In today’s age of digital recording almost anyone can record a rock album. But very few have such an impact that they change the face of rock ‘n roll.
Taking a look back at the past two decades there are two bands that stand out in terms of bringing something visceral to the tired format of rock ‘n roll and at the same time managing to sell it to the masses, rather than just a niche market.
In the 1990s the band would be the kings of grunge, Nirvana, and in the 2000s it would have to be the punk-blues hybrid, The White Stripes.
Both entered the music industry like a bolt out of nowhere, one minute struggling independent bands, the next on the cover of every music magazine the world over.
Both made loud, angry guitar music and both managed to sell their rock ‘n roll rebellion to the millions of fans that their peers could not reach.
Defining bands
I am not arguing that they are the two best bands to record rock albums in the past 20 years, but rather that they are the bands that defined their respective decades.
Nirvana turned a whole new generation of kids, this critic included, on to groundbreaking acts like The Ramones, Sonic Youth, Velvet Underground, The Meat Puppets, The Vaselines, The Pixies and many more.
Their success opened many doors for their peers, allowing them to sell millions of records too.
Some, like The Smashing Pumpkins and Mudhoney, were deserving of this attention, while others were less so, like Stone Temple Pilots and Soundgarden.
Pearl Jam went on to become one of the biggest bands in the world and Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley and Blind Melon’s Shannon Hoon would follow Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain to their graves after lengthy battles with drug abuse.
The question really is: without Nirvana as the figurehead of the grunge movement would we have cared?
The fact of the matter is that Nirvana will always be remembered as one of the greatest bands of all time and if you need to be reminded why, then you are in luck. Universal has recently released Nirvana’s seminal 1992 performance at the Reading Festival in the United Kingdom for the first time on DVD.
Recorded less than a year after the release of their breakthrough album Nevermind, this was one of the most important shows Nirvana played in the UK.
From the opening moments, when Cobain is wheeled on to the stage in a wheelchair dressed in a hospital gown, it is clear that this will be a show to remember.
Cobain pulls himself to his feet using the microphone stand, sings a few bars and collapses on stage.
A wail of distortion follows; some pounding drums from Dave Grohl and then the band bursts into a spirited rendition of Breed, while a mad fan or friend of the band dances frenetically between Cobain and bassist Kris Novoselic.
A 25-track set follows, mostly made up of songs from Nevermind and Nirvana’s debut album Bleach. Highlights include Negative Creep, Spank Thru, Tourette’s and D-7.
By the time the band closes the show with Territorial Pissings, you will be left with no doubt that Nirvana were one of the greatest live acts ever and fully deserve their spot among rock’s legends.
Moving on
The DVD has no bonus features, but Live at Reading (Universal) is so damn good that if you want more you will just push play once again.
Moving on to The White Stripes, then.
The two-piece of Jack White and his ex-wife, Meg White, began to attract attention after the release of their third album, White Blood Cells, in 2001 and the success of the single, Fell in Love with a Girl, which sounded so dynamic and alive with possibility compared to what was on the radio at the time.
Sure, the band had released two superb earlier albums in 1999 and 2000, but by the time White Blood Cells was released the world was ready for The White Stripes and they were swept up in the garage rock hysteria that championed The Strokes, The Hives, Kings of Leon and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.
However, The White Stripes were always the most superior of the bands, with their basic formula of mixing Detroit garage rock with the blues inspiration of Son House, Robert Johnson and Bob Dylan.
By the time they had released 2003’s Elephant, the band had gone mainstream with everybody nodding their heads to that catchy riff on Seven Nation Army.
Their latest release is dubbed Under Great White Northern Lights (Just Music).
Disc One is a documentary shot by Emmett Malloy that captures the band’s 2007 tour across Canada to launch their last album Icky Thump.
It offers fans a glimpse into the world of The White Stripes on the road, from tender backstage banter between Jack and Meg to impromptu shows in pool halls, old age homes, bowling alleys and on a moored fishing boat.
As legendary director Jim Jarmusch says in the liner notes, “Malloy has captured and crafted a magical, compelling and perfectly musical document”.
Disc Two, The White Stripes’ first live album, features 16 tracks recorded during the Canadian tour. Featuring a selection of songs from across their entire catalogue, it is a stunning set that will remind fans of how great a live band The White Stripes really are.
Highlights include The Union Forever, on which Jack White sounds unhinged, to put it mildly, and the band’s take on Dolly Parton’s Jolene, a firm live favourite.
And now the race is on to see who will be the rock ‘n roll band to define this new decade that we have entered.
Long live angry men and women with guitars in hand.