Alternative Music and The Outsiders In 1980s Punk: Cobain and Westerberg Pt. II
Cobain, indeed, could be the Paul Westerberg of the 90s?
Read Part I HERE!!!
Alternative Music and The Outsiders In 1980s Punk: Cobain and Westerberg Pt. I
In Grunge, the idea of selling out is embraced. Just like the previous post expressed about Bob Mould and The Replacements. This can be identified, not only through musicians as Krist Novoselic suggests but the record labels. Sub Pop, unlike SST or Alternative Tentacles, capitalized on this approach. Nirvana's
‘’attitude toward the music industry appears to have crystallised early on, as this 1989 Sub Pop press release reproduced at Sub Pop Records' website indicates: NIRVANA sees the underground scene as becoming stagnant and more accessible to big league capitalist pig major record labels. But does NIRVANA feel a moral duty to fight this cancerous evil? NO WAY! We want to cash in and suck up to the big wigs in hopes that we too can GET HIGH AND F-…SOON we will need groupie repellent. SOON we will be coming to your town and asking if we can stay over at your house and use the stove. SOON we will do encores of ‘’GLORIA’’ and ‘’LOUIE LOUIE’’ at benefit concerts with all our celebrity friends’’ (Starr, 2006, pp.297-298).
Sub Pop's release of Nirvana differs with Krist Novoselic's explanation of grunge and the band. Krist Novoselic states that it was a politicized movement and from the start and even the thrifted clothing that musicians wore represented a protest against capitalism. Despite the importance of political activism for grunge, Sub Pop suggests that Nirvana wanted to cash in. Just Like Hüsker Dü, Sub Pop and Nirvana did not limit themselves and did not accept the conformity of hardcore punk. This strategy was repeated by major labels.
Larry Starr notes that a senior executive for a major record company in the 1980s revealed that: ‘’there`s a whole indie section [of our company. That are] …kids-that will only buy records that are on an indie label…which is why we sometimes concoct labels to try and fool them’’ (Starr, 2006, p.292). The alternative music phenomenon took over the 1990s with major record labels putting artists such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, Nine Inch Nails or R.E.M (who greatly differ and come from different backgrounds) in the same alternative rock category.
The Replacements and the ‘‘LOSER’’
The Replacements, the melancholic, self-deprecating, self-sabotaging punk band, greatly influenced Kurt Cobain, especially their idea of celebrating losers. The band would popularize the idea of loser-as-cool (CLICK THIS FOR MORE). For example, their performance of ‘’Talent Show’’ (1989) on The International Rock Awards (1989) placed the prestige award ceremony with attendees such as Tina Turner, Keith Richards, Loud Reed and David Bowie at a high school/talent show level. Their sarcastic performance made fun of the supposed sophistication of the award ceremony.
Westerberg interludes questioning: ‘’What the hell are we doing here?’’ (Sonic More Music, 2015) alienating themselves from the critically acclaimed and commercially successful artists. He continues to sing: ‘’We might win this time, I doubt it’’(Sonic More Music, 2015) referring back to the loser persona that the band took on which rejected superficiality. This differed from the hardcore punk movement, which took itself very seriously when discussing politics and aiming to disassociate with the stereotype of punk being concerned primarily with drug use (Read THIS for more).
The loser persona would go on to be embodied within the grunge movement and capitalized on. ’’More, recently, ironically, the very notion of outsider, alternative, or marginal music has itself become a means of promoting music to a -mass audience hungry for novelty, excitement, and a sense of authenticity’’(Starr, 2006,p.269). Major record labels appropriate and capitalize on this strategy. Seattle Sub Pop records used the same tactics. Their merch proudly allow customers to wear the word 'Loser' on their chest, as seen by Eddie Vedder and Mark Arm . Celebrating losers would become one of the characteristics of grunge that The Replacements undoubtedly paved the way for especially when considering The Replacements’ focus on adolescence and depression with great scepticism and pessimism presented through melodic and melancholic melodies. This is exemplified in their song ‘’Unsatisfied’’ (1984) which expresses Paul Westerberg's depression and interest in palmistry (every palm reader deemed him to be unhappy forever) (Mehr, 2016, p. 136). Unhappiness would become not only associated with Nirvana but the whole Seattle aesthetic and art.
