Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Trooper101st — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:15:11 GMT

Wow..has it been that long..? I still feel the power surging through my body when I hear this music. It was ELECTRIC, the likes we shall never see again...

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

GTraynor — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:20:01 GMT

Who cares. As depressing as they made rock, maybe they'll all kill themselves before the decade is out.

Bring back sex, drugs and rock n' roll. Party time!

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

il10per — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:40:54 GMT

Yep detuned, dysfunctional, cross addicted, loser music. And to this very day I play to rooms FULL of brain dead jerks who just sit there with that glazed eye "Deer in the headlights" blank stare on their faces. Seriously, these guys have done for rock music what the Octamom has done for planned parenthood.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

AntonioV — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:43:06 GMT

What happened to grundge? I'm not sure...but I can tell you what's about to happen to the Jonas Brothers and all of that sort of wretched music.

These guys:

http://www.myspace.com/strokadellicspace

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Luv2Read100 — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:49:57 GMT

Who Cares is right!

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

ericg73 — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:00:33 GMT

The author forgot the most important and longest living band of that era, a band who has released an album a year since the mid 90s and toured the globe relentlessly, a band that has consistantly broken musical convention, written infiitely better songs than Whitesnake and Motley Crue, the band that created grunge ---THE MELVINS.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Boka — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:10:47 GMT

Grunge was great. When I was in highschool it was the height of grunge. But it was also a time when most teens, including myself, listened to a lot of diverse music. We would listen to soundgarden, then cypress hill, then beck and then metallica. We were all like that. even the girls. We were the first generation of kids that listed to diverse music. Kids these days aren't like that. They listen to that electronica crap.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Cloudosmoke — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:17:32 GMT

Rap still lives. Thank you Suga Hill Gang, R.U.N. DMC and Jam Master Jay, L.L. and all those that paved the way. Market is staying power. Don't agree with all rap though.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Mattyj2733 — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:29:46 GMT

I think rap is fading away. The creativity in rap music has been gone for years. Real instruments and real lyrics are back in demand

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

scryer — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:37:06 GMT

alright...say what you will about grunge, but that was a natural progression for rock at the time. Strokadelic caught my attention with the posted link so I followed it....WHAT A PILE OF CRAP!!!! Why would anyone listen to a poorly recorded regression of music. Thats like trying to revive disco...music progressed through that stage of rock....MOVE ON!!!!!

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Dave in NM — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:37:11 GMT

OMG I am old. All I keep thinking is "grunge killed metal, man, at least in the states - who gives a crap where they are now? Murderers."

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

GreyTheory — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:40:44 GMT

Also like to mention The Gits, one of the more underappreciated bands from the Seattle Era (always hated the term "grunge"). The Gits were had some of the most original guitar riffs and great lyrics written and performed by Mia Zapata. Unfortunately she was murdered just as the band was taking off, but their three albums remain a strong musical touchstone from that era.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

JustDave — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:45:51 GMT

I always thought the cover of "Ten" was the members of the band reaching their hands up together. Something most folks overlook about the grunge bands was their musicianship. These weren't guys just strumming a few chords over and over; they actually knew how to play their instruments, and play them well. While guitar solos weren't the over-the-top solos of the 80s hair bands, there was still an exhibition of skill and creativity. That's most of today's rock bands absolutely lack...

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Doc54 — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:04:04 GMT

Where in hell is STP?

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

AugustusR — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:06:55 GMT

Grunge was ok, but I always preferred hard rock. I checked out the link of one of the posters before me of that Strokadellic band. It sounds like they definitely need to record their stuff better, but what a voice on that singer...and definitely some asskicking hard rock. It'll be interesting to see what they come up with since they seem pretty new. Anything is better than most of the crap these days.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

taflynt — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:10:18 GMT

I was in my teens in the 60's. For me, the 80's and now the 00's were and are the worst possible for music. Only a couple bands today are worthy: Tool, Perfect Circle, Riverside, Porcupine Tree, and Abigail's Ghost. All Pink Floyd (with and w/o Roger Waters), Eric Clapton, and Rush are legendary. I liked 90's grunge especially Alice in Chains and Stone Temple Pilots. I still listen to grunge bands today. I'll take a good grunge band anyday over large hair and tight jeans.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

torman — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:21:54 GMT

Great shout out's for STP, and I agree! I'd also like to mention Candlebox, who are currently attempting a comeback. Saw them in Salt Lake City this last summer and they sounded pretty good! I'm more of an old heavy metal guy, but still like my cup of grunge from time to time!

