Nirvana: The Recording Sessions

by Rob Jovanovic

Nirvana turned alternative rock into the mainstream, changing the face of rock forever. Cobain has been the subject of many books since his suicide, however the one aspect has been overlooked is his extraordinary, revolutionary and instinctive songwriting. This is the first book to put Nirvana’s music center stage. Unashamedly ambitious, it traces the evolution of the band—and of individual songs and albums—from rudimentary jams to finished masterpieces.

223 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Jonathan Farrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really enjoyable and informative deep dive into the band's studio history. It's packed with fascinating details and is genuinely fun to read, especially if you're even remotely interested in Nirvana. That said, there are some noticeable typos, bits of questionable or incorrect information, and a few surprising omissions that keep it from being definitive. Still, it's a solid and valuable resource. I'd love to see an updated edition that incorporates recent releases and cleans up those rough edges.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Because so much of Nirvana's material has been released (thanks to the With The Lights Out box set), one can effectively listen along to this book and hear the evolution of various songs (as well as the band's overall sound) over time. Filled with insightful anecdotes from the recording sessions, this book is the kind of thing that die-hard fans will inhale.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

99% of all music you hear is recorded music. How individual manifestations of this phenomena come about fascinate me. Four or five people sit around and work on something and then scores of millions of people listen to it. There are particularities to every recording and those particularities are preserved in perpetuity. Nothing else is so ephemeral and concrete at the same time.

[Kurt Willoughby · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very informative look at the recording history of Nirvana. I would say it is aimed at the more die-hard fans. The only let down was finding out that it is more of a log of their sessions as opposed to going into more detail of the equipment used, etc.

[Taylor W. Rushing · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really good research. Good work Rob!