Reviews (page 2 of 15)
There are two gems here, "Heart-Shaped Box" and "All Apologies", where all the elements (melody, performance, arrangement, production) come together into a sharp and coherent whole. The rest of this album sounds like a reaction to Cobain's success with *Nevermind*, both lyrically and sonically, but that approach yields spotty results. Much like the navel-gazing of *The Wall*, listening to a rock star grouse about how the course of their life has changed after going platinum puts a lot of the lyrical content outside of the realm of the relatable. Musically, *In Utero* tries to distance itself from *Nevermind* by stripping away a layer of gloss but it's only a tentative half-step. The more abrasive songs here have flat non-melodies, as though Cobain wants to avoid the pop elements that catapulted the band to fame. Trouble is, these anti-songs are little more than formal exercises. (Worst offender on both of the aforementioned counts: "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter"). A few times Cobain apes the sound of *Nevermind* but tries to invert it in some way (lyrically or sonically) but these funhouse incarnations live in their shadow of their predecessors without being revelatory.
I think grunge is awful. Do you people know there is music out there that is actually enjoyable to listen to?
This is a tough one to rate. The sound is ferocious at the times when it should be, so that's good and hat's off to the band's performances and Steve Albini's production. Too often, the songwriting lacks the hooks and humor of their first two albums and the lyrics frequently irritate the shit out of me - I hate listening to rich people complain. Go fuck yourselves. In fairness, the band got a lot bigger than they ever expected so it's fair enough if they were unprepared and resentful to be spokespeople for a generation. Then again, it's not like they were forced to sign with David Geffen. Plenty of artists choose to not deal with Mammon and go one to have fulfilling careers. It is too bad Kurt couldn't get over himself but this record was greatly anticipated and didn't meet the moment and I can't help but feel they handled the opportunity somewhat irresponsibly. At the time I didn't want to admit it but it sounded like a dead end to me, and as surprised and sorry as I was that Kurt offed himself, it did sort of seem like the band had run its course.
I don’t like nirvana
Better than nevermind and that’s a high bar.
You’ve actually got to be shitting me. Yesterday I rolled one of my favorite albums of all time, but mentioned how at 33% of the way through this project, I was worried about being front loaded on good albums. Now, the very next day, you’re giving me Nirvana again???? You’re asking me if the last Nirvana album is a 5?? It’s a 5. It’s obviously a 5. I was born listening to Grunge and I’m going to die listening to Grunge. This is the second of 3 Nirvana albums I’ll have the pleasure of giving a 5 star rating to, following MTV Unplugged In New York a little earlier on in the project. Now, this album isn’t MTV Unplugged, and it certainly isn’t Nevermind. While I’ve heard those front to back many times, I actually think this one has most of the deeper cuts in Nirvana’s discography, second only to Nirvana’s debut album Bleach. What this album lacks in talked about hits, it certainly makes up for in how quality the album is as a whole. But even after all that’s been said, it still does have a bunch of hits to begin with. Pretty much half of the album are Nirvana classics. That’s just how indicative of a goated band Nirvana was, that the 12 song “deep cut” album still has half of the album composed of all time classics like “All Apologies”, “Dumb”, “Rape Me”, and “Heart-Shaped Box”. The ladder of which is my favorite song on the album, but I also want to give an honorable mention to the anti-rape song “Rape Me”, which is apparently a creative take on what fame does to someone. I doubt I’m the first person to bring this up, I’m probably not even the ten thousandth, but it’s quite ironic that song would be on this album, and then less than half a year later Kurt would be dead. For that reason, “Rape Me”, for all intents and purposes, might be the most important song that he ever made. It’s also just a really freaking good banger of a song without even diving into the symbolism it holds. For that reason it’s my silver medal. But Heart-Shaped Box was in Guitar Hero. It gets the nostalgia buff, which is extraordinarily hard to beat. The simple but powerful chord progression is iconic. It’s just an immediately recognizable song, and I’m never going to skip it when it’s on. I love that song. The little change up half way into the song is also very memorable, and the creative way the chord gets cut off at the end of the riff is spine tingling every time. It’s a perfect song on a great album of songs that not all of which get the love I believe they deserve. But come on man, it’s Nirvana. Enough people have listened to it. They’re not exactly underground songs to begin with, just under appreciated. More people need to listen to “Very Ape” and “Pennyroyal Tea”. Those songs are also great. I’ve also got a very fun story about “Very Ape”. I’ve been a fan of the band The Prodigy for a majority of my life, and either never knew or had completely forgotten that the entire song “Voodoo People” was a direct reference to “Very Ape”. Listen to the first couple of seconds of both songs and you’ll see what I mean. It’s pretty damn cool. So when I heard “Very Ape” again today for the first time in a while, it hit me like a flash bang in a pretty fun way. I mean, the whole album is great. It’s getting a 5 for a reason. Even as a postmortem it’s fascinating. You can tell that he was in a dark place when making it, and unfortunately never got out of that place. I already talked about the symbolism of “Rape Me”, but it goes SO much deeper than that. “Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle” isn’t trying to hide that. It’s lyrics are riddled with lines about anxiety, fear, sadness and depression. Do I even need to explain “Dumb”?? I don’t think I do. This is an overwhelmingly sad album across the board, man. But it’s also powerful, well written, and a phenomenal Grunge classic, up there with every other album Nirvana put out. It’s the musical equivalent of when an NFL player with CTE donates their brain to science. It’s a cry for help, for change that just can’t possibly happen. This is a very important album for mental health. Being famous is fucking crazy man. Couldn’t be me. Great album. 5/5.
Now we are getting into the stuff I know! First song has a fun intro and the lyrics are great, I don't love the chorus though. Second song is abrasive by design, but still fun. "Heart-Shaped Box" is just a classic song, great guitar intro, great chorus, and I really enjoyed the bass. "Rape Me" is also a classic, and really brings up some of the hardest topics in society that we love to push away. "Frances Farmer" is an interesting story and a good song. "Dumb" is another classic with a memorable guitar, melody, chorus, and message. Love the message behind "Very Ape", it reminds me a lot of Pixies, definitely future Foo Fighters. "Milk It" is a new one for me, but I really enjoyed it. "Pennyroyal Tea" I think honestly is the best look into the day-to-day life of Cobain, very painful and sad. "Radio Friendly" is a good padding song with a fun chorus and as always clever lyrics. "Tourette’s" is a fun fast paced punk song. "All Apologies" is a great ender and a classic guitar riff. Honestly I would probably give this a 4/5, it is great but some of the songs blend together. For the classic-ness of it though, I'll go 5/5. Favorite Tracks: Heart-Shaped Box, Rape Me, Dumb, Milk It, Least Favorite Tracks:
A beautiful, twisted, nihilistic farewell.
Classic 90s
peak nirvana
9/10
I'm trying to piece together my opinions on grunge as I go through this, because it has had some of my most and least favorite records on the list. Nirvana, shocking no one, is good it turns out. Heavier and darker than Nevermind, this album still manages to never feel muddy or dull, which other albums have fallen afoul of for me. The guitar melodies are stellar, and Kurt's vocals never once annoyed me, which is untrue of most other grunge artists.
