Track this topic | Email this topic | Print this topic

It's been 10 years since the death of Kurt Cobain to this day. It's hard to believe that it's already been an entire decade since the grunge icon lost his life. I remember hearing about it... not that I knew who he was at the time. I just knew he made loud music. But it's something I remember hearing on the news when I was 7.

One thing that has not rested over the 10 years was his unexpected death. There have been numerous biographies, books, tv programs, and other novelties paying hommage to everything about Kurt Cobain. Personally, I get sick of it all, but you cannot deny someone like Cobain the tributes.

Love him or hate him, you can't deny the fact that the man revolutionized the way rock music was played in the early 90s. When "Smells Like Teen Spirit" erupted, it wasn't even a word to describe it's style until other bands like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, etc. began to abuse the same style for their own... coining the genre "grunge". Even if you don't like Nirvana, their influence is apparent throughout modern day music. It's not often someone can change the face of music like Kurt Cobain and Nirvana did.

--------------------

"When I turn the page
The corner bends into the perfect dog ear
As if the words knew I'd need them again
But at the time, I didn't see it."

~"This Ain't a Surfin' Movie" - Minus the Bear

Oh yes, I remember. I had just turned 13 when I heard about this. I had probably just started getting into Nirvana about that same time (I remember the Heart Shaped Box video..... whoa). I'm still a big 90s rock fan. The Smashing Pumpkins are still my all favourite rock band, and they came out with the 'grunge' crowd.

OT: I just remembered, I WON MY BET!!!! I had bet a friend that I go without seeing a certain episode of Star Trek for ten years, and still remember it. I have to call her up now!

--------------------

kame, tortue, tortuga, schildkröte, tartaruga, turtle

"Arthur Dent?"
"Yes."
"Arthur Philip Dent?"
"Yes."
"You're a total knee biter."

Definitely a big influence on modern music. I, too, have gotten annoyed with all the credit he's been given from people who think he's some kind of god. But there is no denying that he has a huge impact on rock music as we know it. RIP Kurt.

--------------------

Lou: There's a couple of guys fighting down at the aquarium, Chief.
Wiggum: Do they still sell those frozen bananas?
Lou: I think so.
Wiggum: Let's roll.

I too had just turned 13, and was so into Nirvana at the time. I remember flicking on MTV and first hearing it from Kurt Loder(I think that is who it was). I couldn't believe it I was in shock. It sucks that this happened, but it also preserved peoples memories of Nirvana. You will very rarely hear people say they sucked., mainly because they never had the chance to start getting old with listeners. Same thing with my all-time favorite band Sublime.

--------------------

"My impersonation of an ordinary person was flawless." - Neal

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." - Dr. Seuss

Well I'd hardly say that those other bands abused the same style Sab. I mean, I've never heard Cobain hit the notes Cornell did and Alice In Chains has more in common with Pantera than Nirvana and if I remember, most bands hated the label grunge anyway.

I'm a mixed bag on Kurt. As a songwriter, he's top notch, but I doubt I'd have liked him in person. He always struck me as a more subtle version of the kinda goth dudes that South Park recently made fun of. Conforming to non-conformity kinda thing. Of all the grunge bands, Nirvana always felt like the 'pop' group, which makes sense since they were the most popular, but I always attributed that to their pop style structure as well as their great sound. But they're still one of the best rock groups I ever heard (which goes for most the bands during that era). I dunno, I just always drifted to PJ since they had a heavier blues vibe and AiC since I love southern rock.

This post has been edited by Narratorway on 5th April 2004 20:22

--------------------

Arts

Farts

Twarts

narratorway beat me to the punch with the "abuse" accusation. i think chris cornell just as a singer has more talent than all the members of nirvana combined.

sorry, im not out to rip your opinion, im just not a kurt fan myself. i hate kurt cobain more than any musician, and i think hes given credit he doesnt deserve simply because he died young. hes given credit for a huge talent that he didnt have, and when i see him in one of those stupid "top 10 guitarists of all time" lists in crappy magazines like guitar world, im sickened.

couldnt play guitar... couldnt sing... whined CONSTANLY... heroin... hmm...

as for nirvana though, i have lots of respect for krist novoselic for more or less just going back to being a normal guy instead of trying to bask in fame, and i LOVE dave grohl and the foo fighters, but i just cant tolerate kurt being hailed as an icon simply because he blew his brains out. he wasnt looked at as a hero before all that went down, he was just a greasy whiny annoying psuedo-rebel rocker.

sorry dude, but i think youre overselling him, just like everyone else has since he painted the wall with his brains, and im glad hes dead.

This post has been edited by therandyrhoads on 5th April 2004 23:10

--------------------

You watch the world exploding every single night
Dancing in the sun, a newborn in the light
Say goodbye to gravity and say goodbye to death
Hello to eternity and live for every breath

Your time will come...

I love Nirvana. I think about alll the potential songs i was denied and it makes me sad.

