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Nirvana. Overrated?

pearljammr78pearljammr78 Posts: 1,613
in Other Music
My opinion is strictly that. My opinion.  But even though I like Nirvana and own their albums on vinyl, they seem to be overrated in my eyes. Kurt’s lyrics are nonsense for the most part. To me, I believe that Dave Grohl has a much bigger influence on the band than it has ever been said. Soundgarden, Tad, Alice In Chains, Kyuss, the Melvins and of course Pearl Jam are much more listened to in my house and I believe to be better bands than Nirvana. I think Nirvana was right place, right time but not as important as everyone seems to make them. Maybe I am wrong. But just my opinion. 
Peace,Love and Pearl Jam.
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Comments

  • Spiritual_ChaosSpiritual_Chaos Posts: 30,525
    Kurt Cobain is the best lyricist of the 90s after Tori Amos. 
    "Mostly I think that people react sensitively because they know you’ve got a point"
  • DewieCoxDewieCox Posts: 11,429
    Maybe right place and right time, but that time and place may have never existed without their Big Bang. Not a huge fan but their arrival in the mainstream was massive. 
  • pearljammr78pearljammr78 Posts: 1,613
    I don’t wanna downplay the movement they caused. I’m just saying as a band, they don’t seem to be as timeless as others from the same time range for listening. Making them overrated in my eyes. 
    Peace,Love and Pearl Jam.
  • deadendpdeadendp Posts: 10,434
    I don't think they were overrated. Saw them at a Halloween show at the University of Akron in 1993. Kurt dressed as Barney. Someone whacked Kurt in the head with a Converse. He didn't miss a word. Went backstage, peed in the shoe then came out and returned it. (Dude had to prove it was his.) When we left the JAR, there was a freak snowstorm. Several inches of snow and dude had only one shoe. 

    Kurt died a handful of months later. Glad I was able to see them when I did. Wouldn't trade the show for anything and I would say that regardless of whether he was still living or not. 
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  • pearljammr78pearljammr78 Posts: 1,613
    Spiritual_Chaos said:
    Kurt Cobain is the best lyricist of the 90s after Tori Amos. 
    You forgot to put LOL after that. Cobain is quoted as saying he didn’t think lyrics mattered much. Don’t ask me where that is quoted. Way too many years of partying in my youth to remember where I saw that. Or if I ever did. Lol
    Peace,Love and Pearl Jam.
  • DewieCoxDewieCox Posts: 11,429
    What’s timeless mean? They’re certainly still the most widely revered band of the era. 
  • pearljammr78pearljammr78 Posts: 1,613
    Timeless to me is something that is just as good now as when it came out. Pink Floyd, Zeppelin, countless other bands that still makes you rock just as hard. The riff to Back in Black. Timeless. Nirvana for me. Not so much. Teen Spirit doesn’t do move me like it’s the 90’s. But put on Dark Side of the Moon and I still get chills. VS, Vitalogy, No Code, Yield, still move me. Put on Brian of J and I still party like it’s 1999
    Peace,Love and Pearl Jam.
  • Spiritual_ChaosSpiritual_Chaos Posts: 30,525
    edited July 2019
    pearljammr78 said:
    Timeless to me is something that is just as good now as when it came out. Pink Floyd, Zeppelin, countless other bands that still makes you rock just as hard. The riff to Back in Black. Timeless. Nirvana for me. Not so much. Teen Spirit doesn’t do move me like it’s the 90’s. But put on Dark Side of the Moon and I still get chills. VS, Vitalogy, No Code, Yield, still move me. Put on Brian of J and I still party like it’s 1999
    Smells like Teen spirit its at 936 million views on youtube. November Rain has the most views of a 90s video and only to go over a billion.

    Let me know when the "timeless" Brain of J reaches one billion. 

    Haha. Teen Spirit is the song of the 90s and will never go away. It's timeless. Together with all of Nevermind.
    "Mostly I think that people react sensitively because they know you’ve got a point"
  • pearljammr78pearljammr78 Posts: 1,613
    edited July 2019
    Brain of J is a way better song than Teen Spirit. So is November Rain. Just because something is popular doesn’t make it good. Case in point, Justin Beiber, or 99% of rap music these days. Bro Country. Remember when that was the biggest selling thing in music. Popular and shit at the same time. How many albums did Jeff Buckley sell before he died. Now Grace is one of the best albums ever and sells really well. Once again, I don’t want to piss anyone off. Just stating my opinion. 

    Just for the record, I believe that In Utero is a better album than Nevermind. 

