special introductory paragraph!

Bleach

Nevermind

Incesticide

In Utero

Unplugged In New York

From The Muddy Banks Of The Wishkah

The Elements

Nirvana

With The Lights Out

It aren't just the tone, though. These melodies are also much more melancholy and minor-key-ly than you might expect from listening to the slaphappy Nevermind; only the slacker love story "Swap Meet" and the carnival-goofy "Mr. Moustache" come close to conveying the sense of youthful celebration and exuberance that would so woo the musical universe in just two short years. And, Mr., here's the thing. This record proves that Kurt had talent, goddammit. Not just songwriting talent, but soundscaping talent. Ever heard "Negative Creep?" The hell is that? "Shoop?" That's the melody? "Jug-jug-shoop-jug-jug-jug-jug-shoop???" Not even a chord, but "shoop?" And how about the way he screams in "Paper Cuts?" "A SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD SONG!!!!!!!!" No wonder the chest pains!

It doesn't "kick buttock," as the kids say, but it's extremely interesting to listen to. Reminds me a little of Black Flag's My War, but a metallicaload better. Kurt had a super lurchy screaming voice, a fantastic ear for feedback (see the amazing intro to "Paper Cuts"), and no intention of playing boring old corporate rock. This was grunge, darn it! Underground hard rock of the late '80s! Something new and special! A splendid combo of heavy metal and punk! Steel Pole Bath Tub! King Snake Roost! And Nirvana, goddammit, Nirvana!!! Kings of Seattle grunge!!!

I really hate the cover of "Love Buzz," though.

Reader Comments

toasty@capecod.net (Nate Eckstrom)
That cover of "Love Buzz" was sooooo good, how can you love the intro to "Paper Cuts" and then say you didn't like "Love Buzz," the outro screams.

on_the_brink@hotmail.com (Bob Blair)
Bleach is awesome - it just sounds so raw.

pmtapia@worldnet.att.net (The Chameleon)
This album like Bob Blair said is so raw. But hey!!! That ain't bad! This album definitely has grunge written all the way through it and you can still feel the garage feel of the songs...but that adds to the album.

SMxMS@aol.com
You didn't like "LOVE BUZZ"?? What the hell is wrong with you? It was so wry and hateful---Perfect! Exactly the way any song called "Love Buzz" should be. And "Negative Creep" is MUCH more the anthem for our generation than "Teen Spirit" ever will be.

rburt@mail.portup.com (Russell Burt)
Bleach is a damn good albumn. I still listen to it all the time. It's much heavier than their other albumns. Maybe that's why Machine Head(metal band) do a cover of "Negative Creep." Someone once told me that if you liked Bleach then you'd like Celtic Frost(another metal band). The two songs that Dale Crover play on are evil!

kavrbck@megsinet.net (Paul)
It's such a great album! Really the one that saved sub pop from going under (although it sucks now). A brilliant album. I love every song. And Dale Crover drumming? Oh yeah! As my friend Javier put it, "He makes a 3-piece drumset sound like a 10-piece."

Resident-Alien@webtv.net (Ryan Francis)
Definetly one of the finest albums in my collection. If Nevermind was recorded on the same budget that Bleach was recorded for, I think over all it would have sounded even better. The raw feedback is just not to my liking on Nevermind, but still a hard rocking album....How could you not like LOVE BUZZ, it blows the original away!

jltichenor@earthlink.net (James L. Tichenor)
Ah, Bleach, the Nirvana album that sounds like a very good band with cheapass equipment and mediocre recording quality. Well thats exactly what it is and it kicks almighty ass! This is probably the heaviest band/record that crappy ole Sub Pop ever put out. I can't say enuff bad things about Sub Pop, but anyway, this album is so demented and at times downright scary. This is another one of those records that inspired me to pick up de guitar and strum like a crazy motherfucker! Kurt has one of the most amazing voices ever, and one can hear what he can do with it on "mr moustache", that weird warbling he does, and he also sings a little ditty called "About a Girl" which doesnt even sound like anything else on the album and later became waaaaay too popular on their unplugged. Anyway, who could pass up an album that features the Melvins' own Dale Crover on two tracks? "Paper Cuts" wouldn't have sounded right without his earth shaking beat, and he saves Floyd from having a repetitive beat, (cmon 2 notes could have gotten really reptitious). I don't care what anyone says about this album. "School", "Blew", "Negative Creep", "Swap Meet", need i say more? It's a classic.

drew14@wcnet.net (Drew Hoffmann)
Bleach was the BEST! it shows the dark side of the late 80's and Nirvana. I love the Old Nirvana the best. I believe that every Nirvana Album is Completely Different!

Bleach-Raw, Dark GRUNGE!

Nevermind-Half Alternative and Grunge

Incesticide-Grunge, Dark again, raw

In Utero-Mellow Grunge and Alternative

Live in NY-Mellow (Not really a real Nirvana Album, its just live)

From the Muddy banks of Wishka-Pure Grunge and Live Hard feedback! thats all!

InMyEyes82@aol.com
Sorry to be a crap-ass, but this album out and out blows compared to the classic Nirvana elpees. The production is the epitome of weak, Chad Channing sounds like a little five year old behind the drum kit, and amid superb songs like "About a Girl", "Blew", and the catchy as hell "Love Buzz" are plodders like "Mr. Moustache" and "Paper Cuts". Kurt was still, in my opinion, trying to please the punk community instead of unleashing his full potential as a hooksman. 6/10

geedot@enter.net
I agree that this is undoubtedly my favorite Nirvana album, but as for the comment about the Melvins, they make this sound like a toilet flushing.

fyant@ptinet.net (G.L. Fyant)
You know i think if kurt had the money to make a good record it would have sounded like all the other records nirvana put out. But i think that bleach was a one of a kind style that no one can recopie. You know some times i hear a riff and it sound really good. But then it changes and you dont hear it again and that i think messes up the hole song.So i think kert had the right idea but maybe he should have added a coulp more riffs.

frh74@tca.net (Ray Holloway)
Holy crap! Do I like this record? I do, I do. These songs are so retarded. All together now, "How retarded are they!?" They're so retarded, you'd have to be sane not to like them. Your mama, your daddy, and your greasy granny don't like these songs, and that's because they are reasonable people with reasonable tastes. These screaming yahoos, banging on their drums and committing unholy acts with their guitars, are just too wacky and unpredictable for any red-blooded, pie-eating, car-pooling, wife-swapping Mormon to embrace.

What? You say you wouldn't portray this record or anything else remotely associated with St. Kurtis Cobainus, the Patron Saint of Serious, Integrity-filled Music and Poor Personal Hygeine, as wacky and unpedictable? Well, you, my fine-feathered friend, are wrong. And here's why.

First of all, how much more random could the subject matter of these songs be? Not very much, that's how much. There's at least 2 demented love songs, a ditty about a couple who frequent flea markets, a complaint about lack of playground time, an ode to booze, some sorta weird, half-spoken, political-type thing, and a pleasant tune about homicide in Mayberry. The rest of the songs are random in and of themselves. They sound like songs to serial-kill by, perhaps. (Don't quote me on that, though.)

Then, there's the music. I bought this after Nevermind, so guess what I was expecting. Tight, cleanly-produced, instantly-catchy, radio-friendly, unit shifters. I think I've heard the Bleach version of "About a Squirrel" twice on the radio. Other than that, Roxanne Rolls and "The Skull" and Johnny Homophobe and whoever else your local radio station employs wouldn't dare play any of these songs they deem unsuitable for public consumption. That's fine with me. That means I can blame myself if I get burned out on them. Anyway, I got off the subject somehow, so I think I'll start another paragraph. How you like them apples?

So, as I was spewing. I don't play the guitar, or anything else for that matter, but even if I did, I don't think I would have ever imagined writing songs that not only used but relied on feedback. That's what Squirt Cocaine seems to have done, though. "Paper Cuts" seems to be one huge fuck up as far as the lead guitar is concerned. Hell, I think his voice was feeding back in this song, too. But it's an amazing song, for quite a while my favorite on this record. Now, I tend to enjoy "Sifting" more. The extended insrumental in the middle with Kurt holding that single note (is it even a note? I really am musically illiterate) for an unnecessary amount of time is pretty damn close to stereophonic bliss for me. It's so simple, but unbelievably intense.

Some would say these songs are repetitious, though. Well, they're right. Each song has a main riff that is pounded out over and over. On top of that, the lyrics are repeated over and over. There are all of 3 lines in "School", each repeated 3 or 4 times before the next line is sung, and then they're all repeated again. But the reason this is still such a good album is: none of these songs sound like each other. That's why this record works for me. That's why Nirvana is/was such a great band. Cobain was able to write catchy songs with ambiguous lyrics that were unique not only from the rest of rock music but from each other. That is, until In Utero. Then his smack-riddened mind unfortunately began to repeat itself.

But Bleach is a damn great listen. Buy it for your greasy granny, she's gettin' old and senile. She might just be in the right condition to listen to this mess now.

That is all.

brian@quinte.net (Brian Ferguson)
yeah, bleach was definately influenced by my war

jason_a@earthlink.net (Jason Adams)
Lately I've found the band's debut to be the most fun of their albums. Am I the only one who thinks "Swap Meet" is one of their best? I love the little details. It's like the grunge rock Ray Davies.

Jcjh20@aol.com
Great album. Nice production too. The cover of "Love Buzz" is absolutely awesome. All these songs sound really fucking awesome live too. "About a Girl" is a hint at what Nirvana would become about a year later, and "Sifting" is catchy as hell too. The songs that were recorded on their first ever demo are probably my fave though ("Floyd The Barber", "Paper Cuts", "Downer"). This is Nirvana at their most creative. 9/10.

petros@isoc.net (Poppleton)
are you on crack? bleach is the worst hunk of shit they ever released! It stinks like ass.

johncarson@ntlworld.com
Can't have that tosser above me have the final say on this so i'd just like to say to everyone whos a Nirvana fan, that if you don't have this album you're missing out on a lot. Their most "grunge" album that they produced. Definately an 8 of of ten. Some of Nirvana's best work is on this album. So SCREW YOU if you don't like it !!!!!

chuckatmg@aol.com
well, ill have to admit, this is the only album that nirvana totally with chad channing and thats why its unique i dont have a favorite album, i have heard every song they ever made including the infamous "you know your right" and let me say that bleach is the "pilot" album for nirvana like any other band, they were just starting out and all the songs varied a bit. being a drummer i know how bands tend to change their sounds over time and if you"ll notice, a lot of care was given by kurt to this album (there's less feedback and scratchyness than the other 3 studio recorded albums) because it was the first impression of nirvana. although kurt wouldnt admit it, he did care how the music sounded, at least he did back in the bleach days.

uglytruth@hotmail.com (Hossein Nayebagha)
It's hard to get too excited about an album that was one of the most adored when you started to get serious about "music", but when I just read about these songs that I've heard so many times, I just think that this is a classic. "Floyd The Barber" - that is one of the songs that defines Nirvana, but it's a shame that this had to end up being possibly ,I'm really starting to doubt this though ,the best thing they ever did, without Dave Grohl. And now that song just strikes me as so much more... how could I take it for granted ? Kurt sings OK, but he'd get better...but he rarely got to prove that; I usually like the classics, but Nevermind is boring... I don't see why anyone would need Nevermind now when you have stuff like the Ramones.

Thanks so much for saying what I've always seem to have been the only one knowing: "Love Buzz" sucks.

joshua_ackley@standardandpoors.com
Bleach is brilliant, like a schizophrenic panic. However I have never enjoyed the 'Love Buzz' cover. It goes on way way way too long and doesn't fit the other material on the album.

gag05@bigpond.com.au
Yep it’s a good debut and has restored my faith in Cobain’s talent as a songwriter. “About a Girl” wouldn’t have sounded out of place on “With the Beatles” that’s for sure. And “Negative Creep” is just fucking pure punk aggression…shit when that riff comes in right before the chorus its about the coolest fucking thing ever in rock. “Creep” is the best song Nirvana ever recorded IMO. Oh and the albums great too, because all the songs are catchy and energetic with no tired “Angst” lyrics in site. 9

john.rutsey@yahoo.com
This is the only Nirvana album I actually enjoy. In Utero was just in shards, and Nevermind was pathetically predictable and boring. Maybe I'd enjoy Nevermind a lot more if the songs weren't so god-damned overplayed, seeing as I well enjoy On A Plain and Drain You. I mean, Nirvana had standardized radio-rock formula that is pretty much being revived with all the mediocre modern radio rock bands going on right now: Nickelback, Hinder, etc. Nirvana really weren't all that better, and Cobain was such a bullshit lyricist.

