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Kurt Cobain: A última entrevista e outras conversas
A VOZ DE UMA GERAÇÃO EM SUAS MAIS IMPORTANTES ENTREVISTAS REUNIDAS - INCLUINDO A ÚLTIMA.
Uma coleção de conversas que ajuda a revelar mais sobre o homem por trás dos hinos míticos da geração grunge. - Kirkus Reviews
Kurt Cobain irrompeu na consciência americana e mundial com força depois do lançamento de Nevermind, um clássico instantâneo que definiu um som e uma geração. Três anos depois, ele cometeu suicídio, deixando uma carreira meteórica e uma influência cultural que nunca diminuiria.
Como vocalista e guitarrista do Nirvana, Kurt Cobain mudou a música americana como poucos músicos fizeram. Seu canto rouco instantaneamente identificável, seu jeito de tocar guitarra e suas letras corrosivas e poéticas fizeram dele um herói para uma geração de almas perdidas.
Esta obra resgata as principais entrevistas do artista, incluindo a última delas. Nela, o leitor encontrará um Cobain engraçado, atencioso, sarcástico, apaixonado e até gentil. A visão de um homem que muitas vezes foi incompreendido está aqui, trinta anos depois de sua morte, com a mesma força de sua música.
Uma coleção de conversas que ajuda a revelar mais sobre o homem por trás dos hinos míticos da geração grunge. - Kirkus Reviews
Kurt Cobain irrompeu na consciência americana e mundial com força depois do lançamento de Nevermind, um clássico instantâneo que definiu um som e uma geração. Três anos depois, ele cometeu suicídio, deixando uma carreira meteórica e uma influência cultural que nunca diminuiria.
Como vocalista e guitarrista do Nirvana, Kurt Cobain mudou a música americana como poucos músicos fizeram. Seu canto rouco instantaneamente identificável, seu jeito de tocar guitarra e suas letras corrosivas e poéticas fizeram dele um herói para uma geração de almas perdidas.
Esta obra resgata as principais entrevistas do artista, incluindo a última delas. Nela, o leitor encontrará um Cobain engraçado, atencioso, sarcástico, apaixonado e até gentil. A visão de um homem que muitas vezes foi incompreendido está aqui, trinta anos depois de sua morte, com a mesma força de sua música.
144 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2024
18 people are currently reading
250 people want to read
About the author
Kurt Cobain
98 books785 followersKurt Donald Cobain, was an American musician who served as lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter for the Seattle-based rock band Nirvana.
Cobain formed Nirvana in 1987 with Krist Novoselic. Within two years, the band became a fixture of the burgeoning Seattle grunge scene. In 1991, the arrival of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" marked the beginning of a dramatic shift of popular rock music away from the dominant genres of the 1980s (glam metal, arena rock, and dance-pop) and toward grunge and alternative rock. The music media eventually awarded the song "anthem-of-a-generation" status, and, with it, Cobain was labeled a "spokesman" for Generation X.
During the last years of his life, Cobain struggled with drug addiction and the media pressures surrounding him and his wife, Courtney Love. On April 8, 1994, Cobain was found dead in his home in Seattle, the victim of what was officially ruled a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head. In ensuing years, the circumstances of his death became a topic of fascination and debate.
Cobain formed Nirvana in 1987 with Krist Novoselic. Within two years, the band became a fixture of the burgeoning Seattle grunge scene. In 1991, the arrival of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" marked the beginning of a dramatic shift of popular rock music away from the dominant genres of the 1980s (glam metal, arena rock, and dance-pop) and toward grunge and alternative rock. The music media eventually awarded the song "anthem-of-a-generation" status, and, with it, Cobain was labeled a "spokesman" for Generation X.
During the last years of his life, Cobain struggled with drug addiction and the media pressures surrounding him and his wife, Courtney Love. On April 8, 1994, Cobain was found dead in his home in Seattle, the victim of what was officially ruled a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head. In ensuing years, the circumstances of his death became a topic of fascination and debate.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
August 8, 2023
In his Capitalist Realism: Is There No Alternative?, Mark Fisher writes how subversion is now 'precorporated' by capitalist culture, so that 'alternative' and 'independent' do not designate something outside of mainstream culture as much as the reformatting of desires, hopes, and aspirations within it. According to him, Cobain exemplified both the embodiment of and struggle with this dreadlock, and who
The interviews reproduced herein were delivered at various stages of Nirvana's ascendance and do a great job of illustrating the impact of this stalemate on wider culture as well as the manner in which the band operated (Cobain's journals, published posthumously, supplements these public statements with private insight). It is widely agreed that grunge died when Cobain passed, but Cobain's own words make clear that it was dying anyway: future albums from the band would have to do away with the "three-chord grunge" that had by now metastatised from possibility into pose and its own distinct elitism (as Fisher would say, it became yet another commodity for interpassivity, whereby capitalist ideology allows us to perform our resistance and our anti-capitalism by belief and consumption rather than any form of externalised behaviour), and the path forward was either experimentation with new forms or disbanding the group altogether (This is just as true for the political imaginary as it was, and is, for the state of music, which had by now already moved on to absorbing the uncompromising real of Hip Hop into the profit-driven corporate capitalist mold).
