ABSOLUTE BANGER! ICYMI, we have a fire new format where I do a Live Show reaction AND a studio version reaction (depending on the song). I just did the same with Cowboys From Hell by Pantera! I really might do a vid or stream just learning about Kurt Cobain and Nirvana. Dude is fascinating to me. Also! I just dropped a couple of videos on Patreon.com/RobTV checking out Refused and Sublime! Check em' out!
For a first time reaction try Beth Hart...the first white person to perform on the Chilin' Circuit! A blues Goddess who has performed with BB King, Buddy Guy, Jeff Beck, Eric Gales and Joe Bonamassa! Anything live or hit me up for suggestions. Truly the best blues/rock/jazz/soul + artist!
The lyrics are about a bunch of things, but largely about his own feelings with regard to art and creation, success and how audiences perceive him/their band, the feelings of being in a band, as well as stuff about past relationships and his own depression. Also, totally agree with you on branching out to different culture, I grew up going to punk and metal shows and so on, definitely a lot of White Music but I've had so much fucking fun at rap shows. A lot of time I miss the energy and vitality of the punk shows of my youth and I can find that going to punk shows or rap shows in equal measure, love that shit!
Fun fact about your intro to this: When Weird Al decided to do a Nirvana parody he asked Kurt and Kurt was like "Is it about food?" and Al said "No it's about how you can't understand any of your lyrics" and Kurt thought it was hilarious so he agreed.
Also: The loud chorus/quiet verse dynamic was a thing The Pixies did and Kurt said when he wrote Teen Spirit he was trying his best to write a Pixies song
Nirvana Unplugged is a must! Specifically, “Where did you sleep last night”…it’s haunting some, you can feel his pain throughout but the rendition is amazing in this setting.
The whole set is astounding and is a feat that really sets them apart from their contemporaries. Any professional can put up a banger concert with a hundred people working in the background. Putting up such a different and impactful set that turned so many covers into their own sound.
Dude, I love how you show legit respect, not just to legends, but to their art, by digging in and showing how it relates to your own life and tastes. Music can heal the world; people just need to open their minds to it.
I'm from the area that Kurt grew up in (Grays Harbor County, WA). Nirvana's influence is still around, and the music scene here in the Aberdeen area is still going strong. Lots of Punk, Hardcore, and Post-Grunge bands around here. I was in a band that won a battle of the bands to play the Kurt Cobain Memorial show back in 2010 with Candlebox, and Before Cars which is Chad Channing's band (the original drummer for Nirvana back on their Bleach album). Kurt's grandfather, Leland Cobain, was a judge on the Kurt Cobain Memorial Committee for that battle, and we were his favorite. My band covered "Negative Creep", and Chad came out to meet the band after we played and said he loved it, which was awesome since he was the drummer on that track. That's a good song if you're looking for something loud and grungy. I would also recommend "Aneurism", "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter", "Lithium", and "Love Buzz".
Listening to all of these songs again (I was a teen in the 90s) with you and your energy makes it feel like listening to it for the first time again. always makes me so happy, thanks
Dave Grohl could tell you werent paying attention to him drumming. That's why he became a front man for The Foo Fighters after he finished playing for this video.
I love how much YOU love music. How you appreciate genres you arent familiar with. Your love of lyrics. Of artistry. You are a gem of a human being and i wish more people thought like you
"Load up on guns and bring your friends, it's fun to lose and to pretend." Is an 80s reference to playing with toy guns in the backyard. I'm 47, we all played war games in the backyard! So much fun!😅
The song is about the failure of Gen X to rise above protest culture and actually do something. Smells like Teen Spirit points out how spineless we actually were. "It's fun to lose and to pretend." All smoke and no fire. We raged against the machine, now we are the machine. Kurt saw it.
If you want to really lose your mind over the drummer, he's now the lead singer and guitarist of the Foo Fighters. They're a great band, and Dave Grohl (the drummer) is one of the nicest and coolest dudes around. They have a pretty unique sound because the guitar melody is written from a drummer's point of view.
Bro.. HE IS WHAT?!?!?!? Okay I'm doing something on him this week because that's insane. GOTTA be one of the best individual careers in rock history lol
@@HollywoodRobTV I would suggest All My Life or The Pretender if you wanna check out some of their best songs. Their long time drummer passed away last year and they played a bunch of tribute shows for him, including one where their drummer's son played drums for them for the song My Hero. It was super emotional
@@HollywoodRobTVfor fun jason evernham was a guitarist for nirvana and soundgarden...then went on several combat tours as a special forces operator in iraq and afghanistan...
Also when it come to the hook, the RESTRAINT it takes for a band to not go fucking balls to the wall when they are going that hard already, but instead going to almost a serene calm… is insane.
Thank you for this! I’ve actually been on a rock/metal adventure the last 6 months or so and I’ve yet to check out Nirvana. I became so fascinated with drumming after watching Drumeo’s “Hearing a Song for the 1st Time” series - I just bought a drum set this week❤
Nobody mentions this, but Curt and Nirvana, and also Pearl Jam with Eddie were rainy rockers. Us Gen X kids from Vancouver could cross the border to Seattle for the "tone" or the angst of being the kids of boomers. It was a weird time. We were so frustrated with the world, lyrics didn't have to be precise, other places were cooler but we were worried. We knew something was wrong. We felt it.
