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OK Grunge was big. But that seemed to last about three weeks. Three incredible weeks-but still. What else happened. Well, Rock did what it always threatened to do: Fragment in all directions. On one side, Jakob Dylan updated his pops “Highway 61” concept and road it to the bank. Checking in on the other end of the spectrum was Limp Bizkit, the long struggling Kid Rock and a whole gang who created a Rock/Hip-Hop sound.
Arriving like a violent storm or rabid dog Grunge marked its territory: the 1990s. So let’s go back to those wild and loud three weeks. Nirvana plugged away on Seattle’s Sub-Pop label producing some great and not so great Rock. But when they hit the big time they hit it hard and relentless. Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, Smashing Pumpkins and everyone in Seattle, except the mayor who was on a trade mission to Japan, jumped on the Grunge bandwagon. And why not? Who hasn’t felt “stupid and contagious?” Grunge was all about angst. Besides, a large chunk of a generation was walking around feeling left out or left behind. The “Gen-X” term was soooo condescending. The ultimate Brand X: vastly inferior to the real thing. But just who was the real thing?
It all got to be too much so Cobain exited. The media wrote Grunge’s obit and moved on even though Grunge groups continued for a while. When the dust cleared David Grohl had launched the Foo Fighters.
Oh yeah, U2 tried to toss disco into the mix. By the end of the decade just about everyone was calling for them to go back to their original Rock attack. But that wouldn’t happen until the next century.
Often bands are missing a key element and go looking for it in another band. Drummer Butch Vig, multi-instrumentalist Duke Erikson and guitarist/bassist Steve Marker first saw the Scottish-born Angelfish singer Shirley Manson on MTV’s “120 Minutes.” They hooked up with her when Angelfish toured the States. Manson went through what was termed an “introductory…
Hootie & The Blowfish’s “Cracked Rear View,” released in ’94, was the #3 best-selling debut album of all time, behind Whitney Houston’s self-titled effort and Meatloaf’s “Bat Out Of Hell.” Second and third albums, “Fairweather Johnson” (pictured) and “Musical Chairs,” while not reaching their debut’s rarified heights, still did exceptionally well. Like “Cracked Rear…
Like many groups, San Francisco’s Third Eye Blind got going in fits and starts. The original incarnation fractured leaving only guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Stephen Jenkins and bassist/vocalist Arion Salazar. They hooked up with guitarists Kevin Cadogan and Tony Fredianelli. In ’94 Fredianelli left but the group was able to find drummer Brad Hargreaves. Barely surviving the local…
Alice In Chains No Excuses Rooster Blink 182 All The Small Things What’s My Age Again Green Day When I Come Around Nirvana Smells Like Teen Spirit Come As You Are Aneurysm (Live) The Man Who Sold The World (unplugged David Bowie cover) Pearl Jam Even Flow (Live) Smashing Pumpkins Bullet With Butterfly Wings Disarm…
Post-grunge naturally developed from the grunge movement’s origins. It is a unique musical style with a softer and less jarring tone than grunge. Initially viewed with suspicion, this genre eventually came to represent the work of mid-1990s rock bands like Bush, Candlebox, Collective Soul, Live, and Silverchair. They made songs and lyrics that had unmistakable…
Rock underwent a major transformation in the 1990s, giving a platform for numerous timeless albums. With its unadulterated passion and catchy hooks, Nirvana’s “Nevermind” personified the grunge movement and became the song of a generation. “OK Computer” by Radiohead, which received global acclaim for its avant-garde soundscapes and introspective lyrics, revolutionized Alternative Rock. The Smashing…