Punk or Grunge

Can't really choose: in the 90's, I was more into death metal than grunge, and even nostalgia for this era doesn't make me wear again flannels. Soundgarden, Nirvana or Alice In Chains don't move me.
On the other hand, I never cared for the Sex Pstols or the Clash. I just have a couple of punk records: stuff by the Damned, Radio Birdman's first LP, Dead Kennedys, a Bad Brains EP and... oh, end of the list.

I was really into Punk when I was younger, but my fairly recent discovery of Refused and ATD-I () has kinda spurred my interest in the genre again. So I'll probably vote for Punk, if not for sheer mass alone, I guess it's the genre I most prefer. 

rogerthat wrote: I think AiC were a different kettle of fish altogether from grunge...or lots of rock for that matter.  They were so hardcore (not to be confused with the genre by the same name) it's a bit scary.

Hardcore? Alice in Chains? Didn't you read the bit where they're referred to as the Simon and Garfunkle of grunge? LOL. Their heavy stuff sounds utterly contrived and unconvincing to me; their best stuff, on the other hand, was the wimply acoustic stuff, like the two EPs (Jar of the Flies and the one before that), where they sound like Stone Temple Pilots, only slightly better. The affectations in their voice, and in Eddie Vedder's voice, and in Soundgarden's singer's voice, makes them all sound like country singers to me, only they're in denial, and posing as something else. And all of it pretty much makes you want to commit suicide. "Oh hell, I'm so depressed, it's raining in Seattle again." I mean, it rains all the time in England too, but you don't hear English groups whinging about how depressed they are. I'll take Jane Addiction's joyous celebration of "Been Caught Stealing" over the mope-sludge-rock of American Pacific Northwest bands. The closest I'll get to grunge is Chicago, via Smashing Pumpkins.


Edited by jude111 - April 21 2013 at 09:15

rogerthat wrote: I didn't mean hardcore in that sense at all (and I think saying that it is not to be confused with the genre makes that pretty clear).  I meant the lyrics, especially of Dirt, are pretty brutal in describing addiction for what it is.  It's a chilling first hand, first person account.  In that sense, they couldn't have been more different from most grunge which I thought was pretty lightweight.   I take it from your dislike of their heavy stuff that you are indifferent to their lyrics.  And I think that review likened them to S&G in a positive light (which again is pretty clear)...not as wimpy bleeding heart poets but as the masters of harmony.  As such, they used harmony (including but not just vocal harmonies) in way more interesting ways than not just most grunge, but most metal or hard rock bands.  They were unique.

I was just having a bit of fun  



Edited by jude111 - April 21 2013 at 11:52

rogerthat wrote: Depression?  Whining?  Have you read the lyrics?

Yes, depressing and whining:

I want you to kill me
And dig me under, I wanna live no more...

I want to taste dirty, stinging pistol
In my mouth, on my tongue
I want you to scrape me from the walls

* * *

I believe them bones are me
Some say we're born into the grave
I feel so alone
Gonna end up a big ol' pile of them bones



Edited by jude111 - April 21 2013 at 11:52