A must-read. Thrill! to the sound of Townshend stroking his own ego. Laugh! at the presumptuous pomposity of his opinions. Cry! as you realize he's absolutely right.
What follows appear to be the scribblings of a crazed and depressed drug-addict in the midst of what those of us who have been through drug rehab describe as 'stinking thinking'. That is, the resentful, childish, petulant and selfish desire to accuse, blame and berate the world for all its wrongs, to wish to escape, or overcome and, finally, to take no responsibility for any part of the ultimate downfall. Me? An expert? Of course. Been there, done that.
And don't miss the link at the bottom, wherein the Observer publishes excepts from the diaries.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Paul
At least Kurt died before he became Pete Townshend.
2 - Martin
The one thing I couldn't get over was the fact that Pete Townshend, a rock dinosaur from the 60's, was actually chosen to do the review in the first place. They'd have been better off asking the Queen.
3 - Nigel
It's obvious why he was asked, seeing how his most famous line had been so casually subverted by Cobain's throwaway comment. It's why he thought he could say anything that wouldn't reaffirm his own irrelevance to anything that has gone on since the mid 60s that's the question.
4 - Matt Rinne
I don't know anything about Pete Townshend or what he has to do with Kurt Cobain, or why Cobain didn't want to turn into Townshend, but I have just one question. Is it morally correct to read Cobain's journals? I am having a hard time with this. I wouldn't want someone to read my journals, if I had them, but I am very intrigued by him so I would like to check it out. Advice? Email me for an answer. Ringo_96@hotmail.com
5 - Eric Olsen
Matt, I understand your concerns about the journals. The situation is that those who control Cobain's estate (Courtney) have decided it's in his (and her) best interest to publish them, so go ahead and read if you are interested.
6 - aubrey
i had same concerns as matt with the journals. i want to read them so badly, however, i'd kill whoever read my journals. i guess what with being human and all, i shall end up reading them.
7 - Wargasm
I like Pete Townshend but I find it strange that he cleary sees how silly these scibblings are really but he takes one stupid line from the whole thing so literally. My guess it was just something that Kurt wrote at random and it could have been Bowie, Jagger, McCartney or any other older rocker in his spot...
8 - Seth
To post my thoughts on this I onley have to quote Kurt himself. "Within the months between October 1991 through December 92, I have had four notebooks filled with two years worth of poetry and personal writing ... The most violating thing I've felt this year is not the media exaggerations or the catty gossip, but the rape of my personal thoughts. Ripped out of pages from my stay in hospitals and airplane rides hotel stays etc. I feel compelled to say f--- you F--- you to those of you who have absolutely no regard for me as a person. You have raped me harder than you'll ever know."
9 - james
fuck pete townshend and fuck anyone who judges kurt or anyone.
10 - keah
Imagine if he was around today...imagine the dozens of beautiful songs he would have written and sung.
He is gone but he has left us some after thought. Eight years on, the journals are here.It is a peek into the thoughts of a man for us to better undertsnad him and affirm his place in our lives ad our hearts. Lets celebrate the book. Not debate over what's right and wrong. And for those who cannot grasp this who ridicule him, people from another generation who simply want to try and understand or revive their post-humous careers, people like ol' Pete, please give it up...you will never understand us.
Bottom line, he shared his music, now he's sharing his thoughts. As long as we take it in stride as a tool to understand and not judge the man, I think he will be ok. God bless you Kurt.
11 - Ann
i cannot begin to comtemplate what it would have been like to be this man. its insane how much shit he went through, and i wish that he would have stayed 'til tea to give the rest of us clueless poeple what we were missing.
yet i dont know about the journals. i think that letting courtney love have the jurisdiction over whether to publish the journals or not is compeltely hainous. they shouldnt have been lpublished in the first place. God knows i dont want to have "raped me harder than you'll ever know." but maybe, just maybe, the world can benefit from the knowledge that Kurt should have had time to share wuith the rest of us.
12 - bret weissmann
I think that Pete Townshend should shut up and worry about his case of child porn. He said he has a lot of writings from people like kurt and he puts them in a loonies bin. He was never charged with child pornography.
13 - G
hold on...this is more in response to those who feel that it's morally wrong to read Kurts Journals...why would you keep a journal? To record your daily (or not) goings on...but then, surely someone will read them when you're gone. I recommend the journals, although I don't trust Courtney Love so I think there are a lot of parts missing, and scribbled out by her. Your journal is bound to be read when you're gone, unless you burn them or in some other way get rid of them. The Journals are pretty interesting, although very contradictory. On the first page it says "Don't read my journals when i'm gone" the next page says "Alright, read my journals when I'm gone". Me, being the fan of Kurt and Nirvana that I am, couldn't resist temptation :D
As for Pete Townshend....Eugh...that's all I have to say: Eugh. He is an insensitive, unruly and utter wanker. That's all I have to say.
