Nineteen years ago, on April 5, 1994, the legendary Nirvana founder Kurt Cobain passed away. Defined by some as a shotgun blast heard by the entire world, the one that killed Cobain left many fans and followers in anxiety and pain. However, death did not impede Cobain’s ability to remain an icon and point of reference for people of generations to follow, who share a particular vision of the world and a peculiar kind of emotional bond.

With only a few years of public activity, Kurt Cobain managed to remain in the heart of tons of people who have felt deeply connected to his artistic genius and personality for almost two decades. The continued relevance of his songs and thoughts is astonishing. After 19 years Cobain is still saying what many do not dare, taking the stands many still won’t, and continuous to connect with those who lack profound representation.

The work of Cobain did not end with his life. The message he spread around the world in the years of his musical activity has been enhancing itself even after his death. The shades of emotions he addressed and presented are still found in his voice and resounding among many people who find a daily refuge in them. The way he addressed extremely real and raw feelings in his songs and interviews has offered a hand to people defined as misfits by society; with his attitude Cobain told those misfits it is o.k. to be one, and it is o.k. to care.

The legacy of the late musician from Aberdeen goes beyond music, albeit through music. Recognized by many as one of the most influential artists of all times, he has put in music something rare to find these days: honesty, depth and humility.

Nevertheless Cobain’s persona has also suffered from that special illness affecting the ‘great ones’ of different eras: his personality has been used, copied and manipulated, to be used as a representation of a cool and alternative way of living. “I’d rather be dead than cool” said the late Cobain in the song “Stay Away.” A sick irony wants him to be both. In a society which allows holograms of dead musicians to perform on a stage never chosen, which seems to be willing to worship appearance in place of substance, and which celebrates the manic obsession with popularity at any cost, even the figure of Cobain, who has always fought against this very concepts, has been violated by not-so-genuine intentions.

The point is not the personal battles of the late musician’s family members, such as his wife, nor the use of Cobain’s name by those who should take care of his legacy. It is the concept of him, distorted by the media and the industry as a representation of something originally criticized by the musician, which is sickening.

The last months are a good example of the improper use of his name. In the wake of “Nevermind”s 20th anniversary edition’s success, Nirvana and Cobain’s name have been over-used with no respect at all, as in the case of the so-called acclaimed ‘Nirvana Reunion,’ on the occasion of the Sound City project carried out by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl. It is hard to reunite a three piece band of which the founder, singer, guitarist, composer, lyricist, artwork and occasional video designer, and inventor has been dead for 19 years. Nevertheless this does not matter to those who want to sell a magazine, screaming there will be a Nirvana tour with somebody else filling in. Nor does it for somebody wanting to use Cobain’s face in order to promote their new album, because liking Cobain is cool. For some reason, it even became acceptable to read his journals, the most intimate expression of a person’s emotions. When one becomes an icon such as Cobain, respect does not always matter.

As in every human situation, Cobain’s state of being an icon has taken good and bad turns. Luckily, the good seems to be winning. Kurt Cobain needs no reunion, no holograms, and no advertisement to stay real and present in this world: his vision and honesty keep on marking his presence, and the shot which killed him still sounds thunderous in the hearts of many.

“Cobain can you hear the spheres singing songs off Station to Station?” sing the Red Hot Chili Peppers in Californication, invoking the philosophical concept according to which the universe is made of constantly moving celestial bodies, which produce music. This is probably one of the most beautiful wishes for the late Kurt Cobain: to be peacefully listening to the songs of his favorite Bowie’s album while floating in the universe, far from the noisy madness created around his name.

Image credit: Niadub via Flickr.com

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On December 15, 1992 (December 14 in Europe) Nirvana released its compilation album Incesticide. Too often considered an underdog in Nirvana discography, this album is an excellent work by the band.

After the astonishing success Nevermind acquired with its release in 1991, expectations on Nirvana were set very high. The work on the band’s next studio album In Utero was taking quite long, so Nirvana offered the fans a compilation of tracks, most of which were already circulating in bootleg versions among the fan community. According to Charles Cross’ book ‘Cobain Unseen,’ Kurt Cobain agreed on releasing the compilation only after he was assured to have complete control over the art cover, which was entirely drawn by him.

1992 was a relevant moment for the band, which reached the top of the music world in 1991, changing music history forever; moreover the entire grunge movement had become a huge deal. This was reflected on the industry in a pushing need for a new Nirvana album, playing as a bridge between Nevermind and the announced In Utero: here comes Incesticide. The tracks contained were mostly outtakes, demos and covers, accompanied by some unreleased songs.

