Nevermind

The media could not be loaded. Nirvana is one of my favorite bands love these cds

Listening to "Smells Like Teen Spirit," the starter to Nirvana's 'Nevermind' will always remind one why the album is such an alternative classic. Definitive for the fast-forward thrust of their guitars and the primal scream trajectory of Kurt Cobain's blistering vocals, they literally invented alternative as we know it. Nevertheless, even the most creative endeavors have their influences, and ingredients are mixed and matched for the newest alchemy. While one can cite John Lennon's 'Plastic Ono Band' as a vocal first and The Replacements as influences, their blend here is new and masterful. While "grunge" may be more of a fashion statement than a sound bite for the C.D., "garage band" is a more apt description of what they perfected for all. With a mix of punk and heavy metal, they jump start a whole new genre.Besides the absolutely sublime primal angst of "Smells Like Teen Spirit," there's the propulsive "Breed," and the iconoclastic "Territorial Pissings". With a mocking intro that starts falsely with "Get Together," the latter song does more than separate the generations musically and lyrically. Then, there's the expert texture of more mid-tempo gems like "Lithium," the beautifully acoustical "Polly," and the throbbing and multi-layered "Drain You". "Lounge Act" keeps the energy going and drummer, David Grohl, whose gruelling efforts are remarkable all the way, really delivers on "Stay Away". The vocal tradeoff between Cobain and bassist, Chris Novoselic proves that you can do alternative and have great voices--that is tuneful and with great trajectory. If the variations of expert guitar patterns don't disappoint, then the variety certainly scotches any complaints of formula. "Something in the Way," which closes the album, forecasts a more "unplugged" future, even though the expertise of guitar work hardly needs elaboration.After 'Nevermind' has played endlessly on the radio, it is easy to take their work for granted. I, for one, didn't even realize that all these songs were Nirvana's. Which goes to prove that their innovations would make music new again, and it would take some people a while to catch up--not just musicians, but even some listeners.

It's a sobering thought when you realize that this album is now 20 years old. I was a sophomore in high school when this came out and at the time, I wasn't that crazy about it. I liked "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Come As You Are", but that was about it. All I knew was that within a year, girls started wearing flannel shirts and combing their hair straight, and all of the guys quit trying to learn "Eruption" on their guitars and started bashing out distorted power chords. I didn't like Nirvana (or any of the "grunge" bands) very much when they first came out, but as time went on, I really began to understand just how important they were to rock music. They changed everything. Hair bands were never really that cool, and for the better part of 10 years, we were stuck with pointy guitars, Marshall stacks, and boys that dressed up like girls. Some of the music, like Guns 'n Roses, was very good, but most of it was over-the-top, cheesy and wasn't really anything any common person could relate to. When Kurt Cobain's distorted power chords first shot out of our speakers, we knew that something different was happening. Most of us didn't know what the lyrics were, and we didn't care. Rock music was taken out of the coke-infused culture of '80's Los Angeles, and put back in the hands of common people everywhere. No more spandex, no more Aqua Net, and no more two-handed tapping guitar solos on every video that MTV played. I help out with the youth group band at my church, and kids who weren't even born until after Kurt's death love Nirvana. Those are the riffs that they're always playing when I walk into the practice room. Nirvana is still cool, and rightfully so. Whether you love this album or hate it, it's importance, both musically and culturally, cannot be overstated.

Nice came quickly!

I was a working musician back when it counted in the sixties and with rare exception that music was much better at communicating emotions than most of the junk out today. Sorry. The truth hurts. But this album is a big exception. I can only take this record in small doses it is so pure and unflinching in its depiction of pain, alienation and misanthropy. Who can blame Kurt and the boys? Most of the human race sucks and consciousness is an eternal battle with confusion the self proclaimed victor. The times themselves shun any other more felicitous conclusion. And who am I to argue with the popular conceit? The end result may or may not have been Kurt killed himself to get away from this world. Which is a shame if he couldn't find a way to slip along having a good time on his own terms. I am trying to do so and it is a party over at my house. But enough about me...The music on this CD is like a hot flame of truth. Jim Morrison and the Doors never did it better. More musically perhaps, but never better. I don't just like this album. I am awed by it. It is ferocious and feral. Just what the times deserve.