Nirvana Yay/Nay?

nyarlothothep

A band that were always present in the background when I was teenager but I never really got into them despite knowing many of their songs because I guess those are influential years. But I've been listening to them recently. There is an elegance of simplicity in their music, for example Lithium has a somewhat euphoric effect and is incredibly catchy, On A Plain has a great melody and so forth. It quite interesting to contrast this with say Animals as Leaders or King Crimson, as the latter bands, while equally enjoyable to listen to for different reasons, don't often elicit that same fundamental response if you get what I mean.

I think that Cobain very successfully incorporated the Beatles influence but rather than just imitate it he caught on to the fundamentals of that style which is to write really really catchy and enjoyable tunes, which I guess requires a high degree of artistry as its not in any way easy to write something which is instantly memorable.

I like how this was fused with heavier and darker elements. Probably been said many times over but another plus point in their favour was the ability to take a song by David Bowie and turn it into a far more elegiac piece than the original. So while they aren't my favourite band they are pretty damn good. The only other band that would rival them from that era (imo, and contrary to Steve Albinis assertion that they were average) would be The Pixies but overall I prefer Nirvana as they're darker.

Twilightning

I think everyone goes through a Nirvana phase at one stage or another! I haven't really listened to them in a good while, mostly listened to stuff off of Nevermind or In Utero, both of which are fairly enjoyable.

I prefer Alice in Chains though as far as grunge goes though.

ShawnRaven

Strongly disagreeing on improving Man Who Sold The World, however they did take that song (and a handful of others on that unplugged show) and introduce it to a wider audience.

You could tell Cobain had enough of success though in retrospect. Especially when you see the video footage on the With The Lights Out boxset, when the band actually had a lot of fun together. Cobain found it difficult to deal with success, and it showed. I think i remember reading once that the reason In Utero sounded so obscure was to try and lose a lot of the hangers-on from the success of Nevermind.

That backfired, didn't it?

I first heard em with Nevermind (I'm not gonna try to be cool and say that i was listening to em from Bleach, although i did think Bleach was a better album), and really got into the tracks from Incesticide too. But i couldn't warm to In Utero at all, I'd heard about half that album from live bootlegs at the time prior to it's release and just wasn't a fan at all. A lot of that was probably down to overexposure in 1992 though.

I had a discussion with someone a couple of weeks ago about Cobain, and what if he had disbanded Nirvana and gone into writing and/or production instead? Made for some interesting food for thought.

KnifeWRENCH

I like Nirvana but they are/were overrated. Didn't really care for Bleach or Incesticide, although the latter has my favourite Nirvana song (Dive). I prefer In Utero to Nevermind.

GLaDOS

I like them for the nostalgiac effect at this point, one of the first bands I really got into, wouldn't listen to them very often any more though.

Podge2k7

I liked some of their songs, but generally they were overated.

Crotchety

They were grand but I wouldn't be too bothered about them now. They're not that great.

I think they were blown out of proportion because the guy blew his brains out. It made him a hero in some sense. Anyway that was like 15 years ago so it has died down since and I don't know many people who would be interested in it anymore.

seanybiker

I love nirvana. I dont listen to them as much as I used to but will always have a nirvana playlist on me mp3 player.
Tough one trying to pick out a favourite album though. Depends on what mood Im in really.

VegetativeState

I love them, Bleach is my favourite album of all time. Still remember the first time I herad teen spirit, blew my mind. First band I had heard that were bordering on being heavy. You have to appreciate them solely for the fact that they're responsible for so many kids getting into heavy music. Or at least that's how it is with a lot of people I know. It was them that got me into The Melvins, Bad Brains, Celtic Frost, PJ Harvey, Beat Happening, an innumerable amount of deadly **** that I probably wouldn't have heard otherwise or wouldn't have gotten into for a long time.
Their music was simple but eclectic enough to broaden the minds of the kids that got into them. I love every single song they've ever produced. Took me a while to get back into teen spirit because it was so over-played but it's a great song.
I think they're still as popular as always. Cobain was 6 years dead when I first heard them properlly and a lot of kids nowadays seem to be just as in to them as I was. I can't see myself ever getting sick of them, they're amazing.

nacho libre

I got into them after hearing In Utero(which is still my favourite Nirvana album).
Incesticide is good too. I don't really care for Nevermind and Bleach.

