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Total F*cking Godhead: The Biography of Chris Cornell
"The new Chris Cornell biography is the book his legacy deserves." — Kerrang!
"Reiff unearths plenty of unexpected details and novel anecdotes…but the book is perhaps most valuable for the way it rounds out and humanizes this man who managed to keep so many of his cards close to the vest despite decades in the spotlight." — Variety
“ Total F*cking Godhead brings Chris Cornell, the voice of a generation, alive on the page. Impressively researched and compulsively readable, Godhead pulls no punches in recounting Cornell’s remarkable life and prolific career. It’s an inspired chronicle of an impassioned soul. Read it!”—Greg Renoff, author of Van Halen Rising
With input from those who knew and worked with him—together with his own words— Total F*cking Godhead recounts the rise of Chris Cornell and his immortal band Soundgarden as they emerged from the 1980s post-punk underground to dominate popular culture in the ’90s alongside Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, and Nirvana.
“From his days as a struggling Seattle musician at the forefront of the grunge scene to becoming a global icon, Total F*cking Godhead thoroughly chronicles the life story and prolific output of one of the greatest and most influential singers of all time. You will discover the man and his music all over again.”—David de Sola, author of Alice in The Untold Story
Seattle resident and rock writer Corbin Reiff also examines Cornell’s dynamic solo career as well as his time in Audioslave. He delves into his hard-fought battle with addiction, and the supercharged reunion with the band that made him famous before everything came to a shocking end.
“For those of us still trying to sort out the tragedy of Chris Cornell's death comes this loving look back at the man's life and music. I wrote my own book about grunge, and I still learned a lot from this excellent biography." —Mark Yarm, author of Everybody Loves Our An Oral History of Grunge
"Reiff unearths plenty of unexpected details and novel anecdotes…but the book is perhaps most valuable for the way it rounds out and humanizes this man who managed to keep so many of his cards close to the vest despite decades in the spotlight." — Variety
“ Total F*cking Godhead brings Chris Cornell, the voice of a generation, alive on the page. Impressively researched and compulsively readable, Godhead pulls no punches in recounting Cornell’s remarkable life and prolific career. It’s an inspired chronicle of an impassioned soul. Read it!”—Greg Renoff, author of Van Halen Rising
With input from those who knew and worked with him—together with his own words— Total F*cking Godhead recounts the rise of Chris Cornell and his immortal band Soundgarden as they emerged from the 1980s post-punk underground to dominate popular culture in the ’90s alongside Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, and Nirvana.
“From his days as a struggling Seattle musician at the forefront of the grunge scene to becoming a global icon, Total F*cking Godhead thoroughly chronicles the life story and prolific output of one of the greatest and most influential singers of all time. You will discover the man and his music all over again.”—David de Sola, author of Alice in The Untold Story
Seattle resident and rock writer Corbin Reiff also examines Cornell’s dynamic solo career as well as his time in Audioslave. He delves into his hard-fought battle with addiction, and the supercharged reunion with the band that made him famous before everything came to a shocking end.
“For those of us still trying to sort out the tragedy of Chris Cornell's death comes this loving look back at the man's life and music. I wrote my own book about grunge, and I still learned a lot from this excellent biography." —Mark Yarm, author of Everybody Loves Our An Oral History of Grunge
384 pages, Hardcover
First published July 28, 2020
321 people are currently reading
1874 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews
September 2, 2023
I was disappointed with both the style and content of this biography of Chris Cornell. The book reads more like a simple account of his musical accomplishments, and not an exploration of his life and development as an artist. It was clear from the content that the author has cobbled together biographical material that is readily available online and in existing biographical sources (Grunge is Dead, Everybody Loves Our Town, Spin, etc.). There is very little (if any) new information or in-depth interview material that sheds light on his character, personality or emotional essence.
Chris Cornell was one of the most creatively charged and multi-talented musicians to come out of the late 80's and early 90's modern music scene. He almost single handedly drove the musical entity that was Soundgarden. The rest of the band are all excellent musicians in their own right, but it was Cornell who was at the creative core of the band, and whose songwriting and performing skills catapulted them above the rest of the Seattle music scene.
This book does little to delve into the life events that fueled his ascendancy to musical genius, nor provides insights into how his personality was shaped by the people and circumstances he encountered in his youth. It provides almost no in-depth details on his personal relationships with the rest of Soundgarden or Audioslave, members of the musical community or his manager/first wife. There was also no exploration of the circumstances behind the controversy that erupted between his widow and the remaining members of Soundgarden after his death.
Unfortunately it will probably be some time before a detailed, introspective biography of Chris Cornell appears, most likely by someone within his inner circle who decides to come forward and provide the world with a more personal and insightful look into this amazing and complex man's life, and tragic death.
Chris Cornell was one of the most creatively charged and multi-talented musicians to come out of the late 80's and early 90's modern music scene. He almost single handedly drove the musical entity that was Soundgarden. The rest of the band are all excellent musicians in their own right, but it was Cornell who was at the creative core of the band, and whose songwriting and performing skills catapulted them above the rest of the Seattle music scene.
This book does little to delve into the life events that fueled his ascendancy to musical genius, nor provides insights into how his personality was shaped by the people and circumstances he encountered in his youth. It provides almost no in-depth details on his personal relationships with the rest of Soundgarden or Audioslave, members of the musical community or his manager/first wife. There was also no exploration of the circumstances behind the controversy that erupted between his widow and the remaining members of Soundgarden after his death.
Unfortunately it will probably be some time before a detailed, introspective biography of Chris Cornell appears, most likely by someone within his inner circle who decides to come forward and provide the world with a more personal and insightful look into this amazing and complex man's life, and tragic death.
March 1, 2022
Chris Cornell deserves all the stars in the sky. He was the greatest hard rock singer who lived (possibly second only to Freddie Mercury, but Queen was more of a pop-rock band). Amazingly talented, great song writer, played many instruments - but it was his singing that was quite literally off the charts: a four octave range and so loud that reportedly he broke over a dozen microphones while recording one of Soundgarden's early albums. His voice is instantly recognizable: that hard-rock raspy voice that nevertheless can soar into impossible heights.
The book starts out well, offering insight into Chris's upbringing, his early influences, the forming of Soundgarden and the close camaraderie of the small Seattle indie music scene. No one there expected to be famous or rich - they figured they will pay small gigs and continue live from their day jobs. This explains the lack of rock star personas and continuing to live like normal people even after they hit it big - well at least in the case of Chris Cornell and Soundgarden.
However, after the band becomes famous, the book pretty much consists of tour dates and album releases - as several other reviewers said, it isn't much more than what's available on Wikipedia. Sometimes even less. It seems that Reiff had written a pretty detailed first half but was given a deadline and had to quickly finish off the book. There is very little about the re-united Soundgarden and about Chris's death. The dispute over his estate is only mentioned in the preface, where Reiff apologizes for not being able to interview the band members due to the litigation. This is probably the reason why the book lacks depth: we do not get a picture of Chris Cornell as a private person after his teenage years.
It seems Reiff was able to talk to his family so we get to see a young Chris who is brilliant but cannot sit still to do his homework (very familiar as I have a child with ADHD who would get As on all tests but Fs on homework). He rescues a collection of Beatles records from a flooded basement and his world changes.