The most... 'romantic' of all their albums? Either way I thoroughly love this. I feel it has all the weight of Nirvana with a sliver of something else running through it, maybe exhaustion, maybe acceptance.
The majority of the record is raw and filled with loathing, but the self-reflective parts are the ones that hurt to listen to
my early teens were spent with this album on repeat. it’s raw. digestible. powerful. it still holds up. it's not often that a band successfully tries to capture a more unrefined sound after a smooth mega hit. easily their best.
Kocham Kurta
4.5/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/nirvana/in-utero/ I have the normie take that Nevermind is better than In Utero, but this is mainly due to me having listened to Nevermind a lot more. In Utero is clearly the anti-Nevermind in being a lot less approachable due to songs like Scentless Apprentice, Radio Friendly Unit Shifter and Tourette's, yet also has some of Nirvana's finest songs in Heart-Shaped Box, Serve the Servants, All Apologies and Rape Me. So yea, Nevermind is a 5/5 for me, and this might also become that, but for now I'll stick to it being slightly (0.5) less.
Rating: 10/10 There's a few bands that made abrasive noise rock and post-hardcore before and arguably better than Nirvana; it was a niche, and to mainstream audiences an unpalatable one, but nothing new, and if anything Nirvana was more like a sanitized version of it. But Kurt Cobain was pretty much a songwriting genius in one regard: adding pop sensibilities to a raw, noisy, heavy sonic palette. There is absolutely no one who could do this like him, and hasn't been since. In Utero is both an evolutionary step and the perfect synthesis of Nirvana's previous two albums, combining the band's ability to make an alt rock song with infectious hooks and melodies like Nevermind with the sounds of their Bleach roots that Kurt was worried he sold out from. Despite the drama and conflict surrounding the album pre-release, the details of which you can read on the album's Wikipedia page, I think the combined efforts of the band's performances, engineer Steve Albini's recording sessions, and Geffen Record's insistence on a new mix and master for the singles resulted in what is probably the best version of this album. Even if it was an asshole move, from the perspective of mainstream success, the label team was right about the songs that would be remastered for a radio push. Heart Shaped Box, Dumb, Pennyroyal Tea, and All Apologies represent an absolute triumph of the band's discography, it was obvious how good they were and their massive success proved so. With a whole list of stellar tracks that accompany the singles, they really made their best album yet and really makes you wonder where they could have gone next if not for the foreboding doom that envelops the album. It's full of self-hatred, deep depression, heavy drug addiction, and darkness, of an almost apathetic nature.
I've listened to this album many times before, and dare I say, this will always be my JAM! and it's still one of my favorite albums. So beautifully raw and rebellious. The essence of this album is like bleeding. Guitars screech and scrape, drums crack like gunshots, and Kurt's vocals are often distorted. But then there's "Heart-shaped box", "Dumb" and "All apologies" that's more radio-friendly. This album isn't as popular as Nevermind, but it's equally good. I'm glad Nirvana focused on artistic integrity with this over radio hits after such a huge success with Nevermind.
Offputting and haunting when you know this was the last thing put out by Cobain before his suicide months later. All Apologies especially is an affecting listen. I'll be thinking about it a lot.
In some ways it feels pointless to talk about this album. Rarely has an album presented itself so clearly, viscerally and almost chokingly to its listener. Every single song on In Utero extrapolates Kurt’s struggles with every single facette of his life into a piece of music that cannot be misunderstood as anything other than a man that has lost his path in life and is struggling to find it again. Lyrically, this is one of the most gut-wrenching yet on point album i have ever listened to. All of that unfolds on songs that are rough, pulsing with a raw punk-energy that masterfully underpins the emotional depth of Kurt’s lyrics. I can’t really point out any best or favorite tracks on here. I think All Apologies is an all-time greater and was improved by their MTV Unplugged and - I would argue - perfected by Sinéad O’ Connor on her album Universal Mother. So yeah, this album is freaking amazing and utterly devastating at the same time.
In Utero was hard to listen to for a while. It was just a reminder of someone who had so much talent and promise not being able to find his way through the pain that permeates this record, but it’s so good. Listening to David Berman’s Purple Mountains album and the passing of Steve Albini made me want to hear In Utero again. Maybe gain a new perspective… and I did. What was once abrasive and discordant was overwhelmed by the helplessness and tenderness of the skeletal structure of these songs. It’s still sad and a shame to have lost someone who had such a gift, but it’s an incredible farewell and paired with the Unplugged album, I feel grateful to take what I was given. 4.9^
I bought this album the day it came out on vinyl, so it's probably a "first pressing" and, as an early 90s album by a famous artist, is probably worth shitloads. However, at this point in history, the record companies were forcing everyone to buy CDs by producing the worst quality, thinnest vinyl imaginable, which would invariably jump (a lot). Playing this record again today, it still jumps like buggery, even on my top-notch record player. The bastards. Vinyl-lovers Kurt Cobain and Steve Albini would have been well pissed off. Anyway, my favourite producer of all time was let loose on what would be Nirvana's final studio album and did a brilliant job. Everything sounds so clear and spacey (when it isn't jumping). Just like Albini did with The Wedding Present's Seamonsters and his own Shellac albums, amongst many others. It actually helped that he was deaf in one ear. After forty years of loud blaring punk rock, I'm going the same way... Great album and both Cobain and Albini are much-missed in this house.
Yeah, Nirvana rips and idk why I never listened to a full album of theirs until this album group.
my favorite nirvana songs are here, but as an album i don't think it's as strong as nevermind. still rips though 100% recommend
This is Nirvana's best album, stay out of here with your incorrect opinions. In a fair and just world, “All Apologies” would be their most popular song.
Nirvana – In Utero (1993) On Day 225, I dove into a raw and abrasive album that, despite its noise-rock edge on tracks like "Scentless Apprentice," didn't completely veer off from the core vibe of Nevermind. A song like "All Apologies" felt like the true remnants of Nevermind's melodic beauty. The opening run on this record was a complete chef's kiss. "Serve the Servants" served as a phenomenal opener, launching an unbelievable initial streak through "Scentless Apprentice," "Heart-Shaped Box," and "Rape Me." Hearing Kurt Cobain's vocals over that raw, aggressive production capability is unmatched, you honestly can't top that. A legendary, raw masterpiece. A flawless 5/5.
I'm sure everyone has a favorite band that once wrote interesting, unconventional music, but over time succumbed to trends and became almost indistinguishable from their peers; in other words, they went downhill. In Utero is a rare case of a band returning to their roots. In the case of this album, context is important: two years ago, Nevermind was released, literally lifting Nirvana from rags to riches. The dilemma was whether to make the next album equally radio-polished, to please the label and millions of new fans, or to make it the way the musicians wanted it to be? They chose the latter: depressing, repulsive lyrics set to grimy, sometimes seemingly out-of-tune guitars and harsh drums. And this album was even softened a bit during production! In the end, in an attempt to scare off new fans, Kurt Cobain still managed to write successful, hit-making songs. The irony!
I think this is probably Nirvana’s greatest album. It’s easily their most creative. And it’s definitely their most raw I mean hoooly this one rips. It’s twisted and noisy. It’s an album you can really feel the energy of when you listen to it. I would list my fave tracks but it might be easier to list the ones I like least. But I wouldn’t make that list cause even my least favorites deserve a place on this album.
