My name's Paul, and I like rock music. Check out the "all about me" section for more info.
My name's Paul, and I like rock music. Check out the "all about me" section for more info.
Member since:20.12.2000
Reviews:45
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Has it really been 10 years? I still remember the first time I listened to this album. It was my Dad’s car, and we were racing around the Lake District whilst the stereo was kicking out “Smells Like Teen Spirit” at an obscene volume. This was just prior to my real discovery of music, and the birth of my real passion, but, even to my untrained ears, the sound of loud music coupled with acceleration seemed to evoke something primal.
This album, for the few of you who don’t know, was released in 1991, referred to by a few US underground gurus as “The Year Punk Broke”. It was Nirvana’s second album, and their first on a major label. Propelled by heavy MTV play for the video of the aforementioned “…Teen Spirit”, it helped spearhead the “alternative revolution”, as more noisy rock bands started to appear in the musical mainstream, such as Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, etc. (A lot of these bands were labelled as “grunge music”, a term I will avoid, as personally, I feel it makes no sense to try and group such disparate bands).
From here, Nirvana went on to release a rarities compilation “Incesticide”, another studio album “In Utero”, and recorded a “MTV Unplugged” show before
troubled Singer/Guitarist/Songwriter Kurt Cobain took his own life in 1994, signalling the end of this seminal band. Of his musical legacy, “Nevermind” stands as the most accessible album, and is damn-near essential for anyone with even a passing interest in rock music.
OK, on with the show! First up, we have “…Teen Spirit”. The strummy guitar intro gives way quickly to a frenzy of power chords, before fading almost completely. During the verse, the guitar plays a simple chiming line, whilst Kurt half sings/ half mumbles the verse. The guitar begins to become more insistent as Kurt repeats “Hello, Hello, Hello, How Low?” to almost hypnotic effect. Then, the power chords return and we’re treated to a chorus, which is both infectious and filled with rage. It’s one of Kurt’s greatest tricks that he can actually scream a melody line, as many imitators who have tried to copy his style have found.
From there, we go into “In Bloom”, a sly dig at some of the bands more unsavoury fans. Once again, the quiet verses give way to large, powerful choruses, and the song is, on the whole much in the same high quality vein as the first track. With track 3 “Come As You Are”, we find a more introspective Nirvana. The song is built around a moody bass riff and restrained drumming From Dave Grohl (now of the Foo Fighters). It will, however, be best remembered for the “I don’t have a gun” refrain, ironic in light of Cobain’s subsequent suicide.
The fourth track, “Breed” dispenses with introspection in favour of straight punk rock. Powered along on a filthy bass riff and absolutely thunderous drumming, the track seems more akin to a fairground ride than a rock song. Once again though, come the chorus, Kurt ensure we’re singing along with him, even if we’re not sure what we’re singing. Next up we’re greeted to “Lithium”, another quiet verse/loud chorus song, seemingly about an experience on anti-depressants. A sample line: “I’m so happy/ ‘Cos today I found my friends/ They’re in my head.”
From there, we’re treated to the stark acoustic “ballad” which is “Polly”. A song about a girl who was kidnapped and sexually assaulted, the imagery in the song itself is suitably disturbing and dark. After this, we’re treated to Bassist Kris Novoselic singing the chorus of an old hippy song “Smile on your brother” (or sommat like that), before the band launch into “Territorial Pissings“. Easily one of the most acerbic two minutes on the album, Kurt’s lacerating guitar and ravaged vocals still stubbornly refuse to lose the tune.
Next up is “Drain You”. This starts as one of the more straight “pop” songs on the album, at no point really exploding. However, it all starts to go a bit strange during the middle section, with an short “noise jam” before building back up to the last verse and chorus. From there we have the moody “Lounge Act”, a low-key tale of jealousy which builds into screaming paranoia by the last refrain.
Track 10 is the caustic “Stay Away”, which is a faster, punkier number, much along the same lines as “Breed” and “Territorial Pissings”. After that, we have “On a Plain”, a straighter pop-rock song, similar to “Drain You”, although it seems our Kurt is running out of ideas, as he sings “What the hell am I trying to say?” at one point in the bridge. The twelfth, and final listed track is “Something In The Way”, another moody acoustic number. Based on a simple two-chord vamp it’s a low key “ending” to a seminal album.
But the show isn’t over yet! Fourteen minutes after “Something…” finishes, we have the sound of feedback, and a guitar being thrashed to within a inch of it’s life. “From there we’re treated to the hidden track, dubbed “Endless Nameless”, it’s a tune-free noise jam, which includes, if legend is correct, the sound of Kurt smashing his guitar. The moral of the story? Never, ever go to sleep with this album on, I did, and I’m still having the nightmares!
Seriously though, this album is one of the most important rock albums from the 90’s. Like all truly classic rock albums, it’s aged well and is still gaining new converts. The amount of times I’ve walked around town and seen kids who wouldn’t have been 10 by the time Kurt Cobain killed himself wearing Nirvana T-shirts is a testament to this!
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