Incesticide turned out to be a pearl in Nirvana discography. It surely did not have the impact Nevermind had on masses, nor on the industry, nevertheless it is a very good mirror of who Nirvana was. The album in its entirety describes the complex spirit behind Nirvana. With its mixture of different momenta in music inspiration, Incesticide has a unique soul expressing the Seattle band’s geniality. Kicking off with Dive, a hard and straightforward amazing song, it also contains catchier tracks with a more popular oriented spirit, such as Sliver and Molly’s Lips. Punk is well defined by the amazing covers of Turnaround and Son of a Gun; the last song of the album, Aneurysm, is a strong, energetic track that can hardly be defined by words. Big Long Now is an obsessive repetitive song which results in perfection, and deeply touches the spirit of the listener; Beeswax has a peculiar construction and is probably the real pearl of the album, just to name a few.

The variety of the tracks well represents the multiple personality shades that Nirvana was able to express. Incesticide goes back and forth between the singular components of the complex musical mind created by Cobain and Co.. In every album, the band’s poetry is modeled through a selection of soul and inspirational movements, which are able to take form through simplicity. Putting together something so complex and passing it through with the kind of simplicity Nirvana was able to achieve in composing is surely one of the highest levels the music craft can reach. Incesticide explains exactly that.

The anniversary was celebrated on Record Store Day on November 23, with the release of double LP limited to 4000 copies. The anniversary edition features recompiled and remastered tracks from the original analog master tape and recording sources by Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering Studios. It was pressed on two 180 gram virgin vinyl discs and cut at 45 RPM vinyl.

No fancy celebrations as for last year’s Nevermind 20th anniversary and it is comprehensible. Nevertheless, big excitement should be expected for the piece of excellence that Incesticide is. A must have for all Nirvana and grunge fans of course, but also for those who are interested in understanding the many faces this band had.

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“[Kurt] was headed in a direction that was really cool. It would have been his White Album,” said Eric Erlandson, ex guitarist and co-founder of the band ‘Hole,’ to William Goodman of Fuse TV in a recent interview, for the promotion of Erlandson’s book ‘Letters to Kurt,’ a tribute to the late Nirvana frontman.

Eric Erlandson was in the same band as Cobain’s wife, and he was also Kurt Cobain’s friend. Making a clear reference to the Beatles’ ‘White Album,’ Erlandson pictures the magnificence attributed to Cobain’s solo work.

“That’s really what he was going towards, a solo album but working with different people. I was really excited about some of the stuff he was working on. I got to see him play it in front of me. That’s why I was really sad [when he died]. I was like, ‘Oh man, not only are you cutting off a life, but a message to the world, a musical path is just left with… Bush and all this other stuff [laughs]. He was cut short. Who knows where the music would have gone.”

Mysteriously referring to a cover played by Cobain, Erlandson told Goodman “There is one cover… I won’t say what it is. I don’t own the stuff.” He then went on “I just hope that one day it will be released for fans. It’s just so heartbreaking.” When asked if the song would be considered a surprise, taking into account Kurt Cobain’s widespread musical taste, Erlandson said “No, it’s not surprising. It’s a very sweet, just touching song.”

Although with no assurance, the ‘Hole’ guitarist gives a hint about a possible future release “I heard some talk about somebody putting together some raw, rough acoustic thing… and that would be more intimate than the box set [With the Lights Out], because all those little jams you have to throw out [for that box set release]. They presented some [demos] but there is stuff that has not been put out.”

When Goodman referred to one of the demos present in the box, namely “Do Re Mi,” as the musical style possibly explored by Cobain for his solo work, Erlandson replied that the song, indeed, represents the path apparently chosen by Kurt Cobain “Imagine that,” he said. “I’m not in control of things,” while he added, “I just wish something would come together. I think the fans would be a lot happier. If nobody ever hears those songs, except for like three people, then… that’s the way it goes.”

If the existence of this material is real, it is surely desirable that it will be released soon, for the joy of Cobain’s fans and music lovers. The timing of Erlandson’s surprising declaration seems suspicious though. Hopefully this is not simply a marketing strategy aiming to raise some noise around the release of Erlandson’s book, in order to push audiences’ interests and sales.

Hopefully, the image of Kurt Cobain is being used to promote his music and his message, instead of all the commercial interests that followed his tragic death.

