Grunge - A great unifier? (1 Viewer)

Otis · Apr 10, 2020

Just been watching a documentary about the Seattle grunge scene.

Now, I am from a punk and indie/alternative background and never ever cared for metal or rock much at all and I and sure there are so many out there who like rock and metal, but did not and do not care for punk.

Bit of a generalisation here, but grunge mixed punk with some rock and created a new sound. A sound which I really still love and loved back then

So, am I right in saying that grunge became a great unifier and that people who loved punk, loved it and people who loved rock, loved it too. Sort of met in the middle.

Do most people who would describe themselves as into rock, also love grunge too?

Same goes for the punky, indie types.

I do think Muse also appear to be a band that encompasses both rock and indie as well, but feel the whole grunge scene unified two very disctinctly different factions.

ajsccfc · Apr 10, 2020

Punk was a bit early for me but grunge was becoming big when I was getting more aware of music. I say grunge but it was basically Nirvana who I guess were a lot of people's gateway to it. Still stands up for me, Soundgarden, Mudhoney, STP, Temple of the Dog, Screaming Trees, Pearl Jam all great

Otis · Apr 10, 2020

ajsccfc said:
Punk was a bit early for me but grunge was becoming big when I was getting more aware of music. I say grunge but it was basically Nirvana who I guess were a lot of people's gateway to it. Still stands up for me, Soundgarden, Mudhoney, STP, Temple of the Dog, Screaming Trees, Pearl Jam all great

Don't know Temple of the Dog. Less famous I take it.

clint van damme · Apr 10, 2020

A government invention because too many middle class white kids were getting into rap according to Jello Biafra.

Not a theory I subscribe to and not very successful if true

skybluetony176 · Apr 10, 2020

Otis said:
Just been watching a documentary about the Seattle grunge scene.

Now, I am from a punk and indie/alternative background and never ever cared for metal or rock much at all and I and sure there are so many out there who like rock and metal, but did not and do not care for punk.

Bit of a generalisation here, but grunge mixed punk with some rock and created a new sound. A sound which I really still love and loved back then

So, am I right in saying that grunge became a great unifier and that people who loved punk, loved it and people who loved rock, loved it too. Sort of met in the middle.

Do most people who would describe themselves as into rock, also love grunge too?

Same goes for the punky, indie types.

I do think Muse also appear to be a band that encompasses both rock and indie too.

Think a lot of it depends on what era you’re from. From a young age I’ve loved a guitar riff and first discovered heavy metal watching Motörhead on TOTP. Through a mates older brother soon discovered bands like Iron Maiden, Saxon and AC-DC. Through my step dad discovered bands like Rainbow and Black Sabbath. I discovered myself Hip Hop and Gansta Rap. But I left school just as the Indi Scene took of and this was the first genre of music that felt like it belonged to my generation and hot on the tails of that came grunge to join the mantle of music genres that belonged to my generation. Still my favourite genres of music now. Still some good crossover bands around. Thinking of Kasabian but also really rate Kings of Leon.

As I get older I have found my music tastes widening, some years ago found a love of punk but don’t get the Sex Pistols, over-rated in my opinion. Always surrounded by Country music as a kid which I despised at the time but know quite like certain artists, and also finding a taste for Bluegrass of late although my road of discovery hasn’t ventured much further than The Stanley Brothers.

But in essence I think you’re right. Grunge did unite and cross boundaries. At least in my generation. Trying to remember who it was but I once read an article (in FHM IIRC) back in the 90’s with a dance DJ who said that his go to record if his set wasn’t getting the dance floor filled and moving was Smells Like Teen Spirit as it never failed to fill the dance floor and get it bouncing. Might have been Trevor Nelson.

Otis · Apr 10, 2020

clint van damme said:
A government invention because too many middle class white kids were getting into rap according to Jello Biafra.

Not a theory I subscribe to and not very successful if true

I just checked and they are still going apparently.

bringbackrattles · Apr 10, 2020

Love punk and grunge music. Nirvana and Pearl Jam are 2 of my favourite bands. And punk bands like the Sex Pistols, the Clash, and bands from that era are great too in my opinion. I started as a kid listening to 60's pop music, progressed on to bands like Jethro Tull, Hawkwind, The Nice, and then along came Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Nazareth and my favourite band Free. Now I enjoy listening to all types of music.