    Maybe is should have named this thread, Kurt Cobain- Overrated? Cause I love me some Dave Grohl on the drums anytime. 
    Post edited by pearljammr78 on
    Peace,Love and Pearl Jam.
  • Spiritual_ChaosSpiritual_Chaos Posts: 30,525
    edited July 2019
    pearljammr78 said:
    Brain of J is a way better song than Teen Spirit. So is November Rain. Just because something is popular doesn’t make it good. Case in point, Justin Beiber, or 99% of rap music these days. Bro Country. Remember when that was the biggest selling thing in music. Popular and shit at the same time. How many albums did Jeff Buckley sell before he died. Now Grace is one of the best albums ever and sells really well. Once again, I don’t want to piss anyone off. Just stating my opinion. 
    I'm from Sweden, I have never had to be exposed to Country. Except for Shania Twain and that video where she wore that leopard coat. That didn't impress me much.
    Post edited by Spiritual_Chaos on
    "Mostly I think that people react sensitively because they know you’ve got a point"
  • Spiritual_ChaosSpiritual_Chaos Posts: 30,525
    I think Nirvanas crunchy, raw garage sound, sound as modern today as when it came out. 

    Compare it to Pearl Jams reverby early ninetees Ten.

    Noel agrees:
    https://youtu.be/oJGaziYNH1M

    "They start off as the album of the year, and then they never date"
    "Mostly I think that people react sensitively because they know you’ve got a point"
  • pearljammr78pearljammr78 Posts: 1,613
    Noel likes everything when he’s coked out of his skull. It’s when he comes down, that’s when life gets real. Lol

    Shania Twain was hot back in the day. Don’t know about now. So was 90’s Faith Hill. Smokin!!!
    Peace,Love and Pearl Jam.
  • mfc2006mfc2006 Posts: 37,447
    They have a few songs that I really love. It just didn’t strike a chord with me overall.
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  • Attaway77Attaway77 Posts: 3,151
    edited July 2019
    Not overrated... Still enjoy cranking their music up, especially the live Paramount and Reading Festival. I've never been one of those guys who dives into lyrics, it's the sound of the instruments and that song that capture me first. If it sounds good to me, then I'll look into what the meaning is, if there even is one.... Noise first, words later...

    And a stupid side note, I can air guitar the shit out of a song, but left handed, not gonna happen (and I'm left handed). Kurt jams.....
    Post edited by Attaway77 on
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  • willbarclaywillbarclay Posts: 3,298
    Nirvana is not my cup of tea at all. Couple songs are ok. Not something I could see myself listening to when I’m 64 

  • RS151862RS151862 Posts: 2,642
    Spiritual_Chaos said:
    pearljammr78 said:
    Brain of J is a way better song than Teen Spirit. So is November Rain. Just because something is popular doesn’t make it good. Case in point, Justin Beiber, or 99% of rap music these days. Bro Country. Remember when that was the biggest selling thing in music. Popular and shit at the same time. How many albums did Jeff Buckley sell before he died. Now Grace is one of the best albums ever and sells really well. Once again, I don’t want to piss anyone off. Just stating my opinion. 
    I'm from Sweden, I have never had to be exposed to Country. Except for Shania Twain and that video where she wore that leopard coat. That didn't impress me much.
    This is great comment. 
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  • Thoughts_ArriveThoughts_Arrive Posts: 15,165
    I couldn't disagree more.
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  • manitoumanmanitouman Posts: 1,085
    I didn't really catch on to their music much but their unplugged performance is fantastic!!
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  • Attaway77Attaway77 Posts: 3,151
    edited July 2019



    Post edited by Attaway77 on
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  • ZodZod Posts: 10,588
    I think Nirvana's mix of punk and rock, and playing it hard was pretty refreshing in the early 90s.   Went from hair metal to that, it was definitely a change of pace.  It's when people call Nirvana influential I take issue.  What did they influence?  Most of the post grunge bands were more water down version of PJ trying to copy Eddie's vocals from Ten. 
  • DewieCoxDewieCox Posts: 11,429
    Zod said:
    I think Nirvana's mix of punk and rock, and playing it hard was pretty refreshing in the early 90s.   Went from hair metal to that, it was definitely a change of pace.  It's when people call Nirvana influential I take issue.  What did they influence?  Most of the post grunge bands were more water down version of PJ trying to copy Eddie's vocals from Ten. 

    They are massively influential. They immediately changed the entire rock scene and what could become popular in the genre. Tons of more recent acts outside of rock have cited them as a huge inspiration. 

    It feels like you’re trying to make the argument that PJ is more influential and I’ve probably made that claim in a fit of PJ induced madness but it’s completely absurd. 
  • ZodZod Posts: 10,588
    DewieCox said:
    Zod said:
    I think Nirvana's mix of punk and rock, and playing it hard was pretty refreshing in the early 90s.   Went from hair metal to that, it was definitely a change of pace.  It's when people call Nirvana influential I take issue.  What did they influence?  Most of the post grunge bands were more water down version of PJ trying to copy Eddie's vocals from Ten. 

