Reviews (page 2 of 16)
714/1001 2026.10.01 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕
Nirvana may not be the best grunge band but they’re still a very great grunge band.
Amazing
Great album. 35 years later and it hasn’t lost it’s appeal
Albumina erinomainen kokonaisuus. Yhtenäinen ja genressään erittäin onnistunut teos. En tiedä oliko päivästä kiinni, mutta totesin että musa ei ole ihan täysin itselle sopivaa. Vika biisi on ihan hirveä.
Bättre än jag kom ihåg den. Punkig med catchiga refränger
Bra
Pieni pettymys, muutamia hyviä kappaleita, kuten "Come as you Are" ja "smells like teen spirit" mutta loppu oli pelkkää huutoa
LOVE a classic!
Probably the most famous album of the entire genre and for good reason.
Enjoyed this more than I remembered
Clearly a classic
Cool album des fois répétitifs comme riffs mais overall une bonne vibe
Damn, literally got this *the day* after this album's 35 anniversary. It took me a good while, but I have gotten to the point where I think both In Utero and Nevermind are basically perfect albums. In Utero provided an easy way in for me when I first really sat down with it. It just burns so bright and so ugly, and still has such immediate songs. But it took me a little to appreciate that Nevermind is basically 12 perfect pop songs, performed with *real* punk power and zeal (followed by Endless, Nameless; a special little gift for us freaks out there). And "pop" doesn't mean light fare either. We can thank Nirvana for the fact that like half of the biggest rock songs of the '90s have lyrics about misery, true kidnappings, isolation, and more. The songs about sex here are really lyrically special. Cobain writes about sex in the terms of meat and chemicals: Sex is the result of pumping endorphins, and primal urges, and a series of very carefully calibrated glands in Cobain's eyes, and it's a genuinely fascinating lens that got overshadowed largely because Nirvana became big enough that they are more a synonym for music than they are a band at this point. And Nevermind is a great reminder as to how the hell that even happened in the first place. The first three songs here (Smells Like Teen Spirit, In Bloom, and Come As You Are) pretty much read as the sound of the '90s in a vacuum. These three songs alone had the kind of "singles" power that you just can't buy. Not to mention, we also have Lithium, Polly, Drain you, Breed, On A Plain, and Something In The Way. This albums is like 80% hits, or like widely culturally significant statements. Even something as utterly soul crushing as Polly, or even further, Something In The Way got *real* hit status. And the only "deep cuts" are Territorial Pissings, Lounge Act, Stay Away, and *maybe* Endless, Nameless, if that counts as a song proper, are still fantastic. I know these songs are truly incredible, because I've had a lot of them in rotation one job or another, and I still love them. And, as I said, I think it's because the ingenious, shiny, pop songs here are backed up with some *real* energy, and pure rock power and some spellbinding attitude. But yeah, this album is basically totally immortal, it defined a generation, *and* it's really, *really* good.
Favorite Track: Smells Like Teen Spirit
Most overrated album of all time
impossible to rate anything under a 4.
One of my favourites from my teenage years
This was a huge album but listening to it again reminds me this is one that deserved to be huge. The songs are so poppy but also so much of an edge to them. I personally like In Utero more as a fan, but this album is really fantastic front to back.
진지하게 내취향아님
Well its pretty hard to give this less than a 5. Its a great album thats stood the test of time.
awesome, classic, as bracing and compelling as the day it was released
Groundbreaking, but didn’t age great
Wow. So many hits. Want to give it a 5. But I just don’t listen to this music. If Spencer can give Metallica a 3, this can get a 4
I have to go with my gut here. I KNOW how this album changed music by basically deleting mainstream rock and creating a whole new direction for popular rock music. I know that. But I just can't get over the fact that I don't really like it!! I think this album gets its credit where it's due in being so new and innovative at the time, just not for me. I think the score is also inflated currently because of nostalgia - the majority of adults right now either remember listening to it when it came out, or grew up with it playing around the house. Some of the songs like Polly are good but most of them have moments that completely take me out of it. I just hate the yelling. Probably cool to see live in the 90's live. I predict I'll like Nirvana MTV Unplugged a lot more. P.S. Thanks to my sister for getting me this album on vinyl 2 years ago - I finally listened to it!
Ok
Great collection of songs. The bangers on here are absolutely some of the best rock songs ever. I think some songs could get cut off around 3-min mark, or less. I like short songs and sometimes repeating choruses or verses didn’t add much. This applies to some solos too.
No question, five star. Iconic, nostalgic, grunge at its peak. Influential aa fuck
Quite a mixed bag, could happily rate this as a 2 or a 5. 4 is a fair average.
Did they invent grunge? I don't know but they certainly caused its explosion. It's always a pleasure to listen to this gem.
Repeat listen
Okay for 1992. We'll, really good for then.
I’m 100% tired of this album and would be fine never hearing it again, but it was massive for a reason and mostly holds up today, save for some questionable production. 5 stars for impact and for ridding the world of hair metal.
Absolute masterpiece, front to back amazing tracks. Earns it's spot as one of the greatest albums of all time. I feel like people say this album is overrated because of how massively popular it is, but sometimes an album is really popular because it is really good. Kurt Cobain will forever be missed ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Easily one of the best rock albums of all time, and even better it killed off hair metal. Favourite songs: Smells Like Teen Spirit, In Bloom, Come As You Are, Young Act
"Heeeee's the one who likes all our pretty songs, and he, Likes to sing along and he likes to shoot his gun, but he, Knows not what it means, Knows not what it means, and I say, "Yeah""
Kurt Cobain deserves all the praise that's ever been heaped upon him, and maybe more. He was a brilliant artist, and one of the ultimate composers/performers of the rock era. I used to hear Nirvana were "Black Sabbath meets the Beatles," which is not accurate -- Kurt had much more esoteric taste, and, if there were a formula, it would probably be closer to Yoko Ono meets the Monkees. Nirvana were right on the verge of being a *noise* band and you can here some outrageously dissonant influences (Scratch Acid, Saccharine Trust, Butthole Surfers, etc) all over their discography. And at the same time, Nevermind proved that you could harness that intense dissonance into something as poppy and sugary as any Carpenters album. Kurt Cobain often spoke dismissively about Nevermind, as if it was a nakedly contrived attempt to write a pop album, but that was also his brilliance, the ability to imagine music that sounds like this could even *be* pop.
Obviously 5/5
THE grunge album
last song scratch brain :D i wanted to hate this album but it was actually really good..
1) Endless, Nameless 2) Breed 3) Smells Like Teen Spirit Least Favourite: On A Plain
influential? yes. good music? ....not really.
Great. Worth a listen
love
This was an interesting one to score. I grew up thinking this kind of grunge music was the worst of the worst - Nirvana and silverchair were both groups I sonically excluded from my teenage world. As I aged I’ve developed more of an appreciation for the stalwarts of the genre, to the point where I quite enjoyed listening to this album today. According to Last.FM, it was my first full spin of the record. Lithium, in all its FM radio rock glory, was my pick of the bunch, and I loved the closer, Endless, Nameless, which I don’t recall ever hearing before. It makes sense to me now why these guys have received so much acclaim.
Great album
3.7/5 Some brilliant tracks that never get old. One of the great albums.
One of the greatest albums period.
already knew most of these, but reminded how good it is
Classic
Took grunge and punk out in one swing. Great job capitalism!
There’s a reason why this album is the voice of a generation. The sound was unbelievable in 1991 and it still is today. There are probably 7-8 VERY strong songs on here (radio friendly). The writing of Kurt has aged like fine wine. I do feel that Nirvana gets the Jimi Hendrix treatment but regardless of that, this album still hits on all cylinders. My only gripe is that it’s 2 songs too long. I give it a 4.5 star rating.
The album that started everything for me. Still resonates with me to this day and always will. All timer.
I dont think i like grunge
It's Nevermind by Nirvana.
There are only a few albums that can be considered to have truly changed music and Nevermind is firmly on that list. I was 7 when this came out and with a 12 year old and a 14 year old sibling who always had control of the radio or MTV these songs were never that far away. And somehow today it still sounds fresh. I may like Drain You and Something in the Way more than Smells Like Teen Spirit but its all still top notch. Plus it gave us all Weird Al's incredible Smells Like Nirvana and associated video. Genius.
Not a skip, best song territorial pissing by faaaaar
Classic
I was the perfect age for this, when it came out.
I first heard 'Lithium' on the radio one evening driving home from work, and was convinced that this was a return to form for Black Sabbath, or something. It was definitely different from the over-produced and indistinguishable stuff which was convincing me that I had outgrown this popular music thing. Listening to it now, it's perhaps a little too long - it's definitely front-loaded, although the quality doesn't drop by much, and 'Something in the Way' is worth the wait. I didn't go down the grunge road at the time, but this is an essential album no matter how much or little of the rest of the scene you were interested in. It's the first album in my list which is a genuine cultural artefact, but I'm trying to restrict my five star ratings to albums which have no flaws, and this is not quite there.
Ihan ok, hittihän on klassikko. Kovasti huudetaan ja paukutetaan menemään. Vipa biisi kunnon pörinää!!
Esse algum é genial. O Nevermind é um marco musical e cultural. A cena musical do Noroeste dos EUA ganhou um novo capítulo graças a forma que esse disco estourou. E olha... Com o passar do tempo acho que ficou ainda melhor. É muito legal como algo de certa forma pop pode soar tão perigoso e convidativo ao mesmo tempo. QoA Vesper.
I fucking hate nirvana
Such a classic, only bangers.