The young Chris was always in trouble but no one knew it because he had such a baby face - indeed he always looked much younger.
Chris had a larger than life voice and on-stage persona - but off-stage he was shy and withdrawn. Just look at this cutie (he was 26):
But on-stage he was a rock god who would always lose his shirt because he just lost himself in the performance:
My personal favorite was always BadMotorFinger and it does not get more iconic than Chris's performance of Outshined - that perfect blend of hard metal and revealing personal vocals:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNh-i...
Even though the book is somewhat disappointing, it gave me an excuse to spend countless hours listening to Soundgarden, AudioSlave and Chris Cornell's solo records. And I am not done yet by any means. I still am partial to BadMotorFinger - it is just so raw. It totally rocks. And it is timeless - it could have been written yesterday and would be still fresh.
I highly recommend heading over to Spotify and looking up Chris Cornell's life work. (Just skip Scream - it is truly awful. Even the gods are fallible...)
His loss is still heartbreaking. RIP Chris.
No one sings like you any more
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv4yQ...
September 18, 2020
I never understood why people got upset when celebrities died - why would you cry over someone you've never met? But then Chris Cornell killed himself, and I did shed a tear. He was such a huge part of my youth and I still listen to Soundgarden now.
I've been waiting for someone to write a book on his life, so I was itching to read this when I heard it had been published. The author has been quite up-front about legal wranglings that meant he couldn't interview Chris Cornell's former bandmates. This has meant that the book feels partly as if it's been cobbled together from various sources (which are always quoted, to the author's credit).
It's certainly very well-researched, but it feels a little bit like a very good project that someone has written by drawing on existing material. It's a shame the author was not allowed to interview the surviving members of Soundgarden. I think I would also have appreciated some more material about Chris Cornell as a person - his early life before music - and the book concentrates heavily on his recording career. Of course that's important, but the focus perhaps felt a little narrow at times.
I did still enjoy the book - but I think that the definitive biography of Chris Cornell is yet to be written...
I've been waiting for someone to write a book on his life, so I was itching to read this when I heard it had been published. The author has been quite up-front about legal wranglings that meant he couldn't interview Chris Cornell's former bandmates. This has meant that the book feels partly as if it's been cobbled together from various sources (which are always quoted, to the author's credit).
It's certainly very well-researched, but it feels a little bit like a very good project that someone has written by drawing on existing material. It's a shame the author was not allowed to interview the surviving members of Soundgarden. I think I would also have appreciated some more material about Chris Cornell as a person - his early life before music - and the book concentrates heavily on his recording career. Of course that's important, but the focus perhaps felt a little narrow at times.
I did still enjoy the book - but I think that the definitive biography of Chris Cornell is yet to be written...
April 19, 2021
No you're crying.
Want to read
July 11, 2022Been waiting a while to read this! Finally got my hardback copy delivered today...Total F*cking Sex God!! 😍🤘🏼
December 15, 2022
I LOVE THIS MAN and when I say that I don’t just mean as one of the founders of grunge. He’s actually a really compassionate, sincere, yet troubled man. With one of the most identifiable voices of rock that will have ever been. Truly just when you think there is no way the next word can come out of his mouth more powerfully he turns that bitch up to 11.
12/15 so I just finished the audiobook. I feel like I didn't get enough Chris the man, the father, the friend, the son, the husband. What I got was Chris the lyricist, the singer, the musician. He was an extremely multifaceted personality. This book scratched the surface for me.
I am ridiculous I know but seriously if when I die and go to heaven there had better be a dead aid of my choosing because Cornell, Bowie , Mercury, Lennon, Joplin, Hendrix just to name a few had better play one damn fine welcome BAM concert
12/15 so I just finished the audiobook. I feel like I didn't get enough Chris the man, the father, the friend, the son, the husband. What I got was Chris the lyricist, the singer, the musician. He was an extremely multifaceted personality. This book scratched the surface for me.
I am ridiculous I know but seriously if when I die and go to heaven there had better be a dead aid of my choosing because Cornell, Bowie , Mercury, Lennon, Joplin, Hendrix just to name a few had better play one damn fine welcome BAM concert
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2022
С нетърпение очаквах книгата и много се надявах да ми хареса.
Още в началото авторът предупреждава, че поради съдебните дела около наследството на Крис Корнел, много от хората, които е пожелал да интервюира, са отказали, а някои вече интервюирани не са дали разрешение разговорите с тях да бъдат включени. Книгата е основана предимно на интервюта, дадени по различно време за телевизионни и радио предавания, за вестници и списания. Доста от тях ми бяха познати, бях ги гледала в ЮТюб, бях ги чела. Така че и самата книга ми се стори повърхностна, особено в частта с безкрайните описания на маршрутите на турнетата.
Не мога да кажа, обаче, че не ми хареса, просто очаквах повече. Нова информация за мен беше, че Аеросмит и Куин са искали Крис за вокалист, след разпадането на Саундгардън. Не смятам, че би подхождал на стила на която и да е от двете групи. Нямах представа и че влиянието на Бийтълс върху него е било толкова голямо, нито пък, че с Джеф Бъкли са били толкова близки. Харесвам биографии, в които си личи, че авторът е фен на музиката на тези, за които пише, а тук е така. Не мога, обаче да не сравнявам с биографията на Алис ин Чейнс от Де Сола, която е писана при подобни условия, отново от фен и на чист инат, но е в пъти по-задълбочена и добра.
Книгата беше стабилна тройка, а четвъртата си звезда заслужи с края, където се казва, че само защото един живот приключва трагично, на него не трябва да се гледа като на трагедия. Крис Корнел живя на пълни обороти, постигна мечтите си, обичаше това, което правеше и го правеше, защото го обича. Той докосна много хора - с музиката си, с думите си, с гласа си и просто с аурата си на добро и достойно човешко същество. Аз съм един от тези хора. Благодарна съм за всичко!
19.05.2022
Първият път четох книгата в електронен формат, в оригинал, защото нямах търпение да я изчакам да излезе на български. Вторият път я четох на български, бавно и упоително. Така се случи, че трябваше да затворя последната страница вчера, на петата годишнина от смъртта на Крис, но аз не бях готова за втори път да го загубя на същата дата.
През последните пет години излезе последния албум на Крис, с кавъри на известни песни. Очаквах го с нетърпение, но много се разочаровах, защото песните ми се сториха преаранжирани, имах чувството, че биха звучали съвсем различно, ако беше жив, за да се погрижи сам за тях. Споровете около правата на песните му със Саундгардън продължават. Надявам се някога все пак тези парчета да видят бял свят.
Пет години по-късно все още никой не пее като Корнел и никога никой няма да пее. Но музиката му още се слуша и още е несъразмерим еталон за талант.
Още в началото авторът предупреждава, че поради съдебните дела около наследството на Крис Корнел, много от хората, които е пожелал да интервюира, са отказали, а някои вече интервюирани не са дали разрешение разговорите с тях да бъдат включени. Книгата е основана предимно на интервюта, дадени по различно време за телевизионни и радио предавания, за вестници и списания. Доста от тях ми бяха познати, бях ги гледала в ЮТюб, бях ги чела. Така че и самата книга ми се стори повърхностна, особено в частта с безкрайните описания на маршрутите на турнетата.