Speaking of lyrics. This one is actually all in the title. Teen spirit is about having controversies and being all over the place. The lyrics is all that, about putting together all things that don't go together, and some of the lines are just what a teenager could have thought or felt or said out loud (like, I feel stupid and contageious, or like, with the lights out it's less dangerous - because that's what you're feeling when you're a teen , with the lights out like when you're at a party it's less dangerous to do what you want). Kurt is a genius, really. Like in every little thing about this song and others for that matter he was very intentional. Thank you for the reaction, I really enjoy your attitude and emotions.
You don't know how tickled I am to see someone diving into and so thoroughly enjoying Nirvana for the first time. I just love how good music can bring people together and help transcend petty stereotypes. 🤘🏻❤️♾️ (I saw your reaction video to Heart Shaped Box, too.)
Your reaction is spot on. It’s the same I had back in 10th grade in the 90’s. My mind was blown. Totally changed my taste in music. Fast forward and my oldest son is in college and can play all of Nirvana’s songs on the guitar. Full circle. ❤️❤️
If you want to hear amazing drums, listen to Subdivisions, or Tom Sawyer by the Canadian band Rush, the drummer is Neil Peart(pronounced Peert), was also the lyricist. One of the greatest rock power trios of all time!
I don’t know about the strength of the songs on the drum part cause I have dogshit rhythm but Countdown (about the first space shuttle launch, they saw it and it was so cool they wrote a song), Spirit of Radio(a tribute to the radio stations that kickstarted their popularity in the us and a criticism of music written for profit) and Red Barchetta(about an Orwellian Sci-Fi story about Car Bloat from an old car magazine) are my personal favorites as a lyrics focused person(singer shame… I did musicals in high school please forgive me…)
EDIT since you asked at the end: Check out Nirvana's song Drain You if you've never heard it. Thoroughly enjoyed watching you discover/react to my favorite music from my teens this evening! Started with RATM Killing in the Name, then the algorithm showed me Bulls on Parade, so I went to your channel, SUBSCRIBED, & just started binge-watching. Your energy is contagious & I love how you entertain us (see what I did there? lol)! Thanks for the nostalgia! It does my GenX heart so much good to see a new generation discover what I believe was the best decade in music (the '90s). Looking forward to more of your content!
9:28 "I want to watch some point of view drumming" You gotta watch "An Offering From Drumeo". It features Sleep Token drummer "II". He talks about the band, his favorite songs, how he plays the drums, and of course, shows some amazing drum playing.
Great video, man! I remember hearing this song for the first time in the mid 90's. At the time I was 12 or 13 and I must have played it on repeat a hundred thousand times, and taught myself how to play the lead guitar (definitely not hard to play, lol). It was the perfect anthem for a teen growing up in the early 90's. The song was about how all of us youth felt at the time in the early 90's, pissed off at the status quo, not really sure how we were supposed to 'fit in' or if we even wanted to. "Load up on guns, bring your friends, it's fun to lose and to pretend" meant: "be a rebel but be sure to enjoy it". "She's over bored, self assured" meant: lots of us were just so fucking bored with the world at the time, we tuned out of it and a lot of us became self-indulged and couldn't relate to anything around us. "Here we are now, entertain us" is a comment on how we're all a bunch of entitled consumers that expect everyone to entertain us with some kind of performance or indulgence, otherwise what's the point in wasting my time involving myself in something outside of my own self indulgence. "A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido" is a reference to how uncomfortable and strange sexuality was to a 90's teen who couldn't relate to anything. Everything was weird and out of place. Now that I think about it, subconsciously we must have all known that the face of society was really just a facade, and that we weren't interested in upholding these strange societal values. It's exactly the time when Rage, Soundgarden, Korn, and many other superstars found a way for us to relate to each other. They spoke our language. Thanks for doing this man, it brought back mega nostalgia! ✊🏻
This came out at the perfect time for me as a teenager and I always took it as snippets of childish moments of importance. Things will always be this way, the fun of contagious games like tag or hide and seek, it's fun to know a dirty word, and so on. It is a perfectly and purposely crafted anthem dedicated to the wild abandon of being young. Kurt didn't have a great childhood, so he celebrated the brilliance and beautiful anarchy inherent in the time before adulthood.
Best times for music wasn't it Not saying I was in the best Era. But I was lol. Gen X had some great music stars. They don't make music like this anymore in this day and age.
If you want to know where the loud/quiet/loud song structure comes from listen to Gouge Away by the Pixies then listen to Smells Like Teen Spirit again. The Pixies certainly didn't invent it but they use it often and were a huge influence on Kurt
This is and always will be THE soundtrack of the 90's and not just for the grunch kids of that era, but for all who lived in that particular period of time.
I love how excited you get. FIIIEERRRRAAAHH! instead of just that's nice or whatever. You are entertaining and I wish you continued success. A suggestion for future reactions. Do you know about "Muscle Shoals"? Its a little town in Alabama where a disproportionate number of amazing hit songs were recorded since the late 60's and I'm certain you will know many of the artists and titles. Hundreds of soul and rock classics. Do a labeled series and viewers will swarm to it like mosquitos on the Tennessee River at dusk. I'd enjoy seeing you get fired up about Wilson Picket's Mustang Sally, When a Man Loves a Woman, Cher, Bob Dylan, Bob Segar, Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Rolling Stones, Paul Simon, Black Keys, Alicia Keys, Lana Del Ray, The Staples Singers' I'll Take You There, Keb' Mo, Rob Stewart, The Osmonds, Demi Lovato, Bobbie Gentry, and many many more.
