Nevermind – The Album that Redefined Rock in the 90s

This Album That Left A Mark on Me

Nirvana - Nevermind - All rights reserved

If the previous article, highlighting the album The Singles 86<98 by Depeche Mode, was an introduction to what sparked my interest in music, I now feel compelled to tell you about this album

As I mentioned before, while I was only in the early stages of my musical discovery, I was “lucky” enough to have older brothers at home. Sure, you could say that luck is relative, but in reality, my brothers were very cool with me, especially when they started lending me their favorite CDs, seeing that I was receptive to what they were listening to.

While hanging out in one of their rooms, I stumbled upon this album with its iconic and evocative cover — that of a naked baby swimming like a fish in the water, gazing in wonder at a dollar bill on the end of a fishing line.

More than 25 years after my first listen of this essential album, I decided to put on my headphones and listen to it again while writing this review. I admit, it’s iconic, it’s a journey through familiar territory, but damn, it’s so good. 

Shall we review it?

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Nirvana — Nevermind
This is the second album from the Seattle-based band. From the very first seconds, you can’t help but recognize the iconic opening riff of the album’s signature track, Smells Like Teen Spirit, which sets the tone for an album that has nothing left to prove

After this strong opener, we move on to a marathon of iconic tracks: 

In Bloom, with its heavy intro, Come as You Are, reminiscent of a certain Eighties by the band Killing Joke, and the very intense Breed (which, I admit, is my personal favorite from the album).

After ramping up the intensity with Lithium, another major single from the band, the pace slows down with Polly, only to pick up again with the energetic Territorial Pissings. 

The album continues in the same vein as it began, with a hidden bonus track after Something in the Way as a final touch. 

(Bonus track which, by the way, was omitted from the production of the first 20,000 discs before being included in the subsequent pressings)

Nevermind, whether it has already captured your ear or might eventually do so, is the album that could pass on the “grunge” vibe as delivered by Nirvana. 

While the rock trend oscillated between heavy metal and glam, Nirvana, along with their peers, offered a punk-tinged rock, with a simpler and more effective approach, wrapped in a raw and energetic sound which clearly signaled a shift in trends and the emergence of new styles.

For the record, the band members weren’t really convinced by the album’s final mix. They never imagined it would be propelled to the top of the charts, even surpassing Michael Jackson’s iconic Dangerous. When Kurt Cobain learned the news, he burst out laughing.

The boys from Seattle were about to become a mainstream band, in direct contradiction to their original beliefs and the spirit of the group, which may have contributed to leading Cobain to the tragic end we all know…

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Conclusion
 Compared to their previous album, Bleach, you could say Nevermind raises the intensity level. 

If the previous album was already pretty edgy and tinged with punk sounds, the final result of Nevermind seems tied to a more substantial production effort, whereas Bleach leaned more on a rawer form.

The big novelty in this album also lies in the arrival of young Dave Grohl on drums, which also contributed to that characteristic sound. A double blessing, if I may say so, when you consider the successful career Dave would have after Nirvana.

As you’ve probably gathered, this is an unbeatable album that no longer needs an introduction. Today, I wanted to present this gem through the ears of the young boy I was back then, as I had no idea at the time that what I was holding in my hands would become an album so intimately linked to rock history, with hardly anything to dismiss.

And you, what did you think of this album?

Thanks for reading!