What do you think?
Rate this book
A Screaming Life: Into the Superunknown with Soundgarden and Beyond
The memoir by co-founding member of Soundgarden and lead guitarist Kim Thayil about one of the 1990s’ signature rock bands
From Soundgarden’s humble beginnings manifesting grunge in Seattle's beer-soaked punk clubs to their revered status today as rock icons, the band’s journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. In A Screaming Life, founding member and guitar god Kim Thayil goes backstage to introduce the band that fearlessly pushed the boundaries of rock, invented a new genre, and amassed fervent fans from every corner of the world.
Thayil shares the story of how he and his Soundgarden bandmates—Hiro Yamamoto, Ben Shepherd, Matt Cameron, and Chris Cornell—facedthe triumphs and challenges on the road to their historic and influential rise. His storytelling channels the essence of Soundgarden’s era-defining sound—one that’s supercharged with raw creativity and unapologetic lyrics—and explores the ways that Soundgarden was shaped by the diverse backgrounds of its creators: Thayil's Indian heritage and founding bassist Hiro Yamamoto's Japanese background added unique dimensions to the band's identity, influencing not only their music but also their experiences in the industry.
For Soundgarden fans and ‘90s alternative rock enthusiasts, A Screaming Life not only gives behind-the-scenes access to one of the most revered bands, but it also demonstrates the power music and its creators have to transform culture.
From Soundgarden’s humble beginnings manifesting grunge in Seattle's beer-soaked punk clubs to their revered status today as rock icons, the band’s journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. In A Screaming Life, founding member and guitar god Kim Thayil goes backstage to introduce the band that fearlessly pushed the boundaries of rock, invented a new genre, and amassed fervent fans from every corner of the world.
Thayil shares the story of how he and his Soundgarden bandmates—Hiro Yamamoto, Ben Shepherd, Matt Cameron, and Chris Cornell—facedthe triumphs and challenges on the road to their historic and influential rise. His storytelling channels the essence of Soundgarden’s era-defining sound—one that’s supercharged with raw creativity and unapologetic lyrics—and explores the ways that Soundgarden was shaped by the diverse backgrounds of its creators: Thayil's Indian heritage and founding bassist Hiro Yamamoto's Japanese background added unique dimensions to the band's identity, influencing not only their music but also their experiences in the industry.
For Soundgarden fans and ‘90s alternative rock enthusiasts, A Screaming Life not only gives behind-the-scenes access to one of the most revered bands, but it also demonstrates the power music and its creators have to transform culture.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published June 9, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
June 16, 2026
If you’re a Soundgarden fan, A Screaming Life is required reading.
Kim Thayil takes you from three dudes jamming in an apartment (with Chris Cornell on drums!?) all the way to one of the Mt. Rushmore bands of rock music.
What I loved most is that this isn’t the usual rock memoir parade of sex, drugs, ego, and destruction. It’s about the music, the work, the band dynamic, and the weird, heavy, smart, very specific thing that made Soundgarden Soundgarden.
It’s also wild how much Chicago runs through the story. Seattle gets the mythology, but Kim and Hiro come out of Park Forest, Bruce Pavitt has the Sub Pop connection, and Soundgarden helped build the road everybody else drove on. As a Chicago suburbs guy, I will now be obnoxious about this forever.
The end gets heavy, especially when the book reaches the breakup and Chris. But it earns that weight.
Funny, thoughtful, nerdy, moving, and very, very Soundgarden.
Kim Thayil takes you from three dudes jamming in an apartment (with Chris Cornell on drums!?) all the way to one of the Mt. Rushmore bands of rock music.
What I loved most is that this isn’t the usual rock memoir parade of sex, drugs, ego, and destruction. It’s about the music, the work, the band dynamic, and the weird, heavy, smart, very specific thing that made Soundgarden Soundgarden.
It’s also wild how much Chicago runs through the story. Seattle gets the mythology, but Kim and Hiro come out of Park Forest, Bruce Pavitt has the Sub Pop connection, and Soundgarden helped build the road everybody else drove on. As a Chicago suburbs guy, I will now be obnoxious about this forever.
The end gets heavy, especially when the book reaches the breakup and Chris. But it earns that weight.
Funny, thoughtful, nerdy, moving, and very, very Soundgarden.
June 25, 2026
Kim Thayil’s book, while a mixed bag for someone like me who’s obsessed with non-fiction, especially rock memoirs, had some redeeming qualities. It started with a solid background on his upbringing, his love for KISS, and how he got into music.
However, the book’s writing style felt overly safe. I’m not particularly interested in stories about drugs or sexual conquests, and thankfully, this book didn’t delve into those topics. Kim, on the other hand, seems hesitant to explore his feelings about his bandmates and the dynamics within the band in Seattle. Soundgarden came across as a bunch of quiet, angry guys who never addressed their issues, leading to passive-aggressive arguments that went unresolved.
As the band gained success, they became increasingly concerned about their image and how they were perceived in the music industry. Two members didn’t want to be on a KISS tribute album, and others were hesitant to tour with Guns N’ Roses. The book glosses over many unanswered questions, such as what it was like touring with other bands, recording in the studio, and the Guns N’ Roses tour itself.
One of my biggest issues was the perception of those who came out of the Seattle area during the grunge movement. They felt superior to the bands that came before them, as if they were above them. Kim repeatedly blames producers, agents, managers, and record executives for not understanding Soundgarden. It seemed like they didn’t want to make money or do anything except play music, avoiding the pressures of the music industry.
When the book mentions conflicts within the band, Kim is reluctant to provide much depth or insight into their origins or resolutions. The tone of the book is self-important, and it rubbed me the wrong way because the author seemed resentful of fame and success. It felt like a burden to him. I might never experience the joys of fame, but it certainly isn’t enjoyable to read about miserable millionaires who don’t know how to enjoy themselves and take themselves too seriously.
However, the book’s writing style felt overly safe. I’m not particularly interested in stories about drugs or sexual conquests, and thankfully, this book didn’t delve into those topics. Kim, on the other hand, seems hesitant to explore his feelings about his bandmates and the dynamics within the band in Seattle. Soundgarden came across as a bunch of quiet, angry guys who never addressed their issues, leading to passive-aggressive arguments that went unresolved.
As the band gained success, they became increasingly concerned about their image and how they were perceived in the music industry. Two members didn’t want to be on a KISS tribute album, and others were hesitant to tour with Guns N’ Roses. The book glosses over many unanswered questions, such as what it was like touring with other bands, recording in the studio, and the Guns N’ Roses tour itself.
One of my biggest issues was the perception of those who came out of the Seattle area during the grunge movement. They felt superior to the bands that came before them, as if they were above them. Kim repeatedly blames producers, agents, managers, and record executives for not understanding Soundgarden. It seemed like they didn’t want to make money or do anything except play music, avoiding the pressures of the music industry.
When the book mentions conflicts within the band, Kim is reluctant to provide much depth or insight into their origins or resolutions. The tone of the book is self-important, and it rubbed me the wrong way because the author seemed resentful of fame and success. It felt like a burden to him. I might never experience the joys of fame, but it certainly isn’t enjoyable to read about miserable millionaires who don’t know how to enjoy themselves and take themselves too seriously.
June 23, 2026
A Screaming Life: Into The Superunknown With Soundgarden And Beyond finnaly gives one of the most understated guitarists of the '90s a spotlight. Kim Thayil tells his unlikely story with a voice that feels authentic as he sheds light to the formation of Soundgarden, the making of some of their greatest works, and his friendship with Chris Cornell. As a whole, A Screaming Life adds some depth to the Soundgarden legacy, but I would have loved to have heard more - especially stories and anecdotes from in the studio and on the road. Thayil's voice as a writer comes off very conversational and almost casual, making it easy to imagine this book as much longer. Despite this, Thayil gives a glance behind the veil towards his own creativity and artistic integrity that steered the course for Soundgarden as one of the definining rock bands of all time. In doing such, A Screaming Life is a thoroughly enjoyable read.
June 18, 2026
I have a huge bias because I’m a big Soundgarden nerd, so I absolutely loved it. Hearing things from Kim’s perspective after predominantly hearing from Chris in major documentaries and interviews was truly interesting. It gave me an entirely different perspective of so many things related to the band as well as the entire Seattle scene of the 80s and 90s. Extremely grateful for this memoir.
June 29, 2026
Read this like immediately after it came out, and continuing a trend of 2026 of reading Seattle-related bios: Steve Turners, MaDM, Patti Schemel and now this one. Absolutely zero cross over in this one, although he does reference Steve Turner's bio at one point - confirming some point, I forget what it was.
I learned so much about Kim and Soundgarden, but also felt like I didn't learn all that much hahaha He just jumps right into Soundgarden and then goes back a little bit to his life in Park Forest - which is very proud - but you don't learn about Kim's little league team or what classes he liked in high school. There was either a conscious choice or good editing to really foucs on the meat of the story.
Such great insight on the rise of Soundgarden and how the band worked/wrote together. Kind of interesting how the band never really recovered from Hiro leaving even if their biggest hits came after his departure. Something about the fundamentals of the band and his role in it was really hard to replace for their dynamic.
The post-97 stuff I found to be really interesting, especially his views on Chris' solo work and Audioslave. He also had good thoughts on when the band restarted, the whole dynamic with Susan and Chris breaking up, her wanting to still be involved but can't because of the dynamics. It was interesting getting this third view into those dynamics. We need a Matt Cameron bio!
Kim comes across as a really good guy. One point is that when he wades into a Billy Corgan story, he goes out of his way to talk about how he's always liked the band, likes Billy as a song writer and guitarist. And then tells an absolutely believable story about BC crashing out over some magazine article Kim had nothing to do with.
When I was a teen I always thought AIC and Soundgarden were the 'scariest' of the Seattle bands, but ironically Soundgarden is the most normal: Chris was with Susan forever (who was their manager), Kim and Hiro knew each other from high school, Matt is Matt Fucking Cameron. They smoked weed but no one ever did hard drugs. Retrospectively they were the coolest just by being the most normal.
I learned so much about Kim and Soundgarden, but also felt like I didn't learn all that much hahaha He just jumps right into Soundgarden and then goes back a little bit to his life in Park Forest - which is very proud - but you don't learn about Kim's little league team or what classes he liked in high school. There was either a conscious choice or good editing to really foucs on the meat of the story.
Such great insight on the rise of Soundgarden and how the band worked/wrote together. Kind of interesting how the band never really recovered from Hiro leaving even if their biggest hits came after his departure. Something about the fundamentals of the band and his role in it was really hard to replace for their dynamic.