Anyway, back to the album. This album is really nice to listen to: The band take their blooming pop sensibilities and put it into writing songs that revolve around unconventional but kick-ass riffs, dark tones, and feedback.

I'm probably one of the odder sorts in that my least favored song on here is Negative Creep: Nice, simple, even metallic riff, but Cobain going into a screaming fit doesn't sit well with me. He never should've screamed if you ask me. It's not for him. But School is a really great song: It's just one of those Nirvana songs that you can tell is really sincere and intense just by listening to the powerful chorus. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA, No recess, no recess, no recess, no recess." Man. What a breath of fresh air, eh?

The band also make good use of key changes with some cool dark vocal harmonizing: Mr. Moustache comes to mind, as does Big Cheese (which has arguably one of Nirvana's coolest choruses). All of the songs do have a pretty basic verse-chorus type of structure, but you don't really tend to NOTICE that with all the cool things they do here.

As a drummer, I quite like Chad Channing, and I think he was better suited for Nirvana than Dave Grohl (though that could just be my personal bias, given that I think all Nirvana records after this one are bloody hogwash). I've not quite put my finger on exactly what his style encompasses, but there's a very raw yet creative feel to it.

That being said, the lyrics on here are pure bullshit, and it's about time people admit it. And possibly the worst part of it all is that they are the greatest lyrics Cobain ever wrote, as they have sort of a freeform poetry feel to them. Just read the lyrics to Scoff, or Mr. Moustache. Oh please. On the later records, he either tried to really elaborate on a subject only to sound Dumb (pun intended, yes), or just improvised bullshit for an ENTIRE FUCKING POLISHED RADIO SONG (ironically, their biggest hit, Smells Like Teen Spirit, is a great example of that).

Still, Bleach is a good record. Definitely their most powerful and most creative. I suppose that Nirvana were always the simple-and-catchy type of band, but this showed that they could be creative and even dark about it. After this album...They didn't really seem to do much, but this record at least says that they had SOMETHING. And the people who say that Cobain was such a bad guitarist might be surprised to find just how good he is at this album. He wasn't special, but he wasn't just playing the basic chords most people hear out of him.

I guess that pretty much sums up what I have to say. A simple record with more creative ideas than should be wasted on embracing a corporate rock direction. Oh well. I'll just wrap this up with a few offensive Cobain jokes:

Q: What was the last thing to go through Kurt Cobain's head?
A: His teeth.

Q: Why is Kurt Cobain a liar?
A: Because he says "no, I don't have a gun"

Q: Why didn't Kurt Cobain like to ride in the back of the car?
A: Because he preferred to ride shotgun

I'm going to get out of here now before some Nirvana fans attack me.

Goddamn worthless sell-out pieces of shit! I remember the day this record came out; I eagerly illegally recorded it at my college radio station, the words of Grant Tennille ("My brother told me that this record is going to change the face of rock music!") ringing in my awfully large intestine.... And it only had two good songs! "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Breed" kicked screaming crunch butt, but the rest was just a bunch of faceless generic pop crap! Aerosmith? Husker Du? R.E.M.? How was this boring dreck gonna change the face of anything?

Er...I stand corrected. After three or four listens, I realized the most amazing thing about this record; although it is one of the most predictable albums ever recorded (If a song starts quiet, it'll get loud and distorted during the chorus - unless it's acoustic, in which case, it doesn't change. It's all 4/4 and midtempo, most of the guitar solos follow the vocal melody to the T, the guitar never plays anything but basic notes and chords, and the tone is so crisp, clean, and lifeless, it might as well have been played by a session musician - basically, each and every dark, weird eccentricity that made Nirvana Nirvana has been completely obliterated), it's also one of the most irresistibly catchy LPs ever thrown at a Mexican! I don't know how you feel about this, but I'm awfully impressed by a band that can create such a powerful record without bothering to do anything interesting the whole way through. You'll notice that none of the sixty-eight jillion amateurish young wanna-bes crowding up the airwaves of "modern rock" stations today come even close to this kind of consistency (most of 'em can't pull off ONE decent song, let alone eleven or twelve).

Crazy stuff. Changed the world, too, just as both Grant Tennille's brother and the guy who wrote the liner notes for the promo tape predicted. Yes, that's right; the last lines of these pre-"Teen Spirit"-frenzy liner notes read as follows: "Nirvana establishes itself as that rare underground group that just might be able to turn the dominant culture counter-clockwise and break through to the mainstream. Nirvana's songs are accessible." Whoa. I think somebody deserves a raise.

Reader Comments

jnw@coastalnet.com (Jim Hull)
Great album. Powerful, thrashing, and just blew the doors off everything on the radio that summer. Great voice, great guitar, great rhythm section. Great album cover. Great melodies. I love "Lithium". Why didn't anyone help him? Why didn't he help himself? Pussy.

shaffer1@prolog.net (Mark Shaffer)
I don't really care for bands like Foo Fighters or Pearl Jam, but there is no denying that this was an excellent album by an excellent group. It takes a good band to sound as good unplugged as they do normally [take Nada Surf for example-suck unplugged). Nirvana wasn't one of my favorite bands, but i certainly admired their talent and musical ability.

denz03@sk.sympatico.ca (Roth)
Shaffer the only thing that sucks is you, you dumb ass.

DougS@aol.com
"A supergroup comprised of Courtney Love's late husband and members of the Foo Fighters" HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! this band is so overrated. I still like most of Nevermind though.... And a pox on you for disliking the Offspring.... cut past the FM hits and you'll find some good speedy shit in there.

mattias@diariodopovo.com.br (Alexandre Linhares Matias)
Well, I think everybody has already heard about that equation Black Sabbath + Beatles = Nirvana. Well, Nevermind is really where it's at - a full-length album worthy of both Sabbath and Fab Four albums. As them, Nevermind is efficient and simple, good and great - like the Ozzy years or Abbey Road. There's nothing beyond it, just good musicians (no one's virtuoso) doing the thing they know they can do. And - the real quality of the album - a superb production, taking a band that didn't care to be qualified behind, say, Jesus Lizard as a God's gift. Butch Vig know how to do it (take a look at Smashing Pumpkins' Gish and Siamese Dream , the underestimated Sonic Youth's Dirty, that L7 record - party record! - and even Garbage - don't take it seriously, it's better to have this on the radio than Gloria Estephan or Hootie, it's just a pop band).

enik@mail.del.net (Nik Everett)
A classic. Will stand the test of time.

anonymous rock fan
I hate Nevermind and I hate this whole band, except the drummer whose songs I always thought were better. This guy is a loud attention-seeking whiner. When I heard he died, I gave him the nickname "Stumpy", for his newly-cropped neck. All the reporters loved him, because Rolling Stone is basically written by a bunch of socialists who like the everyman album. It sells well. They like angry posturing by genuine rebels, and they follow them around inquiring into every nook and cranny of their hollow existence. For them, the James Dean image captures the true meaning of rock. (Incidentally, a computer recreation of Dean's death shows that he was not speeding when he died, the accident was caused by the recklessness of another driver approaching from the opposite direction.) To me, there is more to rock than "puerile vibes loudly". It is hard to analyze this because it is so subjective, but I honestly can say I hate this group, this singer and this bloody album. Thank the Lord God he's dead or I would have to hear more of it. No apologies necessary.

Klarrabe@frognet.net (Kirk Larrabee)
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" is destined to be as overplayed as anything off Led Zeppelin IV but make no mistake about it-- this album is a gem. Hits came in "Teen Spirit," "Lithium," "Come As You Are," and "In Bloom," but the most stunning points in the album come in the harnessed aggressiveness of "Territorial Pissings," "Breed," "Drain You," and "Stay Away." Everyone should have it, but not just for those hit singles.

pmtapia@worldnet.att.net (The Chameleon)
First good and then bad...it's still a classic album in a way...but now i'm just so sick of the songs i don't listen to it much anymore unless i'm desperate. It was a good album just overplayed too much.

jamesd@elink.net (James Vincent Debevec II)
The first side is a rock classic. Second side sucks. 5 stars

bish24@erols.com
Even Kurt was disappointed with the production, since it was so clean he said it sounded "like a fucking Motley Crue record". Nevertheless, it says a lot about this band that this album was so great despite that. Listen to Bleach or In Utero to hear how these guys really sounded. It got me the first time, and it hasn't let go. I miss this band. Oh yes, and Courtney is a bitch who, in my opinion, knows a lot more about Kurt's "suicide" than she's letting on. I guess she's too busy trying to win a fucking Oscar.

Weigelda@aol.com (Dave Weigel)
I'm sorry, I have a bone to pick with Mr. James Vincent Debevec II, esquire. "The first side is a rock classic. Second Side sucks"? Reading that, I find it hard to believe James ever really listened to the record. I've heard "Smells Like Teen Spirit", "In Bloom", "Come As You Are", and "Lithium" so much that I've gotten a bit weary of them, and I now think that the second side is better. "Territorial Pissings" is a hilarious punker. The four-song suite of "Drain You/Lounge Act/Stay Away/On A Plain" is fantastic, and reminiscent of the second side of Abbey Road. The songs have so much more energy than the radio hits! And "Something in the Way" is gorgeous.

How do these songs "suck"? I have to assume that you're easily influenced by MTV and Top 40. A lot of Nirvana fans are (were). If you're saying that the first side is better simply because the songs are popular, well then, I assume you think REO Speedwagon and Alanis Morrisette are pretty swell too.

Ah, well. At least you're not saying this about Oasis.

forlenza@nassau.cv.net
Every song is good on this album. The songs all have simple guitar riffs, and that makes them more enjoyable to play for a beginner like me. 10 out of 10-their best album ever, although I believe that Unplugged is a close second.

SMxMS@aol.com
Good. But too processed and packaged. Bleach is the defintive Nirvana record, not Nevermind.--- It's a classic, to be sure, but an overrated classic. "Come as You Are" and "Something In the Way" are the standouts. Worthy of a "10" on the cultural landmark scale, but not on the musical scale.

mccort@lst.net (Anna Hitler)
god, i love this disc. definitely tops all of the others of its era. nirvana truly did pave the way for "alternative" i sure as hell wouldn't give eddie vedder any credit for that one. "lounge act" kicks ass. kurt's a great lyricist.

kendall2@pilot.msu.edu (Philip N. Kendall)
Nirvana's overwhelming commercial success is rather explainable. The overproduced songs of Nevermind appealed to the heavy metal, pseudo-alternative, and top 40 consumer all at the same time - a feat no album had accomplished previously. Nirvana is a band of paradox - songs are both depressing and hilarious. The first couple times I listened to Nevermind I would burst out in laughter one minute and then the next minute I would think, "wow, this guy can really scream his lungs out". But in the end, we have to admit Nirvana was a great band, Cobain was a talented song writer and probably had the best heavy metal scream in the history of rock.

patman8@ibm.net (Kevin Ryan)
Overrated album, great band though. Overproduction on this record makes me rate it 8 out of 10. I tend to stay away from the first side unless i want to go back to 8th grade, but the second side still gets me going. "Drain You" and "Something in the Way" are my two personal favorites. All these fifth graders walking around with JNCO's and lunchboxes (cause it is cool) really piss me off though. This album exploded the seattle scene. However cool it was, it will be 100 times harder for it to get its creditability back.

albracht@wins.uva.nl (Arthur Albracht)
This album is just good in its simplicity. It also has a high screamlevel in it! Aren't we yelling with the choruses of "Smells like teen spirit" and "Lithium". "Lithium" is my personal favourite. "Territorial Pissings" is a bit too uncomplicatedly rough for me, but that's nothing about the quality, just about my taste of music.

daniels@actek.com.au (Daniel Schmidt)
The only Nirvana albulm I own, and an excellent, catchy albulm at that, but people should stop calling Nirvana Heavy Metal - there not even fucking close to Heavy Metal - they're grunge or whatever label people give them now. Heavy Metal means bands like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. And the best scream in heavy metal goes to Tom Araya of Slayer, thank you very much.

mybreed@yahoo.com (Brian Sellers)
Kurt just proved that heavy pop could be smart and doesn't have to sound like some slacker's toilet to be 'important'. All those punk snobbists can kiss my d5 ass!! "On A Plain" is one of the coolest simplest songs ever written - woulda make JWL proud.

nobody@thorung.eeng.dcu.ie (Anonymous Dublin City University user)
Lithuim is the greatest song in the world. Nevermind is a classic and if you leave it for a while and then listen to it you get blown away by songs like "Drain You" and "Something in the Way".A classic

dulcet@webtv.net (Roy J. Burks)
It's funny how whenever a good band starts making money their called sellouts! Damn it if my band ever gets offered a ton of money to play the same kid of music I've been playing for years I'm going to opt on starving the rest of my life! Get over it! NIRVANA was a great band Nerermind was great album and all you "overplayed" queers can f*ck off! If a band etting played on the radio a lot or a song makes you not like the band or song then your nt a true fan and your opinion doesn't matter!

kduffy@mail.imagina.com (Kay Duffy)
i would like for someone to tell me just why "come as you are" is such a cool song. i have never liked it that much, but maybe someone can show me the light. i just don't see why this song gets so much recognition when songs like "drain you" are so much... better.