Otis · Apr 10, 2020

skybluetony176 said:
Think a lot of it depends on what era you’re from. From a young age I’ve loved a guitar riff and first discovered heavy metal watching Motörhead on TOTP. Through a mates older brother soon discovered bands like Iron Maiden, Saxon and AC-DC. Through my step dad discovered bands like Rainbow and Black Sabbath. I discovered myself Hip Hop and Gansta Rap. But I left school just as the Indi Scene took of and this was the first genre of music that felt like it belonged to my generation and hot on the tails of that came grunge to join the mantle of music genres that belonged to my generation. Still my favourite genres of music now. Still some good crossover bands around. Thinking of Kasabian but also really rate Kings of Leon.

As I get older I have found my music tastes widening, some years ago found a love of punk but don’t get the Sex Pistols, over-rated in my opinion. Always surrounded by Country music as a kid which I despised at the time but know quite like certain artists, and also finding a taste for Bluegrass of late although my road of discovery hasn’t ventured much further than The Stanley Brothers.

But in essence I think you’re right. Grunge did unite and cross boundaries. At least in my generation. Trying to remember who it was but I once read an article (in FHM IIRC) back in the 90’s with a dance DJ who said that his go to record if his set wasn’t getting the dance floor filled and moving was Smells Like Teen Spirit as it never failed to fill the dance floor and get it bouncing. Might have been Trevor Nelson.

Ahh, you see, those bands you listed, Rainbow, Iron Maiden, Saxon, Black Sabbath, are all bands I just do not like at all.

skybluetony176 · Apr 10, 2020

Otis said:
Ahh, you see, those bands you listed, Rainbow, Iron Maiden, Saxon, Black Sabbath, are all bands I just do not like at all.

Poof.

Alan Dugdales Moustache · Apr 10, 2020

I went through a phase of hating every band except the stranglers, with whom my obsession continues. Mind you they're crap now Hugh has left
The sex pistols were absolutely crap as all the rest of the punk bands were except for the damned.
Heavy metal was crap .Get yer fucking hair cut.
Grunge was a crap version of heavy metal.
That nirvana were crap and the geezer who sang needed a hair cut and his hair was crap and probably got in his mouth when he sang, which was crap.
It's all crap really. As for rap, well you can't spell crap without rap.

shmmeee · Apr 10, 2020

I always had friends from across the spectrum of indie, thrash metal, hair metal, grunge, punk, rap and always liked them all. Even stuff that started sounding like noise at first when listened to with someone who was into it was easy to start to like.

Music sucks now. Bring back anger and comedy and guitars.

Otis · Apr 10, 2020

Alan Dugdales Moustache said:
I went through a phase of hating every band except the stranglers, with whom my obsession continues. Mind you they're crap now Hugh has left
The sex pistols were absolutely crap as all the rest of the punk bands were except for the damned.
Heavy metal was crap .Get yer fucking hair cut.
Grunge was a crap version of heavy metal.
That nirvana were crap and the geezer who sang needed a hair cut and his hair was crap and probably got in his mouth when he sang, which was crap.
It's all crap really. As for rap, well you can't spell crap without rap.

Oooh, have to disagree.

I loved the Stranglers and the Damned, but also loved the Clash and the Pistols too and I also thought Nirvana were a fantastic band.

ajsccfc · Apr 10, 2020

Otis said:
Don't know Temple of the Dog. Less famous I take it.

It's more a supergroup project than anything, when the lead singer of Mother Love Bone died Chris Cornell got together with them to make a tribute album and they got Eddie Vedder in, so Pearl Jam kind of came about through it too. Just the one self-titled album but it's incredible

Otis · Apr 10, 2020

Might give it a whirl.

Nick · Apr 10, 2020

Bit of Limp Bizkit?

Alan Dugdales Moustache · Apr 10, 2020

Otis said:
Oooh, have to disagree.

I loved the Stranglers and the Damned, but also loved the Clash and the Pistols too and I also thought Nirvana were a fantastic band.

I hated punk and anyone at school.who slagged the stranglers off ( as the "real" punks liked to ) got some grief from me. I had a bad attitude in the late 70s and got into a lot of trouble for wearing a badge with " I hate the clash" I bought from poster place just to piss clash fans off at school. Very immature really. At the time though it was totally tribal.

Sick Boy · Apr 10, 2020

Listening to Faith No More at the moment, great band.

skyblueinBaku · Apr 10, 2020

I like Rainbow, Quo, Thin Lizzie, Saxon, REO Speedwagon, ZZ Top, Foreigner. Can't stand modern music (but I quite like Kings of Leon) and absolutely hate rap.

