The Rough Guide to Nirvana (Rough Guide Sports/Pop Culture Series)

by Gillian G. Gaar, Rough Guides

Overview

The Rough Guide to Nirvana uncovers the magic and tragedy of this iconic 90’s grunge band - from small-town gigs to the last days of Kurt Cobain, delve into the story of the life and afterlife of this extraordinary, all too short-lived group. This essential guide for Nirvana fans is written by Gillian G. Gaar, a Seattle music journalist who has personally interviewed many of those involved in the story. No other book explores and documents Nirvana’s history, critiques every Nirvana album, single, EP and compilation, including the rare, stray Nirvana tracks and solo projects, and summaries the array of other Nirvana books and Nirvana films, in one volume. From Nirvana’s early days on the burgeoning Seattle music scene, the birth of grunge, their global success from Smells Like Teen Spirit and Nevermind to In Utero and the untimely death of lead singer Kurt Cobain, The Rough Guide to Nirvana delivers a wealth of musical insight as the definitive guide to Nirvana.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781858289458
Publisher:	DK
Publication date:	06/01/2009
Series:	Rough Guide Sports/Pop Culture Series
Pages:	257
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 6.90(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Gillian G. Gaar is a music critic and author. Though she is primarily known as a writer, Garr is also a very well-known contributor of liner notes and for her contributions to Rolling Stone, Mojo, Q, Goldmine, and other publications. She is the writer of 100 Things Beatles Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die, Elvis: The Legend, Boss: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, and many more.

Rough Guides are written by expert authors who are passionate about both writing and travel. They have detailed knowledge of the areas they write about—having either traveled extensively or lived there—and their expertise shines through on every page. It's priceless information, delivered with wit and insight, providing the down-to-earth, honest read that is the hallmark of Rough Guides.

Editorial Reviews

The "Rough Guides" series of books used to focus primarily on travel destinations, but in recent years the publisher has begun expanding its offerings to include books on music, popular culture, technology, and science. Seattle music journalist Gaar's (She's a Rebel: The History of Women in Rock & Roll; Green Day: Rebels with a Cause) contribution to the series is this concise guide to Nirvana—a band that came to define the style of music labeled "grunge." Gaar, who personally interviewed many of those involved with Nirvana's story, traces the band's history from its early years to the untimely and tragic death of its leader, Kurt Cobain, covering the music they recorded, both in the studio and live, and everything else written or filmed about them (including musical tributes or covers of their songs). Each chapter of the book ranges in length from 12 to 15 pages and contains at least one or two sidebars that provide additional information about a particular aspect of the group's career, a definition of grunge, or musical influences such as, for example, Leadbelly and Sonic Youth. The book also contains numerous photos of the band members. BOTTOM LINE Insightful, well documented, and well written, this book gives the full story of Nirvana that grunge music fans are sure to embrace. A nice addition to the reference music collection of any library, public or academic.—Diane Fulkerson, Univ. of West Georgia Lib., Carrollton

—Diane Fulkerson

Library Journal