[Closed] Nirvana

Plenty of people seem to think rock and roll is about technical excellence of execution and total musical originality and innovation. News flash! It's not. Rock and roll is about capturing a moment, making people feel something and especially feel something different - it's about the zeitgeist.

Counting the number of chords, the key or tempo changes is not rock and roll - it's more like stamp collecting...

Well said Jam. Just because something is easy to play doesn't make it simple to create. I'd rather be deaf than listen to Vai, Malmsteen etc

I got it. Would rather have seen Kurt's violent anguish than Plant's wailing any day. (Hendrix a different story entirely).

Just out of interest Dez are you a Hendrix fan? Reading your various posts on music I'd assume you would be. He was so much more than a guitar player. Bit of a poet and basically reinvented the blues. Nobody has ever picked up where he left off which is a pity.

I would have loved to seen him or The Doors live. Alas I am too young. Never saw Nirvana unfortunately, but have seen Mudhoney and that was great. Also saw Kyuss in the early days. Band didn't do much but the music was amazing.

Hendrix, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Otis - all artists I would have loved to have seen... Love music from them all. The intro to Hey Joe, the sweeping sounds of Spanish Caravan, the folk'ish tale telling of Ramble On and the total energy of Shake or Try a Little Tenderness...

Bradford Uni - 91. Seem to remember it being a bit crap.

Pearl Jam at Bradford Queens Hall in 92 (for £2.50 entry fee!) was much better....

[img][url= https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3902/32378838673_fdb32cec4e_z.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3902/32378838673_fdb32cec4e_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/Rkd1Fc ]IMG_1890[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/66275753@N00/ ]vdubber67[/url], on Flickr[/img]

PS - any Nirvana fans want to play 'where's this?' 🙂 (It's fairly obvious!)

[i]Just out of interest Dez are you a Hendrix fan?[/i]

Yep. Different league - live I mean. "American Landing" documentary, I can't watch without thinking how blown your mind would have been to see that man on stage. Playing [i]like that[/i]! In the [i]1960s[/i]!! 😀
I'm all about originality and Hendrix was a one-off.

As an ex punk I thought they were OK but nothing special.Always thought that some songs sounded pretty good, but then others reminded me of country & western.

Only time I'll listen to them is if they're on the radio now...

Yep. Different league - live I mean. "American Landing" documentary, I can't watch without thinking how blown your mind would have been to see that man on stage. Playing like that! In the 1960s!!
I'm all about originality and Hendrix was a one-off.

Love watching recordings of him playing live. The difference between him off stage, relatively shy and quiet, to what he became on stage is remarkable. I still can't believe Axis was recorded on a four track. I'll stop babbling now as I'm clearly a massive fan. Guess what my son's middle name is 🙂

Back on topic, I liked Nirvana, but much preferred some of their peers.

Jimi was just a total phenomenon...

Wind Cries Mary - Could play that song on a loop all day !

To go against the Nirvana circle-jerk that's going on, Cobain was the biggest waste of talentless oxygen theft I've ever witnessed. I saw them in late 1990, before the full on hysterical frothing.

The bands that came out of the Seattle scene they might just make it into the top ten.

Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, Temple of the Dog, Mudhoney, Alice in Chain, Mother Love Bone, were all far better.

You left off the Screaming Trees, everybody forgets them. For me Soundgarden, PJ and Screaming Trees were the best bands from that scene. I especially love how PJ just went their own way after the initial success and how they tried to take on Ticketmaster. Soundgarden were a bunch of amazing musicians. Still gutted about Cornell.

Whilst I can appreciate Hendrix 's skill & talent I'm put off by the stage show bollocks. All that mugging and shit, just damn play FFS!

Also, the shite that he spawned (all those god-awful white 'blues-players') oh man. I know you cant really hold that against the man but... 😆

Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, Temple of the Dog, Mudhoney, Alice in Chain, Mother Love Bone, were all far better.