Nita@gte.net (Nita358)
The Cd was predictable, but it still is a very good disc. While the first side is really radio friendly dreck, the second side has some decent songs. While Nevermind is extremely overrated it was a good record. Despite the fact Smells Like Teen Spirit sucked ASS!

InMyEyes82@aol.com
Nevermind is in my top 5 albums of all time, where it joins the ranks of Zen Arcade, Damaged and Daydream Nation. To all the people whining about the production-I think it's awesome, plain and simple. The drums sound SO heavy.

There wasn't one thing that made this band great (though Kurt screaming at the top of his lungs came close), but a number of things, like Grohl's insane drumming, the use of feedback, cryptic lyrics and Kurt's way with a hook. I suggest to those interested in Nirvana, get Michael Azzerad's book Come As You Are. It is excellent, and it goes in depth about Kurt's heroin use, his upbringing and each Nirvana song. Plus, it all come's straight from the horse's mouth-each of the member's are interviewed. Also, check out some of their bootlegs, with amazing songs like "Verse, Chorus, Verse", "Even In His Youth", and their heavy-as-fuck cover of the Wiper's "D-7". Oh, yeah and my all time favorite Nirvana moment would have to be in "Drain You" when it kicks back into the verse after the weird "ducky" break.

kavrbck@megsinet.net (Paul)
It was pretty good, but it's been played way too much for me (like stairway to heaven with my parents). A good album, although WAY too squeaky clean in my taste. Nirvana kind of lead me on the path to mudhoney, the pixies, and eventually, the melvins, in which I have to thank them.

jltichenor@earthlink.net (James L. Tichenor)
well i guess i wont get pissed at everyone writing their feedback on this album. maybe your all suburban morons who have no taste in "real" music, just "technical ability" when it comes to music, or maybe im just an idiot. Whatever. The point is- Nevermind is one of the most poignant, beautiful, angry, blissful but accidental records you will EVER hear. Just put aside the fact that there was so much production on it for a moment. Judge the collection of songs for what they are... a collection of "simple" songs. Now break it down into its most basic elements. About 45 minutes of music. 12 songs. There are so many possibilities for a album like this. This is what Nirvana came up with. Songs that vary from one another between speed, volume, and vocal style. Maybe a chart will help.

Track 1- vocal measure=2, no. of notes in bass riff=4, tempo changes-yes, total no. of notes in vocal melody line=17(just the verse!)

This of course is only scratching the surface, but you'll see what im after in a minute. Now compare this to the average shit thats on the radio.

Average radio song-vocal measure=1, no. of notes in bass riff=4, tempo changes-no, total no. of notes in vocal melody line=4

Of course not all songs are the same, but this is typically what you'll find, give or take a little. Notice the major difference between how much actually singing of notes kurt's doing and what the average vocalist is doing. Believe it or not most vocals in rock only have 1 or 2 notes at best that are repeated. (Ozzy does this alot.) For someone who didnt know shit about the technical aspect of songwriting this is a true testament to Kurts natural talent. Of course if u dont give a shit about melody then what am i arguing for? but i assume most of you are attracted to the melodies of Nevermind as well as the rage.

In terms of the vocal measures what im pointing out is simply this: the ratio of instrument verse to vocal verse in SLTS is 2:1. The riff is played through twice completely, the vocal melody line is sung once. You will find this combination on Drain You as well. Both are complex melody lines for the voice that rival the instrumental melody line of Greensleeves, and the vocal line of "Yesterday".

With that said it is amazing to think that someone who can; 1: sing well in a pleasant voice, 2: write a catchy, simple riff, 3: write a complex melody line for the voice; can then turn a complete 180 and scream his guts out in the most horrible voice. Its simply amazing. Sure all the elements are there in Husker Du, or maybe early Beatles, but they dont ever come together so satisying as they do on Nevermind. Try my chart on the other songs... theyre all different from one another. Look for different aspects. how songs begin, how they end, how are lyrics used to heighten a moment, etc...

Sorry to sound academic about it all, but i think thats the only way to get through to ppl. I could just say the album kicks fucking ass, but thats a given. Anyone who claims to be a musician but turns their nose up at such undenialably great songwriting as appears on Nevermind is a fucking hypocrite. Im speaking mostly to those faggot metalheads who think songs are nothing more than a backdrop for excessive, extravagant soloing. Who cares how damn good you are on guitar if you cant even write a fucking good tune.

Thank you to everyone who commented on Kurts scream. It is the most amazing scream in all of rock (it even blows Morrison away). Also too the ppl who comment on the simple lyricism. Its simple but brilliant. Anything other than yea ah ah ah ah ah on the chorus of lithium would have just sounded stupid. Who cares if this album lead to the beginning of the unholy crappiness of alternative. Who cares if it instigated "grunge" fashion, and the demise of the seattle underground. Its not the bands fault that ppl saw a good thing and then scum sucking leeches exploited it!!!! The album is about pure instensity, about raw power, and about the dualties of life- one moment beautiful and the next horrifying. Its fucking incredible that this comes through all that production even- Breed is violent even after being sugar coated- TP is an all out frenzy. It wasnt meant for all the rich suburban bastards or the corporate execs. This album is for MUSIC lovers. Drain You has brought me to the verge of tears almost every time i hear it. This music is pure emotion.

I dont really know the first fucking thing about music (i cant even read music) technically speaking. Nevermind speaks to me on the emotional level, and thats all that fucking counts. If the music moves you then its great.

Heres my vote of ten for a classic album that is personal. Fuck all the millions who bought it to be "cool". This album will linger as one of the greatest musical recordings EVER. It conveys pure emotion, and thats what great music is supposed to do. Anyway enough rambling- i never say it, but if you dont like Nevermind then fuck you- it needs to be said, anyone who has taste that bad needs to be told to fuck off.

Waterloo78@aol.com
Would someone please tell me what the hell is so special about Nirvana? I mean, besides the unconvincing reasons posted above. They did absolutely nothing to advance the progress of music. Are we better off now than we were before they made Nevermind? Hell no. Not even close. But then, I guess every generation needs a sacrificial lamb. Or a scapegoat. And that honor fell upon Nirvana simply 'cause they were in the right place at the right time. They got lucky, simple as that.

ZINETHOUGHTS@prodigy.net (Muffins)
alrighty...i don't understand all these people who feel the need to post s aying, "this band was soo overrated, ohmigawd, they sold out and bleach was 10,000 times better than nevermind!" my response: bullshit. bullshit, my brotha. sure, for a while, i couldn't even bear to listen to nevermind - it's so crisp and flawless sounding - but, then again, i can't listen to bleach, either. the way the guitars and drums always sound the same gets a little old.

if nothing else, this record proves that dave grohl should keep his little, flat, self-worshipping ass on the drum throne instead of attempting to sing, because he's an amazing (bonzo-like) drummer, but a pathetic songwriter/frontman.

avsouza@webtv.net (Tony Souza)
This album (and group) single-handedly killed off shitty hair metal and synth-driven bands, so for that alone I love these guys. The fact that they also brought back good somgwriting and loud, distorted guitars is the other reason I will always listen to these guys. They gave substance to rock music again, at a time when it really needed it.

jtcable@tir.com (H.V.C.)
I'll say this: Cobain was probably the greatest lyricist to play grunge. And this album did change the face of rock. It buried anyone or anything that tried to make anything other than a Nirvana clone band. Millions of kids headbanged to Smells Like Teen Spirit to be cool, since they had NO idea that they lyrics were about the average retarded middle and high school mentality. When he committed suicide, kids everywhere glorified it. When I first heard Smells... on the radio, I thought "This is a somewhat catchy hard rock tune, but it's kind of stupid. Not really a whole lot of great riffs, and the quiet-to-loud thing was instantly stupid." Over time, the MTV and radio overplay of this song made me hate it. It's not that great. None of their songs were that strong. They aren't even tremendous musicians, other than the drummer. I can't even stand when people say that they like anything this band has done. It's just not that great. It was ok.

jltichenor@earthlink.net (James L. Tichenor)
Yea it's me again, Nirvana lovers. That dork who thinks Nevermind is a masterpiece even though it was overplayed on the radio, milked for grunge money and idolized by the execs and led to the complete shittiness of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. Maybe you guys don't like it because it was so popular and so produced and so.... milked. But dagnamit, it was never meant to be as groundbreaking and popular as the magazines and editors and interviewers toted it as. It's personal music that is both melodic and angry- but just read my above posting if you want to hear about that shit.

Do you really think Kurt found this album to be groundbreaking and influential? Ha ha. No. He even admitted to ripping off the Pixies. This is just a collection of great songs. I can't emphasize it enough. Don't judge this album by the bloated reputation it has. Who cares if this album was influential and groundbreaking or not? Turn the volume up all the way and blast it one more time.

Pickard200@aol.com
"Lounge Act" is pretty fucking cool

bgreenstein@nctimes.net (Ben Greenstein)
A few things to say about this album -

This "anonymous rock fan" character who hates the band is an ignorant asshole. I usually don't like to insult people who have different opinions than I do, but he's just an idiot. Sounds like he didn't even give the band half a chance, just decided "I hate them!" the minute he first saw them on MTV. I used to hate them too, sir - then I did myself a favour and actually listened to the band - and they're great! Stop trying to stir up contreversy by making statements you can't back up, Mr. Bittan. I hate Bob Dylan, but I've actually listened to enough of his records to know WHY I hate him. An "attention seeking whiner" doesn't really actually describe a guy who strongly disliked being famous - so much he got himself a lovely little cocaine habit and then commited suicide. And if you're as refined as you seem to think you are, e-mail me with the bands that you think are talented and creative. I'll gladly laugh in your face and name you about five bands that each group has ripped off.

I'll bet you even like Oasis, you dumb pony.

Secondly, I'd like to say that the second side of this album does not, by any stretch of the imagination, suck. Niether does the overplayed first side. Every track is a winner - I never liked "Breed" or "Stay Away" much, but I'll admit they're good. A heap of a lot better than reading an entire letter by that anonymous rock fan!

I love this album, hate that man who said those nasty things about my beloved Kurt. Maybe he just reminds me of my attitude at the time - I felt so guilty for thinking Kurt died an untalented junkie. This album gets a solid ten - the band's one truly great work. Best album of the nineties, by far, and one of the greatest of all time. And I hate "hardcore"!

angus_rap@hotmail.com (Alex R)
The most overated album of the 90`s. After many years, I still can`t understand what the hell is so god damn special about this band. And BTW, Cobain was never talented, does playing 3 chords and doing a wimpy little guitar solo make you a talented musician??.. HELL NO!!!!!. And the guy was a loser anyway. Guitar World magazine named this junkie " Artist Of The Decade ", I felt like tossing my cookies when I saw that. Hey Prindle, I bet that you`re more talented than this piece of trash!!. NIRVANA SUCKS.

