ROCK MUSIC THEORY: WINGER VS. FOO FIGHTERS

[tobedawg]

**So Today as I was listening to XM radio's 80's On 8, I was treated to the WINGER power ballad from the Summer of 1989, "Headed for a Heartbreak".. As I listened to this gem and reminiced about the simpler days, there was something about the song that sounded ALL too familiar, as if I had heard it before very recently

Comments

[moozeekfan]

Couldn't be more wrong. The Foo Fighters have made a career out of being accessible to their fans and Dave Grohl being an honest-to-god rock star without the air of pretension and royalty the 80s metal guys all had. If anything, his closest comparison is Kid Rock, another guy who you'd love to hang out with and drink.

Nirvana is about as relevant to alternative music today as the Sex Pistols are, which is to say, they represent the past generation, but bear no importance to most popular bands of the day. So to say Grohl keeps bringing up Nirvana in his music is not only false, but it makes me wonder if you've listened to any of the last two or three Foo records. (I can't imagine Cobain making a record like Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace)

Certainly, the audience has now shifted for Grohl in a way Cobain never had (or maybe even wanted), but the Industry, radio, and marketing has changed too. I'm not going to fault Grohl for making accessible records that lots of people enjoy, but to base an entire career of one song's similarities to a shit metal band is just lazy, man.

[tobedawg]

I Stand by that comparison..

Just one listen to the FOO FIGHTERS' "Long Road to Ruin" echoes Kip's vocal and stylings on "Headed for a Heartbreak".. Mr. Grohl is also an image artist as Kip Winger was.

I do agree that the industry, radio, and marketing have changed since the heydey of Nirvana especially with radio being bought by bigger corporate conglomerates and depending on consultants for advertiser-friendly playlists. I will also add that the youth have changed also since the Nirvana days.

[moozeekfan]

An image artist? How so? Because he changed haircuts and facial hair? :/

[tobedawg]

It's all about the numerous times he has appeared on the cover of various magazines with the appearance of a "wannabe" Sex Symbol, which is very similar to Mr. Winger.

The band themselves are highly overrated and had it NOT been for Dave Grohl's background with NIRVANA, they would have faded into the background like Creed did years ago.

[moozeekfan]

Umm...usually rock stars end up on magazine covers, and this really doesn't answer the question. I guess when I see Dave poof his hair and wear spandex and sing songs about poo-say, we can compare them, but for now, no. Not even close.

Why are they overrated? Because they sell albums? Fill arenas? There's a market for what they do, and the fighters of Foo do it quite well. I think that'd be a must to have a ten-year plus career. Obviously, millions of people dig them. if you don't dig them, that's your thing, and fine. But I wouldn't call them overrated when there's a zillion other bands who would kill for 25% of their success.