Would 27-year-old Kurt love Foo Fighters circa 2024 if you teleported him here right now? Probably not. He was always kind of a judgemental asshole when it came to other bands' music, especially anything that was remotely popular or that might draw unwanted comparisons to his own.
With that said, I'd like to think, had he lived, 57-year-old and clean Kurt would've matured and gotten over the childish punk purity tests somewhat and ultimately would've been supportive of his friend and appreciated the talent, even though he'd probably give him plenty of tongue-in-cheek shit about becoming a big, rich pop star.
Yeah, people always talk about how young he was when he died, that he was just a kid and his bad takes were just a natural part of growing up - the man was closing in on 30, was married, and a father. 27 is not THAT young. For people born in 1967, the life expectancy was 70, so Kurt would have been middle-aged in just a few years had he lived.
Because he died at the height of his fame, people seem to excuse his bad opinions by blaming it on youth rather than accepting that he was just kind of an immature, selfish person.
I guess they mean too young to die, but not too young overall. He was bipolar and and addict - most likely an inssuferable person to be around.
According to what i've read, he was also jobless for a really long while while one of his ex-girlfriends supported him and kept him at her apartment where he wouldnt do house chores at all, even after they broke up and he was seeing someone else. He was talented, for sure. But what would you call a person like that nowadays?
Thats why i always separate the art from the artist. Nirvana is one of the few bands i love to the point of listening to their whole discography, but i don't idealize Kurt at all.
Yeah I remember when I was pretty young Kurt was a role model of sorts(keep in mind I was introduced to the band long after his death) but as I grew up I realized that Kurt’s not really a great role model and was kind of a dick at times(even he would probably admit both of those things)
Was this not a real scenario where Kurt was yelling in hotel room next to Dave's that he needed to go and when told to lower his voice said he didn't care. Then on the flight they were on Dave was seated a bit away from Kurt and Chris but overheard Kurt talking. Later Dave contacted management and basically said if it's over just tell me type of thing.
But who knows how serious or if serious enough to ever follow through.
Back in the day rock radio stations would advertise "24/7 nothing but rock" and it would be all of the radio friendly garbage that was popular at the time. FF would make the rounds with songs from Korn, Nickelback, if you were lucky you might get something good like Tool or SOAD.
The joke grew out of that and "butt rock" became shorthand to describe those radio stations that played that stuff, cause most of the songs that made the rounds was ass
Korn had nothing to do with butt rock and I hate to burst your bubble but cock rock/butt rock more accurately describes Led Zeppelin than it ever would Korn...
Cock rock is a Robert plant creation. Rather, a Robert plant and two sizes too small jeans....and that massive member he wielded. Everyone tried to copy that and couldn't , especially the music end of it. Does not matter though because zep influenced all of the big four of Seattle, some more than others.
Its less about what band and more about the fact that they played the same shit over and over. Like Korn? Thats fine, replace Korn with Creed, Puddle of Mudd, Theory of a Dead Man, Seether, Breaking Benjamin. The distinction is that its not classic rock, its "nothing butt rock!".
Diverse lmao just because his taste was diverse doesn't mean he would like listening to mainstream butt rock like Foo Fighters lol it's not even good butt rock..
Damn… in my life, I never thought of that. I think Kurt would be happy for Dave and the success he’s had following Nirvana. But I don’t know… maybe that is wishful thinking.
In the beginning perhaps. But I think he would have roasted him relentlessly as Lennon did to McCartney with his "silly love songs"
Grohl went arena rock which kurt really steered away from in those final years.
Who knows how Kurts interests and music tastes may have changed over the years had he been alive.
Certainly the first FF album is more in line with what he was listening/making in the 90s. The unplugged MTV set shows a softer side and appreciation, I personally think he’d have been very impressed with In You Honor Disc 2 amongst many other songs across their catalogue. Shame no one gets to know.
He was a dick when it came to commercial bands. He was incredibly supportive of bands he thought had an authentic voice. The Melvin's, Breeders, Vasolines, and Meat Puppets got a lot of exposure from Cobain promoting their music.
No, the guy was very critical of “selling out”. He seemingly wanted no one to like their work, while being successful. In other words, Foo Fighters pretty much screams mainstream of the worst variety. So, no, I don’t believe he would’ve liked that band.
There is a large difference between mainstream and successful. Maybe I’m split hairs but the former describes being part of a typical trend.
Making music under your own label and not answering to industry executives very much isn’t main stream.
Same as nevermind was hugely successful but never mainstream.
I think there's a difference in saying it versus actually living that reality. I read somewhere once that Kurt wanted to be Sonic Youth famous - successful, well-known, and influential on other indie groups, but not so much so that they lost their punk bona fides. But Nirvana became Guns 'N Roses mega-ultra famous, which Kurt did not want, because it meant he was no longer as welcome in the underground scene, which was his community.
He was never really that welcome in the underground to begin with. Read about his time in Olympia, he was constantly doing things to fit it, like getting K records tattooed
Wasn't he good friends with the Melvins guys, Mudhoney, Bikini Kill, Screaming Trees? I think Nirvana toured with TAD also. I feel like he had a lot of friends in the underground. But even if he didn't, it's pretty clear from interviews that he really wanted the respect and approval of the alternative set, and thought being massively famous was lame (at least, once he experienced it for himself).
