Ah, Nirvana. To many, they represent one of the greatest rock bands to come out in quite some time. Nirvana's rampant success is usually attributed to this album, and rightfully so, as it's the album that launched them into the mainstream. Ranked number nineteen on
Rolling Stones Greatest 500 Albums list,
Nevermind is filled with distorted guitars, memorable lines, and catchy overall songs. It contains twelve tracks, with a running time of just over fourty-three minutes. What is within, is mostly good.
This album is host to some of Nirvana's best songs.
Smells Like Teen Spirit is the most popular, and easily recognizable. It's also probaly the most important, as it helped launch them into fame. The clean intro is a staple to up and coming guitar players looking to learn some of their favorite songs. Vocals here are nigh understandable, as Cobain mumbles nearly everything. The solo contained within emulates the vocal melody present in the chorus, and is a nice touch.
Come As You Are is one of my favorite tracks here. It's got a wonderful guitar line, good vocals, and some fairly decent lyrics. "And I swear that I don't have a gun" repeats Kurt during the bridge. This song also contains a solo, and it works fairly well.
Lithium is also a fan favorite, with it's frequent shouting during the chorus and soft vocals during the verse. It also contains a great line in "I'm so horny, but that's okay/My will is good."
Musically, this album isn't really anything spectacular. It's all fairly simple stuff. This isn't a bad thing, though. If you're a musician, the songs here should be fairly easy and fun to play, which is always good for beginners. There's also a few great musical moments here. The cello in
Something in the Way is wonderful, and adds to Cobains monotone vocals. The solos are done sufficiently. They aren't out to blister your ears, but they do their job. Mr. Grohl does his job well. The drums always fit the songs, and even add to them at times. Bass from Mr. Novaselic is done properly, as well. The intro to In Bloom is good. Often times, the verses are devoid of guitar, leaving just bass and drums.
Breed's bassline is chunky and fits perfectly with the high-pitched guitar.
Overall, this is a pretty good album. It's not the giant, steaming pile of genius some make it out to be, but it still makes for a good listen. It changed the mind of the mainstream public to allow grunge bands to be a commercial success. This also helps them be over-rated. Does this change it from being a good album. No. So go on, give it a listen. If you like rock, you should be able to enjoy it. It's not really complicated or mind-blowing, but it's full of catchy, simple songs. That's good enough.
SCRUPLES
