Journals

Rating:
Summary: Curiosity VS. morals.... The dilemma that fans face....
Review: I can't help but be faced by a major dilemma when considering the purchase of this book. As a die-hard fan of Nirvana (i was in high school in their prime and i can recall exactly where i was at the moment of Kurt's death)... i am remarkably CURIOUS to read the words of this beautiful man. But at the same time... GUILT eats at me when i think about buying it. I feel like i am handing over money for someone's soul.

The book is BEAUTIFULLY made. The dust jacket/cover is designed by Chip Kidd (author of the Cheese Monkeys and desginer of many-a-cool dust jackets). The jacket is a glossy, glossy black with just the simple words "Kurt Cobain, Journals" in red and pink. And then underneath the jacket, it looks just like a "Mead" notebook - the front red, and the back the manilla color of a notebook.
The inside is high quality color reproductions of the pages - whole - with the spirals visible.
Most of the pages are not dated, either by Cobain himself or by the editor.
The book is rather large - think coffee table book - not actual notebook or a book you'd carry around and read page by page on the subway.

All in all - the display at the book store looked like an arrangement of funeral notices - and there were many people browsing... but i didn't see anybody buying.
I am curious and i'd love to own a piece of K.C. - but it just doesn't seem right to BUY a piece of his soul in this manner... Thanks, but No Thanks. Rest in Peace.

Rating:
Summary: absolutely fascinating...
Review: a very insightful view into the world of Nirvana's front man. The journal entries are scans of the actual notebook/piece of paper used, in Kurt's own handwriting. There is also a helpful section in the back, should you have trouble reading certain pages. Though, in a way, I feel this violates Kurt's privacy, at the same time it brings this "voice of a generation" down to a very human level. This book also contains drafts of many Nirvana lyrics, and some GREAT illustrations by Kurt. Thanks go to all who were part of this effort. BUY IT. IT'S GREAT.

Rating:
Summary: Great insight into tortured brilliance, but not right
Review: People have and will be debating whether or not releasing Kurt's journals (and bear in mind that this is only a collection of a portion of Kurt's journals that Courtney has allowed to be reproduced, so don't expect answers to all of the gnawing questions that will be plaguing fans' minds for years) is moral or ethical, and to put it simply "no" it is not ethical at all.

But, should this keep you from reading them? "No" As I said, Courtney has control over what is released, therefore do not expect anything too earth shattering. You will learn alot about Kurt, his frame of mind, and his obsessions, but there will be nothing that will change the face of rock n' roll like "Nevermind" did and you will not learn anything about the nagging rumors regarding the final days of Kurt or Nirvana and ths Journals only add fuel to the fire of the mythology surrounding Kurt's tragic death....


Rating:
Summary: review
Review: Some of you people need to calm down and get a grip, dont be all like " well I dont think Kurt Cobain would like this, and its Courtneys scheme" so be it. If you despise it so much dont buy it.

I will admit i was to young to remember his suicide, but after reading a book on him I found he was a simple and amazing man who had a passion for what he did. I love every one of his songs. Im not saying im better at guitar than him, but he was a kinda crappy guitarist, but an amazing and inspiring song writer. I like to this man is my hero. BUY JOURNALS BUY JOURNALS BUY JOURNALS BUY JOURNALS!

Rating:
Summary: courtney did what she did..
Review: From the reviews...courtney love did what she did to preserve the private life of kurt and herself and probably many other things, so she took out stuff she didnt want the whole world to know!! It seems like everyone wants to know EVERYthing about kurt, life can't be like that. IT seems like she keeps the stuff mainly about rock and roll and music...less the personal experiences...its a JOURNAL!. This is all based off the reviews, honestly I havent read the book, but people told me about it.