(5/5) This might be my number two album. Ever. As in it's so important and so pivotal to my life, the period before it and after it are delineated by the white, hot glowing line which is this album. I was a freshman in **high school** when this was unleashed on the world and I can still see and hear the cassette tape I bought it on, the first time I heard the opening track. I was influenced by and completely susceptible to this. It bore into my mind and soul and has stayed there my entire life. I stocked up on flannels, chose the bass as my instrument of choice for 'our' garage band (a few friends with instruments -- we were awful), and my life was never the same. It was the clarion call for MY generation of alienated, disaffected white suburban kids. This is our album. I'm not quite sure what we did with it, but it trumpeted the end of the old and called to arms the new. What's amazing about it is, it isn't just a product of it's time. It HOLDS UP. It is STILL amazing music. If this is my generation's flag, I hold it high and scream, "Here we are now. Entertain us!". Thank you Kurt. You were our brief poet laureate. You gave voice to the alienated and put to lyrics what we felt. There's an argument to be made it wasn't a great message or even necessarily an intelligible one, but damned if it didn't absolutely fucking rock. Side note, and the best sort of irony -- I'm currently IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON for work and this is my album for the day. Lol. It's not the same city it was 35 years ago (😳😳), but I appreciate the algorithm's sense of humor or my blind good luck, as it were.
As a guy born in 1975, there's not much to say about this album that hasn't already been said millions of times over. It's amazing, it's groundbreaking, it's innovative, and it helped lay a foundation for the entire grunge movement. Solidly in my wheelhouse, if not my favorite sample of the genre, this couldn't get less than a 6/5 rounded down because I have to.
197. Nevermind - Nirvana (1991) 9.7.26 Variety: 5 Adequacy: 5 Listenability: 5 Uniqueness: 5 Emotionality: 5 = 5.0 "Even if you have, even if you need/ I don't mean to stare, we don't have to breed/ We could plant a house, we could build a tree/I don't even care, we could have all three" When all is said and done I think this album will be one of the ones that a large percentage of people will have in their top 10 of all the albums on the list. It's one that had a seismic effect on the music industry, and culture in general, and was full of bangers from top to bottom besides. I know I became aware of Nirvana via MTV, and had certainly heard everything they did a music video for, but I don't think I heard the full album until after I had already gotten my hands on Weird Al's Off the Deep End album which featured his parody of "Smalls Like Teen Spirit". Nevermind came to me in cassette form via the Columbia House or BMG ( I forget which) and I must have had it dinally by late '93 or so. At the time I recall loving the hits, and writing off some of the others. Great album, just never became a favorite. When In Utero came out ( we had this one relatively early in the list - #30 back in March of this year and I gave it a 4.6 rounded up to a 5) I eventually bought it on CD, but I don't think until just after the band ceased to be a going concern. I evenrually replaced by old cassette with the Nevermind CD, and they were joined by the Unplugged album later. I never picked up another one by the group until WAY later, when I came across Bleach at a used store. I have since heard a lot of early performances, rare b-sides, etc since the advent of Youtube. And Nirvana remains one of the few bands I'll actively seek that stuff out for. This includes interviews, and other odd bits like their Narwuar interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XZCca-d10o I mentioned in my In Utero review that I like this and their Unplugged album both just slightly more, but it's not by too much. Spoilers, but this is going to easily be a 5. Just how close it gets to the perfect score though, we'll have to find out. THE TRACKS "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - How many kids over the last 35 years have tried their hand at that opening riff? I throw the word "iconic" around quite a bit in these reviews as we're generally dealing with what some would consider to be the cream of the crop, but this one riff has an outsized influence in the pop cultural landscape that sits up there with stuff by Hendrix, the Stones, the Beatles, Metallica or whoever else you can name that have created stuff that endures. The music video is equally as important, if not more so in the massive success this thing had. I think they still would have found their audience, but it would have been so much harder without MTV being pumped into so many houses where teenagers with disposable income lived. "In Bloom" - I remember this being an early favorite of mine, lifted up to that status in part by the pretty funny video with the band playing a clean cut, early 60s black and white tv version of themselves. It went a long way towards me realizing just how funny these guys were, and how much, despite the image and stereotypes, fun they seemed to be having. Foo Fighters would scratch this itch later with their run of funny music videos. It was only later when i started paying closer attention to lyrics ( I thought the lyric was "Here's to Juan..." until this very moment - or maybe I've discovered that and paved it over many, many times given how I find myself getting closer and closer to having Memento-brain as I age) that I realized the song itself was already pretty funny. Top tier melodies in this all over, but the chorus is what makes this one. Also, Novoselic's bass line is groovy as hell, Of all the songs on the album, it has the best chance of getting stick in my head for the next few days. "Come as You Are" - Goddamn. Even though I've heard this whole thing a zillion times, I am still impressed at how many bangers in a row are on this. This was a favorite for a while, I think after "In Bloom" due in part to the catchy as fuck, but also simple as fuck chorus. The drum fills on this one are TIGHT, and the watery guitar sound is so good. Much later I would hear "Eighties" by Killing Joke, and like a thousands of bored people before me read up on if Cobain stole the riff or not. It's certainly similar enough to raise eyebrows, but then even later that that, with Youtube making it much easier to investigate this sort of thing, turns out there are a few more songs even before that that share the same riff, so Killing Joke might not have had as much of an argument as they thought. The bulk of rock music though is so dependent on such a small handful of chords though that it's bound to happen by accident, and even when it doesn't the best end up changing things significantly or in interesting ways, so it doesn't really bother me at all, and I think it can be a useful lens through which to look at influence and the evolution of forms in the genre. Some of these are really stretching it, but interesting to see what may or may not be influence or parallel thinking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sXgiOtXwSI "Breed" - Changing musical tastes over the years probably can account for it, but this one has rocketed up to become a favorite of mine off this thing. To me this is much more indicative of the band's earlier punky beginnings. The energy form everyone here is off the charts, and that fuzzed out melodic bass line is one of my favorites in all of rock. This is the band in their manic finery, which suitably contrasts with the next track which dumps us back down into the depressive, with no small degree of success. "Lithium" - And with another, possibly more iconic, bassline. This time it's snappy like a rubber band and provides the central core of the song, with Cobain getting big and raw with his delivery in the chorus. Some of my favorite lyrics are in this one as well. This is another one that became a favorite and possibly had the longest reign, as it coincided with my mopey, angsty teen self, and fit the bill as the easiest thing to identify for some time. It also maybe has the most cathartic pre-chorus / chorus of any song in their catalogue. "Polly" - One of the earlier ones where the lyrics made me stand up and take note. About as dark a subject matter as one can imagine being released on a mainstream record at the time, that wasn't purely in the metal genre anyway. And made all the creepier, and dirtier by the very catchy melody. More awesome work from Novoselic, who I think gets written off or ignored a lot for two very ovious reasons, but who becomes more and more of a dark horse key component of the fully functioning unit, and pretty sure he deserves most of the credit for these bass lines, as the band was pretty open about how they composed via jamming out and Novoselic playing off of Cobain's already established guitar lines. Excellent song, and one that's got enough power to be more than a little stomach churning, even today. "Territorial Pissings" - Another glimpse at the punk incarnation of the band. There's still top tier melodies on diplay here, but its buried under some angry as hell, powerful drumming, and some more of Cobain's best screeching. All of this builds and builds and builds to a very cool abrupt stop. "Drain You" - Of all the songs on the album, this one feels like it leans most in the direction In Utero would eventually take them, both instrumentally and in the lyrics. This is another one that grew in my estimation later than earlier, and by this point might have just as many plays from me as the bigger tracks. Dig that instrumental breakdown in the middle. Hot damn that must have made live audiences go goddamn crazy when it finally kicks back in. Maybe I've seen live footage of this, but it really evokes the image of a giant concert venue for me. ( Edit: Found what I guess must be the source for this. Check out Grohl hunched like a demonic gremlin over his kit, bathed in red light: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIFUHzCUHrg). "Lounge Act" - I've made similar comments on more than a few albums by this point, but when this is the worst song on your album, you're doing something right. I'm willing to put hard cash down right now that this is the one that's got the least plays on Spotify. It's still a very solid song, but it's got SO much pure gold around it that it can't help but seem lesser. Even in comparison with the next one, which as awesome as it is, is nobody's favorite. "Stay Away" - The sleeper of the album for me. I remember skipping this a lot early on. WTF was I thinking? This is a burner of a track, and deserves better. This sounds to me like something that could have been a carryover from their earlier Bleach period, but no - looks to have originated in the Nevermind sessions. Everyone knows this, but it's still worth mentioning what a monster Grohl is on the drums here. Fantastic stuff. "On a Plain" - I have a friend, who shall remain nameless, who may or may not be participating in the list, who informed me that he thinks that "Lounge Act" is superior to this one. After clutching my pearls and succumbing to a bout of the vapors, I quickly regained consciousness and decided it was not worth pursuing much further, other than to note that the nature of our relationship had now been called into question, and I had much thinking to do. That said, the Spotify played data seems to back him up with "On a Plain" having a (at this time) measly 91 million+ compared to "Lounge Act" with 133 million +! What the what?! Oh well, there's no accounting for taste I guess. This song is great btw. Messy opening and all. And maybe it's status is wishful thinking, but I do remember liking it quite a bit even early on, with it's cool background harmonies and sing-a-long chorus. I will admit though, that I think the Unplugged version is better. But not by much. "Something in the Way" - This has always been great, but it got a surprise bump in recent years by being heavily featured in the recent emo-tinged Robert Pattinson Batman movie. My kids still refer to this as "the Batman" song. Eerie and haunting, and full of a feeling of doom that's absent on even the darkest of the