Kurt Cobain: The Last Interview reveals how Cobain fashioned and externalised his resistance: "He was a backwater white boy, but he was not a stereotype, not racist or sexist or homophobic. His sensibility was gay, he declared, and he liked strong, smart women. He was fragile, in constant physical pain, and he admitted it. He was highly married and he didn't date models. He liked being a dad. It even extended to how he looked or how he presented himself" (his views on gun control, on the other hand, were notably less than admirable). As for Nirvana as a group, they "used their fame to promote other artists while also giving credit to their influences (and proving their own cred)."* Of course, his reflexivity was not an out, but it was, as the Introduction* notes, better than nothing.
Overall, this compilation is a wonderful tool for understanding Cobain, the band, and the 90s cultural scene better, and seems to imbibe a recognition that, despite everything, Nirvana was a very political band—not perfect, not terribly successful in just that regard, nor a model to be emulated without revision, but important nonetheless. Some readers have stated that they would have liked more commentary on the materials reproduced, but I feel like that isn't so necessary if you carefully read what the man himself had to say. And although he didn't like giving interviews, and didn't give very many of them, he managed to say it all anyway.
___
*The two preceding quotes are from the same Introduction, written by Dana Spiotta
"...seemed to give wearied voice to the despondency of the generation that had come after history, whose every move was anticipated, tracked, bought and sold before it had even happened. Cobain knew that he was just another piece of spectacle, that nothing runs better on MTV than a protest against MTV; knew that his every move was a cliché scripted in advance, knew that even realizing it is a cliché. The impasse that paralyzed Cobain is precisely one that Jameson described: like postmodern culture in general, Cobain found himself in 'a world in which stylistic innovation is no longer possible, [where] all that is left is to imitate dead styles, to speak through the masks and with the voices of the styles in the imaginary museum'. Here, even success meant failure, since to succeed would only mean that you were the new meat on which the system could feed."Fisher's analysis of Cobain seems to be well-informed, and the Nirvana frontman did indeed voice his awareness (and weariness) about precorporation and retromania in a 1990 interview with Bob Gulla:
"Every band since the mid-eighties has surfaced in a revival act. It's a sure sign that rock is slowly dying. There's nothing like wallowing in the past when everything in the future looks bleak. It happens in every art form. When they're afraid of what's in front of them, they always look back. They'll reach a plateau, and they'll think everything's been done, but in reality they're just not thinking hard enough. They're just stalled. If everybody gives up, though, that's when things start to die."About 'grunge', a categorisation he disdained and derided as a "mass conception" that was being "force-fed to the "record-buying public" along with meaningless terms 'alternative' and 'independent' music, he said
"...it was an easy thing to do, and a safe thing to do, because we knew it's still popular, you know? But we had to get it out of our systems" (Interview with Erika Ehm, 1993)Reading this installment of The Last Interview series in light of the all-pervasive, tiktok-powered pastiche in vogue today, both Cobain and Fisher's words ring eerily prescient even as they were each answering to conditions already in motion in the nineties and in the mid-noughties.
The interviews reproduced herein were delivered at various stages of Nirvana's ascendance and do a great job of illustrating the impact of this stalemate on wider culture as well as the manner in which the band operated (Cobain's journals, published posthumously, supplements these public statements with private insight). It is widely agreed that grunge died when Cobain passed, but Cobain's own words make clear that it was dying anyway: future albums from the band would have to do away with the "three-chord grunge" that had by now metastatised from possibility into pose and its own distinct elitism (as Fisher would say, it became yet another commodity for interpassivity, whereby capitalist ideology allows us to perform our resistance and our anti-capitalism by belief and consumption rather than any form of externalised behaviour), and the path forward was either experimentation with new forms or disbanding the group altogether (This is just as true for the political imaginary as it was, and is, for the state of music, which had by now already moved on to absorbing the uncompromising real of Hip Hop into the profit-driven corporate capitalist mold).
Kurt Cobain: The Last Interview reveals how Cobain fashioned and externalised his resistance: "He was a backwater white boy, but he was not a stereotype, not racist or sexist or homophobic. His sensibility was gay, he declared, and he liked strong, smart women. He was fragile, in constant physical pain, and he admitted it. He was highly married and he didn't date models. He liked being a dad. It even extended to how he looked or how he presented himself" (his views on gun control, on the other hand, were notably less than admirable). As for Nirvana as a group, they "used their fame to promote other artists while also giving credit to their influences (and proving their own cred)."* Of course, his reflexivity was not an out, but it was, as the Introduction* notes, better than nothing.