InMyEyes82@aol.com
I'd just like to point out how awesome Nevermind sounds when you leave it alone for about two years (as I have) and then listen to it again freshly. Damn! Also, I'm sick of people saying how great the Pixies were and how much Kurt ripped off from them. Basically, Nirvana was everything that the Pixies weren't: talented lyricists, punk rockers and people with senses of humor.

shawnd@shocking.com (Shawn Donaldson)
I loved Nirvana the first time I heard them...when they were called THE PIXIES!

Lithium was a great song when it was called Tame!

Strong bass line builds slowly, to distorted power chords...yep, that's them.

A quote from Kurt Cobain himself "Smells like Teen Spirit just sounds like a Pixies rip-off to me..."

Granted, Nirvana was a great band, but if you're a real fan, do yourself a favor and buy a Pixies album, if you don't already have one in that "diverse" CD collection of yours. I suggest Doolittle or Surfer Rosa. To truly know a subject, you need to do research. Consider this research.

misterkite@mindspring.com (Adam Bruneau)
When I first bought this album (several years after the hype and release) I loved it. I listened to every song and worshipped it. Recently, I picked up a used copy and decided to give it a little re-listen. Well, it surely ain't worth a ten, and side 2 really lets me down. Of course, there are quite a few gems on this album but there's way too much generic punkish filler. "On a Plain" is great, tho. Worth the price of admission, that one!

dstreb@neo.rr.com (Daniel Streb)
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Breed" rock, but this album is pretty overrated. When these guys were big I was out buying all the Led Zeppelin and Doors I could get my hands on. The lyrics don't mean anything (Oh come on! "I'm so happy 'cause today I've found my friends/They're in my head"????? I don't know what all these "angst" fans of theirs saw in Mr Cobain's lyricism). I guess everybody swears by this album because once someone dies they become immortal. Nobody can badmouth Kurt anymore. The critics can't bash them at all because if they the critic will lose popularity. Y'know. When was the last time you ever heard anybody say anything bad about Joy Division? Or The Minutemen? Or Jimi Hendrix? Oh and all this stuff about Nevermind "Changing the face of pop music"??? Whatever. In 1990 pop music in the Paula Abdul/MC Hammer vein ruled the airwaves, and 1992 it was Garth Brooks and "Achey Breaky Heart"!

But as far as overrated albums go, this about fifty googol times better than Slanted and Enchanted!!!!!

murraywest@xtra.co.nz
Look, this is where the confusion lays:Nirvana were never a punk rock group - they were a rock n' roll band for christs sake, same as Led Zep and the Stones and all that other dodgy shit you "too hip to rock" cats have stashed away in your closets. And consider this:the oft-repeated line about everyone who bought the Vevet Undergrounds first record rushing out and forming bands applies doubly-so to Nevermind. Is there a single guitar player out there aged 18-25 who didn't learn SLTS before almost anything else (except for maybe, I don't know, Smoke On The Water)? And there-in lies the beauty of rock n'roll (and by extension,Nirvana):as long as there are manic depressive, pothead teenagers out there, there will always be Nirvanas' (and, sadly, probably Korns as well).

ccj@goldcom.com (Craig Jensen)
No matter how much I hate to admit it, Nevermind was a huge slap in the face for the corporate rock scene. I hate the production. In-Utero amazingly surpasses the song writing and production, I think. And for you stuck up music snobs: Why are the Pixies so fucking special? I love the Pixies, but, like they never ripped anyone off. Besides, countless bands did the quiet to loud thing before Nirvana. They just had the right things going for them at the right time. And the Pixies are the only band Nirvana admitted to somewhat ripping off. Otherwise you snobs wouldn't know a good band from your fucking asshole. Check out Slint, June of '44, the Jesus Lizard (goat or liar), Rapeman, PJ Harvey, the ex, Uzeda, or the Dazzling Killmen. Then give me something to bitch about.

mangashack@home.com (David Rockman)
This album is not only grunge, its real music. All of everything Kurdt Kobain did was REAL music. Its not because of the lyrics, or whos on the drums (The Melvins Kick ass) Kurt Played with REAL feeling. And he wrote his music from his feeling, Raw feeling topped with an awsome talent he had to use the guitar. He didnt even intonate it, It was like part of his body. If you think NeverMind was an attempt to sell out your an idiot. Curt didnt even live in a mansion with some model he payed to be his wife. He lived in a normal home, In a seattle, a pretty normal town before he came to live there, With normals grunge cloths and a normal car, He didnt even want to be succes, The only diffrence was He editted Nevermind, Thats not a bad thing, You can tell from how he played it it has feeling. In Utero was beautifuly raw. As raw as Bleached only with more experiance and time to create it. Nirvana never sold out. And obviousely, they never will be able to. Alot of great songs cant be found on any album, maybe bootlegged. "Sappy", "Help me, Im hungry", "Junkyard" are really great songs. They were as grunge as the Melvins, and equal in talent in my opinion. As for sellouts, May the gods of music have mercy on David Grohl's atempt at a band "The Foo Fighters" A few good songs and then _________________________ Nothing but pop-shit

jason_a@earthlink.net (Jason Adams)
I shoplifted this from Phar Mor when I was twelve. At the time, I thought it was too mean and snotty. As I've gotten older, meaner, and snottier I now see why people loved it so much. It's that great Butch Vig production!

Jcjh20@aol.com
Love this album. One of my all time favorites. Every song, all the way threw is fuckin' great. Energetic, catchy, and highly influencial. Kurt was a genious. I dont think Nirvana sounds like the Pixies at all, either, by the way. I hate when people try to say Nirvana ripped em off, they dont sound alike at all (maybe the soft-to-hard dynamics, but thats about it, although, The Pixies didnt exactly invent that) so, whoever thinks that, i suggest you get your head out of your ass. Nirvana deserved everything they got (even if Kurt didnt want most of it). 10/10 most definatly.

amcquill@home.com (Andrew McQuillan)
Y'all forgot to mention how awesome Endless, Nameless is.

BabyImUrPuppet@aol.com
this is the greatest album to have ever been created. no other band can come close to the genius of kurt cobain. not john lennon not paul mccartney not glen danzig not greg ginn. nobody.

Muggwort@aol.com
I can understand why people like nevermind it is cool alternative pop/rock, but I personally cannot stand it. It is grossly overrated the song writing is also not all that great. Although it is at times extremely catchy. I will admit that if this album is anything more that a sell out that Kurt Cobain did have a good idea about mixing angst and melody, just (like many other revolutionary albums) the results are not all that great.

5/10

DinoSergakis@aol.com
Listen I used to like this band until everybody said they saved Rock n' Roll. Well here is the thing thay didn't!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bands before them like Metallica, Megadeth, and even Billy Idol saved rock so fuck this pussy Kurt Cobain. He couldn't sing with courtney love up his ass(someone else who can't sing). I think even The Clash saved Rock n' Roll. So stop praisng them he has been dead for years and I frankly don't seem to care. Oh yeah Dave Grohl is better off with the Foo Fighters.

WBinder007@aol.com
Argh! Enough already! Zach English, this one goes straight to you. Calling Kurt Cobain a better lyricist than Black Francis/Frank Black is akin to saying Noel Gallagher is a better songwriter than John Lennon. One listen to the between song banter from Surfer Rosa obliterates your "The Pixies have no sense of humor" argument. As for the punkitude (I hate that word, but can't think of a better phrasing at the moment) of the Pixies, they weren't trying to be a punk band. As for which one's a better group, that's up to the listener. Me, I'll take the Ramones over both anyday. Feel free to reply with your arsenal of ten dollar words and worship of MacKaye and Albini, though.

j.z.hernandez@worldnet.att.net (Josephine Hernandez)
I was thirteen the first time i heard the band, Lithium was getting some heavy airplay in Manila then. It was bewildering for someone who never really liked rock music before to latch on to all the noise and apparent randomness of a band like Nirvana, but that was just the case with me.When i finally got a hold of their album (in the form of a cheap cassette hand-me-down from my brother), little did i know how much it would affect my life from that point. Let's just say that the exposure of a poor third-world-kid from a broken home to the genius and artistic empathy of Kurt and Co. turned out to be a powerful and revealing experience. It was a blast of pure emotion. Angry, vulnerable, confused emotions that lived within the simple blocks of tempo, rhythm, dynamics and (hooky)melody which made up the Nirvana songwriting process. Simple forms but potent and effective forms. Some would like to judge an album on how gratifying it is; a metalhead, living vicariously through his guitar heroes will call the album crap, since it's so simple and straightforward. Others, bred on classic rock with the straightforward narratives of the lyrics, will say Nevermind is just nonsense. it's just unfortunate that many don't understand that there is more to music than technical and lyrical gratification. Underneath the abrasive distortion of the guitars and the seemingly disjointed, juxtaposed lyrics (which actually had an organic unity, a structure and sense to them), is an album with a soul. A pained, hurt soul that seethed with anger and despondence, a soul that reached out and connected to those who bothered to listen more closely. This made Nevermind such a powerful and revolutionary record, it was at once both accessible technically and culturally, but had the depth of a true work of art.

uglytruth@hotmail.com (Hossein Nayebagha)
Yeah,right...zzzzzz... People try to understand why Nirvana became so big, trying to find a reason why this record would be so great...and end up foolin' themeselves like that; this album is NOT that great! To me it sounded as the definite best album ever made..almost after the first I listened to it...but there was so many things that I hadn't heard at the time, if I was so impressed the first time, maybe all the other kidz felt the same when it came out ( I bought it in 1997 when I was 15). But now, "In Bloom" ? zzzzzzzzzz... "Lithium" is genius in the combination of lyrics and music, but too long...there was no need for an extra round. "Polly"; too long for being such a repetetive song..."Drain You" a mediocre pop song that is also too long. "Stay Away"..at this point you're beginning to be way too tired of Cobain's lousy vocals. Don't even get me started on "Something In The Way"...I really hate it when people adore every song that is sooooooooo quiet...would you believe those strings at the end ? The problem is that people have inherited the idea that the definition of "nice" or "beautiful" is quiet, and incredibly slow and light. The good songs; "Smells Like Teen Spirit"; has the energy to make it a true classic.."Come As You Are" !why the hell didn't you mention it?! it's the only song that is musically outstanding! "Breed","Territorial Pissings" (now there's a punk song that isn't too long) "Lounge Act"= should have been a pop hit, if it had been released on single..."On A Plain"; good melody. 7/10.

JohnnyB8@aol.com
yo seriously........that imurpuppet fag up there needs to be draged out into the street and shot. how dare you compare shit like danzig and nirvana to classic works of music like the beatles? you really must have mental problems...........i am a huge fan of rock, and i hate nirvana for the one simple reason......the hype that surrounds them. they werent "innovative", they weren't "new", and really, they werent good. I mean sure, they look awesome compared to what rock music came out in 1992. and what good rock music came from 1990-1992? THATS RIGHT! NOT A GODDAMN THING! thats why nirvana looks so good. but for every "innovative grunge band" you show me, ill show you a band A MILLION TIMES BETTER. for every nirvana u show me, i'll show you a who. for every sonic youth you show me, ill show you a beatles, for every eddie fudgin vedder u show me, i'll show you a damn jimi hendrix. bottom line.......nirvana wasnt innovative, wasnt new, wasnt good. Took advantage of a bad time in music, much like pink floyd. thats all

frh74@tca.net (Ray Holloway)
JohnnyB8, you repulsive bedwetter. That's right, you figured them out. The members of Nirvana all predetermined their dates of birth so that they could reach the angst-ridden age of 20-something at just the moment America's youth would be braindead from listening to hair metal for a decade. Their evil plan came to fruition, and they had their way with us via their candy-ass, immaculately-produced, pre-fabricated, unoriginal love ballads. Not to mention their tasty dance numbers. Nothing they did was anything less than derivative and fake.

Please, spare me. Fag.