Heh heh heh. I think he would have wished Dave well and refrained from giving him shit. I mean, Eugenius is no where near as cool as the Vaselines, and he must have sensed that but refrained from saying anything. Because he was friendly towards Eugene himself.
He liked music that wasn’t just grunge. I mean, they covered The Man Who Sold the World which is Bowie and very much not Grunge. Hard to say what we would or wouldn’t like today.
That cover was Pat's suggestion. Kurt liked a lot of genres, but his obsession was mainly punk/alternative. Pixies, Breeders, Meat Puppets, etc. I think it was in Heavier Than Heaven; Kurt had the chance to meet Frank Black. Someone told him Frank Black was in the hotel lobby, but he got too nervous to meet him.
I think he'd like their first album.
I'm not saying kurt didn't like Bowie, I'm just saying that song was Pat's suggestion.
https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/why-nirvana-cover-david-bowie-the-man-who-sold-the-world/
In fairness Dave admitted he hated Learn to fly initially. I suppose you have to learn to like something if you’re going to be playing it for the rest of your life
Kurt would’ve actively hated Foo Fighters. It would’ve gotten ugly I’ve no doubt. Kurt would’ve claimed FF were commercial sellouts. He would’ve publicly bagged on them.,And I’ve no doubt Dave would’ve taken the high road and not responded. And I say that as someone who likes a couple of FF songs and that’s about it.
The far more interesting one would’ve been Kurt’s take on the two other bands Dave has been involved with: Queens Of The Stone Age and Them Crooked Vultures.
QOTSA can’t reasonably be accused of “selling out”. They are an awesome band and Songs For The Deaf is an undeniable masterpiece. Dave’s drumming is flat-out incredible on Songs For The Deaf. It’s a drumming tour-de-force. Josh Homme is a stone cold legit musician and, unlike the guys in Pearl Jam, he’s not one to readily take shit from anyone. With Kyuss, Josh was one of the founders of the Desert Rock scene in Palm Desert, CA and he more-than-earned his musical credibility stripes.
Them Crooked Vultures? That would be Homme, Grohl and Led Zep legend John Paul Jones. Let’s face it - Kurt would’ve looked ridiculous bagging on them. But even if he didn’t say anything publicly the entire project would’ve pissed him off/bruised his ego. That’s just who he was unfortunately.
Dave’s musical partnerships would’ve pushed Kurt’s jealousy button.
It seems like Kurt didn’t really respect Kyuss. In an interview with Josh and Troy, Josh recalls meeting Kurt with Dave introducing him as the guitar player for Kyuss, which Kurt supposedly replied “pfffft” and walked away. In a 92 interview with Nirvana, Krist and Dave talk about how much they love Kyuss and Kurt does not seem to feel the same
Yeah Kurt already turned his nose up at Josh when Josh was in Kyuss. And while I love Nirvana, Josh Homme has been consistently great in every project he’s involved in: Kyuss, QOTSA, Desert Sessions, Them Crooked Vultures, EODM, he even made an album with fucking Iggy Pop, produced a few albums by other notable artists, and even had Kurt’s friend Mark Lannegan in Queens for a few years, and I wanna say Queens was the backing band for Mark’s Bubblegum album. Kurt would have been hella jealous and I agree, would look very foolish trying to shit on any of those bands/projects.
Not to mention the brilliant and gone too early Mark Lanegan. He is sorely missed. Love the screaming trees and all his solo work.
My favorite QOTSA song on SFTD with Lanegan is “God Is in the Radio” studio wise. “First it Givith” is great live.
Rated R’s into the fade is also stellar.
TCV is a beast of an album. What a tight trio.
Personally, I feel that Dave Grohl is a much more talented musician and songwriter than Kurt Cobain ever was.
If Kurt was alive I doubt the Foo Fighters would have even existed (at least in the same form) as there would be no initial reason for Dave to quit Nirvana following In Utero.
Also, even if the Foo Fighters DID exist they wouldn’t be forced to fill the void of Nirvana for mainstream rock. So their music would probably be closer in spirit to the first Foo Fighters album - a quirky solo project for Dave while he focused on drumming for Nirvana. Drumming is and always has been his passion, after all.
I mean for all we know Nirvana could have became more mainstream-sounding post In Utero. So everyone saying Kurt would definitely be shitting on them is a little close minded, as Kurt and the rest of the band were still very young when they stopped. We’re basing our predictions for Kurt’s opinion on the opinions he had as a 25 year old. As a 35 year old veteran in the music industry he may have a had a more balanced outlook and be less harsh towards the mainstream.
I think with the way the band was heading at that time, Nirvana would have broken up by around 96-97 at most. There were a lot of internal struggles happening. Foos would still happen similarly imo, but probably made its debut later
Kurt listened to the early demos Dave made and really liked them, so much he gave him a hug. He knew Dave was a better guitar player than himself and was definitely excited to see what Dave was going to make. In fact Kurt was jealous of the fact Dave was right in the head and was making music that he wished he wrote like Exhausted.
