Controversial music takes (3 Viewers)

[superchuck500]

Alt rock at the time was simply rock that was divergent from the hair metal that was popular then. It's not really much more complicated than that. A few of the alt-rock bands (early AIC and Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog a little bit) even have some remnants of that style that you can hear in their work. Soundgarden's "Searching With my Good Eyes Closed" edges right up to the line of hair metal, "Say Hello To Heaven" by Temple of the Dog, a lot of AIC songs do as well. So some bands sort of grew into alt-rock out of the more hair-metal stuff, and some like PJ and Nirvana started out already divergent.

I don't disagree with your observations about how it was labeled at that time but you're illustrating my point. Through mid-1991, "alternative" referred a wide range of music that was technically best described as rock, but nothing like mainstream rock on radio and MTV (which, with a few exceptions, was mainly hair bands). It included sub-genres of 'college radio' and even some remnants of punk in the US, some more ethereal/emo/goth stuff mainly coming from the UK, and a whole sub-genre of electronic-based rock.

Pixies, Sonic Youth, Jane's Addiction, Stone Roses . . . those were the sort of standard-bearers of "alternative rock" before the grunge/Seattle thing started hitting in late '91. And some the 90s most noteworthy bands were genuinely alt-rock but aren't grunge by any means (Radiohead, Pavement, Ween, etc.).

I think if you look at lists by competent publications (Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Consequence of Sound) of the best albums of the 90s, or even the best alternative albums of the 90s, Nevermind is the only Seattle/grunge album in the top 10. I'm not saying that's gospel or that it must be accepted - those lists are obviously highly subjective. I'm only saying that I take issue with people using "alt-rock" and grunge co-extensively without acknowledging that alt-rock is a much wider net than that, and most of the really noteworthy alt-rock wasn't made by Seattle/grunge bands.

 

[gboudx]

Throwing in this PSA. If you have SiriusXM, Tom Morello's show had a Chris Cornell tribute show last week. It's definitely worth the ~1.5 hour listen. You can find it on the app.

 

[Loose Cannon]

I don't disagree with your observations about how it was labeled at that time but you're illustrating my point. Through mid-1991, "alternative" referred a wide range of music that was technically best described as rock, but nothing like mainstream rock on radio and MTV (which, with a few exceptions, was mainly hair bands). It included sub-genres of 'college radio' and even some remnants of punk in the US, some more ethereal/emo/goth stuff mainly coming from the UK, and a whole sub-genre of electronic-based rock.

Pixies, Sonic Youth, Jane's Addiction, Stone Roses . . . those were the sort of standard-bearers of "alternative rock" before the grunge/Seattle thing started hitting in late '91. And some the 90s most noteworthy bands were genuinely alt-rock but aren't grunge by any means (Radiohead, Pavement, Ween, etc.).

I think if you look at lists by competent publications (Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Consequence of Sound) of the best albums of the 90s, or even the best alternative albums of the 90s, Nevermind is the only Seattle/grunge album in the top 10. I'm not saying that's gospel or that it must be accepted - those lists are obviously highly subjective. I'm only saying that I take issue with people using "alt-rock" and grunge co-extensively without acknowledging that alt-rock is a much wider net than that, and most of the really noteworthy alt-rock wasn't made by Seattle/grunge bands.

Completely agree. Grunge is a sub-group of alt-rock from that era.

And it's become kinda vogue to hate on grunge amongst the music nerd crew, that's why you don't see those albums up there.

FYI - I just looked up Rolling Stone's top 10 and there are two Nirvana albums and one Pearl Jam album, so grunge is pretty well represented there.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

John Williams is barely an average composer and is kinda hacky

 

[Sun Wukong]

I respectfully disagree, there was nothing typical about STP. I'm probably in the minority here but i think they were by far the best band to come out of the grunge era.

I can tell you if you are a musician than you know their songs, the way the instruments were arranged was way more complex/advanced then those other bands.

They also had the distinction of changing their sound multiple times. Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, as soon as you heard them you knew it was them. STP? Not always.....

STP was a great, great band.....

Agree to disagree. I've always found STP to be the most marginal of those four by far. But in truth, I'm not huge fans of any of them. A lot of musical criticism has started to historically re-evaluate that era as much less important than it seemed at the time, and I'm inclined to agree.

