Total F*cking Godhead by Corbin Reiff
What is it about?
A biography of Chris Cornell, the charismatic frontman of Seattle band Soundgarden, chronicling his days as a struggling musician before the grunge scene exploded on an international stage, his rise to fame, his time in Audioslave and as a solo artist, and his untimely death in May 2017.
Is it any good?
As I have mentioned before, when it comes to music, I will forever be a grunge kid. Chris Cornell and Soundgarden have played a crucial part in changing my taste in music, as did many of the other Seattle bands that were catapulted into the spotlight in the early 90s. While Nirvana and Pearl Jam have become more recognizable globally over the years, Soundgarden had been around longer, and paved the way for the music world to turn their attention to the rain-soaked streets of Seattle and recognize that there was great untapped musical talent to discover. The rest, as they say, is history (unfortunately, there have been too many unhappy endings).
As author Corbin Reiff explains in his introduction, it was hard to interview people who knew Cornell best because of the legal issues surrounding the singer and his estate; so instead of talking to band members, friends or family, he sifted through existing material – interviews, articles, videos etc. This biography therefore often reads like an accumulation his musical accomplishments, a retrospective of his distinguished career, with an added bonus of anecdotes and tales from Cornell’s personal life. That was a point I saw criticized in quite a few reviews, but it didn’t bother me at all. On the contrary, I enjoyed reading about Soundgarden’s early days, sometimes playing gigs to only a handful of people, the band’s relentless touring and breakthrough, as well as the “explosion” of Seattle’s music scene and transition into mainstream. Most chapters in this book are dedicated to Chris’ time with Soundgarden; his later band Audioslave and his work as a solo artist are mentioned but kept relatively short in comparison.
It’s not the definitive biography of Chris Cornell, mainly due to the lack of input from those closest to him, but it’s a well researched book and I learned quite a few things I didn’t know before (Cornell was considered to play the part of Cliff in “Singles” AND to appear in the movie “The Usual Suspects” – I didn’t know and immediately regretted that he declined, it would have been so awesome). Mostly, though, “Total F*cking Godhead” only vehemently confirmed what I already knew before: that Chris Cornell was such a versatile and wonderful musician, and that his loss was as heartbreaking as it was tragic.
Most memorable quote?
“And yet, when it was all over, after every superstar had their turn behind the microphone, you couldn’t shake the impossible desire for the man himself to amble out the wings one more time to show us all how it’s really done, in the dynamic, stultifying way that only he could. Call it cliché, but it remains undoubtedly true and probably will until the end of time himself: No one sings like him anymore.”
Conclusion?
This book was another trip down memory lane. Since reading Dave Grohl’s autobiography, I have been stuck in the 90s and have no intention of leaving here anytime soon. If you’re not a fan of Chris Cornell and/or Soundgarden, then probably this book isn’t for you (because if you didn’t know and love him until now, then honestly, you’re beyond hope! Just kidding. I think.). Personally, I enjoyed reading it and couldn’t help but revisit the music again, and again, and again.
Trigger warning: drug abuse, alcoholism, suicide, mental health issues, death
AT A GLANCE
Title: Total F*cking Godhead – The Biography of Chris Cornell
By: Corbin Reiff
Published by: Post Hill Press (2020)
Pages: 384
Language: English