Overall, this compilation is a wonderful tool for understanding Cobain, the band, and the 90s cultural scene better, and seems to imbibe a recognition that, despite everything, Nirvana was a very political band—not perfect, not terribly successful in just that regard, nor a model to be emulated without revision, but important nonetheless. Some readers have stated that they would have liked more commentary on the materials reproduced, but I feel like that isn't so necessary if you carefully read what the man himself had to say. And although he didn't like giving interviews, and didn't give very many of them, he managed to say it all anyway.
___
*The two preceding quotes are from the same Introduction, written by Dana Spiotta
November 6, 2022
As a big fan of Nirvana and Kurt himself, I knew I had to read this. This is a collection of interviews from before the huge success of the band up until the last one Kurt ever gave.
It´s interesting to see the change in Kurt within these few years. He seems to be so open and honest in these interviews, you can feel him when he talks about physical and mental pain. His comments about music and literature are interesting as well. He is well aware that because of his lack of education others look down on him, and this adds to his pain because he was indeed a smart man who just was born in the wrong place (born into poverty and a broken family).
This collection is fascinating because Kurt was fascinating. However, I´d like to see some comments in between the interviews, that would add to the timeline some crucial information, like important music events, personal stuff, etc.
It´s interesting to see the change in Kurt within these few years. He seems to be so open and honest in these interviews, you can feel him when he talks about physical and mental pain. His comments about music and literature are interesting as well. He is well aware that because of his lack of education others look down on him, and this adds to his pain because he was indeed a smart man who just was born in the wrong place (born into poverty and a broken family).
This collection is fascinating because Kurt was fascinating. However, I´d like to see some comments in between the interviews, that would add to the timeline some crucial information, like important music events, personal stuff, etc.
March 27, 2023
I've been obsessed with Kurt for a verrrrrry long time.
I think every kid going through their alternative phase finds Nirvana and it speaks to their twisted, tortured, teen souls.
Kurt Cobain: The Last Interview follows the same formula as every other book in The Last Interview collection. It leads up to his final interview in February 1994, just months before his death. Some of these interviews were absolutely insane to read but two specific ones stuck out to me the most. The July 1993 interview for Guitar World with Jon Savage shows them bantering on gay rights, feminism, and how their music allowed them to raise awareness for things they were genuinely passionate about without being overtly political. I also enjoyed the August 1993 interview for Much Music TV with Erica Ehm. They talked about life, love, and music. It showed a sweeter more relaxed version of Kurt as opposed to the Edgar Klusener interview with the whole band that honestly made me think a little differently of them.
Kurt lived the life he thought he wanted and it just wasn't enough for him. Growing up with next to nothing and being catapulted into stardom would be hard on anyone, let alone someone living with a chronic illness and shaky mental health. Yet somehow, through all that Kurt became the voice of a generation. Someone who said and did what everyone was thinking without any regrets.
Peace, love, and empathy.
More review from The Last Interview Series on A Reader's Diary
I think every kid going through their alternative phase finds Nirvana and it speaks to their twisted, tortured, teen souls.
Kurt Cobain: The Last Interview follows the same formula as every other book in The Last Interview collection. It leads up to his final interview in February 1994, just months before his death. Some of these interviews were absolutely insane to read but two specific ones stuck out to me the most. The July 1993 interview for Guitar World with Jon Savage shows them bantering on gay rights, feminism, and how their music allowed them to raise awareness for things they were genuinely passionate about without being overtly political. I also enjoyed the August 1993 interview for Much Music TV with Erica Ehm. They talked about life, love, and music. It showed a sweeter more relaxed version of Kurt as opposed to the Edgar Klusener interview with the whole band that honestly made me think a little differently of them.
Kurt lived the life he thought he wanted and it just wasn't enough for him. Growing up with next to nothing and being catapulted into stardom would be hard on anyone, let alone someone living with a chronic illness and shaky mental health. Yet somehow, through all that Kurt became the voice of a generation. Someone who said and did what everyone was thinking without any regrets.
Peace, love, and empathy.
More review from The Last Interview Series on A Reader's Diary
April 12, 2025
I picked this book up, appropriately from a gift shop in Seattle, and read it in two sittings.
As a generation X kid who has likely been influenced by grunge culture in some ways I felt like I had to read the final interviews from Kurt before his early exit.
There is something kind of chilling about seeing someone’s intimate thoughts or candid self prior to their death. This book was a great read and sort of felt novelty (which is appropriate considering I got it from a gift shop) but that only lent to the appeal of devouring it while on vacation.
