Grunge
Jerry Cantrell’s Brighten Shines a Light Back on His Stellar Solo Work: Review
The Lowdown: As one of the main creative forces of Alice in Chains for decades, singer-guitarist Jerry Cantrell is responsible for penning some of rock’s all-time great guitar riffs. He has remained busy with Alice in Chains (regularly issuing albums and touring after the arrival of singer William DuVall in 2006), and as a result, his solo career took a backseat — his last solo offering, Degradation Trip, dropped all the way back in 2002. So, nearly 20 years later, Cantrell is ready to go at it solo once more with Brighten. For the new album, he enlisted the aid of such renowned names as Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan, ex-Dillinger Escape Plan singer Greg Puciato (who supplies background vocals), and producer/composer Tyler Bates, among several additional respected musicians. The Good:...
Dave Grohl Reacts to Nirvana Nevermind Baby Lawsuit: “I Have Many Ideas of How We Should Alter That Cover”
Dave Grohl has reacted to the recent lawsuit brought against Nirvana by Spencer Elden, who was photographed as the baby on the cover of the band’s iconic 1991 album, Nevermind. In a new interview, the onetime Nirvana drummer and current Foo Fighters frontman said he has “many ideas of how we should alter that cover.” Elden is suing multiple defendants — including Grohl, Krist Novoselic, the estate of Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love, Universal Music Group, and more — alleging 30 years later that the naked underwater image of him as a 4-month-old baby was child pornography and that using it as the album cover was child sexual exploitation. In addition to seeking monetary compensation, Elden is requesting that the cover artwork be changed for all future releases of Nevermind, including the recentl...
Nirvana “Nevermind Baby” Wants His Naked Image Removed from 30th Anniversary Reissue
Thirty years ago today (September 24th), Nirvana changed the shape of rock to come with their magnum opus, Nevermind, which boasted one of the most iconic album covers of all time. The 1991 grunge landmark is getting an expansive reissue for the occasion, but Spencer Elden — who posed as the swimming naked baby that graces Nevermind‘s cover — wants to leave his genitalia out of the artwork. Last month, Elden sued Kurt Cobain’s estate, the surviving members of Nirvana, and other parties, accusing them of child exploitation. He claimed that his legal guardians didn’t formally consent to his image being used on the album cover. Legal experts have called the case “frivolous” and “offensive” to victims of child pornography. As part of the lawsuit, Elden requested that the image be rem...
30 Years Ago, Nirvana Unleashed the Game-Changing Nevermind
Heavy Consequence contributor Greg Prato is the author of several rock books, including 2009’s Grunge Is Dead: The Oral History of Seattle Rock Music. Here, Prato looks back at Nirvana’s groundbreaking 1991 album Nevermind on its 30th anniversary, sharing quotes from his aforementioned book. Few albums have played a major role in changing the direction of rock music. Not only did Nirvana’s Nevermind do just that, it also started a cultural revolution. Upon the release of Nevermind on September 24th, 1991, it seemed like almost immediately, hair metal was pronounced dead, as radio and MTV suddenly embraced likeminded bands hailing from the Seattle area. Beyond the music, young people began adopting “grunge fashion,” while also embracing the more progressive and introspective thinking ...
The Final Show of Pearl Jam’s First Tour Heralded Future Stardom
Listen via: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Radio Public | Pocket Casts | RSS Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament once stated that “essentially Ten was just an excuse to tour.” The band clearly just wanted some material to play on the road, as their first tour kicked off just after they’d completed mixing sessions for their debut album; the record wasn’t even released yet. The tour — PJ’s only with drummer Matt Chamberlain — was a short one focusing on the East Coast and Midwest. It wrapped up in Chicago at the famed Cabaret Metro with a concert that is still legendary among Pearl Jam fans. Advertisement Related Video After that Metro gig on July 21st, 1991, the band took a break as they prepared fo...
Pearl Jam Celebrate Ten, No Code Anniversaries with Remixed Digital Albums
August 27th is an important day for Pearl Jam fanatics, and the date has particular significance this year. Today marks the 30th anniversary of the band’s iconic debut, Ten, as well as the 25th anniversary of their smash fourth LP, No Code. To celebrate, Pearl Jam is unveiling newly remixed digital exclusive editions of both records, plus they’re streaming their legendary 2014 “No Code Show” for free. The new digital mixes come courtesy of producer/sound engineer Josh Evans, who produced PJ’s most recent full-length, last year’s Gigaton. As he did with that album, Evans has given Ten and No Code an immersive makeover using Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio, adding even more detail and nuance to the classic tracks. As Evans explained in a press release, “These two a...
