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| Which band is the best 90's band? |
| The Smashing Pumpkins |
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10% |
[ 4 ] |
| Pearl Jam |
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10% |
[ 4 ] |
| Nirvana |
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15% |
[ 6 ] |
| Metallica |
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0% |
[ 0 ] |
| Sonic Youth |
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7% |
[ 3 ] |
| Soundgarden |
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5% |
[ 2 ] |
| Red Hot Chili Peppers |
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0% |
[ 0 ] |
| Green Day |
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5% |
[ 2 ] |
| Nine Inch Nails |
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2% |
[ 1 ] |
| Alice in Chains |
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0% |
[ 0 ] |
| Modest Mouse |
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12% |
[ 5 ] |
| Beck |
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5% |
[ 2 ] |
| R.E.M. |
|
7% |
[ 3 ] |
| Other |
|
20% |
[ 8 ] |
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| Total Votes : 40 |
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| Author |
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Malomakaio
Posting Machine
Joined: 24 Jun 2004
Posts: 2889
Location: SE Portland
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 Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2006 3:57 pm
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| Hum, Sebadoh, Yo La Tengo were some of my favorites... and what about Radiohead?! |
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cat-chaz
Guest
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Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2006 6:14 pm
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thanks for your perspective merf, that's how i remember it, too. I always wondered if the Belly song "Lil' Ennio" was about the reaction to Kurt's death from the young people in his community who loved him so much:
I wasn't there
But I heard there were flowers in his hair...
I know it's hard for the young ones
I know it
Acutely, I heard it
Race me through this heart-broken town
Bang your boots and keep your head down
Race me through the heart of this broken town
| tw2113 wrote: |
| Nirvana is still overrated to me. Obviously there is no denying their impact, but still it's not THAT great. Let the guy go out in peace. |
so how is saying they are overrated letting "the guy go out in peace", and saying they are the greatest band of the decade isn't letting him go out in peace?
that don't make no sense to me.
and oh, yeah:
SUPERCHUNK!!!!! |
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Built To Post
Posting Machine
Joined: 04 Feb 2005
Posts: 2921
Location: Howell, NJ
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Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2006 7:28 pm
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| tw2113 wrote: |
| Nirvana is still overrated to me. Obviously there is no denying their impact, but still it's not THAT great. Let the guy go out in peace. |
I agree that there is no denying their impact. They totally shook up the music scene, and in a good way. They shook up the hair band bland supposed metal scene that was going on.
They brought back honest music from the soul, being a rock band that talked about things that other bands weren't.
Even when I listen to them now, the impact of Kurt and what he had to say doesn't fall short. His words and their sound still ring true.
Let's talk about them as a band overall.
Cobain - Kurt didn't always play the best stuff live because he was wasted, but when he was sober you could tell how good he was. He showed off his skills on the Unplugged show. He was a great lyrical writer to go with the musical skills he put behind it. He was Bob Dylan with more edge.
Krist Novoselic - Terrific bass player. If you have ever heard any of the live Nirvana shows, you would know how much he kept the songs in line. Kurt would completely leave playing and get into the crowd. Krist would change up the beats from being just a bass player into a mode like he was lead guitarist.
Dave Grohl - He's always been an amazing drummer. I don't think anything needs to be explained.
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"When God gave us mirrors....he had no idea...."
My Morning Jacket - Librarian. |
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TheOtherOne420
Cool Kid
Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Posts: 920
Location: Boulder, CO
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Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2006 9:42 pm
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| Built To Post wrote: |
| Cobain - Kurt didn't always play the best stuff live because he was wasted, but when he was sober you could tell how good he was. He showed off his skills on the Unplugged show. He was a great lyrical writer to go with the musical skills he put behind it. He was Bob Dylan with more edge. |
I have no qualms about calling Kurt one of the greatest songwriters to have graced the earth. He is absolutely a generation's Dylan. He was a really shitty guitar player though. Had nothing to do with being wasted on a regular basis, he just played tremendously sloppy guitar turned up very loudly with a lot of distortion. The skills that really shined on the Unplugged gig was again his songwriting abilities (I think that album as a whole is one of the more underrated efforts of the 90's).
I think what influences musicians as opposed to non musicians is drastically different also. Nirvana had a huge impact on the masses, bringing a sound to the mainstream that you had to previously search out. But to a lot of musicians of that era, that sound was nothing new. You can definitely make the case that Sonic Youth influenced musicians far more than Nirvana. It all depends on what case you want to make.
Cole
"From the cradle you’ve been labeled
About as stable as a drunk on shaky ground" |
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Built To Post
Posting Machine
Joined: 04 Feb 2005
Posts: 2921
Location: Howell, NJ
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Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2006 10:06 pm
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| TheOtherOne420 wrote: |
I have no qualms about calling Kurt one of the greatest songwriters to have graced the earth. He is absolutely a generation's Dylan. He was a really shitty guitar player though. Had nothing to do with being wasted on a regular basis, he just played tremendously sloppy guitar turned up very loudly with a lot of distortion. The skills that really shined on the Unplugged gig was again his songwriting abilities (I think that album as a whole is one of the more underrated efforts of the 90's).
