Dark Black and Blue: The Soundgarden Story

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.

There have been countless books penned about the leading grunge bands - namely, Nirvana and Pearl Jam. But strangely, few have been assembled about the mighty Soundgarden. 'Dark Black and Blue: The Soundgarden Story' tells the Seattle band’s complete story - beginning with its members pre-SG days. Also included are new interviews for the book, including chats with Matt Pinfield, Marky Ramone, Jim Rose, the Reverend Horton Heat, and Dave Wyndorf, among others, as well as rarely seen photos from throughout the band’s history. In addition to dissecting, analyzing, and telling the stories behind all of their albums (including such classics as 1991’s 'Badmotorfinger,' 1994’s 'Superunknown,' and 1996’s 'Down on the Upside'), readers will learn about the stories behind their classic songs (“Black Hole Sun,” “Jesus Christ Pose,” “Outshined,” “Hands All Over,” “Flower,” etc.), as well as recollections of tours (including multiple stints on Lollapalooza, opening several legs of Guns N’ Roses’ 'Use Your Illusion' tour, Neil Young, Faith No More, etc.), goings on behind the scenes, and singer Chris Cornell’s surprising and tragic death in 2017. RIP Chris.

Beautifully written book that takes you through the development of a band.

We've needed a comprehensive book on Soundgarden, and Dark Black and Blue delivers just that. Prato often writes from a fan's perspective, but with the added flair of a professional writer. Unlike the interview-style used in Grunge is Dead, Dark Black and Blue is structured more narratively, and each chapter reveals more of the band's journey, from a baby who looks like a boy to being big as the sky ;)It's taken me quite a while to leave this review; maybe I knew I'd be melancholic once the read was complete. Cornell's death was a punch to the gut (understatement, right?). It seemed like we'd have more years with him and Soundgarden, but sadly, we're not able to predict these things.Fair warning: You may end up listening to Soundgarden 24/7. Every story told makes you want to dig out that time period's album and listen to it with new ears. Nice touch.

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.

This book chronicles the history of Soundgarden, and provides detailed insight into each album, the band member's personalities and relationships with each other and other bands on the scene at that time, and touches on the history of the Seattle scene and the inception of the 'grunge' era of rock. Furthermore, the author provides interviews with key players in rock n roll and the grunge era who had personal relationships with Soundgarden.

I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the band or a fan of the genre. It really cool hearing the stories that the fans don’t know about. If your a fan of the band or the genre I would totally recommend this.

Great book with so much depth on the individual members. If you are a fan of the scene a must read. ‘Grunge’ is a term which is disputed by those who know the scene. There is so much variety that the term does not do the scene justice just to affix ‘grunge’ I love soundgarden, screaming trees, pearl jam and others that stemmed from the end of the heavy metal era. It’s a large long book and hard to carry around for a read on the commute but good for home leisurely reading. Also check out Mark Lanegan’s ‘Sing backwards and weep’ for a perspective that is not just indulgent glamorisation of the times.

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.

If you’re looking for THE Soundgarden book, this is IT.

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.

Great book. Loud love to all the Soundgarden fans who want some detail to chew on.