Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain by Charles R. Cross

Aug 02, 2007

Lorrie rated it

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Recommends it for: no one

I just noticed the average rating for this book was 4 stars. Yuck. The author does a decent job putting together Kurt Cobains' life and rise to fame. In the last chapters he takes "creative license" in describing Kurts' last moments, all the way to his suicide. It's disgusting. No one was there (that we know of). He has no right.

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Mar 30, 2008

Desy rated it

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Recommends it for: Kurt Cobain's & Nirvana's #1 fans

Shelves: kurtcobain, indonesian, biography

Baru selesai baca kemarin malam. Akhirnya selesai juga baca kisah si motornya Nirvana ini :D. Meski yang gua baca itu versi terjemahan bahasa Indonesianya, kayaknya gua pengen beli juga yang versi aslinya.

Bytheway. Buku ini cukup rinci nyeritain kisah hidup Kurt Cobain. Tentu beserta Nirvana n keluarganya. Pokoknya semua yang dirasa pernah ada hubungan dengan Kurt, dituangkan secara kronologis di buku ini. Si penulisnya melakukan 400 wawancara selama empat taun dengan orang-orang yan...more

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Mar 21, 2008

Kirk rated it

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Shelves: medium-warm

Interesting fact No. 1: KC's first concert was not the Melvins or some such punk band, but Sammy Hagar, who has shown surprisingly restraint in not naming a brand of tequila after the now-Converse branded icon.

That's just one reason why this book about The Voice of Your Generation is valuable: it's proof that no one is born punk or even cool, but that it's an attitude one accrues by hanging around the right crowd. That's why the real heroines here aren't named Courtney but first gir...more

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Jul 18, 2008

Whitney rated it

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Recommends it for: Nirvana/Hole fans

Recommended to Whitney by: Patt McManus

I had read Michael Azerad's "Come as You Are," the story of Nirvana way back in the day so I knew quite a bit about Kurt's life and the history of the band. This went a lot deeper and was compiled of many sources, family members and friends of the band and was a lot more true to life. Michael Azerad's book was based on interviews with the band, so it was mostly how the band wanted to portray themselves. This book made me decide that if I had known Kurt I would have thought him a lazy, ...more

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Dec 15, 2008

Kye Alfred Hillig rated it

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This booked disturbed me a bit. I know everyone wants to rape the corpse of Cobain but not me and admitting this is embarrassing but hey, we're all friends here. Reading it I saw a lot of myself in Kurt Cobain and it worried me. Am I going to blow my brains out? I certainly hope not. Maybe I related to him in the way that a lot of people did. Maybe he's just a common guy who was thrown into something bigger than him. At any rate Charles Cross really did his research and created a book that I ate...more

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Aug 14, 2007

Montgomery rated it

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Kurt Cobain was a constant whiner and self-mythogist who constantly complained that fame was thrust upon him. Cross spends the first half of the biography debunking the Cobain myths and demonstrating how heavily Kurt courted mainstream success. The second half of the book documents Cobain's downward spiral- it's really amazing that he had to kill himself with a shotgun when he got so close so many times with his "heroine." Fucked up, sad read about a man I idolized when I wasn't yet...more

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Feb 09, 2009

Kristopher Jansma rated it

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I read these two Kurt Cobain biographies as part of some research for my new novel, which I wanted to have some tangential connections to Nirvana and Cobain. I read both books along with completely-legally-paying-for (read downloading) all of Nirvana's B-Sides and Rarities and Home-recordings, etc. Actually both the books were quite interesting for very different reasons. Azerrad wrote his book while Cobain was still alive, and so only the epilogue (added later) even addresses his suicide. C...more

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Jan 23, 2012

Lily rated it

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Being a huge Nirvana fan, I am always searching for the perfect stories that let me into the lives of the performers. Heavier Than Heaven was the perfect escape into the depths of Kurt Cobain (late frontman of Nirvana)'s life.

Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain unravels the shocking story of Kurt Cobain, frontman of Nirvana and grunge hero. The story starts with the rebellious acts of young Cobain, and quickly accelerates to adolescent years when punk bands were ...more

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Dec 29, 2010

Jacobmartin rated it

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Shelves: 1990s, music, running-in-the-90s, biography, depressing-but-important, american-literature, historical-perspective, morbid, nightmare-fuel, rock-stars, gen-x

Normally you would consider Kurt Cobain to be "the voice of a generation", as in, "the voice of Generation X" - when in reality, he's also A voice for various generations that came after him. The internet really destroyed the idea of a cohesive generational identity, and Kurt Cobain was one of the last pre-Napster rock stars to ever be exploited horribly by the music industry as he lay in poverty while touring in vans and generally getting high on heroin even though he was me...moreNormally you would consider Kurt Cobain to be "the voice of a generation", as in, "the voice of Generation X" - when in reality, he's also A voice for various generations that came after him. The internet really destroyed the idea of a cohesive generational identity, and Kurt Cobain was one of the last pre-Napster rock stars to ever be exploited horribly by the music industry as he lay in poverty while touring in vans and generally getting high on heroin even though he was meant to be a father to his kid.