Не мога да кажа, обаче, че не ми хареса, просто очаквах повече. Нова информация за мен беше, че Аеросмит и Куин са искали Крис за вокалист, след разпадането на Саундгардън. Не смятам, че би подхождал на стила на която и да е от двете групи. Нямах представа и че влиянието на Бийтълс върху него е било толкова голямо, нито пък, че с Джеф Бъкли са били толкова близки. Харесвам биографии, в които си личи, че авторът е фен на музиката на тези, за които пише, а тук е така. Не мога, обаче да не сравнявам с биографията на Алис ин Чейнс от Де Сола, която е писана при подобни условия, отново от фен и на чист инат, но е в пъти по-задълбочена и добра.
Книгата беше стабилна тройка, а четвъртата си звезда заслужи с края, където се казва, че само защото един живот приключва трагично, на него не трябва да се гледа като на трагедия. Крис Корнел живя на пълни обороти, постигна мечтите си, обичаше това, което правеше и го правеше, защото го обича. Той докосна много хора - с музиката си, с думите си, с гласа си и просто с аурата си на добро и достойно човешко същество. Аз съм един от тези хора. Благодарна съм за всичко!
19.05.2022
Първият път четох книгата в електронен формат, в оригинал, защото нямах търпение да я изчакам да излезе на български. Вторият път я четох на български, бавно и упоително. Така се случи, че трябваше да затворя последната страница вчера, на петата годишнина от смъртта на Крис, но аз не бях готова за втори път да го загубя на същата дата.
През последните пет години излезе последния албум на Крис, с кавъри на известни песни. Очаквах го с нетърпение, но много се разочаровах, защото песните ми се сториха преаранжирани, имах чувството, че биха звучали съвсем различно, ако беше жив, за да се погрижи сам за тях. Споровете около правата на песните му със Саундгардън продължават. Надявам се някога все пак тези парчета да видят бял свят.
Пет години по-късно все още никой не пее като Корнел и никога никой няма да пее. Но музиката му още се слуша и още е несъразмерим еталон за талант.
August 5, 2020
I liked Total F*cking Godhead, but I didn't quite love it - and I wanted to love it, partly because I'm a massive Chris Cornell fan, partly because Corbin Reiff seems like the legit greatest dude on earth, partly because, as he says in his introduction, the Chris Cornell story hasn't been told as well as it should've been. Total F*cking Godhead helps plug the gap. You get the sense early on that Reiff is both a fan and that he worked his butt off on the project; the research is exhaustive, and while it's a shame Reiff wasn't able to interview any of Cornell's former bandmates he did a wonderful job of plugging the gaps. Again, I'm a huge Cornell fan - but even I'd forgotten just how much he accomplished during his life. It's such a shame he's gone.
Total F*cking Godhead could've used a more thorough editing. There were a lot of little errors - an extra word here, a missing word there. There were a few factual errors, as well. At one point, for instance, Reiff writes about a one-off performance involving Soundgarden and Nine Inch Nails that took place at Molson Park in Barrie, Ontario in 1994; later he refers to a Soundgarden show at the Molson Amphitheatre in Toronto in 2011, but then writes that it was the same venue as that 1994 show. These aren't glaring mistakes by any means, but cumulatively they chipped away from my enjoyment of Total F*cking Godhead. I also wish Reiff had spent more time on Cornell's death. It feels almost tacked-on here, but it's a huge part of the Chris Cornell story - as is the fallout from his death (and no, I'm not talking about the conspiracy theories, which don't deserve the time of day). It seems like Reiff would've been well within his rights to delve a bit deeper. I genuinely wonder if he was worried about lawsuits.
In the end, Total F*cking Godhead is a fine read. I think it could've been better, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. Now that I'm finished it I'm going to re-read Everybody Loves Our Town by Mark Yarm, an oral history of the Seattle sound which seems like it'd make for a great companion piece.
Total F*cking Godhead could've used a more thorough editing. There were a lot of little errors - an extra word here, a missing word there. There were a few factual errors, as well. At one point, for instance, Reiff writes about a one-off performance involving Soundgarden and Nine Inch Nails that took place at Molson Park in Barrie, Ontario in 1994; later he refers to a Soundgarden show at the Molson Amphitheatre in Toronto in 2011, but then writes that it was the same venue as that 1994 show. These aren't glaring mistakes by any means, but cumulatively they chipped away from my enjoyment of Total F*cking Godhead. I also wish Reiff had spent more time on Cornell's death. It feels almost tacked-on here, but it's a huge part of the Chris Cornell story - as is the fallout from his death (and no, I'm not talking about the conspiracy theories, which don't deserve the time of day). It seems like Reiff would've been well within his rights to delve a bit deeper. I genuinely wonder if he was worried about lawsuits.
In the end, Total F*cking Godhead is a fine read. I think it could've been better, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. Now that I'm finished it I'm going to re-read Everybody Loves Our Town by Mark Yarm, an oral history of the Seattle sound which seems like it'd make for a great companion piece.
September 7, 2020
I was disappointed in this biography. The majority of the information given is readily available on the internet and little new insight is given at all. I was expecting more interviews with family and friends, but the book just seemed to be a chronology of various album releases and concert dates. Don’t waste your money on this book :(
April 15, 2021
I have grown up listening to Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains among many many other great bands. Their music and lyrics have helped me cope with great adversities in my life. I was devastated when I heard about Chris Cornell's death. I have always worshipped Chris, Layne and Eddie. Having lost both Layne and Chris to suicide, my heart was always raw whenever I heard their songs or read anything about them. Now having finished Total F*cking Godhead, my love for Chris and the music that he helped create has skyrocketed. Despite having followed the Seattle grunge scene and the bands it produced for over 2 decades, reading this book made me think about the times when I used to borrow my brothers tape and listen to Soundgarden on repeat. The book also made me think about the times when their music filled me with joy and wonder, gave me the drive and energy to accomplish so many things. The love I have for Chris Cornell and his music will never fade, but I believe it has grown stronger because I believe deep down that - to quote Chris Cornell himself- I believe he is "Alive in the Super-Unknown."
Rest In Peace Chris. I hope you have finally found the peace and tranquility you have been searching for.
Rest In Peace Chris. I hope you have finally found the peace and tranquility you have been searching for.
December 20, 2022
3.5 stars. Around the time Soundgarden came out with Ultramega OK the band came and played Hampshire College while I was attending nearby Smith College. I can’t remember how it came about but the band (except for Matt Cameron, who stayed with another woman) ended up spending the night after the show in my room. I had a major crush on Chris Cornell so I was kind of awed just hanging out with him. He was a sweet and humble person, everyone in the band was nice. Chris slept in my bed (I spent the night in another room) with my teddy bear. It’s a memory I cherish. I find it unbelievably tragic that Chris committed suicide—what a loss!
The narration for this audiobook sucked.
The narration for this audiobook sucked.
July 25, 2020
Total F*cking Godhead is as close to the complete life story of Chris Cornell as you'll get without hearing it from the man himself. It's a must-read for anyone who cares a single iota about Soundgarden, Audioslave, Cornell or Seattle music from the ’90s.