"Life is like the coldest winter
People freeze the tears I cry
Words of hail their minds are into
I've got to crack this ice and fly"

Chew on that.

thecheapercrisp@hotmail.com (Simon Burgess)
I just saw a video of 'In Bloom' on MTV2, but it was blatantly a different version of the song with Chad Channing on drums - where the hell did this come from? I've read a whole bunch of Nirvana books and there's never any mention of them releasing 'In Bloom' as single before he left and going so far as to make a video with him. If anyone knows anything about this, why don't you post us an explanation on here so we can revel in the enlightenment.

aquaiii@hotmail.com (Karl Mattson)
Christ, don't you people know a joke when you hear it? Mr. Prindle here is obviously making light of the depressing irony inherent in the selling-out (perceived or otherwise) of such a rabid proponent and collector of underground music (that's Mr. Kobain himself, for those of you watching at home.) Seriously, stop taking yourselves so seriously.

chuckatmg@aol.com
well this album is the most famous of them all! because of slts and lithium. those are the radio friendly, unit shifting songs that every station in the known world played over and over and over. kurt cobain never wanted to become big and he hated it that teen spirit and lithium became the only nirvana songs. i have to agree, if the only song that you like is teen spirit, then you arent a nirvana fan.

mercenary_fr@yahoo.com (Brian Morton)
Overrated? Yah. Overproduced? Sure. Overexposed? Oh yes. But it's still a great album. I can't even say if the hits were good songs (save "Lithium", which kills me oh so goodly) because I just can't stand listening to them anymore... which basically means side 1 has been played out for me, except for the very, very awesome "Breed" and the aforementioned "Lithium". Side 2, however, is SUPER! "Territorial Pissings" is great, "Lounge Act" has the frigeen' neat-o-est bassline this side of Mr. Novoselic (except, of course, for "Hairspray Queen"), and "Stay Away"? Listen to those drums! Dunhduh-KAH-Dunhduh-KAH-Dunhduh-KAH KAH KAH! Mr. Grohl could hit them drummies pretty hard. And the melt down at the end! Bass feedback! *orgasms*

Then everything cleans up for "On A Plain", which is a fine song in it sets a nice mood, but it doesn't do much else. Same for the last song. So it's a great album, with some -superb- songs on it, but due to it's popularity, it got fucked over. Tis sad.

okeydoke0@yahoo.com (Barrett Barnard)
Okay we all know that youre not a poser.so like this album you stupid as hole.i own the first 2 meat puppets cds and i think its on their level.thats my attempt to show you im not a poser.i love the meat pups though.anyway this is the best album of the 90s with apologies to slanted and enchanted.even teen spirit still kicks.in bloom is the best metal song ever.lithium is the best song of the 90s.come as you are is another great pop song even though they ripped it from killing joke.but the best songs are the lesser known tracks once again.there are the 3 punk ragers stay away breed and territorial pissings all equipped with great riffs and drums galore or maybe thats backwards.anyway theres also polly which isnt a lesser known track but i forgot to mention it.theres the 2 power pop tracks on a plain and drain you which are actually my favorites.lounge act is kinda dark for this album but it has nice lyrics and easy riffs which helped my sorry ass learn how to play my 6 string stinger.and then after all this rucus something in the way comes on the airwaves and puts your little soul to rest.you already own it so go listen to it again like is was an old husker du album and see how cool it is.

frh74@tca.net (Ray Holloway)
If I listened to it like it was a Husker Du album, then, after waking up from a boredom-induced nap, I'd have to sell it for beer money. I think it's more like listening to a Zeppelin record: catchy, loud, timeless.

okeydoke0@yahoo.com (Barrett Barnard)
nope i just checked and its more like a husker du record.

CathyB@aires.org (Cathy Brown)
I think NEVERMIND is the best album ever spawned. And all of you ass holes that think that they’re “goddamn worthless pieces of shit” can kiss my ass, burn, then rot in hell! And all of you people with shit for brains that think kurt tries too hard to be “cool” in nevermind can go out and fuck yourselves!! NIRVANA ROCKS!!!

robadobb_2@msn.com (Rob Raymer)
a true classic kurt was brilliant. he obviously took himself too seriously but he was real and his music shows this. even if it was overproduced why not just enjoy it for what it is.the riff in come as you are definately sounds like invisible sun by the police but i never heard the man claimed to be completely original. he combined his influences and his ability to write good lyrics around unforgettable melodies with a simple touch showed he was truly gifted. as far as krist and dave are concerned they formed a great chemistry and in retrospect were more talented and vital than a certain woman would have you believe

nwiger@arvig.net (Neil T. Wiger)
The first Nirvana Album I owned was "Nevermind" (like most of us) I also had Bleach shortly after that....any how, I used to spend hours every night walking parks and sidewalks listening to my "Walkman", emitting sounds of Nirvana and enjoying the ear candy coming from all of the microphones used in the production of Nevermind & "Bleach", enjoying the sounds to the point I could practically see them! (no I’m not schizo and I wasn’t on LSD:) These night long "Nirvana walks" really helped me get through some damn dismal days. I had a totally different view of my environment while listening to "Nevermind" and "Bleach". Nothing else really mattered, except the daunting reminders of having to return to my daily grind of sleeping and other peoples bull-shit brought on by the return of the sun and massive amounts of "sheep" traffic on there way to work. Here’s some of my thoughts on NEVERMIND.

The Song "Teen Spirit" always reminded me of Playing guitar live with reckless abandon and about 50 people totally enjoying the affair, the words brought back feeling of how I could have lead a Revolution in school, had every one listened to good music to begin with:).

The Song "In Bloom", has always had a catchy line and it was built that way on purpose. Basically its just built for the hoards to sing along to. and its really good for it.

"Come As You Are", brought on memories of my parents and how little people really listen to each others problems, and the things that hold us back from not being self-centered...there’s a real "no way out" feeling to that song.

"Breed", now there’s a song I always jammed on my guitar and still do, its fun to play and easy as hell, the words are really good at representing the feelings of obligations to others, I think there’s a little more to it than that. But I’ll leave it at that.

Whenever I listen to "Lithium", I think of one of my best friends, who I havent had the chance to "hang-out" with in the last couple of years. That is probably his favorite Nirvana song. The riff is awesome and so are the vocals….(any of you that have attempted singing this song live will understand why I said the vocals rule). This songs title also reminds me of how sick in the head some medical professionals are! Oh well.

"Polly"…what a well written song to display the feelings of helpless that a victim of rape is subjected to. This song should be played in prisons and mental rehabilitation centers for those who are convicted of sex offenses and they (meaning authorities) should interpert the lyrics to the inmates. Hey its a thought we gotta start preventing this shit from happening!

Now another song that brings on the same thoughts that "Teen Spirit"s chorus to mind is "Territorial Pissings" . Except that I basically enjoy this songs speed and heaviness more than what Teen Spirit has to offer….I guess that’s do to the Heavy/Punk/Metal upbringing I subjected my self to.

"Drain You" gives me the mind set of a really great dream about a girl your totally into. It has the psychedelic dream/metal thing about it that makes it irresistable to enjoy. I personally prefer the version recorded at the Mel-House on the good’ ol’ 4-track machine. But none the less this song is another one of my favorites….Its got a large dose of poetry involved, well atleast in my opinion,….Its a great song to play and sing as well!

The song "Lounge Act" reminds me of the compliments people hand me that I dont totally feel up to accepting….dont get me wrong I like complimentsJ., some of ya will understand and some wont. The title of this song by itself reminds me of playing a Sleepfarmers show at a house party in some ones living room for free beer and while observing your audience half ot them are standing there with their mouths hanging open with awe and the others are practically sleeping….hehe

"Stay Away"..tell me one thing this song stands for besides its title any how its a great vocal song with a catchy rhythm its one of those songs, where if ya had a friend who wasnt totally sold on the music of Nirvana but liked hard rock music you could sell them on this song.

I’ve played "On A Plain" a lot in my band’s cover sets, its great, it reminds me of writing my own material when I was about 13 to 16 and and triin’ to come up with great song lyrics and ending up with words that didnt always make total sense or lead any where but still sounded great when I sung them on top of a good chord progression.

And to cap off the great album Nevermind* we are offered the song "Something In The Way" I love this songs representaion of repressed thoughts and the resulting depression that follows an inablity to full fill your creative out lets….well hell all of lifes needs if ya read enough into it!

* "Endless Nameless for those of us that have the Nevermind pressing with it on it…. Is a great noise song, my favorite part of this song I when they cut to the chorus part that part grabs me every time I hear it.

Written by Neil Wiger on the early morning of 12/29/97.

deadguy1213@yahoo.com (Eric D.)
well then... i'll get my two cents in on this one now: this is a very good album. Like Mark says, there's nothing really wrong with it. My only problem is once again, that production... in the hands of Butch Vig, you can see how the 4 songs after Territorial Pissings could come of as soundalike fodder to clueless MTV watching folk... they're all good songs in their own right, If Endino or Steve Albini were there, they might be more distinctive, losing that poppy commercial shine they have. Still it is a good record from a truly talented songwriter who i respect and understand a little more now then i did a few years back. Wish he could have found it in himself to hang in there (maybe he did... insert Courtney conspiracy theory here). If Kurt did write that suicide note i do have to say I relate to the part about empathy a lot... what can I say, wish he wasn't dead. I do prefer In Utero a little bit more, but I like all Nirvana's stuff about the same.

Bleach - 8
Nevermind - 8
Incesticide - 7
In Utero - 9

gag05@bigpond.com.au (Louise Gagliardi)
I actually got this album last week, and 2 my surprise its actually an awesome pop rock album with one catchy as fuck song after another and it rulz!

Smells Like Teen Spirit: 10+/10
In Bloom: 10/10
Come As You Are: 10/10
Lithium: 10+/10
Breed: 10/10
Polly: 9/10
Territorial Pissings: 9/10
Drain You: 9/10
Lounge Act: 10/10 this underrated song is the real winner on the second side, catchy as nething
Stay Away: 9.5/10
On A Plain: 8.5/10
Something In The Way: 1/10 this dull, boring piece of shit of a song is the only letdown on an otherwise great consistent album

Rojasandres6@aol.com
I know that music is not about technical abilty and is also about feelings. I think that this album is good for being so simple but there is something REALLY Bad about it. It changed the Music. Did Nevermind send the music in a good direction? No it didn't.

I just finnished High school yesterday. That means I'm still a teenager and I'm close to them. The way they praise Cobain is stupid. When the guy killed himself, I'm not sure but I think there were like only 6 morons that killed themselves too following his idol. The fact that this guy brought simplicity to music was what created the bad Rock and served as an inspiration for bands that nowdays sell millions and they suck. The Pop selfcalled "Punk" bands are some of them. Now, my main problem with Nirvana is the importance that people give to it. There are some aspects that we need to remember.

First of all, admit that a lot of the succes of Cobain came because he was good looking and that helped him with his image of a rebel specially with girls.

Then, the way people consider his lyrics some kind of a philosoby doctrine. I don't know about you, but I don't need the lyrics of some songs to be some kind of light that will lead me to a better life. Nirvana's lyrics will always be praised by the teenagers because the mayor part of the teenagers will always need someone that will make them believe in something instead of having their own opinion about different aspects of life. Don't get me wrong. I like the good lyrics in the songs but I will never make a big deal about them and consider them as the answer to the question " Why am I here" or " What is the way I should act". I almost don't know people that love Nirvana that are out of High school. I know some that like them but not that consider them Gods. I only know two guys, one 23 year old guy and a 26 year old girl, that have the "philosopher" Cobain as their idol. They are all fucked up. They barely get a pathetic part time job and they don't even have money to buy the crack that they need. To me, that's pathetic. Consider Nirvana your guide and the basic element of your most important ideas in their lyrics and you will be a person that has NO VOICE.

The last thing I don't like...actually I hate about Nirvana is what they mean to music. They brought such a revolution that they made the industry look into a new direction and they almost eliminated the good Rock. Good Music is not about technical ability? Well that's true sometimes (Only sometimes) but Nirvana is the responsible of making the industry become what it is now. If you know what I'm talking about I don't have to mention the bands that have been ( and still are) influenced by Nirvana.

Kurt Cobain was not like John Lennon. He never was like Lennon.