other tracks, this one has most definitely grown into a favorite for me. It's yet another that I much prefer the Unplugged version of though as it feels so much more immediate and intimate. The layered self backed "mmm"'s on the studio cut don't hit as hard either, and actually even sound a bit off to me as the live version has fully supplanted this one in my mind. Still amazing though. "Endless, Nameless" - Almost forgot about this as it was not on the Youtube playlist I chose as my preferred listening method. Also, it's not one I even knew about I think until the CD came out ( though oddly the Weird Al "Bite Me" track I was aware of), so has definitely gotten less play from me, and in my brain is like a bonus track more than a key part of the album. I still genuinely like it, depsite how seemingly desperate the band seems to NOT want me to. At the time I would have taken the Weird Al parody as a face value, correct take on the song itself , had I made teh connection. As it is though, this is some cool noise rock stuff, and full of great textures and even some cool bits that sound like surf rock as played by mutant underwater aliens. Either way, its ability to shock and/ or annoy was pretty shortlived. If i had to to rank it, it would still be up there with "Lounge Act" as the two very, very minor nitpicks I have with the overall perfection of the thing. HIGHLIGHTS - Everything else MIDLIGHTS - "Lounge Act" - "Endless, Nameless" LOWLIGHTS - FINAL THOUGHTS Even to this very day there are legions of young Nirvana fans. One of my kids counts himself among them, and literally the day before this album came up he was selling me on why his favorite track on the album is "Territorial Pissings". I think there was ore than a bit of facetiousness in his claim, but I'll be goddamned if I wasn't have convinced after listening to it again. One of the great qualities of this album is that I find myself cornering a different song almost every time and tagging it as a favorite. I really would have a hard time choosing an ultimate favorite on this I think. Back in the day I likely would have said "In Bloom" or "Something in the Way". At times it's been "Lithium" or "Come As You Are" ( though oddly never "Smells Like Teen Spirit", which is awesome, but feels almost like sacrilege to try and pin it down like that). In recent years "Drain You" has been a candidate. As of this day though, "Breed" might be edging out the pack. Long story short, the album is endlessly revisitable for me, and I can find new bits and pieces to focus on each time. In Utero lacks this a bit for me, as it feels much more like one cohesive statement. It's rawer and rougher, but it feels like a sniper's bullet, intensely focused and accurate in its goal. Nevermind feels more like an awesome greatest hits album, which I think a lot of mainstream breakthrough albums sometimes do, with bands burning through all their best stuff at an attempt to capture that brass ring of a major hit album. But in the best way. I don't think there's a wasted second on this thing, and in addition to being a legit 5-stars, it gets the extra special "no-skips" designation from me. A great album, full of killer riffs and eminently hummable earworms on par with the best of the best who have ever done it. I could not recommend it enough, but then who hasn't heard it? Who would I be trying to convince? Even if you don't care for this sort of mopey, crunchy, alt guitar stuff and despise grunge in general, this is one I would say is still required listening, if only for its historical importance. Grunge had a relatively short lifespan in the scheme of things, but this is still widely regarded as THE album that broke it in the mainstream. And the sound, even if it was already fading into the background by '95 or so, still has a wide influence on some of the genres that would develop out of its already mutated gene pool. Do yourself a favor - grab some headphones and revisit this one again. You might hate this if you like: - upbeat lyrics - pretty vocals - clean guitar sounds - a softer sound You Might enjoy this if you like: - awesome melodies - a darker tone with an equally dark sense of humor in some tracks - sludgy, crunchy, dirty guitars - robust and pounding drums PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - Never FURTHER LISTENING - Bleach by Nirvana - In Utero by Nirvana - MTV Unplugged in New York by Nirvana - Dirt by Alice in Chains - Ten by Pearl Jam - Superunknown by Soundgarden - Core by Stone Temple Pilots - Siamese Dream by Smashing Pumpkins - Bug by Dinosaur Jr.
"A Garage Band, from Seattle, well it sure beats, raising cattle!" In 2008 I saw Weird Al in concert for the first time ever. It was the Straight Outta Lynwood Tour with the "White & Nerdy" single. Of course during the show Al does a costume change and the band comes out and performs "Smells Like Nirvana." Cue me going wild to see a 16 year old paraody of a 17 year old track. A friend who was also at the show said, "I think that is the closest I'll ever get to seeing Nirvana live." And...yeah. My Nirvana-via-Weird Al experience kinda mirrors my authentic Nirvana experience. I came to it just a little too late but that never muted my enthusiasm. This album, Nevermind, hit when I was eleven years old. Kurt Cobain would be gone before I finished my first year as a teenager. I was slightly too young to fully embrace Nirvana in the moment. They rocked and I absorbed their zeitgeist defining moment along with most everyone my age In 1991 though I was still discovering Metallica and The Black Album was my 1991 album. MTV, though, provided a lot of Nirvana content during the following years of 1992-1994. I heard most of this album without ever having owned it. As I said in my previous review of "In Utero," as a member of Gen X (albeit the youngest of the cohort) I still have a claim on Kurt Cobain as a voice of my generation, whether he wanted that or not. Here, with this album, we have the moment the Nineties started in earnest. Before September 24, 1991 it was still the late 80s and hair metal and novelty rap were the flavor. After it was all flannel and loud distorted guitars. Or so goes the myth. Having lived through it is kinda close to the truth. The Weird Al album, "Off the Deep End," is a great snapshot of this changing of the guard because Weird Al albums are great snapshots of the 2-3 years prior to their release. The other acts parodied along side of Nirvana were MC Hamer, New Kids on the Block, Gerardo, and Milli Vanilli. The polka medley included Billy Idol, the B-52s, Technotronic, EMF, Bell Biv DeVoe, Digital Underground, Warrant, Metallica, Motely Crue, and Vanilla Ice. This was the musical landscape upon which Nirvana happened like an earthquake. The real change over date IMO was January 11, 1992 when Nevermind dethroned Michael Jackson's "Dangerous" as the number one album on the Billboard charts. That's the symbolism that myths are made of. 1992 was the year alternative rock ascended to the mainstream and Nirvana lead that trend. I especially love Rob Harvilla's (I know, a guy I've referenced on this project many times- but he did a podcast about 90s music and that is the foundational decade of music for me.) image that the first few chords of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" immediately struck all the hair metal bands from the heavens like bolts of lightning. There crashes Winger, Poison, Jackyl with a Y, and Warrant. Here we are now entertain us. So while Nirvana is in my pop culture history and I grew up with them, I never embraced them until I went to college in the late 90s. When I got to college in the late '90s I finally had a local alt-rock radio station and I really got into Nirvana and Pearl Jam then. There is nothing like being young, out driving late at night, among your first few years of adult freedom and that low riff of "Come As Your Are" drops on the radio. It still gives me a rush of adrenaline. Even then though it still felt like "MY" music. My generation's music. And yet in rediscovering Nirvana at that time though I had to contend with the fact that I would never get see them. Experience them live. Oh well, whatever, nevermind. This album is perfect. There are no skips. And it hits ever time. It feels like it has the weight of my generation screaming out, defiantly, nonsensically, just to scream. And then... whatever. I'll always remember the last 20 seconds of the "Smells like Teen Spirit" video, with Kurt uncomfortably close up on the camera just vibranting from holding that last scream on "A Denial!" then... he stops. We cut a scene of clean-up. The world goes on as it always does. But the world was now and forever changed. 5/5
What else can I say!
Love this album! 8/10
Lots of hits, very different sound, I get why this had the geezers tweaking
This album was one of the first I listened to when I was getting into alternative music, so it has a special place for me. There are some really great songs on here like "Lithium," "Something In The Way," and "In Bloom," which stay in my rotation, and of course you have "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Come As You Are." But you can't win them all. Some of the songs on this album are just a little too screamo for me, which is why I knocked it down to a 4. To each their own!
I specifically remember buying this CD when it came out. I was not a big fan or Nirvana, always preferred Pearl Jam and Soundgarden from this era. There are a few songs I always skipped back then and that would not change today (Territorial Pissings for sure is a skip for me)
This is a FUCKING BANGER! Still as good today as it was when I first heard it. Instant classic!
This is the first album I heard from Nirvana and it made me fall in love - still excellent 30 years on from when I first heard it! 5 stars all the way.
A milestone
I like this album Musicality- 0.9 Vocals - 0.7 Vibes - 0.9 Listen to again - 0.8 Execution - 0.7 Total - 4.0
Even as a 12 year old I recognized this as revolutionary. And it has aged very well.
What can you say? Changed music for the decade and beyond. It wasn’t the only album (band) but one of the biggest. Changed the industry.
Obviously has some classics on it but I think if I hadn't loved this in my teen years I wouldn't love it now.
Untouchable album. Faves are in bloom, drain you and lounge act
I have, but very rarely listen to it, kind of went right off with nirvana
Monumental Album that defined an entire generation. These don't come around often, and when they do, you know it instantly.
Absolutely classic rock and grunge record, and for good reason. While smells like teen spirit is a classic, I really like Litium and something in the way.
This is one of the best albums of all time. Full Stop. It's very easy to roll your eyes at a work like this because of how many times you've heard a single, or how many times you've seen the album cover on the back of a t-shirt from Urban Outfitters. Frankly, Kurt would have hated all of that shit. It takes away from a one hour journey of person coming to terms with how his life was completely changing, and what he thought he was leaving behind. Highlights: Lithium, Drain You
One of the best.
The sound is a bit crash bang wallop but it is the band who killed off soft metal, so extra mark for that. Personally I always thought the music a bit thin but a million others can't be wrong
Their songs are still enjoyable, but none really grab me, now or ever, as singles. Maybe they are just too familiar to me due to how played they were. Not intending a full listen anytime soon, so could have gone as low as 3 here
Oh well, whatever, nevermind. Goated album, tracklist, album cover, etc.
Yah this is an all time great album. Not just genre defining but genre producing. I have mirroring opinions about this album that I do about in utero. Which is I feel like in utero starts alittle underwhelming and ramps up to the best stuff on the album, where as this album is the backwards of that, where it starts with all the most influential and best tracks at the start and it sort of tallows down as you get to the end. Still one of the greatest rock albums of all time and top 5 greatest grunge albums period!
OF COURSE this is a five. Very influential, and I just love it. Good all the cool kids are wearing the T-shirts again.
