donjunio

"Impossible," which for a long time has dominated the nightclubs of Central Europe. "....as we say in our place, arrazza e spassiu....

@Lewis. Certainly that typical alternation between softly sung verses and shouted choruses wasn't invented by the Pixies, but the way they rendered it on "Surfer Rosa" has influenced everyone from Nirvana to Afghan Whigs to the Smashing Pumpkins themselves. @CptGaio. I used the term "restoration" in a purely hypothetical sense, given that you had mockingly used "revolution"... anyway, the legacy of the grunge era certainly didn't end in '94-'95; many bands have continued that narrative, starting with Tool, which you appreciate. @ugly panda. Grunge became a trend five years after the first releases by its champions, so be careful not to reduce it to a matter of flannel, because that would be like saying that country-rock was just a sound for truck drivers with a bottle of Jack Daniels under their arm, like the Eagles. "But in the end, they made records with the major, so who cares." Luckily for us, I add. Regarding Sting, the discussion wasn't so much about his musical value but rather about his difference from Cobain as a rock star. If he had never existed, nothing would have changed in the rock realm, but that's just my opinion.

eheh I knew you would make it to post 80, that is, the usual frontal assault on the infamous flannel. You're becoming predictable, my old friend. So, rock will never die, at least as long as it retains in its essence spontaneity, the absolute priority of emotions, and intrinsic rebellion against society. We all agree on this; we are not attention-hungry bores. I never said that Nirvana saved rock or changed much, but they were undoubtedly the leading figures - amidst glories and ambiguities - of one of the most exciting eras that rock has had in the last 25 years. Not a revolution, and even if it had been, restoration followed quite swiftly. But this also happened to punk, and the Police are a clear testament to this, not to mention everything that dominated the charts in the early 80s. There are quite a few beneficial effects that remain, among which I humbly include my "musical education" (and not just musical), which would have been quite different if, as a kid in '92, I hadn't bought "Nevermind." But I believe this is true for hundreds of other people back then. And in the end, this is what remains, beyond our playful skirmishes. :) Hi and go West Ham (but only for Magic Box...).

For me, these are two completely different situations: one like Sting who begs for interviews and appearances, while Cobain would sprinkle them sparingly, and those he did were reluctantly, like a king without a crown. That t-shirt was a simple way to pay homage to punk with one of the movement's historic slogans and to poke fun at his role as an icon: something he always did, just think of the opening lines of "In Utero" where he sang, "youthful disillusionment has borne enough fruit, now I'm old and bored." If you really want to tarnish an icon from those years by lumping them all together, name Corgan, a guy who by his own admission desired nothing more than to be a millionaire rockstar, playing with cynicism and the media, even saying, "if I hadn't achieved success, I would have killed myself." But Cobain was truly made of different stuff. And it's not a matter of being better or worse; he was simply different.

Well, I can give you a very simple example. In 1991, Sting pompously declares that rock is dead and that it’s a reactionary nullity. Two years later, he shows up at the MTV Awards, an edition dominated by Nirvana, Pearl Jam, et similia, decked out in pure grunge style, but "faux dirty" branded Armani, and publicly praises those bands... not to mention all the humanitarian battles as a socialist sipping champagne and at Pavarotti & friends, in the name of hypocrisy and the frantic search to always be in the spotlight. It’s definitely not my way of living and understanding rock.

No, I don't think anyone doubts that Cobain, although reluctant and in a fairly casual manner, had become part of the star system, all the while maintaining a demeanor and attitude that betrayed his punk roots (and this is enough to distinguish him from various Stings). Part of his myth is attributable precisely to the way he chose to step out of it (not for me, Kurt's rock myth I find exquisitely tied to what he did as an artist).

ah ah ah....but actually I was hoping to flush you out :)

Anyway, getting back on topic, I recommend everyone the album "Lower Yourself" by NC... it may not have saved rock from Sting's nonsense, but it refreshed my muggy summer in Cagliari in '97 while I was studying private law, freeing my stereo from "OK Computer".....

Ah Ah Larrok, you should know that on this topic the (pleasant) Punic wars break out on debaser and there's always some teasing going on, at this point all that's missing is the captain with the cover of "teen spirit" by his beloved Tori Amos... Generally, I agree with you, though; I think grunge was fundamentally a macro genre, initially held together by a geographic factor (all bands from the same area exchanging ideas, members, and Jack Endino as a producer), which eventually managed to encapsulate, thanks to the success of Nirvana, the common feelings of a generation and all of alternative rock. The vanguards, after all, had quite a few elective affinities with flannel: besides the common adoptive father Neil Young, to name one, the sound of "Nevermind" was already baptized by the Pixies on "Surfer Rosa" (think of a track like "Gigantic"), not to mention the Dinosaur Jr's "Bug." @azzo. Who knows what you did with your friend in the car, with the pumpkins in the background... Anyway, that was too easy a bet; by that point, the wave was building, and a savvy talent like Corgan couldn't wait to ride it. Not coincidentally, he worked obsessively—under tensions that even led to the disbandment—on what would become "Siamese Dream" with Butch Vig, looking for the perfect sound of 1993, at the crossroads between the Seattle bands and the vacant realm of Jane’s Addiction.

But you only listen to 3-4 grunge bands, Alessio, so it doesn't really count :). Joking aside, by "levare" I meant a driving pace, on the verge of exploding, but moving at a slightly delayed rhythm (as per Melvins' lesson). This is clearly more evident in tracks like "Floyd the Barber," but also in "About a Girl," despite the obvious Beatles and R.E.M. influences. Regarding Sonic Youth, what's important is that they gave Geffen good recommendations; without the positive feedback from "Goo," it's unlikely he would have given his approval. After all, Vig's production isn't exactly a guarantee of catchiness. "Sliver," produced by Endino, is much more aligned with the standards of "Nevermind" than "Dive," produced by Vig, which is on "Incesticide."