NIRVANA - Nevermind

It is the early 90s. In the world, metal is living the golden age of glam rock, glittery, noisy and full of spangles, kept alive by the greed of the record labels and the musicians involve in the scene. It is the time when Geffen pulls out the ace out of their sleeve and hits the jackpot with the second album of a practically unknown band, emerged from the dark corners of Seattle. Nirvana, for it is them we are talking about, have the great merit (while I’m absolutely certain that they were not intending that at all) to have released the exact album an entire generation of confused and rebellious youth was waiting for. Drawing its essence from the 60s pop, the 70s punk and the 80s indie, Nevermind is the quintessence of the early part of the last decade of the 20th century. Musically we won’t encounter any polished or intricate orchestrations, as Cobain wasn’t exactly a guitar genius, but a writer of dissonant and distorted riffs and solos. Song with punk/alternative roots, like Smells Like Teen Spirit, ballad-ish like Come As You Are or psychedelic like Polly make Nevermind diverse and capable of satisfying anyone’s tastes. The musical shortcomings of the band were well compensated with a tight rhythm section, great lyrics and a very well prepared visual and stage appearance.

Seeing the great impact it had on the audiences, radio and TV stations adhered to the album’s huge promotion, making Nirvana a rich band overnight, with record sales and sold-out shows. Success was complete, and that is exactly what Kurt Cobain desired less for his band and the decisive blow to a tormented and unstable mind. The next studio albums were weak and only sold due to the band’s renown and marketing.

In 1994, exactly 10 years ago, the world was shocked by Cobain’s suicide. Years have passed, people have forgotten (or not?) and grunge died, but Nevermind will remain a piece of genius with the fact that it reflects an entire generation, with Smells Like Teen Spirit the most overwhelming example, both in title and in music.

Sake Nota: 10