Full, spoiler-free review: https://t.co/JeFyQvQOSU
Full, spoiler-free review: https://t.co/JeFyQvQOSU
December 3, 2021
I love listening to Chris Cornell songs, but I didn't know much about the history of Soundgarden, or Audioslave os his solo career, so it was pretty informative, but I understand that people who grew up being fans might think this doesn't go too deep.
October 6, 2020
There are few celebrity deaths that have affected me as deeply as the death of Chris Cornell. It's strange how someone you've never met can play such a significant role in your life. Like a constant companion. A guiding voice in your head. He's been there through it all, so feels like a permanent character in my life.
When I first learned of Corbin Reiff's biography, I was euphoric! Finally! A proper tribute for this demigod who held a tempest within a mortal frame. Then in an instant, my euphoria turned to despondency. Because I know how the story ends. Old feelings resurfaced.
In Total F*cking Godhead, Reiff has tastefully taken the focus off the tragedy and instead, has cast a glowing light on a life well lived. A life that deserves to be celebrated. And remembered.
In addition to taking an in depth walk through grunge history, you come to know Chris more intimately. I found myself putting the book down repeatedly to listen to songs I've heard a thousand times, and yet, my perspective had shifted, so I was listening with fresh ears. It instilled a sense of nostalgia. It provoked the same feelings I had the first time I listened. I was revisiting songs from his earliest albums that had somehow become lost to me throughout the years. It was like becoming reacquainted with an old friend.
I also realized how much of Chris' music I didn't know. Reiff served as a guide while I took a deep dive into Chris' solo career for the first time. I came to understand the full breadth of a man I thought I was familiar with. I read lyrics with sober eyes.
When I came to the final chapter, I set the book down. I put it off for days, knowing the outcome. For the time I spent reading, Reiff had managed to bring Chris back to life. And I didn't have it in me to mourn Chris' death all over again.
When I did bring myself to the finish the book, it was with a sense of placidity and closure. I found comfort in knowing Reiff had done Chris justice. I have a new found appreciation and respect for Chris Cornell. And I have a treasure trove of new material to explore.
Thank you to Corbin Reiff for your efforts in keeping Chris' legacy alive, preserved for generations to come.
If you loved Chris Cornell, you owe it to yourself to take this journey.
When I first learned of Corbin Reiff's biography, I was euphoric! Finally! A proper tribute for this demigod who held a tempest within a mortal frame. Then in an instant, my euphoria turned to despondency. Because I know how the story ends. Old feelings resurfaced.
In Total F*cking Godhead, Reiff has tastefully taken the focus off the tragedy and instead, has cast a glowing light on a life well lived. A life that deserves to be celebrated. And remembered.
In addition to taking an in depth walk through grunge history, you come to know Chris more intimately. I found myself putting the book down repeatedly to listen to songs I've heard a thousand times, and yet, my perspective had shifted, so I was listening with fresh ears. It instilled a sense of nostalgia. It provoked the same feelings I had the first time I listened. I was revisiting songs from his earliest albums that had somehow become lost to me throughout the years. It was like becoming reacquainted with an old friend.
I also realized how much of Chris' music I didn't know. Reiff served as a guide while I took a deep dive into Chris' solo career for the first time. I came to understand the full breadth of a man I thought I was familiar with. I read lyrics with sober eyes.
When I came to the final chapter, I set the book down. I put it off for days, knowing the outcome. For the time I spent reading, Reiff had managed to bring Chris back to life. And I didn't have it in me to mourn Chris' death all over again.
When I did bring myself to the finish the book, it was with a sense of placidity and closure. I found comfort in knowing Reiff had done Chris justice. I have a new found appreciation and respect for Chris Cornell. And I have a treasure trove of new material to explore.
Thank you to Corbin Reiff for your efforts in keeping Chris' legacy alive, preserved for generations to come.
If you loved Chris Cornell, you owe it to yourself to take this journey.
August 27, 2020
I wish I could rate this higher but there were so many typos and editorial errors that surprised me. That being said however, I’m so glad Corbin Reiff clearly put his heart and soul into the research and work to chronicle Chris’s expansive career. It must’ve been quite a challenging project to take on with the huge body of work Chris put out during his short time on Earth, but Reiff definitely rose to the occasion. You can tell he is a true fan and he handled the task in a respectful, non-exploitative manner. I think it’s a story that all music fans are happy is finally being told!
September 20, 2020
At its best, it's a so-so chronicle of Soundgarden. At its worst it blows past details of Chris Cornell's life without any depth and exploration and I'm left with no new knowledge that I hadn't already gotten from liner notes, public interviews, and being at Chris Cornell shows. This man's life was rich and complex, this book is rote and shallow.
It, honestly, reads like an undergraduate essay.
If there's good to be said, it got me spinning my old Soundgarden records again.
It, honestly, reads like an undergraduate essay.
If there's good to be said, it got me spinning my old Soundgarden records again.
October 7, 2021
Not a lot of insight into the man that was Chris Cornell, so you won’t come away with much information about Chris’s life outside of recording and touring. I’d say 90% of the book is describing his music/lyrics, other bands, where he performed and toured, the music scene, etc. The other 10% of the book is just bits and pieces of what Chris Cornell had said or done, and you get a brief section about his parents, his birth and his siblings.
May 14, 2023
This books gets props for even made. Many books have been written about the legends of the Seattle grunge scene, Alice and Chains, Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Kurt Cobain, but no books about Soundgarden or Chris Cornell. Corbin Reiff taking it upon himself to tell Chris’s story is honorable. However this book exclusively follows his career, recounting tour dates, album releases, reciting notable performances with an obscene and unnecessary amount of description. I rolled my eyes at the beginning of each chapter that begins trying to paint a vivid mental image of a moment in time with boring and miserable results. His personal life is completely absent in this book, however that blame cannot fall completely on the author as very few interviews with family, friends and band mates could be conducted to to the messy condition of Chris’s estate after his death that resulted in many legal entanglement. That’s said as such a fan of Soundgarden and Chris I don’t regret reading it. Hopefully years down the road we can get another book on Cornell and Soundgarden that can give us a glimpse behind the professional curtain.
June 19, 2024
I was never a huge grunge fan but Chris Cornell was a fantastic musician / vocalist. I enjoyed the book very much.
August 30, 2024
Chris Cornell was everything a beautiful soul should be! He had it all, including the pain he carried! He was kind, gentle, beautiful, intelligent, funny, playful, all the things that made those around him, love him. This book was full of the inspiring details from his humble beginnings to the truly amazing voice that he perfected.
April 2, 2023
I loved it. I chronologically travelled through the music while I read about his life writing the music. A legendary musician. The story was written well and I was able to get a really good sense of ‘him’.
February 28, 2021
A page turner it was not. The reader of the audiobook made it worse with his annoying nasal voice and chronic mispronunciation of names. Finished listening just because of Chris.
March 11, 2023
I love Chris but this a poorly written Wikipedia summary. There’s numerous factual errors and typos. How did this ever get to print? Does he get a royalty every time he uses “vibe” in a sentence?
April 29, 2024
It was a little more “in the weeds” than I cared for, specifically with details of his life unrelated to Audioslave or Soundgarden; but such is a biography.