The masters of LOUD soft LOUD. It doesn't get much better than this. I don't think it gets mentioned enough, but Butch Vig's production is perfect. He had a way of recording drums better than anyone else. I waited at least two years after Nevermind was released to listen to it, as I found that it was too popular at the time. Once I listened I was hooked. Liked Songs Added: Smells Like Teen Spirit In Bloom Come As You Are Breed Lithium Territorial Pissings Drain You Lounge Act Stay Away I'm On A Plain
I wouldn't say Nevermind is my favorite album of all time. Hell, it might not even be my favorite grunge album of all time (Dirt and Live Through This are very close). However, I do believe that this is the greatest album of all time. There isn't an album out there that lives up to its hype more than this one. The first half of the album is nothing short of incredible, with five of Nirvana's most popular and acclaimed hit songs (and Polly, no shade to Polly though). The second half continues this insane momentum, containing some of my personal favorite songs like Drain You, Territorial Pissings, and Something in the Way. Listening to this album is like watching prime LeBron James play a game of basketball: both are about forty minutes of pure greatness. There's a reason this album is loved by basically everybody. 10/10 Favorite tracks: Smells Like Teen Spirit, Come As You Are, Bloom, Territorial Pissings
Perfect album. Not a bad song (even smells like teen spirit still slaps). The most underrated element of Nevermind is its whimsicalness. In bloom, genuinely a hilarious bit about the worst people in the world rocking out to songs written about how much they suck. The joke doesn’t work post internet sadly.
Stands the test of time, although appreciate now that Dinosaur Jr walked so Nirvana could run
Liked Smells Like Teen Spirit, Come As You Are, and Something In The Way.
Such simple songs, but sound so tight and massive. Even the "small" sounding songs (Polly and Something in the Way) sound like they are some small mouse inside a huge warehouse. They may have ruined future music by allowing others to make simple songs, but what others failed to do is make their simple songs feel meaningful and have huge depth. Just a classic album, and even though "Endless, Nameless" is not on the same level to me, it gave it some additional meaning; this is not made as some fake perfect product, it just happened to be perfect.
Wat is dit toch een super album!!! Ik kan dit album op repeat de hele dag luisteren en krijg er veel energie en een grungy 'fuckit' mentaliteit :-P
Accidentally bought 2 copies of this cd cause I love it so much. Rip Kurt Cobain
me sentí como Robert Patinson en Batman jjajaj
Me encanta...!!!
front loaded hard Still cool
Not a big fan of Nirvana, but this is their best sounding album by a distance
The hits are all here and they’ve got punch to them. Foundational to modern alternative music? Undeniably. My favorite? Not really. Maybe it’s the millennial optimist in me that prevents liking it as much as others.
The front half of this album is absolutely stacked. While there's nothing that hasn't been said about songs like Smells Like Teen Spirit or Come As You Are, I've always really liked the distorted bass riff from Breed and the contrasting quiet and loud sections of Lithium. I could potentially knock the back of the album a bit but that's such an act to follow, and Something In The Way is great albeit not my favorite.
As a GenX er I am cliche and this album means so much to me. It honestly changed everything. I had the CD and cassette. No skips. Absolutely epic still .
what a niche record….
Geweldig
Iconic of course, and genuine
Listened before? Yes, but it's been a long time Thoughts: - Man, I forgot that the first half of this album is just hit after hit! - Around 2007 or 2008 when the game Rock Band was popular, I played it a ton, but I always just did the vocals because I sucked at Guitar Hero. 😅 For that reason, In Bloom is the only Nirvana song I know all the lyrics to. - What else do I even say? Of course it's going to be 5 stars. Favorite track(s): In Bloom, Lithium Least favorite: I could do without Endless, Nameless, tbh. (But it's the last track so I can just stop after Something In The Way)
I was going to write a long review for this... Nevermind.
It's been years since I listened to this from back to front but it's still as good as I remember. If you take Endless, Nameless off the record it's pretty close to perfect, but that track suuuuuucks. It's still a 5* album by any means. An absolute classic.
- Tons of bangers on here! - My sister was really into Nirvana, so I mostly knew them from hearing them from her room. This album is really great... I wish I had owned it now, too, lol. - I like how melodic everything is but still has that loud and passionate Nirvana energy. The Butch Vig production really helps make things more accessible and clean, I think. - It isn't a long album, but I still think it would be better with a couple less songs.
i loved it, every song captivated me and made me feel in an action film or an 00's disney protagonist
It’s decent but I think severely overrated due to the hype around Kurt. A few good songs (the ones everyone knows) but not nearly as consistent as other grunge bands of the era.
There is this old Penny Arcade comic strip where the characters are unboxing a copy of Rock Band Nirvana edition. Along with the instruments, the last thing to come out of the box was a plastic shotgun. I still think about that every so often. Anyway, five stars.
a good but slightly overrated grunge album, that era and nirvana themselves had better albums
I mean, come on. It's a classic.
not quite 5 material but that was very good, deeper than I expected
got to be one of the best album openers ever
For a long time I couldn't tell if this was my favorite of theirs or not. I think I'm pretty confident in the idea that it is their best these days. A pretty undeniable first half which loses a bit of steam but ends perfectly on "Something In The Way" (or "Endless Nameless" I guess). Maybe it suffers slightly from overexposure, but it's a classic for a reason. The sound of a generation. Probably a 9/10 in general, but with the way this site works, 5 stars it is.
An emotion collage masterpiece.
Indeed. Who among us has not worn their fret fingers bloody practicing In Bloom on Rocksmith? Or remarked in recognition when Todd In The Shadows reviews any pre-1990 musical trend and then remarks "...and then Nirvana..."? Thanks to Weird Al for helping the lads from Aberdeen find their way. Indeed.
I’m serious, name a better five opening songs then Nevermind, think about it realise this could actually be it. It’s Nevermind by Nirvana and it’s getting five stars.
A chronically depressed modern day pied piper, who used his voice and guitar to bewitch not just the children of Hamelin, but the world. Love him or hate him, Cobain changed music indefinitely and ‘Nevermind’ was his foray into the insurmountable fame, which ultimately led to his tragic death.
As a starter on this journey, this was an epic way to start. What a trip down memory lane. This first came out when I was in high school, so those memories were the first to come flooding back. Some good, some bad, but all raw and sometimes too emotional to revisit. This album is indeed a reflection of that as well. When younger, you probably will not digest the music the same as you will when you revisit it as an adult. I know I certainly didn’t listen to this album in the same light as now. I remember being “edgy” for liking and enjoying this in high school. How my parents hated the volume I listened to this. And upon relistening, I get why they would dislike the grungy screaming at times, where I just saw it as comfort on days when rage or desperation were at the forefront. It deserved a full relisten from start to finish to understand why it’s still a necessary listen overall. The music is indeed a mix of punk rock and grunge. Never perfectly clean throughout, yet clean enough to listen on repeat at times when you feel it most. It’s more obvious as an adult that this was the work of a tormented soul. Hinting at mental disorders and institutions, its sad but still beautiful. There’s pain, innocence destroyed, tragedy and dark moments throughout while still throwing contempt at the average follower at times which makes it so real. Heck of a way to begin the journey through the list, looking forward to the next.
I came back to this after a long break, and I was a preteen when it came out so didn't really get it at the time. It speaks to me now with adult ears, and reminds me of my own time as a teen where escape from a restrictive set of norms and an abusive parent seemed incredibly important. I think it's sitting with me differently partly because a lot of this is songs about what it feels like to be told who you are by people and a society that prefer to interact with a stereotype than a complex human in a real way. Take Come As You Are. Simplistically it is come as you are, be yourself. But "as you are, as you were, as I want you to be" is a neatly satirical twist in the tail and, as is common of my experience in repressive situations, is a demand wearing the mask of welcome. Kurt's welcome appears to be real, but reflects a fairly abusive society. Ironically the song seems even more relevant now in the falsity of those personas than it did then, given that both that and the coming "as a trend" line seem to reflect Kurt's distate for curated selves that are not self-actuated but driven by societal norms. This song feels actively relevant to me in an age of performative identities. Lithium is the centrepiece, and it's bipolar both musically and lyrically to an extent that makes it slightly painful to listen to. It lifts and it kills the energy, and is for me, in the end, an exercise in the remaining black shadow that always undercuts the happy parts even when presenting happiness. It sits really interestingly with so repeatedly saying that it's hard to have real interactions in many of the other tracks. Then there's Polly, which is the bleakest track on the record both in terms of the humanity and the mundanity of the captor singing softly and self-centredly about his casual approach to abuse. Territorial Pissings is the blunt instrument. Reading around this, I see Cobain said he saw macho men treating sex and power the way animals mark territory, and he wanted them strung up by their balls with Valerie Solanas stapled to their bodies. It's not subtle, and that's just as it should be. I like that the album has a stance that is not mealy mouthed, just in the same way that In Bloom is a frank rejection of unthinking singing the lyrics without engagement. The production is more poppy rock than punk, but the attitude was still there. So In Bloom rejects people who sing with a lack of engagement with what's said, Come as You Are reflects falsity and a lack of engagement with the real interpersonally, Polly explicitly presents an abuser who doesn't care about the pain of his captive, and Lithium deals with the ever present pain of depression that is uncomfortable and masked in a wider society. Stay Away is the coda. The poison skin armour is also saying you can't let anyone close, and so there's an isolated prisoners' dilemma where even Kurt keeps people distant due to his own hurt and repeats the cycle somewhat. It is, at heart, a very sad record. The album, frankly, sounds like like permission to name what's been done to you and how you feel combined with a rejection of people who refuse to engage with the real. It was true to itself, and it remains true because the things it engages with are fairly timeless. I'm really glad I came back to this, the album is great. And, ironically, it is indeed catchily and relatively commercially produced; like Outkast and In Bloom say, a lot of people don't want to feel it, they just want to dance.