The title of this song came from those words scrawled on his apartment wall by a female friend, when both were a bit drunk. Apparently after he sobered up he liked them, because he called her to ask to use them in a song. Kurt was a major fan of The Beatles, as everyone knows, and John Lennon in particular. His sense of melody was definitely shaped by that fandom. And not to put his lyrics down in any way, but there were times when he would be in a studio with none, and just wrote lines he thought up and could remember. That said, I think his sense of wordplay and unique artistic bent resulted in lyrics that were more than just easy to recall.
Listen to "Come as you are," "Something in the way," "The Man Who Sold the World (David Bowie cover)," "Love Buzz," "Heart Shaped Box" are some of my favs. Then try Everlong and My Hero by the Foo Fighters. I lost my mind when I realized you were the Battle King at Red Bull Kumite NYC. Epic roasts, omfggg haha. I had already been watching your reaction vids, keep it up Rob! Love your vibe bro. Thanks for bringing back memories of the 90s!
There's a reason that basically from one month to the next all the guitar magazine covers quit being the neon and big hair of the 80s hair metal into the denim of Kurt Cobain and the whole grunge genre
Generally speaking, as someone of that generation, we felt extreme apathy about the goals that were placed on us when we came of age. We saw the world for what it was and knew we had to become part of it, although hesitantly. (I don't feel the same extreme cynicism I did then, but at age 54, I have to live, and I have to find a way to make it work.) It was a feeling then of malaise toward life.
The drummer is Dave Grohl. Lead singer guitarist of Foo Fighters. Also, he did the drumming for Queens of the Stone Age's album Songs for the Deaf. Which as a drummer is absolutely incredible. Continuing to love your reactions!
Cobain might be the most tragic loss in music history because he had such amazing potential. He was so young and had so much more left to give. The music that he could still have created but died with him is unimaginable.
When you are the age this music was the intended audience for, the lyrics make as much sense as the world does to you at that point in your life. I think that is the true genius behind this song.
Nirvana was part Beatles, Led Zepplin, Pixies, Melvins, Black Flag, Sonic Youth, Joy Division, Rain Coats, Smithereens, Iggy(Pop)and the Stooges, The Vaseline’s etc. Dave Grohl(drummer from Nevermind and In Utero albums)said that parts of the Smells Like Teen Spirit song was a sped-up fill from an old disco/funk song.
He was abstract with his lyrics, I'm sure Kurt had his personal meaning to his lyrics but to the listener it could mean anything that you feel it means. That's why I love his lyrics.
The switch up you're describing from loud to soft dynamics is a key defining element of the grunge subgenre of rock. Kurt borrowed this dynamic shift from other grunge bands, as well as the indie rock band The Pixies
my friend and i were skateboarding at Poteet High School and had the radio blaring from the car. The music on the radio stopped and the dj states that Kurt Cobain had died. It was just like hearing about the loss of a family member. The pain of loss swelled up within me so unbearable that I busted out crying. To this day it is my biggest loss incurred other than immediate family. that hole in my soul is now a part of me, and we move forward together through all space and time.
Most singers sing gibberish as they are trying to establish the melody. They write the lyrics later to fit the melody they’ve established. He likely never had the chance to pen final lyrics before going to the studio so he just went with what he had.
If you want to get into some deep meaningful Nirvana lyrics, check out their followup album, In Utero. On Nevermind (the album that Smells Like Teen Spirit was on) Kurt pretty much just came up with words to fit his melodies, without a ton of thought. For In Utero, he put some time and work into the lyrics, and it really shows.
When i was younger i had only heard the weird al parody. So i was in the car with a family member and this song came on. I sang the words i kbew and that family member turned to me like, "are you singing weird al??" And promptly informed me of my mistake lmao
surprisingly, i've seen Kurt say in an interview that the lyrics were the last part of a song he worked on and that he didn't really put that much effort into them. edit: i found it. jump to 1:50 for that particular part ruclips.net/video/3CTsGievjMU/видео.html
For drums, someone else already mentioned Neil Peart from Rush. There are many drum cam videos of him. They're all good, but Subdivisions is a good place to start. Danny Carey from Tool is sometimes referred to as The Octopus because he's all over his kit. Watch his Pneuma drum cam video.
My dude you hit the nail on the head. Kurt was ALWAYS about melody first, lyrics came second. Also, you may be interested to know that the sticker on his guitar says "Vandalism - beautiful as a rock in a cop's face."
You’re a very intelligent and interesting communicator. I love hearing your perspective. Break the mold. React to the live version of “Houses in Motion”. I need to know why I find this to be such an incredible song. I can’t know until you react.
So...actually Rob, that "Loud/Soft" thing is something that was from a different band Kurt Cobain admired, and was "doing their style, his way"...band called "The Pixies". As for the lyrics? Well...they rhyme :) Seriously. On that one...they rhyme and work with the music..so yeah, you pretty much "got it" with this one. Other songs on "Nevermind" are not quite as "lyrically obtuse"...let's call it that. It's interesting to see the reactions from you. As a Black Guy who grew up in a Rock and Roll environment and who now has kids your age, it's fun to watch your reactions to songs my kids grew up hearing :)
During the making of the album the three members and a handful of others included an Albino (Todd), a Mulatto (Jafar), and mosquitos were there (Band members). The libido part infers that it was generally a sexual relationship in nature.
