What would people say about Nirvana if they were still going now?
There seems to be this trend over the last few years to hate all an artists new material and constantly go on about their old stuff. 'I miss the old Eminem', 'What have Green Day become?' 'Wish the Arctic Monkeys would make some songs with their old sound' are comments typically seen on social media sites. (They were just a few examples).
I can never imagine Nirvana being crap. But do you think if they were still going now people would be saying similar stuff about their music? I'm trying to think if any band is immune from this kind of criticism that's still going now and making new music.
I can never imagine Nirvana being crap. But do you think if they were still going now people would be saying similar stuff about their music? I'm trying to think if any band is immune from this kind of criticism that's still going now and making new music.
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I've been thinking that Nirvana's music was a great paradigm changer at the time, a great yell of anger and angst at the scene of the late 80s/early 90s. There isn't much variation between the three studio albums they made and I feel they would have to have added to the sound in some way later in the 90s. I listen to the Foo Fighters and I wonder if that would have been the direction?
Radiohead showed a similar amount of anger in their early works but 'The Bends' and 'OK Computer' have greater musical maturity and variety than 'Nevermind'. Radiohead were about as comfortable with fame as Kurt but they survived and their music has changed right through the 90s and 00s to now. I like the changes but I suspect many would agree with you and dislike the developments. I think Kurt could have learned to turn his anger into something more positive through time, rather like the transition Johnny Lydon made from the Pistols to PiL. I don't feel PiL have really suffered any real criticism in the development of their music.
Pearl Jam's lead singer Eddie Vedder was labelled along with Kurt as 'the spokemen for Generation X' and neither man were comfortable with that - fame was not something either actively seeked. While Nirvana's demise came at a terrible cost, Pearl Jam survived (only just) and turned themselves into a cult band. After 'Vs' they stopped making music video's (remember how important MTV was back in the 90's) and made a couple of albums that strayed away from the commercial norm - and toured as Neil Youngs backing band, an experience that the band members have said on numerous occasions 'saved the band', Ed refers to Neil as 'Uncle Neil'. In 2015 Pearl Jam are still a huge band, who sell out tours the world over and headline festivals, their albums no longer sell in the bulk they did in their heyday, but still sell enough to be relevant - 2014's 'Lightning Bolt' topped the American charts and entered the UK charts at number 2 and they are regarded as one of the greatest live acts on the planet.
Would Nirvana have been able to adopt the same strategy? Kurt was a junkie, something Ed never was - that would make things harder. Nirvana's sound was limited and would have dated if they'd stuck to the same formulae for another couple of albums - they would have had to evolve.
I'm not sure I've heard much like them since and that's unusual for band that huge. There was something unique about that hard a band making it so big with that bare a front man. Most others have seemed a bit more polished and safer.
The Foo Fighters progression. I could definitely see them making One By One (for the main part) as an album. Not so sure about others. It's difficult for me to imagine Cobain being so upbeat.
Are there any more hit albums by other bands we can think of that you could imagine Nirvana making?
And you can imagine several festival headlining slots with the band getting increasingly pissed off as they play their material to a load of confused teenagers waiting for Smells Like Teen Spirit.
http://www.avclub.com/article/foo-fighters-debut-was-a-bridge-between-nirvana-an-84294
Them Crooked Vultures was quite Nirvana-like too. I could have seen them making those albums. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M89qz4aWbBo&list=PLcRNgRm5BYZ-3aY5RX8NzPEDWXZ7LzQ1e
How about this with an American drawl?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjlzmPcpQpg&list=PLE72266B105AE5F9F
Ash.
They (Nirvana) would definitely be slated more than they are had they stuck around. Familiarity breeds contempt.
Spot on
I agree. I think if Kurt had lived the band probably would have imploded after maybe one more album, Grohl would form the Foo fighters anyway and Kurt might have done some toned-down solo stuff, or heaven forbid maybe done a John and Yoko and released some albums with Courteney.
And when the money dried up they'd get back together for a few reunion tours as they're still the best way for bands to earn money.
And so is it better then in artistic terms that Kurt is gone? As he lives on not only in the music he left us but in the mythology and mystery that surrounds him. I've just watched the preview of the 'Montage of Heck' documentary and it uses a lot of the Cobain Journals supplemented with home video and animation. It does nothing to diminish the legend.
We'll never know. But I think whatever he did musically would have had dividing opinions the same as other long term bands seem to get now about their later albums. I doubt Nirvana would have been immune from that.
Perhaps?
If Courtney hadn't arranged for him to be killed I'm sure he would've done a lot more.
That's how I see it too. I think he would have pushed to do some experimental things with Nirvana, but ultimately due to label/fan pressures he would have probably just gone his own way. As you say, the unplugged set suggests a more acoustic based sound would have been fantastic.
Saw the trailer for the film at the cinema last night. I really liked the title 'Montage of Heck'. Shame they had to whack COBAIN in there ahead of it. The animation also looks a bit corny. I'm torn whether to go see it, I went through my Nirvana phase a few years back and now just think I'd find it desperately sad more than anything.
The animation works pretty well, it isn't corny and is used sparingly to fill in parts of the story which just couldn't be filmed or included any other way. It is a sad film but it may help to reconnect with the anger that was Nirvana. There's very little like it these days.
I like the unplugged stuff. I imagine Kurt might have gone on like Thom Yorke and did some experimental solo stuff and Nirvana might have reformed on an on off basis.
Fair play. It's more a personal dislike I have for that kind of thing. Always find it a bit distracting and i've rarely warmed to animation in general (although i love the Miyazaki stuff).