Welcome to Grungedown’s Top Five – lest you think all of our remaining cuts somehow melted in the aforementioned sweltering, stifling midsummer heat wave, we’re back! On a Friday, no less. But, of course, because we’re about to bid adieu for the weekend (Don’t think that Mister Faded Glory’s reluctant adultism will preclude adamant drunkenness.), we have a couple of other items to quickly stab at:
Check out these excellent blogs deadspin to read all about the Cubs Blog Army’s inadvertent takedown of the WorldWide Leader (even Deadspin is almost a curiously innocent bystander – yet not according to the ranting Stephen A. Smith, who no doubt was yelling into poor Teddy Greenstein’s telephone yesterday).
“For me it never has been about just being on TV. I’m about success.”
Stephen A. Smith
Greenstein, Quite Frankly: Baker Bails Out, Chicago Tribune.
Yes. Totally. That incessant screaming and ranting crap wasn’t completely about crafting an ‘edgy’ bombastic persona just so ESPN’s Mark (Sigh. Iowa grad.) Shapiro took notice in 2002.
Watch out, bloggers, Stephen A. is about success! Even though the combined daily site hits of deadspin and GROTA likely surpass the monthly combined viewership of Quite Frankly by tenfold – Stephen A. can totally afford way more steak dinners at the ESPNZone. Probably more Zimas, too. And Stuart Scott no doubt springs for drinks all the time.
Hmm. That was actually just one item. And, admittedly, my commentary adds nothing to GROTA, Desipio, VFTB, or Deadspin. (By the way, I realize that Quite Frankly, uh, quite frankly dwarfs my audience. So I’m not throwing stones. Seriously, does anyone like Stephen A.? Anywhere?) But I just wanted to piggyback. Regardless, what else can I bore you with? Oh, right, the countdown.
No. 5
Screaming Trees, Nearly Lost You.
The underrated Trees burst onto the pop culture landscape just a scant few times – an extremely solid and workmanlike band, they perfectly epitomized some elegant aspects of the Seattle sound – frustrated, deep, resonant vocals, scratchy guitar riffs and even some spooky and heartfelt ballads.
However, Nearly Lost You is by far their biggest hit – from Sweet Oblivion but included on the Singles soundtrack and charting during the summer of 1991, the tune is a catchy, inspired love song.
Its guitar hook is thunderous yet understated, and it’s plaintive but relieved vocals are down-to-earth and quietly optimistic. The song opens with fury, yet elegantly descends into the first stanza, as if the narrator was loudly proclaiming his message – yet slowly reflecting during his delivery. The lead guitars are forceful, but the backing hooks are wistful. It’s a simplistic, short ditty of a grunge song – yet there is still a lot going on, layers abound, musically and lyrically.
Nearly Lost You checks in at five, but it may well be the most timeless cut on the countdown. Its melody and structure very easily could have been a 1970s anthem or even a late-1990s alt-metal cut, but with the grunge wrinkles and the Trees’ usual virtuoso performance, it stands out perfectly as a grunge classic. It’s busy, but ultimately real in its sentiment, delivery, and story.
And, at the time, we all thought that’s what grunge was all about. You know what? Some of us think that still.