The Replacements: Start of grunge.
‘’The Ledge’’ from the 1987 Replacements album Pleased to Meet Me, became one of their most controversial songs. MTV declined to air it, claiming that: ‘’fewer than 5 percent of submitted videos were sent back for editing…it was rare for a video to be flat-out rejected’’ (Mehr, 2016, p. 267). This one, however, did. MTV's music and talent department manager Rick Krim decided what videos could be played on the channel, alongside Michelle Vonfeld who described herself as: ‘’one-person standards and practices department’’’’(Mehr, 2016,p. 267).The reason for their decision was not due to the video format (which consisted of the band siting on couches and eating fast food), but to its lyrical content regarding teen suicide. The song addressed the New Jersey Bergenfield suicide (1987) in which 4 teenagers from broken homes committed suicide leaving a note behind with their wish to be buried together.
1987 was marked as the year with the greatest number of teen suicides committed. Miringoff`s study (1989) reveals that child abuse numbers increased by 300 percent between 1970-1987 and showed that ‘’in 1987, more teenagers committed suicide than in any other year’’(Batchelor and Stoddart, 2007,p.35).The song is particularly pertinent when considering the band members’ (brothers within the band -Tommy and Bob Stinson) disruptive upbringing. The music of the band indicates a pessimistic stance which would be embodied by the Seattle scene. It ‘’shook the region to its core…It was a phenomenon that had become increasingly common in the eighties following high-profile teen suicides: other kids would take their own lives in imitation or in some strange form of solidarity’’(Mehr, 2016,p. 267). The alarming state mental health and poverty within the youth of the 80s, is something we touched upon in Every Single Sound Speaks In The Plural: West Coast hardcore punk and grunge.
Theodor Adorno believes that every music speaks in the plural, The Replacements is a great example of this, if we consider ‘‘The Ledge’’. Westerberg believes that ‘’MTV feels the lyrics are detrimental to the youth of America…But for them to play Mötley Crüe and not play our video…it if had bunch of sexist bullshit, they would've played it. But if it’s something deeper, if its emotions, then its taboo’’(Mehr, 2016,p. 268). This marks the issue of censorship and how limiting MTV was.
MTV advertised itself as television for youth, yet was ready to capitalize on sexist content. Quickly, MTV`s decision attached a stigma to the song and many radio stations did not play it: ‘’internally, everyone knew that the record was dead’’(Mehr, 2016,p. 268).The band would not neglect to address depression throughout their careers and musical products, constantly sabotaging their own opportunities to make records with famous producers or releasing records for major labels. They also sabotaged their own shows and were banned for life from performing on SNL due to their controversial 1986 ‘’Bastard of Young’’ performance. This was all in the name of being ‘authentic’ and Paul Westerberg not wanting to fulfil and live up to the rockstar persona. Yet still such anti-corporation attitude brought interest from Warner Bros. More records started making such approach in rock music fashionable and marketable. This was also embodied in Seattle musicians as they tried to avoid the clichéd rock star stereotypes of the 1980s as seen through Pearl Jam not doing interviews for a long time or Chris Cornell replying in an MTV interview with Eddie Vedder in 1991, that all he needs is to ‘’buy a house or buy a new skateboard’’. This appeared modest when compared to the luxurious self-indulgent agenda popularised by Ronald Reagan and the 1980s rock scene through bands such as Mötley Crüe and Poison.
Famously, Nirvana had sung ‘’Rape Me’’ at MTV's VMA's in 1992, without the show producer knowing, echoing the same form of protest as Westerberg in the SNL performance. Whilst both singers were excluded from punk, they rebelled against television and the music industry. Both bands integrated the loser persona and label in their identity, but it was grunge which helped to bring the loser label mainstream. Soon, the loser persona was adapted across rock music of the 90s. The Los Angeles born Beck landed at number one in 1994 with his song ‘’Loser’’(1994) on the Billboard Music Chart (Chart History Beck, 2021).
