Reviews (page 11 of 14)
I'm almost 800 albums into this project, and I'm just now getting my second Nirvana album (I still haven't had a Madonna album yet). I wouldn't call myself a huge Nirvana fan, but for a significant portion on my adult life, I considered myself a huge Dave Grohl fan. However, Grohl has fallen out of my graces lately since his 'nice guy dad' routine has been blown up by his infidelity. There went my hero... Anyway, I really loved Nirvana's Unplugged, so I have some high hopes for this album! Overall, I thought this album was pretty good. The star of the show to me was the songwriting. The lyrics were really good, and I enjoyed how Kurt Cobain drew from several different influences to write these songs. They’re all dark and really haunting, and there’s definitely an added layer of darkness to these lyrics now that we’re over thirty years removed from Kurt’s death. Musically though, I wasn’t as into this album as I’d hoped to be. The high points were incredibly high, but the rest of the album was a bit bland to me. It felt like a fair amount of the songs were loud just for the sake of being heavy and distorted. There were a few high points on this album though: “Heart-Shaped Box,” “Dumb,” and “All Apologies” were really good. I love the strings that were utilized on “Dumb” and “All Apologies.” Those strings really added a haunting quality that was missing from most of the album. “Heart-Shaped Box” has the best song structure of the whole album in my opinion. I love the shifting between the slow and melodic verses to the heavy and screeching chorus. I felt like you got the best of both sides of Nirvana on that track. But the best song on the album, if not the best Nirvana song overall, is “All Apologies.” Kurt’s vocals are absolutely fantastic, and the guitar playing is great too. The strings compliment the sound incredibly well. The rest of the songs on this album are fine, but most of them just weren’t my style. Even though In Utero didn’t hit my expectations, I’m still looking forward to Nevermind, but my expectations for that one might be a bit more muted.
Nirvana albums can certainly be a mix of very high highs, and very low lows. This is an example of that. 'Heart-Shaped Box', 'Dumb', and 'All Apologies' are all very good songs, but the rest are not near the quality of those in my opinion, and I could actually do without all of them frankly. They all have the Nirvana signature sound, but 'Pennyroyal Tea' is a great example of when the formula just doesn't work at all. The chord progression takes a wrong turn at the wrong place, and everything just falls flat.
Fascinating sound. So interesting and dynamic and beautiful. also just really nice chill vibes.
Strange mix with vocals too low. Cobain's repetitive style has not aged well. Love his guitar solos though.
Only a few songs that I found memorable. The rest was ok, but not really anything special. 5.5/10
The Good: We’ve got ‘90s grunge! The Bad: It’s Nirvana… The Ugly: Anything that comes from the womb is either making noise crying, or causing tears… I can appreciate that this album is on this list, and I know that there are countless of people on this earth who will rate this album 5*, possibly stating that it is the GOAT. Don’t count me amongst these people. Yes; Kurt, Krist and Dave, were the voice of a generation… but they did not speak for the entire generation. If not we’d have a lot less Gen-X’ers walking around, as they’d all have blown their brains out. I might give this album a second spin, maybe, however, I don’t believe it is going to change my mind that, aside from “the hits” on this album, it is indeed nothing but noise. Though, fucking Dave is an amazing drummer, and Krist just keeps the beat, and Kurt, well, Kurt can never be blamed for showing too little emotion… and maybe that is what’s wrong with this album for me: I like to listen to music so that it get’s me nice and relaxed, not pumped enough to start slamming myself into walls. Will go straight down the middle as that’s the way I roll…. 3*
Its okay
Not for me
Besides the singles, I didn’t find much more that appealed to me.
About half good songs and half screaming crap.
Ok
Just not that good and time isn't making it any better. That Nirvana is widely considered to be the best band of the '90s speaks to the distinct musical below-averageness of that decade. The opening of "Rape Me" so clearly evokes "Teen Spirit" that it's as if they were reaching. "Heart-Shaped Box" and "All Apologies" seem the only fully formed songs (besides being the only non-screamers).
Heart-Shaped Box is a classic, obviously. Rape me and Frances Farmer are pretty much the only others I like enough to listen to again. Classic but Angry.
It's like hearing my late 90s and early 00s condensed into music. I never played it myself, but everyone else did.
It's the same recipe of angsty guitars with melodic hooks as their previous album, maybe just a tad less catchy. There's some bangers, but more filler than before. Knowing Kurt will end up committing suicide there's a certain dour vibe that sits over the album, but the songwriting and sounds carry it through.
Not a bad album but not as good as Nevermind. More raw sounding showing that Pixies influence
I know it's a classic and I'm supposed to love it, but do all the songs sound the same?
Does anyone really listen to Nirvana outside of Nevermind and the MTV Unplugged albums? Fine album, has some classics on it. Nevermind is miles better IMO.
Че то понял, что не слушал этот альбом целиком, и как-то слишком много грязи для меня, некоторые треки просто невыносимы) поэтому троечку только за all apologies
Fine but I prefer the first album
Not bad
Great album
I've never been a Nirvana fan, I've always struggled to understand what the hell he was saying. Apon first listen with lyrics on, that thought was cemented. Catchy hits peppered with some strange ones, like Rape Me.
Decent loud bit of a racket decent in gym
Certainly a step or two below Nevermind. There are a couple of great tracks here, but some are way too noisy and busy for my liking. I don’t necessarily love the direction that the band went in.
I've never been much of a Nirvana fan but I actually enjoyed this quite a bit. The noisy deep cuts were hitting at times and there is some undeniable beauty in the more commercial cuts. I haven't listened to Nevermind in a long time but I think I like this more.
