The Grunge Diaries: Seattle, 1990–1994

by Dave Thompson

Throughout the 1990s, Dave Thompson was the Seattle-based contributing editor to Alternative Press magazine—America's biggest-selling and most influential alternative rock monthly—and a regular contributor to other publications both nationally and internationally. Throughout this decade, grunge music ruled the world and Seattle was its birthplace and focal point. Thompson was an eyewitness to it all. His writings and interviews chronicled the entire history of grunge—from its roots in the earliest explosion of punk in the mid-1970s to its rise and ultimate fall from grace in the late 1990s. Drawing from Thompson's extensive experience and research—from personal files and journals and hours of interviews with both musicians and fans, other music industry figures, and a wealth of characters from the Seattle scene—The Grunge Diaries is an exhaustive account of this unique era. Featured are all of the major acts—Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Mudhoney, Soundgarden—and many lesser known bands and artists. But it's not only about the music, the fashions, and the personalities that still resonate today. The Grunge Diaries also tells the tale of the end of an era in American history—twentieth-century music culture's last hurrah before the dot-com monsters (many of whom were themselves based in Seattle) devoured its soul and faceless corporations rebranded entertainment. These were the days when fame was still within reach of anyone who knew three chords and had three friends.

328 pages, Paperback

Published September 15, 2021

About the author

English author Dave Thompson has spent his entire working life writing biographies of other people, but is notoriously reluctant to write one for himself. Unlike the subjects of some of his best known books, he was neither raised by ferrets nor stolen from gypsies. He has never appeared on reality TV (although he did reach the semi finals of a UK pop quiz when he was sixteen), plays no musical instruments and he can’t dance, either.

However, he has written well over one hundred books in a career that is almost as old as U2’s… whom he saw in a club when they first moved to London, and memorably described as “okay, but they’ll never get any place.” Similar pronouncements published on the future prospects of Simply Red, Pearl Jam and Wang Chung (oh, and Curiosity Killed The Cat as well) probably explain why he has never been anointed a Pop Culture Nostradamus. Although the fact that he was around to pronounce gloomily on them in the first place might determine why he was recently described as “a veteran music journalist.”

Raised on rock, powered by punk, and still convinced that “American Pie” was written by Fanny Farmer and is best played with Meatloaf, Thompson lists his five favorite artists as old and obscure; his favorite album is whispered quietly and he would like to see Richard and Linda Thompson’s “I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight” installed as the go-to song for the sad, sappy ending for every medical drama on TV.

Kurt Cobain, Phil Collins, Alice Cooper, Joan Jett, David Bowie, John Travolta, Eric Clapton, Jackson Browne, Bob Marley, Roger Waters and the guy who sang that song in the jelly commercial are numbered among the myriad artists about whom Thompson has written books; he has contributed to the magazines Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, Mojo and Melody Maker; and he makes regular guest appearances on WXPN’s Highs in the Seventies show.

Reviews

[Nicky Neko · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is an absolutely awful book. It's badly written, makes no sense, and has zero narrative string to it. Don't bother. I flicked through it, so you don't have to.

[Spenser · Rating 3 out of 5]

The big plus for this book is the time capsule of concert calendars and band/venue/contextual political news. It covers a lot more than grunge and incorporates rave history too...which was a fun & sometimes dramatic era in Seattle. There are also some errors up in this thing that really broke my brain. I went to a lot of the shows mentioned (and my brain was frequently broken then too) and can't remember what happened where...to a certain extent. There are a few gigs mentioned that I am 100% positive transpired elsewhere. Neil Young and Sonic Youth show is an example. I was plenty loaded but that concert was most definitely not at The Paramount. That's all minor stuff...as a local my trust in the author (or more likely editors) was lost with...."Pike's Place" used several times...and most mind blowing of all was a description of The Last Exit's move to "UPPER UNIVERSITY LANE." THAT IS NOT A PLACE IN SEATTLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great job detailing the short-lived but impactful "grunge" era in Seattle/Worldwide. Listings of bands playing where(?), who was in the bands, etc. Even though I live in Seattle, was not "my music," so this is a nice piece of history to be more familiar with, The only contact I ever had, was seeing the MookieBlaylock/Pearl Jam guys at the Sonic Rookie Game at SPU, sitting upstairs.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is written as one long timeline of the early 90’s. It is good info and fun to see some of the concerts I attended and events I remember. One error I caught— 9/11/94 they left out Weezer!