Total F*cking Godhead: The Biography of Chris Cornell
Product ID: 182031128
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"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 Chains: 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 Town: An Oral History of Grunge Review: 5-star book for a 5-star artist. - EDIT: Finished my second read-through yesterday and had a change of heart. Five stars. All the way. Some people get it. Many people don’t. If you do get it, you’ll love this book, though you may come away from it feeling like you actually know less about Chris Cornell as a person, rather than more. Not that the full complexity of a human life can be compressed into a single book. But if you were hoping that you could tell a fellow music fan to read it with the intent of getting the unconvinced to reassess a musician who is, at times, somewhat overlooked and underrated in the history of rock, it probably wouldn’t be enough to inspire that fan to have a listen. The book was written by a fan, for fans. And that’s not a bad thing. Unfortunately for Corbin Reiff, the myriad legal issues surrounding Cornell’s estate in the past few years since his untimely death prevented Reiff from talking to former band mates and members of Chris’ family. This is an unauthorized biography, very well researched, thorough, and above all, heartfelt. But the lack of new input from the people closest to Chris hampers what could have been the definitive book about him. One thing I noticed (I’m on my second read-through since picking it up the day it came out) was that the majority of the focus was on Soundgarden, and to a lesser extent Audioslave. I adore both those bands, but the parts of the book that talk about his solo output are rather less detailed. "Euphoria Mourning" and "Higher Truth" are high (as in, Top 5 high) on the list of my favorite albums Chris was a part of, and I would have liked more on both. Another thing is that parts of the book are rather dry. There are a lot of passages that are simply a litany of where and when Soundgarden or Audioslave played various shows. ‘They went to [name of city] on [date] and played a [length of time] show for [number of people], before heading to [name of another city], where they played for [number of people]...’ And so on. Still, for a fan, these flaws are minor. I still love this book, in part because there simply isn’t anything else like it. Yes, I would have liked more info on his personal life and childhood, but not to be a voyeur. I’m just more interested in the man, the story, behind all the amazing music, as opposed to what type of amp he used to record “Black Hole Sun.” And there are glimpses of that man scattered throughout these pages. But they are still only glimpses. I'd still recommend this book, especially to fellow fans. I even shed tears at the end (twice). I just hoped there would be more. But until those thorny legal issues are settled, I’ll have to wait for the next book on Chris Cornell, assuming anyone else wants to give it a go. And someone absolutely SHOULD give it a go. I can only hope it’s written with the same love and care as this one was, by another true fan, as Corbin Reiff so clearly is. Review: I cried at the end - This book was a true tribute to Chris Cornell, the person, and the performer. It was written so well taking me back to a time I will never get back but am grateful to have lived. I took in every memory and enjoyed the new knowledge bestowed upon me by Corbin. I knew how it would end and yet the way Corbin put it into words I felt as though I had just heard the news for the first time again. I could not stop the tears from falling down my face onto my heaving chest. Thank you for writing such a beautiful book about such a beautiful man who touched more people than he could ever have known.
| Best Sellers Rank | #76,999 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #34 in Rock Music (Books) #45 in Rock Band Biographies #92 in Music History & Criticism (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,872 Reviews |
K**P
5-star book for a 5-star artist.
EDIT: Finished my second read-through yesterday and had a change of heart. Five stars. All the way. Some people get it. Many people don’t. If you do get it, you’ll love this book, though you may come away from it feeling like you actually know less about Chris Cornell as a person, rather than more. Not that the full complexity of a human life can be compressed into a single book. But if you were hoping that you could tell a fellow music fan to read it with the intent of getting the unconvinced to reassess a musician who is, at times, somewhat overlooked and underrated in the history of rock, it probably wouldn’t be enough to inspire that fan to have a listen. The book was written by a fan, for fans. And that’s not a bad thing. Unfortunately for Corbin Reiff, the myriad legal issues surrounding Cornell’s estate in the past few years since his untimely death prevented Reiff from talking to former band mates and members of Chris’ family. This is an unauthorized biography, very well researched, thorough, and above all, heartfelt. But the lack of new input from the people closest to Chris hampers what could have been the definitive book about him. One thing I noticed (I’m on my second read-through since picking it up the day it came out) was that the majority of the focus was on Soundgarden, and to a lesser extent Audioslave. I adore both those bands, but the parts of the book that talk about his solo output are rather less detailed. "Euphoria Mourning" and "Higher Truth" are high (as in, Top 5 high) on the list of my favorite albums Chris was a part of, and I would have liked more on both. Another thing is that parts of the book are rather dry. There are a lot of passages that are simply a litany of where and when Soundgarden or Audioslave played various shows. ‘They went to [name of city] on [date] and played a [length of time] show for [number of people], before heading to [name of another city], where they played for [number of people]...’ And so on. Still, for a fan, these flaws are minor. I still love this book, in part because there simply isn’t anything else like it. Yes, I would have liked more info on his personal life and childhood, but not to be a voyeur. I’m just more interested in the man, the story, behind all the amazing music, as opposed to what type of amp he used to record “Black Hole Sun.” And there are glimpses of that man scattered throughout these pages. But they are still only glimpses. I'd still recommend this book, especially to fellow fans. I even shed tears at the end (twice). I just hoped there would be more. But until those thorny legal issues are settled, I’ll have to wait for the next book on Chris Cornell, assuming anyone else wants to give it a go. And someone absolutely SHOULD give it a go. I can only hope it’s written with the same love and care as this one was, by another true fan, as Corbin Reiff so clearly is.
