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What was Kurt Cobain’s opinion on Aerosmith
Kurt Cobain was born in Aberdeen, Washington in 1967 and started his music career in 1985. In the following years he became one of the most influential songwriters and frontmen of all time when Nirvana rose to fame with the release of their groundbreaking album “Nevermind” in 1992. His career was tragically cut short when he took his own life in 1994 at the age of 27.
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Since he was active for a short period of time, there are not many interviews with the late singer available. But a few times he talked about other bands and one of them was Aerosmith.
What was Kurt Cobain’s opinion on Aerosmith
Aerosmith was formed when Kurt Cobain was only a three year old kid, so when he was teenager, they were already one of the most influential bands in the United States and had released many classic albums already. So they really became one of his favorite groups and he once praised them in an interview with MTV in the 90s.
(Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage) “I hardly ever enjoyed seeing, watching an arena Rock show. I think I only seen a few of them, I really liked Aerosmith when I saw them 10 years ago. That was a really big show but that’s just because I like the band so much. I was really familiar with the songs and everything. I would have rather seen it in a club, you know. Or a theater of a few thousand people for sure,” Kurt Cobain said.
Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer were really an inspiration for Kurt. Back in 2002, Kurt Cobain‘s journals were published and showed the world a little bit more about his taste in music. He had made a list called “Top 50 by Nirvana”.
One of the albums listed there was Aerosmith’s “Rocks”, released in 1976. That record is one of the most praised the band released and has many famous tracks. Some of them are “Back In The Saddle”, “Last Child”, “Nobody’s Fault”, “Rats In The Cellar” and “Sick as a Dog”.
What he didn’t like about Aerosmith and bands like Led Zeppelin
Although he liked bands like Aerosmith, AC/DC and Led Zeppelin, the lyrics really bothered him. Cobain always criticized sexism and the way women were treated without respect by men. Much of that behavior was present in the lyrics of those famous groups and was something that the Nirvana leader didn’t like.
He said that in an interview with Jon Savage back in 1993 (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage). “Although I listened to Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin, and really did enjoy some of the melodies they’d written. It took me so many years to realize that a lot of it had to do with sexism. They way they wrote about their dicks and having sex. I was just starting to understand, what really was pissing me off so much, those last couple of years of high school,” Kurt Cobain said.
Kurt Cobain had the chance to meet Aerosmith backstage
Kurt not only went to see them after he was already famous but also had the chance to meet them backstage. It was the Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry who recalled that meeting in an interview with Classic Rock. Perry said that Cobain was quiet and that his girlfriend Courtney Love said that he really didn’t like anybody but he loved Aerosmith.
“He was pretty quiet, he just wanted to hang out. He came in the dressing room with Courtney and kind of just sat around with us. (Kurt) was a normal guy. When he went off to the bathroom, Courtney – who was very verbal – said: ‘He loves you guys. He doesn’t like anybody, but he loves you guys.’ I had nothing but respect for the guy. He was an amazing songwriter and performer, and to hear that was great,” Joe Perry said.
