Dark Black and Blue: The Soundgarden Story

I noticed after the first couple times reading this book that the cover is oddly empty. Then I realized that is because it doesn't have the typical logo of the publisher on it, because it is self-published. While I like the independent DIY ethos, this book didn't find a publisher, I am certain, because no publisher would have it. Put simply, the author can't write. This book is terrible. In spite of myself, because it is the only book chronicling the history of my favorite band, I read the whole thing. The best part is the appendix containing interviews with several people who knew Soundgarden, because Prato's awful writing isn't a factor. I was angry every time I picked this book up because I knew I'd have to withstand the pain of the writing to get to the story.Like bad acting, you know bad writing when you see it. But let me share an example passage and a couple of things the author does that make him so hard to read. First, the book could be shorter by at least a third, if you took out the personal anecdotes and worthless observations. Here is an example from page 180:"And then...a song that if you were to ask me what my personal favorite Soundgarden song of them all is, I would feel confident selecting. And that tune is the musical lumbering leviathan, otherwise known as "4th of July." Not only the heaviest song on the album, "4oJ" is the heaviest and darkest-sounding song Soundgarden ever recorded-as it was detuned to a dangerously string-flapping C, and contains a simple yet awe-inspiring main guitar bit, and one of the most epic "string scripts" ever (signaling the song's end). Another CCC (he certainly deserved a "most valuable player" award for SU, didn't he?), it also is a testament to at the variety of songs Cornell could not only pull off...but do so masterfully (especially if you were to stack up something like "Black Hole Sun" alongside "4th of July").This passage exemplifies the author's rambling and irritating writing style. It also has several examples of his use of initials for Soundgarden's album and song names. He may think doing that was efficient or cute, but it comes across as amateur and annoying. He also lacks subtlety. I didn't mark the passage that comes to mind so I can't share it here, but he's referring to where the book title comes from. He says something like 'and hidden somewhere in this book is the source of the title!' rather than just letting the reader come across the quote and thinking, "So that's where the title comes from."It brings me no pleasure to write such a negative review. The author will probably read it, and negativity is something I work to avoid, but I need to share my honest assessment of this book so others know what they are getting. If you really love Soundgarden and you have discovered this book exists, see if you can get a used copy. That way, if it turns out to be too painful to read all the way through, at least you aren't out full price.

What a disappointing book this was. Greg Prato should be ashamed for printing this up. The photos inside look like they were xeroxed on a cheap copier. He offered no new information that I had not already read in previous articles or interviews. If I could get my money back, I would. I consider this a complete cash grab by the author taking advantage of the millions of fans still grieving the death of Chris Cornell.

What I liked about this book:1) provides a few tidbits of info that I didn't already know.2) provides a long music listening list of bands that Soundgarden members liked to listen to, and side projects that Soundgarden members were involved in. That list was a big value to me.3) as an appendix, includes interviews with random music folks, talking about Chris and Soundgarden, that are fairly interesting.Let-downs of this book:1) Regurgitates quotes from past articles that are readily available online2) Spends the majority of the book describing, track by track, the songs from each of the albums. While there are some interesting points that this brings up, generally the author's preference for particular songs gets in the way and also - who cares? - almost anyone in the market for this book has already listened to most, if not all, Soundgarden songs out there.3) raw, unedited, content. That means the level of writing was about the same as you'd find in anyone's daily journal. This was self-published and, from the looks of it, probably did not get even one outside review/edit of the manuscript.4) I bought the more expensive paper copy since my e-reader generally doesn't cooperate when it comes to pictures. Absolute waste. The pictures are low-quality and the compositions very uninspired.If you must own every piece of Soundgarden memorabilia out there. Go ahead and buy this book. It wasn't a 100% waste. But if you want an in-depth story about the lives and experience of these musicians and their world, don't bother. I have my fingers crossed that Corbin Reiff's biography of Chris Cornell (coming out in 2020) will get the job done.

Do you like.... Pointless elipses? Excessive emphasis on punctuation?!? Then this book is for... YOU!! I almost gave this 2 stars, just because I started experiencing a small amount of joy in mentally ripping the author to shreds. It gets 1, because the interviews at the end should have been a relief, what with less room for editorializing and all, but are instead full of dumb questions. "Phil Anselmo, what do you want Chris to be remembered for?" Who cares? Excuse me, I mean... WHO CARES??!!

So far so great! I dove right into this book and was instantly hooked. Like one of Greg’s other books that I had the pleasure of reading (A Devil on One Shoulder and an Angel on the Other) you get insight from a true fan and music lover. Within the first few pages you understand that you are about to embark on Greg’s exciting journey with the band, watching them live and listening to their music years after seeing them perform for the first time. I strongly recommend this book for any Soundgarden fans as it is one of the few to document a truly badass band. Nicely done, Greg.

I’ve been a Soundgarden fan since the early 90’s..I’ve loved their music since I first heard it but never really delved into the formation and details of the band. Until now. Greg Prato’s book on the aforementioned Soundgarden is informative, thorough and a pleasure to read. It’s also great that there are all new interviews with the band members featured in the book. It’s tough to put the book down.I was shocked and saddened to learn of Chris Cornell’s death, as were many SG fans. This book really gives you an insight to the kind of person he was. The book has also renewed my interest in the entire SG catalog, which I have been listening to almost exclusively since starting the book. Fantastic job, Greg.

Written by a seasoned rock journalist in his own voice and with his own experiences, "Dark Black and Blue the Soundgarden story" is a fun must-read for fans of the mighty Soundgarden! I laughed out loud more than once while reading it cover to cover, and I found it hard to put down. Do you love Soundgarden? Do you have a sense of humor? Buy this book! Unlike other dry, boring accounts of musical history, this book was a delightful read, and I have purchased three copies so far. Two to keep, and one as a gift. This is a great chronicle of Soundgarden's reign, written with a refreshing view! Love this book, it's pure gold.

Uno de los libros más esperado por mí. A pesar de la buena reputación de su autor, no aporta nada relevante a la historia de Soundgarden. Los detalles que aporta son de sobra conocidos por cualquier fan.

consiglio

This book contains lot of news and stories but does not offer any insight in the music or lyrics of Soundgarden

Loved learning more about this amazing band, their internal friendships, and what made them all so damn good!