Nirvana show the similarities between the two songs



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-05-09 18:30 by peoplewitheyes.

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Elmo Lewis

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Palace Revolution 2000

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Elmo Lewis

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Hairball
I loved Boston's first album when it was released. Proudly bought the vinyl as a 13 year old, and listened to it quite often.
Grew out of that phaze rather quickly though. and after a couple of months never wanted to hear that album as a whole ever again.
That said, I still enjoy some of those songs individually on the rare occasion when I hear them on the radio...I'd even go so far to say 'More than a Feeling' is a masterpiece!

and the blueprint for "Smells Like Teen Spirit".

Can you elaborate on that Elmo? Do you mean as far as dynamics? Really interesting notion.

Chord change in the choruses of both songs. This was pointed out to me - I think in Rolling Stone magazines 500 greatest songs. Maybe Hairball could tell you more.

As I had mentioned, I thought Kurt Cobain confirmed it in an interview, and had probably been mentioned in several interviews. It's also been mentioned in almost ever article about the tune up to this day.
A quick google search and found this via Rolling Stone:

Flashback: Nirvana Play a Bit of Boston’s ‘More Than a Feeling’

Prior to their explosive performance of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” at Reading, Nirvana paid tribute to Boston

"When Kurt Cobain first came up with the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” riff, he didn’t think he had anything that special. “It was such a cliched riff,” he said. “It was so close to a Boston riff or ‘Louie Louie.’ When I came up with the guitar part, Krist [Novoselic] looked at me and said, ‘That is so ridiculous.'”

After the song became an enormous hit, many others pointed out that the main riff did indeed sound like Boston’s “More Than a Feeling,” even though they’re in different keys. They probably weren’t similar enough for Boston’s Tom Scholz to file any sort of legal action, but he said he didn’t mind at all".

“I take it as a major compliment,” he said in 1994, “even if it was completely accidental.”

The group made fun of the whole thing in the summer of 1992 when they played the Reading Festival in England. After the opening bars of the song, Kirst Novoselic and Dave Grohl sang the chorus of “More Than a Feeling” while Bivouac drummer Antony “Dancing Tony” Hodgkinson danced around wildly. After about 18 goofy seconds, Novoselic launches into the “I see Marianne walk away” part, but Kurt interrupts him by beginning the song for real. It’s a great moment, though completely absent from the official Live at Reading CD. You can watch it right here though.

A couple of years ago, Tom Scholz admitted that he’s extremely unfamiliar with Nirvana’s work since he has barely heard any new music since 1974. “The only times when I’ll hear other music will be at the ice skating rink or the gym,” he said. “It’s been debated whether [Nirvana playing a bit of “More Than a Feeling”] was homage or thumbing their nose. Regardless, Nirvana was, from what I’ve heard, a great band. I was really impressed by the couple of things I heard. Regardless of what the context was, it’s an honor to be heard in the same airspace as Nirvana.”

Video: Nirvana - More Than a Feeling/Smells Like Teen Spirit (Live at Reading 1992)
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Clearly not identical, but close enough that comparisons were inevitable.

As for the quiet to loud dynamics - inspired by the Pixies.

Via Rolling Stone, 1994:
"I was trying to write the ultimate pop song. I was basically trying to rip off the Pixies. I have to admit it. When I heard the Pixies for the first time, I connected with that band so heavily that I should have been in that band—or at least a Pixies cover band. We used their sense of dynamics, being soft and quiet and then loud and hard" - Kurt Cobain

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Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

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Doxa
There are many classic albums that I have never much cared for/be thrilled about - such as SGT. PEPPER (or any Beatles album), PET SOUNDS, DARK SIDE OF THE MOON, The JOSHUA TREE, etc etc - and my stance hasn't dramatically changed. But of those ones, which really once meant very much for me, but the thrill is gone, I think the ones I have lately noticed has been NEVER MIND THE BULLOCKS (the same goes for almost any English-based punk rock) and most lately, TALK IS CHEAP (I guess the latter should be considered as a rather classical one at least within a Rolling Stones fanbase). But I think the case is more of that the the receiver has changed, not the quality of the music.

But as it usually is with music, the development goes generally other way around: one discovers that the things once not 'clicking' are doing that later as the years go by, while the stance to old loved ones doesn't really change. The result is that there is more great, enjoyable music in the world as one gets older... More to choose from. Of course, the amount of passion, at least directed towards certain individual things, doesn't increase, quite the opposite. I probably never had later that kind of passion towards music as I had at my teenagar years.. Especially when NEVER MIND THE BOLLOCKS ruled my little world..

- Doxa

I think probably Never Mind The Bollocks too. Four great singles but the trouble with many of those punk records is that it sounded great at the time when revolution was in the air but don't stand the test of time.

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TornAndFried

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maumau
Is B&L a classic album?

What is "B & L" ?

Their 1976 album "Blakc and Loo". The "black" in the title was considered too coprophilia-oriented by the record label so at the very last minute Mick changed it to "Black and Blue".
Now you have the whole story!

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buttons67
the joshua tree

achtung baby


maybe theyre not classics, but i was well into them and then i lost interest as i did with u2 altogether, apart from the early stuff and live at redrocks. dont dig them much these days, they just lost everything that made them great, they retained none of it unlike other bands.

100% agree. What the hell happened with U2? They used to be so good. Joshua Tree especially ... such incredible passion and ferocity. Then it all evaporated.

Drew

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Palace Revolution 2000
The whole Sgt Pepper notion has always bugged me. Because to me Pepper is my least favorite Beatles album; easily.

Agree with you but the White Album has a few good cuts but most of it is root canal pain to my ears.

Also any thing Queen

John Mayall's "Turning Point". When it came out in 1969, I thought it was brilliant. I had seen that incarnation of Mayall's group a couple of times on that tour, with John Mark, Johnny Almond, and Steven Thompson. It was acoustic and was a unique sound for Mayall. But after listening to it over and over, I put it aside and hadn't listened to it in about 35 or 40 years. Last week on a long flight aboard Turkish Airlines, I checked out the music on the entertainment system. To my surprise, there was Turning Point. After a listen, I was again reminded of really what a good album it was. On the return flight a week later, I listened again. So, it was loved, it faded, then rekindled.

James Brown Live at the Apollo; jeesh once was enough.
what a let down!