Nirvana by Everett True

I am still not sure how I felt about this biography of Nirvana.

Nirvana is undoubtedly my favorite 90's band. Probably my favorite band of all time. Kurt Cobain's songs were amazing. The band was amazing.

I found a lot of this book very interesting. The basic story was good, although every Nirvana fan knows the bones. The pictures were excellent.

My problem was this journalist told his version of the truth as the ultimate truth. The truth about the band, about Kurt and Courtney, about everyone involved with Nirvana during the years True was associated with the band.

It seemed self-indulgent to me. In some ways I felt he was as bad as the management scum he railed about in his book. Maybe he was a friend to Courtney, to Kurt, and the rest of the band, but he was also a hanger-on. It was clear he was juiced to be part of the cool kids clique.

When he could be objective, it wasn't actually horrible. He writes well, and he juxtaposes the quotes from musicians and friends of the band in ways that made sense, rather than the usual "insert quote from former roadie" crap. He sometimes had a hard time being objective, though. He writes like there is a little part of him who still wants to be Courtney's friend.

My other problem with the book is it is being presented as the biography of the band, but it's really about Kurt and Courtney. Toward the end, the author refers to the two of them as Kurtney, a term I find personally offensive . It trivializes both of them. In spite of the co-dependant oddness they had going, they were individuals.

Courtney was an artist on her own before she met Kurt. It has always irritated me she was painted with the villaness brush. I don't know her, but she has always seemed strong and troubled.

If she was such a big part of the book, where were Krist and Shelli? Where were the profiles of Shelli, and how she felt about things, and how Krist felt. How did Shelli handle Kirst becoming so famous, so fast? Dave, a latecomer to the band, is more prominent than those two. Don't get me wrong, I like Dave Grohl. But Krist is hardly mentioned. Maybe nuances of the Courtney thing again.

Remembering the truth over ten years after the fact is difficult, if not impossible. Even journals of events are from the point of view of the writer, not necessarily the whole picture. Remembering events is difficult. Especially in a fog of substance consumption and euphoria. Most people just don't remember events that well.

I didn't appreciate the author bashing people and bands he didn't like. I don't really give a crap he didn't like Pearl Jam, or Alice in Chains, or Soundgarden. Haters have never appealed to me. If you don't like it - don't flipping listen to it. Snobs don't appeal to me either. Especially reverse snobs who only like bands four people outside of the family and friends of the band have ever heard of. Yes, there are amazing bands out there in the nether, even now. But there isn't any reason to be a snob about it. So boring.

I did read the whole book. I was planning to stop, but I couldn't. In a way, I suppose that is a statement in itself.

No matter where I finally decide I stand on the book, the facts remain. They are insoluble. Kurt's songs were amazing. The story of a band that began in Aberdeen, went to Olympia and became the BIGGEST BAND in THE WORLD for a while was compelling. The truth, well, we all know about the truth.

I hope the writer gets what he wants out if it. It sounds like he had a good time.