Grunge

[USMC0341]

Well there is a fine line between what is grunge and what is not. Most metal-heads respect Alice in Chains, most do not respect Pearl Jam and Nirvana. Pearl Jam was one of those bands that peaked with their first release..... "Ten" absolutely smoked and it is a must have. I don't even like grunge and own no Nirvana, nor any other Pearl Jam, but to this day, I throw on a song or two from "Ten" from time to time.
"Would" by AiC is pretty bad-ass as well and they have many others as well. The problem with grunge wasn't the innovators, but the followers. Some cool "grunge" would be the Smithereens as well. Those guys were doing that stuff well before Nirvana.


Bryant

AIC get respect because Jerry Cantrell is one of the most talented musicians and songwriters out there - and Layne Staley wrote some of the most haunting and lucid lyrics I've every written. BOTH of them had (have) killer voices as well.

Pearl Jam definitely peaked with "10" - I was overseas in 3rd world countries with the Marines for the whole grunge thing, so when I got home it was all flanel and the whole "anti-guitar solo" thing was getting big. I'll occasionally listen to a song or 2 from "10" - but I truly can't stand Pearl Jam or Norvana for that matter. Temple of the Dog was some good stuff, Soundgarden kicks some ass and AIC will always be in my CD player. The whole grunge thing came and went - where as Metal has always been there and has come back around again - that says something about the roots of Metal and what it stands for and the quality of the musicians playing it.

That's my 2 cents...

 

[USMC0341]

Well there is a fine line between what is grunge and what is not. Most metal-heads respect Alice in Chains, most do not respect Pearl Jam and Nirvana. Pearl Jam was one of those bands that peaked with their first release..... "Ten" absolutely smoked and it is a must have. I don't even like grunge and own no Nirvana, nor any other Pearl Jam, but to this day, I throw on a song or two from "Ten" from time to time.
"Would" by AiC is pretty bad-ass as well and they have many others as well. The problem with grunge wasn't the innovators, but the followers. Some cool "grunge" would be the Smithereens as well. Those guys were doing that stuff well before Nirvana.


Bryant

AIC get respect because Jerry Cantrell is one of the most talented musicians and songwriters out there - and Layne Staley wrote some of the most haunting and lucid lyrics I've every written. BOTH of them had (have) killer voices as well.

Pearl Jam definitely peaked with "10" - I was overseas in 3rd world countries with the Marines for the whole grunge thing, so when I got home it was all flanel and the whole "anti-guitar solo" thing was getting big. I'll occasionally listen to a song or 2 from "10" - but I truly can't stand Pearl Jam or Nirvana for that matter. Temple of the Dog was some good stuff, Soundgarden kicks some ass and AIC will always be in my CD player. The whole grunge thing came and went - where as Metal has always been there and has come back around again - that says something about the roots of Metal and what it stands for and the quality of the musicians playing it.

That's my 2 cents...

 

[Bas667]

I would definitely beginn with Nirvana if you ask me, I don't think that grunge "went" because there are quite a few newer grunge artists too: the hives, the vines, white stripes and foo fighters for example but I realy think that the older grunge stuff is much better.

 

[Ruthven]

I don't dislike grunge in theory, but like with hair metal, radio went overboard with it, so I'll be sick of it for another decade.

Nonetheless, as this is a friendly thread on the subject I'd like to recommend the soundtrack to the movie "Singles." It has a lot of tracks by the seminal grunge bands - as well as non-grunge tracks by bands like Smashing Pumpkins. Among the highlights are Alice In Chains's "Would" (already mentioned, but what a great hook!) and Pearl Jam's "State of Love and Trust." If you have to have one good overview of the best that movement offered, I'd recommend it.

 

[DeathGrind]

Stone Temple Pilots, Alice in Chains and Nirvana were great.

 

[chocmonty]

the melvins

 

[noisefan]

I'm sorry to disagree with so many on this thread but Stone Temple Pilots, Alice In Chains and Tool are not grunge. Alternative Metal? Sure. Commercial Rock? OK. Grunge? No.

Imo, great grunge albums are Mudhoney- Mudhoney & Superfuzz Bigmuff, Nirvana- Bleach, Screaming Trees- Buzz Factory, Tad- Salt Lick, Fluid- Glue/Roadmouth

 

[The Grimace]

Every band from the early 90s was grunge. Didn't you know?

EDIT: Wait, Tool? WTF?

 

[Poison God Machine]

Alice In Chains pwn just about all of the other grunge bands out there. Very memorable songwriting, and Facelift is one of the best debuts ever IMO, metal or non-metal.

I really dislike Nirvana, Audioslave and Pearl Jam.

Soundgarden I find to be OK. I recommend Badmotorfinger though - probably their best album, as Superunknown seemed to be a little too all over the place. I do like some songs from there though, like 4th Of July and Like Suicide. I don't think Down On The Upside is really worth getting though, although the song Burden In My Hand is decent - nice vocal work from Cornell.