Kurt Cobain(Nirvana)

glug · 2008-05-20T13:16:31+00:00

What do you guys think of Kurt's rhythms/songs? I've been listening to Nirvana(unplugged in New York) for the past two weeks, and every time i pick up the gu...

Kurt Cobain(Nirvana)

Wessel

I have heard that Kurt Cobain played all the lead parts on Nirvana's records. But the other guitarist wanted to take credit for it. wonder if its true?

CornFlakes

Kurt Codain wasn’t the best guitarist or vocalist in the world but he started a whole new revolution for music

MiKeZilLA

As is normally the case Kurt didn't revolutionise so much as find a way of selling the grunge sound Personally thought man for man Pearl jam rocked harder - good lyricist decent vocalist wrote the crap outta some melodies more than able guitarist for the purposes of their sound but definitley no top 20 guitarist ever as Rolling stone would have us believe..

Vintage-Vibe

As is normally the case Kurt didn't revolutionise so much as find a way of selling the grunge sound

- "Grunge" didn't exist until the record companies needed a
commercial term to label all the bands coming out of Seattle in
late 80's/early 90's to sell units in CD shops (much like the "Brit"
or "Mod" sounds in the 60's - didn't need a name until it caught
on and A&R men needed to make money !) -
Kurt always described (themselves) as catchy pop-infused
hard rock/punk band.

Personally thought man for man Pearl jam rocked harder - good lyricist decent vocalist wrote the crap outta some melodies more than able guitarist for the purposes of their sound but definitley no top 20 guitarist ever as Rolling stone would have us believe..

PJ 2 me sound like classic rock with Hendrix solos w/a dirgy singer - far more rock than "grunge" - Nirvana being the "punkier"/pop side of things - don't think Kurt cared much 4 musical intelligence - just passionate delivery ?

Personally I love both bands 4 different reasons and love both of their lowest selling LP's - Nirvana 4 "Bleach" & "Incesticide" (2 halves of a whole basically) and "No Code" 4 PJ - a Neil Young twinged LP after "Mirror Ball" (collaberation with Young) - stunning !

AlanRatcliffe

Always tickled me that bands as disparate as Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Nirvana were all described as Grunge.

Riaan-Combrink

Vintage Vibe wrote: a Neil Young twinged LP after "Mirror Ball" (collaberation with Young) - stunning !

Mirror Ball is IMHO an incredible album. ?

SimoneMeyer

I might be a bit too young to comment on this post, I'd say because Nirvana was a bit before my time. But I grew up with my older brother always listening to them and bands like The Smashing Oumpkins and R.E.M. Seriously, I love Nirvana. He isn't one of the best guitarists or vocalists, that I agree to, but their songs are amazing. Simple, but really good!

arjunmenon

Although i haven't been a big fan of Nirvana (the depressing lyrics got to me after a while and the playing except for Dave Grohl's, wasn't anything to write home about either), i agree with the fact that they have been very influential....and +1 with Mikezilla on the Pearl Jam comment.
Soundgarden and Pearl Jam rocked way harder than Nirvana.

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: Always tickled me that bands as disparate as Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Nirvana were all described as Grunge.

Blame the music industry

newrockid

I would blame the industry as well. We have not gotten anything great like that time period in a long time. Time for change!

Bob-Dubery

I think he was an important ARTIST. I don't think he was a great guitar player. Nirvana, by extension, were an important band and they should be remembered. But that doesn't make any of them great players.

newrockid

True, technically some may have not been, but more kids picked up guitars when they saw Kurt play than most "great players," they have seen.
Granted I will take Brad Gillis over Kurt Cobain as a guitar player any day but the influence of Cobain is light years greater.

Anti-Ibanez

I think he wrote decent music,but for some reason he appears on almost every "100 greatest guitarists" list ever which I cant understand...

