Review #010 - "Nevermind" by Nirvana
Year: 1991
Genre: Grunge/Alternative Rock
Ah yes, as some of you may have read from my signature, this is my favorite album of the moment as of Late May/Early June 2013. This is one from my brother's previously mentioned collection. I had wanted to hear this album for a while, and while looking through the collection, I found that I had it, so I popped that sucker in. I watched a documentary on it's history also, so I know a thing or two about it. Let's do it.
1. Smells Like Teen Spirit
One of the two tracks that I already knew going in, Kurt Cobain hated this song. It came from when his ex-girlfriend wrote "Kurt smells like Teen Spirit" on his wall. When finding out that Teen Spirit was a deodorant, he was very disappointing. Still, a great song. Not one of Nirvana's finest, but still, as my brother put it, "the theme song of the early '90s."
2. In Bloom
My favorite single from the album, also one of the two that I knew coming into this album. A song about the underground music scene, the verses are groovy with the drums and bass, and the chorus is stereotypical Nirvana awesome. I really love the video for this, where the band stars on a '50s/'60s-esque variety show and then trashes their instruments at the end.
3. Come As You Are
Cool, chill song. One of the songs where you can understand what Kurt is saying is what we needed. The guitar has some cool EQ on it, and overall, it's an amazingly catchy song that I'm surprised wasn't a hit. The hit of the album was "Teen Spirit" and the label thought it would be "Lithium." If I had to guess, I'd think this would be the one. Only real problem I have with the song is that the line "I don't have a gun" is very painful after Cobain's death.
4. Breed
One of the first truly heavy songs on the album. As Butch Vig put it (Paraphrasing here), "Even if you couldn't quite understand what he was singing about, you knew it was intense as hell." I really love this song with it's guitars and Kurt's constant yelling. Yelling Kurt is Kurt at his best. Not much more you can say but SHE SAID! SHE SAID! SHE SAAAAAAAAAAID!
5. Lithium
As previously mentioned, the label thought this would be the hit of the album, and it certainly has the makings of one. It's one of the few Nirvana songs you could dance to, though, upon further inspection, the lyrics are rather dark. He's imagining having friends, not to mention the whole, "I kill you, I'm not coming back!"
6. Polly
A song written about a rape victim at a punk concert. The twist? It's written from the perspective of the rapist. One of the things that adds to the eeriness is the simple cheap sound of the guitar. Another cool thing about the song is how Krist holds it together with a little bass groove. It's a great song.
7. Territorial Pissings
We open with Krist singing "Get Together." Then we get heavy. This song isn't really all that memorable, except when Kurt's tone completely goes and he's screaming at the top of his lungs.
8. Drain You
Kurt considers this one of the finest songs he's ever written, and that's a point that's hard to argue. It's a fairly cheery alt. rock song until you realize it's about two babies in the womb draining each other. Yeah.
9. Lounge Act
Underrated, but still forgettable. Bass is nice, though.
10. Stay Away
Another catchy heavy song. I don't really have much to say. STAAAAAAAAAAY. STAAAAY AWA-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!
11. On A Plain
A pretty catchy song about writer's block that has also been interprited about being how hard Kurt can be to understand sometimes due to the line "What the hell am I trying to say?" The ending is nice, showcasing the vocal harmonies and the original take also had some synth at the end which many hate but I like.
12. Something In The Way
Kurt is once again hard to understand, but that's because of his sad mumbling. Very melancholy song, and also my personal favorite song from the album. It's so amazingly good, I love it, I can't describe how good it is.
Conclusion: No, I'm not reviewing "Endless, Nameless" because my copy doesn't have it. Anyways, this is an amazing album with a few amazing standout songs. If you don't already own it, you should pick it up right now!
Final Score: 95/100 (Dude, Kurt, you're awesome!)