G**R
I cried at the end
This book was a true tribute to Chris Cornell, the person, and the performer. It was written so well taking me back to a time I will never get back but am grateful to have lived. I took in every memory and enjoyed the new knowledge bestowed upon me by Corbin. I knew how it would end and yet the way Corbin put it into words I felt as though I had just heard the news for the first time again. I could not stop the tears from falling down my face onto my heaving chest. Thank you for writing such a beautiful book about such a beautiful man who touched more people than he could ever have known.
K**E
Fantastic! Buckle up for a great ride!!
Outrageous!!! A page turner from the word go!! An excellent job of writing by author Corbin Reiff!! As soon as I finished it I started to read it again! Corbin takes you on a journey inside the band- you can feel what it’s like trying so hard to become mainstream BIG while not pandering to the masses. This book is FULL of insightful and very interesting chapters that doesn’t pull any punches and tells it like it is. I was, and still am a HUGE Grunge and Soundgarden fan and this book was exactly what I was hoping for- A WILD ride that takes you inside the mind of Chris Cornell and allows you to feel the unbelievable work ethic and complete commitment he gave to become the absolute KING of Grunge! The book also covers his solo career, his days with Audioslave and his 2012 reunion and King Animal Tour. The only problem is the ending......R.I.P. Chris! You are missed more than you’ll ever know. ~K. 😢
A**L
Fantastic biography about the best musician gone too soon
Not all the way through it but dang this dude has done his homework. For someone that wasn't in Chris's personal circle (and couldn't get his interviews fulfilled either) he did a spectacular job. He's taken my favorite musician and turned him into a reality, I feel like I've been present at the concerts of his early days. A great writer really can bring you into the moment and this guy nailed it. The part about him throwing the microphone up to the rafters, and hanging upside down singing into it- it blew me away. Not to mention that just made me love Chris Cornell so much more. It's an incredible tribute to an amazing, talented musician that's gone way too soon.
B**E
A tribute to a great musician
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.
S**H
Finally Closure
I first saw Soundgarden in a small theater in Philly, before they were popular. I left blown away by the performance, finally a band to take Sabbaths place. Saw them many more times after that and bought their albums the day they were released. When Chris took his life I was angry,as most of my friends were.I couldn't listen to the band anymore,it changed my view of everything.When I saw this book I was at first reluctant to read it. I have to say the author did a great job sucking me back into the band's birth and I broke out my cd's and started listening again. It was a great revelation and by the end of the book my feelings changed.I also made me feel a little better about the end and how Chris's musicianship and songs made the world a better place. I would love the family to release the tribute concert! Great read.
E**4
Oustanding read on the man and the music...
This book was an incredible read! Corbin definitely did his work, surprising me with nice anecdotes, and facts about the mand and the bands. What was most surprising was the extent of Cornell's mental health issues. I knew that he had a dark side, but was unaware as to what extent. Reading this book makes me look at the words, music, and actions and a different light. Corbin did an excellent job with the limited resources that he had to work with given the legal situation at the moment. I would highly recommend this book as an addition to your book shelf, or as a gift for the music lovers in your life. I look forward to Corbin's next endeavor!
A**R
Great read
If you are a Cornell, Soundgarden or 90's rock fan, this is a must read. I grew up in Seattle during the grunge era, so there were many moments in the book I actually remember from being a local. I burned through this book quick... page turner. What a brilliant musician he was! RIP Chris.
K**R
A well written and informative book
I highly recommend this book if you are a fan of Chris Cornell. I thought of myself as being knowledgeable when it came to Chris Cornell, but I learnt so many new facts about him and the events in his life. It covers the entirety of his life in great detail.
M**O
Excelente Libro
Llego en perfecto estado, y antes de tiempo establecido Muy recomendado
R**M
Little disappointed for the cost
A few of the pages were printed upside down . The quality was good otherwise
F**K
Really good book!
Great biography written about Chris Cornell. How he got into music, time with Soundgarden band, time with Audioslave band, and just different interesting stories. RIP Chris
L**T
Total F*cking Godhead the biography of Chris Cornell
Pour le lire 🙄 Conservation moyenne.
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