Bob Dylan’s favourite Nirvana song
On the face of it, Bob Dylan and Nirvana could not be further from each other. The former is a folk hero, following in the footsteps of the eminent Woody Guthrie, and the latter are alternative rock heroes who changed music’s trajectory overnight, meaning that musically, they are very different.
Well, that’s what people would have you believe. There are actually more similarities between the two icons than we might initially think. The first factor that ties them together is that they are two of the most important musical artists to have ever existed, doing much to make popular music a better place, adding elements that are now regarded as crucial foundations of the form. Duly, the influences of Dylan and Nirvana is ubiquitous today, with an array of different artists citing them as having a defining impact.
The second is that Dylan and Nirvana’s late frontman Kurt Cobain are two of the greatest songwriters the world has ever seen. Dylan first made his name in the early 1960s, writing protest songs that helped to fuel the countercultural fire before embarking on a creative odyssey that saw him experiment with everything from jazz to hard rock.
As for Kurt Cobain, he was something of a Generation X answer to John Lennon. He expertly fused sugary pop melodies with a sludgy form of rock that meant that Nirvana had a crossover pull that the world had not seen since the days of The Beatles. Some might argue that he pinched his signature quiet-loud-quiet dynamic mode from Boston heroes Pixies, but at the end of the day, it’s a moot point, as the quality of his songs and lyrics speak for themselves.
Given that Cobain was such a pioneering artist, it makes sense that Dylan was aware of his work. The Duluth, Minnesota musician has long been one of music’s most eminent commentators, showcasing a love of music that is as varied as his own back catalogue. It transpires that Dylan was a fan of Nirvana’s, and one of their songs, in particular, made a mark on him, the ominous ‘Polly’ from 1991’s Nevermind.
Dylan heard the song live at a show he attended, and afterwards, he highlighted it as one of the finest points of the band’s set, which was mostly down to the candid nature of Cobain’s performance, as typified by their Unplugged rendition. Acutely understanding Cobain’s talent, he shared praise for the grunge icon, saying: “That kid has heart”.
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