Well, it takes a charismatic front person with an amazing set of pipes, some dark lyrics and some punk- and hard rock-influenced guitar, heavy bass and hard-hitting drum beats.
Not to mention feedback, filth and lots of attitude.
But perhaps what grunge is best known for is the way it makes you feel - it's true emotion. Unfortunately, most inexperienced people just feel grunge makes one want to kill oneself or do a lot of heroin - but probably both. All of these albums, however, handpicked by resident State News grunge experts, are more than meets the eye and even more than meets the ear on the first listen. After years and years of scratches, these albums have more meaning than ever.
Artist: The Gits
Album: "Frenching the Bully"
Label: C/Z
Year of Release: 1992, re-released in 2003 by Broken Rekids
The Gits were a punk band. Mia Zapata's rough growl and incredibly intense and introspective vocals made The Gits fall into the West Coast's riot grrl category. But the band incorporated many different aspects of music into an undeniably dark sound of grunge.
"Frenching the Bully" is an album to be cherished for its feminist perspective on what all male grunge artists sang about - love, hate, love, insecurity and the ills of society. But the lyrics are just half of the disc. The guitar riffs not only require talent, but sound amazing.
Artist: Nirvana
Album: "In Utero"
Label: Geffen
Year of release: 1993
"In Utero" was the major full-length follow-up to Nirvana's explosive chart-topping "Nevermind." One of Kurt Cobain's biggest fears was being seen as a sellout. "In Utero" was a slap in the face to those who dared call Nirvana a cliché. "In Utero" is dark, pessimistic and confrontational. Yet there's more to the album than just the obvious.
The album displays a need for emotional and physical security, a need for getting back to innocence and a way to kick those who try to make you be something you're not - the corporate media. "In Utero" is actually a realization of the reality of the world and how one should react to it, rather than a suicide note. The depth and darkness of the instrumentalism and Cobain's voice is at its finest on this album, making it one of the best and and most misunderstood.
Artist: Alice in Chains
Album: "Facelift"
Label: Columbia
Year of release: 1990
"Facelift" is often overlooked when thinking about Alice in Chains. It is a metal album through and through. Yes, we all know "Dirt" is an amazing album, but the influence of Layne Staley's tortured vocals and Jerry Cantrell's dark, metal-influenced guitar solos can be seen all over in today's music - but it's only pure imitation.
With songs as hard-core as "We Die Young" and as funky and alternative as "I Know Somethin' (Bout You)," this 1990 release is a staple. The album can simultaneously make you feel strong and confident against those who put you down, such as "Sunshine" or "It Ain't Like That," and it can make you feel like your heart is being ripped from your chest in the amazingly truthful lyrics of "Love, Hate, Love." Even before his death also on this day in April, Staley's voice was haunting.
Artist: Mudhoney
Album: "Superfuzz Bigmuff" (EP)
Label: Sub Pop
Year of release: 1988
Why is an EP making this list? Because we said so. Mudhoney, probably the most underrated group from Seattle, was making and breaking the music scene far ahead of Pearl Jam and light years before the Detroit scene could make "being loud" cool again. The EP is straight-to-the-point basement grunge with songs such as, "Need" and "Chain That Door", that make you want to drink a whole case of beer and then smash the bottles. Mark Arm's voice is coarse, strained and stakes its roots in an "I-don't-care," punk-rock mentality. But the unique thing about Mudhoney is that they weren't just loud, noisy and full of feedback (though they did have all of those things going for them). Each Mudhoney song has a formula and an undeniably thick connection to the blues.
The shining star on this album, however, is "Mudride" and its opening lyrics. "I got a mouth full of dirt/A hand full of charms/Got a rusty old spade/Don't care who I harm." Not only did Mudhoney make it OK to belligerent and loud, but the band made it OK to feel dirty.
Artist: Mark Lanegan
Album: "Whiskey for the Holy Ghost"
Label: Sub Pop
Year of release: 1994
Let's clarify something. Screaming Trees was awesome - case closed. But nothing the Screaming Trees produced in its 17-year music career comes close to its lead singer's solo album, "Whiskey for the Holy Ghost."
With intense vocals that seem to be basted in whiskey and years of smoking, Lanegan sings very stripped-down songs that have appropriate acoustic guitar accompaniment. "The River Rise" is a song that deserves repeating both on your turntable and on your own lips - "I could fall/And there's nothin' else I can do." While the lyrics to "Carnival" are kind of awkward, the arrangement of progression is mind-blowing.
The album's climax is felt on "Riding the Nightingale," where you actually can see beauty without opening your eyes.
Artist: Soundgarden
Album: "Badmotorfinger"
Label: A&M
Date of release: 1991
It's determined, fast, and most of all, perfect. Each song on "Badmotorfinger" flows into the other without cutting the energy, losing character or sounding like something else you've already heard. Not to mention that this band gave us some of the best guitar riffs of the time.
Opening with "Rusty Cage," plowing into "Outshined" and then telling Chris Cornell's and everyone else's sins on "Jesus Christ Pose," the album shows strong songwriting ability from a band that broke up before it ever should have.
Although Soundgarden didn't sound "pained" and "tortured," like a number of major bands in the scene, the lyrics often express frustration and a message that is just as heartfelt as the rest.
And who has better vocals than Chris Cornell? Nobody. Try and karaoke any song off of this album - we dare you.
