NEVERMIND - NIRVANA

YEAR: 1991

LABEL: DGC / Geffen

TRACK LISTING: Smells Like Teen Spirit, In Bloom, Come As You Are, Breed, Lithium, Polly, Territorial Pissings, Drain You, Lounge Act, Stay Away, On A Plain, Something in the Way

BONUS TRACKS: Endless Nameless (hidden track on some copies of cd)

IMPRESSIONS: This is the biggie; the atomic blast of grunge. I do actually think that it deserves that title even though it's not even my favourite Nirvana album and I always preferred Pearl Jam's "TEN". "NEVERMIND" is also an album which I rarely listen to; due to the obvious toll of overfamiliarity from its constant play back in the day. However, "Smells Like Teen Spirit", derivative of the Pixies as it may be, I still never tire of hearing. . . it has still not lost any of its power and, as a fan of the Pixies as well, I have to say it out-Pixies them. The Pixies never produced an anthem to equal "Teen Spirit". I think one of the things which keeps "NEVERMIND" from getting much rotation with me nowadays is that it is just a little bit too "pop hooky" for me; songs like "Come As You Are" and "Lithium" got so much radio play because they were filled with pop hooks; Kurt Cobain realized this which is why he wanted the album to sound "extra-heavy". However, brilliant songs like the disturbing "Polly" and the chilly "Something in the Way" or even the manically silly "Territorial Pissings" are always welcome with me.

MY FAVOURITE TRACKS: Smells Like Teen Spirit, Lithium, Polly, Territorial Pissings, Something In the Way

FACT SHEET: NEVERMIND is Nirvana's second album. Butch Vig (later of Garbage) is the producer. The album has been certified diamond (10 million copies) and has sold over 30 million worldwide. Kurt Cobain described the album as sounding like "the Bay City Rollers getting molested by Black Flag". The original working title for the album was "Sheep". The iconic album cover photo features three-month-old Spencer Elden. Because the child's penis is visible, Geffen prepared an alternate cover but Kurt Cobain would only accept a sticker covering the penis which read: "If you're offended by this, you must be a closet pedophile". "Territorial Pissings" begins with bassist Krist Novoselic singing an excerpt from "Get Together" out of tune.