Live Through This: American Rock Music in the Nineties

by Everett True

Nirvana almost single-handedly brought grunge into the popular consciousness with their seminal album Nevermind. From their underground roots in the Pacific Northwest, the group achieved world fame and Kurt Cobain had the mantle of 'spokesperson for a generation' thrust upon him. This was, arguably, the last era of great rock music, and it is shrouded in stories and rumours. Author Everett True, the man who introduced Kurt Cobain to Courtney Love and brought grunge to the outside world, gives an inspired insider's account of the grunge scene. Featuring rare photographs and exclusive interviews with members of Nirvana,Hole, Soundgarden and Babes in Toyland, Everett True takes us on a rollercoaster ride through the lives, the music, the personalities, the legends and the laughs. Everett True was the first outside journalist to cover the Seattle music scene in early 1989 and saw up-close the birth and development of the rock phenomenon which changed the face of alternative and mainstream music forever. This book contains exclusive interviews with people close to Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love, and photographs of members of Nirvana, Hole, and many other bands of the scene.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

294 pages, Paperback

First published February 2, 2002

About the author

My name is Everett True. I am a music critic. This is what I do. I criticise music.

The clue is in my job description – music critic. I do not consider myself a journalist, as I do not research or report hard news. I do not consider myself a commentator as I believe that everyone should be a participant. I criticise people and in return I am not surprised if other people criticise me. It is part of the whole deal of being in the public arena.

I write about music, and my life. I do not separate one from the other, nor am I ashamed of voicing opinion. Indeed, I believe opinion to be central to my craft. I do not need others to tell me what to enjoy and I do not trust critics who claim to be impartial because – at the very least – they have not fully thought through what they are doing.

I am Everett True. Believe in me and I have power like a God. Quit believing in me and I no longer exist.

Reviews

[Toni · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rock journo Everett True has produced a bunch of self-indulgent, egotistical, rambling recollections of the nineties music scene.
Basically it’s Everett talking about himself and glorifying all the minor bands of the era and slagging off most of the greats. He calls Foo Fighters ‘a pale imitation of former glories’ and ‘dull and mediocre’. Then takes it a step further by personally insulting Dave Grohl with ‘As a front man Dave makes a great drummer.’
Mr True finds Alice in Chains is ‘dull and morbid’ and said Pearl Jam had a ‘butt kissing attitude and inexcusable arrogance [that’s rich!] and were ‘merely a LA hair band like Poison or Motley Crue, given a fresh set of clothes and a bad hairstyle. The rant continues with his critique that their albums were ‘tame, unchallenging and ordinary rock albums’.
He then spends 7 pages telling us why he doesn’t like Smashing Pumpkins and dismisses the RHCP as ‘represent[ing] all I loathe about rock.’
In the whole book only 6 pages are devoted to Soundgarden, with no insightful comments to be found, the only noteworthy quotes coming from Ben and Kim. True dismisses Badmotorfinger as ‘....merely a continuation of their overriding regard for Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi’s fretwork.’
The final nail in the coffin for me, was his comment about Chris Cornell’s Euphoria Morning which called it ‘an ill-advised stab into Billy Joel territory’. I could happily punch him in the face for that one.

Recommendation – Read it if you are stranded on a desert island and have nothing better to do.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is nothing like the wit and sarcasm of a British 90's rock journalist but Everett True is something else. His reviews during the 90's were memorable, unaffected,sometimes rambling, always entertaining and sometimes scathing. He called out phonies better than what Holden Caulfield did [although I do disagree with him in regards to Beck].Nothing quite beats his story about the 90's because it praises the musicians that actually deserve to be unveiled-K records, Beat Happening,Pavement, Babes in Toyland, Guided by Voices, Throwing Muses and The Wipers. Those bands were what 90's indie music was about. It had nothing to do with the Smashing Pumpkins or Pearl Jam. Everett True knows what good music is for the most part even if he is a bit of a namedropper [then again he did spend a lot of time with Courtney Love!]. The index of recommended listening in the back is worth the cover charge alone.

[Malcolm Frawley · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like your trawls through music history to be more about the bands than the author then this book won't be for you. And there were plenty of times I really wanted Everett True (not his real name) to just shut up. But his ability to capture the people, the music, & the times held me to the end. There were plenty of bands I knew about or had heard - Nirvana, Sleater-Kinny, Bikini Kill, Soundgarden, Babes In Toyland, Butthole Surfers, Beastie Boys, Meat Puppets, Throwing Muses, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Hole - but many more I did not know but enjoyed learning about. True has a real passion for this music &, as a music journalist, got to meet & even interview many of the people involved in rock during the 1990s. He even became friends with Kurt & Courtney. Which gave him more opportunities to write about himself. However, his coverage of Nirvana & Kurt was insightful & moving enough to excuse the author's narcissism. Not for all tastes but recommended nonetheless.

[Jarkko Nevalainen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some parts are ok, some not so much. The writer takes too big role in this play and it gets really boring really fast. Missed opportunity.

[Egghead · Rating 2 out of 5]

Critic humblebrags
about indie connections
Grunge rock's Forrest Gump

[Mark Farley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This english writer was there. There is no doubt about it. American rock music in the nineties and the whole grunge movement and the resulting success, this man was there. An absolute for all Nirvana fans, but great accounts also of The Breeders, Babes in Toyland and Dinosaur Jr, but more importantly he accounts what comes across as an almost professionally compromising and incestuous relationship with one Courtney Love.

[Chris Estey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Everett True!