Dave Grohl Says He Knew Kurt Cobain Would Die Early

In an interview with BBC Radio 1, Dave Grohl said he always knew that his former Nirvana bandmate Kurt Cobain wasn't destined to live a full life. The drummer said he prepared himself for an incident like Cobain's suicide back in 1994.

"There are some people that you meet in life that you just know that they are not going to live to be a 100 years old," he said. "In some ways, you kind of prepare yourself emotionally for that to be a reality."

Now part of the project Them Crooked Vultures, Grohl still noted Cobain's death came as a shock to him.

"It was a terrible surprise," he said. "It was probably the worst thing that has happened to me in my life. I remember the day after that I woke up and I was heartbroken that he was gone. I just felt like, 'OK, so I get to wake up today and have another day and he doesn't'."

Find more about what Grohl has to say at Nme.com.

Comments

[aocrkid]

I've got a few friends like that. I'm not gonna lie that Cobain was one of them though.

[Unknown Fear]

One of the coolest rockers left.

[Comeback Kiddd]

dave knew about this before it happened?!?!(or had an idea of it?)

new suspects: courtney love,dave? :O

[NemX162]

It's still sad to think about.

[EpiExplorer]

Kurt died, alright? Thats it. Let it be.

[alkalineweeman]

Comeback Kiddd wrote:

dave knew about this before it happened?!?!(or had an idea of it?)

new suspects: courtney love,dave? :O

He was a depressed junkie, hardly a case for perry mason here.

[rockandmetalfan]

poor kurt. R.I.P.

[Antoine-Øleg]

Comeback Kiddd wrote:

dave knew about this before it happened?!?!(or had an idea of it?)

new suspects: courtney love,dave? :O

What Dave mean is, that during some point of his life, he realised that Kurt wasn't a person who you'd expect would've got a long life, because he didn't feel good enough with himself, and circumstances were almost never in his favour, in one or another way.

I guess being successful is not synonym of good luck. I think it's sad, even 15 years later.

[deadlyMETAL]

I know what he's talking about. With some people, you just know.

[Zombie V.]

I've felt that way about myself for a long time now. It's terrifying and liberating at the same time.

[acid eaters]

Kurt may have died young but he left a huge legacy,and his music lives on after him and you can't ask for a better death

[heavenbesideyou]

Reminds me of a friend of mine

[Deflection]

I can't believe some people still think it was a murder. I mean come on, he was in constant pain by some disease he had, he was a junkie, incredibly depressed, and couldn't handle the fame. Let it go already.

[Jugulator_cro]

Wow, breaking news or what?

Checked.

[sardonicgoat]

I did a research paper on Cobain. He lived a crazy life. I mean very cool from a musicians point of view. He was just immersed in music constantly. The reason he was a junkie(from his own lips) was that doing drugs was the only time he wasn't in incredible pain from whatever stomach ailment he had. According to his journals near the time of his death he had finally been properly diagnosed and he was actually relieved and looking forward to finally being able to stop whatever it was. What's done is done. I mean even if he didn't commit suicide, he's still dead, but even the autopsy report said that the amount of drugs in his system at the time of his death would have rendered him unconscious. He wouldn't have even been able to lift the gun to his mouth. There's a lot of unexplained things surrounding his death, and it's unfortunate because he was a true musical genius. Not the most gifted musician in the world. He just had a way with words and a great harmonic ear. I shudder to imagine the kind of music they'd be putting out today if he was still around.

[Guitarfreak777]

Seems like this article is here just to plug daves new band :/

[King ofKumbucha]

sardonicgoat wrote:

I did a research paper on Cobain. He lived a crazy life. I mean very cool from a musicians point of view. He was just immersed in music constantly. The reason he was a junkie(from his own lips) was that doing drugs was the only time he wasn't in incredible pain from whatever stomach ailment he had. According to his journals near the time of his death he had finally been properly diagnosed and he was actually relieved and looking forward to finally being able to stop whatever it was. What's done is done. I mean even if he didn't commit suicide, he's still dead, but even the autopsy report said that the amount of drugs in his system at the time of his death would have rendered him unconscious. He wouldn't have even been able to lift the gun to his mouth. There's a lot of unexplained things surrounding his death, and it's unfortunate because he was a true musical genius. Not the most gifted musician in the world. He just had a way with words and a great harmonic ear. I shudder to imagine the kind of music they'd be putting out today if he was still around.