I can't forgive them for what they did to Albini on this album. This could have been something great if they didn't wuss out. Cobain was right to call it quits after this. Serve the Servant opens with clanging guitars and noise. Cobain's lyrics are fine but serve the template for decades of boring alt rock all the way up to Silverchair. Dave Grohl's drumming is about as soulless and uninspiring as you can get. They should have just used a drum machine. Scentless Apprentice has a bit of a Mudhoney-esque chug to it, but also some Daydream Nation aesthetic tension, kind of fun. Dave Grohl is still boring. Heart Shaped Box starts to get more fun, classic quiet-loud-quiet-loud mumbly grunge. Dave Grohl is slightly less boring. Dave gets a little more frisky in the song Rape Me, even busting out a triplet occasionally. Dumb is good for the quiet-sort of quiet-quiet bit an innovative counterpoint to Heart Shaped Box. Dave Grohl is still boring. Very Ape has a woozy combo of REM vocals and and quasi metal riffs. Dave Grohl sounds boring on this song. Milk It goes full Melvins and is probably the highlight. Dave Grohl actually manages to sound like he cares. Pennyroyal Tea sees Dave revert to form. The penultimate tracks redeem the album. Radio Friendly Unit Shifter is what I would have hoped for in the album and good on them for it even if Dave Grohl is boring on it. Cobain has a much more punk edge to his vocals and actually sounds way better when he avoids trying to sound like an American Jon Gill. On the other hand he sounds primo strangling the guitar. Tourettes rocks hard and has a catchy little surf-rock hook. Dave Grohl sounds boring. Honestly All Apologies isn't bad. Dave Grohl occasionally hits the drums well. The strings are a nice touch. It deserved its place as a single. The dirge at the end is a great way to end the album. Its a portrait of a band struggling to break out of the shackles of mainstream success. They do alright but you can't escape the majors that easily.
É tão progresivo. Não entendo bem seu significado, mas é tendencioso.
All Apologies, Heart-Shaped Box, and Dumb are clear standouts. Though not the strongest song on the album, Scentless Apprentice has my drummer side feeling giddy.
Fine
Netural, i love Kurt Cobian and Nirvana sometimes.
Absolutely not for me
3- Stars (7/15)
Eh gut
wasn’t extremely impressed but good album and heart shaped box is still one of my fav guitar hero songs
Competent entry into a genre I don’t find particularly compelling
Not as good as Nevermind but it grew on me over the course of the listen.
Didn't particularly like Nirvana at the time (I'm sure I've heard the whole thing before), and I still don't. Not an album to listen to when you have a headache already, and honestly couldn't get through it. That said, i can see how it's something important - just not for me.
Nothing special, kind of zoned out
I wanted to like this more than I did given the Nirvana of it all but couldn't get there :( Heart-Shaped Box is good, but overall just a really aggressive, unsettling and kind of disturbed quality to the music and lyrics. Sad to think about Kurt's mental state writing this album. Need to listen to earlier Nirvana albums though to get the full appreciation for the band.
Always thought this band was a little overrated - and this disc is a good example of that. Decent but certainly not exceptional.
I wish that I liked this album better than I actually do. Most of the songs are very harsh and really encompass Cobain's inner turmoil. Very hard to follow Nevermind. Clear standouts are Heart Shaped Box and All Apologies.
A few top notch songs, the some that left me flat.
Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. Used to love Nirvana. Milk It is great!
Rock graffiante struggente a tratti psichedelico
I'm a casual Nirvana enjoyer, but this one is a little chaotic for me. But I do love the mellower tracks - Heart-Shaped Box, Dumb, Pennyroyal Tea, and of course All Apologies.
Back in college, I made it a point to listen to all three Nirvana albums. I remember liking "Nevermind" the best of the three, though I know that's a basic take to most. Still, I liked them enough. I didn't like all of what I heard; some was too bizarre or metal for my liking. But it was hard to deny the meaning behind any of the work, the pain and emotion included in it, or the sonic cohesiveness of each album and of all three taken together. Nirvana had a sound, and they stuck with it. Maybe it would've evolved more if Kurt had lived. Maybe they would've found a new direction to follow. We'll never know. But how did I like this in the year 2025? It was good. Nothing really blowing me away here, and there were moments of either intense weirdness ("Scentless Apprentice," for example), or otherwise metal sounds ("Milk It") that I just couldn't vibe with. If you can get into the vibe of the album, try to get with the sound and the go with the flow, go where they take you, it works. But it can take some effort to do so. Overall I liked this, and I'd be happy to relisten to other Nirvana albums as well. I'm assuming "Nevermind" is on here, so we'll get there at some point. Three stars Standout Tracks: Serve the Servants, Heart-Shaped Box, Dumb, Very Ape, Pennyroyal Tea, Radio Friendly Unit Shifter, All Apologies
Standout: Heart-shaped box
Loud. Quiet. Loud. Quiet. That's pretty much how this album goes. It's solid, without being too spectacular. A couple of these tracks must've seemed edgy back in the day. In Utero is perfectly listenable and I like the roomy production. I'm fine with this.
It's hard to not read this album as one long suicide note so that clouds it for me. It's their most cohesive, but least hooky record. It always makes me feel the next Nirvana album would've been the one.
overrated
To be honest its to loud for me and it doesnt really catch me. I like Heart Shaped Box and Numb, i guess im just casual. I understand why it is in this list tho
Grudge I can get on with
First album I got here that I already heard before. I think this is a lot of fun. Raw and genuine rock. Even with the out of tune guitars or clashing chords at times.
Need to come back to this one. Only listened to the first couple of songs but is good so far. Not something I would listen to regularly but I do enjoy it.
Dumb is a good hangover song on a bad hangover album. Cobain has a few musical ideas that he does well. He would totally vote for Trump if he were still alive.
Amo😍 Ya conocía a Nirvana y este álbum es mítico, pero esta bien escucharlo de vez en cuando, ya que este tipo de música te ayuda mucho a liberarte y soltarlo todo 🤘🎸 Perfecto para amantes de los gritos y del rock (c vuelve emo 🖤)
No complaints but nothing I liked that much either
Just really only like the singles.
Kind of goes through different genres finding a sound. Very garage rocky and less grunge which feels more raw. I can see this putting people off as maybe not as polished. Even heart shaped box feels this way. Favorite song Tourette’s, felt it fit the bands personality and sound best, ie. played to their best features.
The songs get a little too repetitive for me, but bonus points because sonically it has that signature Nirvana excitement. Also how does Nirvana have like 2 albums yet they still repeat guitar riffs?
I think my distaste for the album was partially due to listening to this in the morning. Not sure how I felt about it, to be honest. The riffs were jarring to me, but maybe that's the point.
Unplugged versions are better
I should be Nirvana’s prime fan base - I was late teens when they blew up, was a metal-head, and I like grunge … I just don’t really like Nirvana. They’re ok but I never got the hype, and this is missing the big singles that lifted Nevermind. It’s fine, but I’m unlikely to go back.