The post-97 stuff I found to be really interesting, especially his views on Chris' solo work and Audioslave. He also had good thoughts on when the band restarted, the whole dynamic with Susan and Chris breaking up, her wanting to still be involved but can't because of the dynamics. It was interesting getting this third view into those dynamics. We need a Matt Cameron bio!
Kim comes across as a really good guy. One point is that when he wades into a Billy Corgan story, he goes out of his way to talk about how he's always liked the band, likes Billy as a song writer and guitarist. And then tells an absolutely believable story about BC crashing out over some magazine article Kim had nothing to do with.
When I was a teen I always thought AIC and Soundgarden were the 'scariest' of the Seattle bands, but ironically Soundgarden is the most normal: Chris was with Susan forever (who was their manager), Kim and Hiro knew each other from high school, Matt is Matt Fucking Cameron. They smoked weed but no one ever did hard drugs. Retrospectively they were the coolest just by being the most normal.
July 20, 2026
I was never a big Soundgarden fan, or many of the Seattle grunge scene. Alice in Chains was the opening act at the first concert I ever saw (Van Halen 91) and they were boo'ed big time there, with fans of hard rock and a party-vibe scene coming out of the 80s weren't ready for the gloomy sounds (I do like AIC out of those bands).
This book was an impulse read after seeing Taylor Momsen of The Pretty Reckless ( a band I LOVE) sing with the group at the HOF induction and her love of the band.
I felt this book was more for the die hard fans of the group instead of a causal fan, not knowing the title of the songs he referenced, except "Black Hole Sun" where the guitarist didn't like the song at first.
I enjoyed the fact that he was a KISS and Bowie fan but then it seemed he bashes that style of music at times in the book or how the other members hated that glam rock and liking more punk.
As someone not a fan, this was an OK read , but the major fans will enjoy it more, taking nothing away from his career and life.
This book was an impulse read after seeing Taylor Momsen of The Pretty Reckless ( a band I LOVE) sing with the group at the HOF induction and her love of the band.
I felt this book was more for the die hard fans of the group instead of a causal fan, not knowing the title of the songs he referenced, except "Black Hole Sun" where the guitarist didn't like the song at first.
I enjoyed the fact that he was a KISS and Bowie fan but then it seemed he bashes that style of music at times in the book or how the other members hated that glam rock and liking more punk.
As someone not a fan, this was an OK read , but the major fans will enjoy it more, taking nothing away from his career and life.
August 10, 2026
3.5 rounded to 4.
If you love Soundgarden, you owe it to yourself to read this book while also listening to the entire Soundgarden discography. It's a straightforward, honest, in depth look to one of the biggest bands from Seattle. Curiously, the first three albums I bought with my own money was the CB4 soundtrack, Dr. Dre's the Chronic, and Snoo Dogg's Dog Pound...so when I listened to Temple of the Dog and clicked with that band, it not only reintroduced me to rock, it opened the flood gates into a life long passion and obsession to listen to music. Being a teenager in the 90s, I was absolutely spoiled with the ridiculous quality of music around and one of those pillars was and is Soundgarden, to this day and til I breathe my last breath, one of the most important bands in my life. So, I particularly loved knowing more about the band and the behind the scenes drama, of which there was no shortage. Still, reading about the murky beginnings, band hopping, and then seeing people click and find something communal, later connecting more, and shedding layers of early songs and musical approach until becoming one of the most creative and unique bands in Rock and Roll...that's a special gift Kim has given fans of Soundgarden. As a fan, you often wonder what goes into a collaboration that is a cornerstone in the soundtrack of your life. You ask yourself about the sacrifices people go through just to create. Being in a band and in the entertainment industry is not for the faint of heart, that's for sure. As a musician, Kim is self deprecating though accurate in much of his assessment of his band, their discography, and their work. To loosely quote him, he's a good guitarist, not a great guitarist in the traditional shredding or musically virtuoso way of other guitarists. However, NO ONE can play like Kim, i.e. what he plays, he plays well and like no one else can. What I love about Soundgarden is the chemistry they have and how they push themselves and seeing his own assessment of their discography, live performances, and humanity behind the scenes, it's lovely. The book is rife with quotable moments although it's never forced, flowery, or overwritten. It is what it is, it is told from one perspective, and one that does its utmost to be honest and objective. Some non-fic biographies might be more entertaining bookwise, but I think this book was written with the same ethos that went into making Soundgarden. No BS. He speaks fondly of where he grew up and the values he took from Park Forest over to the Pacific Northwest. He tells about the adventures of being an Indian American who took that road trip with a Japanese American to later create a rock band in Seattle. He talks about the music scene and what happened leading up to 1991 when the whole world of music got turned on its head thanks to the Seattle Music scene. He then talks about the beginnings of Soundgarden, their original drummer had actually been Chris before they expanded, experimented, explored, and ultimately met Matt Cameron, how Hiro Yamamoto eventually left Soundgarden, and they locked in with Ben Shepherd. People see the interviews, the music videos, listen to the albums, and have no idea of the challenges behind the scenes, and Soundgarden always seemed to be overcoming something. People listen to Superunknown, love it, say Black Hole Sun is their favorite song and have no clue of the drama to make the record, how everyone hated the experience, yet loved and recognize the power of what they'd done. While a close group of friends and myself discuss which album is our favorite, reading this bio shows the highs, the lows, the mids, the mehs, the complications, the suffering for art, and the perseverance of a band that is often imitated and never duplicated.
All of this is to say and show that I'm a fan of the band. I'm also a fan of the era and the scene. I am the type of person that reads the thank you notes in a CD to see who they're connected with and this book is a LONG version of a thank you note and the stories behind the people responsible for the rise, demise, resurrection, and tragic end to one of the most influential bands of the 20th century. It often reads like a journal and has a lot of matter the factly entries that give you a sense of the camaraderie that went into Soundgarden and how them imploding and reuniting ultimately was the best thing for the band personally and creatively. Imagine a band reuniting after 12 years apart, reuniting, and putting forth a new album that is worthy of the name Soundgarden. Not only that, the communication and friction that led to greatness was shed and you get a band that was buzzing with ideas and creativity.
I remember how hard 2017 was for fans of rock music and I particularly remember how hard I took the passing of Chris Cornell. This book does nothing to clear up what the hell happened, it doesn't offer the story or potential story, it shows the perspective of one person, trying to do his best to state facts, preserve a legacy, and honor his trajectory.
Kim does nothing to paint himself as the hero or anything else beyond being one of the founding members of one of the most influential bands out of Seattle. He eventually took a role as the preserver of the music and catalogue, and this entry proves a worthy addition to a band whose legacy will remain long after we all pass away.
Cheers to Kim, thank you for this gift, thank you for two of the loudest shows i've ever seen live, and Loud Love to everyone who connects on the sonic highway that is Soundgarden.
If you love Soundgarden, you owe it to yourself to read this book while also listening to the entire Soundgarden discography. It's a straightforward, honest, in depth look to one of the biggest bands from Seattle. Curiously, the first three albums I bought with my own money was the CB4 soundtrack, Dr. Dre's the Chronic, and Snoo Dogg's Dog Pound...so when I listened to Temple of the Dog and clicked with that band, it not only reintroduced me to rock, it opened the flood gates into a life long passion and obsession to listen to music. Being a teenager in the 90s, I was absolutely spoiled with the ridiculous quality of music around and one of those pillars was and is Soundgarden, to this day and til I breathe my last breath, one of the most important bands in my life. So, I particularly loved knowing more about the band and the behind the scenes drama, of which there was no shortage. Still, reading about the murky beginnings, band hopping, and then seeing people click and find something communal, later connecting more, and shedding layers of early songs and musical approach until becoming one of the most creative and unique bands in Rock and Roll...that's a special gift Kim has given fans of Soundgarden. As a fan, you often wonder what goes into a collaboration that is a cornerstone in the soundtrack of your life. You ask yourself about the sacrifices people go through just to create. Being in a band and in the entertainment industry is not for the faint of heart, that's for sure. As a musician, Kim is self deprecating though accurate in much of his assessment of his band, their discography, and their work. To loosely quote him, he's a good guitarist, not a great guitarist in the traditional shredding or musically virtuoso way of other guitarists. However, NO ONE can play like Kim, i.e. what he plays, he plays well and like no one else can. What I love about Soundgarden is the chemistry they have and how they push themselves and seeing his own assessment of their discography, live performances, and humanity behind the scenes, it's lovely. The book is rife with quotable moments although it's never forced, flowery, or overwritten. It is what it is, it is told from one perspective, and one that does its utmost to be honest and objective. Some non-fic biographies might be more entertaining bookwise, but I think this book was written with the same ethos that went into making Soundgarden. No BS. He speaks fondly of where he grew up and the values he took from Park Forest over to the Pacific Northwest. He tells about the adventures of being an Indian American who took that road trip with a Japanese American to later create a rock band in Seattle. He talks about the music scene and what happened leading up to 1991 when the whole world of music got turned on its head thanks to the Seattle Music scene. He then talks about the beginnings of Soundgarden, their original drummer had actually been Chris before they expanded, experimented, explored, and ultimately met Matt Cameron, how Hiro Yamamoto eventually left Soundgarden, and they locked in with Ben Shepherd. People see the interviews, the music videos, listen to the albums, and have no idea of the challenges behind the scenes, and Soundgarden always seemed to be overcoming something. People listen to Superunknown, love it, say Black Hole Sun is their favorite song and have no clue of the drama to make the record, how everyone hated the experience, yet loved and recognize the power of what they'd done. While a close group of friends and myself discuss which album is our favorite, reading this bio shows the highs, the lows, the mids, the mehs, the complications, the suffering for art, and the perseverance of a band that is often imitated and never duplicated.
All of this is to say and show that I'm a fan of the band. I'm also a fan of the era and the scene. I am the type of person that reads the thank you notes in a CD to see who they're connected with and this book is a LONG version of a thank you note and the stories behind the people responsible for the rise, demise, resurrection, and tragic end to one of the most influential bands of the 20th century. It often reads like a journal and has a lot of matter the factly entries that give you a sense of the camaraderie that went into Soundgarden and how them imploding and reuniting ultimately was the best thing for the band personally and creatively. Imagine a band reuniting after 12 years apart, reuniting, and putting forth a new album that is worthy of the name Soundgarden. Not only that, the communication and friction that led to greatness was shed and you get a band that was buzzing with ideas and creativity.
I remember how hard 2017 was for fans of rock music and I particularly remember how hard I took the passing of Chris Cornell. This book does nothing to clear up what the hell happened, it doesn't offer the story or potential story, it shows the perspective of one person, trying to do his best to state facts, preserve a legacy, and honor his trajectory.