Kurt Cobain to me wasn't so much a man I idolised so much as being fascinated by. What drives a musician with his level of popularity to suicide when he had a lot he could have achieved beyond the morbid goal he set for himself at a young age to become a famous rock star and commit suicide?

Let me put it this way, as tragic as Hunter S. Thompson's death by his own hand was, he at least lived long enough to retain a legacy amongst several generations, and Thompson was barely MTV friendly - so he doesn't really have the same rock star burdens Kurt Cobain had. Thompson killed himself when he was round about sixty - Kurt Cobain was far younger which makes his death even more confusing because if he survived longer he could have been even more influential on the way music was made these days than the "he's popular because he's dead" vibe he tends to get picketed with by young people my age.

When I was around three or four, I heard the news of his death on the radio, but the euphemism "killed himself" registered in my brain as he had an accident rather than suicide. At least that's what I remember my parents telling me. It's probably what turned me into a graveyard visit loving baby-bat without makeup when I was a kid, I wasn't cool enough to be a goth but I certainly had the 'tude.

But to really immerse myself in the reading of this epic biography I listened to his music on my iTunes played on my computer nearby, all his albums I had were loaded into the player and I listened as I read, and soon enough I became immersed not just in the biography, but the music. The idea of Kurt Cobain as a musician really has to be separated from his tragic rock star legend for you to understand what this music really meant for alternative music and grunge in general. I don't mind grunge music, in fact, considering my limited musical experience I liked it in ways I couldn't appreciate properly as a teenager who listened to Nirvana played on late night Triple M radio (a Sydney rock station that in the early 2000s would play 1990s rock music like Metallica's Black Album and Nirvana stuff). At the time I had no idea Smells Like Teen Spirit was even a Nirvana song, they just played the tracks without telling you who the band was.

And I guess that was why I liked Nirvana's music better than I would have if I knew anything about that music going in - Kurt Cobain's music while heavily linked to his biographical details should be enjoyed in lieu of the tragedy his life really was. Especially since the details of his life exaggerated his actual experiences - a less polite way of saying it would be that Kurt just made shit up as he was going along to justify his experience as a tortured artist who wanted his parents to look bad.

Kurt Cobain may have been the Douchebag of the Decade as far as rock stars who treated their fans like scum when times were turbulent went, but he had a personality and a general style that's just fascinating to read about. Remember - this was a man who grew up without internet, so his experiences hunting down little artifacts of culture he enjoyed in his quieter moments really signify an age when you couldn't just order a realistic light up lightsaber off the internet like you can now. To be a cool dude who was into cool things, you had to know the right people and you had to really EARN it.

Cobain wasn't born cool, he gradually became cool because he lived through utterly bizarre circumstances. Don't even get me started about how angry I was at Courtney Love after reading this. If there was a Twilight-esque Team Whatever contest of people who allegedly ruined rock bands, between Team Yoko Ono and Team Courtney Love, I'm bloody sorry - but Yoko Ono wins out by default because she may have tried to secure her legacy by marrying John Lennon, but you know what? Yoko Ono never bonded with Lennon over drug abuse, nor was she anywhere near as controlling as Kurt's girlfriend who was referred to in the biography by one of Kurt's associates in the music biz as "a psycho hose beast".

I can honestly see why John Lennon liked Yoko a lot better than why Courtney and Kurt should have been together, because Kurt and Courtney are pretty much just as twisted a union and Edward Cullen and Bella Swan in the Twilight series. Thinking hard about it, "you're my personal brand of heroin" just got a whole lot creepier now I'm pondering it.

You can't really blame Kurt Cobain for being co-dependent on this woman though, he was very naive about his sexual politics to begin with, and I'm probably going to guess that poor Kurt was validated by Courtney's clinginess to him. Kurt's no saint either though - he did some pretty messed up things too. That's the problem with worshipping rock stars. They have feet of clay, and this biography portrays those feet very well crafted in the kiln that is the writing of a decent rock star bio.

