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Kurt Cobain Essay

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Kelsey West 000399739 46592 11 November 2015 Essay #4 Performer: Nirvana Performer’s Lifespan: 1987-1994 Location: Seattle (Aberdeen), Washington Band Members: Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl, and Krist Novoselic Bio: Childhood friends Kurt Cobain and Dave Krist Novoselic originally formed the group in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987. They didn’t really hit the scene, however, until the release of their first album, Bleach, in 1989. The record sold several thousand copies and was pretty successful for being produced for only $600. In 1990, Dave Grohl who, according to the Encyclopedia of Popular Music, is an experienced member of the Washington DC punk rock scene replaced the group’s drummer. It was this trio that became so popular in the early 1990s and remains well known today. With his “furious screams” and “lethargic grumbles” the style of Kurt Cobain’s voice really makes the band’s sound original (Encyclopedia of Popular Music). A great example of this style is the hit “Smells Like Teen Spirit” from their most popular album Nevermind. Following the success of this album, Cobain began to struggle with the lack of appreciation for his social commentary through music, keeping a very hostile view toward his fame. The group’s last album, In Utero, holds a very confrontational tone toward the “corporate machines that turned them into …show more content…

It begins with a simple guitar intro followed by the lead singer singing the first verse without any accompaniment other than the guitar. By the first hook, the whole instrumentation has joined it and the song reaches it’s full volume. The song does not really fit into a genre, but one could argue punk rock, alternative rock, and many other things. It is very clear, however, that blues heavily influences the song. This is shown through several elements including the guitar riff, which slightly resembles a walking

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