Kenan Hebert on Pete Townshend on Kurt Cobain. Whew!
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.…
"A sinister cabal of superior writers."
Article comments
126 - Upperclass Twit
OMG Cobain is the best thing that ever happened its better that he's dead because thats the way he wanted it and pete is dumb to be alive and not dead from drugs because cobain is a genius OMG OMG
127 - Jacob
I love both Nirvana and The Who. Kurt Cobain and Pete Townshend are both great songwriters and I've related to songs from both of them. While I can understand how some people share a deep passion for Kurt and his music, it's simply quite pretentious to say that Kurt Cobain is the best musician of all time. I bet if Kurt Cobain were alive, he would tell you he's NOT the best musician of all time. After all, it's a matter of opinion. Musically, Kurt Cobain wasn't that talented, but he did have a penchant for displaying emotional, well-thought songs.
All Pete Townshend was saying with this review was that he's been in Kurt's shoes and he can understand what Kurt was thinking, but that he grew past that stage and matured. Nirvana fans need to realize that Kurt was mature, but he didn't have the chance to really "grow up" and realize his full potential. What did the comment "I hope I die before I become Pete Townshend" mean? Who knows, Kurt probably just thought it was funny. Maybe he was making a play at the Who song "My Generation" (considering by the time Kurt wrote the comment, Pete was old). But I highly doubt it was meant with serious disrespect to Pete, as Kurt was influenced by The Who and other contemporaries from the era, such as The Beatles.
Those who disrespect "dinosaur rock" aren't as open-minded as they believe themselves to be, because if they were, they'd realize Kurt was heavily influenced by the so-called "dinosaur rock," and they would appreciate it. While I love Nirvana, many Nirvana "fans" piss me off with their ignorance. Their horrible grammar, their literal interpretation of the line "I hope I die before I become Pete Townshend," and their constant moaning about Courtney Love and how she supposedly killed Kurt. Hey, guess what ladies and gentleman? Kurt was depressed, addicted to drugs, and couldn't find a way out. I'm not saying the murder theory is unlikely, but I'm also saying it's not unlikely that he committed suicide either. Think for yourself before you run around acting ignorant.
Kurt would be ashamed of his so-called "fans" if he were alive today.
128 - nirvana fan
i just want to clear some things up. Kurt Cobain is/was not the best musician ever. he was good at writing songs aand guitar riffs but as far as playing, he completely sucked. im not hating or anything, i love nirvana(even got their box set) they're my favorite band. But stop calling him the best musician ever because he wouldnt have liked that. music was a way for him to express himself, not to be glorified. also, he couldnt have killed himself. all evidence said there had to be someone there with himhe had too much heroine in him to kill himself. so unless 1. the gun discharged and hit him in the exact same place that would hit if he shot himself or 2. someone killed him or he asked them to kill him or 3. he killed himself and someone put drugs in him. all of these could be considered murder or assisted suicide but no matter what, someone could have stopped him. he also suffered from a lot of anxiety problems which is why he talks about courtney love so much like he hates her then like he loves her.
If Kurt Cobain was still alive, I think he would have moved to europe or some foreign place. His "suicide note"(which is aavailable to the public via online) sounds more like hes talking about leaving courtney for some time and quitting music, but he wanted to see everyone again.
so stop bashing people cuz ur ignorant.
also, the who sux why is pete even still alive?
129 - lainie
Stop saying Pete Townshend has no right to review your precious Kurt's journals. He already did and there's not a thing you can do about it. Deal.
130 - Marc
As someone mentioned earlier, the comment by Kurt "hope I die before I become Pete Townshend" was simply Kurt's play on words from a line in The Who's 1965 song "My Generation".
To interpret Cobain's meaning (from perspective) -"Hope I die before I get OLD like Pete Townshend didn't do".Plain and simple.
I am also a big Nirvana and Kurt fan, so I also know of his warped sense of humor.I take his statement as being both truthful yet sarcastic.A
genius like comment, that uneducated music fans just didn't get.Let's just say that Kurt's comment went over just about everyone's head.:)
Pete's reply to Cobain's now infamous statement was eloquently stated by Pete, who himself was a tortured yet highly talented artist as Kurt was.Pete now-a-days is a survivor.A Popular culture Icon,a man of infinite wisdom,and one of the most influential artists of all time.
My final tribute to all rock/pop artists of the past and present.Like the many literature icons and art painters,musicians,etc - so many of them are and were geniuses with tortured minds.
