Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to the cult album that is Nevermind by Nirvana.
For those completely unaware of the band, let alone the album, Nirvana were a Grunge band from Seattle during the early 90s. Made up of frontman Kurt Cobain, Kris Novoselic and Dave Grohl, they're widely considered as one of the biggest bands of their generation and genre due to their attitude and songs that hit the eardrums hard being the voice of the 'generation-X'. This is their second album following their debut 'Bleach' released at the turn of the decade, this however launched them to a new market and into the mainstream.
The iconic front cover shows a baby underwater, supposedly swimming after a dollar note. Whatever the semiotics are of it being greed or capitalist control, it's been parodied and humoured copious times since.
But the music is what makes this album what it is. It starts as it means
to go on with the anthemic 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' - a song that will still be played and adored in 50 years time no doubt. It's a song that sounded like nothing that had come before it, and has been hard to replicate since. The clean guitar riff bursting into distortion, the simple drum beat that everyone knows; even the music video of a college basketball court gradually being torn to shreds with the raucous moshpit - all of it is iconic and generation after generation will admire it. Cobain's pre-chorus chant of "Hello, hello, hello, how low?" and the chorus lines of "With the lights out, it's less dangerous..." are sung along to in any rock nightclub you walk into in any part of the globe. This song ultimately made Nirvana, and some cynics would say began the downfall of Cobain's mental health.
Of course, it's not the only song on the album so lets move on...elsewhere on the album include other singles such as "In Bloom", "Come As You Are" and "Lithium". The former has a grunge-strewn chorus which is similar to stuff previously found on Bleach, but Come As You Are differs in sound to Nirvana's previous work. The next-best single (when it comes to airplay and chart positions) on Nevermind contains an echoey opening riff which all beginners of the guitar will be taught within weeks of plucking their first string. Lithium is a prime example of the 'quiet verse; heavy chorus' formula which works so well for a number of bands, nowhere more so than Nirvana. The intriguing verse lyrics of "I'm so ugly, that's okay 'cos so are you', to the chorus screams of "I like it, I'm not gunna crack", they showcase the curious mind of Cobain working overtime.
Elsewhere, and the track "Polly" stands out as the acoustic number on the album. Supposedly written about a prostitute who was held captive, it's a dark song which can raise the hairs on the back of your neck with Cobain's gravelly vocal chords. So different to a lot of what else can be found on the album, it's in stark contrast to the song after it; "Territorial Pissings" - the screeching at the beginning of the song and the extra-heavy guitar compliment both songs perfectly.
Tracks such as "Drain You" and "Lounge Act" have become big favourites with fans of the bands work. Cult tracks you could say. Although they may seem 'lesser' tracks to some of the earlier songs on the album, after a couple listens they become just as accessible. Quiet, gentle verses; Large, heavy choruses. Just what any fan of rock, grunge, metal etc. etc. loves.
The final track on the album, "Something in the Way", finishes things off in a somber mood. The deep baseline combined with Cobain's low voice makes the song almost dream-like and an eerie way to finish this memorable album off.
After Nevermind, the band stormed the world left-right-and-centre with great success, and then came along albums such as "Incesticide" and "In Utero" until Cobain's suicide in April 1994 at the age of just 27. The band may have only given the world about five years worth of music, but albums such as Nevermind will last a lifetime. Day after day new people will discover it, and people who own it will dust it off and re-listen and recall how important an album this is. So important and memorable it is, I didn't even need to listen to it to write this review...now, let me just go and dust it off.
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i think this is one of those albums where at least 1 track on it will apeal to most people with varied musical tastes. i can still remember playing smells like teen spirit at full volume the day i heard about kurts death.
brereton66 14.09.2009 15:16
That was very well tackled. Agree it is an album that will stand the test of time.
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Advantages: Powerful music only matched after its release, but a depth unrivalled to this day Disadvantages: An ironic depth to the album, which many won't or simply can't understand
Charles_Strickland 02.10.2006 (02.10.2006)
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