h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I was watching a DVD of QOTSA the other day. Having never seen Nirvana play live, I never actually knew how good a drummer Dave Grohl actually is! The man is a drumming god, and should quit the day job now.
The Foo's are a great band if you like chart friendly pop rock. Dave Grohl is undoubtedly a talented frontman. However they will never have the passion or the intensity, or indeed the very meaning of Nirvana who epitomised a whole generation of rage and apathy. Lest we forget that Cobain wrote almost all of Nirvana's songs enitely himself. Most of the others were co-written by Novoselic (also a fantastic, and greatly underated bass player, possibly the centre point of Nirvana's early sound.) I admit that Grohl's amazing drumming power did greatly improve Nirvana, but by listening to "Bleach" you can hear exactly how good Nirvana still would have been without him. Kurt may not have been exactly the best guitarist in the world, but none of the Beatles were very technically talented either. He still wrote classic riffs like School and ...Teen Spirit and clever lyrics like Lithium and Been a Son.

the main reason he didn't want to drum after Kurt died was partly because of the painful memories and partly because whatever band he joined would be known more for having Nirvanas drummer than anything else.

I remember reading an interview he did where he said that drumming was what he really enjoyed and hoping that he might be able to go back to it one day.

Two great 'new' songs to add to the mix.

All My Life vs You Know Your Right

Kurt, tragic, beautiful, sick, tortured thoughtful junkie
Nirvana no more - its a f**king shame.

Dave - Not dead. And though I normally hate the celebrity drummer thang, he rules with Queens of the Stone Age and is one of the best rock drummers. Stupid loud fast and thoughtful rythmic restraint.

Both are s**t-hot.

There is no competition to discuss, full stop. stop whining and whack bleach on!

All My Life is really cool and easily one of the rockiest and best songs the Foos have ever released. Obviously the boy has learned something from his spell in the legendary Queens.

However, You Know You're Right is simply orgasmic.

As one reviewer of "all my life" put it.
"This song is simply fantastic and one of the best things released all year. However, it's not Nirvana. But then again, what is?"

everyone has their opinion, but a lot of people like Kurt Cobain, and i am one of them...sometimes it's better to keep your comments to yourself...i am sure you have gotten a lot of these and it is nothing new, but most people don't want to hear of other people bashing their fav musicians...on that note i leave

have a and relax.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, as long as they are not abusive to others.

I've always thought Grohl is a great musician. But
Kurt Donald Cobain is the Greatest.
Cobain's songwriting has passion, and is very touching.
On the other hand, grohl's sucks. He's trying to be like Cobain.
I'm sorry but Cobain is the Greatest.

I'm sorry but I think, You f*****g suck!
Kurt Cobain is Grohl's father. you're saying that Grohl plays guitar and drums and some s**t. Maybe you didn't know, but Kurt Cobain started playing drums before grohl did. Perhaps, All what Grohl's done is trying to be like Kurt Cobain, trying to be Another Nirvana!
I'm not saying he's a bad musician, he's good though, But Kurt is the Greatest.Grohl's songwriting completely sucks, it has not passion, no touching, it is all about making crap. Good crap, but not as amazing as Nirvana's.
So I'm sorry man. you're f****g wrong!

by the way no-one has mentioned the most important fact about grohl... Had it not been for Kurt and Nirvana he would still be running about with his original band "Scream" and would never have made it big... as for Grohl being a better guitarist...doubt it he may get away with a few power chords but thats it. he is however still one of the greatest drummers in the world and is 10 times faster and better than Chester Hawkins(is that his name) the drummer of Foo Fighters. Goodnighta

Hmm, well my opinion of the Foo Fighters has changed a little since I originally started this thread. See:

"I'm sorry but I think people focus WAY to much on Cobain." I said. And I stand by that statement.

"I used to be (and still am, I suppose) a huge Nirvana fan. But I have very little respect for Cobain musically, although his riffs were good he wasn't exactly great (not that you need to be, mind you)..." If anything, going back to my old Nirvana records, my respect for Cobain as a musician has increased significantly.