I Respect the importance of this album, but I could just not get behind it. I know a lot of the songs because i have heard them multiple times over the years, but I just dont like grunge. It is not a record I would have in my collection
I’ve gone back and forth with this band over years. LOVED them when I was younger, disliked them in my late teens and 20s, and now I’m just indifferent. They just don’t do a whole lot for me. It’s a pretty good album, but very sad at the same time considering the circumstances. All Apologies hits hard as a closer too. Richard Cheese does a better version of Rape Me.
Great music. Not for me.
All Apologies is my favorite song from this album, I've heard this before though
I have no respect for steve albini
6/10 - pretty decent gym album. I knew a couple of songs. A decent amount of screaming which I did not enjoy that much.
this was fun
- Did not hold up ..... a few good tunes but somewhat boring. -
I think this is the third Nirvana album I've had on this list. Whereas Nevermind blasted the band into international stardom, it's not so obvious to me why this album is so essential.
Love nirvana but hadn’t heard this album before. Great songs x
Favorite Track: All Apologies
If nevermind didn’t come out prior, this album would get more love. It’s good and shows cobain’s ability to evolve. I only wish we got more music from them. I don’t know if I’ll come back to this much, maybe I’ll give it a chance again later
Not a big Nirvana fan, I like Nevermind more than In Utero but I still like this too, it's a slightly heavier sound, it's darker and probably more well rounded lyrically, but doesn't initially grab me as much by comparison maybe. Think it'd be one that stayed with me more on subsequent listens though, a high 3 for now.
This has always been my least favorite Nirvana album. Being a big fan of them growing up, it lacks quality throughout the entire album for me.
"its a 1 for me" - Mum
Not Nirvana's best - that distinction belongs to "unplugged". In fact, it is rather dreary and tedious. 3/5
Well done body of work that just about marked the end of the grunge genre.
Revisiting a favourite from my teens. Stands up well today
Verstehe den Erfolg und den Einfluss auf die Musik(geschichte), kann mich dann aber trotzdem nicht restlos für das Album begeistern. Einige gute Tracks, einige die versuchen an die anderen anzuknüpfen und einfach nur scheitern.
I don't actually like Nirvana past Nevermind, I guess. The hits are the hits, and I can't separate them from nostalgia, but I didn't really care for any of the deep cuts. I guess I'm a fan of the outcome of grunge, in that it pushed rock in a direction that I prefer over the hair and glam of the 80's, but I can't help to think that it also pushed the transition of rock to what it is now, disparate sub-genres that are working hard to isolate themselves both from mainstream music and themselves. I'm not blaming Nirvana or grunge, but it does seem to be the beginning of the end of rock as a top 40 genre, and it seems to have fractured into ever smaller subcultures that will criticize an indie act for mixing in some pop, or a funk band for adding in some guitar fuzz, or even a death metal band moving toward prog metal. This is a whole lot to put on one album, and it's definitely not the cause of it, but I can't help to think that the "myth" of Nirvana has been detrimental to music. It's obviously not the beginning of the "only tortured souls make good art" phenomenon, but it's the cornerstone of the modern meme, especially solidifying the 27 Club, and the general consensus that your music is automatically a masterpiece if you died young (the credit given to posthumous releases by XXXTentacion, Pop Smoke, and Juice WRLD by critics who previously despised them is hard to ignore). I don't know if this is really relevant to this album, but I'm sure I will have more on-topic things to say when Nevermind eventually comes up. (Nevermind is on this list, right? If not, this album's inclusion deserves a whole lot of criticism.) Ultimately, it's a serviceable, if a bit disappointing, followup to arguably the most important album of the 90's. I'll keep All Apologies, but I don't think I'd notice if I never heard the rest of this album again.
a couple compelling songs, but not as fun as Nevermind
Solid offering from Nirvana with several good songs. I'll forgive some of the others as Kurt's rebellion against the commercial success of Nevermind. No need for two Nirvana albums though.
There are a few very good songs on here, but mostly it sounds like a man in a great deal of pain, which he verified with deadly force not long after its release.
Heart shaped box is a banger.
3.5
Well-made but not particularly enjoyable to listen to. My favorite song by far was Heart-Shaped Box. Without it this might have been a 2 star.
I always leaned toward Pearl Jam and Screaming Trees, but I recognize the quality here.
A few good songs, but overall, it's meh for me
given the name its crazy that this isn't the one with the naked baby on the cover
Still holds up well.
Decent
Nowhere near as good as I remember it. Still a couple of standout tracks (Heart-shaped Box, Pennyroyal Tea, Dumb & Rape Me), but the rest haven't aged well, unfortunately.
I sort of lost track of Nirvana between ‘Nevermind’ and the Unplugged album, so ‘In Utero’ isn’t in my nostalgia wheelhouse. And, apparently I’m an old fuddy-dud who just likes the hits, because, to me last night in my kitchen making supper, a lot of this album sounded like people yelling in their garage. Lots of good songs here, but I think I like them more as they’ve been covered over the years or as nirvana did them on the Unplugged album, which is where I know the ones I know.
It's not my kind of music. The sound is fine.
Really really good but a lot of tough to listen to songs
Just a long lasting jam session. Rest in peace Kurt. Very good all the way through.
not massive on nirvana but i do like a lot of the stuff on here
Nowhere near as good as nevermind
Hot take - most overrated band ever. No denying importance, place in history etc but they were right place right time killing off metal blah blah blah. But aside from a few songs they are boring.
I definitely preferred Nevermind, only having had it last week - but this is still a solid effort. I particularly like just how aggressively they go against the grain of popular music at the time. You wouldn't get 'Rape Me' onto an popular album these days
expected more
A couple of good songs, but others were a bit too hard for me
screeEEeEEeAaam
Not my favourite nirvana album. Still enjoyable though
My first full Nirvana album that I’ve listened, I liked it, but I feel like their debut album might be even better.
Nirvana. Nice sound. Sometimes a little silly. Good background listening, since the lyrics are often borderline unintelligible.
More dynamic guitar work than expected. Feels surprisingly bounded to its time. Honestly a little miffed by lyrical content and the fact that cobain is PNW royalty
This is not really for me but I can tell why people like it. There’s something about it that just isn’t very….interesting? to me? I feel like there’s a lot of music that I tend to find uninteresting to me despite it having a lot of raw energy and being very stimulating and I’m not sure how else to describe it or why it is I feel that way. Maybe I just don’t like listening to men sing…
Better than I thought it would be. I liked half the songs.