I've never read a rock star bio before, and since Kurt Cobain in my mind was the one rock star I'd heard of that I knew was guaranteed to have a biography out on him, I chose this one for my brother's bookshop clerk girlfriend to send me for Christmas. I was not disappointed in this book in the least, it's a powerful study in how an artistically talented but kind of jerk-ass small town boy gets so famous without him even noticing how it affects people, because he withdrew inside himself so much nobody could really save him from himself.(less)

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Dec 01, 2010

tinabot tinabot rated it

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I published this on a music blog group called Future Rockstars of American (which is now dead I think):

I finished reading the biography of Kurt Cobain, Heavier Than Heaven written by Charles Cross, just in time for what would have been his 41st birthday. My conclusion?Kurdt (that’s how he liked to spell it) was a jerk!
Cortney Love had the crowd call him worse things when she read his suicide note to them.

I was not an active and avid fan of Nirvana when their singer Kurt...more

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Nov 16, 2010

Mindful Awareness rated it

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Not as incorrect as the movie "Last Days" likely was, but still leaves much to be desired. Regardless of whether or not I agree with the author's opinion that Kurt Cobain killed himself, this book was interesting to me because Kurt Cobain is.

It would have been impossible for anyone to create an accurate, chronological time-line of Kurt Cobain's life/experiences, given how spontaneous and dynamic he was, which is something this book makes apparent. In that regard this book...more

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Oct 04, 2010

Alex rated it

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Biography of Kurt Cobain:
A Troubled Genius
Is fame a blessing or a curse? Many people wonder what it is like to be famous. Kurt Cobain doesn’t need to.
One of the themes most prevalent throughout the Biography of Kurt Cobain was that you can achieve almost anything if you keep at it. You can achieve almost anything because Kurt’s record tops the charts, he becomes famous worldwide, and he never listened to anyone who said he couldn’t do it.
You can achieve almost anything...moreBiography of Kurt Cobain:
A Troubled Genius
Is fame a blessing or a curse? Many people wonder what it is like to be famous. Kurt Cobain doesn’t need to.
One of the themes most prevalent throughout the Biography of Kurt Cobain was that you can achieve almost anything if you keep at it. You can achieve almost anything because Kurt’s record tops the charts, he becomes famous worldwide, and he never listened to anyone who said he couldn’t do it.
You can achieve almost anything if you really try because Kurt’s record goes number one. As the text says, “And then, as if things weren’t turbulent enough, the news came that in the next issue of Billboard magazine, Nevermind would hit the No. 1 spot, pushing out Michael Jackson’s Dangerous.” Nirvana’s album was the biggest in the U.S. at one point. Kurt Cobain went from not being able to afford gas money to being the biggest artist in the United States. He was making money and was extremely successful. If someone who was born poor and dropped out of high school can become a rock star, then many other people can do big things if they just keep trying.
Another reason you can achieve almost anything is that Kurt became famous worldwide. This was proved when one of Kurt’s old friends said, “You’re really famous now, Cobain. You’re on TV, like, every three hours.” To be on TV at all is not that common. Every few hours means that you really are very famous and successful. To become that famous is a very low chance. Out of several billion people, to become a celebrity is remarkable. With all his hard work, he became one of those very fortunate few. This shows that you can be very successful if you pursue your dreams.
Finally, you can achieve almost anything that you keep at because Kurt never listened to anyone who said he would fail, and never quit. Kurt’s mother Wendy told him that he should quit music. He wasn’t making money at the time, and she was unimpressed by his early material. Many others also said he should have a job to fall back on. But he didn’t listen. If he had listened, we wouldn’t have had one of the biggest rock bands of the 90’s. He didn’t give up and he achieved his dream of success and worldwide fame.
Anyone can achieve almost anything because Kurt had a number one record, he became famous worldwide, and he didn’t listen to those who tried to bring him down. I can personally connect to his story because there have been moments where I have been determined to accomplish something. Several years ago, I was planning to go on a 14 mile hike. All of my friends said I wouldn’t last that long. But I didn’t listen to them and I kept my head high. I walked it the next day and proved everyone completely wrong. Kurt did the same thing by becoming a rock star and an icon of his generation.
Overall, I have learned that anyone can achieve anything, no matter what background or heritage they come from, no matter what their story is. People who stay determined will achieve great things in the end.
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Feb 03, 2010

