“The battle is the pleasure. I’m the anti guitar hero - I can barely play the thing myself. I’m the first to admit that I’m no virtuoso. I can’t play like Segovia. The flipside of that is that Segovia could probably never have played like me.”
- Kurt Cobain (Nirvana frontman)

~*~ Cleanliness is next to Godliness ~*~

Recorded in 1989 for a modest $606, the young and hopeful fledgling Nirvana knew nothing of their phenomenal future as Grunge’s biggest stars. It would be their second album and first major label output NEVERMIND that propelled them to the dizzy heights of mainstream fame and media glory, but it would be a travesty to the entire Grunge movement (and rock music in general) to overlook their debut put out on the cult SubPop label. BLEACH is something of a benchmark of the now infamous ‘Seattle Sound’ - before Teen Spirit hit and spawned the likes of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden all vying for the Grunge crown, there was SubPop - a grass roots low key affair calling itself a record company, it gave life to Grunge, put Seattle on the map, and pointed the way to Nirvana.

The pre-NEVERMIND excitement all occured around this trés un-glam setting, and it was BLEACH that inspired the first flux of Nirvana Mania and SubPop hype. Released in June 1989, BLEACH made waves first in the UK. In fact, it was the Brits who caught onto the whole Grunge vibe before anybody else, thanks to the extensive music media interest, particularly from the likes of magazines the NME and Melody Maker. The album was a huge hit by SubPop standards. They had only issued a few thousand CDs, and were soon bowing to intense demand as hundreds of thousands clamoured for a copy. BLEACH still sells well today as new generations of Grungesters fall for the Nirvana charm that never died.

~*~ Big Cheese ~*~

This was Nirvana before the famous Teen Spirit trio became household names, but founding members Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic headed up the then four-piece. Chad Channing was the drummer for the band at this time, one of many before they settled on legendary sticksman Dave Grohl. Finally, Jason Everman is credited on the album as a contributing guitarist. In truth he played nothing in the sessions, but did cough up the $606! He did tour with Nirvana for a while afterwards, but soon left.

Kurt Cobain - Vocals, guitar
Krist Novoselic - Bass
Chad Channing - Drums
Jason Everman - Guitar (or... not)

~*~ The Low Down ~*~

Opening track ‘Blew’ is a good indicator of the overall feel of BLEACH - a brooding low-end heady song, heavy with bass and electrifying guitar riffs - it sets the pace and tone for the album, meandering through deep throaty verses and gut-screaming choruses. If you are going to download any one song to preview the vibe of this record, this is the one to go for.

Second track, ‘Floyd The Barber’ takes it’s name from a character from 60s US TV hit ‘The Andy Griffith Show’. Here Cobain uses his dark lyrical wit to turn a presentation of American rural harmony into a grunge ridden nightmare. So Floyd becomes a grisly Sweeney Todd, decapitating his customers, as the quaint country-folk gather round to feast upon this sadistic ritual. The dark and plodding mood of the song is a perfect match for such content, and builds to a rather stirring crescendo.

In amongst these heavy riffs sits the simple melodious love song ‘About A Girl’ - a perfect piece of Beatle-esque pop, that Nirvana crafted so exquisitely, and shone when performing it live acoustically. Another one you must download, and definitely a more accessible and mellow listen, it will appeal to rockers and popsters alike.

‘School’ follows, bringing back the frenetic guitars and screaming lyrics, as well as an introduction to the Teenage Angst that stapled the Grunge movement. Formed of only 3 lines, repeated over and over, it literally screams out against the monotony of High School life - a crippling existence with “No recess”. The song went under the working title of ‘The Seattle Scene’, and thus extends Cobain’s dislike for cliques and social snobbery out of the school halls and into all areas of the wider world.

‘Love Buzz’ - Nirvana’s first single and unusually a cover track, of Dutch band Shocking Blue’s original. It proved an effective beginning for the band, gaining extensive play on US college radio and building up a decent underground swell for the band. And it’s not hard to see why. Catchy and melodic, it packs a punch that leaves a hell of a bruise.