This term gets thrown around FAR too much.

[McNuttynz]

King ofKumbucha :
sardonicgoat wrote:

I did a research paper on Cobain. He lived a crazy life. I mean very cool from a musicians point of view. He was just immersed in music constantly. The reason he was a junkie(from his own lips) was that doing drugs was the only time he wasn't in incredible pain from whatever stomach ailment he had. According to his journals near the time of his death he had finally been properly diagnosed and he was actually relieved and looking forward to finally being able to stop whatever it was. What's done is done. I mean even if he didn't commit suicide, he's still dead, but even the autopsy report said that the amount of drugs in his system at the time of his death would have rendered him unconscious. He wouldn't have even been able to lift the gun to his mouth. There's a lot of unexplained things surrounding his death, and it's unfortunate because he was a true musical genius. Not the most gifted musician in the world. He just had a way with words and a great harmonic ear. I shudder to imagine the kind of music they'd be putting out today if he was still around.

This term gets thrown around FAR too much.

agreed

[good_blink_plan]

rockandmetalfan wrote:

poor kurt. R.I.P.

sorry but....RIP? he killed himself O.O

[sardonicgoat]

This term gets thrown around FAR too much.

When the shoe fits.....

[King Zirconium]

sardonicgoat wrote:

This term gets thrown around FAR too much.

When the shoe fits.....

...but it doesn't. Geniuses don't kill themselves when they're on top of the world.

[MrSir4]

Why are people ripping on Dave? Kurt lived such a crazy life that he was able to just tell he won't live a full life. I know people like that, and unfortunately, you can't change them, I have tried. Dave didn't know he was going to commit suicide otherwise he probably would have tried to do something to avoid it. They were close friends, seriously give him a break

[Hops44]

good_blink_plan wrote:

rockandmetalfan wrote:

poor kurt. R.I.P.

sorry but....RIP? he killed himself O.O

...and now he has his peace.

[maidenfan15]

acid eaters wrote:

Kurt may have died young but he left a huge legacy,and his music lives on after him and you can't ask for a better death

You can't ask for a better death? He overdosed on heroin and blew off his head with a shotgun. There are a lot of ways I'd rather go than that.....

[maidenfan15]

King Zirconium wrote:

sardonicgoat wrote:

This term gets thrown around FAR too much.

When the shoe fits.....

...but it doesn't. Geniuses don't kill themselves when they're on top of the world.

This. Kurt was a good songwriter, not a genius. he himself has admitted that he wasn't talented at all and it was a shock to him that he became famous.

[iwannabesedated]

King Zirconium wrote:

sardonicgoat wrote:

This term gets thrown around FAR too much.

When the shoe fits.....

...but it doesn't. Geniuses don't kill themselves when they're on top of the world.

Yes, they do. It seems all geniuses kill themselves or at least set them on a path to self destruction. One of the sad facts of life is the smarter you are, usually the less happy you are.
Watch the documentary "About a Son." It's pretty much him talking about his life. Very interesting getting into his mindset.

[iwannabesedated]

Genius doesn't necessarily mean you're the most talented. It's sort of an intangible thing. Some of the smartest, most talented people in the world aren't, and some of the less talented and maybe not quite as smart are.

[palefire]

King Zirconium wrote:

sardonicgoat wrote:

This term gets thrown around FAR too much.

When the shoe fits.....

...but it doesn't. Geniuses don't kill themselves when they're on top of the world.

Exactly, thats why other people who are called geniuses today like Vincent Van Gogh, Sylvia Plath, Ian Curtis, and Nick Drake have all lived such long lives.

Oh wait.

No one kills themselves when they're 'on top of the world'. That's why the commited suicide.

[SpockTheRock]

King Zirconium wrote:

sardonicgoat wrote:

This term gets thrown around FAR too much.

When the shoe fits.....

...but it doesn't. Geniuses don't kill themselves when they're on top of the world.

Yeah, but Kurt said he would rather die on top of the world then to fade out and be forgotten. He would have rather ended it all at the peak of Nirvana's popularity then not have anyone remember them in a few years.

[palefire]

Why does everything to do with Nirvana turn into a debate between people about whether Kurt Cobain was a genius, a good musician, or sucked?

