No.7 on the list is a good album but possibly the most overrated on the 300
Nirvana - Nevermind
I have no argument about the impact and effect 'Nevermind' had on the music scene and indeed it has some genius moments but it's god like status doesn't sit well with me. Maybe it's the very polished production or it maybe the walking contradiction that was Kurt Cobain. Anyway let me give you my review of it.
The album as everyone probably knows starts with 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' an anthem for Generation X, and possibly Kurt's best rip off from The Pixies he ever achieved - and he even got away with it!
The song was a revelation at the time. It was great to hear this type of music on the radio , this was when Radio One still thought Simply Red were cutting edge!
The quiet - loud- quiet tempo of said song remained as a template for many other grunge type songs in the future. But as I have stated previously a rip off.The song certainly would not have been the hit it was without the Butch Vig production. If you can find it listen to the demo version of it before Vig
got hold of it.
Smells Like Teen Spirit Rehersal Version 1991
'In Bloom' follows next, an average sort of track that starts well then wanders in to mediocrity.
However 'Come As You Are' is one of the highlights on this album with the water type effect used by Kurt on his guitar, which gives the song an edge. The lyrics would take on various meaning in the years to come due to the death of Cobain.
After this sombre moment Nirvana go all Black Flag / Fugazi on us with 'Breed' one of the few times they show us their Garage days.
I find 'Lithium' a better anthem than 'smells' Krist Novoselic really shows his bass chops on this song, very simple but brings the atmosphere to the song.
'Polly' slows things down again. Cobain's tale about teen dissaffection and rape. When Nirvana strip down magic happens much as the unplugged sessions proved later.
'Territorial Pissings' is no doubt my favourite track, I love the rawness & punkish attitude of it. Krist's spoken intro is class, his way of trying to upset the sixites generation by quoting one of their anthems (Youngbloods - Get Together).
Next up was 'Drain You' another good song (that surprised you!!) I love the instrumental break around 1.35 mark very progressive and this is going to hurt - it was very 'Mother Love Bone'
and the lyrics were quite sexual.
The pace on the album starts to slow up a little now and this where instead of finishing in a crescendo it all sort of peeters out except for the delightful 'Stay Away'.
This was also the era of the hidden track on CD's and Nevermind was no different...it always raised a smile in 'The Clocktower'pub where I used to drink.
The landlord Mick West thought he had a problems with the speakers and everytime got caught out with having the volume turned to 11.
All in all a good album but not the defining one of a generation and not even in the Top 5 of 1991!
Why I ♥ This Album
Everything changed...Hair Metal died as a comercial viable music scene and the big production shows died for a little while. You have to remember at this time GnR & Metallica were the biggest bands in the
world. Without Nevermind going overground fewer people would have been made aware of Alice In Chains, Soundgaren & Pearl Jam.
Music Festivals changed and you've only got to look at the line ups at Reading for that.
The first 'Grunge' band I every got into was Soundgarden. It was their 'Louder Than Love' album that used to play quite often in my car when 'Drum Master' Dave Allon and I
travelled between our 2 jobs; one in St Mary Bourne and the other in Basingstoke (We Also Played alot of RHCP & Pantera as well). 'Mudhoney' were next followed by seeing 'Mother Love Bone' on Headbangers Ball on MTV.
Without the 26 million sales of 'Nevermind' a lot of the bigger bands since 1992 would never be in the mainstream. Can you really think Green Day / Blink 182 would be where they are now?
Bush & Offspring owe their entire careers to Nirvana, we would have no Foo Fighters or no Courtney Love!!
The few million people who bought 'Nevermind' and subsequently checked out the bands that influenced Cobain (Dead Kennedys, The Germs, Fugazi, The Melvins, Screaming Trees etc.) made for a richer music tapestry than ever before.
This is the reason I love this album.I was able to speak to more people about other great bands and everyone was more opened minded - rather than hearing "Oh I only listen to punk,thrash,happy hardcore or glam."
Admitingly, record companies did go a bit gung-ho signing some really bad bands because they wore lumberjack shirts (Stone Temple Pilots spring to mind) and also watching some of the hair metal bands change image and sound to be up with the kids was also laughable (Motley Crue and Warrant - pmsl!).
After a couple of years even Grunge got stagent, the bands got a little boring (Soundgarden - 'Down on the Upside' yawn!) and the scene really finished itself off on April 5th 1994.
However the legacy does live on........
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