General Music Chat

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/07/02/ma ... ?referrer=

Thanks for the link. Great article. I shared it on another forum and got the crickets, as well.

It's crickets for me I'm afraid. While the whole grunge thing was going on I was teaching myself a trade and trying desperately to figure out the marriage thing.

Frankly - it seemed like much ado about nothing but I'm willing to accept that I'm probably wrong.

Talbot

I'm not sure what you mean. You might not care about the music, but you can't admire his service to his country while the scene that spurned him imploded and faded away?

schmed

Actually I have no idea what you are talking about. I told you I missed that whole thing! It was '96 in fact when I declared myself a complete and utter failure and burned my song book.

I guess I should google this - the historian part of me is feeling just a little embarrassed at missing a decade or two.

I didn't realize what a piece of sh*t I'd become until some guys invited me to jam (bass) and I'd sucked. To just outright suck really, well, sucked. I went to MA - Musicians Anonymous and admitted I had a problem - I was an asshole.

They put me back together - reminding me that my condition was common among musicians! Then came a scales and exercises until I could play as as fast as ever on both instruments. I upgraded my gear. Then a theory refresher and I started writing again and jamming regularly with people.

Then my wife threw me out and I lost my job. I was back!

Talbot

yeah, I hear ya. I just thought you might relate to a fellow soldier.

schmed

Actually I have no idea what you are talking about. I told you I missed that whole thing! It was '96 in fact when I declared myself a complete and utter failure and burned my song book.

I guess I should google this - the historian part of me is feeling just a little embarrassed at missing a decade or two.

I didn't realize what a piece of sh*t I'd become until some guys invited me to jam (bass) and I'd sucked. To just outright suck really, well, sucked. I went to MA - Musicians Anonymous and admitted I had a problem - I was an asshole.

They put me back together - reminding me that my condition was common among musicians! Then came a scales and exercises until I could play as as fast as ever on both instruments. I upgraded my gear. Then a theory refresher and I started writing again and jamming regularly with people.

Then my wife threw me out and I lost my job. I was back!

Talbot

Mike just click on the link I posted at the beginning of this thread and the article is there. It's a long read but just skim over it. I'm sure you'll enjoy it being a military man. I never got the grunge thing either. IMO grunge killed a lot of good music. oddly I play some of it now to please our audience.

I liked a lot of it at the time, primarily Soundgarden and Alice And Chains. I thought Nirvana - Bleach (their first album) was good, but Nevermind was way overrated. Tad was another great band from Seattle that paved the way for these bands. I never bought into Pearl Jam. Way too sappy and commercialized.

From there, where do you go? It gets confusing. Were Stone Temple Pilots grunge? They didn't think so. Neither did most of the Seattle bands. A lot of people talk these days as if all guitar bands at that time were grunge.

Was it the greatest thing ever? No. But I was 16 when that stuff started coming out. I was learning guitar at the time and I knew that playing like my metal heroes was out of the question. Their music was way too technical. I was getting into Neil Young. I was getting into punk. A lot of those bands were just putting their own flavor on west coast punk, anyway. Alice In Chains were the exception. They were glam rock, disguised as something new.

Looking back and listening to it now, a lot of it doesn't hold up. I was into new Alice In Chains a few years ago. Put in my tape of that stuff yesterday, while walking the dog. It was awful. New Soundgarden is much better.

As for Nirvana, I can't believe they have attained this "Beatles-esque" status. Considering their catalogue, their songwriting, their overall sound. Does not compute. But they did help my favorite band get a major label deal, which brought them into my life. They came from the same town. They respect Kurt Cobain as a person, while they sort of look down at his body of work and his musical abilities. I'd have to agree. "He could take two chords and make a song that people want to listen to", or something to that effect.

When it comes to "bands that were killed by grunge, that didn't deserve it"...... come on now. Did they really deserve to stay around? You sink or swim in this business. One day people like you, the next? That's on you. Save as much of what you make, so no one ever gets to see you flipping burgers.

Apologies men - I just read the link. I agree with him for sure on one thing - playing on a stage and fighting - it doesn't seem like it - but they send the same adrenaline rush. Love both. Moth to an open flame syndrome.

We did a practice op in an area coded "Beatrice" with armoured cars and motor infantry, even artillery. It was so cool (really beat walkin!) I was behind the gun on the Major's vehicle and had headphones on - military sh*t in my right ear - Radio Five out of Jo-burg in the left. We actually ran into just enough bad guys (quite by accident) to make it interesting. Talk about combining my favorite kinds of fun!

'I don't like Mondays' was sort of a theme song for later when I trained with the tank guys.

Yeah - I'd like this Everman cat - so what if he's moody - I talk enough for two anyway!

Great article!

Talbot

There you go!