Otis · Apr 10, 2020

skyblueindorset said:
I like Rainbow, Quo, Thin Lizzie, Saxon, REO Speedwagon, ZZ Top, Foreigner. Can't stand modern music (but I quite like Kings of Leon) and absolutely hate rap.

My taste does vary.

60's

Beatles
Beach Boys
Kinks
Small Faces
Stones

70's

Bowie
Mott the Hoople
Pink Floyd
Roxy Music (early Eno days)
Pistols
Buzzcocks
Clash
Damned
999
Stranglers
Kraftwerk
Devo

80's

Depeche Mode
Human League
Echo and the Bunnymen
Cure
Cocteau Twins

Not an exclusive list and then also the Grunge scene and Manchester scene.

Nowadays, Muse, Foo Fighters,
Elbow, Eels, Depeche Mode, Editors.

Also do like some rap and hop hop (Eminem, Public Enemy etc.). Also like a lot of classical and some folk such as Nick Drake and Elliot Smith.

I do think there are still good bands about and good music too. You just have to seek it out.

Deleted member 5849 · Apr 10, 2020

All through my university years, I had the grunge kids moping around, looking sullen, and taking the piss out of my music.

So no, not a great unifier in the slightest.

Otis · Apr 10, 2020

Deleted member 5849 said:
All through my university years, I had the grunge kids moping around, looking sullen, and taking the piss out of my music.

So no, not a great unifier in the slightest.

Depends what your music is.

Sky_Blue_Dreamer · Apr 10, 2020

Alan Dugdales Moustache said:
I went through a phase of hating every band except the stranglers, with whom my obsession continues. Mind you they're crap now Hugh has left
The sex pistols were absolutely crap as all the rest of the punk bands were except for the damned.
Heavy metal was crap .Get yer fucking hair cut.
Grunge was a crap version of heavy metal.
That nirvana were crap and the geezer who sang needed a hair cut and his hair was crap and probably got in his mouth when he sang, which was crap.
It's all crap really. As for rap, well you can't spell crap without rap.

By the end of that the voice in my head had morphed into Marvin the Paranoid Android.

Music? Don't talk to me about music. Ghastly.

Alan Dugdales Moustache · Apr 10, 2020

Deleted member 5849 said:
All through my university years, I had the grunge kids moping around, looking sullen, and taking the piss out of my music.

So no, not a great unifier in the slightest.

I agree completely. To say grunge in some way a great unifier is like saying Coventry fans also like Manchester city because they both play in sky blue .
Sorry Otis but I don't get what you're suggesting.

westcountry_skyblue · Apr 10, 2020

Steve Jones a very underrated guitarist imo self taught and couldn’t read music.
Some great solos in his pistols days!!

Otis · Apr 10, 2020

Alan Dugdales Moustache said:
I agree completely. To say grunge in some way a great unifier is like saying Coventry fans also like Manchester city because they both play in sky blue .
Sorry Otis but I don't get what you're suggesting.

Quite simple.

In the late 70's and early 80's, for a lot of people, you were either an indie/alternative/punk kid, or a rock/metal kid. Punks didn't like rock or metal and rockers didn't like punk.

I am of course generalising, but it definitely happened.

I was heavy into the punk scene and you would never get rock or pop music played at a punk gig pre-show. It would be punk, dub, reggae, or electronic.

I had a punk band. Never met another punk who liked rock music and they couldn't stand heavy metal.

What I am saying is, grunge came along and both rock kids and punk, indie kids liked it.

That was the unifier. It was for many. Just two distinct groups who shared the love of a new genre.

As they said in this documentary, it was punk roots, mixed with rock.

Simple really, and not at all like your comparison.

PVA · Apr 10, 2020

Nirvana and Soundgarden are ace.

Both lead singers sadly took their own lives. What a voice Chris Cornell had.

Otis · Apr 10, 2020

PVA said:
Nirvana and Soundgarden are ace.

Both lead singers sadly took their own lives. What a voice Chris Cornell had.

Yes, liked both bands.

Gazolba · Apr 10, 2020

As I've gotten (sorry guys) older, my musical tastes have changed quite a bit.
I still like much of the music I used to like but I'm now much more accepting of a wider range of styles.
I listen to quite a lot of classical music, some country, especially love female singers (Eva Cassidy, a recent discovery).
Love garage bands from the 60's, 70's and 80's.
Love acoustic guitar or steel guitar. Love ragtime piano. Love the harpsichord.
I got turned on to a lot of more modern music via my daughter's playlists.
Am discovering overlooked artists all the time, thanks to Youtube recommendations.
Still can't get my head around rap or heavy-metal though. It's just noise to me.