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

xQQQme — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:49:41 GMT

What happened to Grunge? Actually, I don't care. I just know it went away. I hope there's no risk it will return.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

bleeblarblar — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:51:25 GMT

I just hit my 20's in 1990 and I feel so lucky to have experienced this music revolution. Remember kids, this was a populist movement. The hairband music of the 80's was the force fed crap that radio and MTV said people should like. Grunge killed it so fast they never knew what hit them. Music that mattered was first spread by word of mouth. Of course, MTV and corporate radio then the GAP caught on, over exposing and milking every marketing dollar out of it.

But damn, what a time.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

xQQQme — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:04:09 GMT

Boka says "We were the first generation of kids that listed to diverse music." Yeah, right. When you're young, you think no one has even done or gone through what you have. Sorry. In the '60s the Top 40 radio stations were playing folk, American rock, British Invasion, Motown and R&B, Bubblegum, straightahead "Easy Listening" vocals like Petula Clark...and even Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong could still make the charts!

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Ric_M — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:16:12 GMT

I saw Pearl Jam play in a relatively small theater in Chicago shortly after Ten was released. It was one of the best shows I have ever seen because of the band's musical talent, intensity and Eddie's sincerity with the crowd. He dove off the stage and at one point, somehow scaled a wall to reach the balcony. He stood there at the top of the balcony ready to dive off but must have realized it was much higher than he thought because he paused as if to think, "What have I gotten myself into?" With the crowd cheering him on, he dove off the balcony and landed on the crowd which was more than happy to catch him. Unfortunately, Newton's law of gravity kicked in and he took everyone down with him. He layed on the floor for what seemed like forever, then staggered back onstage bleeding to pick up where he left off with the crowd in delirium.

It's funny because I saw them again a year later except this time it was at Soldier Field with about 65k more fans than the last show. I went from watching him jump off a balcony to not beign able to see him at all because I was so far back. Good times.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

mraha99 — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:32:47 GMT

Reports like this make it seem as if "grunge" happened in a vacuum. While I was in my 20s when all this happened, the roots of these bands--from the Velvet Underground through 70s and 80s hardcore and punk--made any of this possible.

I don't wish to relive those days-- it all became a quick, shallow fashion trend and truthfully, with the exceptions of Nirvana, Mudhoney and "Ten," the bands that became popular weren't all that good. The better bands were the ones that stayed indie.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

helbard — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:41:34 GMT

Is this serious!!!? Mudhoney!!??? STP's Purple was one of the best grunge albums. Why are there no female vocalists listed? Hole, Seven Year Bitch....

I actually haven't listened to any new music since 96, I stay in my house hiding from screamo bands and garbage like Modest Mouse.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

sortaskibum — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:50:06 GMT

xQQQme, I agree with you, but in reverse. I came of musical age slightly after the grunge movement, and I'd argue the same as you: grunge was good, but not the height of music up to and since the 90s. There is always good music if you know where to look.

The diversity is always there...grunge just took good music mainstream for a time, so it gets (deserved) recognition for changing things in the music world. So while I don't think they changed rock, I do think they changed what could be popular.

Another point: I wasn't alive in the 70s, but I'd bet that the likes of Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd represented the same kind of change that grunge did in an era that was dominated by disco. Same with the Rolling Stones, The Who and The Doors in the 60s. Same with U2 in the 80s. It's all part of a recurring musical cycle. We're about the due for another earthquake.

Also...Blind Melon and STP! Come on!

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

In5hadows — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:08:46 GMT

To everyone that is complaining about STP not being in the list, did you read the article? It states "six biggest Seattle grunge bands". That means that the band has to have formed in Seattle. STP formed in Long Beach, California. Hole formed in LA. Blind Melon, although I wouldn't consider grunge, formed in California. Please find out where the and originated from first before asking why they weren't included. Seven Year Bitch could be included in the list but I don't think they had the same retail sale volume as the other bands listed in the article.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Fletch Lives — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:11:36 GMT

Peal Jam blows....they named their 1st album Ten after NBA no-body Mookie Blaylock.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

haywoodjablowmee — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:21:22 GMT

Fletch Lives is a total TOOL...

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

sortaskibum — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:41:38 GMT

"STP formed in Long Beach, California. Hole formed in LA." Bah, this is non-Seattleism. You are of course right, but I still dispute the exclusion of bands not from Seattle. STP deserves at least a perfunctory mention here.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

shiftZ — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:48:27 GMT

One of my favorite albums of this era was and still is "Push" by Gruntruck. If you haven't ever heard this album and like grunge, do yourself a favor and find it.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Fletch Lives — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:56:44 GMT

Now TOOL I do like...but they aren't grunge.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

somdude85 — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:59:36 GMT

ericg73 (March 24, 2009 at 9:00 AM)

"The author forgot the most important and longest living band of that era, a band who has released an album a year since the mid 90s and toured the globe relentlessly, a band that has consistantly broken musical convention, written infiitely better songs than Whitesnake and Motley Crue, the band that created grunge ---THE MELVINS."