Nirvana needed Albini's touch (or lack thereof) at this moment more than ever and it came out perfectly
Simply great :) First nirvana album I get here, always a great listen
always good
5/5
I don't think it would be controversial to call this the greatest grunge album of all time. The band takes the hookiness and songcraft they developed on their first two albums and crank up the noisiness and chaos, with some help from producer Steve Albini. Many of the singles could've fit on Nevermind, but a lot of the deeper cuts stack up with some of the wildest noise rock of the era, which is impressive given how popular Nirvana was at the time. The abrasiveness is perfectly counterbalanced by Kurt Cobain's excellent songwriting, which combined dark and raw lyricism with a strong sensibility for traditional rock song structures. It will always be sad that this was the last Nirvana album, but what an album to go out on.
5/5
Better than nevermind
There was a time when, in order to maintain social credibility, one needed to publicly declare that one rated In Utero above Nevermind. Sadly, for this project, I rated Nevermind a glowing review and 5-stars, so my social credibility is already shot.
A landmark album of the 90s. Steered a bit away from the slightly more produced work of Nevermind, with Steve Albini bringing out the rawness of their sound. One of those albums I can listen to from start to finish without any skips, even when it goes off the rails for a while with things like the ironically named 'Radio Friendly Unit Shifter'. And the closer, All Apologies, is just a wonderful song, with melancholy and beauty oozing out of every pore.
The problem with both of Nirvana's albums that are not named "Nevermind" is that I can't help but to compare them to Nevermind, and am then disappointed. Listening to Scentless Apprentice also reminds me of how much I don't like Albini's style, even though it does fit In Utero a lot better than it did Rid Of Me (which I had just about a week before In Utero). Although maybe Scentless Apprentice wouldn't be saved by any other mixer anyway. I kinda wanted to give this a 4/5, but I think it's still worth a 5/5 even though it's no Nevermind.
At first, liking this album a lot less than I initially anticipated... then... Heart Shaped Box. The Boys song!!!! This one's good, tbd if the rest of the album is the same. And famous successsion song R*pe me??? I lied, this is peak. I went back and listened to this album two more times. First of all, testament to the album to intrigue me enough to go back and listen again. Second, echoing what many albums say, this is surprisingly different to Nevermind, which was such a polished album. On a surface level, I really appreciate the symbolic ties between the songs and the body, really taps into a greater question about the objectification and devalutation of the person, which was big in the 90s. On a deeper level, I am currently in my angsty 20's part of my life which is really why I liked it.
Loving
Classic - probably the best Nirvana album. Fun high energy songs like serve the servants and then Beatles-y strings on all apologies. Feels like the dark exciting image Nirvana always had even though Nevermind sounds kinda soft and silly today. Def an improvement on the really sludgy Pearl Jam grunge too - it’s pretty structured and focused mostly.
A classic of the time, changed music
masterpiece, in my opinion the best Nirvana album and without a doubt one of the best grunge albums. The album starts right away with my favorite, "Serve The Servants", oh my what an opening, here you start to feel the difference from Nevermind, opening with a riff without power chords but having a more bluesy sound. Everything about this album is fucking amazing. Some of Nirvana's most aggressive and straight to the point songs are on this album. And it's great.
Love it. Classic then, classic now, totally my vibe.
Not so low key the best Nirvana album. Tried to stick it to fame and came out with a classic.
Cannot go wrong with Nirvana and definitely one of the best albums.
muy bueno, escuchar como uno quiera (me refiero a orden)
Bleaker than I remembered, and tougher to listen to, but still great.
Superb
Outstanding, full on in your face gritty dirty album.
Owned
I mean, that's a hell of an album
Nirvana can do no wrong in my book. I love In Utero for how 'punk' they attempted to make it. Nirvana tapped Steve Albini to engineer the record, knocked it out in twelve days, and the label hated it. Sounds pretty punk to me. Really, Nirvana's reaction to fame was to simultaneously give the people what they wanted, while retreating to tendencies present on Bleach. The production is more raw, the songs are less radio friendly, and there's more screaming, however, there are also songs like Heart Shapes Box, which was made for radio, and "Pennyroyal" "Dumb" and " All Apologies", all of which harken back to Cobain's sense of melody present on Nevermind. It's a fitting final album.
Rape meeeeeeeee
Awesome. One of the best from the 90s
It's all been said before innit? Comfortably my favourite Nirvana album
An album I am very familiar with and have listened to and loved for years. An album that was entirely recorded and mixed within 13 days, but it does not sound rushed and undercooked. Every song is explosive and energetic with distorted guitars and agro vocals, but still sounds so simple with the majority of the songs only having guitar, bass, and drums. the exception being the odd song or two that features cello which is an inspired choice. It would be a perfect sendoff to the legendary band if MTV unplugged didnt exist. my fave tracks are 2,6, and 12. its hard to find much to critique with this album. 5
Some days I prefer this over Nevermind.
Joia
Fav ones since middle school
Отлично
One of my favorite albums. Usually go back and forth between this and Nevermind as the best Nirvana album. This album goes back to their roots a bit with some heavier songs, yet still has some great radio songs.
Their best imo, the rawest they ever got, even the softer moments shine. Highlights-Scentless Apprentice, Heart Shaped Box, Rape Me, Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle, Dumb, Very Ape, Milk It, Pennyroyal Tea, Radio Friendly Unit Shift, tourette's, and All Apologies.
Still love this album.
Sounds amazing. Vocals can get a bit goofy. Drums are great. Soundtrack to my junior high. We requested a DJ at a dance play rape me over and over again. Some bad memories of getting beaten up a lot. Intro to Radio Friendly Unit Shifter is great. Great feedback sounds. Albini really killed this.
Special, incredible. Steve Albini god mode
9/10
This should be sent into space to forever keep an actual record of mankind.
I've always loved Nirvana. While Nevermind has a slight edge over In Utero and Bleach (in my opinion), I still find myself returning to In Utero time and time again. "All Apologies" gets stuck in my head more often than I'd like to admit.
A Gen X classic
Zajebiste. Na 5. Jedna z lepszych płyt tutaj.
A fantastic album with almost no skips. Not perfect but damn close
A classic
Right up my alley!!! idk why I never gave this one the same amount of attention as Nevermind, but honestly I way prefer this one.
Preference - 3 Musicianship - 1 Legacy - 1 Total - 5
YES I can't remember for certain, but might be the first CD I bought myself. If that's not the case, it's definitely one of the first CDs I bought myself.
Yeah obviously it’s great 5 stars, move on Favourite track: all apologies
Gritty, Raw, and Honest. Every song was excellent
Love.
like the raw sound in this, kudos for trying something different post the never mind craze. Favorite track: heart shaped box other picks: serve the servants, dumb, all apologies
Nirvanas best album of all time. No skips
ff
It's been years since Succession ended and I still think of Kendall Roy every time I listen to this album.