Otis · Apr 10, 2020

Gazolba said:
As I've gotten (sorry guys) older, my musical tastes have changed quite a bit.
I still like much of the music I used to like but I'm now much more accepting of a wider range of styles.
I listen to quite a lot of classical music, some country, especially love female singers (Eva Cassidy, a recent discovery).
Love garage bands from the 60's, 70's and 80's.
Love acoustic guitar or steel guitar. Love ragtime piano. Love the harpsichord.
I got turned on to a lot of more modern music via my daughter's playlists.
Am discovering overlooked artists all the time, thanks to Youtube recommendations.
Still can't get my head around rap or heavy-metal though. It's just noise to me.

For me, rap has to have a melody behind it. I love Jump Around and some Eminem stuff. Tuneless ones though, they just grate for me.

Deleted member 5849 · Apr 10, 2020

Otis said:
For me, tap has to have a melody behind it.

Otis · Apr 10, 2020

Oops. Predictive text. Rap of course.

Tap music is bit like the Riverdance isn't it?

Alan Dugdales Moustache · Apr 10, 2020

Otis said:
Quite simple.

In the late 70's and early 80's, for a lot of people, you were either an indie/alternative/punk kid, or a rock/metal kid. Punks didn't like rock or metal and rockers didn't like punk.

I am of course generalising, but it definitely happened.

I was heavy into the punk scene and you would never get rock or pop music played at a punk gig pre-show. It would be punk, dub, reggae, or electronic.

I had a punk band. Never met another punk who liked rock music and they couldn't stand heavy metal.

What I am saying is, grunge came along and both rock kids and punk, indie kids liked it.

That was the unifier. It was for many. Just two distinct groups who shared the love of a new genre.

As they said in this documentary, it was punk roots, mixed with rock.

Simple really, and not at all like your comparison.

In that case then why doesn't everyone like grunge? Sounded like another attempt at heavy metal to me but with the sulks. Nothing like punk whatsoever and I don't know of any old punk who saw anything in grunge . Mind you, they'd be bloody old by then and would be more interested in paying their mortgage.

Otis · Apr 10, 2020

Alan Dugdales Moustache said:
In that case then why doesn't everyone like grunge? Sounded like another attempt at heavy metal to me but with the sulks. Nothing like punk whatsoever and I don't know of any old punk who saw anything in grunge . Mind you, they'd be bloody old by then and would be more interested in paying their mortgage.

Well, the people who founded the movement as such, said it was punk roots with rock added. That's from the horses mouth. Very much punk influenced if you listen to the early stuff.

In this documentary, the very early bands of this scene were very punky.

I know quite a lot of people in bands and generally, punks really liked Nirvana.

SAJ · Apr 10, 2020

Otis said:
Quite simple.

In the late 70's and early 80's, for a lot of people, you were either an indie/alternative/punk kid, or a rock/metal kid. Punks didn't like rock or metal and rockers didn't like punk.

I am of course generalising, but it definitely happened.

I was heavy into the punk scene and you would never get rock or pop music played at a punk gig pre-show. It would be punk, dub, reggae, or electronic.

I had a punk band. Never met another punk who liked rock music and they couldn't stand heavy metal.

What I am saying is, grunge came along and both rock kids and punk, indie kids liked it.

That was the unifier. It was for many. Just two distinct groups who shared the love of a new genre.

As they said in this documentary, it was punk roots, mixed with rock.

Simple really, and not at all like your comparison.

I must have been and possibly still an odd. I was into both Punk and Heavy metal. Saw The Damned The Clash Buzzcocks in Brum Stiff little Fingers in Stoke. Also saw Sabbath Judas Priest and a little later Iron Maiden. Also saw AC/DC in Cov around the same time. I would guess these gigs were around 77-79 time.

SAJ · Apr 10, 2020

SAJ said:
I must have been and possibly still an odd. I was into both Punk and Heavy metal. Saw The Damned The Clash Buzzcocks in Brum Stiff little Fingers in Stoke. Also saw Sabbath Judas Priest and a little later Iron Maiden. Also saw AC/DC in Cov around the same time. I would guess these gigs were around 77-79 time.

Never been to a grunge gig or really wanted to.

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