Michael Braun's Blog

Lauren and I watched a VH1 show recently counting down their top 100 songs of the ’90s. We missed most of the tracks, which was okay, as the end was the most interesting. Their #1 song of the ’90s was, if you can guess from the title of this post, ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ by Nirvana. So, when Amos came over yesterday to trade some music, I grabbed Nirvana’s album Nevermind.

I have never listened to this album before, nor have I ever consciously listened to ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’. But in the spirit of (not teens but) the holidays, I decided to give Nirvana’s critically acclaimed album a chance. I’m thru 6 or so tracks now, and I am not impressed. To me, it sounds like Nirvana owes a lot more to bands before them than they have given to bands after them. Not that, to me, their influences are that apparent. I tend not to listen to alternative music, especially not grunge music. But tuning into the radio today, you are sure to hear bands like Nickleback distorting their vocals and yelling their choruses, much like Cobain and crew.

When Nirvana strips down their sound to undistorted guitars, I think they’ve really got something. But then Cobain comes in with his terrible vocals. He sings like he’s twisting his mouth up so he sounds real weird. Then the chorus comes in and he starts screaming. I’ll give him credit for one thing: his songs definitely sound like they come from a troubled, bipolar mind, which is where they came from, of course.

I should have listened to the whole album before writing about it, but halfway through, I really have gotten no pleasure from their music. Maybe I have to be an angry, disaffected youth, but even if that was the case, I still don’t see how distorted guitars and screaming would adequately express what I was feeling. In my case, when I’m angry, I like to listen to some political Hip-Hop. What about Dead Prez? Now there’s some dudes who are angry, but they take it out on the source of their anger (government, racists, et cetera) rather than screaming about how disaffected they are.

Anyway, I will finish the album and maybe have more positive things to say. I like the Foo Fighters, in some cases, whose David Grohl was drummer for Nirvana, so maybe I can like Nirvana. I doubt it, but now is the season for Christmas miracles.