Absolutely. The Melvins should be on that list as well as STP. Failure was also a great band to come out of that era. Faith No More wasn't Grunge, but it was yet another awesome late 80's-early 90s band that incorporated sounds from the genre.

Grunge, in my opinion, was the best thing that happened to Rock (and I was just a punk kid at the time - too young to truly appreciate it). We are so far removed from that now. Today, mainstream sounds very generic to me in comparison with anything during or before the 90s. It's either upbeat, Christian pop-rock or scream your lungs out, boo-hoo my girlfriend/boyfriend left me (there are some exceptions, of course). Grunge addressed a wide variety of topics: deep philosophical issues, addiction, political activism, war, poverty, crazy randomness, etc. The bands had distinct sounds, instantly recognizable.

It's too bad that the current generation doesn't recognize the talent that these bands possessed (and still do) - instrumental, lyrical, and vocals. Soundgarden, perhaps the best example, was extremely talented if you actually care to listen to more than just "Black Hole Sun". Alice in Chains is another great example.

I could go on and on but there's really no point because it's dead and will most likely stay dead (minus a few songs played on alternative radio stations from time to time).

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

BG241 — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:04:39 GMT

Mattyj2733 I have to agree I believe Rap music in general has been in decline since the early part of the decade. Metal I haven't really cared for much since the death of Dimebag Darrell. Modern music in General is mostly in decline.

Soundgarden "Badmotorfinger" was one badass album though. Its to bad Layne Staley couldn't battle his inner demons it would have been great to see them at least once live!

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Incubus67 — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:20:14 GMT

You might have mentioned that just because the vacuous media and vapid public stopped getting their "Jeremy," that doesn't mean that PJ has to be explained as if "where are they now," The real question is where the hell were you while Pearl Jam has been selling out 20,000 plus arenas for EVERY SINGLE TOUR, EVERY SINGLE SHOW FOR THE PAST 15 OR SO YEARS... AROUND THE WORLD! There are so many bands that are supposely "in" and the best thing the mainstream media has seen in since Clay Aiken or some crap like that (or worse...pandering to children as if Miley Cirus had something to say to someone beyond 12 years old)...NONE of these pop creations or a whole slew of "rock" bands constantly featured in the mainstream press could not even sell out ONE arena with 20,000 people. So what's the perspective here? AIC ended tragically. Cornell blew out his voice and Pearl Jam remained. You might have also mentioned they are just coming off one of their most successful albums since Vs. That doesn't mean they sucked until last year. It just means someone in the media decided to pay attention to what millions have known for years.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Livy333 — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:28:11 GMT

Rock has had it ‘Ups’ – Elvis and rockabilly, Surf Music, British Invasion, 70’s Blues Based Bands, 70s Funk, 70s Punk, 80s Post Punk, 90s Shoegazing Rock, and Minimalist Bands (White Stripes, The Kills etc.).

Rock has had its ‘Downs’ – 70s Mellow Rock and California Sound, Stadium Rock, Disco, Hair Metal (possibly the low point), Electronic (most), and Death Metal.

Grunge was definitely an ‘Up’. As the saying goes Nirvana killed Hair Metal dead.

I am undecided on Rap and Psychedelic Rock because much of it is really bad, while other stuff is really good.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Mattyj2733 — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:40:42 GMT

BG241, I hear you on the absence of Layne Staley. It would be great to seem them in concert. The guitar work by Jerry Cantrell though is spectacular, and it may be worth checking them out with the new singer. Still not Alice in Chains though. Granted, grunge did not have a lot of guitar solos but I think that was because the 80s were full of them (Van Halen, Guns N Roses etc). What grunge brought to the table was an in-your-face sound, full of distorted rifts that bellied the lyrics of social discontentment and anger.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Boka — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:47:10 GMT

Rock came from blues. Know your history livy.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Fletch Lives — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:48:10 GMT

None of these grunge bands can hang with the likes of Van Halen, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Metallica...or even KISS. Say what you want about Hair Metal, but when you want to have nothin but a good time, Posion's playin....not these loser grunge bands.

Jeremey was a rip off from Aerosmith's Jamie's Got A Gun and Skid Row's 18 & Life.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Rob from Iowa — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:54:11 GMT

Wow! Seeing the banner for Z Rock AM 1590 in the Pearl Jam video brings back memories.

I played guitar around Seattle after high school in the early/mid-1980's. I came more from the British Metal/Randy Rhoads tip, however. I played with several different people over those years, thanks in large part to the Seattle music magazine, The Rocket. Although the sound I was shooting for was divergent from what became the "Seattle sound". I was shooting more for a Robin Trower-type groove.

