Kurt Cobain digitized in Guitar Hero 5
by Justin McElroy 
{ Aug 28th 2009 at 12:40PM } 
When asked for comment, the ghost of Cobain said, "Well, finally! Were I still alive, this is exactly the sort of thing I'd be doing. The people managing my estate and the fine people of Activision know me and my legacy so, so well. You should see me and Johnny Cash up here, we're just like schoolkids, we're so happy and excited all the time. My one regret is that I'm no longer alive, so I can't star in one of those hilarious underwear dancing ads."
Courtesy of Stereogum, we've got additional video of Cobain in the game (with gameplay notes!) after the break.
[Thanks Evan!]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
PR0F3TA (PSN - PROPHETA) @ Aug 28th 2009 12:42PM
who still looks at who they play? half the time your time is spent looking at a fret board. Moar songs, Less filler
Hafkie @ Aug 28th 2009 1:43PM
There's Focus Mode in the game, which turns off the background entirely.
It's not even in the cheat menu, it's in the options menu.
Markez @ Aug 28th 2009 2:25PM
Yeah but they have the 'board' down pat. Doesn't take much effort to get the highway right, so I don't see a problem with them polishing out and adding into the background. I think it's stupid to throw Cobain in since I think he's a worthless musician, but to each his own. I grew up playing the guitar to his music and then continued growing up and realized what absolute shit it is. So many other bands in that movement were/are deserving of that praise. Nirvana sucked, and sucked real bad.
LeggMyMuoio @ Aug 28th 2009 3:25PM
Not everyone gets tunnel vision while playing. I personally enjoy the finer touches of the "concert experience" which is why I am more loyal to HMX :p
Markez @ Aug 28th 2009 5:32PM
Ahhh, there it is. Kids downvoting me that weren't even around for Cobain's heyday. He's a lousy, pathetic musician with terrible songwriting abilities. Who would've ever known that Grohl was a talented drummer until this coward offed himself? Hmmmm.... Nobody! Cobain sucked.
Saint @ Aug 28th 2009 5:45PM
Yes Markez, I guess I forgot that Dave Grohl was considered one of the most influential drummers of the DC Hardcore scene in the 80s.
Hell, I'm not a Cobain fan by any means, not my cup of tea. But the guy wrote damned good songs. And I *was* around to see it, and to experience it.
Until you've sold platinum albums or changed the music industry like he did (for better or worse), refrain from insulting.
Markez @ Aug 28th 2009 6:11PM
Until I've sold platinum albums or changed the music industry like Cobain did, I'm not allowed to have an opinion? Hmmmm... Are you still wearing flannels?
Bob @ Aug 28th 2009 10:22PM
Markez, you have crossed the line from asserting your opinions, you are now just acting like a complete douche. GTFO internet tough guy.
Chris Wallace @ Aug 28th 2009 12:43PM
Activision, you fucked up.
Tiptup300 @ Aug 28th 2009 1:51PM
That looks totally wrong and I can play the entire song on real guitar. >_>
copa @ Aug 28th 2009 12:43PM
Nice job, Courtney. If he were alive to see this, he'd put another bullet in his head.
Ubercharged @ Aug 28th 2009 12:58PM
Came here to say this.
Edog Lost @ Aug 28th 2009 2:28PM
Hate me
Do it and do it again
Waste me
Rape me, my friend
Jimbotron @ Aug 28th 2009 2:35PM
One could only hope.
Jimbotron @ Aug 28th 2009 3:08PM
One could only hope.
Yaanu @ Aug 28th 2009 4:37PM
Actually, if you follow the beliefs I do, it'd only be the first bullet he'd put in his head.
McWeen @ Aug 28th 2009 12:43PM
If there is one thing Kurt liked besides heroin it was cashing in.
Neebs @ Aug 28th 2009 1:21PM
Bullshit. Kurt absolutely hated Nevermind because it brought him fame and money and fans that he felt were missing the band's ideas. Kurt never wanted to cash in, he wanted to make music.
