One of the most marking thing in my life has been the passing of Kurt Cobain in the 90s. I don't really know why this event was so important to me as a 17 year old. It was a man that died under questionable circumstances at the other side of the world—I was in the Netherlands at the time—but since music was such an important part of my life, grunge in particular, perhaps a decade passed before I listened to another Nirvana song.
When I read the letter that Steve Albini wrote to Nirvana about producing their last album, it struck a chord, particularly the phrase "If a record takes more than a week to make, somebody's f######g up. Oi!" Albini actually presses this point for most of the first two pages and it fits how I feel about Nirvana and about good music. It has to be spontaneous and raw, rather than over-produced and clinical, in order to really touch your soul.
Even if you're not into Nirvana, I think that what Steve Albini writes is interesting and relevant to whole bunch more in life than just one band. So check that out.
I hope that I've stated my love for Nirvana enough. While it isn't a band that I listen to frequently, once a year would be generous, there are plenty of bands that are inspired by them and they did have that raw talent that is hard to reproduce. It was unique for its time, much like Bob Dylan was unique for the 60s (perhaps more on him at another time).
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