"...and from what I've read and watched he doesn't appear to have been that great a bloke. I have no idea why people idolise him, even today." I do understand some of the reasons why people idolise him: I just don't think they should.

On Grohl:

"I have a great deal of respect for him. He isn't constantly on drugs. He is a MUSICIAN - he's equally good at singing and drumming, as well as being a more proficient guitarist than Cobain." I am beginning to respect Grohl less and less, sadly. I think the main difference between Cobain and Grohl guitar-wise has been PROFICIENCY... but perhaps Cobain was the better song-writer. He's still an excellent drummer, as the latest Queens of the Stone Age album testifies.

"I also enjoy all of the Foos albums, which have been consistently of a high quality even though they contain a lot of variety. The Foos are so much more than a Nirvana spin-off." The latter part of this statement is still true. But I wouldn't say they have released an unblemished set of records anymore. The last two were RUBBISH compared to the first two, even though There Is Nothing Left to Lose did contain some good tracks.

But they seem to be becoming weaker with each release. They keep on appearing on CD:UK - where is their dignity? They just seem to produce throwaway pop-rock these days, which is fine I guess, but no longer what I'm interested in.

The Foo Fighters original self-titled release remains one of the most impressive albums I've heard, however, and The Colour and the Shape was an excellent followup.

Maybe it's just time for me to move on...

P.S. I think it's Taylor Hawkins!

To put it all simply, Kurt Cobain was not as much of a musician as he was an artist. To be able to play an instrument well can be taught or learned (maybe not on that level, but one problem at a time, shall we?) where as all that which the amazing Mr. Cobain did is not the sort of thing you can learn. There is a certain intangible quality there. Kurt Cobain did for Nirvana what Jim Morrison did for The Doors. Both stand out in their own generations and would have been labeled differently had they lived in different eras as poets or philosophers, depending on the time frame you put them in. Kurt Cobain need not be defined only by his ability to play instraments because he did so much more. Kurt Cobain is the main key to the success of Nirvana, I refer anyone who has not heard of them to a band called Mudhoney. They predate Nirvana and have done similar work (often believed to be one of Cobain's influences as they are somewhat popular in Seattle, but not far beyond). They had nowhere near the success, but they also don't have the same artistic intangible quality.

I submit these thoughts to you all. Feel free to thrash at them as you may, but think about them as well.

hi

thankyou, nice to know some one realises what music is about! hell yes it's about expression! and nirvana were all about that, its nothing to do with whos better than who coz music has become one big popularity contest. and no body, not even the foo fighters (and they're alright i admit) could ever live up to the standards in grunge set by kurt krist dave chad and friends.
ps. kurt lives in the hearts of anyone that is very ape and very nice

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/brunel/F2609?thread=281247

hi, i like finch too, bye

Who ever thinks that Kurt Cobain was an asshole or not a very nice person or a bad musicition is an asshole themselves because Kurt Cobain is A FUKIN GOD he so HOTT and I believe Courtney Love killed him. Dont get me wrong Dave Grohl is an amazing musicion but how can u compare the two they r both legends. Kurt Cobain wins my vote tho coz he his HOTT and amazin!!!! And so what if he was on drugs it was his way of coping!!!!! Thanx Angel C

Yeah, drugs helped him cope so much that he commited suicide.

As someone whose been a nirvan fan for many years i can only come out in support for Kurt.
Kurt had energy both positive and negative. His music while not being the most technically acomplished was raw, emotive and real. As for him being a druggie, taking drugs does'nt make you a bad person just a foolish one. if we were to write off all the great artists who've been largely off their faces we'd be left with abba and the beegees. No hendrix, morrison, joplin, stones, beatles...i could go on.

As far as grohl goes(not Nirvana's original drummer may I add) he's alright like. not hugely talented, does what it says on the tin really. paint by number pop rock songs. I saw them live once good performance if a little staged.

your entitled to the opinon that grohls better but it puts a little wry smile on my face.

Posted By: Researcher 201666: A free spirit he was him!

more like TEEN spirit!