Soundgarden- Wicked or S***?

This is a perfect example of how genres can confuse and distort.  The term "grunge" came about to describe hard rock music that came out at a particular time (late '80s-through-early '90s) by bands who looked the part as much as sounded like it.  Initially, "grunge" was a label put on everything heavy that wasn't heavy metal.  Typically they were in the Seattle scene, but not necessarily.  These guys wore flannel, had sideburns... played in jeans and Chuck Taylors instead of tight leather pants and makeup... grunge.  There *was* a conscious effort by many of these bands to distance themselves from the increasingly silly, uncool and artistically bankrupt genre of heavy metal.  Soundgarden basically *were* heavy metal, except for their image.  Asking why people don't "play grunge" anymore is pointless, because grugne isn't really a musical genre.

Neil Young was considered the "godfather of grunge" because he also played heavy music (with Crazy Horse) that wasn't heavy metal.  Heretofore unclassifaible bands like Sonic Youth were considered a part of the grunge movement by association, although they aren't considered grunge in hindsight.   

In my own opinion, Soundgarden made one really good album (Superunknown), Alice in Chains made none, Mudhoney made several, Stone Temple Pilots made none, Pearl Jam made two and Nirvana made one.  And don't forget Dinosaur Jr, whose first four albums are really good, IMO.  Gotta love the sludgey cover of that Peter Frampton tune.    

yargh wrote: This is a perfect example of how genres can confuse and distort.  The term "grunge" came about to describe hard rock music that came out at a particular time (late '80s-through-early '90s) by bands who looked the part as much as sounded like it.  Initially, "grunge" was a label put on everything heavy that wasn't heavy metal.  Typically they were in the Seattle scene, but not necessarily.  These guys wore flannel, had sideburns... played in jeans and Chuck Taylors instead of tight leather pants and makeup... grunge.  There *was* a conscious effort by many of these bands to distance themselves from the increasingly silly, uncool and artistically bankrupt genre of heavy metal.  Soundgarden basically *were* heavy metal, except for their image.  Asking why people don't "play grunge" anymore is pointless, because grugne isn't really a musical genre. Neil Young was considered the "godfather of grunge" because he also played heavy music (with Crazy Horse) that wasn't heavy metal.  Heretofore unclassifaible bands like Sonic Youth were considered a part of the grunge movement by association, although they aren't considered grunge in hindsight.    In my own opinion, Soundgarden made one really good album (Superunknown), Alice in Chains made none, Mudhoney made several, Stone Temple Pilots made none, Pearl Jam made two and Nirvana made one.  And don't forget Dinosaur Jr, whose first four albums are really good, IMO.  Gotta love the sludgey cover of that Peter Frampton tune.

You should really check out Temple of the Dog ... IMO it's THE brilliant grunge album. It's not really grunge to me, it toys with many genres ... but I guess that considering the time it was released and the artists that participated, I guess you could call it grunge.