Kurt Cobain did found Nirvana and is the main vocal,guitarist and music producer A legend An Icon up there with Jimi Hendrix I wonder why a Film hasn't been made of him yet
Your videos are hysterical. If only more people gave metal a chance the way you are. I think you'd have a blast with Rammstein's 'Ich Will' or 'Du Hast'
Weird lyrics were definitely a thing in the 90s, especially in the alternative and grunge scene. If you really wanna get lost in the weeds, check out Beck or Cake. Their lyrics may sound like nonsense, but once you get a lyrical breakdown, you kinda get it. Devil's Haircut by Beck is definitely such a casr
Kurt could have pulled a lot more than just girls, if he had wanted to. He admitted that he was disappointed when he figured out that he was only into women though, he had kinda hoped he was gay “Just to piss off the homophobes.”
Sometime in this series listen to Jimmie Rodgers, specifically Pistol Packing Papa, Frankie and Johnny, Waiting for a train, you can find a live recording from the 20s on this one.
Next Nirvana song has to be either Lithium or Come As You Are. Personally I think both will hit for you Rob, but I think the transition in Lithium is gonna get you so hyped that's the direction I think you should go next.
Words of wisdom, to never get stuck into a single genre. It happened to me just after Cobain's death. When he died, shortly after I discovered goth rock. I spent an entire decade listening to only goth rock and black metal, which are still my two favorite genres, but the past two decades, I've been exploring all kinds of music, blues, grindcore, Spanish rap, folk, and a lot of experimental, unclassifiable music. The real Nirvana playing this song can be found in "Smells Like Teen Spirit (Rehearsal Demo)". This is how they intended to make the song, but their produced, pop musician Butch Vig turned into the pop song we are most familiar with. Nirvana was a punk band, not a pop band as this Vig guy intended them to be. ruclips.net/video/Hcxtx67oNdk/видео.html The loud chorus/quiet verse style comes from noise rock, with bands like Sonic Youth and Melvins. It was a novelty in the early 80s, but by 1991, it was pretty common in alternative rock, even the most mainstream acts like Nirvana and Nine Inch Nails.
ABSOLUTE BANGER! ICYMI, we have a fire new format where I do a Live Show reaction AND a studio version reaction (depending on the song). I just did the same with Cowboys From Hell by Pantera! I really might do a vid or stream just learning about Kurt Cobain and Nirvana. Dude is fascinating to me.
Also! I just dropped a couple of videos on Patreon.com/RobTV checking out Refused and Sublime! Check em' out!
Im in Tears man FINALLY TEEN SPIRIT #FGC
For a first time reaction try Beth Hart...the first white person to perform on the Chilin' Circuit! A blues Goddess who has performed with BB King, Buddy Guy, Jeff Beck, Eric Gales and Joe Bonamassa! Anything live or hit me up for suggestions. Truly the best blues/rock/jazz/soul + artist!
The orange pants bassist is 6’7” and Kurt was 5’9”
Funny to see then standing next to one another
You should react to Marilyn Manson he is a great lyricist
The lyrics are about a bunch of things, but largely about his own feelings with regard to art and creation, success and how audiences perceive him/their band, the feelings of being in a band, as well as stuff about past relationships and his own depression.
Also, totally agree with you on branching out to different culture, I grew up going to punk and metal shows and so on, definitely a lot of White Music but I've had so much fucking fun at rap shows. A lot of time I miss the energy and vitality of the punk shows of my youth and I can find that going to punk shows or rap shows in equal measure, love that shit!
Fun fact about your intro to this: When Weird Al decided to do a Nirvana parody he asked Kurt and Kurt was like "Is it about food?" and Al said "No it's about how you can't understand any of your lyrics" and Kurt thought it was hilarious so he agreed.
Lmfao this is amazing
@@HollywoodRobTV Based on interviews and stuff Ii've seen he seemed like a really down to earth chill kinda person.
@@theghostsofgiants Kurt was a very chill dude. It's a shame his career ended like it did.
Weird AL always came hard with whatever he covered. 😂
Came here to say this because it's one of my favorite facts-so funny.
Also: The loud chorus/quiet verse dynamic was a thing The Pixies did and Kurt said when he wrote Teen Spirit he was trying his best to write a Pixies song
It's funny how much the lyrics are Kurt trying to do Black Francis, in hindsight. He accidentally wrote a generational anthem.
Nirvana Unplugged is a must! Specifically, “Where did you sleep last night”…it’s haunting some, you can feel his pain throughout but the rendition is amazing in this setting.
x2 for Unplugged. Where did you sleep last night is incredible, almost haunting. Especially in that unplugged format.
100% and lake of fire
The whole set is astounding and is a feat that really sets them apart from their contemporaries. Any professional can put up a banger concert with a hundred people working in the background. Putting up such a different and impactful set that turned so many covers into their own sound.
That performance of Where did you sleep last night might just be my all time favourite performance of any song ever. It's frikkin perfection
that's my favorite song from unplugged. I loved all the covers from that set, even more than their actual songs
Dude, I love how you show legit respect, not just to legends, but to their art, by digging in and showing how it relates to your own life and tastes. Music can heal the world; people just need to open their minds to it.