You might as well argue about how long a piece of string is. Its all a matter of opinion, there's no way to actually judge or measure what makes someone a genius or not - especially with something based on personal taste like music.

[sardonicgoat]

Genius and insanity share one half of the same line.

This. Kurt was a good songwriter, not a genius. he himself has admitted that he wasn't talented at all and it was a shock to him that he became famous.

As far as Kurt's talent goes, he was always very self-deprecating, and modest. That's just who he was. I mean it'd be an error to say he wasn't depressed a lot, but his way of handling it, often times was making a fool of himself.

[Abacus11]

...but it doesn't. Geniuses don't kill themselves when they're on top of the world.

That's a ridiculous thing to say. A "genius" is a human being and all human beings are capable of vulnerability, negative emotions and negative actions. Things that you consider a golden ticket like money or fame or being "on top of the world" don't make everyone feel the same. We are ALL different. To imply that because someone is a genius in one or more areas that they must be somehow invincible in all other areas is not fair. Its dehumanizing to put a person on a pedestal OR to look down on them for that.

[-tempest-]

palefire wrote:

Why does everything to do with Nirvana turn into a debate between people about whether Kurt Cobain was a genius, a good musician, or sucked?

You might as well argue about how long a piece of string is. Its all a matter of opinion, there's no way to actually judge or measure what makes someone a genius or not - especially with something based on personal taste like music.

this, now everyone stfu.

[LedZepKicksAzz]

His commiting suicide while on top of the world does not diminish his musical genius. In fact, it doesn't even relate.

[Abacus11]

Why does everything to do with Nirvana turn into a debate between people about whether Kurt Cobain was a genius, a good musician, or sucked?

You might as well argue about how long a piece of string is. Its all a matter of opinion, there's no way to actually judge or measure what makes someone a genius or not - especially with something based on personal taste like music.

this, now everyone stfu.

I thought that this was the purpose of forums... to debate and discuss. Why should anyone here "stfu?"

People who like Nirvana are passionate about their music and about Kurt Cobain and this is EXACTLY the right place to talk about it.

So... no one here should "stfu".

[shwilly]

Dave is used to speaking about Nirvana, but he doesn't discuss Kurt like this all too often for obvious reasons

Watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPAspKS8d5g

...an d you'll notice how Krist is still having a hard time when dealing with this...

[mcpowell16]

kurt was awesome, he left as a legend

[Cornpuff]

By the time Cobain finally died, he had somewhere around half a dozen accidental (interpret as you will) ODs, and three or four interventions. His death, while hard, wasn't hard to imagine in the distance.

[libertineste808]

MrSir4 wrote:

Why are people ripping on Dave? Kurt lived such a crazy life that he was able to just tell he won't live a full life. I know people like that, and unfortunately, you can't change them, I have tried.
Dave didn't know he was going to commit suicide otherwise he probably would have tried to do something to avoid it. They were close friends, seriously give him a break

I agree, I have friends like that too. People forget that apart from being the lead in nirvana, he was also a husband, a dad, a son, a close friend. What a tragic loss.

[huevos]

King ofKumbucha wrote:

sardonicgoat wrote:

I did a research paper on Cobain. He lived a crazy life. I mean very cool from a musicians point of view. He was just immersed in music constantly. The reason he was a junkie(from his own lips) was that doing drugs was the only time he wasn't in incredible pain from whatever stomach ailment he had. According to his journals near the time of his death he had finally been properly diagnosed and he was actually relieved and looking forward to finally being able to stop whatever it was. What's done is done. I mean even if he didn't commit suicide, he's still dead, but even the autopsy report said that the amount of drugs in his system at the time of his death would have rendered him unconscious. He wouldn't have even been able to lift the gun to his mouth. There's a lot of unexplained things surrounding his death, and it's unfortunate because he was a true musical genius. Not the most gifted musician in the world. He just had a way with words and a great harmonic ear. I shudder to imagine the kind of music they'd be putting out today if he was still around.
This term gets thrown around FAR too much.

Troo.
Colin Marston is a musical genius. And the guys in Russian Circles too.

Cobain was a cool dude. I used to love Nirvana back n the day. And shotgun mouthwash is a legendary way to go. The epitome of a rockstar.
But just like 9/11, it doesn't matter if there was some outside (inside) influence. It already happened, and some glutton(s) used it to their advantage.

