‘Life is just too damn short to let someone else’s opinion steer the wheel…’
You don’t foster a reputation as the nicest man in rock ‘n’ roll by slagging people off. And so, if you’re coming to this autobiography hoping to hear Dave proclaim that Kurt Cobain was actually a cunt and or that he thinks Billy Corgan should shut his bald mouth then you’ll be sorely disappointed. What you will encounter is plenty of namedropping and ‘aw shucks’ humility but Grohl’s charm is so irresistible that he pulls it off in the end…
Charting the rise of one of rock music’s most successful frontmen from drummer in ’80s alt-rock band The Scream through world domination with Nirvana and finally settling in as one of rock’s elder statesmen as leader of the Foo Fighters, The Storyteller is awash with celebrity encounters, escalating fame and occasional heartbreak. While the section in which Grohl recounts hearing the news of Cobain’s death is genuinely touching and quite beautifully written, the rest of the book is strangely dispassionate and repetitive. More a whistlestop tour through well-worn anecdotes rather than an attempt at revealing any deeper truth. That being said, fans of Nirvana/Foo Fighters or just the ’90s music scene in general will delight in hearing tales of grunge’s heyday and there is no denying that Grohl was right in the thick of the action.
Published before the death of long-standing Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, it is sad and poignant to hear Grohl describe him as his best friend here, and more of that confessional writing style would have been helpful. Instead, we are left with an often interesting but never sensational account of one of the most recognisable faces in modern rock music. As with many of his albums, this autobiography is pleasant enough without ever threatening to break any ground. I finished the eight-hour recording feeling that I didn’t really know Grohl any better for having listened to it.
The Storyteller is inoffensive and often uplifting. Much like the man himself. Would you expect any less?