Nirvana delivered good music with the most simple methods but the responsability that Cobain has (or had) make this album not worth it.

mossinator@hotmail.com (Ian Moss)
When I was growing up and for the longest time afterwards, I absolutely refused to like this album, because it represented everything that wasn't me -- loud, brash, angry, self-hating, and most of all, wildly popular. At the time it came out I was on a daily crusade against everything "mainstream," instead celebrating the music of a past generation--the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Aerosmith, even Boston. There was no way that Nirvana could possibly be any good, for the simple reason that everyone I knew loved them. What's more, I pretty much felt that way about all rock 'n' roll created by bands that formed after about 1980.

Well, over the next decade I slowly warmed up to "modern rock," discovering a certain charm in the endless cascade of power chords, and learning to cherry-pick my favorites from amongst the morass of radio hits. Finally, more than 10 years and several Radiohead and Pearl Jam albums after its release, I decided I had to have Nevermind. Never mind its silly tricks, I rationalized, its whiny themes and its leaden drums. It sure sounded okay blaring from my car stereo on a sunny day in the city last year, waking up the unemployed neighbors from their afternoon naps.

sabrina@voicenet.com (Sabrina Summers)
Oh my God! Mark, Josephine Hernandez! I can't believe finding another female who can articulate how I feel about Nirvana and "Nevermind". She very well sums up how this album impacted on my life although in a slightly different way. And she can talk about the muscial part better than I can.

Altho not of the Third World I grew up in a home that was a contradiction in many ways. I was told to be an "American" and speak English. My parents never allowed us to learn Italian, Spanish or Portuguese from our paternal grandfather. Yet as a girl I was brought up quite traditionally and always supervised and as a result rather immature and late to the dating scene. And that's just the start. Although American, our happy family did listen to lots of Latin music and by the time I was a teen in the late 70s I was sick of bassa novas, Stan Getz, Astrid Gilberto, Los Indios Tabajaros and so on. At that point the Ramones came in and their cartoonish take on life and rather bouncy, short rock really hit the time, the space and point in personal history I was at.

However, the early 1990s were another story. Now a young woman in her late 20s pushing hard to go somewhere as an American, now with an Anglicized name, a huge student loan to pay off and the shitty recession of 1990-91 hitting hard I felt very cheated. Like a bolt of lightning I heard "Nevermind" at a loft party a date took me to. Alot of the snooty MBAs (I'm not, having failed the GMATS) were getting drunk and laughing alot about Kurt's screams. But I was totally taken in. And so I bought a casette a few weeks later and really began LISTENING to all the songs. Although the lyrics were a puzzle, it was a puzzle I didn't mind diving into and the music was something I wanted to swim along with. Usually Most well performed rock music just ends up as background music for me.

It was great to know someone was as screwed up as I was on a very deep level. So that's the personal part. Also, I admired that Nirvana didn't seem to care about slick production or anything like that. Like the Ramones. Only this time I needed something more than the comic book humor of "Sheena is a punk Rocker" to fill in the empty space that always seemed to creep up around me whenever it was after midnight and I was doing what I really wanted to be doing, fashion design, instead of working at a job in financial services. But there was that huge student loan to pay off, and the whole thing about a "secure" future, and all the contradictions.

Plus I'd just been dumped by a boyfriend who'd been enamored of 80s dance music by Cult Jam, Simple Minds, Flock of Gulls and other club type bands. If anyone here remembers that you'll understand why Nirvana and Grunge had to happen.

I always consider rock music releases the encapsulation of not only a musician's vision of the world the band creates, but it also encapsulates the history and mood of the time the recording is made. Of course some groups don't always catch the vibe of the time they are living in. But for me Nirvana did that and more.

So I took to alot of the songs even the Nonsense like "I'm on a Plain". "Drain You" was like a mantra to me since I felt that I'd been drained by all the crap I mistakenly put my faith into. "Rape Me" and "Heartshaped Box" from Utero also spoke to me in personal ways.

This weekend here in NYC, Labor Day 2004, KISS-FM is having a "Resurrection Weekend" and playing among other bands The Ramones and Nirvana. I've not listened to either band in about 8 years and let me tell you the effect was electric after all the Nelly, Tupac Shakur and whoolio, Coolio on radio every day and let me tell you I've been playing those old cassettes once again today. And "Nevermind" is just as much a jolt today as it was then.

I know the guys who are reviewing these albums are pros or almost pros in their knowledge of production, sound engineering and all that but for some of us there's more to something like Nirvana. It's the fact that it serves as a reminder that life isn't perfect, it's fucked up at times and that most importantly there's someone else out there screaming out loud while some of us are screaming inside.

georgeepeorgee@yahoo.co.jp (Ivals George)
I gotta throw in my comments about Nevermind similar to what Josephine and Sabrina had to say above. I'm not old enough to remember any of the big breakthroughs in popular music back in the 60's and I was just heading into puberty when the whole punk thing happened in and around 1977 -- and it scared the shit out of me at the time! Nothing much seemed to happen musically in the 80's and I distinctly remember 1990 being a horrible year for popular music -- mainstream, underground or whatever. At the time MC Hammer was the big thing with his re-hashing of a Rick James groove and even one of the local newspapers pointed out at the end of the year that the stuff that had come out was generally poor with only a few interesting offerings from Public Enemy and Sonic Youth. Add to this a deepening recession and the Gulf War starting up in early 1991 and the general feeling was that the world was a really shitty place to live in especially if you were under 30.

After not being able to get a job with my university degree, I decided to train to be a radio DJ at a broadcasting school in September 1991, which was the same month that Nevermind was released. I clearly remember the excitement that kept building toward the end of 1991 surrounding Nevermind. Initially, it was mostly around "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and I have to admit for a while that was my only interest in Nirvana. I think this song suffers from the "Stairway to Heaven Syndrome". But if you can put aside all the hype surrounding the song, the album and the band and forget about what the group should sound like, it's a good, catchy song. At the end of 1991, Nevermind was chosen by the listeners of an alternative station in my hometown as the number one record of the year and the DJ's announced this as if they were completely amazed that a record from a completely unheralded group would hit number one after being released so late in the year. There was a real sense at the time that the ground was moving underneath us -- at least in popular music -- and we weren't reading about it in fanzines, but watching it happen in real time. My favourite Nirvana moment from this time was an appearance that they made on some awards show (on MTV?) in which the set degenerated into a trashing of instruments with Kurt Cobain leaning his guitar up against the amps to produce huge feedback and Dave Grohl walking up to the mic and just repeating, "Hi, Axle. Hi, Axle!" These guys seemed for real in that they were telling everybody who had come before, that is, those over 30, "Fuck you!" In a strange way, I admired them for this because I probably wanted to do the same thing.

Fastforward two years after a short-lived stint in the radio industry when I had decided to move to Japan and teach English for a living. I managed to get myself a Japanese girlfriend who happened to own Nevermind and she was nice enough to dub the CD onto a cassette tape since I didn't own a CD player, but an old tape deck that someone had disgarded. I wasn't able to take my CD collection to Japan since I had to pack other essential items, so for several months I could only listen to Nevermind and did so religiously everyday. And Nirvana did not disappoint me! The more I listened the more I was impressed with many of the songs in-your-face style. I can't comment on the songs in any technical sense since my musical abilities consist of being able to play "Ode to Joy" on a Casio keyboard, but I was impressed with the hard-driving songs like "Drain You" and "On A Plain" on the one hand and more subdued songs like "Come As You Are" and "Polly".

All the people who have commented that there's really nothing new in Nevermind are probably paying too much attention to the publicity and not listening closely enough to the record. There is really nothing new here in terms of a general style, but the songs that are there really well done in their own right. All those people who have complained that Nevermind is a sell-out after the group had put out Bleach are trying too hard to pigeon-hole this group into a certain genre of music. I like Bleach, Nevermind, Insecticide, In Utero and even the Unplugged record mainly because many of the songs on all of these CD's are well done, but also because amazingly they were all produced by ONE group. There's a versatility in this group that still impresses me.

I have to admit I don't listen to this record so much anymore and I prefer some of the less polished and rawer stuff on their other records, but Nevermind still represents the last time that I ever got even mildly excited about popular music.

weegie@pookielife.fsnet.co.uk (Geoff Saunders)
Blimey I'm a booknote to all those above! Can I just say that "on a plain" might just be the best album track never released as a single?

Yes I can, thank you, good night and god bless (whatever god you beleive in)

pedroandino@msn.com
hey! I have not said a joke in days. I just wanted to know that nevermind I guess just came out when the rodney king beatings came! I was silent until something ring in my head! I am the one who both lighthearted and makes jokes but hey I am here to calm everybody the fuck down!!!!!!!!!!!!! say lil jon is cocksucking faggot nigger who cannot shut the fuck up! fuck u cunt groupie assholes! say did ya'll seen the surreal life chyna got naked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! mini me got wasted! ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! ya'll need to calm down! say mark let me ask u about 2 arab american assholes that are in the wwe! fucking cocks dissing americans! I was so bummed that johnny carson died! he was my dad's favorite! wwe has christy! tasty! kane is a motherfucker!

champ103@siu.edu
10 stars for Nevermind!!!!! and only 4 stars for Miles Davis's Kind of Blue!!!!!!!!! I can't believe that. "Drain You" and "On A Plain" are copies of "Teen Spirit," - it don't get much more unoriginal than that. Cobain's lyrics are incoherent and his guitar technique is extremely limited.

I used to love this album and the band. After a while, it all sounded like crap. I had everything they released, and called them God. Now I can't stand them. Get some Miles Davis instead, Kind of Blue is pure music Nirvana.

messer4@bellsouth.net
Well most are guilty when making songs for using the lyrics and the music so let us make a hate page on Jessica Simpson, Jay-z and anyone else since Nirvana is hated so much for using someone elses song. Ok maybe they did but most of their songs were original and Kurt had a gift for writing music and lyrics. These hate pages I have checked out to see if it could convince me that Nirvana and Kurt Cobain his self was distasteful and passionless and I still disagree. I hate that I would doubt my feelings and all I can say is that these hate pages are immature so grow up.

sasa.podunavec@yahoo.com
Very good, but really overplayed. It'd be very hard for me to enjoy this record again since it lost a lot of its charm throughout the years.

If I were standing on the sidewalk and a young man came up to me and recited the paragraph printed above, I would punch him in the face.

But since I wrote it, it's FRIGGIN' BRILLIANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reader Comments

mattias@diariodopovo.com.br (Alexandre Linhares Matias)
That's just Kurt Cobain yelling: "We're no greater than Devo or Vaselines, understand it!" He knew it, we don't.

blackbear@mix-net.net (Rice)
Those old school punk covers are what makes that album! Somebody should release all the recordings of Nirvana doing covers of old punk. Thats the best Nirvana there is! Punk-Nirvana!

pespasa@ns.tmx.com.ni
Some people know how to play, some others how to sing, and some others just kick asses, those are NIRVANA.

pmtapia@worldnet.att.net (The Chameleon)
By far...in my opinion the best Nirvana album. These songs just kick ass and they don't get annoying like "Come as You Are" or "Heart Shaped Box"....These songs..like "Dive"..are just so damn cool and catchy. "Mexican Seafood"...the name is good enough to like the song. And besides that, the best song Nirvana wrote is on this album..."Aneurysm".

Resident-Alien@webtv.net (Ryan Francis)
Killer covers, killer sound, Nirvana doing what they do best...

jltichenor@earthlink.net (James L. Tichenor)
Yes! Everyone who likes this album is fucking brilliant, you too Mr. Mark! This is one classic fucking album. Aneurysm or however you spell that is probably one of their best songs ever- you can hear 70's hard rock riffage, sonic youthy ascending bits, punk like interludes including the everpopular palm mute, and harmonies and screams all in ONE song!!!!!!!! ARRRGHH! its fucking brilliant! everyone else has complemented the A side shit which is brilliant too. I wanna throw my two cents in for the punk and weird punk on the b side. Hairspray Queen? Downer? Mexican Seafood? This stuff kicks too much ass possible for being so early in their repetoire. There are some riffs in here that sound very unlike Nirvana, but thats what makes it great becuz it is Nirvana which just proves that they were a great fucking band so fuck you ppl who think they suck!!!!!!!

frh74@tca.net (Ray Holloway)
Holy lord! Every time I read this review I damage internal organs from laughing. My lawyers will be in touch.