For my middle school English class, my friend Steven and I decided to make some music videos to our favorite songs (not sure why this qualified as a school project, but whatever). Steven had huge trampoline in his back yard and we set up a camcorder so that the trampoline looked like it was the ground. We got fake guitars played 'Lithium' for the camera. When the chorus kicked in, we jumped as high as we could, thinking it would surprise the viewer. The trick wasn't effective, but we had fun. We smashed the guitars, of course. Another memory - my middle school auditorium, probably that same year. A few kids in my grade got a band together and played 'In Bloom' for the talent show. Another - hearing 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' for the first time on the radio in my bedroom. It was the closest experience to the first time I heard 'Immigrant Song' some years earlier: an otherworldly sound, like a banshee or a devil tearing the Earth asunder. What the hell WAS that? How do I hear it again? Finally - Cobain's death. I cut the article about it out of the Houston Chronicle and pinned it to the bulletin board above my desk. This band really was a lighting bolt out of nowhere for us. At the same time, I'm not sure I quite realized how much of a sea change they caused. Afterall, I was listening to Guns N' Roses at least as much or more as I was listening to any grunge band. It's interesting to wonder whether their legacy would be different had Cobain survived, but that's neither here nor there. This is an album full of tight songwriting and bombastic production. I far prefer In Utero's Albini aesthetic, but I suppose it's possible that the big, almost 80's-style grandeur of Butch Vig's approach was the best way for a scrappy trio to breakthrough to a mainstream audience. Whatever blurred lines were part of the definition of grunge, this album is definitely something new. The songs are almost bubblegum-esque and Cobain's vocals and lyrics hold up all these years later, as cryptic as they may be. It's paced really well, but like most Vig productions, it starts to wear on the ears around track 9. Another 80's holdover - they felt the need to include a guitar solo so often when that is clearly not what they do and almost never what the song actually needs. The best, least dated song to my ear is 'Something In The Way'- probably should have ended the album on that track (today may be the first time I actually listened to 'Endless, Nameless' all the way through).
Master class that opened the ears and eyes of the massive, Kurt at his most powerful, I can remember very clearly watching “The Word” and was introduced to Kurt saying “Courtney Love - the best fuck in the world” then the 1st notes to “Teen spirit” - blew my mind - Wow so powerful
Obviously an all time classic.
Heb les na les op de middelbare met de good old oortje-inclusief-draad-door-je-mouw-en-in-je-handpalmtruc naar dit album geluisterd. Die lessen duurden overigens 45min dus ik had het laatste nummer op de plaat nooit echt gehoord,, dus toen ik het album op cd kocht werd ik daadwerkelijk 10 minuten na Something In The Way teringhard geprankt door dat nummer.
YESSSSSS
I mean what can be said about this album that hasn't been said a billion times. It's NEVERMIND. One of the greatest albums of the 90's and of all time. The quintessential grunge album, an iconic cover, I can go on. This album has been one of my absolute favorites for over 5 years now and it still hasn't waned in quality. Fav Songs Come As You Are Drain You On A Plain Is it Top 1001 Worthy (is it essential)? 1000000000% YES. Again, it's NEVERMIND. One of the greatest albums EVER (and yet it's not my favorite Nirvana album while still being a 5). A true testament to Nirvana's quality of output as a band
It’s Nevermind
Mid. Ending was straight noise
damn
Fantastisk plate.
my fav songs will always be smells like teen spirit and come as you are. smells like teen spirit - always reminds me of my mom , the bass guitar on this song is best in bloom - this is complete ROCK. It makes me feel like i'm in a messy room ignoring my room and pissed off come as you are - will always be #2 on this, the way he's singing and touching the raspy spot to get this song and the bass. breed - this also ROCK i don't hate it but, rock isn't me (same with Lithium) actually i like Lithium alot more I'd give this album 7/10
I was scared of them at 14 - too loud and emotional - and even now I prefer the reggae versions by Little Roy. The sound of someone screaming isn't ever going to be my favourite sound. But I wasn't on the right side of history - clearly this was the greatest album of 1991, and not 5:30's "Bed" or Blur's "Leisure". And nowadays I do enjoy its melodicism. Maybe one day I'll analyse the prevalence of medial chord changes in this album, in particular the way that it supports chromatic melodies. But for now I'll be "he's the one / who likes an our pretty songs / and he likes to sing along / but he don't know what it means". This was, I think, the first thing I've ever listened from start to finish. Pretty sure I hadn't heard any of the last five songs before, and it definitely tails off: "Endless Nameless" is too much. Plus, the stuff that Spotify took me to after this was bloody awful (Jane's Addiction, Fugazi, Pearl Jam) so I think I'm better off having not really been into grunge. Guess I just wasn't an angry enough kid.
Nevermind is basically 42 minutes of Nirvana reminding everyone else in 1991 that their guitars were, in fact, not loud enough. Absolute masterpiece.
Nevermind is one of those albums that just sounds as good now as it did when it came out. It’s got some absolute classics on it. An album that defined a generation. Could be released today.
Nevermind kicks ass. I'm not sure I could add much more to the conversation. We all know it fucking rocks from the first to the last song.
I love this album. I knew every song on this album except for Endless, Nameless, which was the only song I didn't like. It has my favorite Nirvana song on it, Come As You Are (My 2nd favorite song of all time). I also love the songs Lithium and Something in the Way. I love Nirvana and I love Kurt Cobain.
Probably one of the easiest 5*s I can give. My first time listening to this album wall to wall, and it is one of my favourite listening experiences so far. Funny lyrics, brilliant riffs, songs just long enough for the repititions to not get annoying. The legacy this album has left behind.... All reasons to give it a 5
8.5 / 10
I was a teenager in the 90s, so my opinion of this album should absolutely be assumed to be biased. But. I also don't think I've listened to this album all the way through in the better part of 20 years. Jesus Horatio Christ, does it hold up. This is as spectacular as it was the first time I ever heard those iconic opening chords of Smells Like Teen Spirit and they changed my brain chemistry. This is a watershed album.
Ignoring the hype around this album and the fact you've heard most of these songs too many times, it is a solid album
As far as I'm concerned, this is THE grunge band and an incredible album.
Surprised to find that the only songs I liked were the hits.
Fav song: Something In The Way
All around great album.
Is there a better opening 8-song run on any album? I certainly can’t think of any. Nirvana rocks, and this is an excellent album.
Weirdly, I have listened to this album before.
Amazing sound!
Fantastic album that has been in my rotation since the 90's. Very front-loaded, but still worth the full listen.
A couple of bangers, but surprisingly didn't love the whole album.
Yea, this album holds up. There is a reason this album blew up as one of the best examples of grunge. 4.4
This album is legendary for a reason. That said, I don’t think I’ve ever listened to it in its entirety. But it’s great! The strongest period of the album is the first three songs (which I knew), but the whole album rocks. 9/10 Outstanding
A classic one!
Man, it's being a really long time since I've listened to this album at full, and damn it is a beast of a record. Before getting into the review, I just want to mention a memory I had while listening to this. I used to have a teacher in high school who said that Nirvana only got popular because Kurt Cobain died and stating that they weren't that great. He also loved Aerosmith and other hard rock acts, so I'll consider his opinion as invalid. Back to the album: this thing is incredible. I would have never expected that an album that I was already very familiar with was capable of making me feel so exciting, specially considering how overplayed some of its songs are. I absolutely loved the energy and attitude, and how perfectly blended are with the very catchy melodies, making the project incredibly memorable and powerful from start to finish, with no weak songs. It is impressive how everything contributes in every feeling this album has to offer. I could say it is catchy thanks to Kurt Cobain's vocal melodies, but it would be unfair to not consider some of the riffs, like the ones in "Smell Like Teen Spirit" and "Come As You Are", that get deeply engraved in ones head. When it comes to its power, is not only the frenetic drums and fast riffs that are responsible, but also the relentless screaming and the noisy production are huge factors in the rawness of the record, specially in songs such as "Breed", "Territorial Pissings" or "Stay Away". In addition, the contrast between slowed and chaotic moments is very well done. Usually the songs perfectly transition from softer verses to rougher choruses, yet there are some examples that focus on one of these two sides. On one hand, as examples, both "Polly" and "Something In the Way" are the very noticeable acoustic moments, with the first one being very mellow and the second one very ominous and eerie. On the other hand, an instance of a song that is just pure energy is "Territorial Pissings", which is just non stopping riffs and screaming fest, to the point where Kurt starts losing the control over his voice in the last seconds, making the song even more impactful and rawer. Overall, I absolutely understand why this record is so highly regarded. With that being said, I don't consider it to be perfect, but damn if it is incredibly close to perfection.
Um…. Nothing special and definitely not my taste. It is impressive that their most recognizable songs are all on this album and the cover is iconic which I’ll give it that. I don’t know if I would listen to the full thing again just because 98% of it is songs I don’t enjoy. I had a lot of high hopes going in but was left very underwhelmed and couldn’t wait for the album to end.
it's such an interesting album because it has very very clear influences, but brings grunge together in a commercially and artistically perfect way.
Man loved it when I was a kid just not as much as an adult
And so we come to The Anthem - the best combination of pure fury and talent maybe ever. In hindsight, there was no way things were ever going to end well for the band that made this album, but that's ok: Most things don't end well. Funny, I was 22 when this came out, but I can't remember hearing it for the first time - it's like it was just suddenly there and then once it was there, it was everywhere. Imo, the greatest moment of the 1990's is the 90 seconds or so at the end of their set at the 1992 MTV awards - when the following happens in the following order: Krist N. flings his guitar 20 feet in the air and not only fails to catch it, but gets bonked on the head and hilariously collapses; Kurt C. attacks the speakers with his guitar, but instead of swinging it he, like, sort of stabs with it ... completely ineffectually; Dave G. grabs the mike and, for no apparent reason, mockingly shouts "Hi Axl" in like 5 times; then Kurt tries to knock over the drums, but again completely ineffectually by sort of half falling half jumping into them. It's the ultimate statement of someone's contempt for everyone else being exceeded only by their contempt for themselves, which is as good a mission statement for Gen X as I can think of: Fuck everyone, and everything, but especially me.
Not typically a fan of grunge and heavier music in general, but this is definitely the exception. Every song a banger. Love me some territorial pissings
Great album
Territorial pissings Lithium Come as you are In bloom Breed Smells like teen spirit
Never gets old. Had a big Nirvana kick this winter too. Such good songwriting, perfect chord choices. The production on this record has grown on me particularly. Favs: Territorial Pissings, Drain You, On A Plain, Something in the Way Strong 9
It is a good album that never gets old
A touchstone juggernaut that captured the zeitgeist while also being pretty damn good. Launching the alternative music revolution that altered music forever.
