Issue #4: Nirvana – Nevermind

Release Date:  September 24th, 1991

Recorded:  May – June 1991

Genre:  Grunge

Record Label:  DGC

Duration:  47:12

Producer:  Butch Vig

Personnel

Track Listing

Singles

Why Nevermind is One of My Favorites

Nevermind may be one of the most obvious contenders for any “best of” or “favorites” list for 90’s music, so I figured I’d cover it early on.  But before you find yourself brushing it aside, consider what an achievement it was for this album to become so popular and so well disseminated that virtually everyone not only knows of it, but can even name Kurt Cobain without a second thought and probably list off a few of the record’s tracks as well.

I didn’t really get into Nevermind back when most of my peers were going crazy over Nirvana; I was aware of the album and it sat on my CD shelf, it just wasn’t terribly interesting to me at the time.  However during my later teenage years I decided to revisit it and had a hard time putting it down for a couple of months.  I’ll be the first to admit that the sound has been imitated and updated over the years, and although I think it would be interesting if we could separate Nirvana’s music from Kurt’s tumultuous and ultimately tragic personal life, the reality is that he flawlessly represented the idea of life imitating art and vice versa.  It’s undeniable that the material packed onto Nevermind was extremely personal, and if nothing else, it is a very “real” album

Let us also not forget that Nirvana and Nevermind specifically changed the face of popular music almost overnight.  Before grunge swept the country, the popular rock scene was mostly consumed by hair metal, 80s new wave, and arena rock ballads.  Suddenly, a very idealized portrayal of life via music was replaced with the gritty and edgy reality put forth by grunge musicians, with suitably imperfect music to match.  Popular music is always changing, but rarely does it change so quickly.  Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and other Seattle bands and record labels had a lot to do with the emergence of grunge, though Nevermind became almost synonymous with the term for good reason, due largely to Cobain’s well-known rejection of his own fame.

And it was Cobain’s personality that really helped to define what grunge was.  Disillusioned youths everywhere were more than happy to accept grunge as a reflection of their feelings, though Cobain’s own suffering put Nirvana’s music in a class all its own.  Despite the simple but direct lyrical approach to the music on Nevermind, Cobain was often known for de-emphasizing his own words in favor of the music.  Perhaps he was being modest, or even disingenuous, or maybe the words came so easily to him that he didn’t feel they required the same degree of effort as the actual music.  Whatever the reasons, the words throughout Nevermind speak to a whole generation on several levels.  Sometimes it’s about a bad relationship (“Drain You,” “Lounge Act”), personal demons (“Lithium,” “On a Plain”), or even something resembling a punk rock-esque lash out (“Smells Like Teen Spirit”).  Whatever the subject matter, there’s always a humility there that I can’t help but admire.  Many other popular grunge albums have a nearly apathetic tone, but not Nevermind.  Ironically, Cobain seemed to hit at the underlying cause of phrases like “whatever” and “nevermind,” exploring a very common question: “Why me?”  It’s easy to look at Nevermind and perceive the over-indulgence of wallowing in self-pity, but what these people miss is how cathartic it can be to express thoughts like these.  Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be enough for Cobain, but it did get a lot of lonely kids through a lot of lonely nights.

In addition to the lyrics themselves, Cobain was able to deliver them with such a unique inflection that I always find it difficult to ignore how much pain this man must’ve been in.  Most of Nevermind isn’t even all that angsty or angry; it’s just a guy attempting to face his own demons and work through his own inner struggle.  So many albums are made for the listener, but I can’t decide if that’s the case with Nirvana’s debut.  Does it speak to its listeners, or are we supposed to be witnessing these thoughts and emotions vicariously?  I tend to lead towards the latter, but during the times where Cobain’s voice tends to break down into a sort of screaming wail (“Lounge Act” comes to mind most immediately), the lines begin to blur.

The rather simple music that comprises Nevermind is an interesting draw for some people.  It wasn’t terribly advanced or technically impressive, though many found the casual, no frills approach refreshing.  Cobain was an admittedly mediocre guitar play and ended up compensating for his lack of skill in interesting ways.  Most choruses tend to follow an identifiable pattern based on power chords, though the band created several interesting moods during the quieter parts of songs with a noticeable surfer-rock twinge.  Taking a cue from punk, the trio was also intent on integrating simple melodies into their music.  Catchy melodies combined with rhythmic riffing make the music accessible enough to soar to the top of the charts.  The uncomplicated and unfussy stylings served as a fantastic vehicle for injecting the mainstream with much needed realism, and arguably helped pave the way for similar artists to achieve success with decidedly personal albums discussing real problems and real emotions that weren’t always positive.

Nirvana would continue to hone their talents on future releases and evolved appreciably.  But it would be Nevermind’s organic approach that helped to define a complete genre, aesthetic, and full on cultural phenomenon.  On the one hand, grunge has been so carefully replicated over the years that Nevermind’s musical appeal may be hard to grasp for some people; on the other hand, it’s incredible to watch the birth of something that began so innocuously yet dominated rock music for years to come.

Written by The Cubist

Other albums from Nirvana in this series:

• 1993 – In Utero – Issue #74
• 1994 – Unplugged – Issue #75

Back to The Cubist’s 90’s Albums

Written by The Cubist

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I collect as much video gaming paraphernalia as I can get my hands on, especially when it comes to hardware. With over 40 systems including oldies like the ColecoVision and Intellivision, obscurities like the CD-i and 3DO, and the latest and greatest including the Wii U, PS4, Xbox One, 3DS, and PS Vita, I get easily overwhelmed. Most of the time you can find me firmly nestled sometime between 1985 and 1995 when it comes to my games of choice, but I’m also having a great time seeing what the 8th generation has to offer.

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