My biggest takeaway from reading this is probably that I feel like I’d have been friends with Kurt. I feel like I’ve known people in my life who echoed parts of his personality shown in just these bits and pieces.
If you’re a fan of Nirvana, or Kurt Cobain, or rock n roll drama, then this book is worth checking out.
Okay, show is over now, I have to go put on In Utero to satiate my soul after reading about the band.
As a generation X kid who has likely been influenced by grunge culture in some ways I felt like I had to read the final interviews from Kurt before his early exit.
There is something kind of chilling about seeing someone’s intimate thoughts or candid self prior to their death. This book was a great read and sort of felt novelty (which is appropriate considering I got it from a gift shop) but that only lent to the appeal of devouring it while on vacation.
My biggest takeaway from reading this is probably that I feel like I’d have been friends with Kurt. I feel like I’ve known people in my life who echoed parts of his personality shown in just these bits and pieces.
If you’re a fan of Nirvana, or Kurt Cobain, or rock n roll drama, then this book is worth checking out.
Okay, show is over now, I have to go put on In Utero to satiate my soul after reading about the band.
June 1, 2023
This was a really cool way of learning more about Kurt Cobain, his life, and what motivated him. I’m not the biggest fan of watching interviews on video, mostly because I don’t have the best attention span, so this was a perfect way of hearing what he had to say, while still being able to take in all the information!
My only complaint is that I wish the author could have given some context behind the interviews. Sometimes I would read something, and I’d have to google it/just assume that he was talking about something that happened that day. It wasn’t that big of a problem though, just something that I think could have improved it!
I’d say this is a good read for fans of Kurt + his music, whether you’re a casual listener (like me), or someone who really loves all his pieces of work!
My only complaint is that I wish the author could have given some context behind the interviews. Sometimes I would read something, and I’d have to google it/just assume that he was talking about something that happened that day. It wasn’t that big of a problem though, just something that I think could have improved it!
I’d say this is a good read for fans of Kurt + his music, whether you’re a casual listener (like me), or someone who really loves all his pieces of work!
January 3, 2024
A really tasteful snapshot of a person. Kurt Cobain through these interviews transforms from pothead and nihilist to an articulated icon of rock and roll. I am a very big fan of Kurt Cobain, I love his attitude and his fashion. These interviews show different sides of him through different eras and are just a taste of his life and personality pillars. I wish there was more in these interviews about what his songs were about or his outlook on certain issues or pop culture but unfortunately he didn’t really like to talk much it seems.
Pretty cool quick read. Wish the interviewers were better.
Pretty cool quick read. Wish the interviewers were better.
April 6, 2024
Mai e mai più nessuno come lui.
PS: si poteva fare un po' più di attenzione ai refusi, non sono neanche 120 pagine.
PS: si poteva fare un po' più di attenzione ai refusi, non sono neanche 120 pagine.
September 23, 2022
As a born and raised Seattle kid, Nirvana has been what I have known since birth. (Coincidently he formed the band in 1988, the year I was born). I know their music, I know the persona, and their history but all through the media’s eyes. I loved this book because it felt like a documentary that Kurt made himself. A look into his mind. I learned so much from this book and found it different than all other Nirvana movies or docs I’ve seen. I would recommend this to any fans that want to know the real Kurt, not what the headlines portrayed.
Thank you NetGalley and Melville House for the ARC!
Thank you NetGalley and Melville House for the ARC!
June 18, 2024
Cobain - territorial pissings - 6 - sufficienza di stima per Kurt Cobain ma breve raccolta di interviste piuttosto sgangherata. Vero, fanno impressione alcune battute che sono di fatto sinistri presagi, oppure la profondità del pensiero di Kurt, sempre in bilico tra la sua naturale complessità, e la sua voglia di pop. Però non senti la musica mentre lo leggi, ed alla fine il senso sfugge, almeno a me che ho amato lui, i nirvana e quel loro modo di fare, appunto Grunge.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2024
You don't learn much, but it's fun to simmer in Kurt's words for more than a thirty-second video segment at the time.
Most of the interviewers from that book are self-admittedly bad and don't really care about doing anything but to fill up their word quota or air time, but there are decent pieces from Guitar World and Rolling Stones that are worth your time (and money, but you can probably find them elsewhere).
The Dana Spiotta introduction is probably the most memorable and consistently enjoyable piece in there. I will definitely seek out her novels and so should you.
Most of the interviewers from that book are self-admittedly bad and don't really care about doing anything but to fill up their word quota or air time, but there are decent pieces from Guitar World and Rolling Stones that are worth your time (and money, but you can probably find them elsewhere).
The Dana Spiotta introduction is probably the most memorable and consistently enjoyable piece in there. I will definitely seek out her novels and so should you.