Retno rated it

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Kurt Cobain adalah pemusik jenius di masa hidupnya yang pendek: 27 tahun.
Karirnya dengan Nirvana membuahkan karya yang depresif dan salah satu band yang menandai kelahiran jenis musik grunge.
Jalan hidupnya tidak patut dicontoh, tapi orang bisa belajar dari biografi ini. Bagaimana pribadi yang sulit seperti Kurt menghadapi perceraian orang tuanya, perjuangannya menghadapi sakit perut kronis yang tidak bisa disembuhkan dan ketika semua orang men"cintai" musik dan dirinya, sat...more

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Jan 25, 2010

Aenearisfine Gmailcom rated it

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Shelves: collected

'Give Me A Leonard Cohen', Kurt Cobain (1967-1994)

Kurt Cobain yang tenar, dengan lingkaran lampu menyorot raganya di panggung merasakan kosong yang penat. Katakanlah, bahwa ia memiliki segalanya yang melekat hingga pantas tuk disebut Rock Star. Tentu bukan Rock Star yang sekadar liar, bukan aliran musik Rock, yg bukan genre musik ia turuti dengan nada2, yang menghentak dan TARAAAA, menjadikan ia mendapat gelar terhormat itu. Kontroversi, digarisbawahi sebagai hal substantif yang ia p...more

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Jan 05, 2010

Josh rated it

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this book is almost equal parts fiction and Courtney Love approved versions of "actual events." it gives some information, but it should be taken with a grain of salt. there are TONS of proven historical errors. i don't blame the author for the misinformation, however, as he had to have everything cleared by Courtney Love. he did lose his credibility, though. i can't believe they used him on "busted circuits and ringing ears: the TAD story" dvd that came out a year ago.
...more

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May 15, 2009

M Mushthafa rated it

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URL: http://rindupulang.blogspot.com/2006/03/...

Satir Hidup tentang Popularitas

Popularitas menjadi impian hidup yang jamak menghinggapi kalangan muda yang menghirup udara awal milenia ketiga. Jika kesuksesan dapat didefinisikan, popularitas termasuk ke dalam salah satu ciri utamanya. Belakangan ini, di berbagai stasiun televisi kita gencar sekali disajikan tayangan-tayangan semacam reality show yang memikat kalangan muda dengan janji pemenuhan obsesi popularitas mereka.
...moreURL: http://rindupulang.blogspot.com/2006/03/...

