Michael Azerrad, the Man Who (Literally) Wrote the Book on Nirvana

Michael Azerrad joins us to talk about his relationship with Kurt Cobain, reviving a 30-year-old biography, Nirvana's legacy, and some of the records on Kurt’s list. Michael wrote the 1993 biography "Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana," and he recently released an annotated version titled "The Amplified Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana."  Next week, we'll return to our regularly scheduled stories about the albums on Kurt's list, resuming with Get the Knack.  Hosts: Dusty Henry and Martin DouglasAudio producers: Dusty Henry and Roddy NikpourPodcast manager: Isabel KhaliliEditorial director: Larry Mizell Jr.  Support the podcast: kexp.org/cobain 0:00:00: Intro0:01:38: Meeting Kurt for the first time0:09:26: From acquaintance to friend0:13:00: Why Michael annotated the biography 30 years later0:19:18: Michael on revisiting his work0:21:39: Navigating self-made mythologies0:24:31: Kurt's antagonists and his collaging methods0:27:47: Kurt on "Calvinists" and riot grrrl0:30:31: Nirvana ≠ grunge ("hot take territory")0:33:03: Kurt didn't like Sub Pop's marketing of Nirvana0:38:00: Kurt as a working-class guy0:39:34: The REAL list? Bands that Kurt talked about a lot0:46:05: Michael on Sex Pistols0:48:04: Michael on Wipers0:50:51: Michael on Mudhoney0:51:54: How do you compare Dan Peters to Dave Grohl? 0:53:03: Michael on Beat Happening0:56:04: Michael on Black Flag0:59:21: Michael and Kurt's eternally intertwined legacies1:02:32: Thank you1:03:27: CreditsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Om Podcasten

Kurt Cobain’s influence went beyond just the music he created with Nirvana. He also put the masses on to some of his own favorite artists. One particular document from his journals has been instructive to many fans – his top 50 albums. Each week, The Cobain 50 podcast digs into albums from this famous list and how they may have influenced Cobain and Nirvana. While learning the individual histories of the different albums on the list, we gain new insights into artists on the fringes as well as some of the biggest groups of all time. The podcast takes us through the legacies of acts like Sonic Youth, Pixies, The Breeders, Public Enemy, PJ Harvey, Black Flag, Mazzy Star, The Shaggs, Shonen Knife, and more. Episodes drop weekly starting January 10, 2024.