And we all had the dream to come back to Seattle triumphant like when PJ played the free concert at Gas Works Park. That would have been our Wyld Stallion moment.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Steech — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:56:26 GMT

The grunge pantheon definitely begat a complicated posterity. There's so much bad and so much good, that I don't even know where to start. I've been a wreck for the past 15 years trying to simultaneously defend its better components while disavowing myself of its worst.

Personally, I think we need to take stock of why so much rock and roll development was arrested in 1992. This is really the problem. You still hear "Evenflow" and "Sex Type Thing" on modern rock format FM stations, despite the fact that both songs are over 15 years out of season. There's no excuse for this. Proponents seem to think the glorified classic rock of the early 90s is somehow more genuine than the product of other eras.

I don't buy into the "everything sounds the same these days" complaint. Everything sounded the same in the 90s too. It fit in 1992, because it was our own thing. I don't get why today's kids don't demand to hear their own music. Instead, you get a bunch of grunge/hesh rehash in the form of Nickelback, Hinder, Fall Out Boy, whatever. Had the experiment been furthered, and merit been rewarded, we might have some thoughtful mainstream rock today instead of yesteryear's offal.

Yet, despite the fact that 90% of the "grunge" miasma was indefensibly bad, it remains the most potent lure for drunken nostalgia. There's something primal in Layne Staley's disinterested whine, Eddie Vedder's moody growl, Billy Corgan's dreamy coo, and Chris Cornell's shrill screech. With beer in hand (and five more in belly), Pearl Jam IS serendipitous. It must be a Yungian reaction to something buried deep in our collective ids. It stimulated something, even though I'm not quite sure what.

Because in the bonanza of 93-97, record companies across the board were trying to score the new Nirvana. The result was a bumper crop of really great music that's still at least a little amazing. There were all these lesser bands that managed to bloom amid the grunge demagogue smog and made music into something effervescent, buoyant, and amazing. that dog., Elastica, Teenage Fanclub, and Weezer; good examples - and that's just DGC.

There was also Possum Dixon, Five Eight, Tripping Daisy, Belly, and Imperial Teen. Then there were the bands who probably would have been published anyway, but got a great boost by being a little bit alternative/a little bit rock and roll: Rocket From The Crypt, Archers Of Loaf, The Flaming Lips.

Then... there were the groups that only slightly overlapped what the kids were listening to but got whipped into orbit by the big guys' gravity by dint of proximity: toad the wet sprocket, The Tragically Hip, Wilco, Urge Overkill.

And that's really the paradox, in my opinion. That something so BAD as grunge could create the right situation for so much other great music to thrive. And that living part, allowed to thrive, begat the incredible bounty hidden just below the greasy film of grunge's progeny.

I don't take the bleak outlook, even as a guy in his thirties. Before grunge, we all had to dig a little bit to find things like The Minutemen, Mission Of Burma, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, and The Pixies. You just have to do the same again. I don't think modern music is so bad at all. Look at what the DIY movement has done for artisanal alt-folk. Look at Sub Pop and Jagjaguwar and K Records. Look at some smaller guys like Slumberland and Alive and Secretly Canadian.

Anyone who says the best product of rock and roll has come and gone is too old. If they try to assert a claim to exclusive rights to that halcyon era, they're a liar and a rake. My rambling point is that we had a lot of good music, but let's be sensible about it. Let's celebrate the good, grimace at the bad, and embrace the new. The mythologies get us nowhere (except when we’re drinking).

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Rob from Iowa — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:58:42 GMT

I grew up in Seattle and never really cared for the "grunge" thing. THe Seattle band that matters to me, and still does, is Queensryche. Of course Hendrix and Heart.

I'm still hoping people will appreciate the 80's hard rock for the muscianship. There was far more to that music than hair and spandex. Cats like Warren DiMartini, Randy Rhoads and George Lynch had chops. We all took pride in our ability to play back then.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Livy333 — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:02:26 GMT

Boka - Of course rock sprung from the blues. Anyone who has who has listened to Elvis sing Hound Dog, Zeppelin rip off Lead Belly, or Clapton play Otis Rush, can tell you.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Rob from Iowa — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:10:13 GMT

I grew up in Seattle, and my problem with bands like PJ was that they were pretentious. Especially Nirvana. Soundgarden and Alice have been perhaps my favs to come from this scene. Mainly because those 2 bands were basically hard rock bands. And Kim Thayall got that unique sound with the Drop D tuning.

For my Gen X'ers our there reading this with a latte in hand: Some bands to search on YouTube to understand good hard rock are bands like UFO with 'We Belong to the Night', Scorpions with Uli Roth, Thin Lizzy and Saxon.