Satir Hidup tentang Popularitas

Popularitas menjadi impian hidup yang jamak menghinggapi kalangan muda yang menghirup udara awal milenia ketiga. Jika kesuksesan dapat didefinisikan, popularitas termasuk ke dalam salah satu ciri utamanya. Belakangan ini, di berbagai stasiun televisi kita gencar sekali disajikan tayangan-tayangan semacam reality show yang memikat kalangan muda dengan janji pemenuhan obsesi popularitas mereka.
Tak banyak orang yang berpikir tentang sisi gelap popularitas. Popularitas terlalu sering diidentikkan dengan tahap pencapaian yang memungkinkan seseorang dapat menikmati hidup dengan segala kemudahan dan kenyamanannya.
Kisah hidup Kurt Cobain—vokalis kelompok Nirvana yang oleh majalah Rolling Stones dimasukkan ke dalam kategori 50 artis terbaik sepanjang masa—yang berakhir dengan tragedi bunuh diri dan dipaparkan dengan baik dalam buku ini dari cara pandang tertentu menunjukkan kepada kita betapa popularitas ternyata juga menyimpan sisi-sisi kelam yang kadang terasa absurd. Dengan cara pandang semacam ini, kita akan semakin mengerti bahwa para idola termasyhur yang dipuja-puja itu juga tak lebih dari manusia biasa.
Kurt Cobain lahir di Aberdeen, sebuah kota yang khas dengan industri penggergajian di negara bagian Washington, 20 Februari 1967. Sejak kecil ia sudah memperlihatkan berbagai bakat dan kecerdasannya, baik di bidang olahraga maupun seni. Kurt masuk dan berperan besar dalam tim bisbol dan gulat di sekolah. Dia juga sangat menyukai pelajaran seni dan senang melukis.
Tapi kehidupan Kurt dalam keluarganya begitu suram, terutama sejak perceraian kedua orang tuanya ketika dia berusia sembilan tahun. Peristiwa ini menjadi bencana emosional terbesar dalam hidupnya. Kurt jadi membenci kedua orang tuanya. Apalagi ketika ayahnya menikah lagi dan ibunya berpacaran dengan pemuda yang umurnya hanya 7 tahun lebih tua darinya. Peristiwa ini mengubah Kurt menjadi sosok pemurung, tertutup, dan berandal. Kurt kemudian mulai berkenalan dengan dunia obat-obatan hingga akhirnya putus sekolah.
Jalan menuju popularitas Kurt di jalur musik juga tak mudah diraih. Di masa-masa awal sebelum sukses, Kurt bersama personel Nirvana lainnya kadang harus menempuh jarak ratusan hingga ribuan mil untuk melangsungkan konser promosi album pertamanya, Bleach. Penontonnya pun kadang cuma 20 atau belasan orang. Bayarannya hanya cukup untuk mengganti bensin.
Tapi semua perjuangan keras Kurt terbayar ketika album kedua Nirvana, Nevermind, hadir dengan hentakan dahsyat sehingga menggoncang peta musik internasional. Album yang dirilis September 1991 itu dengan cepat berhasil bertengger di puncak teratas tangga lagu Billboard, menggeser Dangerous-nya Michael Jackson. Seiring dengan itu pula, popularitas Kurt dan Nirvana mencuat luar biasa.
Pada titik inilah kemudian pelan-pelan mulai terlihat sisi-sisi suram popularitas sebagaimana dialami Kurt. Sikap dan gaya hidup Kurt yang memang penuh kontradiksi dan kontroversi, keterlibatannya dengan dunia narkoba, yang menurut pengakuan Kurt juga dipicu oleh penyakit perut yang dideritanya sejak lama, serta kisah kehidupan keluarganya dengan Courtney Love, semua menjadi bahan menarik untuk diangkat media. Pemberitaan dari tabloid The Globe dan majalah Vanity Fair tak lama setelah kelahiran anaknya, Frances, misalnya, bagi Kurt dan istrinya tampak seperti penghakiman bahwa keduanya tak berhak mengasuh anaknya itu, dengan mengabaikan kenyataan bahwa Frances lahir dengan sehat. Karena itulah, pada tingkat tertentu, Kurt kadang mengalami semacam paranoid terhadap media, khawatir bila ternyata apa yang diberitakan tentangnya justru sesuatu yang tak ia sukai—entah itu karena berupa fitnah maupun semacamnya.
Rasa putus asa dalam mengatasi problem kecanduannya serta untuk memperbaiki kehidupan keluarganya, baik dalam relasinya dengan kedua orang tuanya maupun keluarganya sendiri, mengantarkan Kurt pada satu kondisi depresi yang luar biasa. Akhirnya, di awal April 1994, Kurt ditemukan bunuh diri di rumahnya dengan meledakkan kepalanya sambil mengkonsumsi obat-obatan, setelah beberapa hari sebelumnya kabur dari rumah sakit di Los Angeles tempat ia dirawat untuk mengatasi kecanduannya.
Meninggalnya Kurt akibat bunuh diri ini menambah daftar panjang para artis dan orang-orang ternama lainnya yang mengakhiri hidupnya dengan cara yang tragis itu. Sebelumnya tercatat nama Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, dan Janis Joplin, para musisi yang secara kebetulan sama-sama meninggal di usia 27 tahun—seperti juga Kurt.
Charles R Cross menyajikan kisah hidup Kurt Cobain dalam buku ini dengan cukup detail dan komprehensif. Dengan dibagi ke dalam dua puluh empat bab, Cross mengimbuhkan catatan keterangan waktu dan tempat di tiap awal bab, sehingga pembaca akan cukup mudah menelusuri alur hidup Kurt. Cross, yang menjadi editor di majalah musik The Rocket ini, cukup berhasil memperlihatkan berbagai segi manusiawi Kurt, seorang artis terkemuka yang gema pengaruhnya hingga kini masih terasa, terutama di kalangan muda. Segi-segi manusiawi yang penuh lika-liku dari jejak kehidupan Kurt disampaikan dengan keahlian bertutur yang indah dan menawan; tentang perjuangan Kurt yang berkreasi dengan penuh kerja keras di dunia musik, bagaimana karya-karya musiknya itu lahir, Kurt kecil dan remaja yang merasa terabaikan dan terbuang di keluarganya, Kurt yang merasa dieksploitasi oleh media dan para penggemarnya, serta hubungan-hubungan kemanusiaan yang rumit antara Kurt dengan orang di sekelilingnya. Cross cukup berhasil menuturkan semua itu dengan keterlibatan emosi yang mendalam, sehingga pembaca buku ini dapat berempati dan masuk ke relung suasana setiap peristiwa.
Kelebihan utama buku ini lebih terlihat karena Cross berhasil menghimpun dan mengolah segudang data yang cukup berharga tentang kehidupan Kurt itu sendiri. Cross dalam buku ini tidak sedang bergosip atau sekadar menyajikan isu-isu murahan tak berdasar tentang kehidupan Kurt. Empat ratus wawancara dengan berbagai pihak yang terlibat dengan kehidupan pribadi dan karier Kurt di dunia musik dilakukan Cross selama sekitar empat tahun. Belum lagi berbagai arsip dan dokumen penting berkaitan dengan Kurt yang ditelusuri Cross, seperti catatan medis dan kepolisian, serta catatan harian yang ditulis Kurt sendiri. Kegigihan menelisik dan mengolah data inilah yang sebenarnya memang sangat dibutuhkan seseorang dalam menulis sebuah buku berjenis biografi, karena hanya dengan begitu sebuah buku biografi akan dapat tampil bertenaga dan tersaji secara baik—seperti buku ini.
Meski diterjemahkan secara keroyokan oleh tiga orang, buku ini cukup enak dibaca. Pilihan kata dan strukturnya sengaja dibuat lebih populer, sehingga dalam dialog-dialognya kita akan banyak menjumpai kata-kata yang tidak baku, seperti “kalo”, “ancur”, dan sebagainya. Beberapa ungkapan bahasa Inggris yang dalam konteks Indonesia saat ini juga sedang populer dan sering digunakan sehari-hari, seperti ungkapan “so what?”, oleh penerjemahnya tetap dibiarkan dalam bahasa Inggris. Dengan cara ini, suasana dan karakter tokoh-tokoh di buku ini, yang kebanyakan memang anak muda, menjadi lebih kental terasa.