This one was in heavy rotation with me and my roommates. I was a little disappointed when it came out, but it was impossible to live up to all the hype. I'm sure the pressure they were under to deliver was massive. But really, how do you follow up Dark Side or Rumors or Sgt. Peppers? No matter how good your next album is, someone's gonna talk shit. I don't think I've listened to this entire record in 25+ years, I remember every track but I'm listening with different ears and a different perspective. In Utero pulls it off, their follow up to Nevermind (which is in the discussion as a GOAT album) is a straight up masterpiece. This is the reason the kids still dig them.
Such an essential.
Kurt's voice is very intimate and raw, seemingly inviting the listening of many different audiences. Favorite song is Pennyroyal Tea.
Even better on relisten
Great, at some point even impressed me more than Nevermind. Two great albums
At the peak of their superpowers.
Most definitely a "must listen" album for its impact - not quite as large as Nevermind, but still. And I just love it, the energy, the overall sound, the song-writing. And of course I'm biased, this is the soundtrack of my student years.
It took 299 albums for me to get to one of my favorite bands, Nirvana. I got Cobain's wife with her band, Hole. I got a couple few Leonard Cohen albums under my belt, too. Cobain name drops him in Penny Royal Tea & cribs from his songwriting style. I got Gang of Tour's Entertainment, which was featured in Cobain's own Top 50 Albums of All Time. These two list overlap some. Dumb is one of my favorite Nirvana songs. It has a nice somber Beatles essence to it. Penny Royal Tea & All Apologies as well. I received Honorable Mention (4th Place) in college for a portrait of Kurt Cobain I had done on Adobe. The Lyrics to Dumb were in the background. This album really does smack you in the face with Serve the Servants & does let up with it's brashness until arguably Dumb. Rape Me is a bit lighter in tone but its called funkin Rape Me even though its not about rape. Wal Mart got it changed to Waif Me when Cobain relented when Wal-Mart refused to sell the record with Rape Me. Gonna Stop Writing I wrote my Junior research paper on Kurt Cobain.
Some real shit!
Cmon
Impossible to view without bias - a canonical album from my teens. Feels like it still holds up, but how would I know? Can't be anything other than a five.
One of the best grunge records ever recorded. This is Nirvana at their absolute best, except maybe unplugged, but we’ll get there. This record influences heavy music to this day. 5/5
demasiado bueno, lo tengo en cd
5. 5. nothing else to add except also listen to the deluxe tracks.
Sensational
Perfection. No notes.
bi kere zaten nirvananın en sevdiğim albümü ama bu gözle yeniden baştan sona hepsini dinlemeye karar verdim. scentless apprentice'daki bağırmalardan sonra albüm sırasında heart shaped box'a gelmesi tam fırtına sonrası rahatlama gibi hissettiriyor hep. rape me şarkısı da tam manyak bir şey nasıl bi mentaliteyle yazılmış merak ediyorum. very ape ise çok güzel bir geçiş şarkısı bence, bu tarz albümlerdeki geçiş şarkıları benim için önemli bir faktör oluyor genellikle. özellikle tourette's çok güzel orada bi solo gitar melodisine bayılıyorum. bi de pennyroyal tea şarkısının adı çok güzel. all apologies ise mükemmel bir kapanış şarkısı, kısacası 1 şarkıyı bile skiplemeden dinledim. <3
It’s the wildest thing on Earth that this band completely disappeared after this record and you can’t find ANY information as to why 😮🤔🤨
All
Masterpiece
Brilliant album, not one i like to hear on a sunny day though !
Really good but I still think that nervermind is a bit better. It may sound more polished but I like the lyrics more.
one of my favs who is suprised i mean literally no one but thats ok i like being predictable anyway my fav is dumb, all apologies, and farmer ayyyy
oh my god am so excited. ive gotten nothing but bangers so far. this is my 3rd album. oh hellll yeah off to a great start hahhaa. i love how they sound tired, but also angry, but also alive, but also fed UP, but also like they couldn't give one less of a shit. scentless apprentice made me have the impulse to turn it down, but i HATED that impulse so I turned it up instead. HAHA. heart shaped box felt like it came out of nowhere. this whole album i was just like "holy shit" the whole time. why is it called in utero. its beautiful. im beside myself. 6 stars. why did they start this band. im obsessed. goooddddddd. god its such a jam.
Geweldig
So far on this list, this is definitely the single album I've listened to the most. I don't think there is a single misfire on this entire album. If I absolutely had to pick a song that I don't like quiiiite as much as the rest, it'd probably be "Pennyroyal Tea" but even that song is great. This album is so much rougher than Nevermind, in a good way. It's them trying to get back closer to what they think of as their original sound. "Heart Shaped Box" "Dumb" and "All Apologies" are the classic standouts here for sure, but I personally really love "Serve the Servants" "Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle" and "Very Ape" and think they get slept on a bit.
5/5 clearly, somehow it is both the most punk and rebellious sound while staying completely enjoyable to listen to, even for songs like 'Rape Me'; Heart Shaped Box somehow stands out as a pop-friendly song even though its chorus is extremely discordant
Utterly brilliant! Enough said.
This is one of the albums I was most excited about in my life - between the release of Nevermind and this one I had fallen in love with Nirvana. And this album did not disappoint me at all. I still think it's basically perfect.
It's almost as if the generator knew I wasn't in the mood for something too different to what I'd generally listen to. In comes good old Nirvana with In Utero - an album and band that really shouldn't need any introductions and something definitely up my alley. I tried to judge it on it's merits even though I do have personal connections with the group and the album, but honestly even without taking those into account this rocks. Definitely noisier than Nevermind, but on some days like this one, I prefer that. This trio delivered two amazing generational albums I have no reservations putting near the top of my favorites.
(100/100)
Really great album. Hard to believe they wrote such a good album as a follow up to Nevermind. Back-to-back 5 star albums. 5.0/5.0: Iconic
fantastic
Nirvana has always been one of, if not my favorite band, and this is probably my favorite album by them (or at least the one I return to the most). I love the more abrasive sound they found on this album, and Kurt Cobain's songwriting feels the most mature and introspective to date. And although he denied that these songs have any "deeper meaning," his lyrics here are beautifully written and shine a light into his struggles with fame, addiction, fatherhood, and life overall. Disregarding the lyrics, Steve Albini's production is flawless -- the guitar, the drums, and the bass all sound incredible. And, as always, the band is full of energy, with Kurt's voice tying it all together perfectly. Anyways, this is a perfect album, and all of these songs are ingrained into me (I probably could recite most of the lyrics by memory at this point). I wish we could see what Nirvana would do after this. RIP Kurt Cobain, you made some great shit. Favorites: ALL (some special shoutouts: Serve The Servants, Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle, Milk It, Radio Friendly Unit Shifter, Tourette's)
i love you kurt cobain
4.5/5
I’ve heard this before and I own it. I’ve listened to this so many times in the past 32 years and it’s been a favorite the whole time, so it’s difficult to give this a fair review. I went through my nirvana collection this past weekend in fact. I decided to listen to the 2013 Albini mix since I still haven’t heard that one yet. And also the original release because I love this album. Maybe I will search down the original 93 Albini mix too. This is a monumental album for grunge and noise rock and rock and pop as well. The songwriting is much more mature than Nevermind and Bleach as well as the variety and range of styles they cover, you have to wonder what they would have accomplished and what heights they would have reached if Kurt had gotten the help he needed.