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The 5th of April 1994, legendary Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain died in Seattle, WA. Eighteen years after his death, his person still has an exceptional relevance. Not only his extraordinary talent and musical vision have been the center of worldwide appreciation ever since Nirvana’s success in the ‘90s; Kurt Cobain’s complex personality has conquered the hearts of many.

The mix of sarcasm and fragility that characterized Kurt Cobain, and which was reflected in his music, has established a connection to all those who have felt misunderstood and disappointed by what they experienced as an uncaring and superficial society. Cobain’s talent and honesty has often been seen as one of the main reasons for the development of his iconic persona.

In celebration of Kurt Cobain’s life and legacy, Toonari Post asked a fan, a grunge expert and the director of a project in memory of Kurt Cobain, to talk about the late musician.

Kostas Panagiotou, president of the Nirvana Greek fan club, said “It’s 18 years since Kurt decided to leave this world. I miss him and his loss still hurts; not because there will be no other Nirvana albums, but mainly because his presence would be so inspirational for many people, including me.

“In my opinion he’s the greatest American artist of the second half of the 20th century. His songwriting progressed from early Nirvana recordings, where lyrics were not so important, to ‘In Utero,’ where he exposed himself in such a way like no other had done in the past.

“’I’m not like them, but I can pretend’ he sang. [‘Dumb,’ Nirvana] He never did though; he decided to follow the hard way, and to reject the role of rock star that so many people in the music industry tried to make him play. That’s why he is so influential even after 18 years. Not because he wrote and sang a load of brilliant songs, but mainly because he was one of us. A defining artist, and a simple man. That’s why I adore him.”

Mark Yarm is the author of ‘Everybody Loves Our Town: An Oral History of Grunge,’ which has already been praised as a masterpiece of the music genre. About Cobain and his fans, Yarm told Toonari Post “I’m in touch with a lot of grunge fans via my blog, Facebook and Twitter; a lot of them feel that grunge was the last genuine musical movement.

Kurt Cobain, in particular, is held up as a creative genius who would have hated today’s “fake” pop music. I agree with the genius part, but people tend to ascribe all sorts of views to him—like how he would have despised Miley Cyrus’s live cover of ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit.’ But really, who knows?”

About Cobain’s death he then went on “Kurt was a complicated individual, both seeking out and rejecting fame at the same time. In my book, Chris Cornell of Soundgarden says that Nirvana making a video for “Heart-Shaped Box” and doing an episode of Unplugged at the time ‘didn’t make a lot of sense’ to him, given that Kurt was so unhappy and so disillusioned.

Cornell felt Kurt just shouldn’t have done it—the way Pearl Jam stopped making music videos when they were getting overwhelmed by success. Of course, pulling back like that is much easier said than done.”

“I think the park and the bench act almost like a grave” says Tara Denton co-director, with Eli Richardson, of the ‘Viretta Park Repair’ project in Seattle, WA.

“The park is right next door to where Kurt died, and since Kurt did not receive a proper burial, people consider the bench and the park as such. People travel from all over the world to Viretta Park to sign the bench [the bench has become a symbol for those who go to pay their respects to the late Nirvana frontman] and leave mementos for Kurt.”

Defining the project she says “I feel that Seattle does not have anything that honors Kurt Cobain. He did a lot for music, and put the city of Seattle on the map.

Many people still travel to Seattle 18 years after his death, just because of him. We hear from people from all over the world, Australia, Japan, Italy, Turkey, the U.K., Brazil, Chile, etc. the list goes on and on. I think that says a lot as to why something should be done to honor him. The aim of the Viretta Park Repair is to repair and restore the park, and to create some sort of memorial for Kurt Cobain.

“It’s amazing what he accomplished in his short career. He was obviously a very talented man, who happened to make some poor choices in his life.”

In the author’s opinion, one of the greatest things Kurt Cobain has ever accomplished, mainly through the incomparable truth of his spirit and music, is to remain in the hearts of thousands of people for such a long time after his tragic farewell to this world; he is greatly missed.

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After the success of the ‘Nevermind’ commemorative editions released in 2011 for the album’s 20th anniversary, Nirvana fans around the world are wondering about a deluxe edition of ‘Incesticide,’ the album which was released by the band in December 1992, turning twenty this year”.

Although no indication is given yet about the ‘Incesticide’ commemorative release, Nirvana fans will soon have something else to keep them entertained. Smokin’ records will, indeed, release a new Nirvana live album on March 12 in Europe, and March 20 in the U.S..