--------------------

If you've been mod-o-fied,
It's an illusion, and you're in-between.
Don't you be tarot-fied,
It's just alot of nothing, so what can it mean?
~Frank Zappa

Sins exist only for people who are on the Way or approaching the Way

Personally, I am one of those people thet Randy is refering too. I believ Kurt was an inspiration to me and he had a great impact on my life. I really enjoy what he sings about and i feel that I can relate to what he says. Of course i was too young (7) to be a fan when he died, i do remember my older cousins being quite disturbed by it. Now that I am older and I am a fan, I believe it is time to state an oppinion of mine. If Kurt had lived, he would have been John Lennon for the 90s generation. I hope this dosn't start too many arguments...

--------------------

<Nealio> Seymour sounds like evil Winnie the Pooh

Randy: I admit Cobain wasn't the best at what he did. There are at least 25 better guitarists, let alone musicians, better than Kurt Cobain. But the impact that he left on the music industry is evident. I think that there is a certain truth to what you said about his early death contributing to how he's perceived as a guitar god when he isn't.

I'd also like to withdraw the bands that I said they influenced... because, after listening to Alice in Chains' greatest hits and Pearl Jam's "Ten" album today, they had a style all their own ... so influence was minimal.

--------------------

"When I turn the page
The corner bends into the perfect dog ear
As if the words knew I'd need them again
But at the time, I didn't see it."

~"This Ain't a Surfin' Movie" - Minus the Bear

While those band listed weren't really influenced by Nirvana, they were extremely beneficial of their success. Nirvana really brought the media attention to the Seattle scene, and paved the way for Pearl Jam and Soundgarden to achieve multi-platinum sales. Yes Kurt wan't the greatest guitar player or singer of his time, but he did seem to put a lot more of himself into his lyrics than the others. I know that could lead to a whole other discussion, but it what I think. The Nirvana Unplugged session is my favorite Unplugged of all time, only closely followed by the Alice in Chains Unplugged. Sure most of the songs they played were not written by Cobain, but the emotion he put into the songs and the anguish on his face give me goose bumps.

This post has been edited by Hanyou on 6th April 2004 05:20

--------------------

"My impersonation of an ordinary person was flawless." - Neal

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." - Dr. Seuss

Well, I wouldn't go as far as randy did and say that I'm glad Cobain's dead, but I do agree that he is severely lacking in the musicianship category. You know 25 lead guitarists better than him, Sabin? I can think of 25 in bands that begin with the letter A. And vocals? He had very little talent, if any, as far as that was concerned. His talent was in his songwriting and music style. The appeal of grunge, especially Cobain's grunge, was that it was for every young person who ever felt a pull towards disestablishmentarianism. This is the soul of what rock music has always been; simple, hard, and against an "establishment" that most listeners are actually a part of. After the hair bands that dominated the music scene in the 80's, rock needed someone like Cobain to step up and say "f**k style, f**k appearances, and f**k you too." He was a champion of the proletariat. A lot of people could empathize with Nirvana, because they sang about real issues. Angst, hatred, boredom, and general anger were the topics of the day, in direct contrast to the flighty, glamerous lifestyles portrayed by hair bands.

RIP, Kurt Cobain. In losing you, we lost a phenomenal poet, a true songwriter, and a rock icon that the great Paul McCartney compared to John Lennon.

To me music died on that day it seems. I love almost all music from classical/orchestrated to old rock n roll, to punk, to 80s rock, heavymetal (mostly old Metallica, Megadeth, and GNR), to 90s grunge. After nirvana died there has been nothing but crap music out there to me. There have been a few good bands but not many. Can't believe that there going to reform Nirvana, it won't be the same.

--------------------

War is for the participants a test of character; it makes bad men worse and good men better. - Joshua Chamberlain

U sir R a n00b >:-( - Cactuar

Quote

Can't believe that there going to reform Nirvana, it won't be the same.

where did you hear that?

--------------------

<Nealio> Seymour sounds like evil Winnie the Pooh

I dont like Nirvana, and the only bad thing about Cobain's death is that it didnt happen 10 years sooner. Nirvana's schtick was trashing other people's music. Thats my job, not theirs. A bunch of no talent losers who got lucky cos MTV decided to make them the next big thing.

Lets all toast Winchester Power!

Salud!

--------------------

Blood & Fire

I like what Nirvana did to music but I was never a big fan of the group. At the time I thought that's what all "heavy metal" sounded like; loud guitars and some dude screaming his head off. Then everyone's like "OMG Nirvana changed music forever!". He did? Um... ok. The 90's certainly had a new rock sound which was better than that of the 80's so if everyone gives credit to Nirvana for that change then they must have done something good. Personally I don't find anything attractive about drug addicts but it's a shame when anyone commits suicide. Kurt Cobain failed to find joy in life and I think it would have been better if he did stay alive so that he would have a chance to gain strength from his problems and come out a winner. Instead death took him down. Oh well. He certainly doesn't deserve ALL the credit for the new 90's sound... there was a lot of innovation happening during that time by many different artists. People always need something to worship and I guess Kurt Cobain has been chosen by many. That's pretty much the bottom line. Personally I wouldn't want to live by those standards.

