. We don't like it! We're not going to let you! So we're gonna say bad stuff.' "



For Cornell, working with Timbaland required him to "rinse away everything that I knew about songwriting and recording." He said the biggest challenge was in having to relearn how to sing to a different rhythm, his raspy voice needing to match up with slick studio beats rather than sliding loosely around the live, loud accompaniment he's so used to.



"To me it seemed like an exciting thing to just go and do," he said. "I think this is as good as any album I've ever made, and I listen to it probably more than any other record I've ever made."



Cornell spoke to CNN about Timbaland, Twitter and throwing stuff out windows. The following is an edited version of the interview.



CNN: Some people have said that you've lost your musical identity in this album.



Chris Cornell: I don't have one, really. I don't want to have one. If I had a musical identity that was definable then it would be time to get into painting or something else. Race car driving.



CNN: So you would be happy to be experimental on your next album?



Cornell: Absolutely.



CNN: So what was it like working with Timbaland?



Cornell: He didn't really have a particular direction in mind in terms of what he wanted me to do. He did what Timbaland does, and I did what I do. We just wrote songs, which is really the best thing that came out of it. ...



It doesn't sound like anybody else's record. It doesn't sound like music I've ever heard. It defies genre, and yet it's very much a song-oriented album as well as an album-oriented album. ... The music never stops.
Whose new album is "Scream"? What is the name of the album? What was the name of the old band? Who is he working with as a producer? Who is he working with? Who's new album is called Scream?
Cornell's "Scream," Soundgarden and Audioslave Timbaland. Timbaland. Chris
question: Whose new album is "Scream"?, answer: Cornell's | question: What is the name of the album?, answer: "Scream," | question: What was the name of the old band?, answer: Soundgarden and Audioslave | question: Who is he working with as a producer?, answer: Timbaland. | question: Who is he working with?, answer: Timbaland. | question: Who's new album is called Scream?, answer: Chris