A preview of the new Chris Cornell biography, Total F*cking Godhead

Chris Cornell has been gone for a couple of years now, but his legacy and popularity live on. Contributor Gilles LeBlanc received an advance copy of the new Cornell biography, Total F*cking Godhead, which is set for release on July 28. Here’s a look at what Gilles found.

“Let’s talk all-time alternative artists, shall we? I’m no expert, just a self-professed ROCKthusiast at best, but to me the list of musicians who you can legitimately say defined a generation while refusing to be constrained by any genre-imposed parameters pretty much starts and ends with one Chris Cornell.

“With all apologies to Academy Award winner Trent Reznor, there’s no way Nine Inch Nails should be part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s virtual Class of 2020 over Soundgarden whenever it eventually happens. That goes double for previous inductees Nirvana and Pearl Jam; if it wasn’t for guitarist Kim Thayil suggesting Seattle DJ Jonathan Poneman hook up with ‘Sub Pop U.S.A.’ writer Bruce Pavitt to release a single by his emerging band with the shirtless Adonis for a singer, the 90s may never have been as loud or interesting.

“Grunge and rock as a whole owe a great deal to Chris Cornell’s memory. He could shriek with the best of any growlers in one verse, and summon angels less than a minute later through his transcendental voice. A serious argument can be made that the Cornell versions of ‘Billie Jean’ and ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ are better than the originals. It’s hard to believe more than three years have now passed since his heartwrenching death. It’s hard to believe no one’s ever taken the time to do a proper biography on him given Cornell’s importance not just with Soundgarden but also Audioslave, Temple of the Dog as well as a solo career that even saw him do a James Bond theme. Enter Corbin Reiff.”

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