I'm a lyricist too, and I find most of Kurt's lyrics quite good (and some of Billie Joe's old stuff too). AND I'm a bass player, and both Krist Novoselic and Mike Dirnt of Green Day are influences. I mean, OK, a talented guitarist Billie Joe ISN'T; but the other two...? Forget about it. If you only know the band post-American Idiot, the assumption that they're mediocre is valid. If you know their older stuff, however...
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Listen to the bass and drums on that and tell me they're not talented.
About Tool...IDK. They just always seemed like the ultimate hipster band. Every single person who's ever gushed to me about Tool was a musical elitist and/or a hipster.Apart from maybe one. I guess they're just not my cup of tea. I need choruses/hooks to keep me interested, I'll admit. I'm very mainstream that way.
Tool is the perfect band to get high and listen to. Stoner music at it's finest. Never been a fan of Green Day, save for maybe one song, even though that song has been overused in almost every teen/college oriented flick that I find it annoying now.
Now, as for Nirvana. They have always been the type of band that seemed to hold what they said dear. That, and if it wasn't for them, we wouldn't have The Foo Fighter's. Just sayin'.