[ShyGuy {IZAIAH}]

King Zirconium wrote:

sardonicgoat wrote:

This term gets thrown around FAR too much.

When the shoe fits.....

...but it doesn't. Geniuses don't kill themselves when they're on top of the world.

Elliott Smith?

[Slap-happy]

I was in a band when I lived in the UK a few years ago. The bassist and I had been friends for around 12 years - he was four hours older than me. When on holiday I found out that he'd been killed in a motorcycle accident in summer 2005 at the age of 29. having spoken with mutual friends from college and his mother we all seemed to agree that there was something about him that, although a terrible way to die, he wasn't someone that was going to live to a ripe old age. He wasn't a junkie or an alcoholic - just one of those souls that never seemed to quite fit in this world.
I can relate to what Grohl said and understand where he's coming from.

Checked.

[Bluesrocker5150]

King Zirconium wrote:

sardonicgoat wrote:

This term gets thrown around FAR too much.

When the shoe fits.....

...but it doesn't. Geniuses don't kill themselves when they're on top of the world.

Hemingway? Van Gogh? guess you never heard of em'

[TheLifeguard]

I find him overrated, the "Musical Genius" label isn't really fitting.

Other rockers have alluded to this...

Alice Cooper said that when Jim Morrison died, they were surprised, but not that he died. They were surprised he had made it that far in the first place.

Was Kurt any different?

[SabbathStoner]

This isn't news, everybody knew this

[MTVget0FFtheAIR]

ShyGuy {IZAIAH} wrote:

King Zirconium wrote:

sardonicgoat wrote:

This term gets thrown around FAR too much.

When the shoe fits.....

...but it doesn't. Geniuses don't kill themselves when they're on top of the world.
Elliott Smith?

as much as i love elliott, he was really on the decline at the time of his death.

[Theeman0000]

Grohl is in the mold of the older guys. The rock world is lucky to have him, cause there aren't too many like him left.

[Disposable-Hero]

Lets not get ahead of ourselves now, Cobain was in no way a "musical genius."

[saucehead]

Wow, according to all the psychotherapists posting on this blog, I must be a ****ing genius too if it's really true that the smarter you are the less happy you are with your life. Get real, and get a clue.

[pinata89]

If Kurt wasn't much of a staple in the music industry, why all THIS discussion for and against how good he was? You have people pushing HARD both ways--so this man had to have been doing something right for people to still be arguing about his skill, or lack of, 15 years later. Chi Cheng (Deftones) had been in a coma for a long while now...no one is talking about him and how talented he is.

Regardless, I'm a huge fan of both bands mentioned. And I, personally, don't think Kurt was a "musical genius," but he definitely put a real face on the genre of grunge rock for Generation X.

[pinata89]

has*

[mitchrosko]

This article isnt gonna bring him back

[ehnoway]

King ofKumbucha wrote:

sardonicgoat wrote:

I did a research paper on Cobain. He lived a crazy life. I mean very cool from a musicians point of view. He was just immersed in music constantly. The reason he was a junkie(from his own lips) was that doing drugs was the only time he wasn't in incredible pain from whatever stomach ailment he had. According to his journals near the time of his death he had finally been properly diagnosed and he was actually relieved and looking forward to finally being able to stop whatever it was. What's done is done. I mean even if he didn't commit suicide, he's still dead, but even the autopsy report said that the amount of drugs in his system at the time of his death would have rendered him unconscious. He wouldn't have even been able to lift the gun to his mouth. There's a lot of unexplained things surrounding his death, and it's unfortunate because he was a true musical genius. Not the most gifted musician in the world. He just had a way with words and a great harmonic ear. I shudder to imagine the kind of music they'd be putting out today if he was still around.
This term gets thrown around FAR too much.

Completely agree. Kurt was talented, no doubt about it, but he was far from a musical genius. And each day, this term becomes more and more generic. Now anyone who captures the public's attention and has a few songs hit the top ten on the Billboard charts is a "musical genius". People need to know to differentiate between "amazingly talented" and "musical genius". Being the former doesn't necessarily mean you're the latter. Pretty much like how everyone lately is branding Lady Gaga a "genius".