Next up is ‘Paper Cuts’, a grunge dirge, valuable for it’s lyrical insight rather than it’s often slow and dragging instrumentals. It is a song told from the perspective of a rather frightened and trapped child, you feel, with a strained if not totally disturbing maternal relationship as Cobain asserts that “my whole existence is for your amusement” - Cobain’s voice switching from soft to shrieking as the guitars gear up, and he almost whisperingly repeats the word “Nirvana” over and over into the fade.

Leading straight into the more new-wave and electric ‘Negative Creep’ - a beautifully simple and well-crafted tune, but coming off as totally original to the band. It’s a song of total self-deprecation, one that would secure Cobain’s place as the King of Teenage Angst for the disaffected generation which would soon come to worship him.

“In my eyes, I’m not lazy” begins track eight - ‘Scoff’, a sort of reply to the self-debasement of the previous track, stating that it’s alright for ME to be down on myself, but everybody else can shut up. It’s humurous, as Cobain could often be if you just chose to see it, the chorus made up of only the line “Give me back my alcohol.” Guitars on this track shine, and it’s arranged superbly. Probably quite an under-rated track.

‘Swap Meet’ again uses the same deep plodding verses and high frantic choruses to great affect. A tad repetitive, but a good track. ‘Mr Moustache’ is the next song, much more fast paced and full of anticipation, but we are given no climax in ‘Sifting’, the track which follows. It’s another dirge, slow and heavy, which means it can drag. Not so for the final two tracks - ‘Big Cheese’ is really quite a fantastic little song, a rollercoaster of the soft/loud, heavy/light, dark/lighthearted humour that Nirvana were so good at capturing. Lastly, ‘Downer’ sees Cobain ending on a high. Though not quite in the same league as the first few songs of the album, ‘Downer’ is upbeat and catchy, signalling good things to come.

~*~ The Battle is the Pleasure ~*~

Soft, loud, then soft again - Nirvana perfected this style of music, building on Cobain’s love of the Pixies, it would become a Grunge trademark after NEVERMIND hit the shelves. BLEACH is more of a homage to Kurt’s metal and alt-punk passions, the gut-wrenching kind of passion that strips your throat as you assault the microphone - it is merely a glimpse of what he was capable of in the live arena.

If this is not your kind of thing, you may fight to find the melodies in amongst the racket, but if you have both Black Sabbath and the Beatles in pride of place within your record collection, this would be the perfect offspring.

If you consider yourself a Nirvana fan AT ALL, you must listen to this album and see where it all began. It’s nowhere near as commercial as the popular heavily MTV-rotated music, but it’s priceless in it’s originality and experimental metal/punk/pop hybrid sound. Want to know what Grunge REALLY sounds like?! Get a doseful of BLEACH.

~*~ And Finally... ~*~

To conclude, if you like your rock raw, rancid, and raucous then you should already own this! If, however, you like a soft easy to swallow slice of radio friendly musak, then steer clear. You need real rock passion to fully appreciate this Grunge gem.

*Track List*

(1) Blew
(2) Floyd The Barber
(3) About A Girl
(4) School
(5) Love Buzz
(6) Paper Cuts
(7) Negative Creep
(8) Scoff
(9) Swap Meet
(10) Mr. Moustache
(11) Sifting
(12) Big Cheese
(13) Downer

Standout tracks: Blew, About A Girl, Love Buzz, Negative Creep

~*~ When, Where, and How Much?! ~*~

BLEACH has been out for eons, so if you don’t have it, you better have a good excuse! It is still widely available in all major music retailers (such as HMV and Virgin, and also many Woolworths and WHSmith stores) and online, for varying prices, anywhere between £6 and £12. Remember, prices tend to go up at major anniversaries (e.g. Kurt Cobain’s death in April), so search for the best deal.