New Nirvana book details the creation of the grunge band’s classic album, Nevermind

The story of Nirvana, the iconic alternative rock group of the 1990s, has been told numerous times. But, often the tale has focused mostly on Kurt Cobain’s colossal fame, or his famous penchant for self-destruction. The new book The making of Nirvana – Nevermind, written by Alt77’s own Eduard Bănulescu, tries to amend manner focus attention back to the band’s artistic merits. Here’s how the Seattle trio created a masterpiece.

Nevermind, the epicenter of alternative rock

The making of Nirvana – Nevermind details the stories behind the songs, the recording and songwriting process, as well as the group’s gigantic cultural significance. Through a precise, high-paced history of the group circa 1991, Bănulescu tries to get to the bottom of just what made the Seattle trio one of the most significant groups of the decade. Is this the best book about the band Nirvana?

The volume, without a doubt, aims to live up to the standard set by excellent group biographies such as Heavier than heaven by Charles R. Cross, as well as Kurt Cobain’s own posthumous Journals. The 2020 book tries to the reader and Cobain, Novoselic and Grohl acquainted, with the hopes of further improving the listening experience to one of rock’s greatest releases.

The stories behind Come as you are, Smells like teen spirit and others

The volume begins with the story of the unlikely friendship between Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic, two high-school kids with a passion for art, low-brow humor and punk rock. Their bond soon lead to the creation of a band they dubbed Nirvana. Interestingly enough, according to the book, the early version of Nirvana opted to play Creedence Clearwater Revival numbers in a failed bid to raise capital for the member’s art supplies.

The book goes on to detail the release of the band’s debut album, Bleach, Dave Grohl‘s invitation to join the band, as well as their album deal with the major recording label, Geffen. It also offers insight into the success that followed their sophomore release, the divisive follow-up, In Utero, and the legendary Unplugged in New York concert. Although light and uncluttered, this Nirvana book goes in-depth about the group, the band member’s personalities and the creation of the songs.

It is the making of songs like Lithium, Smells like teen spirit or Come as you are that is at the heart of The Making of Nirvana – Nevermind. The book goes into great detail about the inspiration behind the songs, their evolution, as well as the behind the scenes work of alternative rock producer extraordinaire Butch Vig (Garbage).

The Making of Nirvana – Nevermind is out on Amazon on April 12th, 2020. It is planned to be the first volume in a collection detailing the stories behind some of the biggest classic rock albums.