Taste Like Honey: Reminiscences from the Αlbum Εra

 

Nirvana – Unplugged in New York

 

 

It is 1994 and our musical tastes are still in line with MTV’s Top 20 Hits. Therefore, Nirvana are part of our dreams of individualistic emancipation.

Meanwhile, we had already been fed up with “Smells like teen spirit” as it was butchered by its overplay, just as it happened with Cranberries’ “Zombie” around the same time.

All things considered, we were moved by Cobain’s suicide. Needless to say, “Unplugged in New York” was a more appropriate soundtrack to accompany the images of thousands of mourning fans as they were broadcasted live by MTV rather than the band’s electrified rock albums.

Cobain’s death came at a time when rock heroes seemed invincible – too few had died in the times of boundless optimism that was typical during the sub-historical period of real Fukuyamism. His untimely departure was a singular event in between two eras were rock ‘n’ roll heroes where born to die:

first came the bunch of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison, those were the times of unrestrained hope and frenzied self-indulgence;

then followed the lot of Chris Cornell, Chester Bennington, Keith Flint and, not to forget, Anthony Bourdain, these are the times of mild despair and uncanny melancholy.

 

An Icarus Cobain was and Icarus is meant to die whether he belongs to myth or real life – who cares anyway.