[Ultius]

I find it extremely sad that people are discrediting Kurt's impact on the musical world, especially if they think he was stupid for killing himself. You can't mark someone down a couple IQ points because they killed themselves, nor can you demerit someone of their accomplishments because of it. After all, even the smartest people make mistakes.

First off, Kurt was a musical genius. He wrote amazing lyrics and used music as an outlet for his pain, with the result being the creation of Grunge. This world is full of geniuses, we're just too picky about who we want to credit with brilliance.

But I digress: Kurt's mistake was heroin. To some extent, though, it's hard to blame him for doing it: he had an excruciating stomach condition that was undiagnosable for almost his entire life. If you go to the doctor and he doesn't have an answer, what do you do?

Heroin was the only substance that gave Kurt relief from that pain. Needless to say, this came at a high cost. Heroin's notoriously powerful addiction, coupled with the fact that this was the only way that Kurt coped with his painful condition, meant that he had no hope of quitting the drug.

To live with incessant pain every day was a sad truth for Kurt. Along with his physical pain was the incredible guilt of knowing that he didn't have the willpower to quit heroin, knowing that excruciating pain lay in all directions for him, whether he took the right path or the wrong one. I think, most of all, that he didn't want to be a bad father. In his mind, there was a choice between two evils: to continue his losing fight with heroin, or to end both his pain and the pain of those who were trying to help him. I think he didn't want Frances to grow up seeing her father struggle with heroin addiction. So he ended it right there. He got high, wrote a goodbye, prepped an extra-big dose, jammed it all in, put his hands on the shotgun and pulled the trigger before the rush rendered him unconscious.

That's my theory, anyway. I think the evidence desperately needs to be re-examined, but I'm leaning towards suicide. It's obvious that Courtney wasn't the best person, but I don't think she would be cold-blooded enough to kill her own husband. And, like Dave said, Kurt wasn't a guy that was really meant for this world. Kurt's life was full of pain, and he saw no end in sight for the pain. The shotgun? Well, he wanted to go out in a blaze of glory. I just suppose a handgun wouldn't do for him.

[JoeLancaster]

acid eaters wrote:

Kurt may have died young but he left a huge legacy,and his music lives on after him and you can't ask for a better death

Mm, one of those was predicated upon the other.

[mister bass guy]

Ultius wrote:

First off, Kurt was a musical genius. He wrote amazing lyrics and used music as an outlet for his pain, with the result being the creation of Grunge

Kurt Cobain was not the creation of grunge.

[Joe-O]

That last thing he said, hit me right there.

[Ultius]

As for genius, here is what a genius IS: Someone who can bend the music to do exactly what they want, and bring it to another level. Mozart was a genius. Bach was a genius. Chopin and Handel and Beethoven were geniuses. Today, it is far more common that people get lucky and strike gold with something they wrote. Certainly many of our stars today are not classically-defined geniuses such as Handel or Mozart, but many have brought music to places that it had never gone before. Kurt Cobain, Frank Zappa, Michael Jackson, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison... Them and so many others have shaped music incredibly. Perhaps they are not geniuses like Beethoven or Chopin, but they are no doubt people who shaped music and. And, in my opinion, you have to be pretty smart to understand music.

[Ultius]

mister bass guy wrote:

Kurt Cobain was not the creation of grunge.

Really? My bad, I'll have to look that up. One thing that is certain, though, is that Kurt put alternative rock on the charts. You have to give him massive credit for that.

[Ultius]

Joe-O wrote:

That last thing he said, hit me right there.

If you were referring to me, thanks! I always thought it was an interesting detail. I think it also points away from Courtney, since she would have seen no reason to choose a bulky, loud, messy shotgun over a smaller, easier to handle, more concealable pistol. Cobain did have a gun COLLECTION, after all.

[svitaklovemusic]

dave didnt kill cobain..
courtney killed cobain.
and thst thing he said reallly was deep man ): definatley hit me..

