Nirvana formed in 1987, released their first LP in 1989, and unintentionally tore the music world asunder two years later with the video and single for "Smells Like Teen Spirit." At the time, MTV and rock 'n' roll in general were largely dominated by vapid hair metal acts. Nirvana, with their thrift-store clothes and pawnshop guitars, represented a much-needed return to punk-inspired rock and at the same time validated the indie rock scene that had failed to breach the mainstream in the previous decade. A meteoric rise followed, attended by all of the predictable professional and personal pitfalls. Two and half years after the release of "Teen Spirit," leader Kurt Cobain, age 27, killed himself and the ride was over. Today, Nirvana and Cobain transcend generations, not unlike Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, and other artists who met premature ends. The band's story and music fascinate kids whose parents were among Nirvana's early fans. Coinciding with the twentieth anniversary of their final LP, Nirvana: The Complete Illustrated History is the first to treat fans to a stylishly designed illustrated biography of the band.
Performance and off-stage photography, handbills, singles, backstage passes, gig posters, and other memorabilia complement a narrative detailing the band's tumultuous history, as well as sidebar album reviews, gear breakdowns, and mini synopses of Cobain's 50 all-time favorite albums. Nirvana's ride was a wild one-and all too brief. Here, finally, is the book that breaks that history down and presents it from an objective perspective.
Author Biography
CHARLES CROSS (Shoreline, WA) is a music journalist and the author of several acclaimed biographies, including Heavier Than Heaven: The Biography of Kurt Cobain and Cobain Unseen. GILLIAN GAAR (Seattle, WA) is the author of four books about Nirvana, including Entertain Us: The Rise of Nirvana and The Rough Guide to Nirvana. BOB GENDRON (Chicago, IL) is a frequent contributor to the Chicago Tribune and Down Beat. TODD MARTENS (Los Angeles, CA) is the pop music critic for the Los Angeles Times. MARK YARM is the author of Everybody Loves Our Town: The Oral History of Grunge. GREG KOT Greg Kot has been the Chicago Tribune's rock music critic since 1990. He co-hosts the nationally syndicated rock 'n' roll talk show Sound Opinions (soundopinions.org) on public radio and is the author of Wilco: Learning How to Die and Ripped: The Digital Music Revolution. JIM DEROGATIS (Chicago, IL) co-host of the syndicated Sound "Opinions Radio" program and the author of critically acclaimed books about Lester Bangs and the Beatles/Rolling Stones "rivalry." ALAN DI PERNA is a freelance journalist, a frequent contributor to Guitar World magazine, and the Author of Green Day: The Ultimate Unauthorized History (Voyageur Press). He lives in Arizona. ANDREW EARLES (Memphis, TN) has written for Vice, Spin, Magnet, The Onion A/V Club, Paste, and Decibel. The author of Husker Du: The Story of the Noise-Pop Pioneers Who Invented Modern Rock (Voyageur Press), lives in Memphis, Tennessee.