Nirvana did not take on the active radical political display that the hardcore bands embodied. However there was consciousness over their music. Kurt Cobain explained that in the 1990s, ‘’alternative music is finally being accepted although it's in a pretty sad form as far as I'm concerned, but at least the consciousness is there and that's really healthy for the younger generation’’ (T&H - Inspiration & Motivation, 2021). Such consciousness over the messages of the art and the large mainstream fanbase, which Cobain targeted in Nirvana's song ‘’In Bloom’’(1991), indicate how the rock revolution of the 1990s held a greater objective beyond means of entertainment and sales. As a representative of the grunge scene, Cobain highlights the importance of consciousness in music as well as indicating his awareness of the younger generation.
Westerberg and Cobain
Bob Mehr notes that that ‘’Nirvana had picked up the proverbial torch that the Replacements had fumbled away ‘’ (Mehr, 2016, p. 404). Even Robert Hilburn of the Los Angeles Times wrote that: ‘’Cobain sings and writes about the romantic complexities and youthful apathy with much of the intensity and insight of…Paul Westerberg…Cobain, indeed, could be the Paul Westerberg of the 90s’’ (Mehr, 2016, p. 404). Westerberg, however, did not find any similarities and concluded, ‘’I guess I wore a plaid shirt, and yes, I played real loud,’’ he said, ‘’but Nirvana sounds to me like Boston with a hair up its ass’’ (Mehr, 2016,p. 404). Westerberg released the song ‘’World Class Fad’’ (1993) which Cobain interpreted as an attack on him. Kurt Cobain didn't vocalise his admiration of The Replacements: ‘’even though people see the title of Nirvana's album, Nevermind, as an homage of sorts to The Replacements song, Never Mind ‘’ (Golden, 2014). Nirvana`s song ‘’Smells like Teen Spirit’’ (1991) also is lyrically reminiscent of The Replacements song ‘’Never Mind’’ (1987):
‘’I found it hard, was hard to find
Oh well, whatever, never mind’’ (Cobain, Novoselic and Grohl, 1991)
‘’The words I thought I brought I left behind
So never mind’’ (Westerberg, 1987)
Westerberg vocalized his indifference of Nirvana but has also acknowledged Cobain as a: ‘’major talent’’ (Golden, 2014). However, for an interview with Jim Derogatis, Westerberg wondered:
“if perhaps it took a generation of impostors to show them who meant it and who didn’t. The generation that came right after me—Kurt Cobain, et al. —was not embracing what I did, although they certainly were influenced, whether they admitted it or not’’(Golden, 2014).
Kurt Cobain even denied The Replacements’ influence, as he: ‘’ didn't get it and didn't like it that much’’ (WatchMojo, 2017).However, Tom Hazelmyer (the founder of Amphetamine Reptile Records in Washington and vocalist of Halo of Flies) highlights the influence of the Minneapolis scene on Seattle.
‘’[If you] have a look at the pictures of those Minneapolis guys from 81, they're dressed like grunge guys- flannel shirts, torn jeans, long hair. I remember the Replacements showing up on television while I was at a party, and the whole room was glued to the set. To me they were just a band from back home, but to a party that hosted many of the future Seattle heavyweights, the 'mets were idols. I've read Cobain citing [replacements singer] Paul Westerberg. There was definitely an influence’’ (True, 2009, p.94)
Charles Peterson, the photographer for Sub Pop Records has also acknowledged The Replacements, alongside Sonic Youth, Black Flag and Butthole Surfers as the ‘’real thing’’(True, 2009,p.94).Whilst, ‘’Vocalist Paul Westerberg sings from the heart and he knows how to break it…This is mature, diverse rock that could well shoot these regional boys into the national mainstream’’ (Azerrad, 2001,p.223) concluded Bruce Pavitt, music critic from the Seattle Rocket fanzine, who became a co-founder of Sub Pop records. Cameron Crowe's movie Singles (1992) had its soundtrack produced by Paul Westerberg further indicating the Seattle scenes appreciation of The Replacements. Whilst Westerberg and Cobain did not see any similarities between them, they both credited Alex Chilton and Big Star as major influences, both fell into the category of alternative rock, and both were excluded from hardcore punk scenes.
