What would have become of Nirvana?

[menikmati]

I don't understand why you think, if Kurt was still around, that Nirvana would be less relevant. Even if they weren't together, it doesn't kill their legacy does it?

[thelastgreatman]

I love Cobain's quote after In Utero where he said his ultimate goal was to mimic the progression that The Beatles had, 'cause in many way they had very similar early work. It made me kinda really sad he'd died.

[menikmati]

a lot of close friends of Kurt, always say he was planning his own "white album" for after In Utero.

[PassiveTheory]

I agree with the smart people in this thread, like Erik, Tom and Randy.

[chiapet]

I don't understand why you think, if Kurt was still around, that Nirvana would be less relevant. Even if they weren't together, it doesn't kill their legacy does it?

Not what I meant - their legacy exists, but if they (or Cobain solo) were still putting out albums, how relevant would those hypothetical albums be? That is what I mean by failing to remain very relevant. How many artists from that genre continued to be popular and successful, or moved on to another project that was? Not many that I can recall, but admittedly my taste in music now is VERY different than it was 15+ years ago.

[malcolmjamalawesome]

I mainly wonder if we'd hear how "Smells Like Teen Spirit killed hair metal" ad nauseum in every Top ___ Songs/Videos/Singles of all time countdown if Kurt was still alive. Or if Warrant was still around.

[bmack86]

Yes, because sales records reflect that.

[wmgaretjax]

I think everyone would have realized how much of a mediocre passing phase that Nirvana were... but that's not a very popular belief... especially here in Seattle.

[menikmati]

"mediocre passing phase"

right...

[Son of MJK]

Nirvana epitomized what a Rock band is, with their music, their words, and the perception of what the mainstream thought they were. I hate genres to some degree and when i listen to their live and studio albums, then watch the unplugged with MTV, i realize that only a couple of bands in my lifetime will combine the talent and the " i dont live my life for you" attitude. I appreciate them now as much now as i did when i was a teenager and I am grateful to have been able to listen to all of their songs and learn about the band, beyond the music. If Kurt was still alive today I believe we would speak about Nirvana the same way, and then speak of any work that was later created, if they had stopped making music together.

[breakjaw]

Forgive me if any of what I say was already said,but here's my Nirvana thing.I went with my brother to see them at the Arizona State Fair a few months before he died..My brother at the time was on thestaff of the Arizona State newspaper and actually had a photo pass for the show,which he found was revoked when he got there because the band didn't want photos.
We got there about a half-hour before the show and milled around backstage.I chatted briefly with Novoselic about Seattle.He was a really down to earth person who seemed kind of unsuited to his big frame.
My brother found out about the pass being revoked and decided to try and take photos anyway.
We stayed down on the floor,where they had these plastic planter sort of things that the security were standing in,making it harder or them to get to people.My brother got some awesome photos,the only ones of this show,as far as I know.
Me?
I thought they were fucking awesome.Right on the edge,dangerous,everything I look for in a show.They had those mannequin things from In Utero that they trashed at the end of the show.But musically they were awesome.They played a little of Aerosmith's "Dream On" as a joke and eceryone held their lighters up.Also it was funny when they played the beginning of "Rape Me" and everyone thought it was "Smells Like Teen Spirit".
Menik has a solid choice of heroes...

[malcolmjamalawesome]

Are there any true unheard demos left after the box set?

[menikmati]

Forgive me if any of what I say was already said,but here's my Nirvana thing.I went with my brother to see them at the Arizona State Fair a few months before he died..My brother at the time was on thestaff of the Arizona State newspaper and actually had a photo pass for the show,which he found was revoked when he got there because the band didn't want photos.
We got there about a half-hour before the show and milled around backstage.I chatted briefly with Novoselic about Seattle.He was a really down to earth person who seemed kind of unsuited to his big frame.
My brother found out about the pass being revoked and decided to try and take photos anyway.
We stayed down on the floor,where they had these plastic planter sort of things that the security were standing in,making it harder or them to get to people.My brother got some awesome photos,the only ones of this show,as far as I know.
Me?
I thought they were fucking awesome.Right on the edge,dangerous,everything I look for in a show.They had those mannequin things from In Utero that they trashed at the end of the show.But musically they were awesome.They played a little of Aerosmith's "Dream On" as a joke and eceryone held their lighters up.Also it was funny when they played the beginning of "Rape Me" and everyone thought it was "Smells Like Teen Spirit".
Menik has a solid choice of heroes...

That is an awesome story Breakjaw. That was their first show of the In Utero tour too. Does your brother still have any of the pics he took?

[menikmati]

Are there any true unheard demos left after the box set?

As far as I know, yes there is. Though I assume you probably mean demos from 1994 (meaning new songs)....I know there are different demo/studio sessions from 1992 that remain unsurfaced (there's rumors they recorded instrumental versions of Frances Farmer, Scentless Apprentice, and some others). There's also the "barnyard/boombox" tape, where Kurt and co recorded their demos for Butch Vig prior to Nevermind...only a couple songs from that tape have ever leaked/been released (Teen Spirit, Come as you are, On A Plain).

There's also the unreleased material from the 1994 lang studio session....that's where they recorded YKYR, but they also messed around on a couple of other songs (Seasons in the Sun, and some improv jams), which have never been released.

Plus there is still rumors that Kurt, Pat Smear, and Eric Erlandson played/recorded a few songs together at Kurt's house shortly before he died...one of the songs being an electric version of Do Re Mi. The tape is still rumored to be in Courtney's possession.

