Josh, My post tried to delineate the two reasons that could support Cobain's elevated stature in the rock panthenon. The first reason would be the music. And you are correct, opinions can vary as to the quality of Nirvana's music. I tried to make it clear that my disagreement with you was not on that basis. The other reason is because of the larger impact Nirvana had on the music scene in general. Shawn Campbell did an excellent job of articulating that in her post last night. For the same reason, this is why I listed The Sex Pistols and Run D.M.C. as signpost figures in the rock era. The fact that you find Talking Heads REMAIN IN LIGHT to be superior to the works of Nirvana, The Sex Pistols and Run D.M.C is just subjective musical judgment. That's opinion. And while it can be argued how extensive the influence of The Sex Pistols, Run D.M.C. and Nirvana had on music in general, it is clearly a fact that The Sex Pistols and Nirvana had a wide ranging cultural impact that, no matter how great the Talking Heads were, they simply didn't have. Of the three, I think it is unassailable that The Sex Pistols had a incredible effect on music -- thanks to them, tons of bands formed, the D.I.Y. aesthetic developed -- their impact is still being felt today. I think that Run D.M.C.'s impact is generally short shrifted, but they really broke rap through to the masses and helped establish for rap what The Sex Pistols did for punk. Nirvana picked up those threads and legitimized them into something very permanent. It's one thing not to like the music -- it's another not to acknowledge the impact (which means that maybe I should have included Dylan on my original list...) Mike Bennett Record reviews and more at http://fufkin.com >From: "Josh Chasin" >Reply-To: audities@smoe.org >To: >Subject: Re: Cobain + 10 >Date: Tue, 6 Apr 2004 12:26:47 -0400 > >Yeah, I know there are the usual Cobain adherents on this list. Never got >it, never will. Bought Nevermind when it came out, sort of liked one song, >mostly couldn't abide the thing. Bought the Teenage Fanclub album >Bandwagonesque at the very same time (first exposure to each). Now that >one >made the trip to the record store worthwhile. What impact did he have on >popular music, outside of stealing the "hey, this song is really really >soft-- no wait, now its really really LOUD" shtick from the Pixies? Which, >if I hadn't heard it on that album, would have been unmistakable a few >months later on Siamese Dream. > >Don't answer, Michael. Its a rhetorical question. I know he has his >adherents. I just want to voice the opposing POV; I'm not being >argumentative. Its like those top-50 lists; there is no right or wrong. > >By the way, in my book, the Talking Heads and Remain in Light had more >impact on music than Cobain, Run-DMC, and the Sex Pistols combined. Can >anyone really listen to the Sex Pistols album in this day and age all the >way through, with no sense of irony, and not wince? > >These are opinions, not facts. Yours may vary. > _________________________________________________________________ Is your PC infected? Get a FREE online computer virus scan from McAfeeŽ Security. http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963