I'm from the area that Kurt grew up in (Grays Harbor County, WA). Nirvana's influence is still around, and the music scene here in the Aberdeen area is still going strong. Lots of Punk, Hardcore, and Post-Grunge bands around here. I was in a band that won a battle of the bands to play the Kurt Cobain Memorial show back in 2010 with Candlebox, and Before Cars which is Chad Channing's band (the original drummer for Nirvana back on their Bleach album). Kurt's grandfather, Leland Cobain, was a judge on the Kurt Cobain Memorial Committee for that battle, and we were his favorite. My band covered "Negative Creep", and Chad came out to meet the band after we played and said he loved it, which was awesome since he was the drummer on that track. That's a good song if you're looking for something loud and grungy. I would also recommend "Aneurism", "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter", "Lithium", and "Love Buzz".
Listening to all of these songs again (I was a teen in the 90s) with you and your energy makes it feel like listening to it for the first time again. always makes me so happy, thanks
Dave Grohl could tell you werent paying attention to him drumming. That's why he became a front man for The Foo Fighters after he finished playing for this video.
😂😅🎉
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
When your Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band's drummer becomes the lead for his own Hall of Fame band lol
I love how much YOU love music. How you appreciate genres you arent familiar with. Your love of lyrics. Of artistry. You are a gem of a human being and i wish more people thought like you
"Load up on guns and bring your friends, it's fun to lose and to pretend." Is an 80s reference to playing with toy guns in the backyard. I'm 47, we all played war games in the backyard! So much fun!😅
The song is about the failure of Gen X to rise above protest culture and actually do something. Smells like Teen Spirit points out how spineless we actually were. "It's fun to lose and to pretend." All smoke and no fire. We raged against the machine, now we are the machine. Kurt saw it.
Essentially it's a riot grrl diss track. Heh
@@CaptainSnackbeardSad but true.
Nailed it. This dude is a genius at melodies.
You figured it out man. Kurt would often pug in words that fit the melody and didn’t worry if it didn’t mean anything.
Also your Sagat statue is cool. I’m terrible playing him but he’s my favorite SF character
If you want to really lose your mind over the drummer, he's now the lead singer and guitarist of the Foo Fighters. They're a great band, and Dave Grohl (the drummer) is one of the nicest and coolest dudes around. They have a pretty unique sound because the guitar melody is written from a drummer's point of view.
Bro.. HE IS WHAT?!?!?!? Okay I'm doing something on him this week because that's insane. GOTTA be one of the best individual careers in rock history lol
Church! And as for drum stuff, may i suggest MJ live drummer Jonathan Moffett featurings ? www.youtube.com/@DrumeoOfficial/search?query=moffett
Church ! As for drum mastercraft, check out MJ live drummer, Jonathan Moffett, still alive and kicking the beat !
@@HollywoodRobTV I would suggest All My Life or The Pretender if you wanna check out some of their best songs. Their long time drummer passed away last year and they played a bunch of tribute shows for him, including one where their drummer's son played drums for them for the song My Hero. It was super emotional
@@HollywoodRobTVfor fun jason evernham was a guitarist for nirvana and soundgarden...then went on several combat tours as a special forces operator in iraq and afghanistan...
Also when it come to the hook, the RESTRAINT it takes for a band to not go fucking balls to the wall when they are going that hard already, but instead going to almost a serene calm… is insane.
Drummer. Dave Grohl. Dude is an absolute unit. Went from Nirvana to starting the Foo Fighters.
Watching him play drums is a treat. It is just seeing music flow through someone.
My favorite Nirvana song is Drain You. Lots of great live performances of that one too.
Yea mine aswell live and loud or the Paris performance are my favorite
Another fun fact: Andre 3k once said in an interview that he was very influenced by Kurt Cobain early on in his career
Thank you for this! I’ve actually been on a rock/metal adventure the last 6 months or so and I’ve yet to check out Nirvana. I became so fascinated with drumming after watching Drumeo’s “Hearing a Song for the 1st Time” series - I just bought a drum set this week❤
Nobody mentions this, but Curt and Nirvana, and also Pearl Jam with Eddie were rainy rockers. Us Gen X kids from Vancouver could cross the border to Seattle for the "tone" or the angst of being the kids of boomers. It was a weird time. We were so frustrated with the world, lyrics didn't have to be precise, other places were cooler but we were worried. We knew something was wrong. We felt it.
The term you're looking for is grunge
@@dignelberrt yes, that's the genre
Speaking of lyrics. This one is actually all in the title. Teen spirit is about having controversies and being all over the place. The lyrics is all that, about putting together all things that don't go together, and some of the lines are just what a teenager could have thought or felt or said out loud (like, I feel stupid and contageious, or like, with the lights out it's less dangerous - because that's what you're feeling when you're a teen , with the lights out like when you're at a party it's less dangerous to do what you want). Kurt is a genius, really. Like in every little thing about this song and others for that matter he was very intentional. Thank you for the reaction, I really enjoy your attitude and emotions.
Love your presence man. Keep em coming
In my opinion, it literally is the greatest hook of all time. It's still as powerful to me as it ever was.