Kim does nothing to paint himself as the hero or anything else beyond being one of the founding members of one of the most influential bands out of Seattle. He eventually took a role as the preserver of the music and catalogue, and this entry proves a worthy addition to a band whose legacy will remain long after we all pass away.
Cheers to Kim, thank you for this gift, thank you for two of the loudest shows i've ever seen live, and Loud Love to everyone who connects on the sonic highway that is Soundgarden.
August 19, 2026
Soundgarden’s performance at the 1992 Pinkpop festival in The Netherlands blew me away - four weird guys, with a bass player (Ben Shepherd) who held his guitar practically on the ground and their iconic song Jesus Christ Pose making me an instant fan.
Kim Thayil’s memoir covers the complete history of the band, from its early Seattle days until Chris Cornell’s death. Its writing is a bit unpolished here and there, but gets better the further the book goes along. This is only one member’s perspective, of course, but it is an intelligent account of the time Soundgarden existed. It doesn’t really explain some major events, such as the real cause of their 1997 breakup, but as the first and only full history of the band it is a must-read for fans. And it ends with a vague promise of another album coming up!
Kim Thayil’s memoir covers the complete history of the band, from its early Seattle days until Chris Cornell’s death. Its writing is a bit unpolished here and there, but gets better the further the book goes along. This is only one member’s perspective, of course, but it is an intelligent account of the time Soundgarden existed. It doesn’t really explain some major events, such as the real cause of their 1997 breakup, but as the first and only full history of the band it is a must-read for fans. And it ends with a vague promise of another album coming up!
July 6, 2026
This is a great book if you are a Soundgarden fan and a fan of the Seattle music scene. Listened to this and Kim isn’t the greatest narrator but it was fun to listen to.
August 16, 2026
Being a big Soundgarden fan, I definitely enjoyed Kim Thayil's memoir but wish it went deeper. There's no detail as to what inspired songs, even without Thayil being the songwriter in the band he has to know some great facts about songs. His writing comes off very honest and engaging but, at the end, the book leaves you wanting more.
August 19, 2026
Slighter than you’d hope, but genuinely filled with insight. I think it is suitably raw, indulgent, self-effacing, guarded, and easygoing. I think what ultimately won me over is fact it really does feel like I got to know Thayil
June 10, 2026
Big thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of A Screaming Life: Into the Superunknown with Soundgarden and Beyond by Kim Thayil with Adem Tepedelen. Thayil was a founding member of Soundgarden, one of the bands of the late 80s and 1990s that helped to reshape punk, psychedelic, and hard rock. Although Soundgarden is often lumped into grunge music since they were formed in Seattle along with bands like Alice in Chains, Mudhoney, Nirvana, and Pearl Jam, Soundgarden had been making music for several years prior to the year punk broke (1991) and had their own distinct sound that drew from 1970s hard rock, punk, and psychedelic influences. As the lead guitarist, Kim Thayil was one of the primary architects of Soundgarden’s sound. However, as someone who enjoyed the 1990’s output of the band, I didn’t know a lot about Thayil. While Chris Cornell is often seen as the face and voice of the band, Thayil’s distinct use of wah-wah peddles for solos in songs like “Black Hole Sun”, the chugging, rumbling riffs for songs like “Outshined” , and the screaming, feedback drenched guitars of songs like “Rusty Cage” and “Jesus Christ Pose” helped to establish Soundgarden as not just a unique voice in the Seattle scene, but a really heavy band that crafted great songs. Thayil’s memoir of his time in Soundgarden is a fun read, especially for someone who likes music memoirs, but also as someone who followed the band in the 1990s. Just as Thayil’s distinct guitar sound contributed to Soundgarden’s unique sound, his recollections and reflections on his time building the band, creating music collaboratively with his band members, and touring are also distinct. Like his music, Thayil doesn’t delve into the specifics for each song, discussing the meanings or technical aspects. Rather, his memoir is more about tone and feel, examining not just the events that led to work on Soundgarden’s albums and eventually chart success, but also his own experiences navigating the evolving dynamics of the band and his ambivalent feelings about success, recognition, and fame. While the book isn’t overly descriptive or literary, it does provide an amazing look into one of the prominent bands of the Seattle sound of the 1990s, often going behind the scenes to learn more about the challenges Thayil and his bandmates experienced as Soundgarden became more well known.
Thayil recounts his childhood, growing up as the son of Indian immigrants, and how forming a band was an unlikely path for someone like him. In fact, it’s interesting to learn that Soundgarden was started by two Asian Americans, and was probably one of the only bands in the 1980s to feature two Asian Americans. I really enjoyed learning about his early musical influences and how he had to beg his parents for a record player to begin listening to music. It’s an important reminder of how much radio and major record companies influenced what kids and others listened to. Thayil also talks about his adolescence and how growing up in the Chicago area of Forest Park enabled him to form bands and learn more about punk and hard rock. After graduating high school, Thayil was eventually kicked out of his house and kind of adrift for a bit. He stayed with friends, one of whom was the Pavitts whose son, Bruce, eventually formed Sub-Pop records. After trying a few colleges, Thayil and his band member Hiro Yamamoto eventually moved out to Washington State, visiting Evergreen State College in Olympia, where Pavitt attended and was a DJ. Evergreen was also the school where Kathleen Hanna and Carrie Brownstein attended later and formed bands Bikini Kill and Sleater-Kinney. From reading their memoirs, Calvin Weston and Beat Happenings were also influential around Olympia, encouraging a DIY approach to making and releasing music. Nevertheless, Thayil and Yamamoto eventually ended up in Seattle, meeting Chris Cornell, their eventual band member. Reading about Thayil and Soundgarden’s formation and early days was exciting and interesting. Furthermore, I enjoyed seeing how diverse and different the musical influences were for the different band members.
In addition to reflecting on the band’s formation, Thayil examines the creative process of the band, discussing how songs often came about as a result of extended jamming and practice sessions. It was cool to learn more about this creative process and how it functioned more as a collective than an one individual taking creative control. Throughout the book, Thayil remains democratic in his approach to the band whether it involves finding new members, song writing, or even developing things like logos and fonts for the band. Although the band practiced a shared decision making, everyone in the band wasn’t always accepting or appreciative of the outcome. Thayil explores some of the challenges they experienced with founding member Yamamoto, who eventually left the band during their first European tour, as the band became more popular and were signed to a major label. Throughout period leading up to Yamamoto’s departure, Thayil notes that Hiro was becoming increasingly more difficult during tours and seemed disconnected from the creative process. Another interesting element of the band that Thayil noticed was how challenging Soundgarden’s sound was for record companies. While independent labels like SST had no issues incorporating a progressive and unique band like Soundgarden into their roster, major labels look for comparisons or genres, and Soundgarden didn’t easily fit into any of the categories, especially the popular hair and glam metal categories that dominated MTV and radios in the late 80s and early 90s. Thayil repeatedly returns to this point about how Soundgarden’s sound was so confounding for record companies. Nevertheless, record companies often tried to pair them with metal producers who may have also contributed to reshaping their sound.
Regardless, Soundgarden would eventually become one of the biggest grunge/alternative bands of the 1990s with their mid-90s releases Superunknown (1994) and Down on the Upside (1996). It’s weird to think of these albums as “classic rock” now, but they are more than 30 years old now, and as Thayil notes, many classic rock radio stations continue to play these songs. Although the band experienced both critical and commercial success, making these albums was a challenge since the band had to adapt to more imposed control from the record labels and their producers, as well as the challenges of frequent touring and other requirements for band promotion. I appreciated how Thayil took us into the control room to learn more about the process of working with a producer, and how that can impact a band’s sound, for better or worse. Thayil and his bandmates seemed to be committed to their founding ethos and were strongly rooted in punk, so even though the producer challenged their creative approach to making music, they had enough integrity and awareness to fight for their own sound to come through the albums. As Thayil notes, this didn’t always come naturally and it was a repeated challenge to battle with producers and record labels about their sound. However, Thayil details how his more philosophical approach allowed him to be more critical and thoughtful rather than being reactive like other band members. That was something else that came across in this memoir- how Thayil, who has a degree in philosophy, is always willing to learn more about a situation or consider the various sides before drawing a conclusion about events or situations. His thoughtful and considerate approach to music and his career is somewhat different from more traditional rockers’ lives and careers. One of the more relatable aspects of this book is how Thayil experiences common issues like struggling to communicate his feelings after a break-up of a 10-year relationship or eventually buying a house and learning more about caretaking (like with HVAC filters). While I loved learning about the experiences of recording and touring with his band, these other revealing moments from his life had me empathizing with him.
The later chapters focus on Soundgarden’s eventual break-up due to Chris Cornell’s interest in pursuing a solo career (and eventually joining corporate-created supergroup Audioslave) and their eventual reunion 15 years later. Thayil details his attempts to continue to make music and work with other artists, but he also appears adrift at these points. Nevertheless, he has some interesting stories about working with Krist Novoselic and even Jello Biafria for a project that was meant to challenge the WTO meeting in Seattle that eventually led to riots in 1999. Thayil also explores the challenges of maintaining Soundgarden’s legacy at a time when digital media wasn’t really existent and there was no real support from the record label. As he documents, it became like an uphill battle as the record label was focused on Chris Cornell’s solo career, so Soundgarden gradually drifted from record shelves and merch stores. After Audioslave broke up, Soundgarden got back together, recorded a new album and toured for a few years. As Thayil describes it, Chris Cornell was changed. Thayil implies that it could have been various factors, but ultimately it seemed like not having his Soundgarden family to take care of Cornell led others to be a negative influence on him. It is interesting that some other Seattle bands had drug issues and lost members due to addiction, but Soundgarden wasn’t known for drug use or excessive partying. They were really into the music. These later chapters lead up to Cornell’s tragic death in 2017 while the band was on tour. While the reunion was bittersweet, it allowed Thayil to continue to work on compilations and rarities releases since there was renewed interest and support for Soundgarden. Thayil ends the book detailing the band’s battle with Cornell’s estate for vocal tracks, which the band eventually won and used to finalize their last album.