Read
June 22, 2023hot take: kurt cobain was a fascinating guy!
July 8, 2023
i had to kill 1.5 hours so i got a beer and read this in the park and it was a great experience, 3.5*. didn't learn that much new stuff but i love kurt cobain so.
July 19, 2023
this man was a real one <3
February 8, 2023
I would have liked some commentary
April 15, 2023
Rockstar reads rockstar
October 7, 2022
This book contains several interviews with Nirvana's frontman, Kurt Cobain. While the introduction is interesting and offers some background, the remainder of the book is without commentary or interjection. I thought it was interesting how much Kurt Cobain changed with his increasing celebrity. Oftentimes, statements made in earlier interviews contradicted ones that followed in later years. It was almost sad to read some statements - particularly about his family & hopes for the future - given how his life ended just months after the final interview. While I thought the interviews included offered an interesting picture, it's important to remember that this is a curated collection of interviews, not an exhsustive one, and the author has a story to tell. Still, I would recommend this book to any fan of Nirvana who would like more insight on Kurt Cobain, his music, & his opinions of fame.
Thank you NetGalley and Melville House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you NetGalley and Melville House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 24, 2022
This is exactly as it claims to be - a collection of interviews, including the last one given. The author does not add anything, apart from a brief “please excuse me” introduction to one of his earlier interviews which was, he acknowledges, pretty poor. The interviews all stand alone and that is what makes this book so appealing.
May 3, 2023
🎼 “Come as you are, as you were, as I want you to be.” 🎶🎸🎤
I grew up in Washington State, Seattle was a frequent playground of mine, I was in High School when the Alternative Rock style “Grunge” was born. Kurt Cobain. Just saying his name brings back instant memories, some good … some bad. I was a senior in high school in 1994 - getting ready to graduate in June of ‘94 - enjoying life and absolutely in love with Alternative rock, everyone was. I will never forget April 5th, 1994 and the news that shocked Washington - Kurt was found dead. It’s hard to explain the emotional impact this had on myself, my classmates, my friends - we represented Gen X - and as this book mentions … “With his snarling singing, buzzsaw guitar playing, and unexpectedly poetic lyrics, Cobain set the template for what would become known as “grunge” music and became the ultimate Generation X icon.” Our hometown icon was gone. It was a shock. I can’t even imagine how his family felt. At that time information was limited, computers were still being “born” so information came via newspapers, magazines, and television. There was a lot of information surrounding his death that was never released, I totally get it - his family deserved peace and time to deal with this tragedy. At the same time, the lack of information quickly led to conspiracy theories which just added to the overall anger & pain. I purposely have avoided any books or biographies about Kurt or Nirvana - honestly, and this may sound bad, but I avoided those things because - 1) who knew what was fact versus liberal interpretation, 2) Kurt Cobain was dead and nothing was going to change it.
Then I saw this book on netgalley as being available for review. I jumped down the rabbit hole.
Reading this book and the interviews it contains brought back a lot of memories. I am giving the book 5 Stars based on content alone, the review copy is a total formatting mess (I probably would have DNF’d due to that except the content kept me reading). Yes, I know it’s a review copy but FFS it helps to be able to READ the damn book and not have to put two halves of sentences together from different paragraphs. 👀 I also have to say this book would likely be better received if there was some commentary that actually CONNECTED the interviews - again I digress. Overall this book isn’t groundbreaking - the content it contains is likely all over the internet if one took time to search.
So again, why 5 stars? It’s because the content gave me chills - if this was fictional I would think the author a master at foreshadowing and symbolism. Knowing what we know now and reading some of the quotes in this book - it leaves an impression.
Some notable quotes from Kurt Cobain:
“I consider rock and roll like mathematics. There’s only so much you can do after a while, until someone comes up with an entirely new approach. I mean, we’re working with a 4/4-time beat, the standard rock tempo, and there are only so many notes on a guitar.”
From his last interview:
“I hate to actually even say it, but I can’t see this band lasting more than a couple more albums, unless we really work hard on experimenting. I mean, let’s face it. When the same people are together doing the same job, they’re limited. I’m really interested in studying different things, and I know Krist and Dave are as well. But I don’t know if we are capable of doing it together. I don’t want to put out another record that sounds like the last three records.”
“Playing music is what I do; my family is what I am. When everyone’s forgotten about Nirvana and I’m on some revival tour opening for the Temptations and the Four Tops, Frances Bean will still be my daughter and Courtney will still be my wife. That means more than anything else to me.”
