Cobain

by Editors of Rolling Stone (Editor)

A tribute to the leader of the band Nirvana features more than fifty intimate photographs and draws on several interviews with the artist before his April 1994 suicide

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir, Art, Rock N Roll, Pop Culture

143 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1994

Reviews

[Winter Sophia Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartfelt, Informative & Incredible Life! A Powerful Read! I Loved It!

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truth be told I hated this book, but not in a way that it needed less stars. I hated it because of the ways that the people at Rolling Stone wrote. I hate that they all had opinions of Kurt when he was alive, yet after the suicide they saw everything in a different light.

I will never pick this book up again. It will put on a shelf for collection reasons, but forgotten. On that same line, I will never read another Rolling Stone. This world is full of idiots and I don't need anyone else's opinion of anyone else.

[Aaron Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

RIP! This is one of the most beautiful books/magazines I’ve ever read composition wise. If you are thinking of getting this book it is more than worth it for the art alone!

Writing wise this is a collection of different articles and pieces written about KC before and after his untimely death. The interviews/writings are great as they serve as time capsules to a different era and for an iconic musician. A beautiful and somber read.

[Ann Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is more of a scrapbook and worth the purchase price for the photos alone. Not all the information is accurate (read Heavier than Heaven for the most accurate biographical information), but it is a great yearbook. It is a real treat seeing the old articles and photos from Rolling Stone coverage as well as old concert fliers.

[Ginny's reading nook · Rating 1 out of 5]

A week after he dies, Rolling Stone puts out a book basically bashing Kurt Cobain over and over again. This is exactly why he hated them so much to begin with.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I respectfully read this tribute to Kurt Cobain. The photography is outstanding and the words undeniably told the story of a man that was musically gifted as well as in a lot of pain. The '90's are by far my favorite decade in music and living in Seattle it was an electrifying vibe as rock & roll took on a new direction.

"Rock & roll's finest moments inevitably come from its most troubled geniuses. Unfortunately, the troubled geniuses are the ones who find it the hardest to go the distance." Rolling Stone

[Laverne · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a good book! I read it since I was in the fifth grade. I was becoming a fan of Kurt and Courtney at that time and I wanted to know more about them. My cousin already know who they was but he don't like their music only one song from Nirvana and Hole.

[Jocelyn Flowers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shotguns cobain :)!!
I like this book about of the history of the Kurt Cobain, this book speak very well developed about your story.

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Looking back after all these years, it is interesting to read the various takes on what was a generation defining event, from the pages of rock and roll's legacy publication. I'm not sure that Kurt himself would have cared to have been memorialized in such an overwrought manner, but surely he probably expected it. One thing that everyone got right was that his suicide seemed inevitable and yet so unecessary. I would have loved to see what a mature Cobain would have produced, musically, and as a visual artist. It's easy to imagine him as a doting father, laughing and smiling as Frances matured into the woman she is now. If he had had the patience, we would have all been much the richer. I think that this book is reflective of the mood of the time, and the despair that many of his fans felt at his passing. It's all the more impressive to see his legacy has stood the test of time, and for such a small catalog of recorded music, it still resonates enough to continuously generate new fans.

[Johnny Tunstall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice to take a stroll through memory lane. A lot of the articles are rehashed., But it takes me back 30 years when music was so raw and different. I was there for it all. The pictues are outstanding. Makes me wonder what he would be like today.

[Kandace · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great collection and time capsule of the rise to fame of Kurt Cobain and demise via suicide. I've been revisiting the influence of Nirvana on my life and thinking back to young KCF's love of Nevermind.

[Orla Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

love how Beavis and Butthead make it in!!!

[StephenPaul ChaseJr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading about the late Kurt Cobain, his way of ending his life and career is so fucked up, ass, bitch, bastard, hell, damn, cunt!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Osaka Tides · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had this book when I was a teenager, but gave it away without reading it. Picked it up again later on, and finally gave it a read. Can't believe I didn't do it sooner.

[Jerry (Libri in pantofole) · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://librinpantofole.blogspot.it/20...

Nevermind uscì nel 1991 con scarsa pubblicità e ancor meno aspettattive. Nell'arco di qualche mese divenne il primo disco punk rock a raggiungere l'apice delle classifiche... chiosa Chris Mundy nel suo elogio funebre a Kurt Cobain e di certo un libro commemorativo su Cobain non può prescindere da quel successo assoluto che fu Nevermind, basti pensare che un pezzo come Smells Like Teen Spirit è ancora oggi considerato uno dei brani più significativi della storia del rock. Ma accanto al commento di Mundy c'è anche un vecchio articolo di Ian Robbins che pronosticava per quello stesso album una ben scarsa fortuna commerciale!

Sì perché Cobain raccoglie articoli e recensioni scritti durante tutto l'arco di vita dei Nirvana, non aspettatevi una biografia esaustiva, non aspettatevi verità rivelate, tutto è filtrato attraverso la voce, spesso discutibile, di Rolling Stone. Eppure ho apprezzato moltissimo quest'opera non foss'altro per le splendide immagini (e i volantini dei concerti) che costellano le pagine, ma anche per i commenti personali che talvolta emergono. Perché accanto al giornalista c'è anche il fan, che si emoziona, si esalta, si addolora: Ricordo di aver pensato quanto fosse contraddittorio che una persona che appariva così passiva e riservata potesse ispirare così tanta gente a seguirlo e ancora: Kurt Cobain dei Nirvana è il mio primo idolo del pop a morire tragicamente. Si è tolto la vita in un modo molto diverso da quello di altre rockstar... Ma in questo momento la sensazione è molto più personale rispetto a questo. La morte di Cobain fa male.