Jcjh20@aol.com
Lots of amazing stuff on here that makes me scratch my head and ask why they are outtakes (its usually like that for practically every other Nirvana outtake too, though). Some of my favorite Nirvana songs lie on here, like "Aneurysm", "Big Long Now" (probably the slowest song in the whole Nirvana catalouge), the cute pop of "Sliver", "Stain", the hilarious "Beeswax" and "Mexican Seafood" and the song where Kurt shows off his grandiose, although limited guitar skills (and his interest for Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin, evidently) "Aero Zeppelin". Definate 9. Ohh, and also why "Dive" was ever left off Nevermind and why "Verse Chorus Verse" (or "Sappy" whatever) was ever left off this album is also beyond me.

dbw17@hotmail.com (Dave Wagner)
This review is one of the awkwardly funniest pieces of genius I've ever read. It should be framed.

chuckatmg@aol.com
ok, this album is a sampler for nirvanas rating chart. geffens idea for this album was..."give the public an album of mostly new, rare songs and see how many bites we get".kurt wrote songs that were stranger and much more emotional than the songs on this album, and unless you collect bootlegs, you'll never hear them. this album was merely a b-side rarity lp.

mercenary_fr@yahoo.com (Brian Morton)
Good stuff. I used to like it alot. Now... well, I still like it alot. The screaming and weird-o bass line of "Hairspray Queen" are probably my favorite bit on this album. And "Dive" kicks some black guy's ass. That weird ass take on a "cock rock" song is pretty funny. All of it is either funny and poppy or weird and eccentric. Which is great!

For some reason, I like the live versions of "Aneurysm" and "Sliver" off of From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah better than these studio takes.

uglytruth@hotmail.com (Hossein Nayebagha)
"Sliver" sucks... and the version of "Polly" on here is the worst one.

Other than that, this is a pretty good record, some songs are even really good and should definitely have ended up on a real album: "Beeswax", "Aero Zeppelin" etc. "Aneurysm" is perhaps a bit too long...I don't know, maybe I've just listened to Nirvana too much. "Dive" - great, but the solo part sucks, so that kinda ruins the song.

robadobb_2@msn.com (Rob Raymer)
this album kicks ass no doubt about it. weird, interesting,rocks

I don't know, and neither did they. No artistic growth is displayed here. It's just an attempt to appease two different fan bases, neither of which Kurt felt fully comfortable with. The songs seem stilted, forced, false, and ultimately, mostly unsatisfying. But that's just me talking. What do I care if two of the songs are complete rip-offs of "Smells Like Teen Spirit?" That's irony, right? Like The Knack? Hmm. It's an intriguing record, especially considering what Kurt did soon after its release, but it's not terribly consistent.

Reader Comments

jblank@erols.com (Jonas)
I would have to disagree with the rather cynical appraisal of this record. Considering the events surrounding the post-Nevermind "Nirvanamania," the record makes a lot of sense artistically if not commercially. IMO, the best Nirvana record. The record reflects 100% the anger, frustration, and fury over the Vanity Fair piece, heroin addiction, falling in love with Love etc. "Rape Me" may be a tad derivative but "Pennyroyal Tea" is purely autobiographical. Though the solo unplugged version is more moving, this song is perhaps the most pointed commentary Kurt ever made about drugs, although it was written in 1991 before the severe heroin abuse began. "Frances Farmer" is more autobiography, casting Kurt and Courtney as metaphors for the oft-abused Seattle actress. Though it may not have the commercial sheen (Albini's punchy drums make sure of that) In Utero brings much more to the table than the last record, and pulls it off lyrically in a way we can all understand.

case@uclink4.berkeley.edu
i personally couldn't care less about In Utero's lyrics (cryptic subtleties don't really jibe with that patented noisy grunge sound) but the music is amazing! true, the songs for the most part lack the catchiness of Nevermind, but the sonic experimentation more than makes up for it. i think it's fascinating to listen to this album and wonder where cobain might have taken things: perhaps a step in the fuzzy direction of sonic youth was in the future? or maybe even (stop me if this sounds too wild) farther into the sheer noise of einsturzende neubaten? mixed with that old juicy 3-chord happy nirvana sound? wow...it blows the mind. anyways, "frances farmer" is a beautiful little song that rocks quite a bit. but the album isn't a compilation of potential individual hits the way Nevermind was. it's a gem in and of itself, meant to be listened to all the way through.

strider@redrose.net (David Straub)
I traded in Nevermind to buy this. It's really the only studio record of theirs I consider it necessary to own. I think this is the real deal! The lyrical tone of the songs and the sound of the music combine to make this an awesome "fuck you!" to the blithering fans that thought Kurt was the new messiah as well as the industry that pandered to the band. Thank goodness they became disenchanted with Vig and got Albini to make this record.... the hairy guitar tone and monstrous rhythm work make this thing tear my face off every time i hear it...

pespasa@ns.tmx.com.ni
Just another great piece of work from KURT, DAVE,and KRIST. It shows that there will never be something better than them.

danzig5@hotmail.com (Nima J)
this is a cool album, although sometimes i get pretty bored with nirvana. "Heart shaped box", "dumb", "scentless apprentice", and "rape me" are pretty cool, though i find the rest of the album to be pretty boring. I give this album a 7.

pmtapia@worldnet.att.net (The Chameleon)
You know, you are right Prindle. These songs do seem false and forced. It seems like Kurt is just trying too hard to bring back the grunge roots he once had. This album just sounds so so....how can I can say this....it doesn't feel like Kurt put as much of his heart and time into this recording. It's really quite sad..this album marks Nirvana's downfall.

bthom@turbonet.com (Ray)
I think you're a fool to rate In Utero their lowest. It's their best. Most of the stuff on Nevermind doesn't grab me at all. It's like, what's the big deal? Insesticide is interesting with a few cool tracks, but In Utero is great. You're a poor fool.

FRANFARMER@aol.com
You idiots this was the best DGC cd made by nirvana. Nevermind sucked - it was way too produced.

shearing@nbnet.nb.ca (John Shearing and Family)
In Utero was a much harder album than Nevermind, less pop-oriented. With some tracks harkening back to the days of Bleach, alternative rock was taken to the next level...I disagree with your statement "No artistic growth is displayed here"...I think Kurt was exploring some new sounds on this album and his lyrics actually started to take on some real meaning. I give In Utero 8-and-a-half stars!

Bflag21361@aol.com
I disagree with your mediocre review of In Utero. Maybe it wasn't as revolutionary as Nevermind, or as cool as Incesticide but it was meant to be a big FUCK YOU to all the trendy preps who started liking the band. I should know, i was in school when Nirvana was popular (they still are, can you believe that?). It more than succeeds at doing that, and it also brings some beautiful songs to the party : "Heart-Shaped Box", "Rape Me", "Very Ape", "Pennyroyal Tea" and "All Apologies" are great. In effect, it was probably the last great american punk rock album. Don't try to tell me that Green day and Offspring and Blink 182 are "punk" because they are not. Being a true punk band means pissing off the adults, writing serious lyrics and sounding messy, which no band does as well today as Nirvana did. Even though their songs might sound a little overplayed to me as they did earlier, the band is still a very necessary part of american musical history. I would say they are in the same Hall Of Punk Fame with Black Flag and the Sex Pistols.

Itchload@aol.com
In Utero is their best. It sounds like a grunge version of Surfer Rosa.

azitelli@stevens-tech.edu
in utero is a 9, the great nirvana album...that thing about ripping your face off, dave straub, is the funniest thing i ever read!

nop07454@mail.telepac.pt
Prindle, I really dig your site, I think it's really cool, but you are really wrong at some albums, like almost everything you have reviewed from Sonic Youth, U2's Achtung Baby, and some other ones. About In Utero, it was the first CD I ever bought, and it blew me away... I bought when it came out, about 5 years ago, and I still hear it a lot, it's the one Nirvana album that really doesn't get worn out, Nevermind is a close 2nd, but this one is great. You can't give a 7 to an album that has "Serve the servants", "Milk It", "Pennyroyal Tea" and "All Apologies", every one of these songs is on my Nirvana top10 of favorite songs, and Milk It is brilliant, maybe the best Nirvana song ever. From the drum sticks hitting and the drums kicking in the begining, to the end of All Apologies, this is one of the most brilliant, powerful, complex, amazing and really-no-words-to-really-describe-it album, if you don't worship this album, you can't call yourself a true Nirvana fan.

amcquill@home.com
I think that In Utero is possibly the best Nirvana album. It sounds like the guitars were tuned differently and it was messier grunge and more raw but the tunes are memorable and the lyrics are a bit more weird. I listen to Nevermind a great deal but I'm addicted to In Utero. Bleach kicks ass too.

jltichenor@earthlink.net (James L. Tichenor)
I don't worship this album and i call myself a true Nirvana fan so HAH! When i got this album i HATED it. Now i only sort of like it. Mark is fucking right on this one you guys. So don't be idiots, this isnt that great an album. The melodies arent as good as on Nevermind- I already preached about nevermind tho, so see what me and mark say above on that if u want a good opinion. And except for maybe tourettes, where is that uncontrolled rage? Scentless Aprentice (it has a fucking cool beat ill admit) seems rather lame to me. I just dont have appreciation for songs that dont go anywhere, besides how can u say anyone is punk this or that by owning and loving this album? I knew so many suburban idiots who were just into the style and shit and loved this record for its supposed "raw" and "unclean" finish. I just dont fucking know. Cmon, they remixed and reedited more than a few songs on this album, so it wasnt that "raw". Dont kid yourself. Whoever said this is the only one worth owning is a moron- This is Nirvana trying too hard to sound like Nirvana. All the noises seem to be a conscious effort, not stream of mind whatever whatever.... you know what i mean. It sounds contrived.

drew14@wcnet.net (Drew Hoffmann)
This album is nice perfect and mellow. I guess you could tell Kurt was Trying to get back in the Grunge but in a mellow way, For example, Very Ape "Out of the ground into the sky, out of the sky, into the dirt" Kurt was like "I just want to go home, im not in a good mood, ZZZZZzzzzzz.... OH! ummm Aaaahhhhhh!!! crap whats happening to me? to much pressure i guess, the fans will enjoy it I hope" Krist-"Kurt its your turn in again!" Kurt-'" Oh crap! AAAAhhhhhhhhhh!". Well something like that. I have the import of In Utero with the secret song Gallons Of Rubbing Alcohol. I think it should have been on there anyway, not as a secret import song. The song KICKS ASS! if you haven't heard it you missed out! its amazing! it would turn the In Utero album all around with the Come back GRUNGE! You can get your hands on it (the import In Utero) by going to www.rockabilia.com and they will send you a catalog with the import cd to order in it (if you do get the cd, the secret song is about 20 minutes after the last song!)

and remember its the import In Utero! You can also buy many Nirvana bootlegs if you ever buy Guitar magazines, its in the back called The Right Choice! its a small part of the book with many bootlegs! then if you buy a Nirvana bootleg cd you can order a larger catalog with about 30 more Nirvana bootlegs, shirts, VHS tapes, hats, you name it!.