September 13, 2024
“A spark: A tiny burst of energy introduced into the wrong environment at the wrong time has the power to ignite a firestorm with the force and power to alter destinies. It’s the kind of blaze that devours the bonds of history and memory, while reshaping the landscape into a wholly unrecognizable and terrifying new terrain. In the face of unfathomable destruction, one is presented with two options. Rebuild by picking up the pieces and trying again, or start fresh; leave behind the world that once seemed so inviting and comfortable and seek out a new one.”
Corbin Reiff penned a part moving tribute and beautiful love letter to Chris Cornell, one of the most prolific songwriters in the last 40 years with, in my opinion, the most beautiful and recognizable voice in popular—and at times not so popular—music. Reiff prefaces his biography by rightly admitting that no one had ever written a comprehensive study on Cornell, and he felt it was a real shame, so, over the course of three years, he poured himself into every interview with the “Godhead”, while arranging as many one-on-one interviews as he possibly could, citing ongoing litigation as an impediment to some of his attempts. The result is a linear chronicling of Chris Cornell. As a music insider, Reiff adds depth to the behind-the-scenes, day-to-day creation of music by Cornell, while describing the look and feel of Seattle venues where Chris performed so many concerts. At these same venues, he supported other bands and performers who became friends, collaborators, and family.
Neither Cornell nor anyone else, indeed, could predict this family of musicians from the Pacific Northwest would, in short stead, dominate popular music, and Seattle, a musical outsider at the time, would become THE music capital of the United States. Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, Green River, the Melvins, Tad, Mother Love Bone, Alice n Chains, Mudhoney, Pearl Jam, and Nirvana wailed, distorted, shredded, and screamed their ways up the popular music charts, along the way inspiring and influencing an unaccountable number of other bands, innovating and revolutionizing music.
Temple of the Dog, a passion project that started with a couple of love songs Chris wrote for Andrew Wood, Chris’ former roommate, friend, collaborator, and the frontman for Mother Love Bone who died from a heroin overdose, came together as collaboration of unbelievable talent, though it was not largely heard on release. After the Himalayan rise of Seattle “grunge” and the formation and popularity of Pearl Jam, the album rightly and FINALLY became a critical darling and an album in the constant rotation of thirsty Gen Xers and music lovers at large. In one of the aforementioned love songs to his dearly departed friend, “Say Hello 2 Heaven”, Chris laments that “I never wanted to write these words down for you, with the pages of phrases of all the things we’ll never do” and “he came from an island and he died from the street, and he hurt so bad like a soul breakin’ but he never said nothin’ to me” before attempting sonically and vocally to reach him on high as he climbs octaves while repeating the words “say hello to Heaven.”
Reiff chronicles that Cornell had no desire to produce formulaic music or tread the same road twice. Instead, every album and song written seemed pulled from the ether or by way of digging up an artifact that would be a new blending of what was while pushing forward with what would be. On numerous occasions, Chris said, “We had to wait for the music industry to catch up with us, because we weren’t interested in slowing down for them.” During his early Soundgarden career, he penned MONSTERS like “Rusty Cage”, “Fell on Black Days”, “Jesus Christ Pose”, “Outsided”, “Spoonman”, “Burden in My Hand”, “Blow Up the Outside World”, and “Black Hole Sun”.
After smashing the charts with Soundgarden and winning multiple Grammy awards, Chris turned his focus to a solo project, where he traded bombast for a stripped down exploration. EUPHORIA MOURNING (released as “Euphoria Morning” to Cornell’s chagrin, though rereleased as EUPHORIA MOURNING) contained the song “Can’t Change Me” an aching, melodic, lyrical feast that still, after thousands of listens, moves me in an ineffable way. In “Preaching the End of the World”, Cornell beautifully sings “I’m seeking a friend for the end of the world”, exchanging metaphor for his naked, literal essence.
In 2001 the god of music, Benevolent Almighty, smiled at the world and said, “Let there be Audioslave!” And there was! And it was abso-fucking-lutely sublime! The “SoundRagers” had an instant rapport and songs flowed forth like milk and honey! In their first two weeks together, they had written 24 songs. “We wrote songs so fast that sometimes we had to go back to like a rehearsal tape from a week before to remember what it was.” Cornell recalled.
Their eponymous record contained bangers, an album of nothing but bangers—“Cochise”, “Like a Stone”, “Show Me How to Live”, “I Am the Highway”, “What You Are”, “Shadow on the Sun”. The critics hated it, and the public loved it! Once again, Cornell had to wait for the music industry to catch up.
This debut album was a life-changing album, but don’t take my word for it: At one of the first Audioslave shows, Chris Cornell thanked his new band mates by saying, “These three guys saved my life.” And they had. Cornell was in the throes and woes of a opioid addiction, literally nodding off sitting on a window sill of a large window. Tom Morello began praying out loud that Chris would not fall out of the window. “It was a visual representation of what was happening to Chris,” Reiff said. The band members and Cornell’s family staged a desperate intervention. Chris agreed to go to rehab, later recalling, “Realizing how I was affecting people I cared about made a big difference…I felt a sense of sadness and fear in them (new band mates) that made me wake up.”
The band would pile-drive three albums in total before parting ways, songs that are thoughtful, mystical, philosophical and interested in knowing one’s self. Rage Against the Machine reformed. Chris was back to his solo career and released CARRY ON. Cornell covered the King of Pop’s song, “Billie Jean”, on that record. He deconstructed the song, and absolutely remade a fantastic song into a Chris Cornell classic! “You Know My Name”, a song Cornell wrote for the James Bond film, CASINO ROYALE, appears on this album. It is a fantastic song and a great addition to Bond music history.
This was not, however, Cornell’s first foray into movies. He contributed songs to “The Avengers”, “Pacific Heights”, “Wayne’s World”, “True Romance”, and “The Basketball Diaries”, to name a few. Soundgarden contributed two songs to the 1989 film SAY ANYTHING. Cameron Crowe married Nancy Wilson in 1986—yes, the Heart shredder and the iconic movie director—and they lived in Seattle. He became enamored with the Seattle music scene, and he told his wife he wanted to make a movie focusing on the music scene. When she asked him which bands he would want to include in the soundtrack, he immediately said Soundgarden. After he finished the script for SINGLES, Crowe approached Cornell and asked him to play the lead role, that he had written the character with Cornell in mind. Even though Cornell turned him down, he agreed to play a tertiary character, and he wrote a song for the album. Soundgarden is featured playing in a Seattle club in the movie. He remained life-long friends with Crowe and Wilson, using Wilson’s Seattle sound studio to record some of his song. At Nancy and Ann’s request, he inducted Heart into the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame in 2013, with a moving, pointed speech.
In the 2010s, Cornell released three more solo albums. Soundgarden reformed, released new music, and toured the world. There was a short-run Temple of the Dog reunion. In a shocking turn in 2017, Chris Cornell was found hanged in his bathroom at the MGM Grand Hotel in Detroit, after the conclusion of a Soundgarden concert. He was 52. And I agree with Reiff’s concluding statement, a statement pulled from BLACK HOLE SUN, “no one sings like you anymore.” But I think “there’s just one thing left to be said: Say hello to Heaven.”