Rating:
Summary: disgusting.
Review: I've been a Nirvana fan since the first note. I love every sound ever made by Kurt Cobain and to think that Courtney Love can get away with releasing his PERSONAL journals makes me pretty sick. IT makes me even sicker that people can justify being a Nirvana fan and reading these, let alone buying such a corporate object. If you respect Kurt Cobain you will listen to his music, read his lyrics, not read the journals that he wrote in private and without a doubt wished to stay private. Dont be fooled into believing these were released as a way to understand Cobain more, These were realeased to make MONEY.

Rating:
Summary: Incredible...
Review: I myself mildly pondered many of the "moral" issues that have been brought to light in previous reviews. Some say that its wrong to read through the man's journals as it was not his wish that they be read. (Or so it is said.) But after truly considering the matter its quite obvious that they were MEANT to be read. Honestly, would he have written them down in the first place were it not the case? Our journals are merely records of our thoughts, desires, emotions, and the reason we keep those records in the very first place is for posterity. We do it, whether conciously or not, to secure a bit of immortality, no matter how small. In the end after our body and all of our material possessions have rotted away the last thing that will remain of us is our words. When our musings are kept from the eyes of the curious and interested, they die, and when they die, so do we. Reading Kurt's journals is no more invasive or disrespectful than popping a Nirvana CD into our stereo and listening to his music. Both music and written word bare his soul to the stage of the world with equal intensity. They are simply presented in different manners.

That said, I found Journals to be an absolutely ethereal read. It was an incredible peek into his thoughts and true person that I never could possibly have recieved from any television show, magazine article, or bullsh*t biography written by an overweight over-paid writer. It is honestly a purer and clearer picture of Kurt Cobain than I ever could have possibly imagined. Perhaps its not as easy to interpret as the glossy pages of Rolling Stone, but its there. Within the covers of this book lie the true magic and power of his soul. You just have to read a little between the scribbled lines of poetry and notes-to-self to see it. For the person who truly wants to understand Kurt Cobain, I highly recommend this as the perfect place to start.


Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: If you think you knew Kurt Cobain, Journals will set you straight.

Excellent writing, about the enigma of Kurt.

Rating:
Summary: A must have for songwriters.
Review: Basically it's Kurt's scrapbook. As the box set of his demos finally sees the light of day, I'm sure people are going to look into getting this book as well. If you have bought the box set, get this book as well.

All songwriters have a journal with them at all times. You never know when an idea is going to hit you. Many Denny's napkins hang in the Rock Hall and Hard Rock Cafes around the world proving that... I think that if you're starting out in a rock band and want to see how a song can come together, Kurt does write out a decent road map on the lyrics end of it.

I don't think it's a "great" book or essential book (except for people who are songwriters, I feel this one is more useful for them) as much as it is an insight (although I'm sure edited for obvious reasons) of a young guy in a band who writes songs, scraps of poems, drawings (lots of fetuses) criticisms of the day about other bands, his favorite bands and songs, set lists, fliers, rough drafts of album covers, etc. But I would search out Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan's recently released bio, and Lou Reed's collected lyrics as well as this one. I don't feel any of them in particular will make you a great songwriter, but they all serve as tools to a craft.

I think most people bought the book to see if there were hints that he was going to kill himself, and I guess if you look hard enough you'll find it, but not as much as him growing bored with being in a successful band under the limelight. You do sense that he tries to hold on to what integrity he has left as he plays the big venues and does big budget videos.

The only other thing I can say about the "Journals" is to check out some of the bands he's mentioning... they're just as important as any of the songs he did with Nirvana...

Even if you don't like Nirvana, it'll serve as a guide what NOT to do in that case.

Rating:
Summary: Not Really
Review: I am a big Nirvana fan, I had concitered over the last year or so weather or not to buy Journals. So I bought a used copy. I know that Kurt would have not wanted his writings published, HOWEVER... Seeming that it has been so edited by Courtney, It hardley can be concitered Kurts private thoughts. More like words he once wrote and Courtney organized to how she saw fit. To Boycott Journals because of Courtney Love is one thing, But to do it because its "raping" Kurt is ludacrist, Courtney is the real Author of this book.