🎼 “Come as you are, as you were
As I want you to be
As a friend, as a friend
As an old enemy
Take your time, hurry up
Choice is yours, don't be late
Take a rest as a friend
As an old memoria”🌻
R.I.P. Kurt Cobain (2/20/1967 - 4/5/1994)
📚Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author/publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, comments, and interpretations of the story are my own and bias free. I did not receive any money in exchange for this review. Thank you to the publisher/author for allowing me the opportunity to review. Reviews are usually cross-posted to social media, goodreads, and blog. 🦄
I grew up in Washington State, Seattle was a frequent playground of mine, I was in High School when the Alternative Rock style “Grunge” was born. Kurt Cobain. Just saying his name brings back instant memories, some good … some bad. I was a senior in high school in 1994 - getting ready to graduate in June of ‘94 - enjoying life and absolutely in love with Alternative rock, everyone was. I will never forget April 5th, 1994 and the news that shocked Washington - Kurt was found dead. It’s hard to explain the emotional impact this had on myself, my classmates, my friends - we represented Gen X - and as this book mentions … “With his snarling singing, buzzsaw guitar playing, and unexpectedly poetic lyrics, Cobain set the template for what would become known as “grunge” music and became the ultimate Generation X icon.” Our hometown icon was gone. It was a shock. I can’t even imagine how his family felt. At that time information was limited, computers were still being “born” so information came via newspapers, magazines, and television. There was a lot of information surrounding his death that was never released, I totally get it - his family deserved peace and time to deal with this tragedy. At the same time, the lack of information quickly led to conspiracy theories which just added to the overall anger & pain. I purposely have avoided any books or biographies about Kurt or Nirvana - honestly, and this may sound bad, but I avoided those things because - 1) who knew what was fact versus liberal interpretation, 2) Kurt Cobain was dead and nothing was going to change it.
Then I saw this book on netgalley as being available for review. I jumped down the rabbit hole.
Reading this book and the interviews it contains brought back a lot of memories. I am giving the book 5 Stars based on content alone, the review copy is a total formatting mess (I probably would have DNF’d due to that except the content kept me reading). Yes, I know it’s a review copy but FFS it helps to be able to READ the damn book and not have to put two halves of sentences together from different paragraphs. 👀 I also have to say this book would likely be better received if there was some commentary that actually CONNECTED the interviews - again I digress. Overall this book isn’t groundbreaking - the content it contains is likely all over the internet if one took time to search.
So again, why 5 stars? It’s because the content gave me chills - if this was fictional I would think the author a master at foreshadowing and symbolism. Knowing what we know now and reading some of the quotes in this book - it leaves an impression.
Some notable quotes from Kurt Cobain:
“I consider rock and roll like mathematics. There’s only so much you can do after a while, until someone comes up with an entirely new approach. I mean, we’re working with a 4/4-time beat, the standard rock tempo, and there are only so many notes on a guitar.”
From his last interview:
“I hate to actually even say it, but I can’t see this band lasting more than a couple more albums, unless we really work hard on experimenting. I mean, let’s face it. When the same people are together doing the same job, they’re limited. I’m really interested in studying different things, and I know Krist and Dave are as well. But I don’t know if we are capable of doing it together. I don’t want to put out another record that sounds like the last three records.”
“Playing music is what I do; my family is what I am. When everyone’s forgotten about Nirvana and I’m on some revival tour opening for the Temptations and the Four Tops, Frances Bean will still be my daughter and Courtney will still be my wife. That means more than anything else to me.”
🎼 “Come as you are, as you were
As I want you to be
As a friend, as a friend
As an old enemy
Take your time, hurry up
Choice is yours, don't be late
Take a rest as a friend
As an old memoria”🌻
R.I.P. Kurt Cobain (2/20/1967 - 4/5/1994)
📚Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author/publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, comments, and interpretations of the story are my own and bias free. I did not receive any money in exchange for this review. Thank you to the publisher/author for allowing me the opportunity to review. Reviews are usually cross-posted to social media, goodreads, and blog. 🦄
February 14, 2025
I'm not entirely sure why I keep circling back to Cobain, trying to understand him. I've already learned so much from his life, namely what I don't want and what I shouldn't do, but here I am, still coming back for more.
The main reason for reading this was realizing I hadn't read unabridged interviews with him and didn't have a complete sense of his conversational style or how he fielded questions he had to answer over and over again. He is the most engaging when in a group conversations, particularly when Novoselic is there and they are riffing on the state of music or politics during that era.
The way the book ends is with optimism concerning his role as a husband and father, placing his family above all else. It comes to show that you never fully understand what is happening in someone's mind; words don't line up with actions or they can disastrously contradict one another. Cobain left his wife and his daughter to cope with his suicide, and we'll never fully know how or why he justified that choice.
Maybe that's part of what keeps bringing me back to his story. There are no answers, just absence, and when it comes to celebrity I'm just as guilty as anyone else who is familiar with Cobain- I keep trying to fill that void with meaning. In his case that might be impossible.