After reviewing the lyrics while listening to the album, decided it was a bit much for me.
Pretty good
Why are they so angry?
classic
I’m a little surprised at how much I disliked this. Lotsa yelling about things. Maybe given the right mood and a mosh pit…
It’s not bad, but not as good as the other one.
Not really my kind of music.
I don't know about nirvarna... Never been into them really, and grunge for the most part. It's not that I dislike them or the music, I can't really put my finger on it.
It was alright nothing spectaculwr
двоякое у меня отношение к нирване конечно. вроде бы говорят гранж тудым-сюдым, а по факту просто сырой панк. их коллеги по жанру тех лет были поинтереснее музыкально
Everyone tells me I have to love Nirvana, I'm from Seattle, grew up in the Grunge Era, and many more reasons. But... I don't, there are a couple of good songs on this album, but overall, more bad tracks than good ones. I listened to this album a lot as a young person and never understood why I wasn't getting it, why this album is life-changing. Spoiler, it's because this album isn't good to listen to.
thought i was liking this more than i thought i would, then i was like nah this is about what i thought. topical title tho
Very very good. I didn’t ride this wave the way many others did when I was a teenager but it’s still a very very good album.
While In Utero is a huge milestone for grunge and rock music in general, I think I enjoy nevermind a bit more. The fuzz and song writing is a bit more polished. But I will say there are some absolute must listens on this one like Heart Shaped Box and Dumb just to name a few.
This album doesn't do it for me as much as Nevermind does tbh
Before this I've never listened to Nirvana. I've heard about the song "Smells like teen spirit" with the baby on the cover. Very different music, in comparison what I listen to. Overall it is listenable. I now understand why Nirvana is such iconic group. I think they were ahead of their time with this alternative kinda rock music.In this album my personal favorite is "Heart-Shaped box".
Big fan of heart shaped box. But also a lot of just noisy songs.
Half of the songs were classics but everything started to sound the same. 3/5
Pretty solid listen. Not exactly my type of music but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Fave song was heart-shaped box which is followed by the song I disliked equally as much.
The wows of the peaks are negated by the disdain for the screaming rage valleys, leaving me plateauing with a luke warm feeling about this hike.
Definitely not their best and I felt like Kurt was yelling a lot BUT that is very understandable given what happened not long after this album was released
has some good ones but also is noisy for my old ears
I hate that I can't help but compare this to Nevermind. It's got some good songs, but as a whole it really doesn't stand up to not only Nevermind, but a lot of grunge albums
Hieman tasapaksu minusta. Toteutetaan esteettistä visiota, kunnianhimo menee ennemmin siihen eikä biisien tekemiseen. Huonoja ne eivät kuitenkaan ole, vaivaa on nähty. Kaipasin vain vielä enemmän vaihtelua (saman estetiikan sisällä) kuin vain toisiaan huutoa muminan välissä.
great
Buen disco después del pelotazo de su anterior l.p. Sin embargo, no es redondo.
This is just a bit too grunge for me. I really liked the two songs I recognized, heart shaped box and all apologies. I also had a traumatic experience this is album. I was out running while listening to it and then my headphones died right after Rape Me….so then I had like two miles of just of being on the greenway, alone in my thoughts, with that being the last song stuck in my head. Not super pleasant.
I would describe the album as pretty good. “Rape Me” was probably my favorite from the album, but it uses the same riff as smells like teen spirit. Based on listening to this album, I assumed it was before the Nevermind album, but it was actually after. I’m excited to listen to that album, because I felt like this album could have given me more.
Somehow, I've managed to go 30 years without actually listening to In Utero, so there was some pent-up anticipation when I started this LP. After two full listens... I have to express some disappointment, It's OK. Heart Shaped Box is fine, but the rest just lacks any real craft. It'll probably be another 30 years before I repeat.
I will never understand Nirvana. I'm the right age, I listened at the right time, I even like some grunge, but Nirvana is just noise.
Gets a little bit “hard rock” for me at times but some really great tunes interspersed
Nirvanas response to the more polished sound of Nevermind
I remember the first time I heard “Smells Like Teen Spirit” off of Nevermind. I went and bought the cd within the hour- and listened to it on repeat joyous in the knowledge that hair bands were finally going to go away. This album has some good songs- but def isn’t Nevermind.
I really wasn't in the mood for Nirvana yesterday. A few of these sound more aged than I remembered.
Not my favorite Nirvana album.
Good album
This is an album I am supposed to like more than I do. Loud, raucous, lots of primal screaming. Song "All Apologies" not bad but otherwise very dark. Three stars just because Nirvana and Dave Grohl.
I must admit, Nirvana either bores or annoys me, but 'In Utero' certainly does not. I find it an excess of the 90s (an era I care little about), but I am glad there once was a time where music like this was the peak of relevance.
I remember liking this a lot more as an angsty teen when Nirvana was all the rage and MTV was rad. Heart Shaped Box is obviously an all time classic, but the rest wasn't quite doing it for me. I love the mood, but the album itself didn't quite hold up for me.
I didn't really like this that much. It's definitely Nirvana, and its an iconic sound, but I think I'm too far displaced from the novelty of it to really enjoy it. I didn't hate it, but I probably wouldn't ever choose to put it on. My favorite song was 'Dumb'. 5/10
Not sure that, as a genre, grunge has weathered the three decades since Kurt croaked. I never paid much attention to this record at the time. The highlights for me are, predictably, Heart Shaped Box, Rape Me & Dumb. I always thought Pennyroyal Tea was just a bit overrated. Musically, there’s some great shit here, but a little too much screaming at times. Three stars.
Doesn't have as broad appeal as Nevermind. Only a few songs on here that I enjoyed. I think this album is too heavy on the rage and too light on the introspect.
Nirvana was a bit before my time, and thus I am not really familiar with them besides the biggest hits, and honestly I wasn't incredibly impressed by this album. It was fine, but the only tracks I particularly enjoyed were "Pennyroyal Tea" and "All Apologies."
Not Nevermind
2 tunes 12 tracks 3 classics
3.3 stars rounded down.
Honestly a bit disappointing. Francis farmer is great tho
love some of the tracks, hate some of the tracks.
It’s good. I don’t think it’s great, and he bums me out. There are obviously some bangers here: Heart shaped box, Rape Me, Dumb, All Apologies. And I really like Pennyroyal Tea.