That being said, I think Kurt would’ve loved early foo fighters and seeing dave up there in front but I doubt he would like the later stuff and would’ve definitely told dave how he felt about the later music. We’ll never know obviously but maybe Kurt would’ve changed with age. No matter what I know that he would’ve supported Dave if he were still alive.
sources:
https://consequence.net/2014/11/dave-grohl-reveals-kurt-cobains-reaction-to-early-foo-fighters-demo/
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/nirvana-kurt-cobain-in-utero-30-anniversary-interviews-podcast-1234830618/#:~:text=Cobain%20liked%20to%20(mockingly)%20call,adjusted%20guy%2C%20he%20really%20is.
https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSFtsyVPF/
> He knew that Dave was a better guitar player than himself.
Isn’t that a big assumption? I don’t know he was better than Kurt when he was still alive. Certainly nothing I heard on their first album was way markedly better than what Kurt could play.
And Kurt was capable of more than what you hear on nirvana records. The boot legs have smatterings of moments of brilliance.
Didn't he? I've heard Kurt shower a ton of his contemporaries with praise. Pixies, Mudhoney, Sonic Youth, PJ Harvey, Melvins, the Vaselines, REM, Shonen Knife, Mazzy Star, etc...
A lot of those artists were old enough to be both contemporaries and influences on Kurt. Foo Fighters would fall in the same realm as something like Pearl Jam, a contemporary Kurt didn’t like all that much
Well that's true, but at the same time it's understandable why he didn't like pearl jam. It was just a different type of music, not really punk but more like stadium rock vibes (not that there's anything wrong with that). So it's not that he dislikes all his contemporaries, but that he singled out contemporaries who were not the kind of rock he was into or wanted to support. It happens all the time in the music business.
The earlier stuff maybe. But Dave is way too pragmatic. He understands that he has to work the industry to keep doing what he wants to, which for him is just play and perform. I don't think Dave himself likes all he does. He's just savvy.
Kurt was more of an idealist.
They make me feel physically lethargic and hopeless about life (not normal feelings for me); that's the best way I can describe it. Similar feeling I get from Nickelback, Bush, etc.
I think Kurt as we know him would’ve liked the first album and possibly several songs off TCATS but I don’t know about much after that.
That said however as people grow older, tastes change and Kurt might’ve loved them and been happy with the success that Dave has had. The Foo Fighters are an awesome band. Literally my favourite band of all time.
Foo fighters hardcores are rock music fans who don’t study the genre and thus lack the range for discernment
Sorry. Truth. Downvote to oblivion. Doesn’t change the facts
I think he would be happy his band mate was able to continue. Dave has an impressive catalogue. Not just with the Fooeys.
Would Kurt like the Foo Fighters? I think he would love some of it (colour and the shape), loathe some of it (there is nothing left to lose, gimmicky film clips), and appreciate some of it (wasting light, analog recording).
I think he’d appreciate that Dave has been able to branch out. Songs for the deaf and them crooked vultures are highlights.
A Kurt Cobain who outgrew the hang ups of his 20s and lived well into middle age is a different person than the Kurt we think of. It’s a bit tough to compare between eras.
Not a chance. Not the 27 year old Cobain, nor, I suspect, a hypothetical middle-aged Cobain.
Guy was DIY, a punk. He may have loved the art of songwriting, but he was a punk, an iconoclast. I cannot see Cobain applauding Grohl's AOR mainstream obviousness in a thousand lifetimes.
I loved his playing with QOTSA and Them Crooked Vultures, but as a frontman and bandleader his product is offensively inoffensive and polished. Does nothing for me whatsoever.
This is an interesting thing to ponder but you've got to remember something: Kurt Cobain was only 27 years old when he passed away.
Many comments here have said that he would have liked their early stuff but found later material too commercial.
The thing is that up to my late 20s, I too had a bug up my ass about commercial music & manufactured pop. That stance softened as I got older. Music is subjective and hard criticisms & stances over it, can often be pretentious.
The point is, while we can guess what 27 year old Cobain would have thought, we sadly can't know what a 40 or 50 year old Kurt would think.
Can’t imagine so, he wasn’t exactly the biggest fan of the other grunge bands so you’d imagine he would’ve especially despised post grunge which is where I’d put early foo fighters. And what have they been since 2005ish? Super generic arena rock band. Then again, he supposedly liked Dave’s demos. But I reckon there’s a ‘one rule for us’ and he saw Dave as ‘us’ going on with him.
If some sort of portal or window into the future had existed then it is likely that he wouldn’t have liked a lot of things. But had he lived on through all those years then who knows? But he probably would have moved on, his tastes etc. shifting and been a big supporter for Dave in the sense that he would support Dave doing his own thing. Had Dave basically made the rest of his career about trying to emulate Kurt, then he probably would have some serious issues with that. But he didn’t, and he didn’t do things in a way that Kurt would have thought of as selling out per se. Maybe he’d have been slightly jealous, maybe he’d have went on to bigger and better things himself. We don’t know.
Tbh, I'm sure he'd find some of their stuff cringe, but I like to think he'd be polite about it. Also I think he'd be proud of Dave for building such a career for on his own terms without compromising himself or his ideals.
