|
|
|
|||||||||||||||
|
13/04/2004 Grunge, ten years on: Nirvana and Pearl Jam for beginners
The early '90s saw some of the best rock music recorded in the past 25 years. Some may scoff at that notion: the grunge genre has negative connotations for many - the flannel-shirt, self-loathing MTV Generation that cared for nothing but music full of loud, distorted guitars and screaming vocals. They are missing the point. The music of the best grunge bands is fiery, passionate and, yes, melodic. In fact, grunge is not a good word to describe the music. It's a combination of heavy metal, punk, and classic rock, reassembled as a unique package. That's why the music was so revolutionary in its time. It marked the end of the bland '80s and ushered in a new era where alternative music hit the mainstream. Some may say this music hasn’t endured - that it died with Kurt Cobain. Wrong. Sure, the majority of bands popular then are gone or don’t sell records like they did. Still, a new generation of fans have embraced grunge, and it’s easy to see why — the music still resonates today. While there are many good bands from this era, like Soundgarden, Mudhoney, and Alice in Chains, the most important are Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Both bands’ body of work are worth looking into as they hold up nicely, a decade after Kurt Cobain’s death. Both bands found success on their own terms, Nirvana in its short-lived seven year history, and Pearl Jam is still growing strong in its thirteenth year. Nirvana was masterminded by Kurt Cobain, with fellow members Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl. Their music is renowned for its loud-soft dynamics, distorted guitars, and propulsive drums. Cobain’s lyrics were strange and cryptic, and, yes, downbeat and jaded. Still, they are a fascinating insight into the mind of a complex songwriter. Their first must-listen album is Nevermind (1991), a release that regularly appears in music critics’ favorites of all time. The CD opens with “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” their monster crossover hit that explodes the second you hear it. This is classic Nirvana, loud guitars and drums that almost make you forget the melodic chorus. The rest of the CD is no slouch, though. “Come As You Are” and “Lithium” are perfect rockers, and “Polly” and “Something In the Way” feature a softer side to Nirvana. If you want to experience Nirvana in all their ragged glory, this release is perfect, from beginning to end. For those interested in a more experimental Nirvana, In Utero (1993) is the place to go. This, the last CD Nirvana recorded, features some of Cobain’s best writing. “Heart-Shaped Box”, the alternative radio hit, is strong, but the real treasure is the closing number, “All Apologies,” an intense, heart-breaking tune. Be forewarned, though: In Utero contains some experimental songs, with Nirvana delving into some bewildering moments that could be described as melodic noise, and it has the controversial tune, “Rape Me.” Loud, punk/heavy metal-influenced music isn’t all Nirvana were good at, though. The MTV Unplugged (1994) CD, released after Cobain’s death, shows a side to Nirvana that is just as important. This quiet, acoustic set sees the band stripping their own songs to their bare minimum, along with some strong covers of songs by David Bowie, Leadbelly, and the Meat Puppets. While Nirvana received the critical accolades, the commercial success went to Pearl Jam. Proof of their popularity is that the band is still together, playing sold-out shows and releasing quality records (though not selling as many as they did in their glory days.) While none of their recordings is as influential as Nirvana’s best, Pearl Jam are still one of the best rock bands of any era. Their biggest success came with Ten (1991). Anthemic songs like “Alive” and “Evenflow” and the passionate vocals of lead singer Eddie Vedder make this a classic album. Later releases like Vs. (1993) and Vitalogy (1994) saw Pearl Jam delve into more varied territories. The results are more hit or miss, especially on Vitalogy, but both releases are important because of slower acoustic songs like “Daughter” and “Nothingman.” Chart success started falling off after those three releases. Still, Pearl Jam wrote some strong songs for subsequent recordings. Eddie Vedder’s lyrics became more personal and political and the musicianship of the band became more pronounced. No Code (1996) saw a more experimental release, tinged by world music. An arena rock vibe was featured in Yield (1998), which featured some inspired songs, “Given to Fly” and “Wishlist.” Pearl Jam are best experienced live, though, as some of their recent bootlegs show. As souvenirs from their last two tours, supporting the releases Binaural (2000) and Riot Act (2002), the band released all of their concerts as official bootlegs. Picking the best would be a chore but both tours saw Pearl Jam playing great rock and roll shows, with songs from their past and present which will live on for many years. Pearl Jam and Nirvana, icons of '90s grunge, can not be ignored by any music lover. Their music is among the most intense and powerful in rock and roll. Every decade has its rock superstars. Nirvana and Pearl Jam are to the '90s what the Beatles and Stones are to the '60s, the Who and Led Zeppelin to the '70s, and the Clash and U2 are to the '80s.
[Previous entry: "Bob Marley - giant of 20thC music"] [Next entry: "Mozart tops classics poll (again)"] Search entries:
Copyright © Music
for Grown-Ups Ltd. 2005
www.musicforgrownups.co.uk
|
[Archives]
[Previous entry: "Bob Marley - giant of 20thC music"] [Next entry: "Mozart tops classics poll (again)"]
|
|||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||
Site design by watson press website design & authoring |