There are also a few tapes that Kurt and Courtney recorded together I think....one of which was a bunch of weird cover songs, which they labeled as being from some silly band name, and sent it out to different radio stations, in hopes of seeing how they reacted. I think that's how the story goes at least....rumor says almost all the tapes were thrown away or lost, but who knows.

Oh and there is still that Kurt's first demo ever thing he recorded with Dale Crover back in 1985, called the "Fecal Matter demo" - the same exact tape that was supposedly given to Krist and convinced him to join together with Kurt. One song was released officially on the WTLO boxset (Spank Thru), and just recently two different leaks (one 15 mins, the other 10 mins worth) have surfaced. The whole complete tape though, has never been traded out.

I have a bunch of demos from 1988-1989 though, and their 1993 Rio sessions and some others. All good stuff.

[malcolmjamalawesome]

You're fucking awesome.

[Alchemy]

I am not a big Nirvana fan, but there is no doubt about it that they were an important part of music. If Nirvana shot up because of Kurt's death, then why hasn't Elliott Smith shot through the roof? Nirvana didn't shoot up from Kurt's death, maybe from getting people's attention who lived under rocks and didn't hear them, but Nirvana was already a big deal. That's why Kurt's death was a big deal.

I love that in the dvd Live Forever, it basically says that Britpop started and ended from two deaths. Britpop began at Kurt Cobain's death and ended and Princess Di's death. At least, that's how the dvd sort of puts it. Almost as if Nirvana was a dominating force from America, and nobody gave a shit about Britain because of it. Then after Kurt's death, new music in Britain was Blur, Oasis, Suede and Pulp and all these other bands. Almost like another Nirvana album would have put Blur and Oasis in their place. It's a silly observation, but that's how people viewed Nirvana.

[menikmati]

Yes, thanks for pointing that out to all those who still don't believe it. Nirvana didn't become big because of Kurt's death, they ALREADY WERE big. They had already changed the face of music and influenced the scene by 1994. I agree with what Alchemy said, Kurt's death was a big deal, well because, Nirvana was a big deal...so you can't use any kind of argument that oh Nirvana is only popular because the lead singer killed himself....that makes no sense whatsoever, and is just entirely wrong.

Granted, there have been cases where maybe a singers death has pushed his band into the spotlight more than when he/she was alive (Blind Melon, Sublime), but that's only because more attention was paid towards that kind of situation due to Kurt's death back in 1994. So you could probably argue Kurt's death made other bands bigger and gave more attention towards them, but defiantly not towards his own because they already had that.

[ATamreLion]

Everyone would realize they suck.

[PassiveTheory]

Everyone would realize they suck.

[NiceArthur32]

whats the nirvana?

[playforchrissy]

I think that they would have broken up eventually and possibly had a reunion.

[hypervera]

yeah nirvana was a big deal and kurt´s death made nirvana a bigger deal

[Blinken]

To say his death has nothing to with how they are thought of is crazy. When are a great YOUNG artist and die your work becomes frozen in time. The fact that the artist is young helps build up mythology around the band. Look at the people we consider great from the 60s, Lenon, Hendrix, Joplan. (I can't spell shit) Tragedy elavtates great music to this legendary status. If Mick Jager or Keith Richards had died when the were younger, than they certaintly would be remembered differently.

Nirvana being a great band is undeniable, Kurt's death freezes the band at their peak, while there may have been other peaks had he lived we don't know. His death adds some mystique to the band in the grand scheme of things.


Woo Hoo 100th post.

[hypervera]

To say his death has nothing to with how they are thought of is crazy. When are a great YOUNG artist and die your work becomes frozen in time. The fact that the artist is young helps build up mythology around the band. Look at the people we consider great from the 60s, Lenon, Hendrix, Joplan. (I can't spell shit) Tragedy elavtates great music to this legendary status. If Mick Jager or Keith Richards had died when the were younger, than they certaintly would be remembered differently.

Nirvana being a great band is undeniable, Kurt's death freezes the band at their peak, while their may have ben other peaks had he lived we don't know. His death adds some mystique to the band in the grand scheme of things.


Woo Hoo 100th post.

you´re fucking right man!

congratulations in your 100th post

[J~$$$]

[breakjaw]

That is an awesome story Breakjaw. That was their first show of the In Utero tour too. Does your brother still have any of the pics he took?

Yes.There was one in particular that I always liked and will find a way to get to you somehow.It is of Kurt playing his guitar,with the "In Utero" badge on.It is an awesome photo.My brother used to have a website called "Three-Song Limit" and this was on it,but i also have physical copies somewhere which I will try and find and scan.It is black and white,as all his photos are...

[everlay]

either way he probably would have ended up dead...

“...and nobody, nobody knows what’s going to happen to anybody besides the forlorn rags of growing old,”

-Jack Kerouac (last paragraph of On The Road)

[breakjaw]

That sums it up perfectly.

[Wild Bill Hickok]

I just heard someones head explode.

http://www.auctionnetwork.com/?chann...paign=bookmark

[menikmati]

Yes.There was one in particular that I always liked and will find a way to get to you somehow.It is of Kurt playing his guitar,with the "In Utero" badge on.It is an awesome photo.My brother used to have a website called "Three-Song Limit" and this was on it,but i also have physical copies somewhere which I will try and find and scan.It is black and white,as all his photos are...

Hey that sounds really cool Breakjaw...I would definitely be interested in seeing that (and any others you could find)!