You made my day with the story about you and your dad. I needed that. Thank you
You don't know how tickled I am to see someone diving into and so thoroughly enjoying Nirvana for the first time. I just love how good music can bring people together and help transcend petty stereotypes. 🤘🏻❤️♾️
(I saw your reaction video to Heart Shaped Box, too.)
Your reaction is spot on. It’s the same I had back in 10th grade in the 90’s. My mind was blown. Totally changed my taste in music. Fast forward and my oldest son is in college and can play all of Nirvana’s songs on the guitar. Full circle. ❤️❤️
Greatest part of the lyrics are that they can pretty much mean whatever you want them to be. The genius is in the word play. Great reaction man!
If you want to hear amazing drums, listen to Subdivisions, or Tom Sawyer by the Canadian band Rush, the drummer is Neil Peart(pronounced Peert), was also the lyricist. One of the greatest rock power trios of all time!
I don’t know about the strength of the songs on the drum part cause I have dogshit rhythm but Countdown (about the first space shuttle launch, they saw it and it was so cool they wrote a song), Spirit of Radio(a tribute to the radio stations that kickstarted their popularity in the us and a criticism of music written for profit) and Red Barchetta(about an Orwellian Sci-Fi story about Car Bloat from an old car magazine) are my personal favorites as a lyrics focused person(singer shame… I did musicals in high school please forgive me…)
EDIT since you asked at the end: Check out Nirvana's song Drain You if you've never heard it.
Thoroughly enjoyed watching you discover/react to my favorite music from my teens this evening! Started with RATM Killing in the Name, then the algorithm showed me Bulls on Parade, so I went to your channel, SUBSCRIBED, & just started binge-watching. Your energy is contagious & I love how you entertain us (see what I did there? lol)! Thanks for the nostalgia! It does my GenX heart so much good to see a new generation discover what I believe was the best decade in music (the '90s). Looking forward to more of your content!
"Come as you Are" & "In Boom" & "Lithium"
9:28 "I want to watch some point of view drumming"
You gotta watch "An Offering From Drumeo". It features Sleep Token drummer "II". He talks about the band, his favorite songs, how he plays the drums, and of course, shows some amazing drum playing.
Let's get some more Audioslave up in here, Rob !!! Need a Morello fix. "Show Me How to Live", "Cochise", "Doesn't Remind Me", etc. C'mon now. 👊
The way I put it... Some vocalists like Maynard have an amazing voice. Kurt, was amazing at using his voice.
Great video, man! I remember hearing this song for the first time in the mid 90's. At the time I was 12 or 13 and I must have played it on repeat a hundred thousand times, and taught myself how to play the lead guitar (definitely not hard to play, lol). It was the perfect anthem for a teen growing up in the early 90's.
The song was about how all of us youth felt at the time in the early 90's, pissed off at the status quo, not really sure how we were supposed to 'fit in' or if we even wanted to. "Load up on guns, bring your friends, it's fun to lose and to pretend" meant: "be a rebel but be sure to enjoy it". "She's over bored, self assured" meant: lots of us were just so fucking bored with the world at the time, we tuned out of it and a lot of us became self-indulged and couldn't relate to anything around us. "Here we are now, entertain us" is a comment on how we're all a bunch of entitled consumers that expect everyone to entertain us with some kind of performance or indulgence, otherwise what's the point in wasting my time involving myself in something outside of my own self indulgence. "A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido" is a reference to how uncomfortable and strange sexuality was to a 90's teen who couldn't relate to anything. Everything was weird and out of place.
Now that I think about it, subconsciously we must have all known that the face of society was really just a facade, and that we weren't interested in upholding these strange societal values. It's exactly the time when Rage, Soundgarden, Korn, and many other superstars found a way for us to relate to each other. They spoke our language.
Thanks for doing this man, it brought back mega nostalgia! ✊🏻
You're exactly right about the melody aspect.
This came out at the perfect time for me as a teenager and I always took it as snippets of childish moments of importance. Things will always be this way, the fun of contagious games like tag or hide and seek, it's fun to know a dirty word, and so on. It is a perfectly and purposely crafted anthem dedicated to the wild abandon of being young. Kurt didn't have a great childhood, so he celebrated the brilliance and beautiful anarchy inherent in the time before adulthood.
Best times for music wasn't it
Not saying I was in the best Era. But I was lol. Gen X had some great music stars. They don't make music like this anymore in this day and age.
If you want to know where the loud/quiet/loud song structure comes from listen to Gouge Away by the Pixies then listen to Smells Like Teen Spirit again. The Pixies certainly didn't invent it but they use it often and were a huge influence on Kurt
This is and always will be THE soundtrack of the 90's and not just for the grunch kids of that era, but for all who lived in that particular period of time.
I'm sure someone has suggested it already, but the entire Nirvana unplugged concert is amazing. I highly recommend.
Drummer is a long-haired Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters!
I love how excited you get. FIIIEERRRRAAAHH! instead of just that's nice or whatever. You are entertaining and I wish you continued success. A suggestion for future reactions. Do you know about "Muscle Shoals"? Its a little town in Alabama where a disproportionate number of amazing hit songs were recorded since the late 60's and I'm certain you will know many of the artists and titles. Hundreds of soul and rock classics. Do a labeled series and viewers will swarm to it like mosquitos on the Tennessee River at dusk. I'd enjoy seeing you get fired up about Wilson Picket's Mustang Sally, When a Man Loves a Woman, Cher, Bob Dylan, Bob Segar, Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Rolling Stones, Paul Simon, Black Keys, Alicia Keys, Lana Del Ray, The Staples Singers' I'll Take You There, Keb' Mo, Rob Stewart, The Osmonds, Demi Lovato, Bobbie Gentry, and many many more.