14 - Tom69
A pedophile like Pete Townshend should be in jail not doing reviews
15 - Sharon
You would think that Pete having "been there", would allow him a little empathy. Least of all he should express some respect to the fine, talented artist that Kurt is and was. At least Kurt took responsibility for his own anguish and pain. Or did he......I still haven't decided if it was suicide or murder.
16 - Ken
Although it is a little strange reading someone's journals, it gives some insight to what was going on in Kurt's head. I enjoyed the story he related about getting his "trademark" Fender Mustang guitar for $20 or so!
Reading the notes, letters and lyrics gave me a deeper understanding of Cobain.
17 - Corteaux
Oftentimes in writing my own journals, I feel they will be read by someone someday. If Cobain weren't famous, they'd be discarded by some relation who'd receive them after his death. But since he was famous, they have public appeal.
This may seem obvious, but remeber, famous or not, when you're dead your journals can do you little good. Might as well let the living enjoy them if there's an interest.
18 - watty watts
hes dead...i doubt he gives a flying f--k (can i swear on here?) whether we read his diaries or not. kurt loved to ham it up and if hes out there somewhere hes still loving it. he was a man who said he hated the fame, yet called mtv when he didnt think they were playing enough nirvana. as said in "come as you are" (the book) kurt was torn between being true to his punk roots and the desire for fame and public acceptance. (which was when they decided to make kurt the main focal point of the group and sign to a major label). just read the damn diaries, and remember him the way you want to remember him.
19 - matt miller
i just read the journals...auctually only parts...and this is some deeply personal stuff...it's almost like he was planning to write a book...in here he has attempted suicides...his childhood...and how he lost his virginity...as well as snippets of poetry...yet i can't help feeling that something is missing...is courtney holding out?
20 - matt miller
the part i find most interesting is that every few pages he wrote "punk is freedom" as if trying to reasure himself that making punk music was worthwhile...
well at least i think it is, kurt :D
21 - Nicole
Kurt Cobain is the person who made me realise what rock is about. I use to follow the crowd, be the same as all my friends, but i didn't feel conftable being who i was. Now i know who i am, and Kurt helped me. Reading other's comments makes me what to read the journals. When i write my diary i like to think somebody is going to pick it up a hundred years later and read it. Even though Kurt's journals was published only a few years after his death, I think Kurt would of liked it. I mean, the journals show how media were wrong. Yer, so he took drugs, but Kurt makes me realise what life is like. Sometimes its pointless shit, sometimes its worthwhile. I love you, Kurt, and thankyou.
22 - Kaelyn
Ummm, I have already took a look at this book, and I WANT to READ it!!! When I told my mom that I wanted to read a book, she got all excited and then when she asked me what book, I said "Kurt Cobain Journals". And she said that it would be great for me to read, and maybe I can understand his death a lot more! READ IT!
23 - Kaelyn
You all know that Courtney Love decided to get his journals published, right? And the rest of the band didn't want her to, but she did anyways. Since she owns everything of his now.
24 - Kris Wright
I'm a big fan of Kurt and Nirvana from way back. Nirvana helped me weather the storms of adolescence and, in turn, became that sort of band of which I am fiercely protective. In other words, dissing Nirvana is like dissing my mama.
So here's Pete Townshend, eh? I like the Who alright, but certainly they never moved me the way that Kurt did. Townshend really has little business writing this review.
That said, I don't find Townshend's comments to be particularly spiteful or unnecessarily negative. I'm reading the journals right now and I have to agree with Townshend in some respects -- Kurt seems clearly damaged by the world and that damage seems amplified by his addictions. Okay, Townshend approaches Kurt from a certain perspective (rock-dinosaur-in-Nirvana-crosshairs perspective, no doubt), but he is clear to mention that he found Kurt to be a beautiful and influential man. But Townshend also seems to recognize the danger in being too reverential of Kurt in those moments when he is clearly lashing out from a drug-enhanced, depressed tunnelvision. Well, as much as I love Nirvana, I agree. We should not make excuses for him. No amount of genius, however beautiful or honest (see Van Gogh or, hell, Elliot Smith) can sugarcoat/justify those self-destructive thoughts. They just don't. And that rule doesn't bend even for Kurt Cobain, as fantastic and inspiring as he was.
Kurt, I hope this is what you wanted -- this whole journal thing. I hope that, somehow, in understanding you and your life we can find some sort of clarity about the world and how we should approach it. You did a lot of things right and a lot of things wrong but, thankfully, you did them all for us. Rest peacefully, you punk rocker you.
25 - sophie
to anyone whos read where pete towsend calls Kurt Cobain "sick" please keep in mind that these words are coming from a man who has been arrested for having child pornography on his computer.Anyone who looks at child pornography has absolutely no right to call anyone sick but themselves. Calling the greatest rock star of the '90s sick is pure disrespect. I totally agree with Kurt Cobain- I hope i die before i become pete townsend.