Goldberg drops no bombshells, but Serving the Servant, which features recollections from Courtney Love, Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic and others in Cobain’s orbit, enlisted mostly to fill in gaps in the author’s memory, is empathetic and absorbing, illuminating but not gossipy ... For die-hard Nirvana fans, Cobain’s life is already a dog-eared book, but Goldberg provides a fresh, eyewitness account of otherwise familiar tales ... Serving the Servant, in its own understated, overprotective way, effectively conveys the frustration, the to-the-bone grief, that comes from losing a loved one who was fundamentally unknowable in the first place. It’s the closest thing we have to a survivor’s account, at least until Love finally releases her memoir, currently six years overdue.

Goldberg’s version, though it lacks much in the way of new information, at least approaches its subject from a more earth-bound place ... The prose is mostly simple and conversational in Serving The Servant (and the less said about that dumb title, including its explanation, the better), but that’s mitigated by the fact that Goldberg brings some new perspective to Cobain’s story ... He knew Cobain intimately, but admits, too, that 'Sometimes I felt as close to him as a brother and other times he seemed a galaxy removed, barely perceptible.' Goldberg conveys that split nicely—and, perhaps more importantly, humanely—in his telling of the Cobain story.

Goldberg paints Cobain as a sweet and generous soul. However, that feels a little strained in places, as when the singer unilaterally renegotiates royalty contracts that deprive his fellow Nirvana members of huge payments, or leaves violent threats on the answerphones of dirt-digging journalists ... Disdainfully sidestepping the 'Talmudic arguments' of punk purists, Goldberg protests too much about this indie/major divide, refighting ancient battles long rendered irrelevant in the era of online streaming ... Perhaps because of his generational distaste for punk, Goldberg is at his weakest on analysing Nirvana’s music ... A well-meaning, but slight addition to the growing canon of Cobain books, Serving the Servant reveals little that most Nirvana fans will not already know.

...a thoughtful and oftentimes revelatory memoir of his relationship with the band’s charismatic but troubled leader ... Although much of what is here is well-known—Cobain’s early days in Seattle’s underground music scene, his marriage to Courtney Love, his heroin addiction and tragic suicide—Goldberg was a crucial member of the band’s inner circle and, thus, offers unique insights. He reminds readers that Cobain’s songs often had a feminist subtext and adds, on a personal note, that Cobain told a journalist Goldberg was like a 'second father' to him.

Unfortunately, 'a few glimpses' do not offer the essential ingredients for a compelling book. Goldberg writes cleanly and clearly and does a fine job working chronologically through the business decisions and personal dilemmas the Nirvana frontman faced during the final 3½ years of his life. What he does not do is offer enough first person stories of his interactions with the transformative singer/songwriter/guitarist. That leaves both Cobain and Goldberg rather flat on the page — two should-be round, vivid characters missing from their own life stories ... The issue certainly isn’t any hubris on Goldberg’s part. If anything, he goes out of his way to depict Cobain as the architect of his own artistic success and to deflect or share credit for the musician’s commercial triumphs ... The most engaging parts of Serving the Servant feature Goldberg’s firsthand accounts of challenging or interesting times in Cobain’s life ... also features outside sources giving their often lacking accounts of potentially intriguing topics ... Perhaps Goldberg’s recollections would have worked better as an extended online essay or magazine piece ... portends little new or revelatory to share about [Cobain's] brief life.

Goldberg’s game isn’t painting Cobain as a cynical bread-head—the manager is often as starry-eyed as any fan at his subject’s creative gifts and he clearly loved the man—yet he does take strong issue with those who insist Cobain was an unhappy victim of the machine ... In a letter to the singer-songwriter Juliana Hatfield, Cobain described Goldberg as 'the most honest man in showbiz.' Serving the Servant brings that clarity and insight to Nirvana’s frequently rehashed story, sharpening the edges of Cobain’s image 25 years after his death, removing the soft-focus 'legend' filter to bring the complicated man briefly into view.

In this loving remembrance of the troubled Nirvana songwriter and frontman, the band’s former manager explores Cobain’s creative genius and personality ... This is a worthy addition to the growing canon of books on Cobain.

A sentimental but precisely rendered account of the life of Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain by one of his first music industry backers ... Some will note the author’s continued loyalty to the perspective of Love, a controversial figure for many Nirvana fans; still, Goldberg comes off as likable, a successful insider still befuddled by Cobain’s demons. An intimate perspective on Cobain’s short life, told in the spirit of burnishing a friend’s legacy.