What's interesting to me is how much of the rebellion took place in the US vs. other nations at the times. Almost like it's baked into our core. Then again, we were settled by the disaffected, willing to pick up and leave their nations to some place new and start over.
Yes, and often our institutional memories don’t recognize cycles either out of convenience or neglect, claiming something is novel, robbing us of the opportunity to learn from how we handled or resolved it really not so long ago.
Pointedly, the Grammys never adopted "grunge" as the name of a category, but instead used the more genteel "alternative music". Although sometimes some of the grunge acts also slipped into the rock and heavy metal categories as well.
The Grammy people have never known shit about rock. They were started by a vocally anti-rock rump of the record industry in the 1950s, and that bias continued for decades after. They tried to honor it with categories in the '60s but their choices for nominees and winners were questionable. (Although, to their credit, they showered much love on the Beatles). It wasn't until the end of the 1970s that they had a full slate of rock categories. And when they finally set up a heavy metal category in 1987, they gave the award to the non-heavy metal band Jethro Tull...
So they were trying to be hip with the "alternative" category, but it was probably called that because "grunge" hurt their pretentious sensibilities.
Wow, thanks, Andrew, for the flannel-clad shout-out! Much appreciated! I didn't expect ME to pop up in an article about grunge! How very alternative of you! And, look at how late I am! Where ARE my manners?!? I also enjoy the photos from yesteryear you place in your articles!
Thank you for the kind words and shoutout here! You've got me in some great company.
Speaking of 3rd Bass, as part of a Best Records of 1989 challenge, I went back and listened to "The Cactus Album." And I gotta tell you; that record goes *hard*. That's a sentence I never imagined myself typing, but here we are.
If you're ready to up the joke ante a bit, go and listen to Vanilla Ice's album, Mind-Blowin'. I'm sure you've heard it before, but I know every note front to back.
What's interesting to me is how much of the rebellion took place in the US vs. other nations at the times. Almost like it's baked into our core. Then again, we were settled by the disaffected, willing to pick up and leave their nations to some place new and start over.
We do two things better than anyone in the world:
1. Rebellion
2. Packaging and selling rebellion
What an interesting place!
GenZ pirate hobos are grunge redux
Everything in cycles, right?
Yes, and often our institutional memories don’t recognize cycles either out of convenience or neglect, claiming something is novel, robbing us of the opportunity to learn from how we handled or resolved it really not so long ago.
Our institutions often have different objectives than we do as individuals, right? I wrote about that today in "Corporations."
Pointedly, the Grammys never adopted "grunge" as the name of a category, but instead used the more genteel "alternative music". Although sometimes some of the grunge acts also slipped into the rock and heavy metal categories as well.
"Alternative" is such a silly label.
"And the award for being the most popular without appearing to want to be popular goes to...."
The Grammy people have never known shit about rock. They were started by a vocally anti-rock rump of the record industry in the 1950s, and that bias continued for decades after. They tried to honor it with categories in the '60s but their choices for nominees and winners were questionable. (Although, to their credit, they showered much love on the Beatles). It wasn't until the end of the 1970s that they had a full slate of rock categories. And when they finally set up a heavy metal category in 1987, they gave the award to the non-heavy metal band Jethro Tull...
So they were trying to be hip with the "alternative" category, but it was probably called that because "grunge" hurt their pretentious sensibilities.
Wow, thanks, Andrew, for the flannel-clad shout-out! Much appreciated! I didn't expect ME to pop up in an article about grunge! How very alternative of you! And, look at how late I am! Where ARE my manners?!? I also enjoy the photos from yesteryear you place in your articles!
Thanks again, Big A!
Ha! I figure a few things here:
1. Everything goes in cycles, and you've seen your share
2. Grunge didn't come from a vacuum, but instead was a direct response to the music industry, which you happen to know an awful lot about
I always appreciate the additional info!
💪😁👍
Thank you for the kind words and shoutout here! You've got me in some great company.
Speaking of 3rd Bass, as part of a Best Records of 1989 challenge, I went back and listened to "The Cactus Album." And I gotta tell you; that record goes *hard*. That's a sentence I never imagined myself typing, but here we are.
Also: Fishbone rules.
If you're ready to up the joke ante a bit, go and listen to Vanilla Ice's album, Mind-Blowin'. I'm sure you've heard it before, but I know every note front to back.