Decide to just leave this one with a rating
high 5 used to meet up with yago and emilio in the shed and play nirvana songs an experience shared by millions and millions of people ever since the release of this monumental masterpiece
3.5/5
I don’t know what it is but I feel like something clicked and i…”get” nirvana now? When we got assigned In Utero I really wasn’t into it, but since then I’ve grown to appreciate grunge (“Live Through Thus” being my gateway drug) and I enjoyed this a lot. I like how meditative and melodic it manages to be despite also being very loud. It never feels loud for loud’s sake, always very intentional. Fav tracks: In Bloom; Come As You Are; Lithium; On A Plain
couldn't get more niche than this!
I’d probably only add 2 songs to my rotation, but I still heavily enjoy this album. It just has good vibes and I can bump this in my car
Classic for a reason. After this project I can really appreciate a band that can keep mist of their songs less than 5 minutes
Smells Like Teen Spirit is a really good song. I bet you Kurt used to love playing it and was very proud of what he created
You know, the songs that aren’t famous from this album aren’t famous for a reason. 3 stars because my god that songs that are famous have been played to death
This is probably the best rock album to come out since its release in 1991 ... maybe since Dark Side of the Moon or Abbey Road.
On the day of it's release I bought this album (with the hidden bonus track) I thought it was sensational. Nowadays it has lost most of it's magic and have not been played for years.
Obviously genius, obviously rare and amazing. Ever since I saw queer with that scene of Daniel Craig walking down the streets of that Mexican city to Come as You Are that has become probably my favorite song on the album - one of the great city walking soundtracks apart from supa dupa fly.
Five stars all day everyday. Every track is a hit and every hit hits hard
Y'know what? After some contemplation, I've decided NOT to give this album a 5. I've never really LOVED it. When it first came out, I wasn't ready for it, and by the time I was ready for it, I was over it. The popular songs are so in-my-brain that it's a bit boring to listen to them externally. I can listen to them in my head whenever I want. I find the second half of the album to be a much more enjoyable listen.
Aw, fuck yeah! Listened to this at full blast driving across South Dakota, and it remains straight bangers front to back. And I don't think it's just a nostalgic gloss, either. The 17-y.o. was rocking along with me.
No need to listen to rate this one. Epic, great, fun to listen to still.
5/5 - If someone made a list of 1,001 albums to hear before you die, and this wasn't on it, you'd throw the list out. It's not up for debate.
In my review of In Utero, I talked about how Nirvana cranked up the loudness and distortion from their previous albums, but I think that undersold how chaotic Nevermind was. It sounded a bit more polished than In Utero, but it still showcased their mastery of alternating between soft and loud dynamics that was the signature of their sound. The louder tracks in particular really demonstrate their talent for turning raw noise and aggression into something tangible and cohesive. Cobain, of course, was one of the best songwriters of his generation, both in lyricism and arrangements, and his skills are out in full force here. I still like In Utero a little more, but this is still an excellent album, and would likely be most other bands' magnum opus.
This album was so good,I was familiar with like 4 of the songs already so I didn't really have a doubt that I wouldn't like the album. I really enjoyed Kurt's vocal performance and the abstract cord progressions 8 out of 10
Yes, I am from Seattle. And yes, I adore Nirvana and will never rate this album anything lower than a 5. It is *the* grunge album in my book, and it is absolutely required listening. Love you and miss you, Kurt <3 Favorite tracks: In Bloom, Lithium, Drain You
I got the first copy of Nevermind on the Isle of Man. The cd version without Endless Nameless. When I grew up bands never played, in fact the only band we’d read about in Sounds or the NME or heard on John Peel that played were Anhrefn the Welsh Language Punks that the Manx revivalists brought over to encourage us Indie Kids to sing in Gaelg. It wasn’t easy, to pop over to England to see your faves. It was costly and required time off work. That’s why the Reading Festival was so import to us and indie, punk and goth types. From being a minority restricted to 20 minutes of our tunes at the local disco and subject to abuse from mainstream types, suddenly we were in a field with people like us from all over the British and Irish Isles and we got to see all the bands! In 1991 I already owned Bleach it was good but it wasn’t Mudhoney or Dinosaur Jr and Nevermind wasn’t out. So the first time I heard these songs was live at Reading in the middle of the day. It was a fantastic show and the band were really going for it. My friend turned to me during Smells Like Teen Spirit and said “but this is a pop song”. I dismissed it “no, no it grunge” but of course she was right. The show was a triumph. The following act Chapterhouse, who were from Reading, seemed so tame in comparison. And Shoegaze left the zeitgeist for twenty years replaced by energetic Yanks. Everybody went back to the island and ordered Nevermind, which was to be released the next month. But on release date only one turned up. Shocks Records let me buy it because I was off to uni the next day. Obviously it’s a 5 star.
An absolute classic if there ever was one. Smells Like Teen Spirit is one of the all time great opening tracks and the bangers just keep coming after that. Outside of the singles, Lounge Act is a great track and Drain You is probably in my Top 5 Nirvana songs. Top Track - Come As You Are. It will forever be my favourite Nirvana song.
Smells Like Teen Spirit
This album has way more depth than you'd expect for how popular it was. Cobain has the perfect voice for what he built and the songs are all unique. There's a heaviness where it needs it, more subdued element coming through, technical moments. The album communicates emotion and the feeling of being conflicted and detached so well. There's a comfortable tension in it. There are stronger and weaker individual songs but all together it's a hell of an album.
Great melodies, great sound engineering. You can pick out the inspiration at times, but it is elevating a sound and the melodies are a strong foundation. Even the more punk sounding songs have strong melody at the core. Sounds great on a stereo and on headphones. A lot of the songs almost sonically have a shape that draws you in. Feels like some golden ratio stuff going on here. As I said with the unplugged album, the drama Kurt Cobain infuses his vocals with is key. Sometimes you don't even understand the words, but the drama is there.
not me escuchando nirvana.....nevermind..........nunca hice esto así que ya veremos - la primera ya la sabia wey si es famosa - la segunda ...let's seee........... its a good one no algo que escucharía diario pero si esta buena -
1. teen - 5 2. bloom - 3 3. come - 4 4. breed - 1 5. lithium - 3 6. polly - 2 7. territorial - 2 8. drain - 2 9. lounge - 1 10. auuay - 1 11. plain - 2 12. zomething - 3 13. endlezz - 1
good shit
This is just an album of iconic hits. I think it's a testament to how good this album is that I know pretty much all of the songs of this prior to listening in full. This album has such a good sense of timing and rhythm, and it is so perfect where it chooses to really go hard and start thrashing and everything just blends together really nicely. I don't really feel that there is a low point in the album. Everything just works. I have to say as well the opening for breed goes so hard. It just really gets you moving. I would say, smells like teen spirit would be my favorite track. However, it's been played to death. Doesn't mean it's not still a good track. Fav Track: Breed
Yes, you MUST hear this before you die. The album of the 90s. The whole worlds teenage angst crammed into one album. Stone cold classic. Heartfelt songs. Big choruses. Music doesn't get much better than this.
I mean, it’s peak, but there were songs that couldn’t stand up to the others and this huge difference of quality brings my overall rating for this album a bit low
álbum perfeito. trilha sonora da minha adolescência
i hope the drummer never goes on to cheat on his wife 8.5/10 best song - come as you are
An iconic album and massively influential. A lot of songs on here I already knew but I’d never listened to the album all the way through. It was surprisingly varied, there were a few songs that I wasn’t a fan of but I enjoyed most of the songs including ones I wasn’t already so familiar with. I definitely liked it a lot more than In Utero. I enjoyed how melodic it was. Like a lot of people, there are songs on here that make me very nostalgic. It was interesting for me to hear them in the context of the full album. Fav song: Smells Like Teen Spirit – yes it’s the most overplayed but it is also the one I have the most memories associated with Least fav: Endless, Nameless
Some very good songs in here of course and I appreciate the cultural moment but also a few stinkers on here as well. The fact that some of them are overplayed and over covered also unfortunately brings it down as well. Cant get Hugh jackman as hook out of my mind. Specific rating - 4.1 Fav song - come as you are Least fav - endless, nameless
Iconic album. I'd obviously heard some of the songs before (and seen the cover) but I'd never listened through to the whole album. I really really enjoyed it (so much more than In Utero). Couple songs I'd be happy to cut but so much great stuff. This album changed the face of popular music forever and it shaped a generation. The global reviews are full of stories of "I remember exactly where I was when I first heard this album", it's pretty amazing stuff. Favourite song: Smells Like Teen Spirit (or Come as You Are) Least: Endless, Nameless
5/5, no edits
What can I say that hasn't already been said? A masterpiece of songwriting, elegant but raw, defined a generation, deserves the hype. No notes. 5 - a near-perfect album
strong candidate to most influential 6/10 of all time
The one good album from an incredibly overrated band.
blast from the past
very good
I think if these guys keep improving on this album, they could really go somewhere in the future.
I have nothing new to say. From minute 1 to minute done this album rules. Foundational Text of Grunge.
An absolute classic and an easy no skip album. The only track I considered hitting “next” on was “Polly”, but even that has the excellent little harmony in the chorus that makes it worth hearing all the way through. All three musicians are absolutely nuts on this album, and it’s not because they’re actually that great at their instruments. I’ve said it before on this but Kurt is not really that great of a guitarist, but he can really write a melody and make every note count. You can talk about feeling all day: this is an excellent example of tearing a feeling out of an instrument. I love grunge and its various canonical masters. I don’t even think Nirvana is the best one of them but this album, as over played and hyped as it is, really stands the test of time. The emotions in it, if you’ve ever had them, are still in you somewhere and music like this brings them back out. Hopefully for you it’s a good thing.
