Grunge Is Dead: The Oral History of Seattle Rock Music (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A complete, exhaustive and authoritative account of Music 1.0's last successful marketing experiment . . . an invaluable record."  —Eye Weekly

"Probably the most complete time capsule of a particular era in music history that has been penned to date."  —Popmatters.com

"Goes straight to the cow's craw for this enlightening oral history of the scene from the people actually involved, and no stone is unturned . . . the final word on an exciting musical mutiny, and triumphs as a potently honest view of the perhaps the last punk rock revival."  —Synthesis

"This tome is heavy and honorable, like a tombstone. If grunge is dead now (and by all accounts it is, despite its ongoing impact on rock music today) it was most certainly was alive."  —Popdose.com

"Fifteen years after Kurt Cobain's suicide comes an exhaustive tome (nearly 500 pages) . . . if you're still embracing the plaid button-ups of yesteryear, you might actually feel like you've died and gone to heaven."  —Filter

"The book is remarkably comprehensive, nearly 500 pages long, and filled with rarely seen photographs, astute analyses of popular culture, insider gossip and interesting, funny and painful stories."  —Express, Washington, DC

"An enlightening chronological history of the Seattle rock scene from the 1960s through the mid-90s, as told by the folks who lived it."  —YuppiePunk.org

"By approaching the subject as an oral rather than a written account, [Prato] gives the story back to Seattle . . . a multifaceted portrait of the music that pretty much defined the decade."  —Blurt Magazine

Product Description

Weaving together the definitive story of the Seattle music scene through a series of interviews with the people who were there, this book contains more than 130 interviews, along with essential background information. Digging deeper than other accounts, this history begins in the early 1960s, tracing the chain of events that spawned some of the greatest rock acts of all time in the 1990s, including Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Alice in Chains, and Soundgarden. First-ever interviews include Eddie Vedder's take on Pearl Jam’s history, a discussion among the members of Alice in Chains, and Layne Staley’s mother’s comments on her son's drug addiction and death. There is also plenty of information on less well-known aspects of the grunge scene, including the Riot Grrrl movement and the oft-overlooked but highly influential Seattle bands such as Mother Love Bone/Andy Wood, the Melvins, Screaming Trees, and Mudhoney. The end result is a comprehensive guide that includes a wealth of previously untold stories and offers a fresh and immediate approach to music history.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 478 pages
• Publisher: Ecw Press (April 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1550228773
• ISBN-13: 978-1550228779
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #18,861 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #51 in	Books > Entertainment > Music > Musical Genres > Rock

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great book about a great time in music, July 5, 2009

By	D. Lynton (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Whenever a banal form of music saturates the world (hmm I guess thats all the time) hopefully something will come along to counteract it. Heavy metal, punk, new wave all had their time with some of the best bands continuing on to this day. Grunge was the same, and Greg Prato has, through extensive interviews, presented a history of the Seattle scene, from obscurity, to world domination, to fall. Thankfully he hasn't just gone the most obvious route and focused on the sacred cow of Nirvana, but covered some of the other incredible bands like Soundgarden (BadMotorFinger has to be one of the best albums from this time), Alice in Chains, Mudhoney and Pearl Jam. This is an honest look at the scene, warts and all and Prato has discovered some great stories, not to mention some sad ones (the interviews with Layne Staley's mother are very touching). Very readable and consistently engaging, Grunge is Dead is a more than worthy addition to the history of Seattle music.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Grunge is Dead, cuts right through......., May 3, 2009

By	Richard Galbraith (Enid, OKlahoma USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Grunge is Dead, cuts right through all the editorial nonsense and gets to the heart of Seattle and it's music. Greg Prato, rounds up all the big players, from the well-to-lesser known's of the music scene, as they look back and give an inside look into what really happened from beginning to end. Rare pictures, unheard stories, friendships, and surprising collaborations. Whether you're looking to add to your already vast musical knowledge or you're just getting into the sounds of Seattle, this book will serve as an entertaining, and in-depth examination of Seattle's legendary music scene.
*Review was submitted by my son (Rich Jr.) since he jumped right into the book as soon as it arrived in the mail and just finished...... I know he had mentioned a few times that there was a lot of info that he had not read before....... Richard Galbraith

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Grunge is Not Dead, October 30, 2009

By	W. J. Mack (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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This book takes a unique look into the world of grunge. No, it does not start in the early 1990s, but the 1970s--showing where the artists and fans of the time traced their roots in music. This book does focus on Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Nirvana, and Pearl Jam (the big 4 of the grunge scene in Seattle) but also looks at other groups such as Melvins, Screaming Trees, Mudhoney, and much more! The reason this book is unique--it is almost entirely made up of interviews from band members, fans, band managers, record producers, girlfriends, parents of the bands discussed. If you liked the music of the time, or just appreciate music in general, this is a must buy!