[SimplyStrings]

Comeback Kiddd wrote:

dave knew about this before it happened?!?!(or had an idea of it?)

new suspects: courtney love,dave? :O

I LOL'd

[muel333]

In my own experience, I have come to the conclusion that the reason most people believe Kurt committed suicide is based on information from both the police, as well as, whether it is known to these people or not, Courtney Love. The police conducted a horrible investigation and on top of that Love has actually contributed quite a bit of information regarding Kurts death and surrounding events, most of which can be PROVEN not to be true not just speculated. Her lies have been ingrained into the public opinion of the matter. The Rome incident was not a suicide attempt at all, just a drug accident caused by the mixture of Kurts normal perscription medicine and alcohol. A complete accident but because of Loves slander, it has tainted Kurts image to suicidal. I know Kurt hated fame, that can't be disputed, but I do have major doubts to Courtneys claims and the accepted verdict of suicide. I am a huge Nirvana/Kurt fan an recomend anyone with similiar beliefs as me to visit www.cobaincase.com for even more info on the matter.

[aussieboy]

i know this has nothing to do with the article or the discussions going on here....but Dave Grohl is on fricking sweet dude....the kurt cobain incident was sad, but it was self inflicted, but still sad....Dave is one rare rocker

[Ultius]

Of course the police did a horrible investigation. "man plagued by drug addiction and depression found dead, killed by shotgun wound to head." That's the kind of case that the police department wouldn't give a second glace at. To them it was a classic suicide, case closed.

[mikeiff]

Bluesrocker5150 wrote:

King Zirconium wrote:

sardonicgoat wrote:

This term gets thrown around FAR too much.

When the shoe fits.....

...but it doesn't. Geniuses don't kill themselves when they're on top of the world.

Hemingway? Van Gogh? guess you never heard of em'

Van Gogh was nowhere near the top of the world. He never sold a painting while he was alive.

And geniuses might kill themselves too, they're people, therefore they're weak on the inside...

Kurt was no genius, he made good music, he innovated. But that doesn't make you a genius

[Ultius]

mikeiff wrote:
Van Gogh was nowhere near the top of the world. He never sold a painting while he was alive.

Kurt was no genius, he made good music, he innovated. But that doesn't make you a genius

Why are we so damn stuck on this genius thing? Okay, Kurt's not a genius, fine. Just stop bringing the damn point up. Now that we're here, though, what exactly constitutes genius? You can't decide what a genius is if you don't have some criteria.

[SomeBlueKind]

some people like to "critique" UG articles, while UG really couldn't give a flying fudgesickle about your opinion. i like to "critique" random forum posters who like to quote others. case in point, alkalineweeman who is far from fair and balanced in the cobain world, though was still able to make a point. on the other hand, there is ultius, who took a second from blowing cobain's dead corpse to flagellate himself in cobain's defense. perhaps somewhere in between somebody got it right. maybe is was courtney who continues to capitalize on cobain's weaknesses and inability to do drugs for fun and recreation.

[Stratogibson]

Disposable-Hero wrote:

Lets not get ahead of ourselves now, Cobain was in no way a "musical genius."

To a non-Nirvana and a non-music fan, yes he might not be a genius. But, if you take the time to listen to some of the less popular albums, preferably something not on Nevermind, you will discover that he was very talented and very diverse musician. He was a genius in the sense that he could make the simplest songs structures possible, write lyrics on the spot, and create pure noise out of his guitar and still make songs that could stand the test of time. Not many musicians can do that. Nirvana made music with integrity and passion, elements that most bands don't have. Cobain was a legendary icon and nobody can change that. Cobain was a genius and millions of people around the globe would agree with me....and he did commit suicide.

[Ultius]

...ultius, who took a second from blowing cobain's dead corpse to flagellate himself in cobain's defense.

Hey asshat, what's the deal? I know I'm being a staunch defender of Kurt, but I hardly think that an honest opinion is worth such a crass, vulgar response.

I don't worship the man, but I do have immense respect for him and his work. Kurt Cobain was one of those people who really had a mind for music. I feel this way about other artists, not just him.

If you think you're clever because you can point out obvious things, make unnecessary, tasteless jokes at the expense of others, and act like some highfalutin vulture swooping in on easy prey, then you are very much wrong.

[Ultius]

I agree very much with Stratogibson. Though it made them rich, Nevermind was easily Nirvana's worst album. A lot of Cobain's best work lies in the songs that weren't mainstream. Listen to "You Know You're Right", "Sliver", "Come As You Are", and "Lithium". Until you've listened to those songs, you do not know what Kurt could really do.

[JoeLancaster]

Ultius wrote:

I agree very much with Stratogibson. Though it made them rich, Nevermind was easily Nirvana's worst album. A lot of Cobain's best work lies in the songs that weren't mainstream. Listen to "You Know You're Right", "Sliver", "Come As You Are", and "Lithium". Until you've listened to those songs, you do not know what Kurt could really do.

