BuzzSugar

15 Years Later: Remembering Kurt Cobain

BuzzSugar — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 13:30:44 -0700

On April 5, 1994, Kurt Cobain, the enigmatic lead singer of Seattle's successful grunge-era band Nirvana, took his own life. I can't believe it was 15 years ago today because it still feels like just yesterday that my little teen self was trying to process this terrible news. I listed Nevermind as one of my favorite albums of all time in part because "Smells Like Teen Spirit" seemingly came out of nowhere to capture all my adolescent angst in one song.

Many of Cobain's lyrics seemed nonsensical or hard to decipher but there was something about the raw emotion in his voice that hit a global nerve. After only three years in the spotlight his death unleashed a shock wave that reverberates to this day.

Do you remember where you were when this news broke? How did his music affect you?

After the jump I've included some of my favorite performances by the band on MTV's Unplugged. Rocking out to Nirvana is good times, but there was something so stunning about the band's stripped down Unplugged performance, I thought it would be an appropriate way to look back. To watch, read more.

"All Apologies":

Nirvana - New Music - More Music Videos

"The Man Who Sold the World":

Nirvana - New Music - More Music Videos

Source

Kurt Cobain Toy: Love It or Hate It?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 07:30:00 -0800

Bella recently stumbled across this Kurt Cobain toy from National Entertainment Collectibles. The $23 figure is based on Nirvana's appearance on MTV's Unplugged and shows Cobain in jeans and a gray sweater, hunched over his guitar.

I'm not sure how to feel about this, so I'm turning to you: Is the Kurt toy a sweet tribute to a musical icon - or is it a tacky way to capitalize on Cobain's death?

Source

James McAvoy to Play Kurt Cobain?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 07:30:00 -0700

When first I heard of this project to turn the Kurt Cobain biography Heavier Than Heaven into a biopic at the urging of Courtney Love, it was in conjunction with Ewan McGregor's name as the actor who might be taking on the role of the Nirvana frontman. Recently the project acquired a production company, so it's definitely happening. But McGregor's name is nowhere to be found.

Instead, there are reports that James McAvoy might be the man who plays the troubled Cobain, a suggestion that I find bizarre. I love McAvoy as an actor and I think he's adorable, but to play Kurt Cobain? He'd make a very elfin grunge rocker, in my opinion.

What do you think about this news? Should McAvoy be cast? Should Ewan McGregor be cast? Should anyone be playing Kurt Cobain in the first place?

McAvoy photo source

Things That Make Me Feel Old: The Nirvana Baby Turns 16

BuzzSugar — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 08:30:00 -0700

Happy 16th birthday, floating Nirvana baby! Otherwise known as Spencer Elden, this boy will forever be known to many as the underwater baby on the cover of Nirvana's album Nevermind.

According to an interview Elden did with NME in 2006, he's a fan of Nirvana, saying "Most bands around today can't even get near to what Nirvana did on that album, and I'll always be happy to be a part of it." It's a good thing this kid grew up to like Nirvana. Imagine if he didn't?

I wasn't all that old when Nevermind came out, but it's still jarring to see the teenage version of a baby I thought would forever be floating nakedly toward that dollar bill, and possibly drowning a little. In honor of this momentous occasion, I'm going to go listen to "Lithium" and see if I can't dredge up some leftover angst.

Source

Are the Kurt Cobain/Doc Martens Ads Offensive?

BuzzSugar — Fri, 25 May 2007 09:29:12 -0700

By now you have probably either seen or heard about these Dr Martens advertisements featuring Kurt Cobain and other deceased musicians sporting some Doc Martens boots while floating in heaven. The campaign apparently has something to do with the boots being "made to last," and the ad agency that made them (Saatchi & Saatchi) stood by the images, calling them "edgy." Meanwhile, the Dr Martens company is denying they had anything to do with the ads being run and has actually fired Saatchi as a result of their poor judgment. It's pretty obvious Cobain would have never agreed to this so what do you think? Are these ads offensive?

Ewan McGregor May Play Kurt Cobain

BuzzSugar — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 16:12:10 -0800

Having recently acquired the rights to the biography Heavier Than Heaven about her late husband Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love is apparently in talks to make a movie about Cobain's life, Virgin.net reports. Who could possibly play Cobain on the big screen? Ewan McGregor is reportedly at the top of the list of actors being considered for the part. According to the article:

[Love] confirmed the project was in "an embryonic stage" and was being discussed with several film studios.

She wrote on fansite moonwashedrose.com: "It has no script and no director attached, but if the movie is made it will of course be an A-list and high-end film."

Biopics about musicians' lives - including Ray, Walk the Line, and the rumored Freddie Mercury movie starring Johnny Depp - seem to be all the rage these days. This one makes me particularly sad, however, as I still freshly remember how tragic it was when Cobain died.

McGregor seems like a smart choice, but can a Hollywood "high-end film" truly capture the gritty, terrifying truth of Cobain's sadness without trivializing it? It's good to know that Courtney Love will be involved in the making of the movie, though I still have fears that it won't do Cobain's life and death justice. What do you guys think?