Captain Planet [Planeteer | Power of Captain Planet] @ Aug 28th 2009 1:34PM
If he wanted to just make music, he wouldn't have signed with DGS/Geffen Records. He knew what the fuck he was doing.
more money = more heroin
Jimbotron @ Aug 28th 2009 2:01PM
@neebs: Then why did he sign with a major label which he knew involved selling albums, touring, and possibly being on MTV Unplugged, instead of just making music in his garage and playing to an audience of 10 people?
Victor @ Aug 28th 2009 2:04PM
While the more money more heroin theory makes sense, musicians some times go to bigger labels because they think they'll be able to get more people to listen to their songs, not just to get rich.
Of course he wanted to make money, but Kurt wasn't a cash whore. Also, he didn't need to be a millionaire to sustain his heroin habits.
So yeah, I don't know why you guys downvoted Neebs, and I'll probably get downvoted for agreeing with him, but fuck it :D
Victor @ Aug 28th 2009 2:12PM
@Jimbotron,
because people like getting their music heard? Playing in front of a crowd gives you a huge adrenaline rush, one of the best feelings ever.
And about the unplugged, read about it (and listen to it) before talking shit. Yeah, I bet he wanted to get rich with the unplugged, that's why he brought fuckin' meat puppets and had a completely unusual setlist ¬¬
That unplugged was pure genius.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana_MTV_Unplugged
Space @ Aug 28th 2009 2:14PM
he also like writing bad lyrics.
Victor @ Aug 28th 2009 2:18PM
Yeah, why the fuck was I downvoted? Because I said you can't make music only for money? Or is it because I said Kurt wasn't a cash whore?
Fuck-a-doodle-doo, it's easy to talk shit about stuff you know nothing about, but when somebody comes and disagrees with you because they actually LOOK into it, let's treat him like a moron :D
Shit. I forgot this is the interwebz, my bad.
Jimbotron @ Aug 28th 2009 2:53PM
@Victor: Where did I talk shit about Unplugged? I mentioned him doing an unplugged album, but I never said whether it was good or bad, asshole. I have listened to it, and I like it more than the studio albums. Why don't you read and understand comments before talking shit.
Besides, what did he think would happen if more people heard his music? They'd like it, and buy it, making him money. If he hated Nevermind, then he should have wrote even worse songs. People still would have heard it, but they wouldn't have bought it. And if he really hated the fame and fortune, and Nevermind, then he wouldn't have agreed to letting "Weird Al" Yankovic parody it, and wouldn't have said that he felt that they "made it" when he heard the parody.
If he hated everything so much, why draw more attention to the song by having it parodied?
Neebs @ Aug 28th 2009 3:45PM
Artists sign to majors for audience, not money and promotion. During the recording of In Utero, Kurt purposely locked out label reps to keep the sound his own.
Adriaan @ Aug 28th 2009 4:12PM
Yea, I was about to say. Wasn't Kurt Cobain's wish NOT to be sold out to corporate enterprises?
Just another reason why Activision/Neversoft clearly aren't passionate about this franchise. Just kill it.
Araskaz @ Aug 28th 2009 4:24PM
Stop hating on Kurt if you don't even know about him. People actually think he was all about money? You are so wrong. Read his books, they will tell you that he wanted people to get into his ideas, and hated Nevermind because everyone loved it and didnt pay attention to anything else. If he was alive, the one thing he WOULDNT do would be putting smells like teen spirit on GH5.
I love how people judge others and think they know everything because they knew that he was a herion addict. Well, I have some knowledge for you, you don't. I'm not a bias Kurt fanboy (I can tell someone will call me that) but I know a lot more about him than you do.
Araskaz @ Aug 28th 2009 4:34PM
Jim, stop it. You don't know kurt.
Kurt DID hate Nevermind, especially Smells like Teen Spirit. One time, during a concert, they started playing Smells like Teen spirit and stopped, and said "No, lets skip this one" after the crowd cheered. He doesn't care about the money. He wants an audience.
How the hell do you know kurt's intentions? You think he's all about the money, but he's not. If you even watch Family Guy, they make fun of Kurt because he didn't want his music to be a sellout. You know nothing, shut the fuck up.
How the hell do you know that Kurt wanted Weird Al to parody Smells like teen spirit because he wanted more money? It cant be a parody to be a parody? He cant say "Omg, hell yes you can make fun of one of my songs your hilarious!!"?
