Come As You Are

The Story of Nirvana

By: Michael Azerrad

Narrated by: Kurt Loder, Michael Azerrad

The definitive biography of the revolutionary band Nirvana and its star-crossed frontman Kurt Cobain, hailed by Rolling Stone as “the first [book] to comprehensively tell the band’s tale from Aberdeen, Wash., to world domination”

“Amazingly raw and candid . . . an unsparing and extremely honest depiction of the group’s highly tumultuous history . . . Come As You Are is as good as rock bios get.”—Billboard

“Just tell the truth. That’ll be better than anything else that’s been written about me.”—Kurt Cobain

Nirvana came out of nowhere in 1991 to sell nearly five million copies of their landmark album Nevermind, whose thunderous sound and indelible melodies embodied all the confusion, frustration, and passion of the emerging Generation X.

Come As You Are is the close-up, intimate story of Nirvana—the only book with exclusive in-depth interviews with bandmembers Kurt Cobain, Krist Noveselic, and Dave Grohl, as well as friends, relatives, former bandmembers, and associates—now updated to include a final chapter detailing the last year of Kurt Cobain's life, before his tragic suicide in April 1994.

Vivid, evocative, and thought-provoking, Come As You Are is an essential document not just for Nirvana fans but for anyone interested in the cultural legacy of the 1990s.

Critic reviews

“Amazingly raw and candid . . . An unsparing and extremely honest depiction of the group’s highly tumultuous history . . . A wizardly combination of smart journalism and intelligent analysis, Come As You Are is as good as rock bios get.”—Billboard

“Really takes you inside both the business and soul of rock ’n’ roll, providing the lurid details and lucid pop criticism, too.”—Los Angeles Times

“Come As You Are is the first [book] to comprehensively tell the band’s tale from Aberdeen, Wash., to world domination.”—Rolling Stone

“Sects and drugs and rock & roll—Come As You Are has got it all. ‘A.’”—Entertainment Weekly

“One of the few memorable, indispensable books about alternative rock . . . It’s all here, in one of the most revealing books about rock to come down the pike in a long, long time.”—Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Kurt Freakin Loder!

Kurt did an amazing job. Having him read THIS book.... perfection! This book does NOT disappoint!

Rediscovering a great read!

I had the paperback copy of this book years ago when I was in high school. I just re-discovered it on Audible and bought it instantly.

And just like when I 1st read it in highschool, I couldn't put it down! A great read about my favorite band of all time! We miss you Kurt.

Not like every other book

Enjoyed the fact this wasn’t written in the post death voice. Made it feel less skewed.

Internal struggles

I did not realize the depth of Kurt's internal struggles just with life in general. I cried for most of the last chapter.

Highly recommend for Nirvana fans.

If you want to know the truth about the band this is the book to get. This book was written when Kurt was still alive so a lot of the info is coming straight from Kurt himself. There is a lot of good info in this book and is worth the read.