I think what influences musicians as opposed to non musicians is drastically different also. Nirvana had a huge impact on the masses, bringing a sound to the mainstream that you had to previously search out. But to a lot of musicians of that era, that sound was nothing new. You can definitely make the case that Sonic Youth influenced musicians far more than Nirvana. It all depends on what case you want to make.
Cole
"From the cradle you’ve been labeled
About as stable as a drunk on shaky ground" |
I'm a bigger Sonic Youth fan than I am a Nirvana fan, see my av, however Nirvana was more influential because they changed the music scene. Sonic Youth didn't do that, as great as they have been. A lot of people rip into Kurt's playing, but when he was stone sober, he could rip it up. Thurston called him a great guitar player. I agree with him. Don't you think that a large part of the Nirvana sound was the guitar?
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"When God gave us mirrors....he had no idea...."
My Morning Jacket - Librarian. |
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Mexicola
all-around quality person
Joined: 16 Apr 2006
Posts: 427
Location: Pennsylvania
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Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2006 11:46 pm
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| Built To Post wrote: |
| TheOtherOne420 wrote: |
I have no qualms about calling Kurt one of the greatest songwriters to have graced the earth. He is absolutely a generation's Dylan. He was a really shitty guitar player though. Had nothing to do with being wasted on a regular basis, he just played tremendously sloppy guitar turned up very loudly with a lot of distortion. The skills that really shined on the Unplugged gig was again his songwriting abilities (I think that album as a whole is one of the more underrated efforts of the 90's).
I think what influences musicians as opposed to non musicians is drastically different also. Nirvana had a huge impact on the masses, bringing a sound to the mainstream that you had to previously search out. But to a lot of musicians of that era, that sound was nothing new. You can definitely make the case that Sonic Youth influenced musicians far more than Nirvana. It all depends on what case you want to make.
Cole
"From the cradle you’ve been labeled
About as stable as a drunk on shaky ground" |
I'm a bigger Sonic Youth fan than I am a Nirvana fan, see my av, however Nirvana was more influential because they changed the music scene. Sonic Youth didn't do that, as great as they have been. A lot of people rip into Kurt's playing, but when he was stone sober, he could rip it up. Thurston called him a great guitar player. I agree with him. Don't you think that a large part of the Nirvana sound was the guitar? |
Kurt made it no secret that The Pixies and Sonic Youth were big influences on his music. His use of distortion and feedback was just a continuation of what those bands brought to the table. I think a big part of what separated Nirvana from other comtemporaries from that time was the big, iconic, hit song. The massive popularity of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" cemented Kurt and Nirvana into the minds of the musical masses. For better or for worse, the public decided that he was going to be the face of this musical movement, even if he wasn't the most talented.
And no one's even brought up his ravaged voice. It really is amazing that you could have a combination of that kind of voice and abrasive guitar playing and still reach mainstream success. But I think it's a testament to his songwriting and lyrical ability that he could win over so many fans even with that rough-around-the-edges sound.
And I was one of those fans. There was just something about the music. I loved the raw energy of the songs. But there was also this underlying beauty that could be found within each song. Real melody. It's hard to explain to non-fans who just found Nirvana overrated and annoying. But the music was really special to me.
And who's to say whether he was a bad guitar player or not? I think that's also subjective. Just because you don't play like Eric Clapton doesn't mean you're a scrub. There are many interesting and creative ways to play a guitar. And I think Kurt displayed a lot of quality and style with his approach.
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My top 5 RK songs: 1. My Slumbering Heart 2. Spectacular Views 3. Capturing Moods 4. Emotional 5. It's a Hit |
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TheOtherOne420
Cool Kid
Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Posts: 920
Location: Boulder, CO
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Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2006 12:17 am
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| Built To Post wrote: |
| A lot of people rip into Kurt's playing, but when he was stone sober, he could rip it up. |
Um....when was that?
That's kind of a cop out on the guy's skills (or lack thereof).
And yeah, there are a lot of ways to play the guitar and many different stylistic and philosophical ways to approach it. In my book, Kurt Cobain barely qualifies as good. Go ahead, disagree, I have a lot of unpopular views on guitarists (don't even get me started on Hendrix....). It was said earlier that the bass player was really underappreciated, which is very true, because he so often had to pick up the slack from Kurt really lacking the ability to play more than the hook riff (they were GREAT riffs, don't get me wrong). And just for the record, I don't measure guitarists by Eric Clapton.