From The Who's AMAZING JOURNEY:
"sickness will surely take the mind, where minds can't usually go".
As for Pete's child porn pc access charge:
NOT GUILTY.And as some posted here,Pete tried to go above the law, and he was wrong for doing so.
But that's all he is guilty of.The lead UK investigator later admitted that he himself and the police were WRONG for bringing Pete in for questioning in the first place.It is clearly documented on film in a BBC documentary.
Pee Wee Herman,Gary Glitter,etc - were arrested and found with tons and tons of evidence after the fact.
Pete was found with NOTHING! Come on, I said he was a genius, not a Genie.One cannot have mansions completely void of pedo magazines and have a dozen computers completely clean - it is pc forensically impossible as stated by experts.
Poor Pete will have to live with a tarnished name because of the UK investigators, whom now have to live with a guilty conscience, as they have professed.
131 - PJKBT
I hiere some rumor then kurt cobain pripare some thing in case he die or was muder he open new accoint in canada for 2,8 million and ben clonned and change is name is name to make a new start and yunger than the fust time he born
132 - samm
hey. i was on amazon and there are two differnt kurt cobain journal book things.the front covers look the same but are not. and one is like $13 more than the other.they are both paperback books so i was just wondering if there were two or more different copies of his journals made so i know which book to buy. thx. btw who is pete townshend?!
133 - Jonesy
Pete Townshend was guitarist and song writer for the greatest band ever, The Who. He is a God.
134 - Music
Anyone interested in the case should check out cobaincase.com, it has all the details. I like The Who but I don't get the same emotional effect I get from Nirvana. It's all about what music you enjoy and what makes you happy. I wish everyone could just have their personal favorites without having to impose them on everyone else. Just enjoy what music moves you and let it be. Peace, love, and empathy. RIP Kurt
135 - Pete townsend is god.
Faggots talk about Pete townsend like that. he is a god. Unlike Shitvana which is overrated.
136 - Kurdt Cobain
Who the fuck is Kurt Cobain?
137 - jeff aldeberan
I hope I live not to be Cobain (poor little fellow).
138 - Michelle
I can NOT believe how many of you are calling Cobain superior to Pete Townshend.. First of all, half of you aren't even spelling Pete's last name correctly! i know it was a while, more than a year ago, but please... do some f***cking research.
Pete Townshend is probably the best person to do this review because he didn't "sugar coat" the truth or even attack him... Plus he did have experience with what he was talking about. Seriously, you guys have to stop talking about the music, in this little review Pete isn't talking about Kurt's music, in fact he thought Cobain was a talented man, but he does know that Kurt took the cowardly way out of life, and that he decided not be strong and defeat it, instead he let it defeat him... As for the child porn, hopefully no one still goes on with that... that's all i'm gonna say.
139 - kelly
i you think it's morally incorrect to read his journals don't, simple as that.
i think anyone who thinks of themselves as knowledgable regarding to music should pay respect to both kurt cobain and pete townshend for their musical contriutions.
kurt cobain is amazing (imo) and i'm interested in reading his journals because he interests me and i don't see how i'm harming anyone around me by doing so.
any kurt cobain fans either way whether you choose to read them or not you're screwd cause none of us KNOW what kurt would have wanted.
if it was just a way for courtney love to make money off kurt than thats just sick i despise her..
you might say reading his journals is sick? but i have to disagree, i like to think by reading his journals maybe i will learn something.. something as small as a book can change your life..and i surely hope i do learn something i didn't already know about kurt or about life.
140 - gordon brown
PETES A ROCK GOD i broke up with a total FOX because she always played nirvana.....kirk who?
141 - Steven Seberg
the legend of cobain is even more overblown than lennon/townshend/morrison/hendrix combined....and courtney was a blood-sucking nancy spungeon wanna-be who sucked the life out of someone far more talented than herself...but townshend is more than entitled his opinion, and until the mid 70's was relevant at least...cobain didn't give a shit about his own life, his daughter's life or any of YOUR lives...find a better subject to study than a miserable overrated dead musician who was exploited by those less sick then he was.
142 - Tabby
As tempted as I am to read it, I can't bring myself to do it. I look at pages but then I think "I wouldn't like it if soemone read my journals" and then there's the whole thing about Courtney getting them published and Krist and Dave not wanting that to happen. I think that Krist especially would know what Kurt would have wanted. But I'm such a huge Nirvana fan...argh!
143 - Not Important
Pete Townshend. Ah, a star in the wrong film. A HUMAN FUCKIN JACK-OFF.