I hoped / expected more. Bit disappointed.
Not a grunge fan, but I can see how this was extremely influential. All Apologies was the best one on the album.
Nirvana has some really good songs, but some of their songs that don't get radio play don't get it for a reason.
If it wasn’t for this generator, I wouldn’t have had a reason to revisit this album. Nirvana undoubtedly made a huge impact, and I don’t want to downplay their success, but my enthusiasm for them isn’t what it used to be. I listened to them so much when they were fresh that I just don’t enjoy them anymore, especially “In Utero.” I can’t even count how many times I played this album as a teenager. With that being said, I’ll leave the deep and impactful reviews to someone who’s more energetic and enthusiastic, and not as burned out on this album as I am.
Favorite was Milk It.
Grungy, lackadaisical, and apathetic, as Nirvana is famous for. Definitely not as good as Nevermind, but consistent with the grunge rock sound they were lauded for. I found myself bored on this record, really only need one Nirvana album in my life. Sad this is their last album before Cobain’s death, it would have been interesting to see if the band could have developed out of the grunge scene and evolved in their sound.
Ehhhh
Enjoyable but not a classic like Nevermind
3 it was good
You can't argue the immense cultural legacy that was Nirvana. A lot of hits... but also allot of mediocre "hardcore punk"-ish grunge. This is a much weaker album compared to Nevermind. The hits are nice but i didn't find anything really new i liked when listening to the whole album. okey listen but to much hardcore punk for me. to much screaming in some parts and simple boring guitar riffs. Best are the hits that stand out from the rest in quality.
#22 - For the first two songs I was not convinced, grating and abrasive sounds almost like if they did not want me to listen to the rest of the album. But I powered through and it was worth it - Kurt's broken voice is unique and they definitely have their own sound. This album deals with a lot of negative emotions that perhaps I'm not familiar with but it brings them out in a very raw and powerful way. My favourite song was "Dumb".
Not quite the stone-cold classic of Nevermind, but some fantastic tracks (I like some of the strings in the arrangements, too).
It's hard for this album to escape comparisons to Nevermind, and for me the latter edges it out. There are some good tracks, but I prefer the greater polish of Nevermind (and the clumsy handling of a sensitive subject on "Rape Me" is hard to listen to, even if I understand the band's intentions).
A solid album that, while it doesn't have my favorite Nirvana tracks, it's still worth a relisten
Good sound but only a few songs that I still find unique and worth listening to, e.g. Dumb or Pennyroyal Tea.
Familar with a few of the tracks and I don't mind those. The other tracks I did not like. Grunge isn't really for me
Trur kje eg har hørt detta albiet før, men va kje så dumt. Minne tidvis om Tokio Hotel
Heart Shaped Box is one of my favourite songs ever. The rest of the album is very hit-or-miss. What I don't like about Nirvana is that Kurt has all the emotions but still sounds dead inside while singing. Songs like Very Ape suffer from it imo. I once told a girl she should listen to Nirvana. She responded 3 minutes later saying something like "yeah, good song". I asked her to send me the "song" she's talking about and she sent me the most generic pop song called "Nirvana". You have no idea how pissed I was.
I liked it but its strange
Couple of good songs, couple of songs(?) of someone yelling at me.
Kurt contain is loved by all so sad he was myrdered by that bicth from the band Hole
Alright, rape me was a crazy song
Took me a long time to kinda like it. About 3-4 listens. Pretty good 3/5
3.8
I was hoping this album would dispel my notion of Nirvana as teenage edginess, and then I got the the song called "Rape Me." Still, pretty good album overall, didn't dislike anything on there.
Album was little sloppy, only really liked Dumb and All Apologies
I respect what Nirvana did for music and the music industry, but a lot of this isn't for me. I do like the classics like "Rape Me", "Heart-Shaped Box" and "All Apologies" but it's still just a three for me.
rozumiem appealu no texty (aspon v tento den) a samotny zvuk nieje moc pre mna
Standard grunge
Some classic grunge songs on here but not into the ones that are pure noise.
Not as catchy & melodic as 'Nevermind'. Only All Apologies and Dumb stand out for me, so sad & honest, the unplugged versions are even better.
Nirvana so it is still great. I know some people call this a classic and I can see its importance but I wouldn’t jump to listen to the whole thing through again! Great ending though. Favourite track: All Apologies
Not as good as Nevermind. I feel like I’m missing something. Might give it a few listens in my spare time
This album goes from really good songs to really bad songs, no consistency with the album
Kurt Cobain Yells at Cloud. I am a huge fan of Nirvana’s previous album, Nevermind’s raw energy, screaming rage, and harsh abrasiveness. These qualities gave it a real biting and separating edge from their Grunge contemporaries who were more interested in talking the talk while sonically sticking around other, more consumable alternative acts from that time. Many others agree, the success of this project brought Nirvana and especially Kurt Cobain unwanted attention and scrutiny over all small actions. The industry also wanted them to strike while the iron was hot, it didn’t matter how it happened, but only if it happened soon and was successful. It’s with this pressure in mind that In Utero begins with Kurt's saying “Teenage angst has paid off well, now I’m bored and old.” This grumpiness permeates throughout the project and while most of it is undeniably executed artistically well, there’s enough vitriol in the themes and decisions that it’s hard to be completely on Kurts side. This can be seen in Rape Me which rubs me the wrong given its recontextualization of the riff from Smells Like Teen Spirit plus the context that Kurt is tired of his fame in this project. It really feels like Kurt is hiding hard behind the plausible deniability of the words “I’m not the only one” and the backstory this being a more explicit response for people who didn’t get Polly making Rape Me an anti-rape anthem. The potential implication that Rape Me uses the serious issue of rape to also be a sarcastic fuck you to people who expect him to artistically conform to their standards and the people in the industry who did him wrong (“My Favorite Inside Source”) sticks too hard out as a possibility for me to fully enjoy it. All Apologies, the frontside to Rape Me, may be the most critically acclaimed song Nirvana has released given the given its position as the final Nirvana song. The surrounding sadness of Kurts suicide adding extra weight. There’s immense beauty in the narrative of it being his ultimate acceptance and peace in what others do with his newfound fame while also being dedicated directly to Courtney Love. It’s written so sloppily though and surrounded by the sour mood of the album that makes it feels more like a resentful giving up than a peaceful surrender. Smaller things like the Awkwardness of the Leonard Cohen afterlife line in Pennyroyal Tea, Kurt’s unintelligible