Nevermind (1991)
13 tracks, 42 minutes
Spotify ∙ iTunes
What can I say about Nirvana’s Nevermind that you don’t already know, and probably know better than me anyway? It is the apex of grunge, a undisputed classic that has influenced so many artists of so many styles, all around the world.
Yes, it is perhaps a little polished for a mainstream audience compared to other artists – and even Nirvana’s other music. But there is only so much that you can polish grit, and Nevermind contains more than enough not only to still anchor it firmly in grunge, but for it to still be markedly heavier than any other mainstream hit that year. By making their sound a little more slick, Nirvana helped to introduce the grunge scene to the whole world, and in doing so, changed the direction of rock – and, to some degree, pop – for a long time to come.
In Nirvana’s sound you can hear a direct descendancy from the punk of the 1970s – both the British styles of the Sex Pistols, the Clash, the Buzzcocks and those lot, and the American side of things with The Stooges and Dead Kennedys – as well as back to the music of the Doors and Jimi Hendrix. Unlike punk, which is very brash and sometimes shrill, there is a real meatier aspect to Nirvana’s sound, influenced by heavy metal. And at the same time, what gives this album (especially its most famous singles, ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’, ‘Lithium’ and ‘Come As You Are’) such a wide appeal is that it has all the elements of a great pop record. Memorable lyrics, devilishly catchy tunes and riffs, a charismatic (and very cute) frontman – and it’s really fun to sing along to.
So with Nevermind, Nirvana created the album that turned grunge into pop. Probably the most impressive thing about it is that they did so without losing any of their own or their music’s integrity. No matter what music you’re into, you’ve probably heard of (and heard) Nevermind, and you’ve definitely heard music that it’s influenced – that is surely the dream of any artist in any niche musical scene.
No comments:
Post a Comment