The main reason for reading this was realizing I hadn't read unabridged interviews with him and didn't have a complete sense of his conversational style or how he fielded questions he had to answer over and over again. He is the most engaging when in a group conversations, particularly when Novoselic is there and they are riffing on the state of music or politics during that era.
The way the book ends is with optimism concerning his role as a husband and father, placing his family above all else. It comes to show that you never fully understand what is happening in someone's mind; words don't line up with actions or they can disastrously contradict one another. Cobain left his wife and his daughter to cope with his suicide, and we'll never fully know how or why he justified that choice.
Maybe that's part of what keeps bringing me back to his story. There are no answers, just absence, and when it comes to celebrity I'm just as guilty as anyone else who is familiar with Cobain- I keep trying to fill that void with meaning. In his case that might be impossible.
October 15, 2025
Una lettura piacevole, anche se non troppo approfondita.
Ho apprezzato moltissimo l’introduzione di Diana Spotta, ha portato dei punti di vista molto interessanti sull’etica del punk ed era scritta molto bene.
Riguardo alle intervista in sé, ho apprezzato che risalissero a periodi diversi della band: interviste di periodi diversi sono interessanti per ogni band, ma soprattutto per una con una vita così breve ma intensa come i Nirvana, in cui nel giro di meno di un anno cambia tutto. L’intervista che mi è piaciuta di più è quella con Edgar Klüsener, sia come temi trattati che perchè lascia più spazio a Krist (Dave non parla quasi mai, stranamente). Purtroppo molto spesso Krist e Dave sono eclissati dall’ "ingombrante" figura di Kurt, e sono contenta di sentire la loro voce ogni tanto.
L’unica cosa che non mi è piaciuta è l’assenza di commenti o introduzioni alle interviste. So che tecnicamente le interviste parlano letteralmente da sole, ma secondo me anche solo una pagina di contesto riguardo a quando si è svolta l’intervista (ad esempio “questa intervista è legata al concerto che i Nirvana hanno fatto a xxx il xx/xx/199x”, e alcune indicazioni sullo stato della band in quel momento) avrebbe fatto la differenza, dandogli l’aspetto di un libro più curato.
Ho apprezzato moltissimo l’introduzione di Diana Spotta, ha portato dei punti di vista molto interessanti sull’etica del punk ed era scritta molto bene.
Riguardo alle intervista in sé, ho apprezzato che risalissero a periodi diversi della band: interviste di periodi diversi sono interessanti per ogni band, ma soprattutto per una con una vita così breve ma intensa come i Nirvana, in cui nel giro di meno di un anno cambia tutto. L’intervista che mi è piaciuta di più è quella con Edgar Klüsener, sia come temi trattati che perchè lascia più spazio a Krist (Dave non parla quasi mai, stranamente). Purtroppo molto spesso Krist e Dave sono eclissati dall’ "ingombrante" figura di Kurt, e sono contenta di sentire la loro voce ogni tanto.
L’unica cosa che non mi è piaciuta è l’assenza di commenti o introduzioni alle interviste. So che tecnicamente le interviste parlano letteralmente da sole, ma secondo me anche solo una pagina di contesto riguardo a quando si è svolta l’intervista (ad esempio “questa intervista è legata al concerto che i Nirvana hanno fatto a xxx il xx/xx/199x”, e alcune indicazioni sullo stato della band in quel momento) avrebbe fatto la differenza, dandogli l’aspetto di un libro più curato.
October 3, 2022
I grew up listening to Nirvana and was very intrigued by this book’s concept of basically recounting some of his later interviews, along with the last interview he ever gave. While many books would take this idea and then add in their own commentary, this solely focused on the interviews alone. Through them you were able to see the different sides of Kurt Cobain who was without a doubt someone who loved what he did and also had a fierce love for his family. The book had more of an autobiography feel simply because the words were mostly Kurt’s and not how someone else interpreted them. Would without a doubt recommend this book to anyone who was in the past or is currently a fan of Kurt Cobain and/or Nirvana. #KurtCobainTheLastInterview
Thank you #NetGalley & Meliville House Publishing for providing me with an ARC for my honest review.
Thank you #NetGalley & Meliville House Publishing for providing me with an ARC for my honest review.
January 24, 2023
I am not what anyone would call a super Nirvana Stan (or whatever people call fans of themselves nowadays and I can assure you that Kurt Cobain would absolutely loath the term "stan") but I am a Gen X'er and of course, I am a listener and fan and respected listener of Nirvana. I thought that this collection of interviews was really enlightening and very interesting. Kurt Cobain had a life and a heart and while he may not have been the musician that his peers were at the time, he loved music. Reading these interviews was a big downer too because you could literally see his slow descent into a deep depression. The saddest aspect of these, in my opinion, was when he had his last interview and said being a father and husband was the most important aspect of his life and he would always have those two things and then, well, you know...