5 ⭐️ only because that’s the maximum.
Corbin Reiff penned a part moving tribute and beautiful love letter to Chris Cornell, one of the most prolific songwriters in the last 40 years with, in my opinion, the most beautiful and recognizable voice in popular—and at times not so popular—music. Reiff prefaces his biography by rightly admitting that no one had ever written a comprehensive study on Cornell, and he felt it was a real shame, so, over the course of three years, he poured himself into every interview with the “Godhead”, while arranging as many one-on-one interviews as he possibly could, citing ongoing litigation as an impediment to some of his attempts. The result is a linear chronicling of Chris Cornell. As a music insider, Reiff adds depth to the behind-the-scenes, day-to-day creation of music by Cornell, while describing the look and feel of Seattle venues where Chris performed so many concerts. At these same venues, he supported other bands and performers who became friends, collaborators, and family.
Neither Cornell nor anyone else, indeed, could predict this family of musicians from the Pacific Northwest would, in short stead, dominate popular music, and Seattle, a musical outsider at the time, would become THE music capital of the United States. Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, Green River, the Melvins, Tad, Mother Love Bone, Alice n Chains, Mudhoney, Pearl Jam, and Nirvana wailed, distorted, shredded, and screamed their ways up the popular music charts, along the way inspiring and influencing an unaccountable number of other bands, innovating and revolutionizing music.
Temple of the Dog, a passion project that started with a couple of love songs Chris wrote for Andrew Wood, Chris’ former roommate, friend, collaborator, and the frontman for Mother Love Bone who died from a heroin overdose, came together as collaboration of unbelievable talent, though it was not largely heard on release. After the Himalayan rise of Seattle “grunge” and the formation and popularity of Pearl Jam, the album rightly and FINALLY became a critical darling and an album in the constant rotation of thirsty Gen Xers and music lovers at large. In one of the aforementioned love songs to his dearly departed friend, “Say Hello 2 Heaven”, Chris laments that “I never wanted to write these words down for you, with the pages of phrases of all the things we’ll never do” and “he came from an island and he died from the street, and he hurt so bad like a soul breakin’ but he never said nothin’ to me” before attempting sonically and vocally to reach him on high as he climbs octaves while repeating the words “say hello to Heaven.”
Reiff chronicles that Cornell had no desire to produce formulaic music or tread the same road twice. Instead, every album and song written seemed pulled from the ether or by way of digging up an artifact that would be a new blending of what was while pushing forward with what would be. On numerous occasions, Chris said, “We had to wait for the music industry to catch up with us, because we weren’t interested in slowing down for them.” During his early Soundgarden career, he penned MONSTERS like “Rusty Cage”, “Fell on Black Days”, “Jesus Christ Pose”, “Outsided”, “Spoonman”, “Burden in My Hand”, “Blow Up the Outside World”, and “Black Hole Sun”.
After smashing the charts with Soundgarden and winning multiple Grammy awards, Chris turned his focus to a solo project, where he traded bombast for a stripped down exploration. EUPHORIA MOURNING (released as “Euphoria Morning” to Cornell’s chagrin, though rereleased as EUPHORIA MOURNING) contained the song “Can’t Change Me” an aching, melodic, lyrical feast that still, after thousands of listens, moves me in an ineffable way. In “Preaching the End of the World”, Cornell beautifully sings “I’m seeking a friend for the end of the world”, exchanging metaphor for his naked, literal essence.
In 2001 the god of music, Benevolent Almighty, smiled at the world and said, “Let there be Audioslave!” And there was! And it was abso-fucking-lutely sublime! The “SoundRagers” had an instant rapport and songs flowed forth like milk and honey! In their first two weeks together, they had written 24 songs. “We wrote songs so fast that sometimes we had to go back to like a rehearsal tape from a week before to remember what it was.” Cornell recalled.
Their eponymous record contained bangers, an album of nothing but bangers—“Cochise”, “Like a Stone”, “Show Me How to Live”, “I Am the Highway”, “What You Are”, “Shadow on the Sun”. The critics hated it, and the public loved it! Once again, Cornell had to wait for the music industry to catch up.
This debut album was a life-changing album, but don’t take my word for it: At one of the first Audioslave shows, Chris Cornell thanked his new band mates by saying, “These three guys saved my life.” And they had. Cornell was in the throes and woes of a opioid addiction, literally nodding off sitting on a window sill of a large window. Tom Morello began praying out loud that Chris would not fall out of the window. “It was a visual representation of what was happening to Chris,” Reiff said. The band members and Cornell’s family staged a desperate intervention. Chris agreed to go to rehab, later recalling, “Realizing how I was affecting people I cared about made a big difference…I felt a sense of sadness and fear in them (new band mates) that made me wake up.”
The band would pile-drive three albums in total before parting ways, songs that are thoughtful, mystical, philosophical and interested in knowing one’s self. Rage Against the Machine reformed. Chris was back to his solo career and released CARRY ON. Cornell covered the King of Pop’s song, “Billie Jean”, on that record. He deconstructed the song, and absolutely remade a fantastic song into a Chris Cornell classic! “You Know My Name”, a song Cornell wrote for the James Bond film, CASINO ROYALE, appears on this album. It is a fantastic song and a great addition to Bond music history.
This was not, however, Cornell’s first foray into movies. He contributed songs to “The Avengers”, “Pacific Heights”, “Wayne’s World”, “True Romance”, and “The Basketball Diaries”, to name a few. Soundgarden contributed two songs to the 1989 film SAY ANYTHING. Cameron Crowe married Nancy Wilson in 1986—yes, the Heart shredder and the iconic movie director—and they lived in Seattle. He became enamored with the Seattle music scene, and he told his wife he wanted to make a movie focusing on the music scene. When she asked him which bands he would want to include in the soundtrack, he immediately said Soundgarden. After he finished the script for SINGLES, Crowe approached Cornell and asked him to play the lead role, that he had written the character with Cornell in mind. Even though Cornell turned him down, he agreed to play a tertiary character, and he wrote a song for the album. Soundgarden is featured playing in a Seattle club in the movie. He remained life-long friends with Crowe and Wilson, using Wilson’s Seattle sound studio to record some of his song. At Nancy and Ann’s request, he inducted Heart into the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame in 2013, with a moving, pointed speech.
In the 2010s, Cornell released three more solo albums. Soundgarden reformed, released new music, and toured the world. There was a short-run Temple of the Dog reunion. In a shocking turn in 2017, Chris Cornell was found hanged in his bathroom at the MGM Grand Hotel in Detroit, after the conclusion of a Soundgarden concert. He was 52. And I agree with Reiff’s concluding statement, a statement pulled from BLACK HOLE SUN, “no one sings like you anymore.” But I think “there’s just one thing left to be said: Say hello to Heaven.”
5 ⭐️ only because that’s the maximum.
