This post is inspired from the "Greatest Songwriters" post as I was suprised how many people listed Cobain as one of the greatest songwriters. I'd like to expand upon this a bit more.

I'd like to hear from people who think he is one of the greats and their reasons why. I like Nirvana, but I do not feel the same way. Kurt's songs to me are simple which is not necessarily a bad thing, but would not qualify as being shining examples of groundbreaking or expert songwriting. I think some of the lyrics might mean something, but generally I'd say they are intentionally unintelligable; that way the songs are not ruined with terrible transparent lyrics.

Nirvana defintely impacted popular music in a huge way, but to me it was more through their attitude and back to basics approach which rock at that time really needed (we're about due for this type of impact again... I hope!). Is this what is influencing your opinion on Kurt being a great songwriter?

I'd like to discuss this because I respect alot of posters opinions in this forum, but I just can't understand it.

I dont think kurt was a great songwriter, guitarist or singer. But I like nirvana. I think people who say he was are just trying to justify why they like nirvana when really there is no good reason.

They were just GOOD. They shouldnt have been, but they were.

Kurt was a hookmaster; he had pop melody cold. But his lyrics quite frequently are pure ass.

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His songs were all pretty straight forward. They are alright and I went through that phase, but I don't think he did anything revolutionary. Their were bands like dinosaur jr., sebadoh, etc..

He didn't single handedly forge the "alternative" rock genre he had a good yell and was signed to the right label at the right time to become huge.

My vote for best songwriter lyric wise would probably be roger waters.

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Andrew
I intend to die in my sleep like my
grandpa, not like the screaming passengers that were in his car.

i think kurt was a great songwriter...i htink most of it was the drugs and he wasnt the best but i dont think i coudl ever right things the way he did...he was a very simple kind of person and that came out in his songs he liked simple things that you could "wrap around" in a way...nirvana songs are the kind that get stuck in your head thats why hey became so popular i think

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i think kurt was a great songwriter...i htink most of it was the drugs and he wasnt the best but i dont think i coudl ever right things the way he did...he was a very simple kind of person and that came out in his songs he liked simple things that you could "wrap around" in a way...nirvana songs are the kind that get stuck in your head thats why they became so popular i think

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Kurt Cobain was a great song writer. Guitarist....i wouldn't go that far, but his lyrics werent mindless. they had meaning which is why they're so popular, and maybe i'm just a really bad songwritter but he did a hella lot better then i could.

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Lindsi

kurt was a talented songwriter...not revolutionary, but talented nonetheless. as a previous poster stated, his band came along at the right place/right time...he was lucky. any of his contemporaries could've taken that spot, IMO. but that doesn't diminish his songwriting...though not technically gifted, he could craft a snappy tune.

MOokie

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Northside Kings are Un-De-Feated!

agreed

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insayne eyez

great might be too good of a word for him he was an ok or a good song writer i guess i hate Nirvana but he was an ok writer. an example of a great song writer would be Pete Townshend

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Although the Who in the early '70s were accused by many of sounding too much like Led Zeppelin, anyone with any sense knows that Townshend (even at his worst) could write, compose and perform circles around that glorified session cat Jimmy Page.

ide say he was more than great towards the way his writing was heading, from in utero and the sessions done after his writing became musically and lyrically more complicated and well ptu together. he mastered the simplicity which brought out amazing music. its alot on how you(yourself) look at song writing and composition and what it takes for you to realise it is good.

i could definately see him getting into delay which i could imagine him being such an artist would use it in ways no one could think of.

he was an artist.

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MY GEAR!
Member of The Onomatopoeias and The Charley Bronsons

poetic? not really
deep? perhaps
musically innovative? sort of, but that's all you need when you're part of the american indie underground of the late 80s-early 90s

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matyus (mah-tuse)

he played what he felt, and from life experience. He put it in the standard verse chorus verse, and always had a good hook, id say that makes good songwriting

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he played guitar sang some words and made noise.... it had structure... whether or not it appeals to your ears really has nothing to do with haim as a song writer.. i have met people who have been playing for 47 years and they still dont venture beyond covers and standards....
kurt inspired (not influenced)everyone... if yyou could pick up a guitar and use two(or even one) finger(s) to do a simple shape, you could write a song. if you knew your instrument and had somthing in side, you could write a song.. they were simple songs, but if you learn any song, it becomes simple, simply because you can do it.
personally, i hate nevermind. bleach is great because of how dumb it was. they were the simplest of songs, but they got in your head. they made you feel something.
in utero was definitely more complex, and this just showed, that you always have room to grow. he experimented withthis album, and it still got in your head and affected you in some way..
all the bootlegs....if you havent heard those, shut the hell up...

you dont need to know scales or complex chords or modes or know what an odd time signature is... i didnt know any thing about any of that stuff until one of the bassists in one of my bands pointed abunch of technical crap out me. he was suprised i didnt know what the hell he was talking about (triplets, double time, legato, staccato, modes, theory, diminshed, augmented, compound meter.) but, i was still using it. i still domnt know what the hell alot of that **** is and dont even consider it necessary to play guitar... all you really need is to know how to tune it and know what different notes sound like together. no need to waste your time trying to write a a song in the key e augmented 7, minor third, flatted fifth, suspended ninth.

i learned power chords from watching bands like nirvana and babes in toyland and mudhoney... they worked out of passion and emotion, they knew what they were doing and were satisfied..at least they had the capacity to write their own songs and keep writing. at least they arent on the internet asking about how their songs sound, or asking tips for chord progressions. they did it them selves. they lived it, you didnt...

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http://www.with-the-band.com/musicworld/bands/386/


FOR SALE:
ibanez w/ locking trem and EMGS. PM me, if interested.

If you want to hear good Nirvana, you need to listen to the live recordings.

Other than that, I agree with everything snuffnordschism said, except I didn't learn Mudhoney and Babes in Toyland tunes.

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R. Mutt

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