I’ve never really given nirvana a chance. Always thought they were an overplayed band not worth the hype but after having to actually sit down and listen to this, I am a convert. I can see the influence they’ve had on modern rock/punk/hardcore/emo and I can see why they became such legendary musicians. I wish we could have seen Kurt explore more of his talent.
My favorite Nirvana album and a classic example of a band intentionally making something less commercial in the face of huge corporate expectations. Also a harrowing listen in light of what happened next. An absolutely stunning piece of work.
No issues. Junior year soundtrack.
I think that smarter people have probably talked about this album more succinctly than I can but I think this album is a triumph because of its difficulty. This is as good a representation as any of a man staring at the world, and his place in it, and hating what he saw. Listening to this, it’s no surprise what happens next.
What a start, a brilliant album that brings me back to my youth. Listened to a remaster which was great. This is top 10 of all time for me.
Muy consistente. Un buen inicio y un gran final. De Krist no se que decir, pero de Kurt Cobain y de Dave "Mi Puto Padre" Grohl solo halagos salen de mi boca. Quizás mejor que Nevermind? Puede ser.
Tercera vez que lo escucho, claro que sabía que existía, pero prestaba mucha más atención a otros álbumes de ellos
incredible album, nirvanas last album and you could make the argument that it is their best
Iconic. If my mom hadn't banned me from listening to this as a kid, I might not have sought it out as hard. I thank her for the inspiration.
Classic stuff. A must listen for anyone.
One of my favorites ever.
I can't understate the impact that Nirvana had on me as I was growing up. I loved this album and it's complex, dark tones. It felt like such a contrast against the pop and radio music I listed to up until that point. I sometimes go months or even a year or two without circling to Nirvana, and then inevitably I come back and enjoy it just the same.
insane good recommendation
Serve the servants - 4 Scentless apprentice - 4 Heart-shaped box - 5 Rape me - 5 Frances farmer will have her revenge on seattle - 4 Dumb - 5 Very ape - 4 Milk it - 3 Pennyroyal tea - 5 Radio friendly unit shifter - 4 Tourette's - 3 All apologies - 5
Mijn favoriete nirvana album. Gaat met vlagen door merg en been. Zo rauw en zo precies als bedoeld. Ik kan dit album eindeloos luisteren.
Good
Joyita.
“What else can I say, everyone is gay.”
Excellent album. Its really good as Nevermind. The combination between noise rock songs and cleaner songs with subtle strings and arragements, its incredible. Its a shame we will never know what could be the next step in Cobains career.
Even though it’s not as immediate as Nevermind, there is a great collection of songs here. After Pennyroyal Tea, it falls into mediocrity, that only All Apologies manages to break out of. 9/10
Classic. Makes me miss the days in high school when I played in a band </3
Bamoh peña ❤️
I don’t need to say anything
95
These days, it’s the Nirvana album I rank in first place, mostly because it doesn’t suffer from over exposure in the same way that Nevermind does but both are 5 star albums in my view. Where In Utero excels is that it embodies what Nirvana are, it’s purposefully less polished and brings that raw energy that one might associate with Bleach, yet in a more accomplished way.
I know this album well. A+
Hace falta aclarar? 10/10
Hell yeah
cracking album, absolute classic.
Best Nirvana album, no notes
This is easily the definitive “get” Nirvana album for me. From the first second it grabs you and just doesn’t let go. While listening I felt pumped up, angry in a good way, and completely locked in — the energy never drops. The album is rich and loud as hell, packed with those heavy, crunchy riffs that hit you right in the chest. Kurt’s lyrics are sharp, honest, and sometimes pretty dark, but they’re so damn catchy that you find yourself singing along even when you don’t mean to. Songs like “Serve the Servants,” “Heart-Shaped Box,” “Rape Me,” and “All Apologies” are all killers. There’s not a single skip on the whole thing — every track brings something intense and memorable. It’s noisy, raw, and full of that classic Nirvana chaos, but it also feels tighter and more focused than Nevermind in a lot of ways. If you want pure, unfiltered Nirvana at their most energetic and powerful, this is the one. Absolute no-skip masterpiece in my book.
Rawer production than Nevermind, as they wanted. Great songs. Fuck.
I love this record. NEVERMIND will likely be remembered more fondly, but the musical growth shown here is pretty amazing. It seems more refined and grown up while retaining the sneering punk sensibilities along with some slyly inane heart-wrenching lyrics and visceral imagery.
One of the best all time albums
I think this album is fantastic. Love how raw Cobain and the band sound on this one. Definitely my preferred Nirvana album
In Utero is a more raw album than Bleach and better played than Nevermind and it's a masterpiece like both of them and it's a sick album like a new one who would commit suicide shortly thereafter would do.
For most of my life, I kind of wrote this off. MISTAKE! This records kicks some major behind. Scentless Apprentice- you are a banger of a track. Awesome!
I was so excited for this one, I love Nirvana and this album !! Kurt Cobain was truly a one of a kind. Fav song is ‘Rape Me’.
The best album by the most important guitar band of the last 40 years.
In Utero is an all-timer for me. It's so good in so many ways. I'm not sure if there's an album that sounds more like A BAND than this one does. For the record, I'll give Nevermind a 5 too when it comes around, but let it be said: In Utero is better.
How can I not rate this a 5? At the time, I loved that the band was trying to make this unmarketable. I still love that. And yet, it's great music.
This is my favorite Nirvana album despite the fact that the hooks on Nevermind are unquestionably better. This is more visceral. The production marries flawlessly with the content. It's furious and beautiful.
A rougher listen than Nevermind, but still great. All Apologies is one of my favorite songs, period.
5/5 - I like the whole damn thing.
Incredible
The best Nirvana album
banger
Can't say I've listened to this album in full before. Darker, heavier and more raw than Nevermind. I got my timeline mixed up thinking this was an earlier album. Maybe it's just hitting today but I can't fault the album. It has style, substance and in terms of music history what happens the following year is as sad as it gets. 5/5.
5 stars….
High school memories !!!!
Great final album by Nirvana (Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic, and Dave Grohl). Also love the bonus tracks on this album.
Increíble álbum. Rock de raíz
This is the kind of music that makes me yearn to be a grungy 90s teenager.
Nirvana’s best album. One of the song name is unnecessarily awful but that’s my only gripe. One of the best albums of all time.
Solid
Grunge af, u dunno my childhood. So far so good. Love it.
Probably the Nirvana album that had the least impact on me at the time of release. Bleach introduced a new band, Nevermind took them into everyone’s homes and Unplugged a glimpse at what future Kurt music would be. In Uetro was just the latest lp for good band. I suppose if there’s a theme it’s how does a band from the underground indie world deal with mainstream attention. Time would show Kurt and Dave take very different approaches, with tragic outcomes. It has stood the test of time though good songs, good guitars, great production.
Erg goed, beter dan nevermind, heb al het een en ander over nirvana gezegd bij de vorige review. Aangezien jullie allemaal nirvana zo extreem haten en niet veder komen dan “kut corbain” zal een review ook aan dovemansoren zijn, zal het jullie besparen.