Stone Temple Pilots? Lol. You'll be adding Nickelback next 😆

Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, Temple of the Dog, Mudhoney, Alice in Chain, Mother Love Bone, were all far better.

All good bands apart from Stone Temple Pilots. They were crap.

Glad I came back to this thread.

To my shame I'd forgotten about the Screaming Trees. I only vaguely recall a couple of tracks. I'm off for a search of Google Play...

Just buy a copy of Dust, it's an under appreciated classic 🙂

STP weren't from Seattle. Their album Tiny Music, Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop is brilliant. The only one where they did their own thing and by far their best.

Whilst I can appreciate Hendrix 's skill & talent I'm put off by the stage show bollocks. All that mugging and shit, just damn play FFS!

Wha?

 

Bootleg of Nirvana playing the Newcastle Mayfair in 91 just as Teen Spirit broke big.
The tall bloke with the big hair and glasses in front of Cobain? Me - first security barrier I ever worked. Spent the night half watching the band, half keeping the unwashed hordes from getting on stage.

They were kinda first of their genre, in a "what else sounds like Nirvana anyway?" sort of way, so you either liked them or you didn't.

Amazes me when people try to appear knowledgeable and confidently state things as fact, but clearly have no idea! How can you possibly know enough about Nirvana to recognise the lyrics to Milk It, but be completely ignorant to their influeneces? Bizarre! The good news is you get to experience for the first time bands like the Pixies, who are awesome.

[i]How can you possibly know enough about Nirvana to recognise the lyrics to Milk It[/i]

Er dunno about you pal, but I listen to a ****ing lot of music and Milk It is 24 years old!
Plus, it was someone else who discussed their influences.
And anyway, its just a song I liked, nothing more nothing less 🙄

Nirvana were good, almost as good as The Jesus Lizard.
Soundgarden and Mudhoney also.

As for Pearl Jam, don't make me laugh. Portentous gibberish over stodgy classic rock.

[i]The good news is you get to experience for the first time bands like the Pixies, who are awesome.[/i]

Oh, obviously not referring to someone who saw the Pixes 3 times in the 80s.

Stone temple pilots 😀
There's always one...

Er dunno about you pal, but I listen to a **** lot of music and Milk It is 24 years old!
Plus, it was someone else who discussed their influences.
And anyway, its just a song I liked, nothing more nothing less

Post was aimed at Scapegoat, not you DezB :roll:. Try reading the posts :wink:.

Well I was the one who forgot the lyrics were from Milk It!!

Well I was the one who forgot the lyrics were from Milk It!!

How can you possibly know enough about Nirvana to recognise the lyrics to Milk It, but be completely ignorant to their influences?

...and I was clearly referring to the person who KNEW the lyrics, not who had FORGOTTEN them! Anyway, no need to dwell on it, I'm sure we all have better things to do :D.

bands like the Pixies, who are awesome

Yeah, but nothing like Nirvana live, not even close, which was what the OP was asking about.

Just watched that Take That cover of Smells like teen spirit, jesus... Actually made my skin crawl for the few seconds I managed to watch.

they weren't superb musicians

Actually, they were all pretty good musicians, the songs weren't technically very difficult but part of their appeal to me, was the fact that they pricked the balloon of the sort of pompous but meaningless paff of guns N roses and motley crue

Agreed nickc.

pompous but meaningless paff of guns N roses and motley crue

Whilst I tend to agree that GnR ended up with an overblown sense of their own importance, they didn't start out like that. In fact Duff McKagan is a fellow Seattle-ite who was in bands like 'Ten Minute Warning' who pretty much paved the way for many of the later so called 'Grunge'/SubPop bands from the PNW as well as still collaborating with the likes of Mark Lanegan.

Anecdotally Duff was also one of the last people to speak to Kurt before he died.