* Tulisan ini dimuat di Harian Media Indonesia, Sabtu, 8 April 2006
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May 15, 2009

Daniel Solera rated it

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Shelves: biography-memoir, pop-culture

For a long time, I have wanted to read about the life of Kurt Cobain. Not only was he one of the most important pop-culture figures of my adolescence, but his enigmatic personality, cryptic lyrics and almost mythical status piqued my curiosity. Charles Cross' biography does the man and his work justice.

At 365 pages, it's a little longer than I had anticipated, but not a single chapter is worth skipping. Cross describes Cobain's life with careful attention to detail, even cross-refer...more

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Jun 26, 2011

C.V. Hunt rated it

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This book is compilation of a man’s life from interviews and speculation. But… it is the only way to compile 27 years of the unknown into 365 pages. At the end of every beings life, the only person that truly knows what happened is the being that is living that life.

I’m reminded of a line from the movie Donnie Darko, “Every living creature on earth dies alone.”

Kurt was unhappy. There are not too many people that I know that can truly say that they are 100% happy with their ...more

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May 03, 2011

Cara Ellison rated it

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Shelves: biography

Well, now I'm obsessed. To be totally objective, I was hovering on the obsession line for a while. I love Nirvana, and Kurt Cobain specifically, so when I picked up Heavier Than Heaven, I thought I'd just get a better understanding of the subject.

Newp. Not so easy. This book reads like a novel. It sucks you in, chomps down on your guts with shark jaws, shakes you around, and then suddenly releases you into the calm black depths of total obsession.

This portrait of Kur...moreWell, now I'm obsessed. To be totally objective, I was hovering on the obsession line for a while. I love Nirvana, and Kurt Cobain specifically, so when I picked up Heavier Than Heaven, I thought I'd just get a better understanding of the subject.

Newp. Not so easy. This book reads like a novel. It sucks you in, chomps down on your guts with shark jaws, shakes you around, and then suddenly releases you into the calm black depths of total obsession.

This portrait of Kurt Cobain is not objective. Of course. But I found the point of view agreeable; it seemed to reinforce my idea of Cobain's internal workings. There were one or two parts where I could practically hear Courtney Love screaming her editorial suggestions in the background. These parts were just slightly too favorable to her. For instance, when Courtney Love told Vogue that she did heroin while she was pregnant. When Frances was born, she was taken away from her parents for several long weeks. There is a quote about the anti-drug culture that cracked me up because it was so absurd: that there was a "mistaken impression" that one could not be a heroin addict and a good parent. No, sorry, Courtney, it isn't a mistaken impression. If you're doing heroin while pregnant, you're by definition not a fit parent.

In any case, I was very happy when they got Frances back; the love both parents had for the child was evident. The loving commitment and the perfect fit between Kurt and Courtney also surprised me - in many ways they reminded me of Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes because they borrowed each other's lines, sang each other's songs, and seemed to be deeply compatible. The artistic symbiotic relationship was the hallmark of the Plath-Hughes union. It was a pleasure to read about another similar relationship.