A favourite.
Old, yes. But I’ll never get bored of this.
I hope no one murders this dude
It’s simple math: C(x) = commercial success Q(x) = quality Q(In Utero) - Q(Nevermind) = C(Nevermind) - C(In Utero) To the degree that Nevermind is the more commercially successful record of Nirvana, In Utero is the (even) better one.
Just, simply put, an exceptional album. Hard, musical, deep.
More raw & grungier than their previous album. A few songs feel like filler, but grow on you after a few re-listens.
This is by far my favorite Nirvanaalbum. It took me to get to my 30s to realize that this was their peak and set the bar. Albino produced. Stole this CD in 7th grade from Megan Kelly who wrote on the CD itself her name and the words “bring back”. Dave Grohl was the model used for the French maid in lingerie on that cd, fun note.
One of the best albums of all time.
Their third best album gets better and better as it goes on! Bloody loved it!
Still sounds great. A real gateway band for me as a kid. Loved listening to it again.
I'm already a big Nirvana fan so I was excited when this popped up. This album is not polished and radio friendly like its predecessor, "Nevermind". The mix is rougher and more akin to their debut album, "Bleach". The melodies and some pop sensibilities are still there, but there's more what I would call disordered (perhaps manic) instrumentation (powerful drums, dirty guitars). I grew up listening to "Nevermind" on car rides as a kid and I think of it as a foundation for my musical interests. I didn't hear "In Utero" until I was a teenager and it took a few listens and the maturing of my musical tastes for me to really appreciate it. The songs are no doubt catchy (see "Very Ape") and the fact that the lyrics are usually random, unintelligible, and screamed doesn't diminish that. More instrumentation (strings) are explored on songs like "Dumb" (probably my favorite) and "All Apologies" (which is a wonderful closer in my opinion). I love this album, perhaps not quite as much as Nevermind because of my memories, but this is one of my favorite listens regardless.
yes
Kurt Cobain picked notorious asshole Steve Albini to produce Nirvana's third (and final) album based on his work with Pixies (Surfer Rosa) & The Breeders (Pod) two of Cobain's favorite albums. Albini was not a fan of Nirvana having called them "R.E.M. with a fuzzbox" and "an unremarkable version of the Seattle sound" but ended up agreeing to the job because he felt sorry for them (ASSHOLE MUCH?) and doing a brilliant job. Only a cynical jerk would think that the huge paycheck that DGC Records offered him had anything to do with it. Such an empathetic fellow Albini was back in 1992! He would give you the shirt off his back only to take it back and strangle you to death with it a few minutes later! In Utero is a great album but you don't need me to tell you that. How great? Probably Nirvana's best. I like Bleach better but without a doubt In Utero is the better of the two. It just is. In Utero closes with 'All Apologies' it sounds like a suicide letter set to music. I have no idea what the song is actually about but to me it's Kurt Cobain's ending not just the album but his life on his own terms and he's sorry about bailing but at the same time he doesn't give a fuck.
Probably the best nirvarna album after Bleach and Nevermind
Nirvana es una banda que marcó un antes y un después en el rock, este disco es prueba de ello, y aunque no tiene tantos hits, está lleno de joyas que van desde el Grunge más crudo hasta baladas rock muy buenas.
Another revisiting of a very familiar album, one that I was always ambivalent about, that I hated the singles and loved the leftovers. Kicks off with the perfect lyrics "Teenage angst has paid off well, Now I'm bored and old." But otherwise I still think "Serve the Servants" is a relatively poor opener. Love the screeching "Scentless Apprentice" and then have contradictory feelings about "Heart-Shaped Box." "Rape Me" always struck me as the foursquare Nirvana song, like a reworked "Team Spirit" with a angrier message. It's not until "Francis Farmer..." that the knives come out, plinking notes and barbs of feedback. "Dumb" is nice. "Pennyroyal Tea" is nice. "All Apologies" is nice. The nice songs used to push me out of the album. For me, "Milk It" was always the album standout, lurching, squalling, broken down, weird, and loud. Not the loudest Nirvana song, but maybe the weirdest, and I love it as much now as I ever did. Long story short, where I used to find flaw in In Utero for not hanging together well, I'm fine with that now. I have more room for both "All Apologies" and "tourette's." I even took this opportunity to compare the three mixes of "All Apologies," Scott Litt's album version, Albini's original mix, and Albini's 2013 mix, and I think the Scott Litt version is the best representation of the song. Overall, In Utero stands taller for me now than it ever did, probably higher in my estimation than Nevermind. I'll revisit that estimation when that one comes up. Easy 5/5.
crasy good love you my guy
Don't even have to listen to this one.
Is it as good as Nevermind? Probably not, but this one still brings the hits and I feel like you have to cherish the small catalog you get from them. So many of their songs have been on repeat for 30 years, that I liked the ones on this album you don’t hear all the time.
I have no problem giving every Nirvana album 5*. A solid and even grungier follow up to Nevermind. Doesn't reach the same heights as that album but still greatness. 4.25/5
Fuck this is a great album, and such a huge part of growing up. Still fucking rocks.
My favorite album by my favorite band, easy 5 star. I understand why people prefer Nevermind, it’s way more approachable and radio friendly. But I connect more with the dissonance/heaviness of this album. I always wonder what avenue Kurt would have taken next had he lived; sad we’ll never know.
10/10. Top 10
I think I'm dumb
Classic!
Probably a bit biased since I enjoy the genre, but great listen.
10/10
It’s a brilliant album - like all the songs are good in their own way
Heart-shaped box
Like a diamond in the rough I got lucky today.
All my faves!
10/10 masterpiece lovlely
Forgotten how good this is
In the sun - in the sun - married, buried. That line got me.
Overall: 10/10 One of those albums that I've listened to so much that I can't remember a time that it wasn't a part of my life. Some days I think it's better than Nevermind, despite being more raw and angry. It also has my favourite and least favourite Nirvana songs (I despise Rape Me). It's such an interesting album because you can just imagine the different directions that Nirvana could have taken had they been able to continue. Fav Song: Radio Friendly Unit Shifter
3 Nirvana albums on this list and all 3 are 5's. I think this one is even better than Nevermind. Steve Albini produced an incredible punk-grunge album here and they blacklisted him for it. Standouts: Serve the Servants, Heart-Shaped Box, Frances Farmer, Very Ape, All Apologies
Pos very nice, classic
*1993. 3rd studio album. *This album is pretty stacked: Heart-Shaped Box, Rape Me, Dumb, All Apologies. *The opening song - Serve the Servants - should've been a single. *There are some pretty screamy songs on here - eesh. *I never had this one and have never listened to it all the way through - I really liked about half the tracks. The rest were either screamy or just.. not great. *The good songs are really good though, so this gets a high rating. RATING - 7.5/10
Still love this album
good energy ! The emotion in the vocals is honest. DG"s drum beats are always driving and powerful.
Loved. I love Nirvana. I owned/knew a lot of these songs. I liked all the songs I didn’t know too.
Some of Nirvana's best songs are on this album. An incredible listen from front to back. Nirvana's magnum opus.
