Soundgarden's Kim Thayil Was So Underwhelmed When He First Heard Nirvana

Kim Thayil first heard Nirvana's music in the late-'80s before the band went into the studio with producer Jack Endino to record their debut album, and he was not impressed.

Thayil and Endino were longtime friends from the Seattle music scene. Thayil recalls Endino describing Nirvana as a "great new band from Aberdeen" and playing some demos for him one day.

In retrospect, the Soundgarden guitarist admits he might have been too wrapped up in the craft of guitar playing to properly evaluate Nirvana's songwriting. He wasn't sure that the band warranted Endino's enthusiasm.

He looked back on the experience in a new conversation with Rick Beato, alongside Endino and Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic.

"I wasn't really into the songs, but this was pre-Bleach; this was really early," Thayil recalled. "At the time, I was like, 'Ehh.' He kept saying, 'These guys are great, listen to the vocals.' And I'm like, 'Yeah, the vocals are great.' But I'm a guitarist.

"And even though we had a great singer in our band, I would focus on the riffs and the songs. And no matter how often people told me that Chris [Cornell] was a great singer, or people told me that Kurt [Cobain] was a great singer, it's just like, 'Oh, but I'm not hearing any cool riffs' (laughs)."

Thayil finally came around on Nirvana when he heard the the finished version of the Bleach album.

"I think I heard it before it came out because I dropped by the Sub Pop offices and I thought, 'This is insane!'"

In an interview earlier this year, Thayil said bands like Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and Alice In Chains had Nirvana to thank for bringing "a broader audience" to their music.

This past spring, Thayil, Novoselic and Matt Cameron joined forces in a new band called 3rd Secret. The band released its debut album and teased more music to come in the future.