Honestly? Pretty overrated I feel. Starts off really strong with hit after hit, but then starts to even out around Polly / Territorial Pissings. The only song to make any impression on me after that is Something in the Way. I liked both Hole albums on this list better, which is an opinion i'm pretty sure would get me beaten to death with hammers by some people. Still a good album though.
I had Bleach before this. Knew they were gonna be huge
Smells Like Teen Spirit- 9/10 Such a classic, everything is peak, the music, the vibe just peak In bloom- 7.5/10 Umm what? sounds okayish the words have some meaning to an extent Come as you are- 8/10 Literally come as you are, dk what ts was bout, sounds decent tho Breed- 10/10 HOLY BANGER. TS LOWK SLAPS Lithium- 7/10 Ehh? Polly- 6.5/10 And i thought lithium was confusing Terristorial Pissings- 8.5/10 Deep asf, sounds good asw pretty decent song imo Drain You- 8/10 What? Lounge act- 7/10 Stay away- 8/10 On a plain- 8.5/10 FINAL RATING- 5/5
Iconic for a reason
A : 3, tbh JL : 3, Breed
Still holds up quite well, still prefer In Utero tho.
An obvious 5 but a frustratingly frontloaded one. I’m not sure if I’d feel and more or less strongly about the record if the hits were a little more spaced out evenly in the tracklisting. After all, most of the first six songs on here are generational, standing their own ground no matter the place or time. No need to do a deep dive into this one, it’s ubiquitous, especially having lived all my life in the greater seattle area. 5/5 I can’t remember who said it, but Kurt’s voice was like a beautiful harmonic chainsaw
Favourite Songs: Come As You Are Territorial Pissings Endless, Nameless
Classic
What an album. What a band. Nevermind is popular for reason. It’s just incredible how consistently great the tracks are. The melodies are just brilliant, Dave Grohl’s drumming is massive, Krist’s bass lines hold it all together, and everyone shines. Rest in peace Kurt, because it’s all already been said, but this classic deserves every single bit of praise it gets for completely rewriting the rulebook on 90s rock. It’s one of the first albums I ever listened to, and it’s pure nostalgia for me; I just wish I could wipe my memory and listen to it for the first time all over again.
1 - 10/10 classic grunge anthem 2 - 5/10 kind of too repetitive for my liking 3 - 8/10 another grunge classic 4 - 8/10 love the energy 5 - 5/10 nothing is really happening for me; again kind of repetitive 6 - 5/10 very subdued; expected a crash that never came 7 - 7/10 once again love the energy in this one; especially after polly 8 - 6/10 another grunge classic; the beginning and end are too similar to teen spirit in my opinion 9 - 7/10 really like the bass in that one but it's not special 10 - 9/10 dave grohl cooked on that one; really catchy 11 - 5/10 not special 12 - 8/10 another classic; the darkest song so far 13 - 7/10 very interesting especially as a closing track; reminds me of NIN a bit
Pleb
One album that started it all! I owe nirvana a lot of my musical taste and this is one of the first albuns that introduced me to to indie and punk for example! Top albums for sure!
Classic album, although the extensive screaming sometimes is too much
See why it's popular. Strong energy, clear production, great writing
damn, det var sgu meget godt, hvem vidste det
What can I say about this album that hasn't already been said? It's very very good. 4.4
Obviously it's a classic album. It also spelled the death-knell of grunge music and changed it into pop music. Fwiw, as alternative music fans in our early-20s when this came out, we all saw it as a sell-out. Weird Al Jankowic's parody, Smells Like Nirvana, is my preferred memory of this album.
I guess I will be fully unoriginal and gives this a 5 like everyone else. I thought I would be more critical because it is such a hyped up allbum, but it is genuinely just really good. Only a few tracks didn't vibe as much with me: Polly, Drain You and that last "hidden track" which I'm not sure even counts. Something In The Way is a perfect closer, so let's just pretend that last track doesn't exist :)
Highlights: Smells Like Teen Spirit, In Bloom, Come As You Are, Breed, Lithium, Drain You, Lounge Act, On a Plain, Something's In the Way I came into this with a certain dislike for Cobain's edgelord reputation and the cheap praise Nevermind continuously gets from the "fans". Being pretty familiar with most of the record, I do have to say this is the first time in a while I've listened to Nevermind from top to bottom. I often forget how Cobain shared my stance and even expressed it on In Bloom. I do have to say I love the sound of the record and the lyrical themes are interesting too. It's very obvious how the sound of this record makes it one of those that defined the direction of 90s pop culture. I like the record more than I did previously, but it didn't blow me away.
Already Listened to it, still a amazing album
Listen to this one countless times, obviously an amazing album. Five stars. Listening all the way through again was such a treat, the 46 minute timeline flew by. Endless nameless was pretty weird, usually don’t get that one, but enjoyable thought it was.
As someone who entered adolescence in the 90s, this is one of the easiest album ratings I have come across yet. No idea how many times I have listened to Nevermind (though it has been awhile!), but it's a lot. In fact, Nevermind was one of the first cassettes I ever owned. While now I prefer the more grimey, less polished output from Nirvana, there is no denying that Nevermind is one of the all-time great albums full of all-timer after all-timer. Truly an album that defined an entire generation. Still truly great.
One of the best albums ever created, defined a genre, culture, and people
This is a 10/10 album that I only enjoy at 7.5/10 or 8/10. I'll give it a 5 out of peer pressure. Nevermind.
A case of nevermind the last song the rest is excellent.
This album is so good. While listening I felt pure energy — it’s hot, active, and aggressive from start to finish. The riffs hit hard, the drums are explosive, and Kurt’s voice carries that perfect mix of raw emotion and attitude. It’s both entertaining and thought-provoking at the same time. You can just rock out to it, but the lyrics and the overall intensity also make you feel something deeper. Even though I don’t think it’s Nirvana’s absolute strongest album, it’s still an incredibly powerful and iconic record that fully deserves its status. Nevermind just works. It’s energetic, catchy, and full of fire. A classic for a reason.
One thing that I’ve noticed from listening to all of these albums is that there are bands whose songs are just noise. Though Nirvana does just have noise, they know when to dial it and when to drop it. They control that grunge sound really well without it sounding like a headache of noise. Endless, Nameless is a good example of this. I also think this album would be super fun to play the rhythm guitar part for.
Amazing album
This hits the same today as it did freshman year. It takes me back to my angsty years and makes me feel the blood in my veins again. So many more references to guns than I remember... 20/20 hindsight, and all that.. Amazing hidden gems like "Territorial Pissings" and "Polly" make this album a 5-star rave.
This has always been a 5 star album for me. I remember my parents had a copy and they'd put it on for long car rides, so the songs have always been in my head since childhood. I've listened to other music over the years, but I've always come back to this album and it is the foundation of my current musical interests (I've branched off a lot from Nirvana in the last 2.5 years).The music is incredibly catchy and melodic, and all of the instruments are perfect (hard hitting drums, busy bass lines, fuzzy guitars). I don't listen to this often, but if I don't know what to listen to, this is an amazing no skips listen (one of the few no skips albums I acknowledge). I've played it for my young children and they like it too, so I suppose they may feel the same way as I do about it when they grow up.
I've made a note my entire life that Nirvana is the most overrated band of all time. Period. Perhaps my opinion on that is still the same. After all, they only had three studio albums, and even their biggest fans admit their debut album is a stinker(if Kurt Cobain didn't join the 27 Club, would their fans still rave about them? Probably not). So, I went into this album expecting this to be arguably the most overrated album of all time. We all know the cover(and controversy surrounding the cover). We all know the title. We all knew it would pop up in this musical journey eventually, so now I have a verdict. I was pleasantly surprised, moreso than I ever expected. It has arguably the greatest opening track to an album ever, and dare I say a legendary trio of songs to open up an album. The rest of the album was just pure Grunge, in a fun way of course. Well, the Wikipedia page claims this generator excluded their debut album, so I've now listened to every Nirvana album it has for me. Clearly, this is my favorite Nirvana album anyway. Favorite Track: "Smells Like Teen Spirit".
One of my favorite albums; brings me straight back to being an angsty teen
This is the last time rock music was great, dominant in mainstream culture and the last time an a rock album changed absolutely everything. It changed everything about what the music industry valued, what people wore, what people listened to, who the defining rockstar of the moment was and who everyone could universally point to and say "That's the guy." There have been important albums and there have been great singers of different bands since this album, none of which reached the heights of importance that Cobain did. And after Nirvana, rock n roll lost the foothold on culture. There hasn't been a singular rock musician who changed everything the way Cobain did in that 2-3 year window in the early 90s. I don't listen to Nirvana as much as I used to, there's just simply too much music to pick from and too many things to explore. But once or twice a year I go on a huge Seattle kick and this gets a lot of play for a week or two. I actually think In Utero is a bigger artistic statement, more adventurous and more interesting but you can't go wrong with this album. For me, it's the last great rock record with significant cultural importance. Nothing changed the way MTV looked and sounded more than this. Nothing changed the way kids dressed more than this. Nothing changed culture on a dime the way this did. Nothing shone a light on a city's music scene the way this did. The music is fantastic, but I think the cultural impact is vastly more interesting and more important than anything here. The only reason I'm giving this a 5 is because I can't give it anything higher and I'm happy I've got a reason to listen to this all day.
Great album
Klassieker der klassiekers. Sterke nummers, dynamisch, geweldig geproduceerd, en ijzersterk gezongen.
I haven’t listened to this front-to-back in probably 25 years and holy hell does it hold up. I found myself thinking “is this secretly the best song on the album?” on at least half the songs, maybe 2/3rds. 12/13 were very good to great, easiest of 5 stars.
lol turns out this album is pretty fucking good
I’ve only ever heard one Nirvana song in my life. Rock music isn’t usually my thing, but I really enjoyed this album. I liked most of it, except for two songs that weren’t my cup of tea.
A Classic!! Gritty guitar riffs, pounding drum beasts and a spirit that defines rock music!