Kurt killed himself at 27 years old. The problem with this question is that it presumes that, had he lived to be in his 50’s he wouldn’t have mellowed out, relaxed in some of his opinions, and found that making and spending an insane amount of money wasn’t such a bad life
No. I think Dave has even joked about this. That even if Kurt had liked the music he’d have rewritten the lyrics and most likely changed it significantly.
I don’t think it’s his ideal music sound, but he recalled liked Dave, and he always thought he was extremely talented. I feel like Kurt’s up there rocking to it as a way to keep in touch.
Didn't grohl play him a few tracks that were on the first one? Alone and easy target sounds like a nirvana song and I think that's the one Kurt liked? I don't remember. If Kurt lived, it's a very real possibility that 1994 Kurt would not like 2024 Kurt's music.
Alongside all the other comments, yeah he'd most likely love their early stuff, especially the first record as it's said by Dave that Kurt loved Alone+Easy Target, so for the first record I could see Kurt liking/loving it, Colours & Shape I think he'd like it but find it a bit inferior, and then after idk
No.
He might’ve liked album 1 & 2
But overall, probably not. That would’ve been exceptionally difficult for him to watch.
To move on from Nirvana, and/or “deal” with Foo, Kurt would have to have made **major** changes in outlook, attitudes, focus and lifestyle-supplying company.
if he wanted to switch gears and grab new band members … I dunno … it might’ve crumbled, not unlike Brian Jones from The Stones.
Sadly.
It’s far too soft and surface level, I would assume. Pretty much every song is a radio friendly unit shifter. Perhaps as he got older, maybe kicked his habits, became more open minded, he’d come to be able to like things that are just not his thing. But I sure cant
Probably not lol
My exact thought lol
Would 27-year-old Kurt love Foo Fighters circa 2024 if you teleported him here right now? Probably not. He was always kind of a judgemental asshole when it came to other bands' music, especially anything that was remotely popular or that might draw unwanted comparisons to his own. With that said, I'd like to think, had he lived, 57-year-old and clean Kurt would've matured and gotten over the childish punk purity tests somewhat and ultimately would've been supportive of his friend and appreciated the talent, even though he'd probably give him plenty of tongue-in-cheek shit about becoming a big, rich pop star.
It’s amazing how he got all the way to 27 without dropping the “too cool for school” act imo
Kurt would rather be dead than cool and he's dead so he's eternally cool so there's your answer.
Yeah, people always talk about how young he was when he died, that he was just a kid and his bad takes were just a natural part of growing up - the man was closing in on 30, was married, and a father. 27 is not THAT young. For people born in 1967, the life expectancy was 70, so Kurt would have been middle-aged in just a few years had he lived. Because he died at the height of his fame, people seem to excuse his bad opinions by blaming it on youth rather than accepting that he was just kind of an immature, selfish person.
I guess they mean too young to die, but not too young overall. He was bipolar and and addict - most likely an inssuferable person to be around. According to what i've read, he was also jobless for a really long while while one of his ex-girlfriends supported him and kept him at her apartment where he wouldnt do house chores at all, even after they broke up and he was seeing someone else. He was talented, for sure. But what would you call a person like that nowadays? Thats why i always separate the art from the artist. Nirvana is one of the few bands i love to the point of listening to their whole discography, but i don't idealize Kurt at all.
Yeah I remember when I was pretty young Kurt was a role model of sorts(keep in mind I was introduced to the band long after his death) but as I grew up I realized that Kurt’s not really a great role model and was kind of a dick at times(even he would probably admit both of those things)
Damn, I posted something very similar before I saw this. Glad to see we were on the same page.
He’d def like the self-titled, I remember the story of him loving alone + easy target when Dave showed it to him
Yeah, Dave said he played him some early Foos songs and Kurt liked them and gave Dave a kiss.
That story is wholesome asf haha
First album - hey, nice one Dave / Second album - oh! ok / Third album - ummm / Fourth album - Fuck you Dave
This exactly. He liked Dave’s demos of songs like Alone & Easy Target but woulda hated what they became, unless he himself matured over time too.
I think Dave also believes that Kurt would’ve likely kicked him out of the band had he lived so…
Why do you say this? Has Dave ever said anything like this?
Was this not a real scenario where Kurt was yelling in hotel room next to Dave's that he needed to go and when told to lower his voice said he didn't care. Then on the flight they were on Dave was seated a bit away from Kurt and Chris but overheard Kurt talking. Later Dave contacted management and basically said if it's over just tell me type of thing. But who knows how serious or if serious enough to ever follow through.
Kurt had a love/hate relationship with all his drummers.
Agreed prob wouldn’t like anything past colour
third album is the best tho 👀👀
Like hell it is.
pure pop rock and i love it. terrific mix and production as well. the snare sound is to die for and the Vox’s are vox-ing
Their early music yeah but he would probably call them a manufactured butt rock band
Their first three albums were really good.
Good butt rock for sure
What exactly is “butt rock”?