When I was faced again with this attempt from Nirvana to embrace a less polished sound, I was expecting it to have lost some of its luster since last I heard it. I like to think I have stopped unapologetically accepting anything Nirvana once did as perfect. What happened instead is that this type of abrasive with the odd sensitive song put in is right up my personal alley. So it is just as good as I remember but for better reasons. Also, the ending to Frances Farmer sounds a lot like the ending of Tenacious D's kickapoo to me and I can't unhear it.
Obviously one of the greatest rock albums ever, imo pretty significantly better than nevermind. Genuinely love this album and every song on here
The raw sound on In Utero feels like how the band should have sounded all along. Their songs were always rough around the edges, but Steve Albini's production provides an extra roughness that almost makes Nevermind look weak in comparison. Outside of a few moments - the stomping "Scentless Apprentice," the feedback on "Frances Farmer" and "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter" - this doesn't approach the messiness of Albini's rawest projects. But it adds that edge to songs that are accessible in their angst, making something that's the best of both worlds. Cobain's lyrics show a knack for fitting meaningful phrases into opaque stream-of-consciousness. And the pretty moments on this, like "Dumb," "Pennyroyal Tea," and "All Apologies," find beauty in plain sentiments and cleaner sounds. An alt rock masterpiece and Nirvana's clear peak.
gg les gars
putain ça c'est bon
better than nevermind in my opinion these guys were going places
As much as I enjoy Nirvana (then and now) I’m not sure I’ve ever listened through ‘In Utero’ all the way through before.. I think I originally heard of them from my buddy around ‘92-93 and probably had some mix tapes from him, I remember being disappointed when Kurt died (still too young to feel sad) that they wouldn’t be making more music.. this was a great listen and long overdue. 4.5/5
Fremdeles et knallsterkt album.
It's a god damn masterpiece. RIP Kurt.
Yeah great
I’ve come close to getting this album cover tattooed on me it’s that fucking good. The debate rages between what’s better between this and Nevermind and to me it’s apples and orange - the bands sound is much more raw and unpolished and a lot of the tracks feel more personal and retrospectively haunting than what came 2 years prior. I could see why some would give this album a 3 or even lower because it’s hardly as accessible as some of the other huge albums from this period in alt rock history but my god if it hits you straight away you’ll always have this album on rotation. Personally, I was close to giving this a 4, there is a track or two that are just okay to me, but considering the context of the albums release and the bold left turn of the bands sound from their massively successful album I feel like this is deserving of a 5. Also has to be said that some tracks on here like Pennyroyal Tea and All Apologies take on another life in the MTV Unplugged performance that I look forward to reviewing on here at some point. Favourite song: Anything off the first side and All Apologies
Great record. You can hear how much Nirvana had matured since Nevermind.
O, super. Glede na jutro, k ga mam, rabm dons neki že poznanega. Moj najljubši Nirvana album. In fak, ker dan, da ga dobim. Emotionally pomojem dons nism deleč od večine najstništva, ko je bla Nirvana večino cajta moj favorit. Tole bo ful neobjektivna ocena. "Scentless Apprentice" je še kr amazing. Pa "Heart-Shaped Box". Pa "Milk It". In besedilo v "Pennyroyal Tea": Give me a Leonard Cohen afterworld, so I can sigh eternally - pred tem sem poslušala Cohena, ker je bla edina stvar, k mi sede dons. Ha. Včash morš poslušat neki, kar te še v slabšo voljo sprav, predn si pripravljen, da greš ven iz funka. Perfektno razvrščeni komadi na albumu. "All Apologies" kot zadnji komad je dbest. Aja, še to - naslovnica albuma mi je tud ena ljubših.
I am so gladly surprised! I don't know how or why I didn't listen to this album before, everything I am missing. Pure rawness, talent, feelings... GREATNESS!
I guess it's a little unfair to give my first five stars to an album with which I was already familiar, but hey. It's In Utero
Simply amazing. It took everything I loved from Nevermind and just notched up the song writing. Im going to dive deep into this one
I haven’t listened to this album in at least 25 years. I went in fully expecting to give it 4 stars, but this album is even better than I remember it. Nevermind is grungy but perfecy polished. In Utero is raw, unfiltered, and emotionally devastating. I can feel Kurt’s pain, and it’s impossible to listen to this album without wondering how their sound would have evolved. I miss Kurt. 😭 His genius is undeniable. In Utero is going back into the rotation. Favorite songs: Dumb, Pennyroyal Tea.
Every song was a banger. Saved all of them. I cant wait to forget all of them and one day, hit shuffle play and think "wow past me was cooking"
This has been on my rotation for about 25 years at this point so it has to get a 5. Territorial Pissings blew me away when I was a kid and it's still on most of my playlist.
Enormously good, holds up so well. I was obsessed with this as a teenager. Yesterday I tuned some guitars down to Eb and jammed along all day, fingers are sore today
Had to listen on headphones because my dog HATED Scentless Apprentice. This is probably superior to Nevermind - Steve Albini worked magic.
Classic
Repeat listen
Incredibly dark yet not even in their top two best..
One of the seminal albums of my youth. It still sounds so punchy, crunchy and fresh today. Normally when bands "mature" they lose their edge. There is none of that here. Raw but well produced. Just an incredible album
Almost perfect in my opinion.
Classic
the best screaming and random grittier noises you can ask for
De Nirvana no hay casi nada nuevo que decir. No soy tan fan de este álbum como del famosísimo “Nevermind”, pero es indudable la influencia que ha tenido su sonido en bandas emergentes a partir de él. Sabiendo que el sonido sucio fue buscado deliberadamente por la banda, no hay nada que decir. No le pongo un 10 porque hay dos temas que me parecen bastante desagradables. Ahí queda la herencia de Kurt, ojalá alguien la retome pronto y nos libre de la dictadura del reguetón.
There's a moment in my life, when I was 11, when I checked out this CD from the public library, and so many new doors opened for me. I can't imagine my life now without that moment.
Album 1019 of 1089 In Utero - Nirvana (1993) Rating : 5 / 5 This one gave me more than I expected. I’m very familiar with Nirvana’s music, but not to the point where I always know which tracks live on which album. Going in, I didn’t expect this one to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Nevermind or MTV Unplugged, but it held its own remarkably well. The album starts strong and never really lets up. There are at least four tracks here that will easily stand the test of time, and the rest are more than listenable. It’s a bit noisier and rougher around the edges than some of their earlier work, but not to the point where it feels out of control. There’s intention behind the grit. The songwriting is solid, the performances are locked in, and the production fits the material perfectly. This album captures Nirvana at a moment where they were fully aware of their place in the music world and still willing to push against it. Whether or not it’s my favorite of theirs, there’s no denying its importance - not just to the band, but to the era they helped define.
Awesome, some of best examples of Nirvana
Yep
I really resisted getting into Nirvana back in the day only because everyone else was so into them, and all I wanted was to not be into what everyone else was into. I regret that and I really wish I had a chance to see them live. This album is great.
This album sounds like such a visceral kiss-off to Nirvana's head-spinning success, with Albini nurturing their most abrasive tendencies. I was surprised by how the 1,001 book called In Utero melodic, when even the more pleasing parts still have a serrated edge. Not to mention songs like "Very Ape," "Milk It," and "Tourette's" couldn't be less poppy. It also has my favorite Nirvana song, "All Apologies"—and there's no more haunting way to end this album and Nirvana's discography than Kurt Cobain repeating "All alone is all we are."
