After reading Charles Cross’ excellent biography of Kurt Cobain, Heavier Than Heaven, I felt moved to collect my favorite Nirvana songs in to a (digital) mixtape, mostly so I could carry around 1 hour and 30 minutes of anguished guttural dark rocknroll to tap in to when the mood called for. I have such profound and deep-felt respect and awe for Cobain & Co’s gifts as musicians, poets and avatars and this recent journey through words and music has made me appreciate anew what this powerhouse trio brought to the world. I’m continually amazed that they were only together a handful of years and only produced three studio albums, and I can’t help but wonder what Kurt would have done in following years had he kept himself alive. There is a new level of artistry and sophistication that comes through on In Utero-era recordings, as if he was only starting to bloom, and his self-inflicted early exit stands as a great tragedy for rock n roll.

This mix pulls together tracks from Bleach, Nevermind and In Utero (mostly demos, B-sides, alt takes, etc) as well as their live albums (Reading, Portland 1989, Seattle Paramount Halloween 1991) and With the Lights Out box set.

Namaste Kurt. Here’s to hoping you’ve found your peace, and thanks for all the power chords, broken guitars and screams.