The author takes a few liberties at the very last of the book; he could not possibly know Cobain's tortured thoughts while he pondered while shooting up and then holding the gun to his mouth. But man, when he did pull the trigger, the words on the page scorched me to the bone, and I wept. I wept for the sweet boy Cobain was, the brilliant artist, the husband and father. I wept because it was a shame to lose it all.

And I wept because, like Plath, I believe that it was inevitable. A date with destiny.

This was a moving, illuminating book. Anyone who loves stories about complex, complicated artists will appreciate it. Those who already like Cobain will be seduced -- then obsessed.(less)

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Jan 10, 2010

TwilightNewborn rated it

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First off, what i really liked about this book was that didn't let the "legend" of Kurt Cobain get in the way of the hard truths that led to his downfall. The psychology of Cobain that Charles Cross presents makes a lot of sense to why this man spiraled into drugs and death (i.e., suicidal thoughts in his teens, chronic homelessness, family history of suicide). Most importantly, it dispelled in lingering notion I may have had about a murder conspiracy (which were mostly the result of ...more

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Aug 02, 2009

Maggie Tiojakin rated it

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The other day I was telling a good friend of mine about this book and how she should read it, because she's a big fan of Kurt Cobain -- or Nirvana, to be exact -- by summing up my experience in two short sentences / expressions: "It's so fucked up, it's cool!" And which later drew laughter from us both because we knew that we are the only two people we know who understand what that phrase means, or supposed to mean. I wish I had come up with something better, more intellectual, analyti...more

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Nov 23, 2009

Simon rated it

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Charles R. Cross centers his biography around Kurt Cobain's position as lead singer of Nirvana, a pinnacle grunge rock band of the 90's. The book opens with stories of Cobain's delinquency, unhappiness, and lethargy as a child and during his adolescent years. Cobain is portrayed as a cursed survivor of this period. Few thought he would have success, and his career proved less important to him than the self-destructive impulses that eventually, with his suicide, took his life. Cobain's emergence...more

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Aug 26, 2008

Elmo rated it

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Recommends it for: piet

Shelves: oh-i-see

The last book i read was a great.. but also bad n cruel in my own way of opinion. read it already on 2005 in the original one.. but the freeze never felt like this before.. kurt with music which influencing me still.. kurt with ur video w/ most all of it was always ended w/ everything broken 'n crash '.. why U gone so soon?? its so book whose read with 'miserable'story

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May 21, 2011

Jessie rated it

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Shelves: 50-book-challenge-2011, 5-stars, non-fiction

After reading two depressing biographies about dead rock stars, I'm starting to question my own sanity.

I was absolutely obsessed with Nirvana when I was in middle school. By the time I entered ninth grade, The Smashing Pumpkins would be my favorite band. But as someone who came of age in the mid to late 90s, there was no way to disown Nirvana completely. Their music wasn't just the soundtrack to my life for a couple of years. It was a part of my life in a way that I don't think any...moreAfter reading two depressing biographies about dead rock stars, I'm starting to question my own sanity.

I was absolutely obsessed with Nirvana when I was in middle school. By the time I entered ninth grade, The Smashing Pumpkins would be my favorite band. But as someone who came of age in the mid to late 90s, there was no way to disown Nirvana completely. Their music wasn't just the soundtrack to my life for a couple of years. It was a part of my life in a way that I don't think any other band has been. There are bands I've listened to a lot more than Nirvana over the years-I've probably listened to Pearl Jam's Ten hundreds of times since I first bought it in 94-but I don't think I would put any of them in the same category as Nirvana. Their music is more than just music, even to the casual fan who can remember 1994. It's something that is so ingrained in our psyche that even 17 years later, someone like me would even bother to read Heavier Than Heaven.

I read Michael Azzerad's "official" Nirvana biography, Come As You Are, a number of years ago, and was expecting this book to be more of the same. While Come As You Are is a satisfactory biography of Nirvana, it was written when Kurt Cobain was alive, and really doesn't do much more than scratch the surface when it comes to things like Kurt's childhood and his drug use. Heavier Than Heaven does refer to Come As You Are a couple of times, almost as if it is asking the reader to spot the differences. The differences are many. So many, in fact, that at times I wondered if I had read about some of these things in Come As You Are and had just completely forgotten about them.