I came up when our music said "Screw Peace and Love" and turn up the guitar. We needed our guitars loud. And my music was about cars, guitars, girls and partying. What else is there to life?

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Rob from Iowa — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:12:39 GMT

Bear in mind, rock also has elements of country to it. You cvan hear this in early Elvis and especially The Everly Brothers.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Livy333 — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:30:28 GMT

Rob from Iowa - You are right about the musicianship of the 80s hard rock bands. I have to give credit where credit is due. They could play.

The hair and spandex was bad enough, but the real problem was that it was formulaic and lyrically really, really bad. It also seemed a bit soulless. That is the reason many people who didn't think much of hair metal bands liked Guns N' Roses (critics, hard rock fans, hair metal fans, punk rockers etc.). They had that something else that made them the 'real deal'. The rest of their counterparts could not make the same claim. They were all just smoke machines and guitar solos.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Rob from Iowa — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:30:34 GMT

Livy,

I agree on disco being a low period, but I can't disagree more on what you call "hair metal". If all hard rock from the 1980's is termed hair metal, then I can't disagree more. The highpoint from that era was the musicianship. Lok at cats like Warren DiMartini from Ratt, Randy Rhoads from Ozzy's band. George Lynch from Dokken and later the Lynch Mob. Jason Becker. Steve Via. Neal Schon from Journey. See Journey live and you will understand about Neal.

I'm a guitarists, and those cats can play. I find the musicianship lacking today.

Yet the way I see it? Every generation needs it's own thing. Actually the movie 'Spinal Tap' helped to place a nail in that coffin as well.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Livy333 — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:32:19 GMT

Rob from Iowa, right about the influence of country. If you get Elvis singing 'Blue Moon of Kentucky', you get rock.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Rob from Iowa — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:42:55 GMT

Livy,

I agree. Yes, there is a VH1 documentary on the era. Dee Snider said yes, at some point it became "pablum". Every hard rock band, after Crue's "Home Sweet Home", first released a hard song, then a power ballad. And it worked everytime.

True, Guns was different. I remember when that came out. I still have that on vinyl.

That was when I was in high school though. I graduated in 1983 and the hot stuff was Scorpions, Billy Squire, Sammy Hagar (before VH), Saxon, Maiden, Leppard, Aerosmith, Zeppelin, Krokus, Priest, Dio. That is my stuff.

By the time "grunge" came along, I had already had my tastes developed. As I said, every generation needs it's own thing. For us it was about rebelling against the hippies. For grunge it was about rebelling against the image that hair metal had become.

I am starting to collect some of the hard bands from the 80's that I misssed the first go 'round, and really appreciate that music. Non-pretentious. Simply about having a good time.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Rob from Iowa — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:45:00 GMT

Livy,

I was not really heavy into punk. We had "punks" in high school. Yet this dude I tried to start a band with in the 80's was a fan of The Ramones.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Mattyj2733 — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:59:30 GMT

Randy Rhoads could play for sure! I think both Rob from Iowa and Livy are right about the 80s. Bands like Van Halen, Guns N Roses, ACDC etc, were and are great musicians. I think what is missing in the discussion is the economic times these rock styles emerged. You look at the 80s and it was all excess. Excess girls, girls, girls, big hair, long guitar solos, arena rock. For the most part, the 80s experienced economic growth. When the early 90s came, the US was in a recession. Excess was not main stream anymore. Kurt Cobain himself grew up in logging country, a place where the recession hit hard. Excess gave way to simplicity, thus the flannel, no more big hair, no more guitar solos. Art is connected to the times and reflects what is going on around us. Just look at the bling bling of the 90s and 2000s, it seems kind of foolish in these times.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Rob from Iowa — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:51:55 GMT

Matty,

Aww man, dang. No need to over analyze the thing.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Livy333 — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:21:44 GMT

So I guess we all agree...

- Disco sucked.

- What you grow up with in your teens and 20s largely determines what kind of rock you consider great.

- Some members of 80s rock bands (or hair metal bands) were great musicians.

- Spandex? WTF!

- Grunge was ? I vote for great. A rock high point.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Rob from Iowa — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:34:57 GMT

Livy,

Agreed.

To share a bit more. Two distictive memories from college. I went to college late, in my late 20's. But 2 distinct memories. I had an apartment across the street from a Greek house. And I remember it was the first day of RUSH and I awoke at 7AM on Saturday morning to "Evenflow" cranked through a huge PA system from the Greek House across the street from me. I already did'n't care for the music, and that helped to solidify my distaste. Yet, a few days later they had AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" cranked though that same PA system, ... and that sounded good.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Livy333 — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 21:13:19 GMT

Rob from Iowa, Check out these memories...

