Come As You Are: The True Story Of Nirvana by Michael Azerrad (Virgin Books PB)

It’s one of those JFK moments, isn’t it? Possibly the main “where were you when…”event od the current 20 something generation. Kurt Cobain’s death was perhaps THE defining moment of the 1990’s music.  But the really scary thing is that when loss is contextualised within the framework of the whole Nirvana story it becomes clear that everything that Kurt said, did and felt was a ticking time – a revelation waiting to explode.

Azerrad’s account of the Nirvana phenomenon from Sub Pop  seminality to album ‘In Utero’ (working title of which was ‘I Hate Myself’ And I Want To Die’) is based on vividly expressed eye-witnessed account of the media circus. He speaks with genuine affection for Cobain (with whom he was clearly very close) as well as fellow bandmates Kris Novoselic and Dave Grohl. Submitting revelation after revelation of the inner workings of a band that didn’t just bring joy, but acted as a mouthpiece for a generation of disenchanted youth.Compelling reading on every page, they say that truth is often stranger than fiction. Welcome to the greatest ever rock and roll story ever told. 9/10
Chris Merriman