No period in the history of rock music offered such an abrupt shift in prevailing tastes as the 1990s. While just a short while before, radio and MTV were clamoring for hair metal bands, suddenly alt-rockers such as Jane’s Addiction, Nine Inch Nails, Faith No More, Primus, Smashing Pumpkins, and of course, Nirvana, brought a sea change not just in what the most popular bands sounded like, but also in fashion, politics, and seemingly all aspects of pop culture.

In 'Alternative for the Masses: The Oral History of the ’90s Alt-Rock Revolution,' veteran music critic Greg Prato presents more than 60 new interviews conducted exclusively for the book—with an emphasis on the 1990–1995 peak period—including insights from renowned names like Ian MacKaye (Fugazi, Dischord Records), Moby (solo artist/DJ), Al Jourgensen (Ministry), Les Claypool (Primus), Kennedy (host of MTV’s 'Alternative Nation'), Matt Pinfield (host of MTV’s '120 Minutes'), Tanya Donnelly (Belly, Breeders), Fred Armisen (‘Portlandia,' 'Saturday Night Live’), Lou Barlow (Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh), Corey Glover (Living Colour), Johnette Napolitano (Concrete Blonde), Dave Markey (director of '1991: The Year Punk Broke'), Bill Gould (Faith No More), Gerald Casale (Devo), and many others.

Prato also includes excerpts from one of the last interviews with Steve Albini, arguably the period’s most influential recording engineer and producer, responsible for influential albums by the likes of Nirvana and PJ Harvey, among many others. Do you long for the days when it seemed rock artists were all about daring to be different, speaking their minds, and shaking up the music industry? The last decade before the internet, downloads, and streaming took over music? 'Alternative for the Masses' will take you back to that time when alt-rock truly promised something different.