Cobain - Thoughts?

eloydrummerboy said:
For instance, In Bloom is about all the jocks that Kurt despised that would come to their shows, listen to their music and pump their fists. But the songs weren't for them, they weren't about them, they were about everything opposite of them, and they didn't even realize it. There he was, bashing a large portion of his fan base and they didn't even realize it because the song is just that damn catchy you have to sing along. Now THAT'S talent.

"He’s the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he knows not what it means
Knows not what it means
when I say
He’s the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he knows not what it means
Knows not what it means
when I say yeeeaaahhh"
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We got that back in the day, and it became a favorite song to crank on Friday while drinking beer with Bevis and Butthead on the tube. That is why I picked that song to post above. Thanks guys for the discussion. Fair comments all.

I have thought about how he was laying it all out there, and how it was really, really compelling as a result. But combine that earnestness with the game of stardom, and it became unsustainable for him in a way. At least that is my little theory.
 
I thought that Nirvana was very half-azzed as an electric rock act and that Cobain's talent was delivered better in his Unplugged thing - even then I found him to be generally over rated but when someone gets to be that popular then there will be people all over the spectrum.
 
eloydrummerboy said:
And that's exactly who Kurt was. Read a biography and you'll realize it wasn't all an act like so many of today's bands. His music was him laying it all out for everyone to see, except his lyrics were often coded and he'd never admit to what anything actually meant in interviews. He left you to speculate, but if you have any background on the kind of person he was you know. So I'd say he did a great job writing songs and lyrics to express himself. If you don't relate to that, well that's perfectly understandable.

For instance, In Bloom is about all the jocks that Kurt despised that would come to their shows, listen to their music and pump their fists. But the songs weren't for them, they weren't about them, they were about everything opposite of them, and they didn't even realize it. There he was, bashing a large portion of his fan base and they didn't even realize it because the song is just that damn catchy you have to sing along. Now THAT'S talent.

"He’s the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he knows not what it means
Knows not what it means
when I say
He’s the one
Who likes all our pretty songs
And he likes to sing along
And he likes to shoot his gun
But he knows not what it means
Knows not what it means
when I say yeeeaaahhh"
Click to expand...

I believe that "In Bloom" is often considered a very in-group, bitchy put down of a particular guy that Cobain was kinda friends with. I'm too lazy to dig it up. Anyway when Cobain wrote a lot of Nevermind he was hanging out with his pals in Olympia who were not, let us say, open-minded about those sorts of people that they considered to be mainstream macho dirtbags. This sort of thing is very much of a piece with the riot grrrl stuff that Cobain's friends and girlfriend were into at the time.
 
I loved Nevermind when it hit. When In Utero came out, I found it too monochromatic - the same dark tone of Nevermind, the same lack of fun, the same disdain for the mainstream. That note sustained one album really well, but it got stale moving forward. Add to that the fact that I have zero respect for a father that commits suicide, and I have to say that Cobain was a flash in the pan that didn't hold up well at all.

I do feel blessed that his dumb-ass selfish act gave us the Foo Fighters - I really dig Grohl's stuff :)
 
Aahzz said:
I loved Nevermind when it hit. When In Utero came out, I found it too monochromatic - the same dark tone of Nevermind, the same lack of fun, the same disdain for the mainstream. That note sustained one album really well, but it got stale moving forward. Add to that the fact that I have zero respect for a father that commits suicide, and I have to say that Cobain was a flash in the pan that didn't hold up well at all.

I do feel blessed that his dumb-ass selfish act gave us the Foo Fighters - I really dig Grohl's stuff :)
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IMO, In Utero kicked Nevermind's ass. For all the angry pop glory of Smells Like Teen Spirit, Serve The Servants just goes right for the jugular but is bittersweet. Cobain's unusual melodies really made that album stand out.
 
I might listen to a Nirvana album once or twice a year, but I'm a fan when I do. I think that Cobain was incredibly talented.

Will say that I could never judge someone for choosing suicide, and find it pretty distasteful when people do.
 
It makes me so sad and confused when people praise the Foo Fighters over Nirvana. Have you not ears?
 
Flamencology said:
Will say that I could never judge someone for choosing suicide, and find it pretty distasteful when people do.
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Indeed. Considering that folks are willing to extend internet "mojo" for every stubbed toe or less-than-excellent pizza pie, you'd think that they'd be willing to ramp up the empathy/sympathy for folks suffering from addiction, depression, etc.
 
Sad Navigator said:
I believe that "In Bloom" is often considered a very in-group, bitchy put down of a particular guy that Cobain was kinda friends with. I'm too lazy to dig it up. Anyway when Cobain wrote a lot of Nevermind he was hanging out with his pals in Olympia who were not, let us say, open-minded about those sorts of people that they considered to be mainstream macho dirtbags. This sort of thing is very much of a piece with the riot grrrl stuff that Cobain's friends and girlfriend were into at the time.
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Oh yeah, from what I understand, at that time he hated just about everybody who wasn't the Melvins.
 
eloydrummerboy said:
Oh yeah, from what I understand, at that time he hated just about everybody who wasn't the Melvins.
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He was pretty tight with Calvin Johnson and the women from Bikini Kill too. And that whole scene inspired a fair amount of backlash and fingerpointing and charges of elitism.

riotGirl_01.jpg
 
I always liked his voice and his ability to communicate with the listener. I'm less keen on many of the songs, though I did enjoy a few and really liked "Heart Shaped Box".

I cannot stand the Foo Fighters btw. :shrug:
 
huskerdude said:
It makes me so sad and confused when people praise the Foo Fighters over Nirvana. Have you not ears?
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On the contrary.

It's not that the Foo songs are "better" (from a pure songwriting perspective), but yeah I do find them a whole lot more enjoyable to listen to.
That said, Nirvana was always my least favourite out of the "grunge" acts, although In Utero was indeed quite a good album.

Comparing the two bands is ridiculous to begin with though, as they have very little to nothing in common, apart from Dave Grohl. :embarrassed:
 
I thought he was a very good songwriter and a good enough guitarist for what he did. I liked other bands from the grunge movement better: Mudhoney, Screaming Trees, etc. I don't know if I want to say Grohl is better musician, but we've had the opportunity to SEE a lot more of him and he's obviously grown, how could he not, he's been at it a LONG time.

His suicide was sad, but not a shock: Chronic pain, a nasty habit from self-medication, and a personal life that was probably pure chaos. So yeah ...

I DO find it fun when teens who weren't even alive when he was rave on and on about his impact though.
 
Dexter Inferno said:
Comparing the two bands is ridiculous to begin with though, as they have very little to nothing in common, apart from Dave Grohl. :embarrassed:
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Rachmoninoff and Nirvana have very little to nothing in common. A female chimp with diabetes and a broken hot tub water pump in Cancun have little to nothing in common.

Nirvana and Foo Fighters are very capable of being compared. (I just don't want to be the one to do it)
 
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