N I R V A N A

[pixletwin]

Kurt Cobain was a very talented songwriter--he captured a certain kind of mood, and was pretty damn innovative at recombining existing chords in a surprising and new-sounding way.

However:
He seemed to be able to only capture that one particular mood: misery. Very well, mind you, but just that one. I prefer artists who can capture every mood or every aspect of living. I wish he could have done that--he might have been happier, and perhaps lived longer. And reached a more varied audience.

(I kinda have the same problem with Aimee Mann--she even came out and said, 'Why would I write about happiness? That's boring--there's no drama in it.' What a closed and defeatist attitude.)

I would still vote for the Beach Boys over Nirvana. Coolness is irrelevant. The ability to capture all kinds of life in a set of songs is always relevant.

I'll subscribe to that view. Although it should be noted that Cobain also was very good at injecting his lyrics with irony and humor. Which is also what was so unique about him.

I know I'm being pedantic here, and I can't stop myself, but Cobain wasn't the only one to use irony and humour in his lyrics, therefore = not unique.

You are being pedantic. Completely. 

[Loaf]

Kurt Cobain was a very talented songwriter--he captured a certain kind of mood, and was pretty damn innovative at recombining existing chords in a surprising and new-sounding way.

However:
He seemed to be able to only capture that one particular mood: misery. Very well, mind you, but just that one. I prefer artists who can capture every mood or every aspect of living. I wish he could have done that--he might have been happier, and perhaps lived longer. And reached a more varied audience.

(I kinda have the same problem with Aimee Mann--she even came out and said, 'Why would I write about happiness? That's boring--there's no drama in it.' What a closed and defeatist attitude.)

I would still vote for the Beach Boys over Nirvana. Coolness is irrelevant. The ability to capture all kinds of life in a set of songs is always relevant.

I'll subscribe to that view. Although it should be noted that Cobain also was very good at injecting his lyrics with irony and humor. Which is also what was so unique about him.

I know I'm being pedantic here, and I can't stop myself, but Cobain wasn't the only one to use irony and humour in his lyrics, therefore = not unique.

You are being pedantic. Completely. 

That's unavoidable on a Friday afternoon at work!

[ghost]

Kurt Cobain was a very talented songwriter--he captured a certain kind of mood, and was pretty damn innovative at recombining existing chords in a surprising and new-sounding way.

However:
He seemed to be able to only capture that one particular mood: misery. Very well, mind you, but just that one. I prefer artists who can capture every mood or every aspect of living. I wish he could have done that--he might have been happier, and perhaps lived longer. And reached a more varied audience.

(I kinda have the same problem with Aimee Mann--she even came out and said, 'Why would I write about happiness? That's boring--there's no drama in it.' What a closed and defeatist attitude.)

I would still vote for the Beach Boys over Nirvana. Coolness is irrelevant. The ability to capture all kinds of life in a set of songs is always relevant.

You haven't heard much Nirvana if you think it's all misery. Just a few happy Nirvana songs off the top of my head: In Bloom, Breed, Lithium, Drain You, On A Plain, Beeswax, Mexican Seafood, Dive, etc....

None of those are about misery or conjur up a miserable mood. In Utero has most of his real misery laced songwriting - scentless apprentice, heart shaped box, milk it.........

and it's all AMAZING. milk it is one of the coolest songs i've ever heard. LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE SUICIDE, THE DARK SIDE I'M ON YOUR SIDE. the riff is mindblowing. this misery is invigorating.

[runnersdialzero]

I don't think teh kurdt ever really wrote a bad song.

[ghost]

I don't think teh kurdt ever really wrote a bad song.

i agree basically but there are some i consider lame - mr mustache..........

von eerie, u luv nirvana
let's hug

[runnersdialzero]

I don't think teh kurdt ever really wrote a bad song.

i agree basically but there are some i consider lame - mr mustache..........

von eerie, u luv nirvana
let's hug

[Alex]

My favorite Nirvana album is Story of Simon Simopath.

[cta]

In Utero's echo-ish production turned me onto Pet Sounds.

How I made that association way back when, I don't know.  Somebody suggested it, I think.   But, I'm glad I did!

[Myk Luhv]

I want to know what Steve Albini thinks of The Beach Boys or Brian!

[trismegistus]

I grew up with Nirvana, and they were a huge impact on my young, dumb life. I still think that Cobain is one of the better songwriters of my generation, and it's weird to me that he seems to have been left by the wayside these days, I rarely talk to someone who remembers him as 'one of the greats'. I guess that's what happens to someone who becomes a superstar, but unlike, say, The Beatles who were able to maintain, people just got burned out on Nirvana. Hopefully with the 20th anniversary stuff coming out there'll be some changed opinions from people who forgot how good it was (and maybe in a couple years we'll actually get the Albini mix of In Utero!).

As for Albini and the Beach Boys...I dunno, Brian's production is very large and major-label backed, both of which Albini always seems to think as anathema. But I've never actually heard him say anything about the group one way or another.

[stack-o-tracks]

I want to know what Steve Albini thinks of The Beach Boys or Brian!

He seems to like vocals way down in the mix so they're hard to understand over an instrumental backing. All instruments being equal or some hogwash. Been a while since I read the interview.

Not really a fan of his style... At least the 3 Albini produced/recorded albums I know I have. In Utero sounds the least offensive. But Chevelle's Point #1 and Scott Weiland's Happy In Galoshes could have sounded a whole lot better if they wanted to.

Produced by Brian Wilson, maybe.

[Ron]

I was in High School when Nirvana were big, at the time I had a crush on this little girl who was big into them, and all I listened to was 60's music.  So I kind of got into them since she was into them.  Well, one day she was playing "Smells Like Teen Spirit", and explained the chorus to me... "An albino; a Mullato; a Mosquito; my Libido". 

I'd never paid any attention to not only THAT lyric.... but *ANY* Lyrics!  I had been signing songs, my entire life that I loved but had never even really paid attention to the lyrics.  When I was a kid, I liked "Help me Rhonda" because I thought he was saying "Help Me Ronnie".  Now, you would think that the context clues of the rest of the song would have clued me in that it wasn't a song about a guy, but that's how I thought as a kid. 

So after that, I started getting into all the grunge bands or alternative bands out at the time.  I think some of the early, big bands were different that a lot of the copycat music that came afterwards.  I don't think Kurt Cobain took himself that seriously... a lot of modern rock is pretty pussified, Nirvana on the other hand was pretty bad ass in my opinion.  Although a lot of the lyrics could be about 'teenage angst' I dont' think Kurt meant for his music to be depressing or a downer, I think he was a pretty screwed up person with health and drug issues that leaked into his songs. 

I see him as pretty talented, though.  A lot of people are quick to throw him under the bus, but at the time he was pretty revolutionary.  He was also one of the first mainstream, pop acts that I saw, that was cool enough and willing enough to admit his 'uncool' at the time influences: He talked about how he liked the Beatles, and the Beach Boys, for instance when he was young.