Synopses & Reviews
It has been twenty years since Kurt Cobain died by his own hand in April 1994; it was an act of will that typified his short, angry, inspired life. Veteran music journalist Charles R. Cross fuses his intimate knowledge of the Seattle music scene with his deep compassion for his subject in this extraordinary story of artistic brilliance and the pain that extinguished it. Based on more than four hundred interviews; four years of research; exclusive access to Cobain's unpublished diaries, lyrics, and family photos; and a wealth of documentation, Heavier Than Heaven traces Cobain's life from his early days in a double-wide trailer outside of Aberdeen, Washington, to his rise to fame, success, and the adulation of a generation. Charles Cross has written a preface for this new edition, in which he recounts some of the events regarding Kurt Cobain and this book in the past two decades since his death.
Review
"Remarkable....[A]s engrossing as a good novel, providing a glimpse into the rise and fall of this most unlikely generational spokesman." Entertainment Weekly
Review
"Music journalist Cross treats the short, strange, unhappy life of musician Kurt Cobain with intelligence and an insider's perceptiveness." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Cobain's story...sounds wholly ordinary....The many unenlightening observations are often painted thick with sensationalism; other times, Cross trawls the bottom for sources whose credibility and relevance are dubious at best." Publishers Weekly
Review
"Probably too reverent for Nirvana nonfans, this is still a standout among rock bios and deserves its place in pop-culture collections." Mike Tribby, Booklist
Review
"A powerful portrait." USA Today
Review
"A fascinating read that manages to be respectful...and also critical. The short, unhappy life of Kurt Cobain now has its worthy biographer." Seattle Post Intelligencer
Review
"The sordid details of Cobain's addiction and suicide and Cross's occasionally over-the-top dramatics are sometimes more than the reader can stomach, but ultimately this is a carefully crafted and compelling tragedy that serves as a necessary foil to Michael Azerrad's authorized Nirvana biography, Come As You Are." Library Journal
Review
"A compelling new biography." The New Yorker
Review
"A rich personal history of the tormented singer/songwriter...a much needed and clearer picture of this unlikely, unwilling rock god." Biography
Review
"No other Cobain book matches Heavier Than Heaven for research, accuracy, and insider scoops." Mark Lindquist, The Seattle Times
Review
"Written with a journalist's eye for riveting detail and a fan's heartfelt appreciation for Nirvana's music, Charles R. Cross's Heavier Then Heaven stage-dives headfirst into the heart, soul, and torment of one of rock's most galvanizing figures. Revelatory and moving, it's as essential to any rock-history bookshelf as Nevermind is to any CD cabinet." David Browne, author, Dream Brother: The Lives & Music of Jeff & Tim Buckley
Synopsis
This is the first in-depth biography of the troubled genius Kurt Cobain. Based on exclusive access to Cobains unpublished diaries, more than 400 interviews, four years of research, and a wealth of documentation, Heavier Than Heaven traces Cobains life from his early days in a double-wide trailer outside of Aberdeen, Washington, to his rise to fame, fortune, and the adulation of a generation.
Synopsis
New York Times bestseller, now available in paperback.
"I am going to be a superstar musician, kill myself, and go out in a flame of glory." Kurt Cobain, at age 14
This is the first in-depth biography of the troubled genius Kurt Cobain. Based on exclusive access to Cobain's unpublished diaries, more than 400 interviews, four years of research, and a wealth of documentation, Heavier Than Heaven traces Cobain's life from his early days in a double-wide trailer outside of Aberdeen, Washington, to his rise to fame, fortune, and the adulation of a generation.
Synopsis
Includes bibliographical references (p. [367]-379) and index.
About the Author
From 1986 to 2000 Charles R. Cross was editor of The Rocket, the Northwest's highly regarded music and entertainment magazine and the first magazine to put Nirvana on its cover. He is the author/coauthor of three other books: Backstreets: Springsteen, The Man and His Music; Led Zeppelin: Heaven and Hell; and Nevermind: The Classic Album. His writing has appeared in Rolling Stone, Esquire, and Guitar. He lives in Seattle.