Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana - Softcover

Azerrad, Michael

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0863697461 ISBN 13: 9780863697463

Publisher: Main Street Books, 1993

Synopsis

Nirvana came out of nowhere in 1991 to sell nearly nine million copies of the landmark album Nevermind, whose thunderous sound and indelible melodies embodied the confusion, frustration and passion of the emerging Generation X. Hailed by Q magazine as one of the greatest music biographies of all time, Come As You Are is the up-close, intimate story of Nirvana., with exclusive in-depth interviews with band members Kurt Cobain, Chris Novoselic and Dave Grohl, as well as friends, relatives, former band members and associates. A final chapter details the last year of Kurt Cobain's life. From their early days in rural Aberdeen, Washington, to their domination of the world music scene in the early 90's, Come As You Are tells the Nirvana story as no other book does, candidly and first-hand: the allegations of heroin use; the soul-crushing pressures of sudden success; the burden of their unasked-for role as spokesman for a generation; and the tragic spiral that culminated in Kurt Cobain's suicide in April 1994. With close analyses of every song on each of the band's three major albums, a comprehensive discography and more than one hundred rare and never before-seen photographs, posters and original lyric sheets, Come As You Are is by far the most intimate look ever at one of rock's most influential and significant groups.

About this title

Review:

My favorite book about Nirvana. For one thing, it doesn't sensationalize, but it doesn't gloss anything over. Having been active in the Seattle music scene throughout Nirvana's obscurity, fame, and demise, I can vouch for the accuracy of its description of the music community in the late '80s and early '90s and Nirvana's role. And being in a band that's currently climbing the ladder, I appreciated the many lessons this book has to offer about the workings of the recording industry.

Best of all, because this book was written before Cobain's death, it is not tinged with the "isn't this tragic" attitude that permeates many books about Nirvana and Cobain. Instead, the book is vibrant with the energy, excitement, and passion that swept local musicians the day "Nevermind" was released, local audiences in the months after, the U.S, and--lest we forget--the world, during Nirvana's more-than-15-minutes of fame.

From the Publisher:

Nirvana came out of nowhere in 1991 to sell nearly five million copies of their landmark album Nevermind, whose thunderous sound and indelible melodies embodied all the confusion, frustration, and passion of the emerging Generation X. Come As You Are is the close-up, intimate story of Nirvana -- the only book with exclusive in-depth interviews with bandmembers Kurt Cobain, Krist Noveselic, and Dave Grohl, as well as friends, relatives, former bandmembers, and associates -- now updated to include a new final chapter detailing the last year of Kurt Cobain's life, before his tragic suicide in April 1994.

"Amazingly raw and candid... Come As You Are is as good as rock bios get" -- Billboard.

About this edition

• Publisher: Main Street Books
• Publication date: 1993
• ISBN 10: 0863697461
• ISBN 13: 9780863697463
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 344