Screaming Life is a fun read, especially for 90s music fans. I loved hearing from one of the distinct bands from my youth, and especially from one of the quieter band members. Thayil not only takes fans behind the scenes to learn more about the creative process that helped to birth some of the greatest rock albums from the 90s, but also his shares some of his formative experiences and philosophies, which make him out to be even cooler than I imagined. The one thing I missed about this book, though, was that Thayil didn’t discuss his involvement with one of my favorite albums from the 2000s- Boris and Sunn O)))’s Altar, which I was really surprised to see that Thayil was involved with and also wrote the liner notes for. While there are some other Pacific Northwesterners who contribute to the album, Thayil remains probably the most well-established musician on the record. At the time when the album was released, I was perplexed and captivated by this drone and doom-soaked dark album that rumbles and quakes with Sunn O)))’s low frequencies. After reading Thayil’s book, I can see how he would be drawn to bands like Sunn O))) and Boris who are willing to experiment not just with sounds but use sounds to shape the tones and emotions of their albums. That was one aspect of Thayil’s approach to music that comes across throughout the book. However, he doesn’t talk about this collaboration at all. Maybe it’s because the liner notes share details about the project, but I was really hoping to learn more about their collaboration, how it came about and whether he keeps in touch with anyone from the album. Regardless, this was a fun and engaging book to read. Highly recommended!
Thayil recounts his childhood, growing up as the son of Indian immigrants, and how forming a band was an unlikely path for someone like him. In fact, it’s interesting to learn that Soundgarden was started by two Asian Americans, and was probably one of the only bands in the 1980s to feature two Asian Americans. I really enjoyed learning about his early musical influences and how he had to beg his parents for a record player to begin listening to music. It’s an important reminder of how much radio and major record companies influenced what kids and others listened to. Thayil also talks about his adolescence and how growing up in the Chicago area of Forest Park enabled him to form bands and learn more about punk and hard rock. After graduating high school, Thayil was eventually kicked out of his house and kind of adrift for a bit. He stayed with friends, one of whom was the Pavitts whose son, Bruce, eventually formed Sub-Pop records. After trying a few colleges, Thayil and his band member Hiro Yamamoto eventually moved out to Washington State, visiting Evergreen State College in Olympia, where Pavitt attended and was a DJ. Evergreen was also the school where Kathleen Hanna and Carrie Brownstein attended later and formed bands Bikini Kill and Sleater-Kinney. From reading their memoirs, Calvin Weston and Beat Happenings were also influential around Olympia, encouraging a DIY approach to making and releasing music. Nevertheless, Thayil and Yamamoto eventually ended up in Seattle, meeting Chris Cornell, their eventual band member. Reading about Thayil and Soundgarden’s formation and early days was exciting and interesting. Furthermore, I enjoyed seeing how diverse and different the musical influences were for the different band members.
In addition to reflecting on the band’s formation, Thayil examines the creative process of the band, discussing how songs often came about as a result of extended jamming and practice sessions. It was cool to learn more about this creative process and how it functioned more as a collective than an one individual taking creative control. Throughout the book, Thayil remains democratic in his approach to the band whether it involves finding new members, song writing, or even developing things like logos and fonts for the band. Although the band practiced a shared decision making, everyone in the band wasn’t always accepting or appreciative of the outcome. Thayil explores some of the challenges they experienced with founding member Yamamoto, who eventually left the band during their first European tour, as the band became more popular and were signed to a major label. Throughout period leading up to Yamamoto’s departure, Thayil notes that Hiro was becoming increasingly more difficult during tours and seemed disconnected from the creative process. Another interesting element of the band that Thayil noticed was how challenging Soundgarden’s sound was for record companies. While independent labels like SST had no issues incorporating a progressive and unique band like Soundgarden into their roster, major labels look for comparisons or genres, and Soundgarden didn’t easily fit into any of the categories, especially the popular hair and glam metal categories that dominated MTV and radios in the late 80s and early 90s. Thayil repeatedly returns to this point about how Soundgarden’s sound was so confounding for record companies. Nevertheless, record companies often tried to pair them with metal producers who may have also contributed to reshaping their sound.
Regardless, Soundgarden would eventually become one of the biggest grunge/alternative bands of the 1990s with their mid-90s releases Superunknown (1994) and Down on the Upside (1996). It’s weird to think of these albums as “classic rock” now, but they are more than 30 years old now, and as Thayil notes, many classic rock radio stations continue to play these songs. Although the band experienced both critical and commercial success, making these albums was a challenge since the band had to adapt to more imposed control from the record labels and their producers, as well as the challenges of frequent touring and other requirements for band promotion. I appreciated how Thayil took us into the control room to learn more about the process of working with a producer, and how that can impact a band’s sound, for better or worse. Thayil and his bandmates seemed to be committed to their founding ethos and were strongly rooted in punk, so even though the producer challenged their creative approach to making music, they had enough integrity and awareness to fight for their own sound to come through the albums. As Thayil notes, this didn’t always come naturally and it was a repeated challenge to battle with producers and record labels about their sound. However, Thayil details how his more philosophical approach allowed him to be more critical and thoughtful rather than being reactive like other band members. That was something else that came across in this memoir- how Thayil, who has a degree in philosophy, is always willing to learn more about a situation or consider the various sides before drawing a conclusion about events or situations. His thoughtful and considerate approach to music and his career is somewhat different from more traditional rockers’ lives and careers. One of the more relatable aspects of this book is how Thayil experiences common issues like struggling to communicate his feelings after a break-up of a 10-year relationship or eventually buying a house and learning more about caretaking (like with HVAC filters). While I loved learning about the experiences of recording and touring with his band, these other revealing moments from his life had me empathizing with him.
The later chapters focus on Soundgarden’s eventual break-up due to Chris Cornell’s interest in pursuing a solo career (and eventually joining corporate-created supergroup Audioslave) and their eventual reunion 15 years later. Thayil details his attempts to continue to make music and work with other artists, but he also appears adrift at these points. Nevertheless, he has some interesting stories about working with Krist Novoselic and even Jello Biafria for a project that was meant to challenge the WTO meeting in Seattle that eventually led to riots in 1999. Thayil also explores the challenges of maintaining Soundgarden’s legacy at a time when digital media wasn’t really existent and there was no real support from the record label. As he documents, it became like an uphill battle as the record label was focused on Chris Cornell’s solo career, so Soundgarden gradually drifted from record shelves and merch stores. After Audioslave broke up, Soundgarden got back together, recorded a new album and toured for a few years. As Thayil describes it, Chris Cornell was changed. Thayil implies that it could have been various factors, but ultimately it seemed like not having his Soundgarden family to take care of Cornell led others to be a negative influence on him. It is interesting that some other Seattle bands had drug issues and lost members due to addiction, but Soundgarden wasn’t known for drug use or excessive partying. They were really into the music. These later chapters lead up to Cornell’s tragic death in 2017 while the band was on tour. While the reunion was bittersweet, it allowed Thayil to continue to work on compilations and rarities releases since there was renewed interest and support for Soundgarden. Thayil ends the book detailing the band’s battle with Cornell’s estate for vocal tracks, which the band eventually won and used to finalize their last album.
Screaming Life is a fun read, especially for 90s music fans. I loved hearing from one of the distinct bands from my youth, and especially from one of the quieter band members. Thayil not only takes fans behind the scenes to learn more about the creative process that helped to birth some of the greatest rock albums from the 90s, but also his shares some of his formative experiences and philosophies, which make him out to be even cooler than I imagined. The one thing I missed about this book, though, was that Thayil didn’t discuss his involvement with one of my favorite albums from the 2000s- Boris and Sunn O)))’s Altar, which I was really surprised to see that Thayil was involved with and also wrote the liner notes for. While there are some other Pacific Northwesterners who contribute to the album, Thayil remains probably the most well-established musician on the record. At the time when the album was released, I was perplexed and captivated by this drone and doom-soaked dark album that rumbles and quakes with Sunn O)))’s low frequencies. After reading Thayil’s book, I can see how he would be drawn to bands like Sunn O))) and Boris who are willing to experiment not just with sounds but use sounds to shape the tones and emotions of their albums. That was one aspect of Thayil’s approach to music that comes across throughout the book. However, he doesn’t talk about this collaboration at all. Maybe it’s because the liner notes share details about the project, but I was really hoping to learn more about their collaboration, how it came about and whether he keeps in touch with anyone from the album. Regardless, this was a fun and engaging book to read. Highly recommended!
July 7, 2026
A fresh take on grunge history, and a sorrowful journey through what could have been. Thayil’s writing style is conversational and very easy to read, with a lot of great inside baseball regarding the formation of Soundgarden, the rise and fall of grunge, the creative process, and the importance of strong relationships with those we care about. I found myself getting emotional a lot during the read, recalling a time that seems so long ago and that was so important in the development of the person I would become, even though I was thousands of miles from where it was all happening. The 80s and 90s were a hotbed of creativity and experimentation in art that I don’t know will ever be seen again, and Thayil takes us through it all in a way that helps us realize that the artists we adore were just as amazed as we were by it all.
June 15, 2026
As a lifelong Soundgarden fan, I went into A Screaming Life expecting stories about the rise of grunge. What I found instead was something far more interesting: Kim Thayil himself.
Thayil comes across as remarkably grounded, thoughtful, and self-aware as he reflects on the early Seattle scene and Soundgarden's evolution from scrappy outsiders to one of the defining bands of a generation. Rather than mythologizing the era, he peels back the layers and shows the people, friendships, creative struggles, and weird moments that existed before grunge became a marketing term. The result feels authentic in the same way the best Soundgarden records feel authentic—raw, imperfect, and completely uninterested in being polished for mass appeal.
What I loved most is that this book embodies the very spirit that drew me to grunge in the first place. So much music and art today feels focus-grouped, overproduced, and engineered to offend no one. A Screaming Life is the opposite. It's honest, occasionally messy, deeply personal, and uniquely Kim. It reminds you of a time when artists were more concerned with creating something real than something algorithm-friendly.
As I read, I kept thinking about those early Soundgarden songs—Nothing to say and Hunted down—the raw energy that made the band feel dangerous and different from the start. Those early records weren't polished diamonds; they were jagged pieces of granite, and that's exactly what made them beautiful.
My only complaint? I wanted more. More stories. More details. More of Kim's perspective. That's not a criticism of the book so much as a testament to how compelling his voice is. When I reached the final page, I wasn't ready to leave.
A must-read for Soundgarden fans, grunge historians, and anyone who misses an era when music was allowed to be strange, loud, flawed, and gloriously human.
Thayil comes across as remarkably grounded, thoughtful, and self-aware as he reflects on the early Seattle scene and Soundgarden's evolution from scrappy outsiders to one of the defining bands of a generation. Rather than mythologizing the era, he peels back the layers and shows the people, friendships, creative struggles, and weird moments that existed before grunge became a marketing term. The result feels authentic in the same way the best Soundgarden records feel authentic—raw, imperfect, and completely uninterested in being polished for mass appeal.