vocals on Tourette’s, and the underwriting on Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle also slightly sour my enjoyment. I’m gripping over these details because a lot of this album is great and would be far beyond amazing if fixed. Enough people have sung praises that any burden of proof is on me to have to explain why I rate it significantly lower than the standard, even if it’s very positive. That being said, I’ll get to what I like. Heart Shaped Box is my favorite Nirvana Song off this project from the way it paints a beautiful warped picture of the doubts and worries of a relationship so pleasing to your feelings, you can only surrender yourself into. Steve Albini’s production is a step down from the glorious work on Nevermind but the sharper and noisier sound works well with some of the heavier cuts on the album like Scentless Apprentice, Very Ape, Milk It, and Radio Friendly Unit Shifter. Dumb is also a perfect ballad in its simplicity and its place in the sequence works well as a calm way to end side A. The principles are strongly in place on In Utero but it feels like Nirvana spent too much time rebelling and fighting their expectations while being too frustrated to care about details. With the extremely limited time there was to get this project out, not enough time or effort could really be put into ironing out the inconsistencies or issues caused by this. I feel like I really have to fully consider every bit of context and pass on any doubts to alternative possibilities to enjoy this album. That’s too much to ask for an album that doesn’t match that consideration put into it. I understand the details, beauty, and arguments for this album being amazing. I just have too many issues with the overall presentation and the issues that compound off of eachother to do anything more than really like it. I can’t suspend enough disbelief or give leeway to the conditions the album was going through but I can very much appreciate the greatness of what is there and what can be. Kurt Cobain yelled at a cloud. We know now that the cloud was blocking the invitingly gorgeous view of the stars, among which he would inevitably come to reside. Low 7/10
this being a #1 charting album is absurd. the torture in kurts lyrics and vocals is a good reminder of what being an artist whose most private moments are public is like. your life and thoughts dissected by thousands is a difficult dynamic to bear. there's no mega-hits like nevermind but all apologies, heart shaped box, rape me, and dumb are all worth returning to. track 1 - tough to make out lyrics but what i heard was pretty blunt. a bit unremarkable compared to what follows track 2 - no part of what i remember about this album included how harsh a sound is on this song track 3 - great pop/grunge song, love the guitar tone on the solo track 4 - iconic, the riff reminds me of smells like teen spirit and it draws you in before hitting you with "rape me" lyrics. dave kills it with his fills here and the melody is fantastic stuff track 5 - the loud/soft dynamic in the verses is okay but this one just lacks an engaging hook or melody. "i miss the comfort in being sad" is a cool lyric but the song's forgettable track 6 - insane to whip out an acoustic guitar and a cello mid-way through your noisiest album but it makes for a very memorable song. the cello especially does some interesting dissonant things in the 2nd half of the song. lyrically a great follow up to the previous track (comfort in sadness, happiness is stupidity) track 7 - very punky, cool whiny lead guitar buried in the mix. fun phrasing on the lyrics of verse 2 track 8 - there's something odd with the timing of the instruments during the quiet moments, that with kurts vocals make the song so uncomfortable track 9 - track 10 - insane guitar and bass riff, some metallica shit track 12 -
The screaming is hit or miss.
Not crazy about this album. There are great songs as usual and Steve Albini’s production is one of a kind, but I just dig the sound of Nevermind more
Idk denhä skivan ha alltid låtit platt ti mig. Gillade all apologies
Aus alter Verbundenheit wollte ich erst 4 Punkte geben. Aber so gut fand ich es dann doch nicht mehr.
Some songs are too grungy for me. Favourites- heart shaped box, pennyroyal tea, all apologies
its nirvana man
A couple of decent tracks along with some noise, screaming and sloppy playing
A little underwhelming. Nevermind is better. I feel like Nirvana is for people who don't often dwell in the realm of alt rock, classic rock, grunge, psych rock, punk, etc.
Legendary for a reason. Funny that some of the tracks are quite meh, whereas others are outstanding. Clearly they were just finding their footing at this stage.
Standout songs: Serve the Servants Pennyroyal Tea
Angstier than I expected, which is a good thing. Few dreary songs. Few standouts.
Borring
Some really good stuff on this album, although too much I just wanna skip past to give it any higher than 3/5
I get it. This came out when I was in middle school and I have core memories of other people LOVING it. But I couldn’t ever get into Nirvana like others could. I’ll take that MTV Unplugged Nirvana swag, fam.
Nirvana had some brilliant stuff, including on this album, but I don't really get into to their punk-forward scream tracks. I get why they get to be genre- and era-defining, with all the sarcasm and disdain for commercial success. This album is a high 3 for me carried by All Apologies, Heart Shaped Box, and nostalgia.
All apologies is prob my fav nirvana song but this album is kinda yelly
BL: To say I've never really listened to Nirvana exposes me as the pedant I used to be in my teenage years. I was certain I loved Soundgarden, and my supposed allegiance to them almost seemed to prevent me from listening to these guys. Of course this did not stop me from learning "Smells Like Teen Spirit" on the guitar in some feeble attempt to try and swoon the girls when I was 14, I'd argue it probably made me more repulsive. The hypocrisy only grew around age 17 when I fell in love with Meat Puppets, who were the people who originally gave Nirvana a platform way back when. All that aside Kurt is a man I've come to idolize for his politics and view on life, it's a shame people want to live his life for the hedonistic pleasures and not for the positive social mindset he tried to adopt. I know the world about it but not the music itself, so lets see how this album stands. AL: Definitely not as bad as I would've once believed them to be. However this was a very mixed bag of an album. The more noisy samplings this platter offers don't offer much but angst. Whereas the tighter more concise grunge offerings are gems. My assumption would be that the band were in two minds about it all after Nevermind. Wanting to appeal both ends of the spectrum. Which in turn does create an album which did lose cohesion a couple times. Overall not a disappointing listen purely for the songs I have found that I do now love. FT: "Heart Shaped Box", "Rape Me" 3/5
Not their best album, but it's still Nirvana
Lots of screaming and amp-screeching.
loud and angry, kinda cringe but in a good way. never been a huge fan of this nirvana album and still am not fully convinced. i could see why others would really love it, but its very middle of the road for me. favorite song is heart shaped box
It was pretty good. It was alright. It wasn't great, but it was fine.