--------------------

FFXI (Siren server)
Tauu the Windurstian Tarutaru!
White Mage & Paladin

I don't really like Kurt or Nirvana but that's really just because I know this guy that is crazy about Kurt...he trys to look like him, he wants to move to where Kurt grew up, he even has a band that is a rip off of Nirvana...so I was quite annoyed by the whole thing some time ago...other than that I probably would have liked them if they hadn't been worn out by him.

--------------------

Climhazzard is the timeless evil robot who runs some of the cool stuff at CoN (mostly logging chat, since there are no quizzes at the moment), all the while watching and waiting for his moment to take over the world. -Tiddles

I was never a Nirvana fan, and in fact am not really a huge fan of the genre. However, whether you believe it was because he and Nirvana were talented musicians or because they were marketed ad nauseum by the music industry, the fact is that they generated hype (deservedly or otherwise). To me, it seemed like it happened at a time when the music scene was desperately in need of a shot in the arm, in the wake of the demise of 80s power ballads and hair bands. Even if he wasn't the only one doing it, he was at least part of a meager minority that dared to write songs that weren't about guys and girls in starstruck love. As io_rage points out, he addressed things far more relevant to real life and the common man. Even if you believe he was rammed down our throats in many ways (and I believe that too), I think he deserves credit for busting the mold (as does everyone else who was doing it at the time).

PB78

I wasn't a grunge fan back when it was big. I was a dumb kid who was into gangsta rap. My music tastes changed over time, and I went back to explore the grunge bands...Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots. Now that I'm old enough to appreciate the lyrics and the sound I think Nirvana's music was amazing. Iconically I would consider him on par with Elvis, The Beach Boys, The Beatles etc...Musically I think Nirvana was excellent too, better than Pearl Jam and as good as STP.

--------------------

"That Light has bestowed upon me the greatest black magic!"

I loved Nirvana. The band (and Grunge Rock in general) is just one of my memories from the early 90s I'm trying to hold on to. Like Sabin said, whether or not you liked him he DID have a big impact on music, just look how he's worshipped today. I won't argue about his vocals/guitar skills, I'll just say that I love listening to Nirvana.

--------------------

SPEKKIO: "GRRR...That was most embarrassing!"

Quote (Sabin @ 5th April 2004 14:16)

Love him or hate him, you can't deny the fact that the man revolutionized the way rock music was played in the early 90s. When "Smells Like Teen Spirit" erupted, it wasn't even a word to describe it's style until other bands like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, etc. began to abuse the same style for their own... coining the genre "grunge". Even if you don't like Nirvana, their influence is apparent throughout modern day music.  It's not often someone can change the face of music like Kurt Cobain and Nirvana did.

The concept of "grunge" and, to an extent, "alternative" was and still is kind of retarded. I never was a Nirvana fan, and I probably never will be, though I dont mind listening to them now, nor hearing a cover by a band I really like, ie. Machine Head's version of "Negative Creep" or Fear Factory's version of "School."

The important part:
I don't think any band ever ripped off Nirvana.
Soundgarden, whom I am huge fan of, formed in 1985. Alice In Chains first cd, "Facelift," came out the same year Nirvana's first cd, "Bleach" did, 1990. All members of Pearl Jam, except Eddie Vedder,were big parts of the late 80s Seattle scene either as part of Mother Love Bone or Green River. Gossard, Ament,etc met Eddie because he was hanging around the studio when they and Chris Cornell and others were recording the Temple of the Dog cd, which was a tribute to the singer from Mother Love Bone.

Later bands, such as STP, The Presidents, Bush, Candlebox, Seven Mary Three were mere corporate discoveries to attempt to capitalize on the popularity of the sound.
Being a collector of glam/hair bands' music, I've noticed that major labels continued to put out, if not support, that genre until 92 or 93, technically after Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice In Chains hit big, but before the major labels switched their push to grunge/alternative rock.
My theory is that some major lables simply have the balls to try something new occassionally, and that Epic (Pearl Jam), Columbia (Alice In Chains), A&M (Soundgarden), and Geffen (Nirvana) got lucky, and the rest of the labels followed suit and found new 'grunge' bands to put out. Its a pattern that has always repeated itself and I could point it out in most rock trends and genres.

You have been educated.
You're welcome.

Moderator Edit

And your last two lines make you sound like a real jerk. I suggest you not cop that elitist attitude around here. -R51

This post has been edited by Rangers51 on 26th April 2004 12:28

--------------------

look into my eyes
tell me what you see
someone real?
this is real!
what you wish to be!

...O P E N Y O U R E Y E S........
...open your eyes, open your eyes....