What I loved most is that this book embodies the very spirit that drew me to grunge in the first place. So much music and art today feels focus-grouped, overproduced, and engineered to offend no one. A Screaming Life is the opposite. It's honest, occasionally messy, deeply personal, and uniquely Kim. It reminds you of a time when artists were more concerned with creating something real than something algorithm-friendly.
As I read, I kept thinking about those early Soundgarden songs—Nothing to say and Hunted down—the raw energy that made the band feel dangerous and different from the start. Those early records weren't polished diamonds; they were jagged pieces of granite, and that's exactly what made them beautiful.
My only complaint? I wanted more. More stories. More details. More of Kim's perspective. That's not a criticism of the book so much as a testament to how compelling his voice is. When I reached the final page, I wasn't ready to leave.
A must-read for Soundgarden fans, grunge historians, and anyone who misses an era when music was allowed to be strange, loud, flawed, and gloriously human.
August 9, 2026
Most rock books I read don't feel like an accessible idea of what being in a band and achieving fame are like, but this book did: The evolution of the band, the changing priorities and writing styles, the growing apart, the unspoken issues becoming bigger problems, and, of course, people outside the band changing in response to the fame and money.
This book feels like the most honest depiction of a band's lifecycle I've read (separate from the more cliche trappings of money, sex, and drugs). It may not get into all the minutae (like the doldrums of your life, or business meetings), but Thayil's bird's eye view treatment is revealing.
I went into this as someone who already knows more about Soundgarden than at least 97% of people. Sure, more about the songs' inspirations would always be nice, but that didn't keep this book from being more than revelatory...It was damn near transcendent.
---
This book feels like the most honest depiction of a band's lifecycle I've read (separate from the more cliche trappings of money, sex, and drugs). It may not get into all the minutae (like the doldrums of your life, or business meetings), but Thayil's bird's eye view treatment is revealing.
I went into this as someone who already knows more about Soundgarden than at least 97% of people. Sure, more about the songs' inspirations would always be nice, but that didn't keep this book from being more than revelatory...It was damn near transcendent.
---
June 20, 2026
For soundgarden super fans!
I listened to this book on a road trip with my spouse, who is a super fan. I’m a big fan, but couldn’t have told you the names of the band members aside from Chris and Matt Cameron (just to paint a picture of my perspective)
Kim did a fantastic job narrating this book, and I especially enjoyed the guitar riffs in between each chapter. He seems like a humble and morally sound guy, even so much as not airing his band mates dirty laundry in the book.
It did get repetitive, he would reiterate literally the same sentence in multiple parts of the book, but overall I enjoyed it. Learning the history of how they came together, why they ever toured with Guns n Roses, and why they came apart. I appreciated his honesty in how the tragic parts of this band affected him (and how he really felt about Cornell’s solo career)
I listened to this book on a road trip with my spouse, who is a super fan. I’m a big fan, but couldn’t have told you the names of the band members aside from Chris and Matt Cameron (just to paint a picture of my perspective)
Kim did a fantastic job narrating this book, and I especially enjoyed the guitar riffs in between each chapter. He seems like a humble and morally sound guy, even so much as not airing his band mates dirty laundry in the book.
It did get repetitive, he would reiterate literally the same sentence in multiple parts of the book, but overall I enjoyed it. Learning the history of how they came together, why they ever toured with Guns n Roses, and why they came apart. I appreciated his honesty in how the tragic parts of this band affected him (and how he really felt about Cornell’s solo career)
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
i was so beyond excited when this book was first announced that all i could think about was crossing my fingers for an arc. i don’t know how many times i checked netgalley to see if it was there yet. when it finally did pop up in the search results, and i was approved, i may or may not have teared up a bit. as a total nineties kid, grunge chick i could not wait to dive into some authentic, official, behind-the-scenes stories & moments from one of my favorite people from one of my favorite bands—grunge or otherwise.
… which is quite likely why i didn’t take into consideration how deeply emotional it would be to read so much about chris.
obviously, this is kim’s story, not chris’s. kim’s life, his background, his experience as the son of immigrants, and his foray into learning guitar, figuring out the next chapter of his life, and taking action that led to one of the most influential bands of the last several decades. kim always has something interesting, insightful, and/or funny to say in interviews from various documentaries, appearances, etc., both early in his career as well as more recent ones. ergo, i wasn’t surprised to learn he was a philosophy major in college. i think that background fed a lot into how this book was written, and it helped the way the information was presented make more sense.
the best way i can describe it is very matter-of-fact. again, watching kim in interviews, that’s very much his personality. he’s not going to sugarcoat things, but he’s also not going to disclose the private lives of those around him, including, to a large point, his own. i read a lot of fiction as well, so the best way i can explain this point is to say the forming of soundgarden and the trajectory of their career, the highs, lows, and in-betweens, is by far the A-story. the things going on around kim during that time, ie his romantic relationships, the friends he made or had reconnected with from his upbringing outside chicago, is the B-story. this is the perfect book for fans of soundgarden, of the members of the band, of their music. if you’re looking for gossip or insight into anything much more than that, then one, this book isn’t where you’ll find that, and two, rock stars or not, they still deserve their privacy. kim is under no obligation to divulge anything he or the people he writes about aren’t comfortable with, and i have so much respect for him for staying true to that. i see the same kind of balance in similar bands, pearl jam for instance, who want to be a part of their community and make the world a better place, but prefer to keep their personal lives as under-the-radar as is possible for them. i firmly believe that plays a large role in a lot of the bands that have stayed together (or successfully reunited) as long as these two have.
one thing i did love to find out, though, was the amicable split of soundgarden in the late nineties. as kim points out, a lot of the tabloids and media comments tried to make it into some big drama. in reality, they all remained friends. while chris did move out of seattle and get busy with audioslave, the other three members often saw each other, hung out with mutual friends, and even did some side projects together.
there are also some fun tidbits about johnny cash, elton john, and other big players in the rock and roll world. it was fun for me to hear more about subpop, as well as how much true respect the grunge bands have for people like jack endino—one of my favorite grunge co-creators, so to speak. i was surprised to learn that bruce pavitt of subpop also grew up in kim’s neighborhood in illinois, and that they were friends as kids. there are just a lot of cool, interesting connections like that with no other explanation than divine intervention. we’re so lucky to have gotten to experience the invention/discovery of a whole new style of music; so new, in fact, that major record labels had absolutely no idea what to do with.
sometimes the media plays up rivalries between bands in similar genres. often times those rivalries are not, in fact, actually happening. sometimes they are. reading about the true, supportive seattle grunge scene in the nineties from someone who was right in the center of it, confirmed how close these bands were to each other no matter who was more popular, successful, etc., makes the nostalgia that much more special. listening to soundgarden’s music even takes on a new meaning now, now that i understand how some of the recordings of certain songs happened, the frustrations of working with certain producers and the genuine ease with others.
kim doesn’t glaze over what happened to chris; obviously he has too much love and respect for his friend and bandmate to do that. he also doesn’t go into too much detail about his own grieving process, and i don’t think he should be expected to from anyone. it’s not an easy thing to deal with, and no amount of times reliving it make it any easier the next. kim does talk about the day it happened, and it was not easy to read due to the empathetic, emotional side of hearing someone’s first-hand experience over losing someone so close to them.
i often wonder how the people in the actual lives of celebrities feel when they suffer the loss of one of their famous loved one. tens of thousands of people are mourning the loss as well, but none of us actually knew them. i can see it might be flattering, but maybe a bit insulting as well? kim talks about that on a lesser scale, about how fans have this perceived relationship with their favorite bands, the members of that band, despite never having met any of them. if they do get the chance to meet, kim says it can be awkward to not really know how each individual fan perceives him in their head. i am 140% guilty of that, that kind of half-day-dream, half-connection through their music, that makes you feel like you do understand them, or at the very least, can relate.
there were, admittedly, some parts of this book that were a bit more stimulating than others, but it didn’t drag on or anything. i just got excited when reading about certain eras of soundgarden’s history, which i know is much more of a personal preference than anything else. one of the most difficult parts prior to the loss of chris was when soundgarden, on tour in europe, found out about kurt cobain’s death. the whole story of that, again hearing it from someone who knew him, was in the scene with him, felt the loss more deeply than even kurt or nirvana’s biggest fans, was absolutely gutting. yet, almost cathartic in a way? i hope it was for kim, too, to write about it.
to end on a less depressing note, i got a good laugh at the story of how kim “rescued” matt cameron from an aggressively persistent evangelist prior to matt joining the band. i’m not sure if that interaction—as they of course already knew each other—is what directly led to matt joining soundgarden, but i like the idea of a persistent evangelist helping form one of the best bands ever, in my totally unbiased opinion. i wonder if that person ever realized that.
thank you to netgalley, the publisher, adem tepedelen, and of course, kim thayil for providing me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. i’m still stuck in “a screaming life” in my head over having gotten to read it early. if you’re a fan of soundgarden, i highly recommend picking it up.