The title of this song came from those words scrawled on his apartment wall by a female friend, when both were a bit drunk. Apparently after he sobered up he liked them, because he called her to ask to use them in a song. Kurt was a major fan of The Beatles, as everyone knows, and John Lennon in particular. His sense of melody was definitely shaped by that fandom. And not to put his lyrics down in any way, but there were times when he would be in a studio with none, and just wrote lines he thought up and could remember. That said, I think his sense of wordplay and unique artistic bent resulted in lyrics that were more than just easy to recall.
Check out the drum cam on Tool’s Pneuma. Danny Carey their drummer is an Octopus!!! Insanity
Listen to "Come as you are," "Something in the way," "The Man Who Sold the World (David Bowie cover)," "Love Buzz," "Heart Shaped Box" are some of my favs. Then try Everlong and My Hero by the Foo Fighters.
I lost my mind when I realized you were the Battle King at Red Bull Kumite NYC. Epic roasts, omfggg haha. I had already been watching your reaction vids, keep it up Rob! Love your vibe bro. Thanks for bringing back memories of the 90s!
You are sharp and entertaining, you make me smile.❤❤
There's a reason that basically from one month to the next all the guitar magazine covers quit being the neon and big hair of the 80s hair metal into the denim of Kurt Cobain and the whole grunge genre
I'd recommend "Drain you" one of their best songs
Love your reactions man, keep um coming 👍
Generally speaking, as someone of that generation, we felt extreme apathy about the goals that were placed on us when we came of age. We saw the world for what it was and knew we had to become part of it, although hesitantly. (I don't feel the same extreme cynicism I did then, but at age 54, I have to live, and I have to find a way to make it work.) It was a feeling then of malaise toward life.
The drummer had his own band, the Foo Fighters. You really need to give them a listen
Absolutely the best chorus energy of all time
I’ve just started to learn the drums this year as a part of reinventing myself and it’s the most fun I’ve ever had on an instrument. Give it a go.
You are great Rob. Really enjoy your reactions.
You need to see love buzz at the 1992 reading festival. Its like watching an exorcism
The drummer is Dave Grohl. Lead singer guitarist of Foo Fighters. Also, he did the drumming for Queens of the Stone Age's album Songs for the Deaf. Which as a drummer is absolutely incredible. Continuing to love your reactions!
I been listening to this whole Playlist in order at work for the last 2 days straight I want you to know that.
The craziest thing is that drummer is the singer from Foo Fighters
"not like that Maynard dude" man exactly! KC is awesome 100% on his *own* terms. You really have a knack for this shit! Kudos!
This was awesome, thank you!
Cobain might be the most tragic loss in music history because he had such amazing potential. He was so young and had so much more left to give. The music that he could still have created but died with him is unimaginable.
The video showcases the music the best. Enjoy! Nirvana songs will live forever. “ Come As You Are”
is another powerful one you’ll love. ❤
YESSSSSSSSSSS❤❤❤❤❤❤
When you are the age this music was the intended audience for, the lyrics make as much sense as the world does to you at that point in your life. I think that is the true genius behind this song.
Love your energy!!!
Nirvana was part Beatles, Led Zepplin, Pixies, Melvins, Black Flag, Sonic Youth, Joy Division, Rain Coats, Smithereens, Iggy(Pop)and the Stooges, The Vaseline’s etc.
Dave Grohl(drummer from Nevermind and In Utero albums)said that parts of the Smells Like Teen Spirit song was a sped-up fill from an old disco/funk song.
He was abstract with his lyrics, I'm sure Kurt had his personal meaning to his lyrics but to the listener it could mean anything that you feel it means. That's why I love his lyrics.
The switch up you're describing from loud to soft dynamics is a key defining element of the grunge subgenre of rock. Kurt borrowed this dynamic shift from other grunge bands, as well as the indie rock band The Pixies
I met a group that’s always been and still will be until the end ! The tribe was added at and after The Muddy Banks of Wishkah tour /album
my friend and i were skateboarding at Poteet High School and had the radio blaring from the car. The music on the radio stopped and the dj states that Kurt Cobain had died. It was just like hearing about the loss of a family member. The pain of loss swelled up within me so unbearable that I busted out crying. To this day it is my biggest loss incurred other than immediate family. that hole in my soul is now a part of me, and we move forward together through all space and time.
Most singers sing gibberish as they are trying to establish the melody. They write the lyrics later to fit the melody they’ve established. He likely never had the chance to pen final lyrics before going to the studio so he just went with what he had.
If you want to get into some deep meaningful Nirvana lyrics, check out their followup album, In Utero. On Nevermind (the album that Smells Like Teen Spirit was on) Kurt pretty much just came up with words to fit his melodies, without a ton of thought. For In Utero, he put some time and work into the lyrics, and it really shows.
That bass before the solo is fire
You should react to a drummer Named Estapario Siberiano. He is an incredible drummer and super fun to watch.
Dude, check out “Gigantic” by Pixies - they were a massive influence for that whole album and the quiet/loud dynamic.