OK-Cancel-Apply

Great band. Don't listen to them as much as I did when I was a teen though. Love Bleach. Think about 50% of In Utero though is garbage. Nevermind will always be a classic. Unplugged was fantastic, but still wasn't a patch on AIC's one.

buck65

yay

GlindaGale

I was obsessed with Nirvana in my teenage years! Really obsessed. Like most people, I grew out of it but I still love them as a band and Bleach is still one of my all time favourite albums.

jenizzle

The only thing I'm thankful to Nirvana for is introducing me to Pearl Jam. Most of my friends were absolutely obsessed with them and their Unplugged album back when I was just getting into rock music in Secondary School, and I kinda went against the grain out of spite.

I still do really like some of their music, I do feel that other "grunge" bands (I say "grunge" as, although they were in the same genre, they were nothing alike) really blew them out of the water though.

I am very curious as to how successful they would have been had Cobain had not died.

sweatingbullets

To be honest,nirvana were the first grunge band i heard and i belive the first song i heard was with my cousin and he put on negative creep from bleach,when i heard the opening riff i thought wow,thats cool!!!!!!

havent listened to them in a few years but nevermind is in my top ten albums.

Crotchety

Yes. I would go along the lines that if Kurtis had not decided to blow his brains out on the day then we would care too much for them now.

A7X

NAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY

batari

I don't really care for Nevermind and Bleach.

Dude. You gotta grab a copy of that album and some headphones real quick, and then come back here and apologise. :eek:

Crotchety

It shouldn't be that hard to find.

kona

nay , nirvana are **** IMO.

dimejinky99

Overrated and rather puerile, theywould have went the way of all the other grunge acts as in fade in oblivion to be a footnote had they continued.

Pearl jam were always the better band in that situation and are still putting out quality albums almost 20 years later.

Crotchety

Even Panic at the Disco are better than the tripe that we now call Nirvana. :pac:

OK-Cancel-Apply

Yes I believe Nirvana are vastly over rated, but they still had quite a few good tracks, mainly on Bleach. In Utero is the most overrated piece of noise they ever made though.

calex71

wow would have thought there would have been a bit more love for them

One of the 1st bands i got into way back in the day, dont listen to them so much anymore , like others they did get me into the likes of pearl jam , and the rest but if we are talking grunge as a genre peral jam and alice in chains were some of the least grunge sounding bands there especially alice in chains ( i was a huge fan) . They just happened to come from the same place and get lumped into that genre by media and labels looking for a $.

Love hairspray queen off incesticide and milk it off in utero. Liked never mind but didnt love it.

I think they made great music , the fact they some say they where overrated is down to the overexposure and hype and the way in which cobain died. I could say the doors where overrated in the same way but nirvana tuned people into so many other new bands at the time when the other alternative was rave. Years later they are criticized as over hyped , if not for them being over hyped then would the pearl jams and the alice in chains etc have been successful or many other bands of the time and would you be listening to some of the stuff you listen to today ??? I know i wouldn't , Not a dig just a question

bigeasyeah

I like them but what put me off them at the time was their fans.

Max Power1

NAY

Alice in Chains are a WAAAAAAYYYY better grunge band IMHO, hell even Pearl Jam are better than Nirvana.

If Kurt wasnt six feet under the band would have faded away and we wouldnt be having this debate

LCDeelite

Knife-WREEENCH wrote: »

I like Nirvana but they are/were overrated...

I strongly disagree with that statement. No other artist/band has/have affected me as strongly with their songs as Nirvana have/do.

LCDeelite

Max Power1 wrote: »

NAY

Alice in Chains are a WAAAAAAYYYY better grunge band IMHO, hell even Pearl Jam are better than Nirvana.

If Kurt wasnt six feet under the band would have faded away and we wouldnt be having this debate

I seriously doubt that. :rolleyes: They had already shifted millions of albums before Kurt topped himself and, in the process, they had assuredly cemented their position in the rock firmament.

