Track Listing
1. Smells like teen spirit 2. In bloom 3. Come as you are 4. Breed 5. Lithium 6. Polly 7. Territorial pis*ings 8. Drown you 9. Lounge act 10. Stay away 11. On a plain 12. Something in the way Year: 1991 Label: DGCD |
Nirvana - 'Nevermind' - By A. Duff
�Nevermind� was Nirvana�s biggest album by far. This is the album that elevated the band from a little known underground band from Seattle to reluctant super-stardom which all ended tragically with Cobain�s death in suspicious circumstances. �Nevermind� is one of those rare albums that is not only well structured but every track is good in its own right � there are no space fillers. Three singles from this album even made it into the charts (�Smells Like Teen Spirit�, �Come As You Are� and �Lithium�). Nirvana played with interesting style on Top of the Pops � they were forced to mime so Cobain spent half the track eating the microphone before flinging it into the crowd! The album begins with the most well known Nirvana track, �Smells Like Teen Spirit�. This track influenced a lot of Nirvana�s later music as well as Dave Grohl�s Foo Fighters later on with its building guitar introduction leading to a quieter vocal part. This quieter vocal part then builds to a soul-searing climax before settling down again and starting the build again. �In Bloom� is a great track if purely because of the guitar chords and drum work at the very beginning. Again, the heavy intro is sustained by a quieter vocal part immediately afterwards before Cobain builds into his powerful strains of song. The beginning chords are then repeated and developed to make this track typical Nirvana. �Come As You Are� was perhaps the first sign of Nirvana�s later music. It is a very light track compared to most others from the album, and unusually for Nirvana has lyrics that are comprehendible. The starting acoustics are particularly effective and the middle guitar solo combines with the vocal effects to make this another fine track. �Breed� reflects the band�s earlier tracks as it would have fit better on �Bleach� � it seems out of place on Nevermind to start with. The fast rhythm and guitar style are reminiscent of �Bleach� but the vocals and lyrics are very different. I personally don�t rate this track amongst the best on the album but after listening to three great tracks in a row I was probably biased��. �Lithium� is very vocal driven and it is astounding just how good the lyric �Yeah yeah yeah� sounds when repeated in this track. In fact, the lyrics in this track don�t have to make sense but it just all comes together to make a really good sounding track especially when combined with the developing background rhythm. �Polly� is again different to much of the Nirvana music. This came at a time when heavier bands were being accused of being talentless because they couldn�t produce good lighter music. �Polly� is played on acoustic guitar and produced unplugged without drums (although there is the occasional cymbal�). This effect makes the track very effective especially since the instrumental work is very simple. Interesting note about this track � the �mistake� he makes later on where he starts the line too early is in fact a mistake made during recording that they left in because it sounded good. �Territorial Pis*ings� was a very controversial name as well as a controversial track. DGCD wanted to remove this track from later versions after it became more popular because they felt people would find it offensive, but the band persuaded them to leave it on. The track starts with a screaming of lyrics and then hits you with very fast instrumental work that can barely be distinguished as a guitar. Cobain then proceeds to get very worked up throughout the track and finishes barely able to sing. Coming after �Polly� on the album, it�s a shock. The album then returns to a more conventional track, �Drain You�. The double vocals in this track make it stand out because it�s not the same voice style as all the other tracks. Also, the addition of an instrumental interlude in the melody before the tune is resumed makes the track a bit more interesting. �Lounge Act� starts with an interesting guitar riff before moving onto a surprisingly rock & roll rhythm. Where many albums are starting to wear thin by the end tracks, �Nevermind� somehow manages to change styles again and give you another good track. �Stay Away� reminds me of a cross between �Breed� and �Sifting� (from Bleach). This track is pretty average apart from one lyric: �Stay/ Stay Away� which really works. �On a Plain� launches straight into the song without much of an intro � and, man, it�s pretty good. This track is much less grunge and more ballad: it has more lyrics than any other Nirvana track. I personally like the line �What the hell am I trying to say?� � most of us have been in that situation and the words seem to fit perfectly. As an end to the album, you can�t get a lot better than �Something in the Way�. This track is very slow and its practically impossible to hear any words except �there�s something in the way�, but the beat and the vocals fit together to give a very cooling approach to this final track of the album. If you wait for about 15 minutes, there is a bonus track at the end of this song: �Endless, Nameless�. This track does not appear on all copies of the album � if yours hasn�t got it on it will be one of the first 50, 000 produced. All in all, Nevermind is the most accessible of Nirvana�s albums. Therefore, I would recommend it to anyone at all. You really can�t call your collection complete without this CD, no matter what you�re in to. It got to #1 in the States and is still regarded as one of the best rock albums ever. Never mind all that, it's damn great music. Metal Obsessive Grade: 80% |