… which is quite likely why i didn’t take into consideration how deeply emotional it would be to read so much about chris.
obviously, this is kim’s story, not chris’s. kim’s life, his background, his experience as the son of immigrants, and his foray into learning guitar, figuring out the next chapter of his life, and taking action that led to one of the most influential bands of the last several decades. kim always has something interesting, insightful, and/or funny to say in interviews from various documentaries, appearances, etc., both early in his career as well as more recent ones. ergo, i wasn’t surprised to learn he was a philosophy major in college. i think that background fed a lot into how this book was written, and it helped the way the information was presented make more sense.
the best way i can describe it is very matter-of-fact. again, watching kim in interviews, that’s very much his personality. he’s not going to sugarcoat things, but he’s also not going to disclose the private lives of those around him, including, to a large point, his own. i read a lot of fiction as well, so the best way i can explain this point is to say the forming of soundgarden and the trajectory of their career, the highs, lows, and in-betweens, is by far the A-story. the things going on around kim during that time, ie his romantic relationships, the friends he made or had reconnected with from his upbringing outside chicago, is the B-story. this is the perfect book for fans of soundgarden, of the members of the band, of their music. if you’re looking for gossip or insight into anything much more than that, then one, this book isn’t where you’ll find that, and two, rock stars or not, they still deserve their privacy. kim is under no obligation to divulge anything he or the people he writes about aren’t comfortable with, and i have so much respect for him for staying true to that. i see the same kind of balance in similar bands, pearl jam for instance, who want to be a part of their community and make the world a better place, but prefer to keep their personal lives as under-the-radar as is possible for them. i firmly believe that plays a large role in a lot of the bands that have stayed together (or successfully reunited) as long as these two have.
one thing i did love to find out, though, was the amicable split of soundgarden in the late nineties. as kim points out, a lot of the tabloids and media comments tried to make it into some big drama. in reality, they all remained friends. while chris did move out of seattle and get busy with audioslave, the other three members often saw each other, hung out with mutual friends, and even did some side projects together.
there are also some fun tidbits about johnny cash, elton john, and other big players in the rock and roll world. it was fun for me to hear more about subpop, as well as how much true respect the grunge bands have for people like jack endino—one of my favorite grunge co-creators, so to speak. i was surprised to learn that bruce pavitt of subpop also grew up in kim’s neighborhood in illinois, and that they were friends as kids. there are just a lot of cool, interesting connections like that with no other explanation than divine intervention. we’re so lucky to have gotten to experience the invention/discovery of a whole new style of music; so new, in fact, that major record labels had absolutely no idea what to do with.
sometimes the media plays up rivalries between bands in similar genres. often times those rivalries are not, in fact, actually happening. sometimes they are. reading about the true, supportive seattle grunge scene in the nineties from someone who was right in the center of it, confirmed how close these bands were to each other no matter who was more popular, successful, etc., makes the nostalgia that much more special. listening to soundgarden’s music even takes on a new meaning now, now that i understand how some of the recordings of certain songs happened, the frustrations of working with certain producers and the genuine ease with others.
kim doesn’t glaze over what happened to chris; obviously he has too much love and respect for his friend and bandmate to do that. he also doesn’t go into too much detail about his own grieving process, and i don’t think he should be expected to from anyone. it’s not an easy thing to deal with, and no amount of times reliving it make it any easier the next. kim does talk about the day it happened, and it was not easy to read due to the empathetic, emotional side of hearing someone’s first-hand experience over losing someone so close to them.
i often wonder how the people in the actual lives of celebrities feel when they suffer the loss of one of their famous loved one. tens of thousands of people are mourning the loss as well, but none of us actually knew them. i can see it might be flattering, but maybe a bit insulting as well? kim talks about that on a lesser scale, about how fans have this perceived relationship with their favorite bands, the members of that band, despite never having met any of them. if they do get the chance to meet, kim says it can be awkward to not really know how each individual fan perceives him in their head. i am 140% guilty of that, that kind of half-day-dream, half-connection through their music, that makes you feel like you do understand them, or at the very least, can relate.
there were, admittedly, some parts of this book that were a bit more stimulating than others, but it didn’t drag on or anything. i just got excited when reading about certain eras of soundgarden’s history, which i know is much more of a personal preference than anything else. one of the most difficult parts prior to the loss of chris was when soundgarden, on tour in europe, found out about kurt cobain’s death. the whole story of that, again hearing it from someone who knew him, was in the scene with him, felt the loss more deeply than even kurt or nirvana’s biggest fans, was absolutely gutting. yet, almost cathartic in a way? i hope it was for kim, too, to write about it.
to end on a less depressing note, i got a good laugh at the story of how kim “rescued” matt cameron from an aggressively persistent evangelist prior to matt joining the band. i’m not sure if that interaction—as they of course already knew each other—is what directly led to matt joining soundgarden, but i like the idea of a persistent evangelist helping form one of the best bands ever, in my totally unbiased opinion. i wonder if that person ever realized that.
thank you to netgalley, the publisher, adem tepedelen, and of course, kim thayil for providing me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. i’m still stuck in “a screaming life” in my head over having gotten to read it early. if you’re a fan of soundgarden, i highly recommend picking it up.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
My thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advance copy of a memoir by a musician who has seen and experienced much, from small club to huge arenas, from humble beginnings to Hall of Fames, a man who has learned much, lost many, and has lived to share his tale.
I left bookstores to work in music at a strange time, not just for me, but for music in general. There was a staleness to music, something that MTV wasn't hiding, a boring aspect and a lack of real feeling. Everything seemed clean, or at worse faux dirty. Production was polished so much that one wondered if the musicians even played anymore or was it all computers. Something I just assume now, but back then was still a question. I worked in a store that wasn't a chain, so we had an eclectic mix of music. Zines for sale, cassettes singles for local bands, and albums from all over. Some of the stuff we sold looked had packaging that looked like it was made in a Kinko's late at night, recorded in a men's room at a rest stop on the highway. Music was starting to change. A little bit of grunge was being added to the musical formula, and the band featured in this biography was at the heart of it. A Screaming Life: Into the Superunknown with Soundgarden and Beyond by guitarist Kim Thayil with Adem Tepedelen is a biography of a master musician, his humble upbringings, his life in bands and rock, and a look at the scene that helped make him, and that he helped shaped in many ways.
Kim Thayil was born in Seattle, Washington, where he would make his reputation, but grew up in middle America. Thayil's parents were Indian immigrants who moved to Park Forest a suburb of Chicago, a place that unlike most of the USA seems to like diversity, and education. Kim found music not on the radio, but while visiting his relatives in India, where he heard the Beatles for the first time, and was changed almost instantly. Back home he began to investigate music, moving from the Beatles to Kiss, and acquiring a guitar, not a very good one, but one he taught himself how to play. After graduating Thayil felt lost, not sure of what the world had in store for him. So he did what so many others did, moved West with his friends, and landing back in Washington. Bands followed until one day on a lark he began to play with his best friend from home Hiro Yamamoto and Chris Cornell. Something clicked, songs were written, and a band was formed. Gradually the musicians changed, some left, some switched positions and Soundgarden began to get attention. But with attention comes problems, problems that nearly destroyed the band, and their guitarist.
A very well-written book about music, fame and trying to be true to oneself and the music on hears in their head. This is a very interesting book, and Thayil is brutally honest about himself, his mistakes, and the mistakes of others. Thayil discusses the problems that fame brings, the pressures and what one misses. Including what others in the band might be going through, or dealing with. There is plenty of discussion about gear, pedals, effects, guitar strings. How albums were produced, both good and bad. More importantly how songs were created, what they mean, and how they hold up today.
For a music memoir, there is no feuds, no great this guy was a jerk statements. That's rare. What is also rare is how honest the book is. And how personal and introspective the book gets. Again rare in memoirs, and very appreciated here. A really good book for fans, for fans of the genre and the Seattle sound and scene. Also for people who like to read books about interesting and deserving people, who have not let fame ruin them.
I left bookstores to work in music at a strange time, not just for me, but for music in general. There was a staleness to music, something that MTV wasn't hiding, a boring aspect and a lack of real feeling. Everything seemed clean, or at worse faux dirty. Production was polished so much that one wondered if the musicians even played anymore or was it all computers. Something I just assume now, but back then was still a question. I worked in a store that wasn't a chain, so we had an eclectic mix of music. Zines for sale, cassettes singles for local bands, and albums from all over. Some of the stuff we sold looked had packaging that looked like it was made in a Kinko's late at night, recorded in a men's room at a rest stop on the highway. Music was starting to change. A little bit of grunge was being added to the musical formula, and the band featured in this biography was at the heart of it. A Screaming Life: Into the Superunknown with Soundgarden and Beyond by guitarist Kim Thayil with Adem Tepedelen is a biography of a master musician, his humble upbringings, his life in bands and rock, and a look at the scene that helped make him, and that he helped shaped in many ways.
Kim Thayil was born in Seattle, Washington, where he would make his reputation, but grew up in middle America. Thayil's parents were Indian immigrants who moved to Park Forest a suburb of Chicago, a place that unlike most of the USA seems to like diversity, and education. Kim found music not on the radio, but while visiting his relatives in India, where he heard the Beatles for the first time, and was changed almost instantly. Back home he began to investigate music, moving from the Beatles to Kiss, and acquiring a guitar, not a very good one, but one he taught himself how to play. After graduating Thayil felt lost, not sure of what the world had in store for him. So he did what so many others did, moved West with his friends, and landing back in Washington. Bands followed until one day on a lark he began to play with his best friend from home Hiro Yamamoto and Chris Cornell. Something clicked, songs were written, and a band was formed. Gradually the musicians changed, some left, some switched positions and Soundgarden began to get attention. But with attention comes problems, problems that nearly destroyed the band, and their guitarist.
A very well-written book about music, fame and trying to be true to oneself and the music on hears in their head. This is a very interesting book, and Thayil is brutally honest about himself, his mistakes, and the mistakes of others. Thayil discusses the problems that fame brings, the pressures and what one misses. Including what others in the band might be going through, or dealing with. There is plenty of discussion about gear, pedals, effects, guitar strings. How albums were produced, both good and bad. More importantly how songs were created, what they mean, and how they hold up today.
For a music memoir, there is no feuds, no great this guy was a jerk statements. That's rare. What is also rare is how honest the book is. And how personal and introspective the book gets. Again rare in memoirs, and very appreciated here. A really good book for fans, for fans of the genre and the Seattle sound and scene. Also for people who like to read books about interesting and deserving people, who have not let fame ruin them.
July 27, 2026
I was torn with how to rate this book on Goodreads. For Soundgarden fans, this is inevitably required reading. Fellow Knights of the Soundtable will almost certainly litter the board with four- and five-star ratings, because Thayil delivers warmth, wit, and insight, and creates an atmosphere that allows fans to feel like they are sitting down to chat with him for a few precious hours.
As an autobiography, or really any book for a general audience, though, this probably lives closer to two-star territory. As many others have mentioned, this is one of the most safely-written memoirs I have come across. This is more than defensible in the closing chapters. First of all, we are not entitled as readers to the innermost personal qualms of any artist, no matter how much we treasure their work. Given that the surviving members of Soundgarden are walking a legal tightrope with catalog rights and a forthcoming album release, it was certainly wise not to speculate or offer too many opinions about actors who still have a part to play.
This safe approach, in its own way, is also more authentic to Kim Thayil as an author. He has never considered himself a foremost virtuoso of the guitar or wanted to be out in front like a Van Halen character. He wouldn't want to be the edgiest, the one with the most extreme story, or the one with the cutting insider truth. He is not out to dominate. Even figures who were clearly adversaries in Thayil's life are treated with respect and given the understanding that they have their own motivations and dreams. A polite, humanist, and philosophical approach befits a man with a philosophy degree.
However, there are many chapters throughout the book that read more like a school book report, as though Thayil merely hoped to offer a complete summary with a good topic sentence to score well on an English rubric. I do not necessarily fault cowriter Adam Tepedelin, who seems to have reverence for the Seattle music scene and a desire to let Kim's nature shine through mostly unfiltered. However, there are occasional abrupt shifts in the tone, where some passages were clearly more heavily-edited than others, and often the effect seems to be of sanitizing the moments when Kim most deeply feels something.