Digby, what goes around comes around, punk was a reaction to prog/stadium rock. Sub pop and grunge filled the same roll, rejecting the hair, shoulder pads and lycra of the late 80s and early 90s that some of the bigger US rock bands had started to indulge in. Twas ever so.

what goes around comes around

Agreed ... and all too often bands 'Become the Thing They Hate'

I 'came of age' during the 'Post-Punk'/Posi-Punk as I was slight too young for punk. Many of those 'alternative early '80s bands became stodgy overblown quasi-metal bands later when they signed to major labels, and mainstream rock became 'hair-metal' and I started 'listening' to more 'acid house'/dance music. 🙂

Although I never lost my love of noisy guitar music and as the late 80's rave scene went corporate, 'Grunge' appeared like a breath of fresh air ... until it too became a commodity and a fashion statement with the major labels trying to snap up anyone who sounded a bit 'Grunge' including 'Counting Crows', 'Paw' and 'Stone Temple Pilots' etc

Sadly many music scenes meet an early demise through the introduction of hard drugs, especially heroin. This happened with Punk, Post Punk and unfortunately quite spectacularly with 'Grunge' ...

'twas ever thus ...

Anecdotally Duff was also one of the last people to speak to Kurt before he died.

Story goes that completely by accident (what are the odds???) Kurt was sat next to Duff on a flight back to Seattle just before he died.

Yeah, but nothing like Nirvana live, not even close, which was what the OP was asking about.

That would depend on who else you are comparing them to (compared to watching, I don't know.....Take That, live experience of Nirvana and the Pixies were not that far apart!).

Also, it was not the OP who commented that Nirvana were 'kinda first of their genre', which is what we were discussing. Nirvana repeatedly cited the Pixies as an influence (usually specifically in relation to Nevermind).

[i]That would depend on who else you are comparing them to[/i]

This is true! I didn't see Nirvana, but did see the Pixies a few times and don't actually remember much about the gigs. Bumping into Kelly in the foyer was the most memorable thing of one of the gigs! I'm sure I'd remember Nirvana gigs!
As an aside, here's a recommendation for you fellas (and gals!) - if you want to see a VERY memorable band NOW - check out [b]And Yet It Moves[/b]. They're touring at the mo- ticket prices are about a fiver. And, I tell you, you won't forget them! Facebook search And Yet It Moves for their dates 🙂 Seeing them in Portsmouth myself.

if you want to see a VERY memorable band NOW

and in the spirit of contemporary noisy guitar bands may I recommend Drenge - seen her playing on Seattle's own KEXP radio:

Nah, not in the same league! I've seen Drenge and forgotten it already. 😆

If you want to hear a great take on Nirvana check out The Battle For Seattle by Little Roy. Reggae, ska and dub versions, but in no way a novelty album.

Good call! Listening now.

live experience of Nirvana and the Pixies were not that far apart!

That wasn't my experience.

That wasn't my experience.

Even when I threw Take That into the mix as a comparison lol?

Plus, as I previously stated we were not discussing them solely as a live act. Did you see both acts live on enough occasions to cement these conclusions?

Did you see both acts live on enough occasions to cement these conclusions?

For real? I was having a good time, I wasn't conducting a science experiment, ffs. 😥

Why do you keep saying Take That?

[Nirvana were good, almost as good as The Jesus Lizard.]

Yes, the Jesus Lizard - a band you can put their music on repeat without ever getting bored. A bit like Kyuss - so much better than their offshoot QOTSA.

[i]Why do you keep saying Take That?[/i]

Because this is the sentence you picked up on:

(compared to watching, I don't know.....Take That, live experience of Nirvana and the Pixies were not that far apart!).

Make sense now..? Although having never experienced Take That live, I can't really measure accurately.

OH I SEE!

Glad that's sorted. 😀

Macavity's Cat might have been better than Nirvana now I come to think of it.

A bit like Kyuss - so much better than their offshoot QOTSA.

I like them both. Homme took things one way and Brant Bjork went a different route. If you liked Kyuss you should check out Vista Chino. Basically Bjork and Garcia carrying on where Kyuss ended.

Brant Bjork - the underground Dave Grohl.

[i]Glad that's sorted.[/i]

I wonder how many people have seen all three. I'd be interested in their views 😆