‘Feels Like The First Time’ is a compilation of some of the live performances played by Nirvana in 1992 and 1993, and broadcasted by different TV and radio stations. The performances of twenty one tracks originally included in ‘Nevermind,’ ‘In Utero’ and ‘Bleach’ are contained in the album.

The most notable feature of the record is part of the set that Nirvana played on December 13, 1993, at Seattle’s Pier 48 warehouse. The band played on that day a concert for MTV, well known as the ‘Live And Loud.’ The concert also featured The Breeders and Cypress Hill.

The ‘Live And Loud’ performance became legacy for Nirvana, being one of the most notorious live shows of the band, along with the ‘Live At Reading,’ ‘Unplugged In New York’ and the ‘Live At The Paramount,’ the latter recently released as part of the celebrations for the 20th anniversary of ‘Nevermind.’

The second live set included in the ‘Feels Like The First Time’ album, is the Triple J Broadcast of the band’s performance at The Palace, in Melbourne, Australia, held on February 2, 1992. At the time, the band had recently released their masterpiece ‘Nevermind.’

To complete the Nirvana live experience, the album features four tracks performed during two appearances of the band at the Saturday Night Live show, in 1992 and 1993.

The album is available for pre-order. Here is the full track list:

1. Radio Friendly Unit Shifter
2. Drain You
3. Breed
4. Serve The Servants
5. Rape Me
6. Heart Shaped Box
7. Pennyroyal Tea
8. Scentless Apprentice
9. Lithium
10. Endless Nameless
11. About A Girl
12. Come As You Are
13. Breed
14. Polly
15. Lounge Act
16. Love Buzz
17. Lithium
18. Smells Like Teen Spirit
19. Territorial Pissings
20. Rape Me
21. Heart Shaped Box

Tracks 1-10 Live And Loud Broadcast, Seattle, December 13, 1993
Tracks 11-17 Triple J Broadcast, The Palace, Melbourne, February 2, 1992
Tracks 18-19 Saturday Night Live, January 11, 1992
Tracks 20-21 Saturday Night Live, September 25, 1993

Watch the ‘Drain You’ performance at MTV ‘Live And Loud’

Image Courtesy of   http://www.myspace.com/nirvana

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In 1991, a band belonging to the counterculture changed music forever. On September 24 of that year, Nirvana, the band composed by Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic, and Dave Grohl, released its second album (first one with Grohl as a drummer) ‘Nevermind’. What was, and what is ‘Nevermind’?

Nirvana started playing in 1987, developing within the grunge scene taking shape in the Seattle area at the time, where several bands experimented this enhancement of punk rock. Nirvana was shown to have that little more, which led them to change music history. With the release of their first album ‘Bleach’ in 1989 with Sub Pop Records, Nirvana sold a decent amount of records and started touring, getting the success that pertained to good bands of the grunge scene.

Then, in 1991, something changed. The musicality of the group, although keeping that honesty that has always characterized Nirvana, had been slightly modified. They mixed strong sounds with pleasant melodies, screamed anger, pain, and pure irony. Many think that the most popular records cannot be a piece of art, except in this case. ‘Nevermind’ has been the most meaningful record ever since its release in 1991. Its biggest power was the ability to reach everyone, while saying something meaningful, something true, something deep, and playing hard.

The sound of ‘Nevermind’ explodes very strong, yet very fragile. The power of Grohl’s drums, the perfection of Novoselic’s bass, along with the lyrics and the extraordinary voice of the late Kurt Cobain, a voice which instantly reaches the deepest part of an open soul, created something splendid. The deepness of the record is hard to explain; it has to be lived.

The band was able to send a message using unusual sonorities along with good melodies, expressing what nobody had before or has done afterwards. This created a phenomenon that ran all over the world and seemed impossible to catch, leading an underground band to be one of the most important and relevant creations of music history and surely the most significant change in the music scene in decades. As Krist Novoselic once said, “Nirvana didn’t go to the mainstream; the mainstream went to Nirvana.”

The enormous success of ‘Nevermind’ made it possible for bands from the counterculture to play on MTV, to be heard on mainstream radios, and to sign with major record labels. Nirvana changed the rules in the game with an album that contains very differentiated tracks, each one able to play every single chord of that dark inner soul Nirvana has.

Nobody was prepared for the huge success of ‘Nevermind’ back then, not even Geffen Records, the major record label with whom Nirvana signed before the final production of the album. The record label initially pressed 40,000 copies of the album, which instead sold a million within six weeks. Geffen had to stop pressing any other record in order to meet the demand.

