Entertain Us: The rise of Nirvana

by Gillian G. Gaar

Nirvana are one of the most influential bands in rock history, and even now, nearly 20 years after Kurt Cobain’s death, the reverence in which they are held is undiminished. Books have been written about Nirvana before, but they tend to concentrate on the band’s superstar period and Kurt Cobain’s demise, while skating over the early years. In Entertain Us , Gillian Gaar redresses the balance by examining in forensic detail the band’s rise to fame, and their first album, Bleach .
Seattle native Gaar was one of the first journalists to write about Nirvana, and she covered the band’s career closely, offering her a unique perspective to write this book. Drawing on extensive interviews with the key characters in the story—including bassist Krist Novoselic, drummer Chad Channing, and producers Jack Endino and Butch Vig—the book charts the band’s formation and early years as well as their role at the center of the grunge gold rush.
By critiquing every song the band recorded in this period, tracing influences and unpicking complex relationships between band members, associates, and record labels, Gaar gets to the heart of a compelling story.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

384 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2012

About the author

I write regularly about music, entertainment, and travel. I enjoy taking pictures for my articles and books as well. My very first book was "She's A Rebel: The History of Women in Rock & Roll," first published in 1992, and updated in 2002; Yoko Ono wrote the book's preface, and it still gives me a thrill to see her name on the cover. Other areas of expertise include Nirvana, the Beatles, and Elvis, all of whom I've written books about. I've also written for a variety of publications around the world, including Mojo, Rolling Stone, Goldmine (where I had regular Beatles and Elvis columns), and many others. I was also a senior editor at legendary Seattle music publication "The Rocket."

Reviews

[Jewelianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know, I know, how many Nirvana books am I going to read? Well I guess I am going to read all of them. Anyway, I really thought this book was great because it was phenomenally well researched, and it concentrated on the band and not just Kurt Cobain's personal problems that everyone already knows about anyways. As the subtitle suggests, the majority of the book concentrates on the very early days of the group through the release of Nevermind. This was super interesting since that time period in the band's history and/or the surrounding "scene" are usually kind of glossed over to some degree.

[Feltan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hur många böcker om Nirvana ska man läsa? Alldeles för många. Vad denna fokuserar på är inte vad andra fokuserar på. Här är fokus på begynnelsen, de tidigare åren, att de faktiskt hade fyra trummisar före Dave Grohl, musikcommunityn i staden där inget hände samt inspelningssessionerna under den tiden. Matnyttig information om influenserna och hur de andra banden förhöll sig till bandet.

[LJP1610 · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is good about this is that it's gigs/ record releases only. What is weird is dave and Krist interview references in 2006 etc, like it's been that long?

[Jim Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gillian Gaar is THE expert on the 90’s NW Music explosion. A lot of people came to Seattle after the grunge explosion was done or nearly done and tried to capture what it was like at the time, but I only remember Gaar being in the trenches (read bars and clubs) actually seeing these bands and having personal connections with them. This book on early Nirvana has been on my shelf for a couple of years and I finally got around to reading it. As I expected, I was entertained and educated on a band I thought I knew a lot about. Who knew their first gig was in Raymond, WA? Who knew that Sub Pop actually borrowed money from the band to put out their early records? Gillian can get into the minutest details about things you never thought you would care about (the order songs were recorded in) and somehow make it interesting! Another great book from someone I’m proud to say is a good friend!

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very thorough, exhaustive look at Nirvana. I'm glad I read it. Perhaps I read it to understand my own early fascination/obsession with Nirvana. I don't know. Made me think about pop music in ways I never thought to try.