When i was younger i had only heard the weird al parody. So i was in the car with a family member and this song came on. I sang the words i kbew and that family member turned to me like, "are you singing weird al??" And promptly informed me of my mistake lmao
In case you didn't know, the drummer for Nirvana is the front man of the foo fighters, Dave MF'ing Grohl
Next please listen to Man Who Sold the World from Nirvana Unplugged in New York
Naww dog, In the Pines!
@@lulairenoroub3869I was gonna say In the Pines or Lake of Fire, his voice is so Raaaaw in both of them.
@gabeal2892 fuck it, the whole set actual magic, start to finish
@@lulairenoroub3869 I guess he owe us a whole 2 hr react video, I’ll watch that start to finish too! 😂
surprisingly, i've seen Kurt say in an interview that the lyrics were the last part of a song he worked on and that he didn't really put that much effort into them. edit: i found it. jump to 1:50 for that particular part ruclips.net/video/3CTsGievjMU/видео.html
For drums, someone else already mentioned Neil Peart from Rush. There are many drum cam videos of him. They're all good, but Subdivisions is a good place to start. Danny Carey from Tool is sometimes referred to as The Octopus because he's all over his kit. Watch his Pneuma drum cam video.
My dude you hit the nail on the head. Kurt was ALWAYS about melody first, lyrics came second.
Also, you may be interested to know that the sticker on his guitar says "Vandalism - beautiful as a rock in a cop's face."
The Patty Smith cover of this song feels like something entirely different half because she enunciates every single world clearly.
I really like your energy ! Thanks
You’re a very intelligent and interesting communicator. I love hearing your perspective. Break the mold. React to the live version of “Houses in Motion”. I need to know why I find this to be such an incredible song. I can’t know until you react.
And david on the drum is so epic !!!!!!!!
So...actually Rob, that "Loud/Soft" thing is something that was from a different band Kurt Cobain admired, and was "doing their style, his way"...band called "The Pixies".
As for the lyrics? Well...they rhyme :)
Seriously. On that one...they rhyme and work with the music..so yeah, you pretty much "got it" with this one. Other songs on "Nevermind" are not quite as "lyrically obtuse"...let's call it that.
It's interesting to see the reactions from you. As a Black Guy who grew up in a Rock and Roll environment and who now has kids your age, it's fun to watch your reactions to songs my kids grew up hearing :)
During the making of the album the three members and a handful of others included an Albino (Todd), a Mulatto (Jafar), and mosquitos were there (Band members). The libido part infers that it was generally a sexual relationship in nature.
One of the members of The Foo Fighters started in Nirvana. Dave Grohl on drums, later became a rock god in his own right.
Kurt Cobain did found Nirvana and is the main vocal,guitarist and music producer A legend An Icon up there with Jimi Hendrix I wonder why a Film hasn't been made of him yet
Your videos are hysterical. If only more people gave metal a chance the way you are. I think you'd have a blast with Rammstein's 'Ich Will' or 'Du Hast'
That drummer became the guitarist and singer for the foo fighters
Try giving Redhot chili peppers another couple rounds! "cant stop" is a banger song by them!
Weird lyrics were definitely a thing in the 90s, especially in the alternative and grunge scene. If you really wanna get lost in the weeds, check out Beck or Cake. Their lyrics may sound like nonsense, but once you get a lyrical breakdown, you kinda get it. Devil's Haircut by Beck is definitely such a casr
He did interview and explained a few songs. I don't remember who did the interview. But it was cold bro
Kurt could have pulled a lot more than just girls, if he had wanted to.
He admitted that he was disappointed when he figured out that he was only into women though, he had kinda hoped he was gay “Just to piss off the homophobes.”
Another fire video bro
Sometime in this series listen to Jimmie Rodgers, specifically Pistol Packing Papa, Frankie and Johnny, Waiting for a train, you can find a live recording from the 20s on this one.
If we're talking Nirvana, I would love to see your reaction to Lounge Act next.
If you want to learn about, or at the very least, enjoy some drumming, try El Estapario Siberiano playing blinding lights.
I love watching your videos.
Next Nirvana song has to be either Lithium or Come As You Are. Personally I think both will hit for you Rob, but I think the transition in Lithium is gonna get you so hyped that's the direction I think you should go next.
Words of wisdom, to never get stuck into a single genre. It happened to me just after Cobain's death. When he died, shortly after I discovered goth rock. I spent an entire decade listening to only goth rock and black metal, which are still my two favorite genres, but the past two decades, I've been exploring all kinds of music, blues, grindcore, Spanish rap, folk, and a lot of experimental, unclassifiable music.
The real Nirvana playing this song can be found in "Smells Like Teen Spirit (Rehearsal Demo)". This is how they intended to make the song, but their produced, pop musician Butch Vig turned into the pop song we are most familiar with. Nirvana was a punk band, not a pop band as this Vig guy intended them to be. ruclips.net/video/Hcxtx67oNdk/видео.html
The loud chorus/quiet verse style comes from noise rock, with bands like Sonic Youth and Melvins. It was a novelty in the early 80s, but by 1991, it was pretty common in alternative rock, even the most mainstream acts like Nirvana and Nine Inch Nails.
You should listen one of the songs from the first Foo Fighters' album, Nirvana´s drummer Dave produced almost entirely that album by himself