I was listening to the radio earlier today and was reminded that this is the 17th anniversary of the death of Kurt Cobain. That factoid brought me back to the Fall of 1991 when Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was released. I don't exactly remember the first time that I heard the song, but I do remember the first time I really "heard" the song, if you get my drift. I was driving home from the Attleboro, MA train station in my 1987 Honda Civic back in the days when I worked in Boston at Shawmut Bank. At some point on Rte. 152 on my trek home, the song came on the radio, and I recall paying special attention to it because it was different. The lyrics weren't especially meaningful, however the sound itself was new to my ears. For me, it alternated between rage and sophistication, but in a coherent way. It truly was the song "that started it all" with respect to modern alternative music. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" paved the way for a new era of bands and brought alternative music into the mainstream like never before. Every time I hear it on the radio, it reminds me of that day in '91 and I smile to myself knowing that this song was the song that started it all.
Thank you Kurt, and thank you Nirvana. We miss you.
