Yeah, after the death of hair metal, it was like. . . "alternative to what?   Country?"  If your whole genre depends on being an alternative to something else, you're kinda screwed after you've slaughtered all the competition you were rebelling against.  Victory can be a curse.

College rock died the day hair metal died because college rock always needed a powerful enemy to fight.  It needed to be the underdog.   The subtext was always "we happy few, we band of brothers."   You need a strong and contemptible enemy for that shit to work.  I remember people asking in '92 and '93 "exactly what…

College rock died the day hair metal died because college rock always needed a powerful enemy to fight.  It needed to be the underdog.   The subtext was always "we happy few, we band of brothers."   You need a strong and contemptible enemy for that shit to work.  I remember people asking in '92 and '93 "exactly what…

Brad Delp sucked.   I always hated his voice and his style.  Did anybody actually like Delp's singing?   I've never seen another singer whose voice graced so many huge hits, yet produced almost no influence on other singers.  Has any decent singer ever once in rock history cited Brad Delp as an influence?  I certainly…

Brad Delp sucked.   I always hated his voice and his style.  Did anybody actually like Delp's singing?   I've never seen another singer whose voice graced so many huge hits, yet produced almost no influence on other singers.  Has any decent singer ever once in rock history cited Brad Delp as an influence?  I certainly…

And bitching at security was no doubt Vedder's effort to prove populist street cred; sticking it to the man and standing up for the little guy, yadda yadda.   Even Axl Rose started doing that shit.   It was the go-to move to prove you were keepin' it real, dude.

And bitching at security was no doubt Vedder's effort to prove populist street cred; sticking it to the man and standing up for the little guy, yadda yadda.   Even Axl Rose started doing that shit.   It was the go-to move to prove you were keepin' it real, dude.

Bands arguing with their security staff was a pretty ridiculous early 90's cliche.   Back then I had friends who regularly attended punk shows in Washington D.C. and I remember them mentioning that bands bitching at the security guys had become ritualized behavior.  It was part of the show and everybody expected it. …

Bands arguing with their security staff was a pretty ridiculous early 90's cliche.   Back then I had friends who regularly attended punk shows in Washington D.C. and I remember them mentioning that bands bitching at the security guys had become ritualized behavior.  It was part of the show and everybody expected it. …

Here is some blistering new grunge/metal:

Here is some blistering new grunge/metal:

Maybe I'm cynical, but I just assumed that grunge would fade away.  It looked like an obvious fad to me.   The possibility of it lasting never entered my mind.

Maybe I'm cynical, but I just assumed that grunge would fade away.  It looked like an obvious fad to me.   The possibility of it lasting never entered my mind.

Grunge was forever?  People actually believed that in 1992?  Who?

Grunge was forever?  People actually believed that in 1992?  Who?

Kind of disco.  Pretty cool.  I would have liked some strings to go with the horns.

Kind of disco.  Pretty cool.  I would have liked some strings to go with the horns.

The guy in the middle is tolerable because he looks like a middle-aged lesbian.  The other two guys ought to be turned over to the Taliban for beheading.

The guy in the middle is tolerable because he looks like a middle-aged lesbian.  The other two guys ought to be turned over to the Taliban for beheading.

Ah yes, 1992 –  the year in which the best Republican President ever was elected.   Only he ran as a Democrat.