 

[Sun Wukong]

John Williams is barely an average composer and is kinda hacky

We can certainly debate him lifting much of his early Star Wars work from Holst's "The Planets" and his obsessive reliance on french horns and fanfares, but to say he's barely average is just not even kind of true.

 

[saintmdterps]

Here's my controversial take. Rehab is where musician's souls go to die.

Aerosmith pre-rehab >>>>>>>>Aerosmith post-rehab

 

[saintmdterps]

Parklife (not Song 2) is Blur’s greatest song. Come to think of it, in the last 30 years, Blur is probably one of the best bands to make it (or not make it) across the pond. I’ll take Blur over The Gorillaz any day.

Also, Mike Skinner and The Streets aren’t bad.
People say they are bad, but they aren’t bad.

Also, NOFX> Rancid.

I always thought the best band to never really make it was House of Love. Four very good studio albums. Nice harmonies, good angst-laden lyrics as befit the goth/alt/progressive theme of the late 80's e.g. The Cure, The Smiths, etc.

We saw House of Love with Peter Murphy post-Bauhaus and I like HOL better than Murphy.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

Agree to disagree. I've always found STP to be the most marginal of those four by far. But in truth, I'm not huge fans of any of them. A lot of musical criticism has started to historically re-evaluate that era as much less important than it seemed at the time, and I'm inclined to agree.

his only really strong standalone score is harry potter
most everything he did for lucas or spielberg is 2 dimensional - tchaikovsky without much oomph

 

[sfidc3]

Agree to disagree. I've always found STP to be the most marginal of those four by far. But in truth, I'm not huge fans of any of them. A lot of musical criticism has started to historically re-evaluate that era as much less important than it seemed at the time, and I'm inclined to agree.

I’m guessing you don’t play an instrument or at least guitar bass or drums...it’s fine if you don’t like their music ... but I think it is disengenouis not to comprehend their chops....example I think Joe Bonnamaso is really technically a very adept guitar player but I don’t care for his music....

 

[LAhotsauce]

That Beethoven? Symphony No 9?

BIG TRASH! Damn snooze fest man.

 

[superchuck500]

“Feeling that Way / Anytime” is the best thing Journey ever did.

Don’t @ me. Especially you @Mr. Blue Sky

 

[Mr. Blue Sky]

“Feeling that Way / Anytime” is the best thing Journey ever did.

Don’t @ me. Especially you @Mr. Blue Sky

I dont know, Super, i dont have any really strong Journey takes... but i really, really dont think I’d place Feeling that way/Anytime nearly that high on the list of their tunes that i enjoy... On second thought, i think you’re just saying that for purposes of the ‘controversial‘ thread, since you cant really believe that.. Almost everything they ever did (that was popularly known) was better than what you mentioned... Consider yourself ”@ed”, but I’m serious.

 

[superchuck500]

I dont know, Super, i dont have any really strong Journey takes... but i really, really dont think I’d place Feeling that way/Anytime nearly that high on the list of their tunes that i enjoy... On second thought, i think you’re just saying that for purposes of the ‘controversial‘ thread, since you cant really believe that.. Almost everything they ever did (that was popularly known) was better than what you mentioned... Consider yourself ”@ed”, but I’m serious.

No, I actually do believe that. That album was transitional - the band was moving from 70s art rock/fusion Bay area band to international supergroup led by Steve Perry. His first album as singer (and he didn't sing lead on every track) was Infinity (1978) and I just think that era is when they were at their best - they were still really musically oriented and while moving to what would become their immensely successful early 80s sound, they weren't really there yet.

I like a few of those 80s tracks but Infinity and Evolution (1979) are just better to me. And I think out of those two records combined, the pair of "Feeling that Way/Anytime" (often played together on classic rock radio) best capture the band's capabilities in that era. It's a big sounding production (their new producer had worked with Boston), and while Perry's vocals are there, they aren't as heavily featured in favor of a more layered, multi-voice band vocal. Guitars are featured more than synth. I just prefer it to anything they did after.

 

[GeauxWhoDats]

Controversial music take? This is probably the the most recognized song that spans over multiple generations and it brings out emotions from love to laughter and hatred to rage.

Controversial Music Take