As for the content itself, Thayil and Tepedelin seem caught between audiences: are they offering an insider look that sheds new light for Soundgarden diehards who know the synopsis of Kim's career, or are they trying to tell the basics of the story for people who have never heard "Black Hole Sun?" The book succeeds to some degree on both fronts, but also falls just shy of triumphing on either. It is strange to have a passage culminate in the public release date of a well-loved, platinum-selling record, and have that be the crux of the anecdote. Meanwhile, as meaningful and illuminating as some of the stories are about the mindset and sensibilities of various Seattle music icons, there are times where the writing seems to stop at a broad summary with a hand wave, something to the effect of: "Tensions get high when recording an album for a major label. You know how that goes."
This memoir definitely has its place alongside those of so many rock icons who have committed their stories to print in recent years. I will likely reread it in the future, and I think it is a product Kim Thayil can be proud of. I just do not know if I would have the same enthusiasm for it if I was apathetic about the grunge scene.
As an autobiography, or really any book for a general audience, though, this probably lives closer to two-star territory. As many others have mentioned, this is one of the most safely-written memoirs I have come across. This is more than defensible in the closing chapters. First of all, we are not entitled as readers to the innermost personal qualms of any artist, no matter how much we treasure their work. Given that the surviving members of Soundgarden are walking a legal tightrope with catalog rights and a forthcoming album release, it was certainly wise not to speculate or offer too many opinions about actors who still have a part to play.
This safe approach, in its own way, is also more authentic to Kim Thayil as an author. He has never considered himself a foremost virtuoso of the guitar or wanted to be out in front like a Van Halen character. He wouldn't want to be the edgiest, the one with the most extreme story, or the one with the cutting insider truth. He is not out to dominate. Even figures who were clearly adversaries in Thayil's life are treated with respect and given the understanding that they have their own motivations and dreams. A polite, humanist, and philosophical approach befits a man with a philosophy degree.
However, there are many chapters throughout the book that read more like a school book report, as though Thayil merely hoped to offer a complete summary with a good topic sentence to score well on an English rubric. I do not necessarily fault cowriter Adam Tepedelin, who seems to have reverence for the Seattle music scene and a desire to let Kim's nature shine through mostly unfiltered. However, there are occasional abrupt shifts in the tone, where some passages were clearly more heavily-edited than others, and often the effect seems to be of sanitizing the moments when Kim most deeply feels something.
As for the content itself, Thayil and Tepedelin seem caught between audiences: are they offering an insider look that sheds new light for Soundgarden diehards who know the synopsis of Kim's career, or are they trying to tell the basics of the story for people who have never heard "Black Hole Sun?" The book succeeds to some degree on both fronts, but also falls just shy of triumphing on either. It is strange to have a passage culminate in the public release date of a well-loved, platinum-selling record, and have that be the crux of the anecdote. Meanwhile, as meaningful and illuminating as some of the stories are about the mindset and sensibilities of various Seattle music icons, there are times where the writing seems to stop at a broad summary with a hand wave, something to the effect of: "Tensions get high when recording an album for a major label. You know how that goes."
This memoir definitely has its place alongside those of so many rock icons who have committed their stories to print in recent years. I will likely reread it in the future, and I think it is a product Kim Thayil can be proud of. I just do not know if I would have the same enthusiasm for it if I was apathetic about the grunge scene.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I decided to read this for a shallow reason: I always found the lead guitarist of Soundgarden very attractive- as the book cover photo attests (at least to me). I dabbled in some grunge artists in the 90s like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Faith No More, and yes- Soundgarden. I loved their hit song "Black Hole Sun" in particular. I knew next to nothing about the group other than its lead singer Chris Cornell tragically commit suicide several years ago. It's a tricky thing sometimes when you read about a band or musical artist you don't know much about. It can be an opportunity to learn a whole new thing about someone you're intrigued about. However, if the writing style doesn't connect with you or if the celebrity/artist is not forthcoming, it can be a dud. Luckily, the writing style was natural and free flowing and Kim was quite open and honest with his feelings in this book. I enjoyed learning about his Indian heritage and the careers of his parents, and his life trajectory through deciding about college and what to do with his life. I connected with some of the "Plan A and Plan B" arguments from the parents, since I also have a son who is determined to be an entertainer as his main profession. It was interesting reading about Soundgarden's origins and evolving roster of bandmates as they rode to fame. I also appreciated how although Kim touched a little on politics, there was never any nastiness or pointedness to turn off anyone. I really admired how after Soundgarden broke up, Kim was relentless in curating a lot of their work product that had never been released for future distribution. Kim was instrumental in creating a website so that fans could get merchandise and the legacy of Soundgarden would endure. Kim is definitely a charter member of Soundgarden and probably its standard bearer. I like him even more after reading this book!
Thank you to the publisher William Morrow for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
July 10, 2026
As a massive fan of both Soundgarden and Kim Thayil's guitar playing, this whole thing felt a letdown and completely unnecessary.
Soundgarden is a band whose history hasn't been thoroughly dissected yet from the inside out, and I went into this book expecting some real juicy tidbits or emotional gut-punches I never read about in the magazines of yesteryear. Unfortunately, the clear truth now is that either Soundgarden is a band that just didn't have a lot of drama compared to their peers, or Kim is choosing to not disclose it here.
Most chapters revolve around nuanced issues with recording/producing albums, which does NOT translate well to the written word (I don't know how many more times Kim could attempt to make his guitar tone sounding too 'wet' sound even remotely interesting) and seems to avoid any real emotional tangibility between the artists. It feels like he's just reading the wikipedia pages for each album and tour and then adding in his own little personal struggles with his gear -- a thing most people cannot relate to.
The last chunk of the novel focuses more on the reunion, divorces, firings, and Chris' passing, and that at least FEEL a bit more lively, but it's also so brief and unexplored that it feels like a footnote that deserved its own book.
My biggest issue is that there was clearly no one helping Kim through this writing process, as the book reads like more of a teenager's journal with little thought put into style or cohesion. There's no real narrative being spun. It's just a list of things Kim remembers, and no editor bothered to tell him how stories are supposed to work.
Soundgarden is a band whose history hasn't been thoroughly dissected yet from the inside out, and I went into this book expecting some real juicy tidbits or emotional gut-punches I never read about in the magazines of yesteryear. Unfortunately, the clear truth now is that either Soundgarden is a band that just didn't have a lot of drama compared to their peers, or Kim is choosing to not disclose it here.
Most chapters revolve around nuanced issues with recording/producing albums, which does NOT translate well to the written word (I don't know how many more times Kim could attempt to make his guitar tone sounding too 'wet' sound even remotely interesting) and seems to avoid any real emotional tangibility between the artists. It feels like he's just reading the wikipedia pages for each album and tour and then adding in his own little personal struggles with his gear -- a thing most people cannot relate to.
The last chunk of the novel focuses more on the reunion, divorces, firings, and Chris' passing, and that at least FEEL a bit more lively, but it's also so brief and unexplored that it feels like a footnote that deserved its own book.
My biggest issue is that there was clearly no one helping Kim through this writing process, as the book reads like more of a teenager's journal with little thought put into style or cohesion. There's no real narrative being spun. It's just a list of things Kim remembers, and no editor bothered to tell him how stories are supposed to work.
August 1, 2026
I've realized that, for some reason, Thayil is the person I always visualize when I think of Soundgarden, rather than Cornell or someone else. So it was great to read this thoughtful memoir and get Thayil's take. First, I appreciated that the band always tried to be decent people: they partied hard but didn't allow hard drugs, and he explicitly says they were anti-racist and anti-sexist. While there isn't a lot of discussion of individual songs, he portrays their evolving creative process in thoughtful ways. For example, their earlier albums were mostly live songs that they eventually took into the studio. Later albums more resulted from demos that various members recorded, then the group would play them in the studio, before figuring out how to play them live. This meant audience response wasn't as integral a part of the process as it was on early albums. Another example is how Cornell moved from drums & vocals, to vocals only, and later to guitar and vocals. Each evolution changed the sound and creative process of the band, such as Cornell writing more songs, and Cornell's guitar contributions requiring Thayil to change up his sound to add something different.
In general, I found this an enjoyable way to reflect once again on the musical scene of my adolescence. He makes an argument for the central place of Soundgarden as one of the early grunge bands who stayed together and had success, Green River and others ending early, Nirvana and Pearl Jam coming a bit later, etc.
In general, I found this an enjoyable way to reflect once again on the musical scene of my adolescence. He makes an argument for the central place of Soundgarden as one of the early grunge bands who stayed together and had success, Green River and others ending early, Nirvana and Pearl Jam coming a bit later, etc.
August 3, 2026
An entertaining and enlightening contribution from a key player in Seattle’s late 80’s grunge movement. The willingness to make oneself visible and vulnerable in telling a personal story is always admirable. Not an easy feat.
Through Thayil’s eyes, I enjoyed learning about the creative process of how albums and specific songs came together. How the band evolved personally and professionally. Why and how they broke up. What he did with his time following the breakup. How they got back together. And of course, the events surrounding the fateful night of Chris’ exit from this earthly plane.
For me, Thayil is the sound of Soundgarden. Of course, Chris was untouched in the vocal department. However, it was Thayil’s guitar that grounded the band’s signature sound.
There were definite, unexpected moments of walking down memory lane while reading: Devo on Saturday Night Live in 1978. I’m a big lover of ‘Ultra Mega Ok.’ I was living in Seattle when it was released in ’88 and had it on heavy rotation. I listened to it yesterday (the 2017 remix) and was reminded of why I love it so much. I recalled where I was sitting when Soundgarden played Bumbershoot in 1990. The first Mookie Blaylock/AIC show a month later at the Off Ramp. A week later, waiting hours to see Nude Dragons at the end of the night at the Central. (That was particularly rough, as I was coming off seeing 24-7 Spies and Meddaphysical there the night before – and had to work in between.) Seeing Chris’ solo show at the Paramount in ’99. Those were the days, my friends.
Through Thayil’s eyes, I enjoyed learning about the creative process of how albums and specific songs came together. How the band evolved personally and professionally. Why and how they broke up. What he did with his time following the breakup. How they got back together. And of course, the events surrounding the fateful night of Chris’ exit from this earthly plane.
For me, Thayil is the sound of Soundgarden. Of course, Chris was untouched in the vocal department. However, it was Thayil’s guitar that grounded the band’s signature sound.
