[atsonicpark]

Yeah, here in the past few years, I have really appreciated Cobain/Nirvana a lot more than I did when I was a teenager, when I wrote them off without much thought (for the record, IN UTERO is the first album I ever owned, but I never really liked it very much -- I still think half of it kinda sucks) -- I always was like "man, there isn't much to this music, it's simple and boring." Like, 11-12 years ago,, I was more into Melt Banana, the Locust, Dillinger Escape Plan, and stuff... crazy, complex shit, not verse-chorus-verse stuff. I think, the older I get, the less I am blown away by complex music, I just want to hear good songs. And you know what? Nirvana flat-out have some damn good songs -- a song like "Blandest" is simply one of the most awesome songs I've EVER heard, PERIOD -- and they have some creative, downright unconventional melodies. You don't hear riffs like the verses in "Lithium" anymore. In fact, to think of a band like Nirvana succeeding on a mainstream level is kinda mindblowing; and even though we take a cd like Nevermind for granted today, it really was a landmark cd, and Nirvana was an important, landmark band. It took me a long time to realize that and to appreciate that talent and importance, but you really can't deny the raw energy, melodicism, riffing, and POWER of songs like "Aneurysm", "Negative Creep", "Very Ape", and so on. Great band. Also, Kurt had a GREAT taste in music -- Beefheart, Melvins, Sonic Youth, Pixies, and so on. He got a lot of people into bands they would have otherwise ignored. That, in itself, is remarkable.

Anyway, SCENTLESS APPRENTICE is one of my favorite songs ever. That drum beat -- fuck yeah. I don't really think Nevermind or In Utero are very consistent records... the record that really made me dig Nirvana was FROM THE MUDDY BANKS OF THE WISHKAH. It has some of their best songs (including the MASTERPIECE "Spank Thru"), and I think it's the album that really made me understand the appeal of the band. A song like "School" sounds kinda bland on Bleach, but hearing it live (and seeing the performance on "1991", also) really translated the raw energy and power of the band, and what made them so compelling. Also, as far as guitarists go, Kurt is one of the better "guitar heroes" around. He had a very simple style, usually somewhat strange chording (lots of "wrong" chords and notes) in the verses and then the loud power chord stuff in the choruses. Very interesting, consistent style, but he had a great ear for weird noises and feedback, look at the verse riff in "Negative Creep" for example. He was able to wrangle some odd little sounds out of his guitar at times, and he actually had lots of good guitar solos as well. All around, a compelling, interesting, energetic, and frequently awesome band. Dave and Krist were REALLY tight players, and kept the songs from dissolving in a live setting.