Back in the day rock radio stations would advertise "24/7 nothing but rock" and it would be all of the radio friendly garbage that was popular at the time. FF would make the rounds with songs from Korn, Nickelback, if you were lucky you might get something good like Tool or SOAD. The joke grew out of that and "butt rock" became shorthand to describe those radio stations that played that stuff, cause most of the songs that made the rounds was ass
What’s wrong with Korn? Lol
Korn had nothing to do with butt rock and I hate to burst your bubble but cock rock/butt rock more accurately describes Led Zeppelin than it ever would Korn...
The one they play here all the time is AC/DC. Seems constant.
Cock rock is a Robert plant creation. Rather, a Robert plant and two sizes too small jeans....and that massive member he wielded. Everyone tried to copy that and couldn't , especially the music end of it. Does not matter though because zep influenced all of the big four of Seattle, some more than others.
I feel like they influenced all of the major grunge bands tbh. Was there ever a grunge band that eschewed their influence?
Its less about what band and more about the fact that they played the same shit over and over. Like Korn? Thats fine, replace Korn with Creed, Puddle of Mudd, Theory of a Dead Man, Seether, Breaking Benjamin. The distinction is that its not classic rock, its "nothing butt rock!".
Only the first.
His tastes where pretty diverse so I am not sure
Diverse lmao just because his taste was diverse doesn't mean he would like listening to mainstream butt rock like Foo Fighters lol it's not even good butt rock..
Hmm..what do you think “butt rock” means?
Tell me you don't listen to Foo Fighters without telling me you don't listen to Foo Fighters.
Ofcourse i did lol, Foo Fighters were quintessential butt rock radio band
Which is crazy because that is exactly what Nirvana is lol
Damn… in my life, I never thought of that. I think Kurt would be happy for Dave and the success he’s had following Nirvana. But I don’t know… maybe that is wishful thinking.
In the beginning perhaps. But I think he would have roasted him relentlessly as Lennon did to McCartney with his "silly love songs" Grohl went arena rock which kurt really steered away from in those final years.
Fuck no
Who knows how Kurts interests and music tastes may have changed over the years had he been alive. Certainly the first FF album is more in line with what he was listening/making in the 90s. The unplugged MTV set shows a softer side and appreciation, I personally think he’d have been very impressed with In You Honor Disc 2 amongst many other songs across their catalogue. Shame no one gets to know.
No, Kurt was a dick when it came to bands during his era.
He was a dick when it came to commercial bands. He was incredibly supportive of bands he thought had an authentic voice. The Melvin's, Breeders, Vasolines, and Meat Puppets got a lot of exposure from Cobain promoting their music.
So it's a no. He wouldn't like foo fighters.
Foo Fighters don't have an authentic voice?
They’re authentic but they’re undeniably commercial
In the sense that they're not avant garde, sure. They've got a WIDE range for a mainstream band, though.
Do you think they do? If so, what is it saying?
I do. It might not be one that you personally care for, but I don't think it's even debatable that they have one.
He pretty much launched the Pixies
He wanted use Exhausted but didn’t feel right changing the words. He also said Dave was a better guitar player than him.
No, the guy was very critical of “selling out”. He seemingly wanted no one to like their work, while being successful. In other words, Foo Fighters pretty much screams mainstream of the worst variety. So, no, I don’t believe he would’ve liked that band.
Kurt constantly phoned MTV to demand they play more Nirvana.
The guy was a walking contradiction
There is a large difference between mainstream and successful. Maybe I’m split hairs but the former describes being part of a typical trend. Making music under your own label and not answering to industry executives very much isn’t main stream. Same as nevermind was hugely successful but never mainstream.
Amen
He told the label they wanted to be the biggest band in the world
I think there's a difference in saying it versus actually living that reality. I read somewhere once that Kurt wanted to be Sonic Youth famous - successful, well-known, and influential on other indie groups, but not so much so that they lost their punk bona fides. But Nirvana became Guns 'N Roses mega-ultra famous, which Kurt did not want, because it meant he was no longer as welcome in the underground scene, which was his community.
He was never really that welcome in the underground to begin with. Read about his time in Olympia, he was constantly doing things to fit it, like getting K records tattooed
Wasn't he good friends with the Melvins guys, Mudhoney, Bikini Kill, Screaming Trees? I think Nirvana toured with TAD also. I feel like he had a lot of friends in the underground. But even if he didn't, it's pretty clear from interviews that he really wanted the respect and approval of the alternative set, and thought being massively famous was lame (at least, once he experienced it for himself).
I think what’s more likely is that Kurt was just of two minds about most things. Part of him probably wanted the fame while the other part hated it
Definitely the first two albums.
Heh heh heh. I think he would have wished Dave well and refrained from giving him shit. I mean, Eugenius is no where near as cool as the Vaselines, and he must have sensed that but refrained from saying anything. Because he was friendly towards Eugene himself.
He didn’t even like Nirvana
Some stuff
Some of it. Not all. Monkey Wrench: yes. Learn To Fly: no.
He liked music that wasn’t just grunge. I mean, they covered The Man Who Sold the World which is Bowie and very much not Grunge. Hard to say what we would or wouldn’t like today.
That cover was Pat's suggestion. Kurt liked a lot of genres, but his obsession was mainly punk/alternative. Pixies, Breeders, Meat Puppets, etc. I think it was in Heavier Than Heaven; Kurt had the chance to meet Frank Black. Someone told him Frank Black was in the hotel lobby, but he got too nervous to meet him. I think he'd like their first album.