Was soll der 2. Titel? Ein paar Hits. (#3, #4) Aber kommt nicht an Nevermind heran.
Some good songs, but lots of noise also.
5/10. A lot of the album was good but the 3-4 songs of constant screaming that made me feel like I should be in a weight room I don’t want to be in was too much for me. A few classics hold it up to 5 though.
3.5! Not my favorite Nirvana, but there’s great stuff here. Reminds me of riding in my dad’s car to school in the 90s!
It’s a very high 3 for me, whereas Nevermind would be a 5.
It was alright to listen to, but not something that I would choose
I'll be honest.... Completely overrated album, like everything they did
Never really felt Nirvana. _yyyyyyyyyuhhyhhhhhhh
I didn't realise half these songs weren't on Nevermind. Bit drony in places. Don't think got played all of it.
Most of the album is a slog and it’s a fairly poor studio production, in my opinion. Cobain is terribly pitchy on the first track and why are the instruments buried under a blanket in another room? Heart shaped box is an artful, if depressing, track. The image of “eating cancer” is not my favorite though. All apologies is another good track. The rest is mostly a forgettable slog with some maybe embarrassingly bad tracks.
Feel like at a 3.5 for this one. Cannot decide if I should round up for how much I love the acoustic versions of the three songs from this album on the Unplugged album, or I should round down because I only love them for their acoustic versions on the Unplugged album. You know? Can't decide.
Most of this isn’t actually that great but the quarter of it that is good s EXTREMELY fucken good
There were definitely a couple of iconic songs on here, and I can see why this album would be included on the list. I just don’t like a lot of the more scream-y songs personally. But it wasn’t bad!
On one hand, this is an album I've listened to before and generally enjoy. On the other, I do feel like a lot of the narrative about this album is a little overly rosy dur to Kurt Cobain's death and the way we tend to look back at things.
This band was so overrated at the time. No doubt they were kinda cool, but some band for the ages? Not a chance. A handful of these songs hold up – "Dumb" (but just adding cello doesn't make it masterpiece). "All Apologies" and "Heart-Shaped Box" are also good – because melody is foregrounded and there's no more of the screaming and banging that dominate most other tracks. Myths matter of course, and few acts have benefitted any more than N has from its.
A tale of two Half's.. shimmering punk rock perfection and almost unintelligible noise a real state of confusion much like life!
I know, I know. They invented grunge and were geniuses. For whatever reason, Nirvana just do anything for me. Not horrible. Just not something I look at as essential listening.
non comincia benissimo, ma di canzoni belle ce ne sono, come 'Heart-shaped box'. Comunque mi aspettavo di meglio; tra il 3 e il 4 con 'All apologies'
Love some songs and didn't care for the screamers.
Head banger not my thing
Some good, some bad. Mediocre for me. Saved the best till last.
Not sure that playing this on speakers attached to my PC was the best way to listen and suspect that it'd evoke a different response elsewhere, but a bit underwhelmed if I'm honest. Some belters in the midst though!
Just not really My thing, don’t mind it but never really got into Nirvana and still don’t think it’s amazing
Liked the first half a lot, did not really care for the second half.
Has some amazing songs, has some trash songs
I love dumb!! This album is iconic but I think cobain couldn’t have made his cry for help any clearer tbh
Some great songs and some that were grating
Grungy
Not really a fan. Maybe I’m just not into Nirvana. 6/10 Top 3: 1. Heart-Shaped Box 2. All Apologies 3. Rape Me
Never liked this genre of music but I see why they are legendary
Bit too grungy for my taste. Couple of good songs.
Some great songs but also some harsh, unlistenable ones.
Much of the tightness that made "Nevermind" such a gripping listen has been loosened. There are many standout tracks but on the whole, the album feels unfocused.
Some of the songs were pretty good
Pretty ok album, didn't dislike any of the songs but none really stood out to me either
Good album but only 3 standout songs (Serve the Servants, Heart-shaped box, Rape Me). Good length at 40mins. 3/5 for 3 great songs.
Felt very nostalgic, even though I never listened to Nirvana growing up, but this sort of music is what I gravitated towards when I first started to veer away from our 80's prog rock household (thanks dad). These days I listen to more softer stuff, do I think I would have enjoyed this more as a 20 year old than in my thirties. Enjoyed the more cacophonic stuff.
Overall: I had this on cassette or CD and played it an immeasurable amount of times. But, I couldn't tell you all of the intricacies I have noticed on this listen that I never heard before. In the past I likely gave it too much passive play, or perhaps my ear has matured. When Nevermind released, I only really heard the album's radio hits since I never purchased media for it. However, with In Utero, I owned it and listened to it often. I have a bit of deeper connection to the lyric content, and always held this album in such high caliber for that reason. After giving it a more intended listen, I'm noticing how repetitive and basic the music writing is, but not in a way that robs it of fascination. I'd give 3.5 if fraction of stars were allowed. Track Breakdown: Serve the Servants - Always thought the opening lyric to this album as a whole was quite brilliant, whether intended or not, is almost a reference to the success of Nevermind leaving Kurt to feel his angst brough success that left him hiding from fans, "feeling bored and old". Dumb - I have always loved the string section on this track Very Ape - I've discovered that the guitar on the chorus of this track may be my favorite of the entire album Milk It - ADORE the tempo changes on this track, I've never listened to this so intently Hidden: Gallons of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through the Strip - If I ever heard this before, I forgot about it, since this sounds new to my ears and I love the rawness of it.
I remember this album. Lots of bass. Fuzz guitar. Noon descript lyrics. Not my favorite. A couple of good songs.
Pretty good!
Another in the list of albums I heard through the wall I shared with my brothers room. I thought I would like this more, I'm guessing I just dont really like grunge or Nirvana. Heart Shaped Box is great, Dumb is good, All Apologies is good, the rest is just okay.
The hits are great but the rest is… eh? Having heard it for the first time I think the moment passed me by
Love Nirvana, but definitely prefer their more low key stuff over their more screamy vocals, and this album has a few more of the latter.
Primer álbum de Nirvana que escucho (y entiendo que no será el último), ha estado bien, sin más incluso. Supongo que me esperaba más de una banda tan popular y corta como esta, pero tampoco salgo insatisfecho. Un 3 de manual.