I don't think that any one book or piece of writing on Kurt can really tell the whole story, but I think that Heavier Than Heaven tells a lot of it. I would also recommend reading Chuck Klosterman's essay "Oh, the Guilt" if you are looking for additional insight. Ironically, this essay compares Kurt Cobain to David Koresh, but it touches on a lot of the factors that probably ultimately led to Kurt's suicide.

I think I'm going to read something a little less serious now.(less)

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Dec 08, 2011

Lauren rated it

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When I moved to Seattle, I felt it necessary to acquaint myself with Nirvana. I surprised myself by not only knowing most of their songs, but also by becoming a huge Nirvana fan. Soon after I memorized all their songs, I decided to pick up a biography of Kurt Cobain. I headed on over to Pike Place (where there are three bookstores!) and found Heavier Than Heaven. It was a fantastic read. The author was able to create the picture of Kurt's life easily, without losing me at any point. It's amazing...more

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Dec 31, 2008

Nikki rated it

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I thought that the author put a little too much "poor me" kind of a spin on Cobain's life, but what do I know? I'm not a writer...

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Apr 23, 2011

Arnoldis added it · review of another edition

I'm a little disappointed on how how Cross potrays Kurt towards the end. He makes it appear as if he was Kurt's best friend and he understod. He also sort of confirms all the rumors that Kur was a junkie and made him seem like the bad guy in his and courtney's relationship. Since he got this kinda information mostly from Courtney Love herself, she might have twisted it so that she may appear to e victim. I also detest how he stated Kurt took his own life. No one knows that so it's not really his...more

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Dec 06, 2009

Edgar Barcenas rated it

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A few day ago i finished reading Kurt Cobain Heavier Than Heaven. This book is very enteresting. He had a diffrent life than other people.He had a ok childhood. Started out good and little by little it started to be bad for Kurt. For example this part of the story (which also made me realize How he got into playing music), is that he would go to his unties house and play the guitar and browse threw their album records. Also he would bang the drums but hated it becuase his drums were plastic. As ...moreA few day ago i finished reading Kurt Cobain Heavier Than Heaven. This book is very enteresting. He had a diffrent life than other people.He had a ok childhood. Started out good and little by little it started to be bad for Kurt. For example this part of the story (which also made me realize How he got into playing music), is that he would go to his unties house and play the guitar and browse threw their album records. Also he would bang the drums but hated it becuase his drums were plastic. As he got older his father Don Cobain left his job to find onother and his mother would stay and take care of him.

Later when he got older i was suprised what he got. He developed a disorder called ADHD which is a hyper tension disorder. for short TOO HYPER. How, hed be outside screaming and running banging on a drum. "I never know Kurt Cobain had ADHD wow thats shocking". Who knew he had ADHD?

When he was almost a teen His perants got in fights. One day when they went to Kurts room they found a poem that talks about he hating his perants. The poem was called "I hate mom, I hate Dad". Later he started to get into band mode, which means making his band. He had 2 other members which was Dale (drummer) and Krist (bass).

There was only one problem in the band Dale woulfd not make it to band practice. That was a problem with the band, band practice. After missing many days of band practice Kurt and Krist decided to get a new drummer his name was Chad, (which also played with the Foo Fighters later on in the years). They started to play and rehers to become a band named Nirvana "ya". They made many songs like for example some songs that did not make it Oh, The Guilt. Also some songs that made it to hit singles like Smells Like Teen Spirit. After years of playing Kurt Cobain Comitted Suicide. So the rest of the band member moved on.

I liked this book becuase 1: Nirvana is my favorite band. I learned so much from this book. I never knew some things the Cobain had threw out his life. I think The theme of this book is "NIRVANA was, NIRVANA does, and NIRVANA will always be until the end". Which means to overall You do or start something you will completed to the end.

I recommend this book to Nirvana fans or people who want to know Kurt Cobains life". Read this book it is awlsome.Hope you like this bio book.

(less)

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Jan 24, 2012

Sayuri rated it

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Overall it was a good book - Cobain was an interesting, deeply troubled, and empathetic individual and I enjoyed reading about his life. However, I had two problems with it. 1) Much of the story was mainly told through Courtney Love's perspective, which makes the story-telling narrow. But what I really didn't like was 2) the author chose to go into details of Cobain's suicide. Details were all the little things he did before he pulled the trigger, like when he smoked his last cigarette, TV s...more

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Jul 02, 2007

Djayawarman Alamprabu rated it

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Recommends it for: all the musician

Shelves: rockandroll, bio

Kurt have a very intriguing life that makes him a very good song writer and a perfect soul for rock and roll. The Man Who changed The Rock History. If you realy and artist you have to learn the very secret and depth of this Rock Star

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