to question the sanity of those who worship Kurt Cobain/Nirvana?

[SequinsAndSparkles]

I must be missing something.

But why is Kurt Cobain such an 'icon'? Why do people think Nirvana are brilliant?

To me, it sounds like depressing nonsense, and I cannot understand what anybody gets from it. And it appears that some people worship Kurt Cobain. What is there about him to worship? From what I can tell, he was a bit rubbish!

But maybe i just don't 'get' it. I have however just been spoken to very rudely by my aunty when I said that the best thing to come out of Nirvana was Dave Grohl forming the Foo Fighters.

There is the argument that Nirvana ripped off the quiet LOUD quiet of Pixies. I think they did it very well - see SLTS.

yes, true
I really don't understand this idea that artists/musicians/writers should be ROLE MODELS
Almost all my favourite artists (using the term broadly) have been junkies/bonkers/utter shits/liable to chuck themselves in a river at a moment's notice/all of the above.
I don't want a role model, I want emotion ....

That's true, normal well balanced people don't make great artists IMO.

You need to be a little bit tortured to really shine.

I remember seeing Equus when the pyschologists says that he will help the boy fight off his demon but that the demon will take the very life out of the boys eyes as he goes or something like that (I can't remember the exact words, but that was the gist).

It struck a chord with me because it is true, some people just flame away in a manner that most of us don't. I don't want to, I like my middle of the road 'safe' existence but I can appreciate the 'live fast die young' in others.

I think it's funny OP thinks listening to the smiths/nirvana/the like makes people depressed.

When i was younger i used to listen to those bands (still do) because i was depressed and the mainstream shiny bubblegum pop was something i could not identify with.

Rihanna/Katy Perry/whatever it-girl it is this year - their music says absolutely nothing to me. It's written by writers who know what the teenagers want to listen to - nothing too complex, basically background music. The music itself is nothing. It's just packaging.

OP I'm close you your age (25) and couldn't disagree more. I liked Nirvana when I was a teenager and Rhianna bores me to tears.

Your Morissey comment however has made me ROLF and has inspired me to stick on his greatest hits so I thank you for that. BTW I'm listening to "Interlude"(My favourite) now and so far not feeling the need to dig out the remainder of the ADs I came off last year

Kurt Cobain was an excellent musician. He has a good singing voice, very expressive, good abstract lyrics. People identify with different things.

This is the most unreasonable AIBU ever. No jury could ever pass diarRhiana as a better musical talent than any single of the alternatives mentioned on this thread. And as for a good role model...words fail me...

I'm an Eddie Vedder fan, personally. Pearl Jam rocks!

I liked Nirvana, of course, but never idolised Curt Cobain. Grunge bands of the time wrote a lot of social criticism of American culture, and they were anti establishment. The way they dressed (second hand clothing etc) reflected an almost anti materialistic ideoligy. This sort of commentary on society has been largely banished from modern pop music it seems, which is a shame.

Hissy - Have you seen Eddie and KOL performing together? Be still my beating heart....

Feenie - I'm vvvvvvv

Nirvania live were quite amazing.
Reading festival, mid afternoon, I'm pretty near the front with a load of festival unwashed people (this was when 'nice' people did n't go to festivals and you could still climb over the fence). The bands are running late, but we're all enjoying Bjorn Again in an ironic rehabilating good tunes kind of way.

Nirvania came on and even though the mid afternoon slot is tricky, that year they were the band that everyone, particularly those that did n't like that kind of thing, was saying 'did you see them?' And no I did n't worship him, stalk his hotel or seek out my nearest drug dealer. Check out the live MTV acoustic session with him singing Bowie's Man Who Sold the World.

Post death The Media jumped on it as they did Princess Di, the batman actor, Jade Goody etc.etc. In real life most of us just thought it was a sad waste but for us life went on.

YANBU, can't stand them, he sounds like he had a sore throat.

It was brilliant - right from the start when the dry ice started! Very evocative, reminded me of being 17 so strongly.

Blackbag

Was that the year Kurt Cobain came on stage in a wheelchair?

I had several happy muddy years working at festivals when I was 16, 17, 18.

Blackbag My BIL was at Reading that year and saw them as he periodically loves to remind me .

I love the Unplugged album - Man Who Sold the World, Jesus Don't Want me for a Sunbeam and Plateau are particular stand-outs.

MollysChambers thanks for the link.

Have you seen

GoingToGoWatchItNowTiggaxx

Lenak - did you know The Vaselines who originally did 'Jesus don't want me for a sunbeam' have reformed and have a new album and tour ?

I'm bumping this purely in honour of Kurt Cobain's birthday. Which I only know because my search engine gives a me "famous dead person's birthday" every day - NOT because I idolise and worship him in an unhealthy fashion

Oh and dawntigga I had to listen to my Singles soundtrack after seeing your post; I know it's about 8 minutes long, but I still love the Mother Love Bone "Chloe Dancer / Crown Of Thorns" track sooooooo much.