Customer Reviews

Live Through This: American Rock Music in the Nineties

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If you're like me, you probably heard about this book before it came out, but then never saw it at any of the stores. You're then left with the questions - should I buy it off the net? and why isn't it at any of my local stores? Is it bad? I don't know the answer to the second question, but to the last one, no, and to the first one, maybe.

Before going any further I should say I had no idea who Everett True was before I bought this book. I bought it simply because I'm addicted to reading about rock stars (sad, I know), and mainly because the main topic looked like Nirvana (one of my favorite bands). Nirvana take up a good portion of this book (about 58 pages), but the Nirvana chapters aren't really about Nirvana, but about Everett's experiences with and feelings about them. Which keeps everything from just being the same old stuff recycled, and gives an honest look at the band, not something that's been polished up to sell books.

The main strength of the book lies elsewhere though, in the chapters that cover other "Grunge Bands." The "Grunge Lite" chapter was awesome. I like the Smashing Pumpkins, but his review of "Machina: The Machines of God" was dead on (and hilarious). The Hole chapters at the end were also good. All in all I'd say it was a good book. If you've read other Nirvana books or other grunge books and are looking for more, this is definitely something to pick up.

I don't whether to sing this book's praises or call for its crucifixation. As a book about "American Rock Music in the Nineties", it fails to live up to its promise. Don't let the title deceive you: this book is not about the Nineties Rock Scene, it's about how Everett True single-handedly created the scene. He, not the musicians he writes about, is the star of this book, and that is it's greatest strength and weakness. True offers a fascinating look into the personal relationships and power plays that form between rock journalists and rock musicians, and if you read the book with that perspective in mind, it's a poignant read. Unfortunately, True lets himself get in the way of the story a little too often. Much of the book has a "Famous People I Know" feel, as True spends way too much time talking about the partying he did with his famous pals than on the music they make.

To give True credit, he offers a broad and eclectic selection of groups to represent the cream of the early 90's crop. True spends as much time talking about relatively unknown groups like Mercury Rev, Beat Happening, and the Screaming Trees as he does on major-league bands like Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. Unfortunately, rather than whittling down his list of bands to flesh out a dozen or so worthy groups (like Michael Azerrad did on his outstanding document of the 1980's underground, Our Band Could Be Your Life), True spends a page or two on most of his more interesting picks, teasing the reader with interesting characters and stories and than leap-frogging to his next 5 or 6 picks.

Most of the book is devoted to his relationship with Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love, and that is to the book's detriment. Quite frankly, there is more than enough material on Kurt out as it is, and True fails to truly tell us anything new about Cobain (go read Heavier Than Heaven by Charles R. Cross for all the Cobain you'll ever need). The Courtney section is a bit more interesting, but it's bogged down by True's tendency to stroke his own ego as "England's Hippest Rock Critic". Had True cut down on Kurt and Courtney and focused on the unsung heroes of the "alternative" movement (like the Afghan Whigs and Galaxie 500), it would've made Live Through This essential reading for any hard-core music fan. As it is, the book is an interesting but frustrating outline of what "American Rock Music in the Nineties" was. But to end on a positive note, True does have his heart in the right place. Reading the first section of the book, I often found myself nodding in agreement to his opinion on what is rock music, and what makes it so great. He's an idealistic rock geek, and that redeems him. If only he cut down on the "gee, ain't it cool?" vibe...