surfpup Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Not the state of being free from suffering, but the band... Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic, and Dave Grohl. Legendary rock geniuses or overrated hacks who got lucky? Vote and discuss..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZenKen Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 I'm glad you clarified Surfpup as the state of being free from suffering is in fact overrated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dem00n Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Mix of both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 If I can't go in between I'd say a bit overrated... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dem00n Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Musically they pretty good, tighter then most bands at that time. Lyrically they we're meh, i like the punk counterpart of them more... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyX-KwwOAuo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted August 21, 2012 Author Share Posted August 21, 2012 I did purposefully make it a forced choice question in part because I'm also inclined to think they were/are a bit of both. I enjoyed the Bleach and Nevermind records, seeing Nirvana as a band that "got" both punk and hard rock styles and didn't take themselves too seriously. Later, post-suicide, when Cobian was touted as the songwriter for a generation and compared to Dylan, I began to lean toward the overrated diagnosis. Just wondered what you folks thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff-7 Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Definitely both. They've got a lot of memorable riffs, Grohl was a great drummer, Krist laid down a great bassline, and Kurt's vocals are unmistakable. I remember the first time I saw the vid for Smells Like Teen Spirit on the MTV (I was 7. Wow, hard to believe it's been that long), and really liked the edge to Kurt's voice. A lot of energy, some attitude, and the kick in the pants I think the music industry needed at that time. It just seemed more stripped down and raw compared to what I was used to hearing in this backwater state. I loved the music that came out of that scene and some of what followed shortly after. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChanMan Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 I was never really a fan of the band. I liked the music ok... for what it was. Unfortunately, my opinion falls far short of either poll option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buxom Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Genius. They kickstarted rock music after the hurricane known as hair metal tore things up. (The reason I say hurricane is because the outer parts were the bads, but if you look into the eye, you'll find calm, calm as in decent music. Shoot me, I can't dis some hair metal, especially the band Child's Play, the best band to ever come out of my area, tbh. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRYOndalxaI ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaleb Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Genius. They kickstarted rock music after the hurricane known as hair metal tore things up. (The reason I say hurricane is because the outer parts were the bads, but if you look into the eye, you'll find calm, calm as in decent music. Shoot me, I can't dis some hair metal, especially the band Child's Play, the best band to ever come out of my area, tbh. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRYOndalxaI ) I respect your opinions, but I have to disagree. They were the new "thing" after hair metal was over. What Motley Crue was for hair metal, Nirvana was for the type of rock (I honestly don't know what to call it. Grunge is a label, IMHO.) that followed them: Cool at first, but watered down and boring a few years later. I think Guns N' Roses gave the rock/metal scene a kick in the pants. Not so much Nirvana, although they were probably the biggest thing in rock music to happen in the 90s. There's lots of great hair metal bands, and lots of not-so-great hair metal bands. Motley Crue, Ratt, Dokken, Loudness, Whitesnake, Vinnie Vincent Invasion, etc, fall in the former category. Poison, Bon Jovi, Slaughter, etc, fall in the latter category. I don't know where to put Cinderella. Kix, Stryper, Vixen, Twisted Sister, Winger, and a few others. Bands like Mr. Big, Tesla, Y&T, Queensryche, Lynch Mob, Skid Row, Triumph, and some older bands that dabbled in hair, such as Alice Cooper, KISS, Ace Frehley, etc, shouldn't be classified as hair metal IMHO. As far as the topic goes, I choose not to decide! They're a mix of both, I guess (Much like Zeppelin, only Zep is closer to the genius side IMHO...). I'm not a big Nirvana fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrosurfer1959 Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Yeah both Nirvana was a good album and the unplugged album is still the one I listen too most. When he killed himself and became such a cult legend I lost interest honestly. If I had to pick Ive enjoyed the work Dave did with the Foo Fighters more than Nirvana. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 They wrote and played some good stuff. No better and no worse than that. P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinh Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Nirvana themselves were good and interesting. However, I hate them for what they did to the local music scene here, and I assume everywhere else. There are certain bands that are themselves great, but inspire thousands of bands, 99% of whom suck. Six months after Nevermind, it was impossible to go to any sort of club where younger bands played without being confronted with the same group of slack jawed teens wearing flannel, and doing their own version of the " depressed lyrics mid tempo quiet verse loud chorus" format at extreme volume. I used to run sound at a couple of entry level clubs that were the first step on the ladder for young bands, and finally had to quit both gigs becaue I couldn't stand another evening of excruciatingly loud draggy uninspired Nirvana-cloneism. I had decided thet the next time a guitarist whith a newly purched 100w 4X12 who was playing WAY WAY too loud for the room told me that "volume was an essential part of their sound" I would quit . It took only one weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShredAstaire Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Well...they were one of the bands to get me into rock music...so take that for what it is. Awesomeness. They made cool music that people could relate to...isn't that what its about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Ha Shred are you that young or just a late bloomer? Seriously, I could not relate to the lyrics. Pearl Jam's Ten grabbed my attention much, much more back then...and I could not relate to the lyrics because I do not know what the hell Eddie Vedder is saying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShredAstaire Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Ha Shred are you that young or just a late bloomer? Seriously, I could not relate to the lyrics. Pearl Jam's Ten grabbed my attention much, much more back then...and I could not relate to the lyrics because I do not know what the hell Eddie Vedder is saying. Im 35...so late bloomer to really LOVE rock and guitar music... I HATE Eddie Vedder's voice...i avoided that band like the plague!