Half of the songs you name, are on Nevermind.

Also, like I mentioned before: his legacy and his "genius" claims, are almost entirely predicated upon his death. At the time of his death, Nirvana's latest album (which by the way, has largely not stood the test of time, as most casual listeners couldn't name it or a song from it) was getting lukewarm reviews, the press was becoming disenchanted with Kurt as somewhat of a snob (alluding to disdain for fans in his liner notes), and the focus of the music world was shifting to the other big grunge releases, namely Pearl Jam's "Vs."

I'm not picking sides here, I think Nirvana was a perfectly fine band. I'm just trying to offer some perspective.

[JoeLancaster]

Also, each and every one of the songs you name, was indeed a single...how are they "[not] mainstream"?

If we're talking about non-mainstream songs, I figured you'd go with...I don't know, "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter"? Something from Incesticide?

Checked.

mikeiff wrote:

Van Gogh was nowhere near the top of the world. He never sold a painting while he was alive.

Actually, he did sell one painting.

[tubious]

99% of everybody who reads and posts anything on ultimate-guitar.com is ignorant. this article has nothing to do with dave vs. kurt so why do you people make it out to be more than it is? he simply stated the fact that he saw what would happen before it happened because kurt lived life passionately and it ultimately consumed him. not everything on here has to be lennon vs. mccartney, axl vs slash, ozzy vs dio or dave vs kurt. its stupid. dave has never done anything negative to portray kurt in any other light than as one of his best friends and bandmates. why you all make it something that it is not is beyond me and overall sad. respect the music and legacy of both men because none of us will ever reach their level. all you people do is make yourselves look stupid and take away from legendary musicians. get over it.

[OXL]

That flanel shirt certainly wasn't a genius, still, he wrote a lot of good songs.

[voodoochild23]

Kurt Cobain had a TOTAL grasp of music, in the sense that his own application of it could be honest, expressive, whatever he wanted it to be, and still sound good.

People are under the impression that there are thousands of songwriters in the world who do the same thing.

There are very few who actually do what Kurt Cobain did, if he's not a musical genius then no one is

[guitarman1991]

ehnoway wrote:

King ofKumbucha wrote:

sardonicgoat wrote:

I did a research paper on Cobain. He lived a crazy life. I mean very cool from a musicians point of view. He was just immersed in music constantly. The reason he was a junkie(from his own lips) was that doing drugs was the only time he wasn't in incredible pain from whatever stomach ailment he had. According to his journals near the time of his death he had finally been properly diagnosed and he was actually relieved and looking forward to finally being able to stop whatever it was. What's done is done. I mean even if he didn't commit suicide, he's still dead, but even the autopsy report said that the amount of drugs in his system at the time of his death would have rendered him unconscious. He wouldn't have even been able to lift the gun to his mouth. There's a lot of unexplained things surrounding his death, and it's unfortunate because he was a true musical genius. Not the most gifted musician in the world. He just had a way with words and a great harmonic ear. I shudder to imagine the kind of music they'd be putting out today if he was still around.
This term gets thrown around FAR too much.

Completely agree. Kurt was talented, no doubt about it, but he was far from a musical genius. And each day, this term becomes more and more generic. Now anyone who captures the public's attention and has a few songs hit the top ten on the Billboard charts is a "musical genius". People need to know to differentiate between "amazingly talented" and "musical genius". Being the former doesn't necessarily mean you're the latter. Pretty much like how everyone lately is branding Lady Gaga a "genius".

i would not even call lady gaga talented...not even really worthy of naming in an article about cobain in my opinion...cobains songs were great, well all the ones ive heard(as im sure there is plenty i havnt heard that are good too), they are great because of the simpleness and the anger in the lyrics that most people can relate to certain points in their life. he was very talented at writing songs, that were simple and stuck out from other mainstream bands at the time. they opened the doors for alot of genres and bands and this is what cobain should be remembered for is his songs, not how he lived his life or how he died but what he actually did that impacted on so many peoples lives and changed generations

[scithe37]

Why do people come at least 80 times greater after they die? Like Cobain, Jacko, Van Gogh etc...

[Myke.]