Victor @ Aug 28th 2009 6:12PM
@jimbotron,
you used the unplugged mtv as a way to prove Kurt was a cash whore, that's enough for me :D
Alton Brown [Planeteer | Power of Dueling Banjos] @ Aug 28th 2009 12:44PM
Wow. That's depressing.
Alton Brown [Planeteer | Power of Dueling Banjos] @ Aug 28th 2009 12:46PM
Goddamn, this game has long load times!
Alton Brown [Planeteer | Power of Dueling Banjos] @ Aug 28th 2009 12:47PM
That note chart is atrocious.
bongoes (is back) @ Aug 28th 2009 6:03PM
I can't even play more than the first few chords on guitar and I know the song is charted wrong.
swanny5150 @ Aug 29th 2009 12:54PM
I never understand that complaint. How in the hell can people constantly complain about a song being charted wrong?
Last I checked, for these music games they are taking something with six strings and 20-some frets and translating that onto a plastic toy with five colored buttons?!??!?!
Hell no, it's never going to 'play' like it does on a real guitar.
Zoot Suit Jedi @ Aug 28th 2009 12:44PM
This is wrong.
Neuromancer @ Aug 28th 2009 12:52PM
Yeah it is.
DWells55 @ Aug 28th 2009 3:51PM
So I take it that the game works with light gun accessories now?
VaultBoy @ Aug 28th 2009 3:54PM
I agree. Cobain would be turning in his grave over this. And although I like their music, well some of it, it was overrated. And there is no way Papa Roach are musical geniuses...please. Papa Roach is just okay.
Tmac:
Death Magnetic is a total redemption from Stanger (no that's not a typo). Glad to see they remembered who they are after a decade of searching and experimentation (or selling out, whatever you want to call it). I like where they are going now, it sounds much better than it has in recent years.
tmacairjordan87 (PSN & Live-tmacairjordan87) @ Aug 28th 2009 12:45PM
I wanted to make an inappropriate joke about unlocking a special....accessory... for him because of how much I hate the guy but I'm gonna have to take the high road on this one.
But hey at least they took my most hated person in music and slapped him into a game run by my most hated game company. Now I can focus all of it into one central area!
Comet @ Aug 28th 2009 12:47PM
Fuck off. Cobain was a genius and your a fool not to recognize that.
Heavytoka @ Aug 28th 2009 12:49PM
How can you hate Kurt Cobain??
tmacairjordan87 (PSN & Live-tmacairjordan87) @ Aug 28th 2009 12:51PM
Cobain was a whiny piece of shit.
Opinions ftw!
Neuromancer @ Aug 28th 2009 12:51PM
Tmac, you're a dick.
adolson @ Aug 28th 2009 12:52PM
His baby ears can't handle those distorted guitars or raspy vocals. A lot of Shania Twain fans are like that.
Alton Brown [Planeteer | Power of Dueling Banjos] @ Aug 28th 2009 12:55PM
So you hate Kurt more than Pete Wentz or Soulja Boy?
JUNG GUNS @ Aug 28th 2009 12:56PM
TMAC = CODY
tmacairjordan87 (PSN & Live-tmacairjordan87) @ Aug 28th 2009 12:58PM
"How can you hate Kurt Cobain??"
Cause I'm a fan of good metal, music that he is largely responsible for killing. Not hair metal, thrash. Good music was replaced with simplistic, whiny, depressing garbage that quite frankly...is still plaguing rock today. Thanks Kurt!
@Alton
I don't even give most modern music people any recognition at all. To say that I hate their music would mean I'm acknowledging that they even make actual music. As much as I despise Cobain and grunge, it IS actual music.
Avatar @ Aug 28th 2009 1:01PM
Kurt Cobain wasn't a genius, nor should he have been so popular, and only was was so popular because he died, which somehow makes him cool. Granted his music was different, but in a lazy way. I can understand why a lot of people thought he was good, but no self-respecting musician does, because he wasn't. He was just not bad.
Comet @ Aug 28th 2009 1:07PM
@tmacairjordan87
Killed Metal? I'd point the finger at Metal itself for that one. Yes Cobain Killed hair metal but Pantera still had hits during Cobains Heyday. What killed metal is the Screaming (and shitty IMHO) Black-Death-hardcore Metal.