There were definite, unexpected moments of walking down memory lane while reading: Devo on Saturday Night Live in 1978. I’m a big lover of ‘Ultra Mega Ok.’ I was living in Seattle when it was released in ’88 and had it on heavy rotation. I listened to it yesterday (the 2017 remix) and was reminded of why I love it so much. I recalled where I was sitting when Soundgarden played Bumbershoot in 1990. The first Mookie Blaylock/AIC show a month later at the Off Ramp. A week later, waiting hours to see Nude Dragons at the end of the night at the Central. (That was particularly rough, as I was coming off seeing 24-7 Spies and Meddaphysical there the night before – and had to work in between.) Seeing Chris’ solo show at the Paramount in ’99. Those were the days, my friends.
August 23, 2026
One of the founding members and the lead guitarist of Soundgarden shares the story of his life and career in the music world.
Always a pleasure getting to read about the Seattle music scene. This sub-300 page book was a worthwhile read. Kim Thayil does a fine job of taking the reader into his journey as a musician. I enjoyed getting to read about his time in Soundgarden as well as his interactions with musicians and bands during his decades long career. At times, his critiques of the music industry and various record producers that he worked with grows a bit tiresome, but Thayil is, more often than not, evenhanded in his recollections.
As the book progresses, one knows that Chris Cornell's suicide is going to be addressed. Thayil writes movingly about his relationship with Cornell and how his untimely death has, and continues to, effect him. It is to Thayil's credit that he writes so candidly and compassionately about his friend and bandmate.
One aspect that I didn't care for were portions that came off as self-aggrandizing or dismissive towards other's work. This was most evident when Thayil writes about Temple of the Dog. Although Chris Cornell helped to organize this tribute to Andy Wood, Thayil was not invited to participate. While writing about this band, Thayil describes their music and the music that would be made by Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament with Pearl Jam as being "incredibly conventional" and not "creatively exploratory". The descriptions of the music created by those two bands came off as much too snide.
Always a pleasure getting to read about the Seattle music scene. This sub-300 page book was a worthwhile read. Kim Thayil does a fine job of taking the reader into his journey as a musician. I enjoyed getting to read about his time in Soundgarden as well as his interactions with musicians and bands during his decades long career. At times, his critiques of the music industry and various record producers that he worked with grows a bit tiresome, but Thayil is, more often than not, evenhanded in his recollections.
As the book progresses, one knows that Chris Cornell's suicide is going to be addressed. Thayil writes movingly about his relationship with Cornell and how his untimely death has, and continues to, effect him. It is to Thayil's credit that he writes so candidly and compassionately about his friend and bandmate.
One aspect that I didn't care for were portions that came off as self-aggrandizing or dismissive towards other's work. This was most evident when Thayil writes about Temple of the Dog. Although Chris Cornell helped to organize this tribute to Andy Wood, Thayil was not invited to participate. While writing about this band, Thayil describes their music and the music that would be made by Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament with Pearl Jam as being "incredibly conventional" and not "creatively exploratory". The descriptions of the music created by those two bands came off as much too snide.
August 5, 2026
I had polarizing opinions on the book, more than usual. I would give the first third 5 stars, the middle 3 and the final third 2 stars ..
I did appreciate the casual, conversational tone, and opinions offered. Also the insights into the actual music in terms of recording, production, etc. I'd actually always like to hear MORE about the songwriting, muses, studio + stage details, but it would be a challenge to cover so many years with additional details without being too long (imo).
What held me back were significant elements on opinions (judgments) that consistently come up about being misunderstood or borderline mistreated by record companies, "the suits", band mates, friends, etc. A lot of it seems like he should own it, or had a large part in the dysfunction by his own actions or lack of. Sometimes several paragraphs would be followed by one sentence of owning it. Out of balance for me. And to a large extent, comes with the territory of rock stardom.
On a positive side, glad I read the book, certainly many positive aspects, and I've been checking out Soundgarden who, although I saw them in concert in LA once, not a band previously in my heavy rotation.
I did appreciate the casual, conversational tone, and opinions offered. Also the insights into the actual music in terms of recording, production, etc. I'd actually always like to hear MORE about the songwriting, muses, studio + stage details, but it would be a challenge to cover so many years with additional details without being too long (imo).
What held me back were significant elements on opinions (judgments) that consistently come up about being misunderstood or borderline mistreated by record companies, "the suits", band mates, friends, etc. A lot of it seems like he should own it, or had a large part in the dysfunction by his own actions or lack of. Sometimes several paragraphs would be followed by one sentence of owning it. Out of balance for me. And to a large extent, comes with the territory of rock stardom.
On a positive side, glad I read the book, certainly many positive aspects, and I've been checking out Soundgarden who, although I saw them in concert in LA once, not a band previously in my heavy rotation.
June 21, 2026
Behind the Music - Life
When the "grunge" explosion happened in the early 1990s, all my high school friends had their Seattle band.
Mine was Soundgarden.
I think why I gravitated to them was the experimental takes in tunings and time signatures within the punk/metal context I knew and love.
Kim's memoir is exceptional. He approaches his story with a willingness to be vulnerable about the hardest aspects of what his band accomplished. More than a rundown of how the work was made, the book shares how the relationships between people - on stage and off - are often the hardest part.
If you're a Soundgarden fan, this is a must read. If you have an interest in the "grunge" explosion, this is also a great book about that scene - how it came to be, how it became a monster, and how it drifted away.
On a personal note, I was lucky to see Soundgarden twice in the 1990s, meet Chris on his first solo tour and Kim & Matt during their run with the MC50. Their work has always been an inspiration to me and I appreciate the time they shared with me.
When the "grunge" explosion happened in the early 1990s, all my high school friends had their Seattle band.
Mine was Soundgarden.
I think why I gravitated to them was the experimental takes in tunings and time signatures within the punk/metal context I knew and love.
Kim's memoir is exceptional. He approaches his story with a willingness to be vulnerable about the hardest aspects of what his band accomplished. More than a rundown of how the work was made, the book shares how the relationships between people - on stage and off - are often the hardest part.
If you're a Soundgarden fan, this is a must read. If you have an interest in the "grunge" explosion, this is also a great book about that scene - how it came to be, how it became a monster, and how it drifted away.
On a personal note, I was lucky to see Soundgarden twice in the 1990s, meet Chris on his first solo tour and Kim & Matt during their run with the MC50. Their work has always been an inspiration to me and I appreciate the time they shared with me.
July 21, 2026
If you're a fan of Soundgarden, this is a really cool timeline of the band. Kim is in a unique position as one of two original members who were with the band throughout its entire history; the other original member, of course, was Chris Cornell.
Kim does a good job conveying his side of their story. He talks about their origins with Hiro Yamamoto, their rise to fame, their original breakup, their reunion, and, of course, Chris Cornell's tragic suicide.
Kim seems to be a cerebral, analytical guy. This can come across as cold sometimes. But he also seems genuine in how much he loves and appreciates the people in his life, especially those who were by his side when the band was starting out as the somewhat strange hard rock band "with two Asian guys" in the burgeoning Seattle music scene of the late '80s and early '90s.
There are some weird narrative/editing choices, especially at the beginning, and some minor errors (typos, etc.) that I feel probably should have been caught, but other than that, I recommend this book for fans of the band.
Kim does a good job conveying his side of their story. He talks about their origins with Hiro Yamamoto, their rise to fame, their original breakup, their reunion, and, of course, Chris Cornell's tragic suicide.
Kim seems to be a cerebral, analytical guy. This can come across as cold sometimes. But he also seems genuine in how much he loves and appreciates the people in his life, especially those who were by his side when the band was starting out as the somewhat strange hard rock band "with two Asian guys" in the burgeoning Seattle music scene of the late '80s and early '90s.
There are some weird narrative/editing choices, especially at the beginning, and some minor errors (typos, etc.) that I feel probably should have been caught, but other than that, I recommend this book for fans of the band.
June 24, 2026
Overall a must-read for Soundgarden fans. Although I adore the band, I only like the nineties-era material, as that is when they were at their best musically, lyrically and vocally (Superunknown is one of my top ten favourite albums of all time,) so I gravitated more to that portion of the book than any other. That said, I enjoyed reading the full history of the band and I took breaks at certain points to go on Spotify and listen to the songs from the first two albums that were brought up in the book, so I may revisit the first two albums at some point.
The other highlight for me was reading Kim’s take on why Soundgarden broke up, something the band was cagey about in the past, likely to preserve their friendships. Since Chris Cornell initiated it, it’s a shame we’ll never get the info from the best source, but Kim’s side of the story is completely believable and logical. I also enjoyed reading Kim’s opinion of Audioslave and completely agree with his perspective.
The other highlight for me was reading Kim’s take on why Soundgarden broke up, something the band was cagey about in the past, likely to preserve their friendships. Since Chris Cornell initiated it, it’s a shame we’ll never get the info from the best source, but Kim’s side of the story is completely believable and logical. I also enjoyed reading Kim’s opinion of Audioslave and completely agree with his perspective.
July 17, 2026
A mediocre memoir from Soundgarden co-founder and guitarist Kim Thayil. While I was never much of a grunge music fan, I knew of Soundgarden and some of their music. I watched in October 2025 when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Thayil’s writing was fine and he does well in describing his role in forming the band and getting the band to reunite. He fails in limiting what he thinks/reveals about the death by suicide of the bands lead singer, Chris Cornell. It’s not good that I had to go to Wikipedia ( while reading the book ) to learn of the details of Cornell’s death. While I suppose he was trying to respect Cornell’s legacy, it created a huge gap in understanding the story of Soundgarden. Thayil glosses over other details that this reader would have liked to know more of. The book also ends abruptly as if the author had reached a page or word count limit and just stopped. Perhaps this book is meant only for super fans of the band.
July 20, 2026
Probably more like 3.5 stars, but as far as rock autobiographies go, Kim Thayil's wasn't that interesting. It felt like there was some slightly sour grapes throughout that Kim felt Soundgarden never got enough credit as a progenitor of the Seattle scene, or for lifting friends' bands up and helping them, or receiving the level of critical acclaim and press that Nirvana and Pearl Jam got. Also, his emotional intelligence always felt shaky in describing his relationships with former partners and at times, bandmates. Throughout the book I was reminded of one of my own former longtime bandmates in his phraseology and the perspective in which he viewed and described things and maybe that put me off, I don't know. Still glad to have Kim's autograph on the back of the headstock of my old Guild S-100, and I still think his riffing is absolutely colossal, and maybe he has done therapy and never mentioned it but if he hasn't...well...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews