London, May 17: REM lead singer Michael Stipe has problems listening to Nirvana albums because the memory of his friend Kurt Cobain`s death is still too painful.

According to a website, Stipe is a huge fan of the band, but he hasn`t been able to listen to Nirvana albums ever since Kurt Cobain killed himself in 1994.

He says: "The great tragedy of his death is that, as an artist, as someone pushing things forward, he was really pushing himself."

"He had reached a point where he was about to push through to something that was so phenomenal and so beautiful. It was all written, it was all right there and it was so obvious where he was going, and then he didn`t make it. I still have trouble... I can`t listen to an entire Nirvana record."

Bureau Report