Good luck! I would rate In Utero 7, the import 9

InMyEyes82@aol.com
I guess you can pigeon-hole me as being a sucker for an Albini recording. I just simply fucking love the way his records sound, so much so that even if the hooks aren't as great as on Nevermind, I still love listening to In Utero. "All Apologies" is the most moving song the band wrote. Man, is this band ever better than the Pixies. 9/10

PS-The hooks are still GREAT, except for "Frances Farmer" and the aforementioned "Teen Spirit" re-write "Rape Me".

michael.blume@gte.net
Uhhhhh............... Have you people been sniffing glue 365 days a year since the release of this album? Anyone gonna tell me In-Utero is an instant Nirvana classic? I've listened to it, and it's certainly average. "Heart-Shaped Box", "Rape Me", "Serve the Servants", "All Apologies", "Pennyroyal Tea", and "Dumb" rock with the best of them, but the other half sucks. Pfft. What do these fans know about really good music? Just admit that Prindle is right on the money. A lot of these songs seemed false and forced. I doubt I'll ever give it another listen 'til the day I die. Bitch about how great this record is for all I care. Me, I'd rather listen to Nevermind over this tripe. Good night, ?#@%ers!!

malester@cpuinc.net (Lester)
I just found this album this morning, after having lost it for about four years. I listened to it, expected to be blown away by its tremendous power. Instead, I heard a couple of catchy songs that ripped off earlier Nirvana singles (Rape Me, Dumb), a few cool "new" songs (Heart Shaped Box, All Apologies, Serve The Servants), a cool Fugazi ripoff (Milk It), and a bunch of boring "rocking" songs that sound like Bleach outtakes. Maybe this album will grow on me (I remember it was one of my favorites back in the day), but right now, i have agree with Prindle on this one. All the songs off In Utero that they do on the Unplugged CD are much better performances (i.e., All Apologies, Pennyroyal, etc.)

angus_rap@hotmail.com ( Alex. R )
One of the worst albums that I have ever heard in my life.

frh74@tca.net (Ray Holloway)
You be right, Markie Mark. I don't feel the good vibrations or sweet sensations that Nevermind corrupted me with. Yes, that's a dangling participle I ended that sentence on. Doh!

The major malfunction with this record as far as I can determine is the lyrics. Way too literal, dude. With Nevermind, I doubt any god-fearing, English-speaking, degree-holding American-Indian could decypher 90% of what Curtis was trying to eloquently convey to us about his angst-ridden youth. But that, to me, was the point. I didn't need to understand the lyrics, I knew where he was coming from without having the slightest ideer what he was saying. I wish now that I hadn't bought the Lithium single for the lyrics.

Most of the NU2Ro songs have a theme or something (I'm not sure, I'm not into themes, so this is all rumor and conjecture.) What's more (it's an adjective), I can understand what Cobie is saying without the help of a pre-printed, laminated, postage-paid lyric sheet. What's up with that shit? I want garbled, pointless, demon-evoking Esperanto.

There's still some good crap here though. Milk It, Very Ape, just to name, well, two. Oh yeah, Dumb is keen as well. There are nice parts and pieces on most of the tracks, but its not worth my time to have to eat the chocolate around the edge to get to the peanut butter.

Another gripe I have, while I have the attention of the masses: where in Kim Deal's name is Krist Milosevic. I can't conjure up a bass line in my mind off this album (may have something to do with the funky J.P. Jones slap-happin' in the background as I type.) Some of the best hooks on Nevermind are actually bass lines. Oh and can you say Sliver or how about Dive. My Lord and Savior Jesus Krist. I'm thinkin' Mr. Novoselic was a-feudin' with Mr. Cobain or sumthin' when they mixed In Your Perot, cause dad burnit he just got left at the train station, while Khurdt and Dhafve waved from the boxcar.

That brings me to the saving grace of this record. John Bonham. He was resurrected by Steve Albini (who later woke the other Zepsters from their living death 'cept for the previously mentioned Jones) and proceeded to lay waste to any and all drumsets that the Great Albino could procure. But seriously folks, it's no wonder Dave Grohl had to run off that pansy from Sunny Day Real Estate and play the skins for the Food Fighters on The Colour and the Shape. He knows he's the best, we know he's the best, that pansy knows he's the best. Hell, I bet Dale Crover knows he's the best (that should get a response from the grunge purists.)

All in all is all we are. Truer words never spoken. All in all this record was mediocre for Nirvana. It's prolly better than average in the grand scheme of rock and roll though.

That is all.

LSTEPHJON@aol.com
tourettes & milk it kick ass the rest of it is mildy entertaining. Kurt once again made violent screams & lyrics with absolutely no meaning to no one but him a piece of art.

InMyEyes82@aol.com
I'd just like to say that Ray Holloway's post is one of the funniest fucking things I've ever read. 10/10 for that thing.

TheSeizures@aol.com
C'mon kids. This album rocks. It's heaps more enjoyable than Nevermind. Now, Nevermind had some good hooks, but it sounded lazy, 'specially the second side. "On A Plain" and "Lounge Act" sound like they've had every ounce of energy sucked out of them. Like David Geffen came back from the future, put a gun to their heads, and forced them to write Third Eye Blind songs. Are you going to tell me that Kurt doesn't sound just like David Yow a good chunk of In Utero (particularily "Milk It")? "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter" has scary Sonic Youth feedback, but they make it ROCK! The guitar riffs are full of bends and quirks and jerks that should make any Drive Like Jehu (or late-period Black Flag, for that matter) fan happy.

I mean the Eagles were better songwriters than the Sex Pistols, but they didn't mean it, maaaaaaaaan.

I think this is one of the rare moments where energy is more important than songcraft. I wouldn't give this album a 10, all their albums were really hit-or-miss, but I'd give this one a 9, or at least a high 8.

Jcjh20@aol.com
Nirvana is probably my favorite band, and i have so many fuckin' favorite bands too. I love In Utero. The production is great (although some people say its too flat though, but i like it a lot), the drums sound really loud and powerful, the guitar sounds grinding, and everything sounds real live and raw, which is great. Love that sound at the beginning of "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter", thought it was a fuckin' broken Violin or some shit, the first time i heard it. "Dumb" is beautiful (although the Peel Sessions version is definatly better), and "Heart Shaped Box", "Pennyroyal Tea", "All Apologies" and "Serve The Servents" are fuckin great songs. "Milk It" is probably my fave, love those weird little guitar things in the verses, and the bass is all over the place, great song. Overall, a nice album. 9/10.

BabyImUrPuppet@aol.com
anybody who says the version of pennyroyal tea on unplugged is better is stupid. it doesnt even have the solo.

Thatcoolbrotha@aol.com
I don't have much to say about this album, I've only heard it once and thought it was pretty good. I have much more pressing matters I'm concerned with. The lead singer of my band can be a total asshead sometimes. He worships Nirvana and thinks this album is their best. Me, the Lead Guitarist and the Drummer have just realised over time that his voice sucks ass. It's a pale imitation of Cobain and that Billy guy from Smashing Pumpkins. Now, let's think about this briefly folks: When your main vocal idols are two people whose voices and vocal styles weren't particulary beautiful will your vocals be good? No! He sings the songs by entirely disregarding the vocal melody of the song and going into his own stuttering "I'm so Sad and depressed version" He once sang Blackbird from the White Album in style and almost ruined the song for me. And his version of London Calling is so gob smackingly boring it's insane. How could you make that song boring? His songwriting style sucks too. He listens to way too much Tool, NIN, Smashing Pumpkins and other depressed idiots and it affects his style. It's all boring barre chord punk rock with lyrics about "It doesn't really matter what you do cause the wants to put it's fingers in you" He's really lazy too and spent an entire rehearsal reading magazines instead of writing his damn pompous lyrics. He sulks alot and wear black all the time. The black thing isn't bad at all but the sulking thing gets annoying after a while. But besides all these things he's one of my best friends but we have two different ideas about the band. He wants to be this ultra-sad punk rock band and I want to be a more avant-garde pop-rock band. He could be saying the same thing about my style, I don't know , what should I do?

atewaysatan@hotmail.com (Lord Kennedy)
Nigger please. this is THE best Nirvana album...nothing more. Nevermind sucks the ass ass-hole of Inutero. and for 50cents. not like one of those classy whores on 5th avenue that you have to pay like 10 grand to. this album IS the nirvana sound. Butch vig is a homely looking homosexual with a sissyy band who's production value sounds like he's trying to capture the "whitney Huston Sound". lets face it, he's no comparison to PRINCE Steve ALbani.. steve is an all american male that had an all american band . all american producing too. makes it sound like who ever he records is playing out of a large tin can. oh well fuck you for being a faggot. and exuse ME for not being "P.C". i truely apologize.

alh182@eircom.net (Alan Hennessey)
THE BEST SONG OF THE 90'S WAS HEART SHAPED BOX AND THE BEST ALBUM OF THE 90'S WAS IN UTERO!KURT WAS A LEGEND AND WILL ALWAYS BE A LEGEND BECAUSE OF THE SIMPLE FACT HE WAS A GENIUS AT SONG WRITING! PEOPLE WHO CANT SEE THIS SHOULD OPEN THEIR EYES AND THEIR EARS TO HIS COMPLETLY UNIQUE SOUND THAT SO FAR NO ONE IN THE WORLD HAS COME CLOSE TO RECREATING OR EVEN BETTERING!

four_to_one_knee@yahoo.com (Rye)
okay now, all you put in utero on... okay here we go.

click, clik, clit,..bang! now all i can say (except click clik clit)is that any band that starts an album this way has alot of confidence in the music that they created.ever song ,EVERY SONG, has its own "kurty" characteristic as it was his last hurrah in his often critisized career.The drum beats marching like a hearse wagon on a death ride shock like lightning at the teddy bears picnic, the driving bass lines that seem to consume the song itself as it progresses through the digestive process that was kurts intense stomach problems.The album lets you feel a TRUE modern artist's feelings and he sure takes you for a ride.The circumstances surronding this album makes it all the more enjoyable since it was almost un-released due to underproduction.even the B-sides of this album(Moist Vagina,I hate myself...,Gallons of rubbing...,and the grohl written marigold)convey the emotion of raw hatred and confusion and empathy of an excellent song writer at his peak existance in the ludicrously retarted music industry.

All in all is all we all are.... ....to bad though i really wanted to hear "You know your right" on an album, maybe when courtney gives up on her own money making shemes we can experience the last of the music that was never meant to be written.

chuckatmg@aol.com
this album is the last of the what i like to call "summaries of kurts world", by that i will explain...

bleach------------------------------------first impression album, early days of kurts music, cleaner fun era

nevermind-------------------------------only chart topping album, album with new drummer and a depiction of kurts heart-break and troubled life, tour era

incesticide-------------------------------b-side album, collection of songs that portray kurts attitude towards his life at the time, rarity era

in utero------------------------------------last, most heart-felt album, kurts views on his daughter, his fascination with the body, his wife, and his various illnesses and drug addictions

^ the above is a summary of the albums and the summary of in utero is pretty much in there.

mercenary_fr@yahoo.com (Brian Morton)
I love this album! The first two songs just grab you! ELECTROLYYYTES SMELL LIKE SEMEEEN! KAHdundunKAHdun-KahdundundundunKAHdun! I love it! "Heart-Shaped Box", I agree, just kinda plods along like any slow Nirvana song does. But "Dumb" is a lovely song, really gives a feeling of detachment that goes great with the lyrics... speaking of which, I really love the lyrics on this album. "Very Ape", "Radio-Friendly Unit Shifter", and "Milk It" are great songs. I love the way Kurt screams on the latter one. I love the "dueling" guitar "solo" (I love quotation marks!) on it, too. "tourette's" can be neat if I'm in the right mood, and "All Apologies", as much as I hate to say it because I'm tired of damned idiots saying it, is a good song.

Probably the Nirvana I listen to most! Save the live album. Which I OLOVEO! HAH!

uglytruth@hotmail.com (Hossein Nayebagha)
I pretty much agree here. Trying to be inaccessible or not, it just sounds to me as if it's just too lazy; with better concentration, this could have turned out to be a lot better. But it's a moody one, and I always like these bits... most good bands have one moody album in the collection that doesn't always present the best of songwritings, but there's some unpleasant aura of sickness and repulsion around it that makes it sound really raw. I never cared for "All Apologies" though, I just hate that stupid melody that is played at the beginning, and the rest just sounds like a sing-along tune...which may be fun to do, but it shouldn't be recorded for the album. Add this to that list of crap songs that you picked out so well.

"Heart Shaped Box"... yes, the problem is that it doesn't go anywhere... if they'd just cut out one of the chorus parts, it could have been so much better.

Another thing - I usually don't really care much about the lyrics, unless they're really terrible and you can't really escape them. But in this case, I'll have to say that Kurt has written some great lyrics for these songs. All in all; I'm pleased that In Utero was released, it's not bad at all. But apart from what has already been said, it could have also been helped by a couple of B-sides that really should have been include