May 24, 2024
This was a good basic history of Chris Cornell of Soundgarden, Audioslave and solo career. This beautiful soul with an effortless voice of a generation (mine) was cut short too soon. You will not find gossipy dirt on Chris or the bands he fronted. It skims the surface of his life, but that's ok. The author scoured the life of Cornell through interviews and concert footage that were likely accessible to all on the internet, but made more cohesive in this one place. I was surprised that there wasn't more written about this super talent. I liked that the author didn't try to "add" his own interpretation or opinions into the story. He touched on Cornell's drug addiction, but not the why, he touched on his death, but not the why. The author could not possibly know, after all. It is simply a history of Chris's life from an outsiders view. It does paint Chris as a kind person off stage, more by action than inference. Cornell was not a materialistic or fame seeking individual. He followed his passion, and was happy to just make music, more for himself than others despite his reclusive and depressive tendancies. He treated other opening bands with respect and showed that by never being a diva to those 'seemingly' beneath him. He is credited to introducing Pearl Jam (Eddie Vedder) into the Seattle fold (Vedder was not originally from Seattle) when the Seattle scene wasn't receptive to receive PJ. Once Chris blessed PJ as a band to listen to, PJ was then accepted by the Seattle scene. Vedder credits his career to Chris and has stated that he is forever indebted to Chris. The book also touched base on the connection to Nirvana, Alice In Chains, Mud Honey, Mother Love Bone/Andy Wood, Screaming Trees and others. The author also doesn't try to interpret what happened when Chris Cornell died by suicide. He just states the facts. He sites that the only person that knows why this tragedy happened, is Chris himself. And he leaves it at that. I was hoping there was more to be told on his death, but there isn't.
AiC and Soundgarden were pivotal moments for me and my music tastes. The first time I heard AiC's Man in a Box, I stopped what I was doing and listened intently. Superunknown was also solidifying for me. I started (almost) on the anniversary of the day he died, and finished on the anniversary of his funeral. I did not know this until I listened to the book. Funny enough, I saw Pearl Jam on 5/18/24 in Las Vegas (the anniversary of Cornell's death) and saw Matt Cameron (drummer for Soundgarden and Pearl Jam) wearing a T-shirt with a stylized picture of Chris Cornell a la Starbucks. The cameraman focused on Matt's shirt on the jumbo screen and I got the impression, it was an homage to Cornell, especially on this day. I bought the shirt ;). This then promoted me to read this book the next day. Very fortuitous. R.I.P Chris, you are missed by this gal, and likely millions of others.
AiC and Soundgarden were pivotal moments for me and my music tastes. The first time I heard AiC's Man in a Box, I stopped what I was doing and listened intently. Superunknown was also solidifying for me. I started (almost) on the anniversary of the day he died, and finished on the anniversary of his funeral. I did not know this until I listened to the book. Funny enough, I saw Pearl Jam on 5/18/24 in Las Vegas (the anniversary of Cornell's death) and saw Matt Cameron (drummer for Soundgarden and Pearl Jam) wearing a T-shirt with a stylized picture of Chris Cornell a la Starbucks. The cameraman focused on Matt's shirt on the jumbo screen and I got the impression, it was an homage to Cornell, especially on this day. I bought the shirt ;). This then promoted me to read this book the next day. Very fortuitous. R.I.P Chris, you are missed by this gal, and likely millions of others.
January 16, 2023
Chris Cornell's unexpected death was, in a beautiful but understandably tragic way, partially responsible for my wife and me connecting and finding love. We bonded over the sadness of his passing and celebrated his ridiculously talented legacy of music. So I dove into this book with what's admittedly some bias, some enthusiasm, and a strong emotional connection to the material.
My wife read the Croatian version of this book last year, so I knew going in that author Corbin Reiff had been severely roadblocked by various legal issues surrounding Chris's death and estate. In fact, Reiff admits as much in the introduction and isn't shy about expressing his disappointment over seeing so many promising interview opportunities -- some months in the making -- vanish practically overnight.
Despite this changing the scope of the biography, it opens with so much promise. Reiff paints a brief but powerful picture of Chris "liberating" a collection of Beatles records from a neighbor's wet attic, and spending months isolated in his bedroom, just listening to the band with fascination and reverence.
Similarly, the Soundgarden origin story is meticulously documented. As someone who lived through and was obsessed with the grunge era, so many of these facts and insights were new to me and I enjoyed the hell out of these early chapters.
Then the monotony sets in. Certainly a symptom of the "interview blockade" that Reiff had to deal with, but it still results in a bit of a slog.
The bulk of the book devolves into less an exploration of Chris Cornell, and instead becomes an unnecessarily detailed chronicle of all the various tour stops and album release cycles. It's dizzying trying to keep track of his solo tours, Audioslave tours, Soundgarden tours, Temple of the Dog shows, more solo tours, album production, various promotional events...
You get the idea. It starts to read like a novelization of 30 years' worth of Wikipedia entries. Don't misunderstand; it is interesting, but it's also disappointing how the magic of the opening chapters is lost to a timeline of Cornell's musical and live output.
To his credit, Reiff does shed light on Chris Cornell's approach to and philosophy behind songwriting, and I relished all of that.
If you're a diehard fan of Chris or Soundgarden, I do recommend reading this. But just know going in that it resembles more of a nicely packaged history of Chris Cornell's musical output and collaborations, than a true biography.
My wife read the Croatian version of this book last year, so I knew going in that author Corbin Reiff had been severely roadblocked by various legal issues surrounding Chris's death and estate. In fact, Reiff admits as much in the introduction and isn't shy about expressing his disappointment over seeing so many promising interview opportunities -- some months in the making -- vanish practically overnight.
Despite this changing the scope of the biography, it opens with so much promise. Reiff paints a brief but powerful picture of Chris "liberating" a collection of Beatles records from a neighbor's wet attic, and spending months isolated in his bedroom, just listening to the band with fascination and reverence.
Similarly, the Soundgarden origin story is meticulously documented. As someone who lived through and was obsessed with the grunge era, so many of these facts and insights were new to me and I enjoyed the hell out of these early chapters.
Then the monotony sets in. Certainly a symptom of the "interview blockade" that Reiff had to deal with, but it still results in a bit of a slog.
The bulk of the book devolves into less an exploration of Chris Cornell, and instead becomes an unnecessarily detailed chronicle of all the various tour stops and album release cycles. It's dizzying trying to keep track of his solo tours, Audioslave tours, Soundgarden tours, Temple of the Dog shows, more solo tours, album production, various promotional events...
You get the idea. It starts to read like a novelization of 30 years' worth of Wikipedia entries. Don't misunderstand; it is interesting, but it's also disappointing how the magic of the opening chapters is lost to a timeline of Cornell's musical and live output.
To his credit, Reiff does shed light on Chris Cornell's approach to and philosophy behind songwriting, and I relished all of that.
If you're a diehard fan of Chris or Soundgarden, I do recommend reading this. But just know going in that it resembles more of a nicely packaged history of Chris Cornell's musical output and collaborations, than a true biography.
February 21, 2023
3.5 Stars!
This is another one of those books which has the maddening habit of being stubbornly resistant to clean paragraph breaks, which is always horrible to read, without exception. I understand this is probably down to some kind of cost cutting measure, but I guarantee what you think you are gaining money wise you are losing a lot more in terms of quality reading experience. It’s a juvenile and costly mistake.
