Smells like another boring re-issue
Eric Shapiro
Issue date: 11/13/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment
When the disclaimer, "It's impossible to write about this band without resorting to cliché," has itself become a cliché, it's safe to say that the band in question has not been neglected in the annals of rock criticism. Such is the case with Nirvana. Some argue that the band gained its reputation due to the tragic, self-inflicted death of frontman Kurt Cobain in 1994 and, to some extent, they may be right. Others claim that Nirvana's historical importance far outweighs its artistic merits. This refers to the leading role the band played in bringing
alternative music - a formerly underground movement starting in the late '70s and persisting through the '80s - into the mainstream. Perhaps Nirvana was in the right place at the right time. People were sick of the cookie-cutter, assembly-
line hair metal bands that had dominated the charts for a decade, not to mention the macho posturing and misogynistic attitudes of their members.Nevertheless, Nirvana's true greatness lies in two things: its mastery of the simple pop song (for which all the band members deserve credit), and Kurt Cobain's unmatched ability to convey emotion through melody. Unlike other bands with similarly glowing reputations, Nirvana did not pioneer new musical styles, bring rock musicianship to the next level, or pioneer new production
techniques. Indeed, Nirvana owes a great debt to a lot of other bands: the Pixies for its soft-loud dynamics, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin for their heavy riffing, The Wipers, Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth and Hüsker Dü for their noisy guitar and '60s pop bands for their sense of melody. These are all influences that Cobain acknowledged and, to be sure, he deserves credit for combining
such disparate sources into an original sound. However, Nirvana's greatest attribute was Cobain's voice and his simple, yet utterly original melodies and chord progressions that conveyed deep emotions. In short, Cobain is rock 'n' roll's greatest
expressionist and one of its best pop architects. "Bleach," released in 1989, does not consistently play to the band's strengths. On the contrary, the album must be viewed in its proper context, as an attempt to conform to the tried-and-true aesthetic of its label, Sub Pop (something that Cobain admitted in interviews). Consequently, "Bleach" is the only Nirvana album that truly merits the "grunge" label. That being said, "Bleach" cannot be entirely written off as a footnote to 1980s underground music. Several of its songs foreshadow
alternative music - a formerly underground movement starting in the late '70s and persisting through the '80s - into the mainstream. Perhaps Nirvana was in the right place at the right time. People were sick of the cookie-cutter, assembly-
line hair metal bands that had dominated the charts for a decade, not to mention the macho posturing and misogynistic attitudes of their members.Nevertheless, Nirvana's true greatness lies in two things: its mastery of the simple pop song (for which all the band members deserve credit), and Kurt Cobain's unmatched ability to convey emotion through melody. Unlike other bands with similarly glowing reputations, Nirvana did not pioneer new musical styles, bring rock musicianship to the next level, or pioneer new production
techniques. Indeed, Nirvana owes a great debt to a lot of other bands: the Pixies for its soft-loud dynamics, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin for their heavy riffing, The Wipers, Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth and Hüsker Dü for their noisy guitar and '60s pop bands for their sense of melody. These are all influences that Cobain acknowledged and, to be sure, he deserves credit for combining
such disparate sources into an original sound. However, Nirvana's greatest attribute was Cobain's voice and his simple, yet utterly original melodies and chord progressions that conveyed deep emotions. In short, Cobain is rock 'n' roll's greatest
expressionist and one of its best pop architects. "Bleach," released in 1989, does not consistently play to the band's strengths. On the contrary, the album must be viewed in its proper context, as an attempt to conform to the tried-and-true aesthetic of its label, Sub Pop (something that Cobain admitted in interviews). Consequently, "Bleach" is the only Nirvana album that truly merits the "grunge" label. That being said, "Bleach" cannot be entirely written off as a footnote to 1980s underground music. Several of its songs foreshadow
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