In June 1989, Nirvana released their first ever album 'Bleach', under the supervision of Sub-Pop records - their first and only record label.

The band as it then stood consisted of Kurt Cobain on guitar and vocals, Chris Novoselic on bass, Chad Channing on drums and a forth member Jason Everman, who joined the band during the recording but never actually played on the album. Dave Grohl was to come much later.

Bleach, although not the most polished of the Nirvana albums, has a raw quality that is lacking in the Nevermind & In Utero. Through compromise rather then choice, the majority of tracks are pure Seattle grunge with metal influences, as the record label and the music scene at the time demanded Kurt put the 'pop' side to this music on hold until the later albums. Although Kurt disavows any personal relevance in the lyrics of the album, if you examine his life at the time all the songs seem strangely relevant.

One of the things that make the lyrics on Bleach unique, is that when Kurt wrote this album he was as yet unaffected by the instant stardom that would become the basis of much of his future songs. The angst from which these songs are derived hail back to Kurt’s childhood, his parents divorce and his bad experiences at school. The night before the Bleach studio sessions, Kurt still hadn't written many of the songs that appear on Bleach, so a huge amount were wrote into the small hours of the morning. Kurt had a very flippant attitude towards lyrics, at the time not seeing them as very important. This is reflected in the fact that the song 'School' has only 15 words, and most of the others only have one verse repeated several times, but because of Kurt’s wide range of vocal styles and phrasing it is barely noticeable.

Accompanying the lyrics are the catchy riffs in each song, and the energetic drumming. Each track is catchy and memorable, but at the same time was 'rock and roll' enough to grab the attentions of the Seattle scene. Here is a summary of each track on the album:

BLEW - For this song, Kurt tuned down to a 'drop-D' tuning, which explains the heavy sound of both the lead and bass riffs. The rhythm of the distorted guitars seems almost drunken, and the thrash drumming compliments that effectively. The lyrics on Blew fit the darkness of the music perfectly - "If you wouldn't care I would like to leave/If you wouldn't mind I would like to breathe"

FLOYD THE BARBER - Floyd The Barber is a character from a sitcom in the 60's called 'The Andy Griffin Show'. The track follows Blew in terms of having a chuggy verse, but explodes into a chorus that hints at the style Kurt would adapt in later albums. It includes a keen guitar solo mid way and repetitive drumming pattern that made it an early mosh-pit favourite

ABOUT A GIRL - The story behind this song is very interesting. Kurt's girlfriend at the time Tracy asked him why he never wrote a song about here (the lyrics 'I can't see you every night for free' is meant to refer to Tracy’s requests that he pay rent to live with her). As a result, we have About A Girl, the most clear indication on the album of the pop direction Kurt wanted to go in. The melody is almost Beatlesque, and is very different from most of the other tracks. About A Girl survives as a Nirvana classic all the way to the MTV Unplugged session

SCHOOL - This song was almost called 'The Seattle Song', as the riff is said to be an almost perfect example of typical Sub-Pop grunge at the time. Either way, the dynamics of this song are excellent, and the riff is quite addictive.

LOVE BUZZ - This is the only cover song on the album, written not by Kurt Cobain but Robby Van Leeuwen. The melody line of this song is almost oriental, and contrasts with the typically chuggy bass riff to make a bizarre but catchy song

PAPER CUTS - This the most diverse song on the album, and actually probably the weakest. It opens with a repetitive drum beat, then mellows out into a gentle Kurt-lead riff. The chorus explodes into a series of wailing vocals, and never really peaks. The lyrics however, seem quite autobiographical. He can only be referring to his Mother Wendy in the lines 'The lady whom I feel a maternal love for/cannot look me in the eyes'

NEGATIVE CREEP - This excellent song sounds much like a first-person narrative from an anti-social person - 'I'm a negative creep and I'm stoned'. Kurt Cobain once said the song was about himself. The song appears later on The Muddy Banks Of The Wiskah Album, but the version on there is mild in comparison to the original. The aggressive passion in this song, along with the energetic riff makes it a very powerful track

SCOFF - This song was meant to have been written during the late writing sessions before the recording of Bleach. Kurt wails 'In your eyes, I'm not lazy/In your eyes I'm not worth it' - this seems to refer to Kurt’s relationship with his parents Don & Wendy, who both declared him useless and his music a waste of time. This song has another sneaky chorus that seems almost pop like, then returns to a very basic heavy riff for the verse. Another excellent song.

SWAP MEET - The title of this song comes straight from Kurt and Chris's home down of Aberdeen. In rural America, 'swap meets' take place in drive-ins or parking lots, and are giant markets where people sell their possessions to make the rent. These featured all lot in Kurt’s childhood, and the lyrics take a very direct look at the kind of people and items who appear there. The song is a little repetitive, but keeps with the winning formula of catchy chorus in-between chuggy riffs. This track contains a slightly awkward guitar solo, but some excellent drumming

MR. MOUSTACHE - One thing about this song, is that the title appears no where in the lyrics - a trend in alt rock that still happens today. The riff in this is furious and fast, and the song is filled with aggression. Kurt writes about 'Mr. Moustache' - a representative of the 'macho' Americans he had always despised. The track features some of Kurt's best vocal sections and Chris playing some excellent bass lines

SIFTING - This song talks a lot about authority figures, including teachers and preachers. The lyrics don't seem to have a clear message behind them though, at least not to me. The pace of the song is quite mellow, and the chorus is a little bland but strangely catchy

BIG CHEESE - This song is apparently about the bands first record producer. It opens with a strange guitar riff and a messy bass line, and Kurt's lyrics sound so different you could mistake it as a guest singer until the chorus

DOWNER - This song is actually a very early Kurt Cobain song that was written with one of his original bands. This vocals almost amusingly fast, and the brief spurts of riff sound almost like the Sex Pistols(?). The drumming is furious and the short bass riff is so deep it makes your stomach vibrate

Sales of Bleach were the best ever achieved by a band with Sub-Pop, and the ill-fated European tour that followed it's release is nevertheless a reflection of it's importance in the Nirvana story. Compared to the later and better known Nirvana efforts, Bleach sounds quite obscure. However, as well as being an excellent representative of the early mind of Kurt Cobain, the album is full of good grunge songs. Then highlights of About A Girl, Negative Creep and Scoff are essential by any standards.

As a fan of Nirvana, this album is important to me as it represents a time I've only read about - Nirvana and Kurt Cobain before they were famous. The album if a gem, and a rare insight into how it all began.
As a fan of music, this album is as essential as any other in my collection. It contains the great lyrical ad vocal talents of Kurt Cobain, as well as some beautifully put together music. The album is diverse, but always true to grunge and typical rock and roll.

If you ever liked Nirvana, if you ever liked rock, find Bleach in the obscure corners of HMV and buy it, I doubt very much that you will be disappointed.