In a music scene dominated by hair metal and superficiality, Nirvana was able to break through that thick peel of an uncaring society and give voice to all those people who were feeling forgotten by the world. Those people had been waiting, and Nirvana gave them what they needed and what they probably still need. Nirvana has often been said to be the voice of a generation, but this is not precise, and it is very reductive.

They have always given voice to the people who feel rejected, disappointed, hurt, frustrated, abandoned, and as Everett True said in his book about the band, the ones who know how it feels not to be loved. Those people unfortunately do not belong to a single generation, they belong to our society.

This is as well demonstrated by the fact that after twenty years from its original release, the reissue of ‘Nevermind’ hit the UK Top 5 right after its release. ‘Nevermind’ has been reissued in several formats, including a limited super deluxe edition. All of the formats received significant success and created a lot of excitement within the people who still feel represented by grunge and Nirvana, and the ones that are simply passionate about good music.

All around the world, there has been a lot of celebration on the twentieth anniversary of the album, starting from the opening of the exhibition “Nirvana: Taking Punk to the Masses“ in Seattle, as well as “In Bloom: The Nirvana Nevermind Exhibition“ in London, which was accompanied by “Territorial Musing: a Nirvana Q&A and Album Playthrough” by Classic Album Sundays and Linn.

The website www.nevermind20.com conquered the net. There was also a screening during this year’s Reading and Leeds festivals of the recorded 1992 Nirvana performance live at Reading, a tribute concert at the Experience Music Project in Seattle, a night tribute with artists performing ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ 144 times in a row in Toronto, and magazine special editions, just to cite some.

What made Nirvana and ‘Nevermind’ so special back in 1991, besides the peculiar characteristics of the music, was that the band and the record had a lot to say and said it with pure honesty. Given the reaction to the anniversary and the reissue of the album after 20 years from the release of the record and 17 years after the passing of the late frontman Kurt Cobain, Nirvana and ‘Nevermind’ still have a lot to say.

Twenty years later, indeed, ‘Nevermind’ appears to have done exactly the same thing it did back in 1991: hit big all over the world and unify outsiders and music lovers, who currently have to face a music scene which too often seems to forget what music is really about.

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Yesterday’s tragic death of Grammy-winning singer Amy Winehouse adds another name to the infamous 27 Club.

The number 27 has become a symbol for lost talent in music history – many great musicians have died during this age. This has led to the creation of the club known as the 27 Club.

More than 30 musicians have been added to the list over the years and and yesterday the Club  added another great singer.

Being part of this club for some can mean gaining status as a legend, for others its their natural end of their lives.

The 27 Club includes several artists that have made a remarkable impact on the music world. The original musicians usually referred to when speaking of the club are Rolling Stones man Brian Jones, pioneering guitarist Jimmi Hendrix, singer Janis Joplin, Doors front man Jim Morrison and the face of Seattle grunge Kurt Cobain.

Neil Young once said “it’s better to burn out than to fade away”, this phrase was found in the suicide note of Kurt Cobain. The burn word on this phrase emphasizes the idea of leaving a mark on this world rather than just being forgotten.

These great musicians ended up leaving this world at the height of their musical creativity, leaving an imprint that will never wear out through their bands — The Rolling Stones, The Doors, and Nirvana.

What all of these legendary musicians have in common besides their musical brilliance is the tragic way in which they died. Their deaths differ but most of them have been associated with drug abuse. It’s also said that with the exception of Janis Joplin, a confirmed suicide, all of these deaths have been suspicious in their own way.

Is 27 the age we should fear? Linda Blair, a clinical psychologist, try to answer this question by explaining: “Of course late twenties is not that old, but we spend an awful lot of our twenties defining ourselves with our jobs, with our relationships. When we reach 27 we’ve been trying so hard to reach certain goals – fame, money, success – that we might suddenly realize for the first time that we’re not that happy after all. And we are supposed to be grown-up and responsible, and we don’t feel ready.” The age represents the final step into adulthood and enforces the thought of growing up and leaving behind the carelessness of youth.

Some would say Amy Winehouse´s death was unavoidable while some are in shock. The responses coming in through twitter speak of both sadness and predictions – many from the music industry have expressed their deepest condolences to her family.

The only thing left by the legends lost at 27 is their music which will live on in our minds and their lyrics which will never be forgotten.

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