LCDeelite

♫ wrote: »

Even Panic at the Disco are better than the tripe that we now call Nirvana. :pac:

Gosh, may the Lord have sympathy on the decent music taste of the faithful departed.

0ubliette

LCDeelite wrote: »

I seriously doubt that. :rolleyes: They had already shifted millions of albums before Kurt topped himself and, in the process, they had assuredly cemented their position in the rock firmament.

Exactly. Even if they had faded out entirely they would still be regarded as an immensely important band. Whether you like to admit it or not Nirvana changed the face of music. Yes bands like sonic youth and the pixies were doing alternative rock before them but it was Nirvana who took that music and really brought it to the masses, without compromising their sound at all. you only have to look at what was considered big 'rock' music at the time Nirvana broke through, like Mr Big, Extreme, and other cheese rock to see that Nirvana were in the right place at the right time and they would alwys have been regarded as the band that changed music for the better in the 90s.
Also to the people saying nirvana would have just fizzled out, after the recording of in utero, Cobain was actually considering writing a collboration with Michael Stipe and was also considering writing an album solely on piano so he wasnt just a one trick pony, he was immensely talented not only as a musician he was also an amazing painter.
Listening to Nevermind nowadays, the album has not aged a day. Its over 10 years old and still sounds like it could have been released last week (tho incesticide is my favourite nirvana album)

ShawnRaven

0ubliette wrote: »

Exactly. Even if they had faded out entirely they would still be regarded as an immensely important band. Whether you like to admit it or not Nirvana changed the face of music. Yes bands like sonic youth and the pixies were doing alternative rock before them but it was Nirvana who took that music and really brought it to the masses, without compromising their sound at all.

Cannot agree there. Nirvana didn't take that music and bring it to the masses, you can blame mainstream radio and MTV for that. In American, bands like The Replacements and Husker Du did the same time ten years earlier. In fact Paul Westerburg and Kurt Cobain's voices are ringers for each other. I appreciate what you're trying to say, but don't toot Cobain & Co's horn for the wrong reasons

you only have to look at what was considered big 'rock' music at the time Nirvana broke through, like Mr Big, Extreme, and other cheese rock to see that Nirvana were in the right place at the right time and they would alwys have been regarded as the band that changed music for the better in the 90s.

Sure, and Alice In Chains, Stone Temple Pilots and Pearl Jam wouldn't have been anywhere near as successful. You're making it sound like Nirvana stood there proudly opening the doors for these bands. Not a chance. If Nirvana hadn't have been around, the above still would have gone on to major success. MTV just happened to put Smells Like Teen Spirit on heavy rotation first.

Also to the people saying nirvana would have just fizzled out, after the recording of in utero, Cobain was actually considering writing a collboration with Michael Stipe and was also considering writing an album solely on piano so he wasnt just a one trick pony, he was immensely talented not only as a musician he was also an amazing painter.

Nobody is disputing his talent, it's the band's relevance to music that's being questioned. Don't get me wrong, i like the bands music. But let's not kid ourselves here. They weren't anything fresh or original (in fact, Killing Joke were ready to sue them for millions over Come As You Are being a blatant ripoff, Cobain's suicide was the reason the case was dropped). Their sound is also a ringer for a lot of stuff done by The Wipers (which Cobain was clearly influenced by as they have done covers by them)

They appealed to the masses in the early 90s. But so did Whitney Houston for The Bodyguard soundtrack, and she's as good as faded away now too!

Listening to Nevermind nowadays, the album has not aged a day. Its over 10 years old and still sounds like it could have been released last week (tho incesticide is my favourite nirvana album)

This I will agree with. Nevermind still holds up well despite being close to 18 years old (yes, 18 years, you ARE as old as you think you are folks), but there are older albums that can fall into that category too.

homerun_homer

I think there is a great documentary to be made about Nirvana. It would be great if a good filmaker got on board a project and got interviewing Dave, Krist and everyone associated with the band and make an Epic definitive Nirvana documentary, not some crap MTV thrown together talking heads thing.
I'm a huge Nirvana fan, can't say I listen to them every day or a lot lately but every now and then I'll go through a phase.