KURT COBAIN: A LOOK AT WHAT HAS BEEN

You may have seen the buzz about how Kurt Cobain would have been 45 this year. All I know is the aftermath - his icon status - because when he died I was only 10 years old. So it's interesting now, to get some perspective on what the rise and fall of Nirvana really looked like.  

Last week I watched Cameron Crowe's Pearl Jam documentary - PJ20 - where  Nirvana and Kurt came up a few times. (Watch the clip below) It talked a lot about the pressures of fame, how Kurt struggled with it and the rivalry between Nirvana and Pearl Jam, which could perhaps more accurately be described as a symbiotic relationship where they make each other better and appeal to the same audience.

All the recent press around Kurt's birthday and the happenstance encounter in PJ20 has given me a sense how Nirvana was able to breakthrough and capture mainstream America's attention with their subversive message, particularly on "Smells Like Teen Spirit".

BTW - Andy Rooney's snarky, condescending social commentary on Cobain's death makes my skin crawl.