3/5
This album taught me that everyone was gay. Which I’m glad about because for a while I didn’t know. Not really hot on this one, but I have fond memories of playing Heart Shaped Box on Guitar Hero, so that gets it points for me.
The hits slap. Hard. The other tracks, not so much. It's far from Nirvana's best release and, unfortunately, the hits aren't enough to pull the final album grade out of a middle-of-the-road 3-stars.
Sick album 6/10
Some good songs.
I get that Nirvana is a thing but they aren't really my thing. I can enjoy a song or two but a whole album is kind of grating/depressing.
WHOOOOOAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH GOOO AWUAAAYYWHEHEEAHAHAAHHAHAHHYYYYYYYYYAAAAUAHAHAHHHHU AAAWAAAYYYYYYHEHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH GOOOOOO AWWAAAYYYYY KEHWHAAJAWAHAHAHWHAHAHAH GOOOO AAAAWWAAAAYYYYYYYYYY AWAAAAYYYYYYYWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
Didn’t love Nirvana then, still don’t love them today. I do get the appeal and remember how big these guys got back in the day but this album will remain off my rotation as it has over the last 30 years. 30 years? Yikes…. I’m old.
Great as expected from Nirvana. Need to keep in mind that they pioneered the sound when it starts to sound like its been overdone. There was nothing else really like it when they did it.
There's a few good tracks here, such as Heart-Shaped Box, Dumb, Pennyroyal Tea, and All Apologies - but this album doesn't quite reach the heights of Nevermind.
Another classic, hadn't actually listened to it all before.
Heart shaped box c'était ma chanson de wannabe puriste au collège
C'est bien, mais pas pour moi je crois.
better than i was expecting it to be. Some classics. All in all a little bit boring though
רועש לי מדי וצורחים יותר מדי אבל סך הכל אחלה מוזיקה
Has its moments, both good & bad. Could you imagine someone repeatedly singing "rape me" in a song over and over again nowadays? Yeah ...
Not my favourite band, But the sure had something special. Som great song, some less great..!
Why all the nasally yelling...? While Nevermind is great, this album reminds me of why I'm not a fan of Nirvana.
Listened at 9 AM at work on a Wednesday, I consider myself an enjoyer of Nirvana music but this album had me dying. From the get go, Scentless Apprentice woke me up. I truly don't know what went through their mind when making some of these songs. It almost feels like some of these songs they were dared by friends to write some of the lyrics and they actually did it. Ironically I actually kind of enjoyed the album?? Some good songs on there and since I was kinda familiar with Nirvana it was solid to listen to. Heck, might even learn a few of the songs on guitar or at least attempt to. I'd give it like a 3.25. Def was a staple of 90s rock but they also be doing too much.
Comments: - Nothing like cracking a cold one (a Celsius) and blasting "Scentless Apprentice" at 6:45am sharp on a brisk Wednesday morning. - Reiterating that "Heart-Shaped Box" is a fantastic song. - If there was some underlying intent for "Rape Me" to be profound, it wasn't. - There's a reason "Dumb" and "All Apologies" were in the Live Acoustic, and why the Live Acoustic was better.
I love Nirvana and they have some certified bangers on here, but those specific bangers (we all know the 3 songs) carry the album on their shoulders. The rest is still good, but as an album I’m not collectively impressed. Knowing the level that they can perform at, I have to rate this accordingly.
B- Serve the Servants 4 Scentless Apprentice 2 Heart-Shaped Box 5 Rape Me 4 Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle 3 Dumb 4 Very Ape 3 Milk It 2 Pennyroyal Tea 3 Radio Friendly Unit Shifter 3 Tourette's 2 All Apologies 3 "She has a moist vagina, I particularly enjoy the circumference." Some things are better left unsaid.
Some decent energy and relatively interesting. Feels like one of the "you had to be there". Impossible to deny its significance, but Im very doubtful Ill check it out again, sounds very samey. Significant 20/53, yeah Liked 9/53, eh, not for me? Added 2/53, no, I think more contemporary bands have developed on the genre for it to be significantly better, but its a nice historical album
#45. Sounds like Kurt Cobain was intentionally trying to sound bad on parts of this [which he probably was] to appear more punk or something. Not my favorite, but there's definitely a few good songs in there. 3/5: acceptable
Love the ones that went mainstream...
I grew up hearing this album most of my life, and finally coming back to it as an adult is definitely interesting! I want to start by saying, I grew up heavily fed Nirvana's sound and over time have found myself so disconnected from them. They're not bad, nor would I even say I think they're not enjoyable music, in fact I respect everything Nirvana and Kurt Cobain did for music and enjoy a couple songs of theirs! However my feelings towards Nirvana have not changed much since my older teen years. I can definitely tolerate their sound more and can take larger steps back to enjoy their music for myself than I used to be able to. But I still find myself bored out of my mind and ready to change records the second I hear them come on. It's all overplaying for me, I wish I didn't have Nirvana tainted for me in my brain, but I do and I'm stuck not enjoying their stuff, but respecting that it is good at least! Stand out songs for me on this album are "Heart-Shaped Box" "Dumb" and "Milk It"
Some good songs. Not my favorite Nirvana record
Really love the popular ones. Really. Can’t warm to the rest.
I know its a classic grunge album, but maybe I just don’t like grunge very much. Still redeemable though.
Old school punk rock, not my cup of The
Serve the Servants - 3/5 Senseless Apprentice - 3/5 Heart Shaped Box - 5/5 Rape Me - 2/5 Frances Farmer - 2/5 Dumb - 2/5 Very Ape - 4/5 Milk It - 2/5 Pennyroyal - 2/5 Unit Shifter - 3/5 Tourette's - 1/5 All Apologies - 4/5
I feel like there should only be one Nirvana album on this list, In Utero isn't that good, you only really 'need' Nevermind.
not as good as nevermind
Funny that this album came up, as we were just discussing it. And how Nirvana is one of those bands that everyone loves but I just never got into them. But it still has some familiar and enjoyable songs.
ihan vitun ankee, its giving teiniangsti ja sillee ujosti cringe mut iha perus nirvana bängää mut vähä tuli sellane itsetuhone olo
It's good, has some great songs. But also a couple hard-to-listen songs too. Overall it's a fine album, but I do think Nevermind is better.
Heart-Shaped Box - nice riff, moody