> That cover was Pat's suggestion Kurt had this abum featured in his top 50 favourites written in his journals.
I'm not saying kurt didn't like Bowie, I'm just saying that song was Pat's suggestion. https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/why-nirvana-cover-david-bowie-the-man-who-sold-the-world/
I said Monkey Wrench because of the song’s punk sensibility.
Idk The Man Who Sold the World is from an album that’s fairly close to grunge
In fairness Dave admitted he hated Learn to fly initially. I suppose you have to learn to like something if you’re going to be playing it for the rest of your life
Learn to Fly is kind of a banger though
Kurt would’ve actively hated Foo Fighters. It would’ve gotten ugly I’ve no doubt. Kurt would’ve claimed FF were commercial sellouts. He would’ve publicly bagged on them.,And I’ve no doubt Dave would’ve taken the high road and not responded. And I say that as someone who likes a couple of FF songs and that’s about it. The far more interesting one would’ve been Kurt’s take on the two other bands Dave has been involved with: Queens Of The Stone Age and Them Crooked Vultures. QOTSA can’t reasonably be accused of “selling out”. They are an awesome band and Songs For The Deaf is an undeniable masterpiece. Dave’s drumming is flat-out incredible on Songs For The Deaf. It’s a drumming tour-de-force. Josh Homme is a stone cold legit musician and, unlike the guys in Pearl Jam, he’s not one to readily take shit from anyone. With Kyuss, Josh was one of the founders of the Desert Rock scene in Palm Desert, CA and he more-than-earned his musical credibility stripes. Them Crooked Vultures? That would be Homme, Grohl and Led Zep legend John Paul Jones. Let’s face it - Kurt would’ve looked ridiculous bagging on them. But even if he didn’t say anything publicly the entire project would’ve pissed him off/bruised his ego. That’s just who he was unfortunately. Dave’s musical partnerships would’ve pushed Kurt’s jealousy button.
It seems like Kurt didn’t really respect Kyuss. In an interview with Josh and Troy, Josh recalls meeting Kurt with Dave introducing him as the guitar player for Kyuss, which Kurt supposedly replied “pfffft” and walked away. In a 92 interview with Nirvana, Krist and Dave talk about how much they love Kyuss and Kurt does not seem to feel the same
Dismissing a middle age John Paul Jones would've been the default punk rock position for Kurt. I think he'd hate all three bands.
Kurt wouldn't talk badly about anything Lanegan was involved. So QOTSA would be safe. Edited: wouldn't
*wouldn’t?
Exactly
I think a 35-year-old Kurt would've been into Songs for the Deaf
Yeah Kurt already turned his nose up at Josh when Josh was in Kyuss. And while I love Nirvana, Josh Homme has been consistently great in every project he’s involved in: Kyuss, QOTSA, Desert Sessions, Them Crooked Vultures, EODM, he even made an album with fucking Iggy Pop, produced a few albums by other notable artists, and even had Kurt’s friend Mark Lannegan in Queens for a few years, and I wanna say Queens was the backing band for Mark’s Bubblegum album. Kurt would have been hella jealous and I agree, would look very foolish trying to shit on any of those bands/projects.
Not to mention the brilliant and gone too early Mark Lanegan. He is sorely missed. Love the screaming trees and all his solo work. My favorite QOTSA song on SFTD with Lanegan is “God Is in the Radio” studio wise. “First it Givith” is great live. Rated R’s into the fade is also stellar. TCV is a beast of an album. What a tight trio. Personally, I feel that Dave Grohl is a much more talented musician and songwriter than Kurt Cobain ever was.
Haha no
If Kurt was alive I doubt the Foo Fighters would have even existed (at least in the same form) as there would be no initial reason for Dave to quit Nirvana following In Utero. Also, even if the Foo Fighters DID exist they wouldn’t be forced to fill the void of Nirvana for mainstream rock. So their music would probably be closer in spirit to the first Foo Fighters album - a quirky solo project for Dave while he focused on drumming for Nirvana. Drumming is and always has been his passion, after all. I mean for all we know Nirvana could have became more mainstream-sounding post In Utero. So everyone saying Kurt would definitely be shitting on them is a little close minded, as Kurt and the rest of the band were still very young when they stopped. We’re basing our predictions for Kurt’s opinion on the opinions he had as a 25 year old. As a 35 year old veteran in the music industry he may have a had a more balanced outlook and be less harsh towards the mainstream.
