Unflaggingly faithful to its punk rock roots, Nirvana was the catalyst behind a sea of change, the likes of which the music world had not seen since the Beatles spearheaded the British Invasion more than a quarter of a century before. Spawned in the intensely fertile music scene that blossomed in and around Seattle in the late 1980s, Nirvana instantly distinguished itself from the bulk of its peers by virture of the singular passion that drove its leader, Kurt Cobain. The singer was imbued with incredible personal magnetism, as well as an uncommon gift for articulating the chaotic emotions of what has been called a lost generation. Although the band released just five albums, Nirvana's influence is certain to be felt for many years to come. This book examines the multiple reasons behind that impact, chronicling the band's earliest beginnings to rock superstardom, pinpointing the genesis of each of the band's original songs and exploring the sources from which they chose the cover songs that punctuated their records.
CHUCK CRISAFULLI is a veteran entertainment journalist and author, most recently of Go to Hell: A Heated History of the Underworld, and Me and a Guy Named Elvis, with Jerry Schilling.