Cole
"Crazy is an art form. Insanity is a legal term." - HST |
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cat-chaz
Guest
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Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2006 5:18 pm
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very interesting discussion, built, otherone & mexicola, thanks.
i agree totally with theotherone420 that Kurt was one of the greatest songwriters to ever walk the earth, with Built that all three Nirvana-ers were spectacular musicians, and with Mexicola that this music was just personally very very special. it was very nice to read those posts, i am always stunned at how short people's memories are in regards to the drastic changes in the music scene and personal impact Nirvana had on people. |
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Built To Post
Posting Machine
Joined: 04 Feb 2005
Posts: 2921
Location: Howell, NJ
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Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2006 5:29 pm
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| TheOtherOne420 wrote: |
Um....when was that?
That's kind of a cop out on the guy's skills (or lack thereof).
And yeah, there are a lot of ways to play the guitar and many different stylistic and philosophical ways to approach it. In my book, Kurt Cobain barely qualifies as good. Go ahead, disagree, I have a lot of unpopular views on guitarists (don't even get me started on Hendrix....). It was said earlier that the bass player was really underappreciated, which is very true, because he so often had to pick up the slack from Kurt really lacking the ability to play more than the hook riff (they were GREAT riffs, don't get me wrong). And just for the record, I don't measure guitarists by Eric Clapton.
Cole
"Crazy is an art form. Insanity is a legal term." - HST |
I have bootlegs and video of Nirvana where Kurt played extremely well. I think he played what his songs meant, and that is what matters. Playing a song technically means nothing to me. It's about what's behind the playing. He played the "feel" of the songs very well, IMO. Isn't that what matters?
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"When God gave us mirrors....he had no idea...."
My Morning Jacket - Librarian. |
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apexsensation
The Shit
Joined: 22 Jun 2003
Posts: 9100
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
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Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2006 9:04 am
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| TheOtherOne420 wrote: |
| Built To Post wrote: |
| A lot of people rip into Kurt's playing, but when he was stone sober, he could rip it up. |
Um....when was that?
That's kind of a cop out on the guy's skills (or lack thereof).
And yeah, there are a lot of ways to play the guitar and many different stylistic and philosophical ways to approach it. In my book, Kurt Cobain barely qualifies as good. Go ahead, disagree, I have a lot of unpopular views on guitarists (don't even get me started on Hendrix....). It was said earlier that the bass player was really underappreciated, which is very true, because he so often had to pick up the slack from Kurt really lacking the ability to play more than the hook riff (they were GREAT riffs, don't get me wrong). And just for the record, I don't measure guitarists by Eric Clapton.
Cole
"Crazy is an art form. Insanity is a legal term." - HST |
You have to remember that just because someone isn't a complicated or skilled guitarist doesn't mean they're bad. Like you said, the riffs were great.
There may be dozens of guitarists playing music now with more talent than Kurt, but it doesn't mean the songs are any good. The real talent comes in putting a great song together.
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My username is apexsensation. But you can call me Jason if you'd like.
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tw2113
Cool Kid
Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 906
Location: South Dakota
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Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2006 2:05 pm
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Ever since Cobain's death, everyone and their mother have been picking at his life and his music with a fine tooth comb. If he didn't go out at all and was still alive, I don't think they'd be quite as huge as they are today.
I also think that they just happened to have the right sound and were at the right place at the right time. Say they weren't around, I think there very well could have been some other band that did the exact same thing. The same thing being that they brought music back down to reality from the high utopia based world that 80s hair metal were at.
Based on what I know about Cobain and how he hated what happened to him, he would have gladly given up the spot of "musical revolutionary" and just been content with riding coattails.
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got everything that you want, but do you get what you need in life..its the only thing that matters you see |
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automatik
Joined: 22 Aug 2006
Posts: 20
Location: cardiff, uk
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2006 2:46 pm
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| manic street preachers. |
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AliThorn
Joined: 26 Jul 2006
Posts: 71
Location: 25 miles nw of Glasgow, Scotland
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2006 3:50 pm
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REally tough call.
As much as Nevermind is possibly the most famous album of the 1990s, much of Nirvana's material was 2nd rate compared to contemporaries such as Pearl Jam, Mudhoney and even people like Soul Asylum. REM made some decent albums in the 90s, The Smashing Pumpkins made a couple of sublime albums, Ben Folds Five made some excellent albums and the underground musicians of the decade made some really fantastic music. Tori Amos was great, Nick Cave got clean and fulfilled his potential.
I believe Nirvana are overhyped. 1 great original album, 1 phenominal live album but the rest of their catalogue has its flaws. I voted Pearl Jam purely because I think that of the bands listed, they have the strongest catalogue of songs from the 90s. |
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nikoline
all-around quality person
Joined: 01 Mar 2006
Posts: 404
Location: Trondheim, Norway
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2006 3:51 pm
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Where's Pavement, Radiohead, Neutral Milk Hotel.....?
Out of these, I'd take Sonic Youth though. |
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tw2113
Cool Kid
Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 906
Location: South Dakota
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Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2006 4:27 pm
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| automatik wrote: |
| manic street preachers. |
you're my new favorite person for the day
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