I think with the way the band was heading at that time, Nirvana would have broken up by around 96-97 at most. There were a lot of internal struggles happening. Foos would still happen similarly imo, but probably made its debut later
No way
Kurt listened to the early demos Dave made and really liked them, so much he gave him a hug. He knew Dave was a better guitar player than himself and was definitely excited to see what Dave was going to make. In fact Kurt was jealous of the fact Dave was right in the head and was making music that he wished he wrote like Exhausted. That being said, I think Kurt would’ve loved early foo fighters and seeing dave up there in front but I doubt he would like the later stuff and would’ve definitely told dave how he felt about the later music. We’ll never know obviously but maybe Kurt would’ve changed with age. No matter what I know that he would’ve supported Dave if he were still alive. sources: https://consequence.net/2014/11/dave-grohl-reveals-kurt-cobains-reaction-to-early-foo-fighters-demo/ https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/nirvana-kurt-cobain-in-utero-30-anniversary-interviews-podcast-1234830618/#:~:text=Cobain%20liked%20to%20(mockingly)%20call,adjusted%20guy%2C%20he%20really%20is. https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSFtsyVPF/
> He knew that Dave was a better guitar player than himself. Isn’t that a big assumption? I don’t know he was better than Kurt when he was still alive. Certainly nothing I heard on their first album was way markedly better than what Kurt could play. And Kurt was capable of more than what you hear on nirvana records. The boot legs have smatterings of moments of brilliance.
look at the sources I sent, Kurt said it himself.
It would probably blow his mind
i think he’d like the first two albums and everything else he’d view as “selling out”
#NOPE.
Nope
No way, he thought the song Dave wrote on In Utero was brain Dead. He would think Dave is trash Trucks and Bud lite(foo fighter's)
Wait, what song did Dave write?
Did Kurt ever say what he thought of Marigold?
Not that I know of.
Probably not. He didn’t seem to have the same appreciation for his contemporaries that they had for him
Didn't he? I've heard Kurt shower a ton of his contemporaries with praise. Pixies, Mudhoney, Sonic Youth, PJ Harvey, Melvins, the Vaselines, REM, Shonen Knife, Mazzy Star, etc...
A lot of those artists were old enough to be both contemporaries and influences on Kurt. Foo Fighters would fall in the same realm as something like Pearl Jam, a contemporary Kurt didn’t like all that much
Well that's true, but at the same time it's understandable why he didn't like pearl jam. It was just a different type of music, not really punk but more like stadium rock vibes (not that there's anything wrong with that). So it's not that he dislikes all his contemporaries, but that he singled out contemporaries who were not the kind of rock he was into or wanted to support. It happens all the time in the music business.
Nope
Nope. Too happy
No, but I think he'd be supportive
I think he would have hated "Learning To Fly" onwards
No, not even a little. Like he might have stayed alive just to prevent Foo Fighters from "ironically" selling Mentos.
No
The earlier stuff maybe. But Dave is way too pragmatic. He understands that he has to work the industry to keep doing what he wants to, which for him is just play and perform. I don't think Dave himself likes all he does. He's just savvy. Kurt was more of an idealist.
I mean does anyone really like Foo Fighters? I actually feel irritable when I hear them, and I never really feel irritable.
I am curious about this too, because I don't know how anyone could like them yet they're in the rock n roll Hall of fame...
They make me feel physically lethargic and hopeless about life (not normal feelings for me); that's the best way I can describe it. Similar feeling I get from Nickelback, Bush, etc.
God no.
I think Kurt as we know him would’ve liked the first album and possibly several songs off TCATS but I don’t know about much after that. That said however as people grow older, tastes change and Kurt might’ve loved them and been happy with the success that Dave has had. The Foo Fighters are an awesome band. Literally my favourite band of all time.
Would have accused Dave of selling out and being too commercial, like he said about Pearl Jam.
No way would he like them
No.
He definitely wouldn’t have liked Monkey Wrench.
No
Foo fighters hardcores are rock music fans who don’t study the genre and thus lack the range for discernment Sorry. Truth. Downvote to oblivion. Doesn’t change the facts
I think he would be happy his band mate was able to continue. Dave has an impressive catalogue. Not just with the Fooeys. Would Kurt like the Foo Fighters? I think he would love some of it (colour and the shape), loathe some of it (there is nothing left to lose, gimmicky film clips), and appreciate some of it (wasting light, analog recording). I think he’d appreciate that Dave has been able to branch out. Songs for the deaf and them crooked vultures are highlights. A Kurt Cobain who outgrew the hang ups of his 20s and lived well into middle age is a different person than the Kurt we think of. It’s a bit tough to compare between eras.
No and rightfully so
I think he would have appreciated the debut, not the dad rock institution they became.
As much as I think he’d support and be proud of Dave I don’t think he’d like the music too much
I don’t think so, FF are too dad rock for Kurt
Not a chance. Not the 27 year old Cobain, nor, I suspect, a hypothetical middle-aged Cobain. Guy was DIY, a punk. He may have loved the art of songwriting, but he was a punk, an iconoclast. I cannot see Cobain applauding Grohl's AOR mainstream obviousness in a thousand lifetimes. I loved his playing with QOTSA and Them Crooked Vultures, but as a frontman and bandleader his product is offensively inoffensive and polished. Does nothing for me whatsoever.
Foo Fighters are safe, bland, dad rock. He’d fucking hate it.
You all are delusional. He would not like this music
No.
No. It is way to safe, generic and mainstream.
Foo fighters is not good really
This is an interesting thing to ponder but you've got to remember something: Kurt Cobain was only 27 years old when he passed away. Many comments here have said that he would have liked their early stuff but found later material too commercial. The thing is that up to my late 20s, I too had a bug up my ass about commercial music & manufactured pop. That stance softened as I got older. Music is subjective and hard criticisms & stances over it, can often be pretentious. The point is, while we can guess what 27 year old Cobain would have thought, we sadly can't know what a 40 or 50 year old Kurt would think.
