[martok2112]

Journey....awesome band, awesome musicianship, awesome vocals. At least they did not try to depress everyone with some Prozac or Heroin induced tripe. Too many bands today cannot match their capabilities...although musicianship and vocals are just now finally starting to get around to something tolerable again.

If feelin' good ain't your thing....well, that's your prerogative. The world has enough depression as it is without current bands trying to bring everybody down.

It was funny, I think there was an interview with the lead singer of "Loverboy" one time (Mike Reno?) and he was asked about the band's possible longevity, and he replied rather sardonically: (paraphrased...not exact words) "I don't know. I don't think I can keep up with Kurt Cobain's negative lyric writing."

Nirvana....now there was a sissy band if ever I heard one. Little talent, nothing tangible or intelligent to say, and so laced with heroin...how could that band have become anyone's heroes? And poor wittle Cobain couldn't deal with the adoration of the depressed fans (which he seemed to not appreciate)...or Courtney Love for that matter...and shot himself. (Of course, if I had Courtney Love for a wife...I'd probably do myself in too. ) Yeah...great hero. I really look up to this guy. When I grow up, I wanna be just like him...pushing up daisies with no skull. (Maybe I could get a gig as a ghost at Hogwarts.)

I was in a band that played out on the road band circuit, and we had a bass player who was complaining about how people made more of a big deal about Lisa "Left Eye" Lopez's death...which occured in close time proximity with Lane Staley's (Alice in Chains) death. He was saying: "I don't see why MTV and VH1 are making a bigger deal out of Left Eye's death. Lane was a true rocker and vocalist."

I replied to him right there on stage, and over the mic: "It's probably because Left Eye wasn't trying to bring everyone DOWN into her world."

If you have a positive influence on the world, you are going to be thought of more than some heroin junkie.

Don't get me wrong, I too enjoyed Lane Staley's vocals. Alice in Chains had very unique, sinister harmonies and musicianship...but again, it was just more songs about heroin. (LOL! It was a running joke in a couple of my bands that whenever we covered any AIC tune, I'd preamble it by saying: "This is a song about ....heroin." ) Thank God we NEVER covered Nirvana.

Sorry,....I did not mean to turn this into a rant about who is talented and who ain't.

In the end....it all still boils down to opinions....and everyone has those.

My fave bands in the 80's were : Duran Duran, Journey, Great White, Whitesnake, Iron Maiden, Dio, Black Sabbath (with Dio), Van Halen (with Sammy Hagar), and RUSH (which has lasted through the 70's, 80's , 90', and thus far in the current millenium.)

Sorry bout the rant,
Martok the Classic Rocker