24 years. Let's argue about whether grunge was good or bad again.

The early to mid 90s, for me, was a great period of music. It was the only time where I made my living playing my bass or guitar. I got to tour the east coast and play in some awesome clubs with some awesome bands, some of which became huge. Grunge was a big part of changing the musical landscape that made that part of my life possible so I'll always like it. It was part of the backdrop for some of the most fun I've ever had.
 
reverend1 said:
Think about it, what really hit you the first time you heard Smells Like Teen Spirit? For me it’s that opening drum line. The drumming through that whole tune is amazing and drives everything else home. The guitars are ok, but nothing special. Sure it was a contrast to the popular music at the time but nothing a million punk bands hadn’t done before. The Pixie’s had been doing the quit loud quit thing for awhile.
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Yes, the drums were awesome. And that song does not feature the wail as much. That song originally hooked me, but I love a lot of the other songs way more. And the banshee wail was more a part of those songs. Not that the drums were not awesome.
 
There's a whole lotta grunge I never connected with. I liked Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains; but they were never my favorite thing either. I was too busy listening to Black Sabbath, Metallica, Guns 'n Roses, and Aerosmith at the time. Looking back, I wouldn't have done it differently.
 
This music got me back into playing after a five-or-so year hiatus. There was nothing else going on musically around 1989-91 I found remotely interesting, but I started listening to a local college station (KFJC) and there I heard music that compelled me to go to GC and buy a Squier II HHS strat and Peavey rage amp, after I’d sold all my gear during our six years in Idaho Falls...
 
What was not great about that era of music and that that group of bands seemed to carry with them (except for PJ, for the most part, AFAIK) was heroin abuse and addiction. That part was not cool at all. Death, destruction and waste came out of that part of it all. I wish that part had never happened.

We have not mentioned Cornell and Soundgarden. That is another band and artist I really liked from the era. I miss Chris. Addiction sucks.
 
It produced a lot of good music, but I didn't see it as the game changer many did. I've seen enough genres peak and ebb not to bee too enamored of the latest thing.

As far as Nirvana goes, I thought their unplugged set was my favorite of their output.

But when I want to listen to any PNW/grunge, I think that Temple of the Dog does it all for me.
 
I'm always pretty amazed by how much we project of ourselves and who we wish we were on to other people, especially artists and other celebrity personalities. Cobain and Eddie Vedder seem to be really frequent recipients of that projection

The idea of what messages & attitudes in a genre "connect with us" (or that we reject) and especially where were are in age and experience at that time and place are pretty fascinating too.
 
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