When I was 18 me and three buddies took my VW van (named ‘Bilbo’) from Boston to Philadelphia to see Zeppelin. All I had was $28 and my ticket for the whole trip.

In college in 1978 I get back to my house and see my neighbor stacking his albums on the curb under a big ‘Free’ sign. I ask what he is doing and all he does is hand me an album and say all these years he has been wasting his time. The album... ‘The Clash’. BTW Rolling Stone named London Calling the best album of the 80s. They were right and it was not even close.

In the early 80s took my girlfriend (now wife) to see Robert Gordon for a night of hollow body guitar, stand-up base and sweaty rock-a-billy. If you got dinner, you got front row seats. We did. Best concert of my life and I have seen tons (still do).

I took my son to see ‘Zappa Plays Zappa’ last year. He is not a Zappa fan, but Steve Vai was a guest soloist. I was not to hot on see ‘the guy from Whitesnake’. We both had our opinions changed that night.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Rob from Iowa — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 22:02:14 GMT

Livy,

Touche. You got me beat. The closest I came to seeing Zep was seeing "The Firm" in Seattle. Great show! They closed the tour there. I also remember leafing through my brothers stack of 8-tracks and finding a band called KISS. I also remember when cassette tapes first came out and I had to learn how to open the damn case.

I got lots of concert memories. But one that comes to mind was Iron Maiden/Saxon/Fastway at the Seattle Center Colisuem in 1983. My first concert ever was Van Halen from the Diver Down tour, also at the Seattle Center Coliseum.

A memory from growing up in Seattle in the 80's though was jamming with this dude in this Art School near downtown Seattle. His mom ran the Art School and he was a drummer I was trying to build a band around. I had a '68 Gibson SG and I had my Peavey with twin Celestians cranked and we jammed until 2AM. People in the street could hear us. We riffed on allot of Robin Trower stuff.

Later 'bro. My nephews, now in their early 30's, recollect on Nirvana's 'Bleach' album.

"Grunge" represents a generation of Americans. Each generation has their own thing. Just as my father's Big Band music was blasphomy to his parents, and to his parents Strauss waltz's were probably blasphomy to thier parents.

Being born and raised in Seattle though, I still like watching 'Singles' and noting all the places in that movie. It looks like the apartment complex the characters lived in was on the eastside of Seattle, near Beacon Hill.

And being a musician from Seattle in the 80's, I'm confident I crossed paths with some of these guys.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Blackhaart — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 23:38:53 GMT

Lets see - the music of the 80's was all about good times, parties, hot chicks, and guitar driven bands that could play. Grunge??? - hmmmm.. slackers whining about everydamnthing, creepy, akanky, smelly, hairy broads like Courtney Hole, and a life span of about 24 months. I mean when a a$$clown like Eddie Vedder tries to cram his misguided beliefs about NObama - it makes some wish to pull a Hail! Grunge did fit Seattle. Gloomy. Cloudy. Raining all the time. #1 City for suicides - prolly because they were stuck listening to crappy music.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

GTraynor — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 04:13:22 GMT

You said it, Blackhaart. It went from happy party time, to gloom and doom around 1990-91 or so. Grunge musicianship was decent but the lyrics would make me want to puke or commit suicide if I listened to it for too long. Angst, depression, the world is a terrible place and we can't change it so let's take lots of heroin, or blow our brains out a la Kurt Cobain and kill ourselves. Mommie...mommie...whaaa....

And rich rockstar Vedder is a joke. What a hypocrite. He never even came from Seattle to begin with, but was there at the right place and the right time and made a quick killing. I'd like to see him give up his millions and help the homeless with it. Put his whiny libtard mouth where his money is. What an a-hole.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Rob from Iowa — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:42:09 GMT

Blackhaart,

I'm sorry but i need to defend Seattle. That's my hometown. Queensryche is from Seattle. We all shopped at 'Amercan Music' on Fremont.

Every several years great musicisans come from Seattle; first Hendrix, then Steve Miller, Heart, Queensryche and yes, even the "grunge".

Seattle is a great place to live. I believe Jeff Ament said that a reason why good music comes from Seattle every few years is because there is nothing else to do during the rainy winters but jam in your basement or garage.

True, "grunge" overshadowed some great hard rock bands in the early 90's like "Cry of Love", "Hardline" and "Tyketto". Yet, the 80's hard rock got played out. The next generation needed something to call their own.

Thankfully, that good 80's hard rock is making a comeback, thanks in part to VH1 Classic. And, we are now in our late and ealry 40's, and we now have money.

