VANITY: Kurt Cobain died 17 years ago today...

Self ^ | 4/5/11 | Self

[dfwgator]

I was embarrased to be in HS in the last 1980s, and looking at photos of the hair-band followers back then, I can only wonder how they feel about looking that ridiculous.

You mean this wasn't you in this photo?

[lado]

I agree with you wholeheartedly. I was in high school when alternative took over, and people forget how much of a watershed moment it was. A lover of 80s metal myself (Metallica, Maiden, Priest Megadeth, etc.), this change was almost instantaneous. It was like “who are these bands that DON’T play guitar solos and play three chords, and go up on stage in street clothes with no lighting/effects, and then just whine into the microphone, and people LOVE them”? They just came out of nowhere. And it’d be like ‘Iron who’? I couldn’t stand it, and it was amazing how many people seemed brainwashed by the ‘new’ sound. The lack of musicianship is what drove me nuts. Not to say that there weren’t good ones, but most groups seemed to be popular regardless of their level of playing proficiency.

That said, I didn’t hate Nirvana, but I wasn’t thrilled by them either. And Cobain, to me, was just an idiot headcase. Sorry, but that’s my opinion.

[Eagle of Liberty]

Motley Crue’s best album? Their first, Too Fast for Love. They even have COWBELL in one of their songs!!

[walterandrews]

You just explained why Nirvana et. al. speaks so strongly to so many people. They identify with what grunge was saying much more than the “fast cars/faster women” of hair rock.

[antiRepublicrat]

Q: What has more brains than Kurt Cobain?

A: The wall behind him.

[Le Chien Rouge]

Parts of ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ sound an awful like ‘More Than a Feeling’.

[walterandrews]

Shemp was the Fourth Stooge of the Apocalypse.

[the invisib1e hand]

They say those guys used to use piano strings on their guitars.

[Vision]

Can’t believe I’m this old.

[dfwgator]

agree with you wholeheartedly. I was in high school when alternative took over, and people forget how much of a watershed moment it was. A lover of 80s metal myself (Metallica, Maiden, Priest Megadeth, etc.), this change was almost instantaneous. It was like “who are these bands that DON’T play guitar solos and play three chords, and go up on stage in street clothes with no lighting/effects, and then just whine into the microphone, and people LOVE them”?

The same could be said for "The Knack" when "Get the Knack" came out, and put the final dagger into the back of disco, and sprang forth "New Wave".

[the invisib1e hand]

That’s an Obama shekel and you know it.

[patriot08]

‘IMHO there’s only been two geniuses in rock and roll - Frank Zappa and Brian Wilson.’

Brian Wilson for sure.

[icwhatudo]

Growing up listening to New Wave, I wonder if Nirvana listened to Men Without Hats....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLAQEssYNjA

[IMissPresidentReagan]

LOL...That’s true. I had a flannel shirt back in the day. Of course, the cool thing for us girls was to wear a shirt underneath and get a really large flannel shirt and tie it off to the side. Somehow, we managed to “preppify” the grunge look. lol.

[Jeff Chandler]

When Shemp replaced Curlie as the 3rd Stooge, did this herald a New Hollywood, a New American Culture, indeed a New World Vanguard wherein the Substitute, lacking in the talent and charisma of the Original, would usher in a plasticized paragon, giving rise to a techno-savy, yet analytically impoverished, Model for Humanity?

You have given me something to ponder.

[Deaf Smith]

you walked into your pantry
and you proceeded to take a shot
your gun, strategically tipped below one eye
your aim was right on the dot
you had one eye, fixed in terror
at the mayhem, you had brought

and all the girls screamed...
when they saw the paper...they saw the paper...and...

kurt cobain
you probably think we can’t live without you
kurt cobain (kurt cobain)
you probably think we can’t live without you
don’t you ? ...don’t you ?

well, you formed bands several years ago
so good, that you can’t believe
but the fame you attained in the public’s glare
had caused you to want to leave
so you said goodbye to ones you loved
and let your soul fly free

i had some dreams...you were there in your coffin
there in your coffin, and...

kurt cobain
you probably think we can’t live without you
kurt cobain (kurt cobain)
you probably think we can’t live without you
don’t you ? ...don’t you ?

well, i hear you grew up in south tacoma
or somewhere that rarely gets sun
and you left that hick town with your diploma
you made some video clips just for fun

well, you made it to the top in time
but now, you’re not..you’re dead
some other world guy
who created his own end
made up his own end...and

kurt cobain
you probably think we can’t live without you
kurt cobain (kurt cobain)
you probably think we can’t live without you
don’t you ? ...don’t you ?

[thefactor]

But Cobain took everything mainstream! Neil Young was just another dirty rocker that no one really cared about in any meaningful way.

Madison avenue embraced Cobain just as much as the underground grunge scene. And the funny thing is, Cobain was never accused of 'selling out' by his fans like Green Day or other bands were.

[Jeff Chandler]

Shemp was the Fourth Stooge of the Apocalypse.

A tagline is born.

[dfwgator]

Agreed but the conspiracy theorist in me never bought the suicide story.

Heck, I think it was Yoko that had Chapman bump off John.

[The Toll]

Rock music still hasn’t recovered unfortunately. Not from his death, but from the dead end of negativity that this cry-baby helped usher in.

Rock music has been boring and shoved to the back of the bus ever since. Still in the weeds to be honest.