Dalla pubblicazione di Bleach nel 1989, alla firma con una grande major, dal successo internazionale, all'incontro con la droga, dagli atti di ribellione al matrimonio con la Love, una immersione a 360° nell'universo di una voce unica, di un uomo tormentato ma dal genio indiscutibile fino a quella immagine, questa sì discutibile, e che ancora oggi faccio fatica a guardare, quel fotogramma rubato di un corpo steso a terra, quella curiosità morbosa che non ha pietà neanche della morte.
Tra tutti, ho sicuramente apprezzato l'articolo di Azzerad (che ha poi scritto una bellissima biografia dei Nirvana, Come as you are) sulla scena musicale del Nordovest e la grunge city come interessante è stata la ricostruzione degli anni di Aberdeen di Mikal Gilmore, insomma Cobain è un libro in cui perdersi con il quale arrabbiarsi anche, ma che sicuramente non lascia indifferenti, soprattutto coloro che come me hanno amato e amano la musica dei Nirvana e la voce di Kurt Cobain...

E per dirla con Krist Novoselic: Ricordiamo Kurt per quello che era: premuroso, generoso e dolce. Teniamoci la sua musica l'avremo per sempre, per sempre. Amen.

[TrumanCoyote · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately all too often consists of the sort of glibster patter you've come to expect from the folks at Roaring Stove. It's all kind of reminiscent of many sites on the Internet: has a glossy patina, but consistently fails to satisfy. The absolute nadir was reached by Donna Gaines (talk about an armchair sociologist!--I had no idea what the hell she was raving about, but my experience from schools and such places taught me early on to steer the hell away from those types) and Ann Powers (I should've known from the fact that "Anti-Hero" was actually used in the title of her article that I was gonna come up empty). Btw it was hilarious to hear Ann spouting on about how music critics must strive to be original; I literally LOLed at that (and on the subway, no less!). I mean, everybody in this goddamn book--and that goddamn magazine--sounds exactly the same! Like they're auditioning for some Hunter S Thompson version of Time magazine or something ("All Tom Wolfe's children are out there scribblin' his licks"). No doubt about it, New Journalism has gotten pretty old by now. I of course have no idea of the reason for Cobain's grudge against RS, but that would certainly gall the crap outta me. When all you're trying to do in your life is be honest, who wants to be faced with that kind of shit? The only thing that sounded like it wasn't written by some hyperactive drone doing their best to drip coolness from every line was the "Downward Spiral" section (which consequently was one of the high points of the book). Also the part about Courtney Love's contribution to the memorial was raw and kind of funny and at the same time painful and honest and a hoot of sorts. Then too there was Cobain's interview. Oh yeah, and I did laugh at a couple of the jokes: like the guy who wrote that Dave Grohl hit his drums "like they owed him money"--and that thing about how this one lame audience looked like they really should be standing there underneath a banner reading "HERE WE ARE NOW. ENTERTAIN US." :)

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seriously, I recommend reading this book in chunks, because it is mega depressing and will likely leave you in a mood after each session. I wish more of it featured articles about the band before Kurt's death, because the majority of it was written afterwards and has that awful melancholy tone about it. Considering these are all articles wrought from Rolling Stone, it's not surprising more articles pre-1994 don't exist, but it would've served as a better retrospect of Kurt as a living artist and how he was accepted before he ended his life. Regardless, the book is still an important read for any Nirvana or rock music fan.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used to have a copy, but chances are I forgot to bring it when I moved. It's a shame, too, because I don't think one needs to be as much a fan of Cobain himself as someone who appreciates music writing and photography. I really appreciated the written articles and reviews, along with the photos taken of Cobain and his friends and family. The photos of Courtney Love and Francis Cobain were among my favorites.

[Steve Wales · Rating 5 out of 5]

To those of my generation sitting on their sofas watching the news on that night in 1994 when the death of Kurt Cobain was announced, this is a terrific journal of his horribly short life in the limelight, including backstage images which can only hint at the physical and emotional pain Cobain was feeling before he (or somebody, whatever) pulled the trigger. This man made me realise what music could be; he was the Lennon AND McCartney of my generation.

[Damon Lively · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice book – but should not be considered a robust biography definitive history. It is more a collection of articles or interviews regarding Cobain and the band via Rolling Stone. It is a soft read with the basics of the events and some insight into the struggles of Kurt. It is equally based around photographic history and makes more of a support to other – more in depth and better written – books on the man. Nice to read – but I would not make this your first stop.

[Elliot Chalom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rolling Stone's Cobain is everything it was supposed to be. A nice compendium of magazine pieces written up to only a week after his death, filled throughout with beautiful photos. It's interesting to go back now and read this 20 years after it was put together. In many ways we know more about Cobain's life and death, but we also may have too much perspective. You need a book like this to remember how it all felt in the moment.

[Jevron McCrory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indespensible book on Nirvana, if only for the beautiful photography, wonderful hard back printing and honest reviewing from Rolling Stone, freely admitting at times, Nirvana sucked. It's a book to treasure, mostly for the intimate Cobain interviews.....

[Desy]

tampak bagus :D pengen beliii...

[Ryan Mickels · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books to come out about the rise and fall of Kurt Cobain.

[Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful photographs in this book.

[Geoff_found_shot_2_death]

a good retrospective on kurdt corporate rock mags still suck

[Lenae · Rating 4 out of 5]

About the life and death of Kurt Cobain, front-man of Nirvana. Has Everything from his childhood stories and friends to his marriage with Courtney Love and their child Frances Bean.

[John B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must for all Kurt and Nirvana fans. Really in-depth stuff inside!

[Lizzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who doesn't love a mess.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only problem with this book is that it left me feeling like I always feel after reading about Kurt Cobain: What a waste.