Grunge vs. Hair Metal

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Given the choice, which do you prefer?

  • GRUNGE!

    Votes: 122 70.1%
  • Hair Metal!

    Votes: 42 24.1%
  • I need another choice

    Votes: 12 6.9%
  • Hey, just look at my half-dressed avatar sweetie!

    Votes: 1 0.6%

  • Total voters
    174
  • Poll closed .

cycophagus

Well-Known Member
Aug 16, 2012
5,871
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I think KISS and Nirvana were the only two full shows of Unplugged I watched. I'll probably have to look up Stone Temple Pilots performance sometime.

It was remarkable how grunge translated seamlessly to the unplugged medium, belying its head banging reputation as a genre. Seems like it would have given it staying power. But strangely, for whatever reason, it also coincided with the final phase of the movement as a whole.
 
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besserheimerphat

Well-Known Member
Apr 11, 2006
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Mount Vernon, WA
It was remarkable how grunge translated seamlessly to the unplugged medium, belying its head banging reputation as a genre. Seems like it would have given it staying power. But strangely, for whatever reason, it also coincided with the final phase of the movement as a whole.
Have you heard "Smells Like Teen Spirit" played in a major key? It sounds like it could be a Taylor Swift / Miley Cyrus song on the radio right now.

 

Die4Cy

Well-Known Member
Jan 2, 2010
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I think it was a combination of that and bands trying to make radio friendly songs. For example, Def Leppard's first 3 albums were soooo good. Just really amazing. Then came "Pour some sugar on me" and they were ruined for me. (that might actually be on their 5th album but my point still stands)

There is a point at which every successful band goes from being recording artists to big businesses. There's a lot of mouths to feed in the touring/promotions/record label world. Part of it is recognizing that it takes really great stuff just to break through in that business and that once you are "made" quality can take a back seat to the need for new releases, new album, new tour. Not to mention all the distractions that go along with that.

I read Dave Grohl's recent memoir and it was surprising to me just how long Nirvana was still just getting by financially as the world's #1 recognizable music brand, and then how quickly Cobain soured on the process once that turned around and the industry recognized them as a big money maker for them.
 

AuH2O

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Sep 7, 2013
10,960
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Every time I hear an Incubus song I ask myself why I didn't listen to them a lot more.
I was not a fan when they were popular but now appreciate them as being an awesome band. Enzinger is super underrated as a guitarist. Lots of cool riffs with some subtle intricacies. It looks like he went over every chord and tried to see if there was a different voicing or add he could use. Plus some of chords he used took some serious stretch. My opinion on playing a lot of His riffs is that you can get relatively close and fake it fairly easily. It will sound decent. But to really nail it, it is pretty damn hard.
 

besserheimerphat

Well-Known Member
Apr 11, 2006
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Mount Vernon, WA
I was not a fan when they were popular but now appreciate them as being an awesome band. Enzinger is super underrated as a guitarist. Lots of cool riffs with some subtle intricacies. It looks like he went over every chord and tried to see if there was a different voicing or add he could use. Plus some of chords he used took some serious stretch. My opinion on playing a lot of His riffs is that you can get relatively close and fake it fairly easily. It will sound decent. But to really nail it, it is pretty damn hard.
I don't play anything so I can't appreciate it from a technical musicianship standpoint, but I love their unique melodies/harmonies and rhythms. Good lyrics too. They're just a really, really good band.

Maybe that's it - I like to sing along with all their stuff, but none of it quite crosses that threshold of "incredible-have-to-own-it" for me. Like the 90s Buffalo Bills, going to the Super Bowl four straight years but never winning it. Then you look back and realize those guys were still really ******* good.
 

CascadeClone

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Oct 24, 2009
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I also, but where is this place? Mt. Olympus? They really are in there own category for just being able to find a voice like Brian Johnson after the death of a great frontman Bon Scott and then continue to bring out great rock songs.
I will probably get set on fire for this opinion, but i cant stand any ACDC post Bon Scott anymore.
Firstly its all mega overplayed. Secondly the older stuff is just flat out better. "Ride On" has more feeling and soul that the entire Brian Johnson catalog.
 

CloneGuy8

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Mar 20, 2017
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I was big into Incubus in high school. They played at Hilton in 2002 and put on a great show. Their album 'Science' before they got big was also a good one.
 
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