EpiExplorer wrote:

Kurt died, alright? Thats it. Let it be.

To kids of my generation, Kurt's death was more than that..

He was like God to us "90's kids".

[ThomBenny22]

scithe37 wrote:

Why do people come at least 80 times greater after they die? Like Cobain, Jacko, Van Gogh etc...

They don't become any greater, but their passing leaves their art permanantly significant due to the serious/tragic events linked to it. Song lyrics are opened to reinterpretation and analysis (all the secret clue hunting that goes on etc). When a musician is alive alongside their music, the music often wildly popular, but it is not distinguished in the way it is when that musician dies. The music gains respect in their absence, and in time someone like Cobain, who in particular wrote (some of the time) very complex and personal songs wrought in musical power and emotion, becomes a figure not unlike a prophet - the essential flaw of the tradition being that they gain such status by being the prophet of their own death.
Yeah? Nah?

[deadmemories12]

sad =( i cry

[The RFS]

scithe37 :
Why do people come at least 80 times greater after they die? Like Cobain, Jacko, Van Gogh etc...

Jackson was one of the most popular artists of his time. Dying didnt make him more popular, just put him back on the map so to speak, stupid as that sounds...

[Ultius]

The RFS wrote:
Jackson was one of the most popular artists of his time. Dying didnt make him more popular, just put him back on the map so to speak, stupid as that sounds...

A dead cat bounce, if you will?

[Sir-Shredalot]

understandable

[_stalemate_]

Beating a dead horse

[Posiedeon]

R.I.P CURT KOBAIN

[The_Trooper14]

Way too many of these articles on here

"Dave Grohl says that he considered Kurt Cobain to be his friend."

"Dave Grohl was really sad when Kurt Cobain died."

it's all been said before

[fendercobain87]

i respect the man but why mention it nearly 16 years later i mean he spoke when they won the best rock album/ video for in utreo after kurt died he said he was sad but if you remeber right in early 2003 when asked about cobain and nirvana he said he had nothing to do with that shit. dave is a talented muscian but i cant speak no more . if im wrong them im sorry but i respaect every ones comment.

[Stratogibson]

JoeLancaster wrote:

Ultius wrote:

I agree very much with Stratogibson. Though it made them rich, Nevermind was easily Nirvana's worst album. A lot of Cobain's best work lies in the songs that weren't mainstream. Listen to "You Know You're Right", "Sliver", "Come As You Are", and "Lithium". Until you've listened to those songs, you do not know what Kurt could really do.

Half of the songs you name, are on Nevermind.

Also, like I mentioned before: his legacy and his "genius" claims, are almost entirely predicated upon his death. At the time of his death, Nirvana's latest album (which by the way, has largely not stood the test of time, as most casual listeners couldn't name it or a song from it) was getting lukewarm reviews, the press was becoming disenchanted with Kurt as somewhat of a snob (alluding to disdain for fans in his liner notes), and the focus of the music world was shifting to the other big grunge releases, namely Pearl Jam's "Vs."

I'm not picking sides here, I think Nirvana was a perfectly fine band. I'm just trying to offer some perspective.

He was thought of as a legend before he died. Just watch the concerts and the people who attended. They seemed to catch on to what Nirvana was doing. If you are going to judge how good an artist is by relying on reviews, album sales, and the press, then you are the exact type of listener Kurt despised. Take the time to read the liner notes on Incesticide. He wasn't referrring to his true fans, he was talking about the jock-macho type people who went to Nirvana shows because it was popular. They were the same people who were racist, redneck, homophobe, rapists that usually listened to Pearl Jam over Nirvana. I guess the million people who bought In Utero when it came out didn't think it was

[Stratogibson]

*good

[tubious]

[GenerationKILL]

Well when i know somebody whos depressed and addicted to heroin, i'd think the same thing....

[avenged28]

...but it doesn't. Geniuses don't kill themselves when they're on top of the world.

Kurt didn't care that he was on top of the world. In fact, he hated being that famous. He was a very fragile and sensitive person and the tabloids and camera flashes made him feel infiltrated. Hes much like Layne Staley. Very shy and just wanted to make music that people could see the sincerity in. He never wanted to be a BIG mainstream band, neither did Dave and Krist, they wanted to make music that people could relate to. And ALOT of people can relate to Kurts music and lyrics so, I say hes a musical genius.