RIP Steve Albini
I haven't listened to this album since high-school. Lets see how it holds up. 5 songs in and I just wish my ears buds would get even louder. Maybe if I mash vol+ a few more times... I feel like most indie rock bands of the 2010's just did different versions of 'Radio Friendly Unit Shifter' and made careers out of it. I could try and wax poetic about the raw sound, and the influence this record had on the 90s as a whole, but who cares. No notes. 5 stars.
Already loved this album, knew it was going to be a five when I saw it come up. Favourite songs: Serve the Servants, Heart-Shaped Box, Pennyroyal Tea, All Apologies
It is hard to pick a favorite Kurt record. But this has a lot going in its favor. Picked a great producer. Songs are solid. "I miss the comfort of being sad" is one of the best lines ever.
Loved the noisier aspects of the album
241121 17:13 4.5
Magnífico. Esse álbum é incrível! Pennyroyal Tea me enfeitiça
I've never actually listened to the full album, but obviously a 5 - my kind of music, and this album in particular is insane and so influential, I'm obssessed
Greatest album ever!!!
This album is absolute freaking fire!!
El mejor álbum de Nirvana
8.42/10 5/5!!
Everything Nirvana does is automatically a 5-star rating. This is one of the rawest albums ever brought to the mainstream and it always makes me wonder what paths the band would have taken if Kurt hadn't died.
Pretty familiar with this album already. Personally feel their sounds lends itself perfectly to Steve Albini production. Raw, the drums sound amazing through the whole thing. Very loose and loud. Also contains some of their best songs IMO - Heart Shaped Box, Dumb. Great album and always felt I'd love to hear Nevermind produced the same way.
Splendid ❤️
A really solid album, has to be a 5 star
Fuck all. Nirvana was great. As good as anything else out there including Nevermind. Sorry Kurt. Many of us still miss you. Oh well, at some point oblivion comes for all of us, self-chosen or no. 5 dumb thinking stars.
Wall to wall classics.
9/10 Brut, puissant. Chanson préférée : Frances farmer will have her revenge on Seattle
Fuck yes. What would we be without this album!?
I don't know how but I called it. I could smell this one coming. In fact, this album does have a bit of memory attached to it by taste and smell. Then I realized what day this decides to pops up...New Years Eve. I really hope this won't be an omen for the year to come. OK now for an actual review of sorts. This is Nirvana's best album, and interestingly, a fitting end for them. They did a great job of blending the messy rawness of Bleach with the accessibility of Nevermind. And personally, I'm glad they got away from the polish of their breakthrough. Getting Steve Albini was a smart choice, and I always figured that was a way for Kurt to make something akin to Jawbreaker.
Steve Albini's production. That album cover. Pretty much perfect. Consistent quality. Riddled with sickness and disease imagery (decay). Invokes discomfort and vulnerability. This album is dedicated to dead relatives. They are safe, warm and full of happy smiles. - Cobain
Should learn to play the drums for this album, though it’d probably be difficult
period of its time so it’s brutal and punk, i love it miss u baby you’ll live on forever🩷
Heard before Saved 10/12 Top track: Heart Shaped Box
"Rape me" hat errlold im Tee-Haus gespielt, das ausgefallene Konzert, Kurt Club of 27, die prägendste band meiner Jugend, fantastisch! c
j'aime trop nirvana omg. je me souviens que le groupe voulait faire des albums que le public detesterait et rien que pour ça c'est parfait
this sound chooses scar tissue over over shine. Bless Albini for the surgical ear. it’s priority is structure over noise. i can hear the vocals and screams crystal clear like it’s a confession. i was present throughout.
Great album
Maybe not as immediate as Nevermind but In Utero hits on another more visceral level. Far more rough around the edges in general, but songs like Heart Shaped Box are as infectious as anything Nirvana did. I have always had a particular soft spot for Rape Me as it delivers the ultimate example of the quiet loud dynamic that Nirvana delivered so well. Pennyroyal tea is a great song and certainly the best song ever to feature warm milk and laxatives. Radio friendly unit shifter shows kurt’s sense of humour as they deliver a wall of noise with barely audible vocals. All apologies is a perfect closer, being more reflective than a lot of what came before.
A classic for sure. Has been a while since I listened, love the Albini production, less immediate than Nevermind and lacks the hits, but might still be the better album. Tough one. 4.5. rounded up Heard before? Yes Owned: Yes: 39/147 (26%) Will I get? Already have
PEAAAAK
"Look on the bright side, suicide."
Easy.
Day 152 My fav album by Nirvana. This album is just perfect, raw, edgy and oozing with talent. LOVE IT
There’s no one quite like Nirvana. Brutal yet poppy, experimental yet still rock, abstract and relatable, and teeming with creativity and energy while still being listenable to a larger audience.
When this came out it was like a bomb across the pop hinterland. Quite possibly the last time true emotion hit the top 40.
Kurt really had a knack for writing deceptively simple melodies. All of his songs are so catchy, and it just sounds so obvious, like someone should have thought of it before. This whole album is great but the songs that standout to me are the quiet ones like Pennyroyal Tea, Rape Me, Dumb, and All Apologies. I also really love the ways the guitars and drums sound on this album, this is Albini's magnum opus. I also really love the Scentless Apprentice drum part. High 5!
Great album vital album to listen through the grunge either Possibly the bands magnum opus
Love this album. Songs sound better when listening to the album in its entirety. All Apologies is one of the best closers I’ve heard.
Sonically, this is Kurt at his best. He gave the industry what they wanted with Nevermind and then they team up with Steve Albini to lean heavy into noise again. Heart-Shaped Box is a love song written only the way Kurt could. You’ve got a nice little jab at the industry with Radio Friendly Unit Shifter (admittedly a banger). They get edgy with Rape Me. Also, Serve The Servants is severely underrated. Just a great album. The one knock I would give is I think Dave’s drum fills took a step back but I think that’s the production more than anything else. Nevermind was just full of really neat fills. Favorite songs: Radio Friendly Unit Shifter/Heart-Shaped Box/All Apologies
Classic. This is the stuff I developed my musical interest on. Hard to be an objective critic. That being said, this is the first time I've sat down to listen to this entire album. This stuff is all about being raw. There is plenty of dynamics on the instruments to keep things fresh. A lot of song diversity as well. This is an album that makes me want to get nice sound system and a copy on vinyl.
Nirvana's best album - raw, blistering and unapologetic. It will absolutely blow your brains out. 9/10
Maybe it’s just the Nevermind overdose talking, but honestly there’s no contest. Strip away that overproduced Geffen sheen and you’ve got a band actively trying to sabotage their own commercial momentum, crashing straight back into their garage-level noisy punk roots, all while they were at the peak of their fame. What’s wild is that the melodic instinct is still there, totally intact, and the collision of all those elements ends up creating something ridiculously thrilling and confrontational. Not a single throwaway track. It’s bleak, it’s feral, and it makes you want to sweat it out in a pit somewhere. Brilliant.