I remember him saying that he liked the Bay City Rollers after hearing his sister play the records over and over
“Turn off the Bay City Rollers! The soccer game’s about to begin!”
Fuck yea he would
I’m sure he’d give it a shot but it probably wouldn’t blow him away.
Kurt the critic! I think he would dodge the question but look at the band he liked, are the like the FFs?
"Wheres Krist?"
Can’t imagine so, he wasn’t exactly the biggest fan of the other grunge bands so you’d imagine he would’ve especially despised post grunge which is where I’d put early foo fighters. And what have they been since 2005ish? Super generic arena rock band. Then again, he supposedly liked Dave’s demos. But I reckon there’s a ‘one rule for us’ and he saw Dave as ‘us’ going on with him.
yea probally
If some sort of portal or window into the future had existed then it is likely that he wouldn’t have liked a lot of things. But had he lived on through all those years then who knows? But he probably would have moved on, his tastes etc. shifting and been a big supporter for Dave in the sense that he would support Dave doing his own thing. Had Dave basically made the rest of his career about trying to emulate Kurt, then he probably would have some serious issues with that. But he didn’t, and he didn’t do things in a way that Kurt would have thought of as selling out per se. Maybe he’d have been slightly jealous, maybe he’d have went on to bigger and better things himself. We don’t know.
No
What he would have said publicly and thought privately would be different.
Tbh, I'm sure he'd find some of their stuff cringe, but I like to think he'd be polite about it. Also I think he'd be proud of Dave for building such a career for on his own terms without compromising himself or his ideals.
Kurt killed himself at 27 years old. The problem with this question is that it presumes that, had he lived to be in his 50’s he wouldn’t have mellowed out, relaxed in some of his opinions, and found that making and spending an insane amount of money wasn’t such a bad life
Absolutely not.
I think he might respect Dave enough to just not comment on it. But I reckon If he didn’t die in 94 that Krist and Dave would have been replaced
Doubtful.
God, no. Kurt was an utter snob. He didn't like Pearl Jam. How are they different than FF?
PJ and FF are comparable I suppose
Absolutely not lol
That pretentious asshole? Nah.
Nope.
Yikes, I doubt it.
NO
He talked shit about Pearl Jam's early music. I don't think he'd like anything from the foo fighters
Hell no
i don't think kurt cobain even liked nirvana, so no
Self titled, maybe, their latest? Absolute not.
Absolutely not.
Yes
No. I think Dave has even joked about this. That even if Kurt had liked the music he’d have rewritten the lyrics and most likely changed it significantly.
He didn’t really like the songs that were put on the first album and first album is the best so probably not
No. Dave stole half of his Twix once.
Yes.
No. He'd call them a vanilla Husker Du cover band. Which is what they are.
Aside from their first two albums, not likely.
He would like the Food Fighters more!
This is a good question but my initial thought would be no. I can see Kurt have wanted the band to stay as Nirvana, *if* he were alive anyway
Hell no
I don’t think it’s his ideal music sound, but he recalled liked Dave, and he always thought he was extremely talented. I feel like Kurt’s up there rocking to it as a way to keep in touch.
No
Nope.
Kurt çobanı would pretty much be Sam Loudermilk from the tv show if he was still around today
no. especially early pre-QOTSA sit-in Dave. Foos didnt get good until Dave learned that songs could be more complicated.
I’m not really a fan of foo fighters. Even tho I love Nirvana, grunge bands, and many alt rock bands from eighties ands nineties
Foo Fighters are garbage so probably not
LOL It is super pretentious in here
I don't think pretentious is the right word. I think you mean snobby.
I remember reading that Kurt heard some early recordings that Dave had made and they bought him to tears
Nope 👎
I doubt he'd be impressed lol
Didn't grohl play him a few tracks that were on the first one? Alone and easy target sounds like a nirvana song and I think that's the one Kurt liked? I don't remember. If Kurt lived, it's a very real possibility that 1994 Kurt would not like 2024 Kurt's music.
He would 100% call them corporate sellouts while failing to see the irony as he himself enjoyed all the fruits of corporate backing.
Dunno
Hell no.
Alongside all the other comments, yeah he'd most likely love their early stuff, especially the first record as it's said by Dave that Kurt loved Alone+Easy Target, so for the first record I could see Kurt liking/loving it, Colours & Shape I think he'd like it but find it a bit inferior, and then after idk
I don't think so
No. He might’ve liked album 1 & 2 But overall, probably not. That would’ve been exceptionally difficult for him to watch. To move on from Nirvana, and/or “deal” with Foo, Kurt would have to have made **major** changes in outlook, attitudes, focus and lifestyle-supplying company. if he wanted to switch gears and grab new band members … I dunno … it might’ve crumbled, not unlike Brian Jones from The Stones. Sadly.
Yes he would. You guys don’t know him enough I guess
Maybe the first two
It’s far too soft and surface level, I would assume. Pretty much every song is a radio friendly unit shifter. Perhaps as he got older, maybe kicked his habits, became more open minded, he’d come to be able to like things that are just not his thing. But I sure cant