Lethe

Anti Ibanez wrote: I think he wrote decent music,but for some reason he appears on almost every "100 greatest guitarists" list ever which I cant understand...

same here

Bob-Dubery

Anti Ibanez wrote: I think he wrote decent music,but for some reason he appears on almost every "100 greatest guitarists" list ever which I cant understand...

Those lists nearly always confuse "popular" or "big selling" with "excellent".

People remember Kurt Kobain and he played guitar - therefore he gets lots of votes. But nobody is remembering FOR HIS PLAYING.

And ultimately those lists have to be at least partly subjective. What are the criteria by which we rate, for example, Joe Walsh versus Keith Richards?

And it's getting crowed by now. ONE HUNDRED. Gee... there must have been a lot more than one hundred really, really, really good guitar players by now.

And usually Jimi Hendrix comes in at numero uno. And I think that Jimi's position at the top of the list should no longer be automatic. He was great, imaginative, changed perceptions about what could be done with the electric guitar and with recording electric guitar etc etc... but number one for ever and ever amen?

Vintage-Vibe

+1 Bob: Fave GUITARIST or fave SONGWRITER is the issue methinks !

Bob-Dubery

Vintage Vibe wrote: +1 Bob: Fave GUITARIST or fave SONGWRITER is the issue methinks !

Well you don't see Dylan making the top-100 lists. Or Leonard Cohen. So I'm not sure what the basis for voting is.

OK... I'm being pedantic and way too literal ?

Still_Missing

I think, more than anything right now, the guy needs to be given his rest. There's a library of books released under Courtney Love (hsssss) and still more coming out, as well as tons of merchandise. It's ridiculous that Kurt, years after his death, is still being exploited for cash (It's as bad as the use of Che Guevara for capitalist gain) and it's going to hurt our memory of his contributions to music in the long run. His fame is way over-inflated right now, and one day that bubble's gonna pop.

Bob-Dubery

Riot! wrote: I think, more than anything right now, the guy needs to be given his rest. There's a library of books released under Courtney Love (hsssss) and still more coming out, as well as tons of merchandise. It's ridiculous that Kurt, years after his death, is still being exploited for cash (It's as bad as the use of Che Guevara for capitalist gain) and it's going to hurt our memory of his contributions to music in the long run. His fame is way over-inflated right now, and one day that bubble's gonna pop.

It didn't seem to do Jimi Hendrix's reputation any harm.

At least Kobain and Hendrix, and Jim Morrison, acheived some kind of recognition whilst they were able to experience it. The sadder cases are those like Nick Drake whose albums start selling a dozen or so years after they've passed away.

But the cashing in on reputations.... a lot of the stuff that was released under Hendrix's name was pretty bad (certainly in comparison to the "official" product). The most recent Nick Drake "release" amounts to a bunch of home recordings mostly made when Drake was in his teens and before he started playing and writing his own stuff.

There's a witty song about this phenomenon... "Now That I Am Dead" by John French (AKA "Drumbo" for the Captain Beefheart fans out there) and one D Blair. It was recorded by "French Frith Kaiser and Thompson" (a couple of handy players in that band) and Richard Thompson still performs it occasionally...

Now that I am dead,
My agent finally said,
He wanted to have lunch with me.
Now that I'm deceased,
My record sales increased
I'm making lots of royalties

I'm a composer decomposing
I'm in the rocker's roll of fame
My friends the critics they all praise me
They've even learned to spell my name.

Now that I've expired,
My pictures in the Enquirer
Psychics claim to contact me
Now that I have kicked
The Rolling Stone has picked
My records as the best that be

They all say that I was overstressed,
Since the breadkup with my wife
Still the payment plan was not the best
My check was in the mail all of my life!

Now that I'm pushing daisies
Lawyers who were lazy
Are busy negotiating deals.
Now that I am boxed,
They say my music rocks,
Its taken on a new appeal.

In fact my genius was uncovered
After my coffin had been covered
Still I'm grateful to eternity
My video's on M.T.V.

I always thought death was so rash
Now I'm making lots of cash
Now that I'm dead,
I'm finally making a living!