From: fernee@newton.physics.uq.oz.au (Mark Fernee)
Subject: Re: The evils of Pearl Jam WAS Re: Temple of the Dog
Organization: Physics Dept. The University of Queensland
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1992 10:08:25 GMT

In article <BBwTRB2w165w@hale.cts.com>, genocide@hale.cts.com (Gary Danko) writes:
|> 
|> okay, i say they just plain suck because they are not talented. their 
|> commercial success is based upon being trendy. you cant be trendy 
|> forever. they suck suck suck.
|> 
|> HALE TELECOMMUNICATIONS - Public Access Node, San Diego CA 619/660-6734 HST
|> genocide@hale.cts.com (Gary Danko)   28-Sep-92 at 1:34p

OK, here's my $0.02 worth!  Late last year Nirvana (at that time, a little
heard of grunge band) released their second album. Well as Nirvana was
then an alternative hardcore/grunge band, I went to the *alternative*
import record store and asked about it. Everyone said it was *very* good.
We got it at our local *alternative* radio station and every announcer, 
including myself, thrashed it. At that time, only alternative/public 
radio stations played it. However, it sold out in the import shops in 
just one week! That's 200 copies of an album from a then virtually 
totally unknown alternative cult band. I had to wait three weeks for
supplies to be shipped in from the states before I could buy my copy.
I bought it because I *liked* it. Within two months of its release, our
semi-alternative (We play Melvins, Skrew and TAD, they don't) national youth 
station started playing it. It got no.1 on their hottest 100 at the beginning
of this year. Within four months of Neverminds release it could be found
in "Brashes" a dreaded commercial outlet (they did have the Virus 100 
compilation tho <<shock-Horror>>). Three months further down the track,
people who listened to B105 and MMM (both mega-crap commercial stations)
were asking me if I had heard of this awesome group called Nirvana. You
could buy Nevermind and Bleach at any suburban record outlet. It was
no.1 on all commercial charts for weeks. Now I see as many Nirvana T-shirts
as Guns 'n Roses T-shirts (shit, I'll have to lose my Nirvana T-shirt now).

Nirvana essentially rode the fast train to success. 

So I guess that now they are considered "Tall Poppies" we should all cut them
down. Huh! 

To sum up. Nirvanas music was considered *brilliant* before the <<trend>>
started. In fact it was because their album was soo good, that the 
<<trend>> started. Remember, we, an alternative station with *no* set
play list, were playing Nevermind *five* months BEFORE it hit a commercial
station. (By that time I was sick of it anyway)

Most people that I know from bands would love their music to be accepted.
They want to be successful, not just play in pubs and exist on orange peels 
for the rest of their lives.

Let's just recollect. When Nevermind was first released, it was considered
great alternative grunge/rock from a band called Nirvana. That's why we
thrashed it on the local radio. No-one made us do this. We did it because
many of the announcers considered it to be FANTASTIC music.

I wish that all the great alternative rockers (like Therapy? ) would become
successful, so that everone who is fed that commercial shit, could hear some
music that is made with TALENT, and not to some regurgitated formula. 

If people who suck on commercial crap, could be made aware of the quality of
many alternative bands, then I guess they would no longer be considered
alternative and I would be no longer listening to *alternative* music. 


Until that day.....

Mark.

(BTW, I think the Morrissey sucks [IMHO], but he has TALENT)