Peak Nirvana. Everything after this just sounded like whining set to wanna be punk.
Timeless timeless album, has some amazing songs and fantastic beats
Simplemente un album increíble.
Not a huge nirvana fan, but I get why people like this
What can I even say
As good as it gets for alternative kids. 5
It's Nevermind.
This album conjures up an interesting phenomenon. I find in most areas of life, where there are lots of people I tend to avoid that area. If everyone is talking about a TV show, rest assured I deprive myself of that for years, if not forever. Pop music has degraded to the point of being completely unlistenable and whatever internet humour trope we have going this week is typically boring and trite. So, with the admission of me being a pretentious contrarian out of the way, I saw that Nevermind, of all records was amongst the highest rated on this website and I shuddered to think I’d been wrong about this record. Now, a website dedicated to providing a nerd’s list of favourite albums to users who sign up for that privilege doesn’t represent the pure mainstream, but still. This is the same website where I read reviews like “I dint like the rhythm but gud music 5 stars” or missives about how MIA got the writer through their second semester of barber college. It’s not exactly “my people” around here. Well, I have to say that they got this one right. I don’t think there has been a record in recent memory that is so uncompromising, and yet still so accessible. It’s the best of both worlds. The songs are catchy and memorable, yet pack a punch you could only find in the influences of Nirvana. The biggest issue that this band and album has is being lumped in with bands like Pearl Jam. This is where the horror of the mainstream rears its ugly head. To make it more marketable, all music from Seattle was lumped under this one advertiser-friendly term, “grunge.” If you think this sounds like Pearl Jam and belongs in the same genre you don’t know anything about music. Corporate radio butt rock from your mom’s new spiritual boyfriend, or hyper aggressive and emotionally dense punk-tinged rock. Try to figure out which one’s which. Anyway, this record is phenomenal and I find myself in the extremely uncomfortable position of agreeing with the masses. Music is indeed, gud. 5 HIGHLIGHTS: Baby conversationalist
es un hecho que es bueno, pero no es tan significativo para mí
Sí.
god-tier was in college when it dropped and i'd never seen an album redefine the musical landscape in the same way
Phenomenal album. Not a skippable song. Nirvana aren't my favourite of the grunge bands from this era, but this is definitely one of the best albums of this era. No notes, cracking set of songs.
Still amazing
Now we're talking, here's an album that actually deserves to be in the Top 1001. Likely deserving of a top 1% slot. Few songs hit you between the eyes like the intro to "Smells Like Teen Spirit". There's anger and angst and attitude in every note. I was living in Seattle when it hit & remember the first time I heard it on a real stereo. You couldn't get away from this song, it was on the radio, at parties, in clubs (it's sorta danceable) & on MTV. At the time I had no idea what I had in my hands. I did manage to see them on the In Utero tour months before the unfortunate end. This album reads like a Greatest Hits even though they had plenty of other good albums and songs that would follow. Huge hits with "Smells...", "In Bloom", "Come As You Are" & "Lithium", plus songs that still get solid airplay like "Polly", "Drain You", "Breed", "On A Plain" & the stellar "Something In The Way". The listener counts are off the charts!! 3 BILLION listens for "Smells...", over 2B for "Come As You Are" but no other track has fewer than 90M listens. The production is super good as well, it just sounds fantastic even 30 yrs later! This is a Top 10 album without a doubt, it's a 5 for certain based on firepower, hits, influence, longevity, etc. My kids know these songs, this is their classic rock. Whether you like grunge or not, you gotta be impressed by they legacy and the songs collected on this one album. "Endless, Nameless" is the only song on this album that should have been left off, and I think they did it for shock value & to make sure it had a connection to their early indie stuff on Subpop. Made my day revisiting this one. I'm in awe this many years later at how well it's held up and how hard it still rocks.
Listened to Nirvana all through middle and high school. I grew up in the PNW and have been to so many places Nirvana is associated with. My college band even played the same tiny Olympia venue they did years after the fact. Formative sound. I know all the tracks.
Some are classics
So this is an interesting one. It's a vibe and at least one legendary song on here. But. It is too repetitive for me. If this is your thing, I can understand you can listen to this for hours, but for me an album needs to tell a story. Go somewhere. Start and end. And this is more like a greatest hits bundle. To my untrained ear, it all sounds rather similar. Therefore, good for a listen, but wouldn't repeat the entire album, just some tracks. And the last song? There is a lot I can listen to, but this isn't it. Really tough to even finish that one and will try to avoid ever listening it again. 6.6/10?
look. It's 5/5. We all know this. This album was such a core piece of who I was, and who I am. I can listen on repeat, over and over.
This was a sea change, a game changer when it came out. Like Sergeant Pepper it was the beginning of a new musical epoch. Afterwards music got a lot more exciting.
Damn I was hating on this album in my in utero review but it’s so good. Just way more of a pop album than its reputation. Full of hits tho. Giving it 4 to be interesting.
...Okay, WELL. I MEAN
Super influential and a great album, strong 4
absolute timeless classic in grunge music
Is there a more iconic intro to an album? Kurt Cobain is one of my favourite singers, would’ve loved to hear a solo album. He was great at writing pop songs with balls. Not a bad song on it. Perfect album.
Everyone likes nirvana dont they. The hits are massively overplayed but enjoyable, drain you is still class etc.
4.5!
Starts how it means to go on with a kick to the mush from 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' Havent listened to it in a while. But it reminded me how much of a great album it is. Plenry of absolute Tunes. Every song is good. 'Polly' and 'Something In The Way' also personal faves
No notes needed. It's perfect.
I know it's Nirvana and it's an iconic album, but it just didn't do anything for me.
Amazing
really got into this for the first time in a long time here, completely forgot how good nirvana are
I was about to write a review, but nevermind
To me, Cobain sounds so gutteral in this album. So many iconic songs you can never go wrong with.
(Strong 8/10) "I've got Nirvana in my head, makes me wanna go fuck shit up" -Juliana Hatfield
My second Nirvana album within a week, and again there's not much point in waffling about this one as it's so ubiquitous at this point. It's an iconic, classic album that soundtracked my chaotic teenage years whilst I was figuring out my sense of identity, although it's perhaps not the flawless masterpiece it's frequently cracked out to be. I'm not massively keen on "Polly" or "Drain You", but the strength of the other 10 tracks ensures it receives a 9/10 and five stars from me.
No notes
One of my all time faves
I've heard Smells Like Teen Spirit—you'd have trouble trying to find someone who hasn't—but never sat down to listen to the any Nirvana albums in full so I was very excited to experience this particular piece of music history. I try to be objective and view these albums through different perspectives on where and what the exact quality is with these albums. I usually fail at this. I underestimate just how much I succumb to my personal tastes that it takes a lot of effort for me to care enough to not only listen but explore these albums deeper. And if an album doesn't immediately match my tastes (or reveals one I didn't know I had) then I most likely won't explore it any deeper than surface-level stuff. Lucky for me, that didn't happen. Nevermind is that shiiii Almost every track in this album, with the exception of 'Endless, Nameless', is exactly what I hope to come across with this list. Intense guitar and drum performances with melodies supporting a choruses that aid the overall atmosphere, tone, and feeling the music is trying to convey. Feels like the tracks are all trying to pull emotion first with meaning being up to the listener. Strangely inviting despite the intense nature of many of the tracks. Frustration, melancholy, overwhelmed, and any other emotion can be place and felt for whatever track that evokes it. To paraphrase Kurt Cobain: "Experience comes first, meaning and lyrics come second". Not the exact quote but it's the message I got out of it. This album brought to light the technique of "cut up" (that I didn't know) which explains a lot when examining the lyrics in isolation. Excluding the fact that Cobain admitted he came up with the lyrics minutes before recording tracks; it gets to a point where it becomes a bit nonsensical. Like wtf does "A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido" suppose to mean. I do connected with the philosophy of 'music first, meaning second' the album embodies. It's similar to my taste and approach to music where I can be completely blind to the lyrics of a song because everything else was overshadowing them. A personal example is Avenged Sevenfold's 'A Little Piece Of Heaven' being about a a guy fucking the corpse of his dead girlfriend he murdered; I thought it was just a love song! I don't know what track I love most in this album. Almost every track, again except 'Endless, Nameless', can be placed in my top 3 tracks. Very tough. If it wasn't obvious the album is a 5/5, 10/10, 100/100, gems, diamonds, and gold. The singles go so hard. Took me too long to finally listen to this masterpiece. Also, poor Pixies. Also, also, SLTS is loved for a reason and I don't care if it's a normie thing to say that it's my favourite. T3: Smells Like Teen Spirit, Stay Away, Come As You Are
The songs you know - absolute grunge staples. The rest - utter garbage. No wonder Foo Fighter albums are terrible on the whole.
when i was 13, my first love really liked nirvana. lost touch with them and never found out where they ended up. so it goes. these days i don't really care for the band. the more angry the song, the worse it is.
Mi estilo de música, pero no mi tipo. Una propuesta interesante.
Easiest review of my life. Sucks that one of the best albums I'll listen to for all of 1001 comes at #3. I'm so happy! New favorites on relisten: Drain You, Territorial Pissings, literally everything tbh. Unreal. RIP Kurt.
BEFORE: This should be pretty straightforward. One of my favourite albums of all time. Bought it on cassette when it came out and thrashed it. Have owned it in some format and listened at least semi-regularly ever since. Good excuse to listen to it again. AFTER: Perfect album. No wasted time. I even love Endless, Nameless. HIGHLIGHTS: Everything, but special shout-out to Side 2 which doesn't get the same attention. Territorial Pissings, Drain You, Lounge Act and On A Plain are all incredible tracks. LOWLIGHTS: Nope. VERDICT: An easy, easy 5 stars.
I mean, it's a classic and a sound defying record for it's decade and then some. Of course.
Got this album on my 20th birthday. (Thank you, Jeppe) They exploded just after that, so I couldnt see them on a small stage in copenhagen as planned.