Regards,

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

XIII — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:53:33 GMT

Seems like there's a lot of criticism towards anything that stands against the superficial non-sense that has ruined not only rock music but our entire society in the past 12 years. You c**k rock lovers can go to a concert and rub your middle aged balding scalps together and talk about how much mousse you use to wear back in the day...don't worry grunge will come back when you guys have no other option but to survive off of your social security money and the rest of the world gets bored of your hair bands and gives good music their interests again.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Rob from Iowa — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 21:19:01 GMT

XIII,

Ooooo. Why the hatred? Yep, you too will be middle-aged as well. I'll leave a card on the path and you can pick it up when you get there.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

GTraynor — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 21:53:16 GMT

So XIII, does that mean you're gonna die young? Like the lyrics these losers moan about?

Well go for it. You can go out with a bang like your sad hero, Cobain.

Me? I'll take sex, drugs & rock n' roll and have a good time while you depressives wind up six feet under or in a nut house. Anytime.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

Grulg — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 23:18:58 GMT

I always thought Grunge was a stupid sacred cow. The media just collectively went bats all over it and made sure to hammer all things Winger, Warrent and Whitesnake as if it was terrible or whatever in comparison. Yeah, we really needed Candlebox, 7Mary3 and Bush guys. Gee. A bunch of arena rock bands in plaid and unwashed hair replaced arena rock bands that wore spandex and sounded like Kiss. So-? Grunge's heyday was '92-96. And it was steamrollered at the end by: Hanson, the Spice Girls and Backstreet, w/ some Korn and Limp Bizkit on the side. That-that's PATHETIC, Period.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

spoon26 — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 14:21:48 GMT

So after reading many a comment on both sides of this debate I've decided to comment. I'll start off by saying that there were a slew of great guitar players during the 80's, and plenty of them have already been mentioned, so no need to rehash them. And I give credit and respect where credit is due. And I must confess that I do like Motley Crue, Skid Row, G'N'R, George Lynch etc. I was 13 in 1991 when "Ten" and "Nevermind" came out. I had just started getting into music about two years prior to that. I understand that all of the "hair/glam" metal bands of the 80's talked about excess: partying, drinking, drugs, cars, women etc. It was nice to think about and I remember Vince Neil talking on the VH1 program "When Hair Metal Ruled the World" about how everyone wanted to relate to the partying and excess and not to the depressive lyrics of grunge. I can see that side of the debate and how music is supposed to be an "escape".. However, growing up in a home where my father was emotionally and physically abusive, was diagnosed with cancer, and pretty much abandoned his family, I didn't want to relate to a fantasy that wasn't around me. Pearl Jam, in particular, were a breath of fresh air. A band putting out great, yes I said GREAT music( really give Stone Gossard and Mike McCready a listen, they are amazing guitarists) and thought provoking lyrics about issues that, IMO, were previously over looked. I could relate, on an entirely personal level, to what Eddie Vedder was writing about. Life was completely miserable, and the last thing that I wanted to listen to was a life that I wasn't anywhere near to. Also FYI to the user who said that Eddie just cashed in on the seattle scene; Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard gave a demo of their new music to Jack Irons, who passed it along to Eddie. They invited him to Seattle. Also Stone and Jeff were part of a "hair/glam" metal band called Mother Love Bone. Please check up on things before you actually speak about them.

I understand that "grunge" brought about the so called end of hair metal. The 80's produced some of the best music around, whether its "hair" metal or the Thrash metal, it was good music. So was the grunge, you just have to dig deeper.

As for Fletchlives: Take a listen to Kim Thayil play lead guitar, take a listen to Mike McCready's guitar solos and lead work, take a listen to Dean DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots, tell me that those guys can't hang with Aerosmith, VH, AC/DC. IMO Aerosmith haven't put out anything relevant since Permanent Vacation(Just Push Play was awful), EVH is somewhat over-rated, and AC/DC much like Slayer, have been putting out the same record for the last 20 years.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

GTraynor — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:48:19 GMT

Well spoon26, sorry to hear about your upbringing. Mine wasn't exactly peachy keen either, but I didn't need rock lyrics to wallow in any misery I had. I'm not saying escape is always good either, since that can lead to some damaging excesses, but there's enough crap going on in the real world that I like to take time out from it every once in awhile. Through both film and music.

As far as Mother Love Bone is concerned, who cares. I'm sure many before the grunge scene appeared, were on the periphery of glam/hair metal, so what's your point? That it didn't just rise up out of nowhere? So what.

As far as Vedder is concerned, I don't blame him for taking advantage of an opportunity. After all, if I was a loser pumping gas down in San Diego, I'd jump at the chance, too. It's what he's done with it since then that I take issue with. Let's see him put his money where his mouth is besides shouting at an audience, telling them all how to vote. That's easy to do.