    They are massively influential. They immediately changed the entire rock scene and what could become popular in the genre. Tons of more recent acts outside of rock have cited them as a huge inspiration. 

    It feels like you’re trying to make the argument that PJ is more influential and I’ve probably made that claim in a fit of PJ induced madness but it’s completely absurd. 
    I still don't agree.  Everything after Nirvana got more and more polished.   I don't recall too many bands that tried to replicate that raw sound they had.  To me influential means that other bands take what you did and turn it into their own thing.   You can hear the influences in the music.   I never felt I heard much Nirvana influence in the music that came out after the grunge era.   People might say they liked Nirvana when they were young and it inspired them to play, but I don't hear it in their music.

    I would make that argument independent of the other one I made.
  • pearljammr78pearljammr78 Posts: 1,613
    I can’t think of a band where I could directly hear the Nirvana influence. Pearl Jam’s influence I could definitely hear in many bands after they broke. Not that those bands were any good and to be honest were absolutely horrible. But it was there. 

    Nirvana quickly changed what was popular in music at the time and I’m sure many people gravitated towards starting a band. It’s just those who made it and credit Nirvana for influencing them sound nothing like Nirvana. Usually it’s someone in a completely different genre than rock. And most of the time I believe they just name drop to sound cool. 
    Peace,Love and Pearl Jam.
  • eeriepadaveeeriepadave Posts: 42,056
    willbarclay said:
    Nirvana is not my cup of tea at all. Couple songs are ok. Not something I could see myself listening to when I’m 64 

    Not even Pennyroyal Tea? :tongue:


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  • MayDay10MayDay10 Posts: 11,727
    pearljammr78 said:
    I don’t wanna downplay the movement they caused. I’m just saying as a band, they don’t seem to be as timeless as others from the same time range for listening. Making them overrated in my eyes. 
    I agree with this.  Loved nirvana, and they were the main catalyst for the last music revolution as of now.  They also spun off one of the biggest rock acts of the last 20 years.

    Other than the unplugged album, i dont think a lot of the music has aged that well.  Alice in Chains as a comparable has aged like fine wine.  I never find myself popping in a nirvana album.  Some contemporaries continue to make fine music as well: primus, rhcp, pearl jam... 

    Im not sure they are overrated though?  Are they really "rated" that highly?
  • Merkin BallerMerkin Baller Posts: 11,451
    Nirvana was amazing. 
    I don’t disagree that there was a little bit of “right place at the right time” thing going on there, but their sound was fantastic, and Kurt knew how to write a pop hit. He just made it sound badass.

    Not to mention their Unplugged is a friggin’ masterpiece. 

    No, I don’t think they are overrated at all. 
  • pearljammr78pearljammr78 Posts: 1,613
    I do love the Nirvana unplugged album but it’s the covers they do that really stick with me. Plus I would put Alice In Chains and Pearl Jam’s unplugged performances way above Nirvanas. Alice In Chains is breathtakingly good. And the force that PJ brought to theirs is spine chilling greatness. 
    Peace,Love and Pearl Jam.
  • manitoumanmanitouman Posts: 1,085
    pearljammr78 said:
    I do love the Nirvana unplugged album but it’s the covers they do that really stick with me. Plus I would put Alice In Chains and Pearl Jam’s unplugged performances way above Nirvanas. Alice In Chains is breathtakingly good. And the force that PJ brought to theirs is spine chilling greatness. 
    ^^^ totally agree
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  • DewieCoxDewieCox Posts: 11,429
    You guys have to be joking right? Nirvana’s Unplugged has proven to be the quintessential of the era. AIC’s is quite a thing to witness and really highlighted how much depth their music has and PJ is great but offers nothing beyond a great band playing great songs. Nirvana’s was a perfect display of why they’re still the most celebrated band of the early 90s. 

    Nirvanas influence isn’t just a surface aping of certain aspects, though that happened plenty too, but completely changed the landscape on the arrival of Nevermind and their approach embedded into the culture and was felt for generations after.

    The only other early 90s band they comes close is Alice In Chains. Quite a few bands grabbed onto the downtuned, harmonized, dark subject matter and it inspired some pretty decent bands. 

    Pearl Jam’s effect on any musically stylistic choices was delegated the the near immediate aftermath and has had virtually no lasting impact. 
  • Merkin BallerMerkin Baller Posts: 11,451
    Agree w/ Dewie Cox... I loved AIC & PJ’s unplugged, but I don’t think either can touch Nirvana’s. 
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