A real fanboy vibe hangs over much of the text. How many times can we hear the word “rock god” and how many comparisons with Led Zeppelin before he thinks the reader will get it?...I’ve noticed recently the over use of “oftentimes” another clunky Americanism. Now I’ve read some really good and great books by US rock journalists from the likes of Neil Strauss, Chuck Klosterman and Rob Sheffield, but still, this reminded me that broadly speaking I’m not really a fan of the style used in most American rock journalism, I mind when visiting NYC way back in the day, and getting hold of “Rolling Stone” and “Spin” and being so underwhelmed and disappointed by almost everything about them. I’ll take British music journalism almost every time.
I have to say for a scene that spawned so many great and influential bands, it has resulted in so many average or mediocre books about it. I’m not sure I’ve heard of a single great book on any of the 90s Seattle bands?...“Heavier Than Heaven” was good and there's a decent Alice In Chains one out there too, but where are the great ones, to match the quality of all that great music?...
One of the really frustrating aspects to this biography is that there are just so many holes, so many unanswered questions as to who, why, where, when? etc, which gets annoying, but on the plus side there are some revelations here and there, and we do get a feel for Cornell’s personality, and the development of his career, with the highs and lows within, even if it does struggle to shake off its strong cut and paste feel.
This is another one of those books which has the maddening habit of being stubbornly resistant to clean paragraph breaks, which is always horrible to read, without exception. I understand this is probably down to some kind of cost cutting measure, but I guarantee what you think you are gaining money wise you are losing a lot more in terms of quality reading experience. It’s a juvenile and costly mistake.
A real fanboy vibe hangs over much of the text. How many times can we hear the word “rock god” and how many comparisons with Led Zeppelin before he thinks the reader will get it?...I’ve noticed recently the over use of “oftentimes” another clunky Americanism. Now I’ve read some really good and great books by US rock journalists from the likes of Neil Strauss, Chuck Klosterman and Rob Sheffield, but still, this reminded me that broadly speaking I’m not really a fan of the style used in most American rock journalism, I mind when visiting NYC way back in the day, and getting hold of “Rolling Stone” and “Spin” and being so underwhelmed and disappointed by almost everything about them. I’ll take British music journalism almost every time.
I have to say for a scene that spawned so many great and influential bands, it has resulted in so many average or mediocre books about it. I’m not sure I’ve heard of a single great book on any of the 90s Seattle bands?...“Heavier Than Heaven” was good and there's a decent Alice In Chains one out there too, but where are the great ones, to match the quality of all that great music?...
One of the really frustrating aspects to this biography is that there are just so many holes, so many unanswered questions as to who, why, where, when? etc, which gets annoying, but on the plus side there are some revelations here and there, and we do get a feel for Cornell’s personality, and the development of his career, with the highs and lows within, even if it does struggle to shake off its strong cut and paste feel.
May 18, 2023
A fellow Gen-X and one of the greatest artists of the grunge era - although, I admit, not my absolute favorite one.
So I was eager to learn more about the man’s life and psyche. I sought confirmation in my positive prejudice that, apart from being the sexy frontman of a cool band with the glass-breaking voice, he was a Good and Nice human being.
To some extent, this biography did the job, and I took to listening again to the Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, Audioslave and solo music (to find out once more that I really adore some of it, but am indifferent to a lot of it too - Pearl Jam or Nirvana or Screaming Trees are more up my alley).
So happy to have read it, all in all.
At the same time, I must say this isn’t exactly the best biography of an artist I’ve read so far. Corbin Reiff is a big fan and his idolatry gets in the way quite a few times. The hyperbolic language on almost every page tests your patience more than once. Most important reason why the book leaves mixed feelings, is its lack of balance: there is an overabundance of facts and figures regarding rehearsals, venues, song writing, touring, playlists, etc. Of course the music was central and essential in Cornell’s life, but was there nothing else to him? He was married twice and left 3 children, but little or none is written about Chris the father or Chris the husband. And what did he do when he wasn’t busy making and performing music? Off-stage he was rather introvert, so what went on in his mind?
As a consequence, the picture of Chris Cornell you are left with, is more than 2-dimensional but by far less multi-dimensional than it could have been.
So I was eager to learn more about the man’s life and psyche. I sought confirmation in my positive prejudice that, apart from being the sexy frontman of a cool band with the glass-breaking voice, he was a Good and Nice human being.
To some extent, this biography did the job, and I took to listening again to the Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, Audioslave and solo music (to find out once more that I really adore some of it, but am indifferent to a lot of it too - Pearl Jam or Nirvana or Screaming Trees are more up my alley).
So happy to have read it, all in all.
At the same time, I must say this isn’t exactly the best biography of an artist I’ve read so far. Corbin Reiff is a big fan and his idolatry gets in the way quite a few times. The hyperbolic language on almost every page tests your patience more than once. Most important reason why the book leaves mixed feelings, is its lack of balance: there is an overabundance of facts and figures regarding rehearsals, venues, song writing, touring, playlists, etc. Of course the music was central and essential in Cornell’s life, but was there nothing else to him? He was married twice and left 3 children, but little or none is written about Chris the father or Chris the husband. And what did he do when he wasn’t busy making and performing music? Off-stage he was rather introvert, so what went on in his mind?
As a consequence, the picture of Chris Cornell you are left with, is more than 2-dimensional but by far less multi-dimensional than it could have been.
June 27, 2022
This is a fascinating look into the life of Chris Cornell, from his early family life to his final days. The author gives us insight into his strained relationship with his father and his deep love of music and records. Chris dived into the Seattle music scene as grunge had just started to become a separate music genre. He played with many of the talented musicians of the day, all of them forming bands, then breaking up and re-forming into different groups.
When Chris finally got together with the band mates who would become Soundgarden, we are treated to details of the writing and recording process they used to create their unforgettable sound. The sheer number of gigs they played is a testament to their commitment to the music. Their later touring schedule was brutal in its scope and the areas covered.
I was also interested in the formation and, not long after, dissolution of Chris’ involvement with Audioslave. Although they made some great records, there just wasn’t the camaraderie he enjoyed with his band mates in Soundgarden.
The one thing that I found hard to read about was the too frequent deaths of other musicians in their circle. Far too many incredibly talented young men succumbed to the pressures of fame and fortune. Every death appeared to take a toll on Chris as he battled with depression and substance abuse.
Reading about his final days was heartbreaking. Chris had everything he wanted and had worked so hard for, but the demons in his head were too much to live with. The world lost the voice of a generation when he passed, but his music lives on.
When Chris finally got together with the band mates who would become Soundgarden, we are treated to details of the writing and recording process they used to create their unforgettable sound. The sheer number of gigs they played is a testament to their commitment to the music. Their later touring schedule was brutal in its scope and the areas covered.
I was also interested in the formation and, not long after, dissolution of Chris’ involvement with Audioslave. Although they made some great records, there just wasn’t the camaraderie he enjoyed with his band mates in Soundgarden.
The one thing that I found hard to read about was the too frequent deaths of other musicians in their circle. Far too many incredibly talented young men succumbed to the pressures of fame and fortune. Every death appeared to take a toll on Chris as he battled with depression and substance abuse.
Reading about his final days was heartbreaking. Chris had everything he wanted and had worked so hard for, but the demons in his head were too much to live with. The world lost the voice of a generation when he passed, but his music lives on.
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