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaleb Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Ha Shred are you that young or just a late bloomer? Seriously, I could not relate to the lyrics. Pearl Jam's Ten grabbed my attention much, much more back then...and I could not relate to the lyrics because I do not know what the hell Eddie Vedder is saying. Only a certain crowd could relate to Nirvana (At least in my experience.). Ten is a killer record. It's the only Pearl Jam album I really like. And I think not being able to understand Eddie is a good thing.... I think Nirvana songs were some sort of vent for Kurt's personal problems and anger. That, and Krist and Dave made quite a ruckus! Wheres I think anyone can relate to an AC/DC or Thin Lizzy song. We can all sing along to "Down Payment Blues" or "Bad Reputation". Bon Scott and Phil Lynott hold a special place as far as lyrics go. Out of all the bands of that period, Mother Love Bone's my favorite. I dig AIC and early Soundgarden, as well. But MLB had the potential to be as big as GnR. RIP Andrew Wood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaleb Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Nirvana themselves were good and interesting. However, I hate them for what they did to the local music scene here, and I assume everywhere else. There are certain bands that are themselves great, but inspire thousands of bands, 99% of whom suck. Six months after Nevermind, it was impossible to go to any sort of club where younger bands played without being confronted with the same group of slack jawed teens wearing flannel, and doing their own version of the " depressed lyrics mid tempo quiet verse loud chorus" format at extreme volume. I used to run sound at a couple of entry level clubs that were the first step on the ladder for young bands, and finally had to quit both gigs becaue I couldn't stand another evening of excruciatingly loud draggy uninspired Nirvana-cloneism. I had decided thet the next time a guitarist whith a newly purched 100w 4X12 who was playing WAY WAY too loud for the room told me that "volume was an essential part of their sound" I would quit . It took only one weekend. Well, volume is an essential part of my sound......But that's another story! I like the way worn-out jeans and flannel look on me. I like Seattle as a city. Yet I don't like Nirvana at all. This is often overlooked: Rory Gallagher had that look down when Kurt was just starting to walk! Needless to say, the great comfort and utility of flannel and the great city of Seattle is now pigeonholed with Nirvana. Has been since 1991! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff-7 Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 I don't know where to put Cinderella. Kix, Stryper, Vixen, Twisted Sister, Winger, and a few others. In the "music that should be forgotten" category. I'm far from being a Nirvana fanboy but I still like what they did. His lyrics had more to do with the things he saw in the world around him, things like Pennyroyal Tea etc. In the end I think Kurt took himself way too seriously, and in the height of their popularity he lashed out against fans who didn't quite "get" him (In Bloom). If it wasn't for Nirvana I fear I wouldn't have heard bands like Alice In Chains, The Melvins, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots (their music would have been better if Weiland hadn't wrote the lyrics), Smashing Pumpkins, the Pixies, and various other bands I wouldn't have known about or had the chance to listen to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 and the the bottom fell out at the rest of the 90's sucked for hard rock. Hey Grunge "thanks for the greatest hits" In the late 80's I remember reading articles such as: "Guns and Roses, rock of the 90's?" and "Thrash Metal, the best is yet to come" Teheee... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninemiles Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 I think the fact that they are overrated doesn't stop them from being genius. Whether it floats your boat or not, I don't think one can write and perform music that appeals to SO MANY people and not be genius. I think the fact that it became so cliche is evidence of its genius. I didn't really like it much at the time, and I still can't listen all the way through a Nirvana album. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twiz Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 I like 'em. They wrote a lot of good songs. IMHO the best band from that era is the Melvins. Buzzo even introduced Dave Grohl to Krist Novoselic and Kurt Cobain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShredAstaire Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 I like 'em. They wrote a lot of good songs. IMHO the best band from that era is the Melvins. Buzzo even introduced Dave Grohl to Krist Novoselic and Kurt Cobain. Too true my friend! Great point! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quapman Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Unfortunately death is always great for a career boost. Not to say they weren't well on the way when Cobain died but, it didn't hurt record sales either. Great tunes but I don't think I would go as far as genius. As for the Godfather of grunge I would have to give the nod to Neil Young. Rust Never Sleeps was grunge before it's time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FirstMeasure Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 I'm not sure why they get the Grunge King title. When all that was new they were considered Punk (or Neopunk as we were calling it then), Soundgarden and Pearl Jam were spearheading the Grunge scene. After a few years Nirvana got lumped into the genre that would be called grunge along with all kinds of guys that didn't sound Grungy to me. If Cobain hadn't died I think he would have made like Syd Barret and dropped off after his scene had passed. He wasn't a Hendrix or Vaughan that had obvious directions waiting to be taken, or any sort of musical evolution that needed to be brought to fruit. In fact he seemed like an angry poet who had a chance to get his thing out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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