Nirvana and Melvins will forever be connected in rock history. Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain famously cited Melvins as perhaps his greatest influence, inspiring the would-be grunge icon to create a specific blend of punk rock and sludge which would turn Cobain into the voice of disenfranchised youth. However, Melvins frontman Buzz Osborne and longtime friend of Cobain doesn't have the most positive viewpoint of the musician, as evidenced in a new interview.

During an interview with Consequence of Sound, Buzz Osborne, bassist Matt Lukin and drummer Mike Dillard went through 30 years of Melvins history, both good and bad. There's plenty for hardcore Melvins fans to dig through in the new interview, but a more surprising statement came from Osborne while discussing Cobain.

"People have said to me, which I think is crazy, 'Do you ever get jealous that Kurt Cobain got fame and money?'," says Osborne. "And I go, 'Kurt Cobain is f---ing dead. Are you kidding? What are you talking about? You think I would trade places with a dead guy?' Yeah, I wish I had been more famous, and had more money, and was dead. No, no, no. I win. I win. He doesn’t win. He loses. He’s a major loser. His f---ing loss. He left a baby at the mercy of that woman [Courtney Love]. And, it couldn’t be worse. There’s nothing good about any of that."

Osborne also made some interesting comments about gender and racial issues within the various lineups of the Smashing Pumpkins. "I just thought it was funny that when they replaced the band members, gender and race seemed to be issues," says Osborne. "It would really have to be explained to me with charts and diagrams exactly how that makes a difference. [Laughs] Oh well. “We’re going to get the best female bass player we can get.” Oh, really? Why not just get the best bass player? [Laughs] Maybe you guys could be better. “Guitarist wanted. Nothing but Asian need apply.” Can you imagine? That’s like saying “Guitarist wanted. No Asians.”

Check out the full interview with Osborne, Lukin and Dillard over at Consequence of Sound.

More From The Basin's Classic Rock