These novels are fascinating. I want more.
These novels are fascinating. I want more.
August 1, 2024
If I could have dinner with one person, living or dead, it would be Kurt Cobain. I truly admire his authenticity in his music and career. He reminds me of a few people I deeply love which is heartbreaking. Getting to see the world through his lens and how it evolved through the years in these interviews was very interesting. I can’t exactly put my finger on it, but if I had to explain why Nirvana’s music resonates with me I think it’s because of the band members resistance to conform to other’s expectations even during their rise to fame. The passion is evident in their music and Kurt’s voice is hypnotic - every listen feels new. Such an interesting and complex person, I wish he was still with us now
November 2, 2022
thank you netGalley for allowing me to review this ARC. All my opinions are my own.
I'm not sure what I was expecting to get from Kurt Cobain The Last Interview, but it's fascinating.
Seeing Kurt mature about his expectations with life and music really came across as did his dedication to his art.
It was also interesting to read about his expectations of each album and of his career. He really saw life for what it was and seems to be trying to come to terms with it.
It's a great book for fans of music and members of Genx, I think everyone will get something different out of these Interviews and they will all be interesting
I'm not sure what I was expecting to get from Kurt Cobain The Last Interview, but it's fascinating.
Seeing Kurt mature about his expectations with life and music really came across as did his dedication to his art.
It was also interesting to read about his expectations of each album and of his career. He really saw life for what it was and seems to be trying to come to terms with it.
It's a great book for fans of music and members of Genx, I think everyone will get something different out of these Interviews and they will all be interesting
January 1, 2024
I couldn't put my finger on why I didn't enjoy this, until I read the collection of David Bowie interviews. I had been thinking about good interviews and how Pet Shop Boys always do very engaging, funny and interesting interviews. But then I'm very interested in them, so maybe that was it?
But as I read the ones with David Bowie, I realized that the interviews with Kurt just aren't very good. They are with a person who doesn't enjoy doing interviews, and at least one of the interviewers admits to not having prepared well and the interview going really badly.
So yeah. It's an awkward collection. Reading an interview given so close before his death doesn't make it any better.
But as I read the ones with David Bowie, I realized that the interviews with Kurt just aren't very good. They are with a person who doesn't enjoy doing interviews, and at least one of the interviewers admits to not having prepared well and the interview going really badly.
So yeah. It's an awkward collection. Reading an interview given so close before his death doesn't make it any better.
October 8, 2022
Kurt Cobain: The Last Interview is a collection of interviews Kurt Cobain gave. This book also includes the last interview he ever gave.
I love this book. If you are a fan of Nirvana then I think this is a must read for you. Kurt Cobain is often misunderstood in the media. I loved how this book cleared up some things and helped you to understand him more. This was such a great read. I highly recommend it. I also suggest listening to the Nirvana MTV Unplugged album while reading this ( that is what I did). Thank you so much NetGalley and Melville House for the ARC of this book.
I love this book. If you are a fan of Nirvana then I think this is a must read for you. Kurt Cobain is often misunderstood in the media. I loved how this book cleared up some things and helped you to understand him more. This was such a great read. I highly recommend it. I also suggest listening to the Nirvana MTV Unplugged album while reading this ( that is what I did). Thank you so much NetGalley and Melville House for the ARC of this book.
December 3, 2022
A fine little collection of interviews with Kurt Cobain. It’s not particularly exhaustive, but it definitely presents Kurt with all his contradictions and opinions in a particularly upbeat, positive way. Maybe I’d like this more if I wasn’t as familiar with him as I am, being someone who has read basically everything about him and Nirvana. I’m glad it exists but wouldn’t consider it essential either, particularly for those who’ve spent many years reading everything out there about him and this band.
December 19, 2022
The Cobain death productization continues apace, thirty years later. This is slight and the material can easily be found elsewhere, but there's some value in seeing how Kurt's opinions on fame, and music, and family evolved over the years (spoiler....they did not get more optimistic.) There's also an interview in the middle where he seems to really enjoy himself and opens up, and it's somehow still a relief, all this time later. An important thing to consider is, if you've read Come as You Are or Heavier than Heaven, dude made lying in interviews into a kind of art.
February 9, 2023
This took me back in time. Not all of this is essential reading, but it was fascinating. It was like teleporting to being in high school again. In fact, I remembered reading about half of the interviews 30 years ago. It was troubling to read some of the things that obviously took on greater resonance after Cobain's suicide: guns in his home, love for his family, the current and future direction of the band. Knowing how things would unfold made some of this painful to read. The 'what ifs' of this band loom large even after all this time.
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