The Baby on Nirvana’s Nevermind Album Cover Sues Band for Child Sexual Exploitation
Spencer Elden, who was famously photographed as a baby for Nirvana’s iconic Nevermind album cover, is suing the band for child sexual exploitation. The lawsuit comes just a month shy of the landmark album’s 30th anniversary. One of the most famous album covers of all time, Nevermind depicts a then four-month-old Elden swimming naked underwater as he reaches for a dollar bill. As the story goes, Elden was the son of a friend of album photographer Kurt Weddle. Nirvana’s label, Geffen, initially objected to Elden’s penis being visible, but Kurt Cobain insisted it not be censored. The Nirvana frontman at one point said his only compromise would be a strategically placed sticker that read, “If you’re offended by this, you must be a closet pedophile.” According to TMZ, Elden has now filed a laws...
Jerry Cantrell Announces 2022 North American Solo Tour
Jerry Cantrell has announced a 2022 North American solo tour. The Alice in Chains singer-guitarist will be heading out in support of his upcoming solo album, Brighten, arriving October 29th. The outing will be Cantrell’s first full-fledged solo tour since 2004. Most recently, he performed a pair of intimate club shows with an all-star pickup band in Los Angeles in late 2019, prior to the pandemic. The extensive 2022 tour kicks off March 24th at First Avenue in Minneapolis and runs through a May 8th date at the House of Blues in San Diego. Highlight stops include an April 5th appearance at Irving Plaza in New York City and a homecoming show of sorts on May 2nd at the iconic Moore Theater in Seattle. Advertisement Related Video Cantrell was joined by a large cast of friends and collaborators...
Jeff Ament’s Art Helped Define Pearl Jam
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Radio Public | Pocket Casts | RSS While Season 16 of the Consequence Podcast Network and Sony’s The Opus focuses on the unparalleled musical legacy Ten, it’s important to note of Pearl Jam has been defined as much by their visuals as their sound. On Episode 2, we explore how bassist Jeff Ament not only contributed to Pearl Jam’s sonics, but their imagery as well. Advertisement Related Video In fact, Ament may be the owner of the most recognizable handwriting in rock. Starting with the album art for Temple of the Dog, his designs and penmanship became a part of the optical brand for not just Pearl Jam, but for other Seattle music-based projects like the 1992 Cameron ...
Win a Pearl Jam Ten Prize Pack with Vinyl, Funko Pop Set, and Fender Player Stratocaster Guitar
It’s a big year for Pearl Jam fans, as the band’s early albums Ten and No Code both are celebrating anniversaries — 30 and 25 years, respectively. We’re in heavy celebration mode here on Consequence, not only making Ten the focus of our latest season of The Opus podcast on the Consequence Podcast Network, but putting together a rocking prize pack featuring both LPs. In addition to one (1) copy each of Ten and No Code on vinyl, this exclusive giveaway also features the new Pearl Jam Funko Pop! set so you can play with small bodied, big headed versions of your favorite alt icons. What’s more, we’re gonna make it possible to play your favorite Pearl Jam songs as well, because we’re also including one (1) Fender Player Stratocaster el...
Stone Temple Pilots and Bush Announce Fall 2021 Co-Headlining Tour
Two bands from the heyday of ’90s alternative rock, Stone Temple Pilots and Bush, are joining forces for a co-headlining 2021 US tour. The run will set off September 30th in Mesa, Arizona, and wrap up October 17th in Oklahoma City. Black Map and Devora will provide support. A press release promises an “an unforgettable night of music,” with each band taking turns closing out the night in various cities. Advertisement Related Video Tickets for the shows go on sale to the general public starting Friday, August 20th, at 10 a.m. local venue time via Ticketmaster, with pre-sales beginning Thursday. A limited amount of $20 tickets are available for certain dates. In addition to the dates with Bush, Stone Temple Pilots will hit the road on their own headlining run from October 18th through Novemb...
Pearl Jam’s Ten Is Alive Because of an Unlikely Series of Events
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Radio Public | Pocket Casts | RSS On the debut episode of Season 16 of Consequence Podcast Network and Sony’s The Opus, we explore the intertwining series of events that led to Pearl Jam’s iconic debut, Ten, coming alive. The chain of moments that led to Ten are wild. Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard were previously in Green River, and when that broke up, they launched the psych-garage band Mother Love Bone with singer Andrew Wood. Unfortunately, Wood passed away right before their first album was released. To honor their fallen bandmate, Ament and Gossard joined a few members of Soundgarden for a tribute album under the Temple of the Dog moniker. Former Red Hot Ch...
