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Our Band Could Be Your Life

  • 11-02-2002 3:55pm
    #1
    Von
    Closed Accounts Posts: 880 ✭✭✭


    There's a book just out now called "Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground, 1981-1991" written by Michael Azerrad.

    It tells the stories of some of the bands that formed America's 1980's independent rock music scene such as Black Flag , The Minutemen ,Big Black ,Husker Du and The Replacements.

    All the bands featured were big influences on Nirvana in one way or another either through their music or their DIY punk principles. They all had the same fierce integrity and contempt for the music biz and most of them had an incredible work ethic. For instance, Husker Du released 7 albums between 1983 and 1987 (two of which were doubles) and toured non stop.

    Azerrad ignores what happened to any of the bands who eventually signed to major labels which is a shame. The Replacements could not really be said to have "sold out". If anything their antics got even madder. They'd spend a whole show playing covers of songs they didn't know while being wasted on drink and drugs and when they got a spot on Saturday Night Live they were too drunk to play properly and were ostracised when singer Paul Westerberg swore on air. Their first major label single was called Bastards Of Young and came with a deliberately unwatchable video (a static shot of a speaker) which I've only ever seen on Beavis and Butthead, shown presumably because at the very end of the song the speaker gets kicked in.

    There are a few glaring omissions. Where are the Meat Puppets? Why is Dinosaur Jr. in there while The Pixies aren't? I would have had Jane's Addiction in there too even if they were on a major label.

    Anyone interested in rock music should check the book out. It's essential reading for anyone in a band.


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