I never let celebrities influence my political decisions. Even if I happen to agree with them. I think people who do are pretty weak at best, so I'd hope that's not the case with you.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

spoon26 — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:44:38 GMT

GTraynor, you misunderstood me. I didn't wallow in my "misery". I used those lyrics to help motivate me, used them to see that despite everything going on there is a way to overcome. Which is what I did.

As far as Mother Love Bone, what I was trying to bring up with them is that the majority of people are so quick to say that grunge just came out of nowhere, when actually it evolved out of numerous genres that were already popular before it. It would be the same as blaming Korn and Limp Bizkit for the demise of grunge and the rise of rap-metal/rock. The seeds for that genre were planted when Aerosmith and Run DMC did "Walk This Way", or better yet when Anthrax and Public Enemy did "Bring The Noise". The same can be said about glam metal.

As far as Eddie is concerned? I agree with you. I don't go to concerts to be solicited to register to vote, and quite angrily told the guy the same thing. I go there to hear the music. I also don't let celebrities influence my political decisions, in fact I wish celebrities would just stop using their status as a way of influencing people. So I do agree with you there.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

hs81 — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 20:24:45 GMT

with so many bands reuniting, it's only a matter of time before Soundgarden jumps on the opportunity....and maybe one of these days, The Smiths will finally pull their heads out of their asses and do the same.

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

hotshot43 — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 22:11:26 GMT

Hey Rob from iowa, the Singles apartments is actually on the N.E. side of Capitol Hill just East of the Safeway up there. It looks just the same, and occasionally has vacancy. It is a little overgorown and rundown, and looks a lot smaller in person. Seattle in the 90's was awesome, and people that weren't there can't comprehend it. That's ok, the music isn't for everyone. "This is not for you, never was for you".....

re: Grunge Bands: Where Are They Now?

TigerSharkIA — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 19:25:42 GMT

Ive read about 30 comments and my brain is about to explode....ok we all love rock and roll!!!

Once again Seattle claims Hendrix....BEFORE SEATTLE BRAGS ABOUT JIMI KEEP IN MIND HE HAD TO GO TO BRITAIN TO GET ANY ATTENTION!!!!!

Now lets discuss the topic...grunge bands and where are they?.....with a few exceptions...THEY ALL QUIT!!!!!....of the bands that are still ''together'' how many are the same members?

Im in my mid 40s and live in Des Moines Iowa..home of the nations most dead-end music scene.

I saw Journey as my first concert.....Zappa was the first I paid for.....before I had turned 25 I had seen things played live that I had believed was impossible. Not only because of the recording techniques but because of the musicians actual parts. Queen is amazing!!! and I concur with the comments of Neal Schon of Journey...BAD ASS(Santana's lead guitarist at 16)

Back to the topic...

In the late 60s a lot of musicians had gotten tired of the ronnie specter/producer driven hit formulas, and after some of the early experimental albums.....i.e., Sgt Peppers', Iron Butterfly, etc..

young musicians were influenced to explore wide areas....some grasped the blues of the past some grasped country, some folk, some actually were even influenced by the music of their parents' generation.

During the 70s after the emergence of Hendrix, Santana, Zeppelin, and a few others the focus became to take specific directions.....Producer driven acts supplied us with disco and various other forms of pop torture, while others...then called "hard rock" focused more on the instruments and musicianship. It was during this time that BIG MONEY really came into play...spawning such horrendous genres as ''corporate rock'' and the term ''sell-out''. Some bands were made of members that could be termed ''virtuoso'' and in their wisdom showcased these talents with indulgent solos and projects. This influenced the minimalist movement called PUNK.

Punk stuck to early rock basics with some time changes and other individual signatures but for the most part musicianship was tossed aside. As the 80s progressed youngsters that had admired the musical skills of some of the harder acts and the attitude of the punk acts combined to create the genre commonly known as HEAVY METAL. Why am I rambling so?, you ask. Simple....replace HARD ROCK with HEAVY METAL....and PUNK with GRUNGE....and VOILA....

THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME.

To say all grunge bands were one way or another is very inaccurate

Ive never really associated Alice In Chains with Nirvana

think about it

Nirvana is from Seattle

Alice in Chains is from Seattle

same genre?

if you say so

Slipknot is from Des Moines, Iowa.....the Nadas are from Des Moines, Iowa

I always hear about Mudhoney....no offense but lets cut the bullshit folks

NIRVANA NIRVANA NIRVANA blah blah blah

tell me something folks....specially the 30-somethings.....had Faith No More not had a hit with Epic and that entire album....who would give a *** about Nirvana?

as I shut up let me add one more left-field comment....Ambrosia the band that gave us some sappy syrupy hits of the late 70s also made this statement....

Art beware, its all been done

There's nothing new under the sun