Nevermind

Kurt Cobain wasn't some amazing guitarist, he wasn't an incredible wailer. He was just an ordinary dude from a shit whole Washington city like myself.

When Cobain wrote shit he wrote what he truly felt, which already makes him better than 80 percent of bands. He wasn't trying to become a famous rich rock star, although he certainly enjoyed it for a while. He wrote his damned emotions.


He wasn't a great guitarist, although he was a solid rythm guy considering he sang like a f---ing psycho while playing. He's a sloppy guitarist he uses alot of effects. He puts effects to good use too, getting a certain sound for each song that matches the sentiment in the lyrics. He wasn slightly more than a three chord bitch, and he wrote some of the coolest chord progressions ever. Listen to In bloom. That song sounds amazing guitar wise, simple but badass.

Nirvana came along and blew all the fake shit out of music, hell even James Hetfield praises Cobain. If Nirvana hadn't come along, music would be alot shittier today than it is. Face it, most people can't choose music for themselves, they have to eat up whatever shit the radio throws to them. Nirvana came along and gave all of us who hated those people something to listen to. Sure, Nirvana was blown out of proportion. No band should get that kind of attention, but still, many bands have been alot worse and gotten more praise.

I wouldn't say this is their best album, it's a really raw, intense album, where In Utero is just pissed off and kind of eerie. Nevermind has cool chord progressions, with a dirty distortion heavy sound, thumping bass that just goes perfectly with everything, and over the top drumming. On Nevermind, Nirvana goes all out and rocks as hard as they can. It's pure intensity, very powerful. The amount of emotion and energy in each song, along with the masterful lyrics, and true meaning in each song, really makes this album nearly perfect.

They rock their fucking asses off in this one, and they are completely honest about it. This album just gives off a vibe of 'fuck you, like us or don't'. This is an album and kicks your ass and doesn't apologize. It is as powerful as an album get's, in my opinion.

There's Teen Spirit, everyone know's that one, which is a very interesting song, and it really embodied something, but it is only the tip of the iceberg. Lithium is pure emotion, it kicks your ass. What makes Nirvana so good is that they play their shit as if they don't care what you think, forget how famous they got and how much money they made, forget everything about them, and listen to this album, you can't fake this kind of power. This album is genuine, from the repressed anger of Teen Spirit, to the tortured pain and regret in Lithium, to the apathetic emotion of On A Plain, to the whistful narrative power of In Bloom, this album is something else.

Too many people write Nirvana off, I can't stress how important it is to keep an open mind with this album. Try to forget everything about that era, and listen to this. It will kick your ass.


My interpretations of the album...


Teen Spirit - Repressed anger unleashed, disgust for the "establishment." Apathetic feelings towars the good that remains in society. 10 Powerful song. You can really feel the anger in this one, here Cobain is just mad, and he lets you know it. A real masterpiece, although it was overdone, Nirvana was about much more than this sentiment, and Cobain wanted to get that out, and did with In Utero. The palm muting in the signature chord riff, really brings out the anger here. The solo is perfect with that watery sort of stoned distortion, it all builds up to that simple but effective solo with the "nur nah," plucking of the b and high E strings on the first fret, and the white noise of the higher b and E string sounds, followed by the signature chord progression. This song is pure emotion. The simple 1111 1111 4444 4444 bass line is simple but works to perfection, and the drum work also matches perfectly. Masterpiece.


In Bloom - Narrative of the band wagon bitch created by the MTV society. 8 This song is eerie. When you consider it was written before Nirvana was anything, it's creepy how it describes many people who became band wagon fan's of Teen Spirit, and abused the power and sentiment, pretending to understand, but just following the leader. This song is kind of off balance, the sentiment changes from the beginning to end, kind of like a spacey mind. The bass line is perfect. Great song. Fuzzy fuzz distortion, and the verse, beautiful. 'But he, don't know what it means, don't know what it means when I say'.


Come As You Are - Apathetic anthem. This is like an ode to your girlfriend, after all sorts of emotions and pain and fear, you finally just decide, come as you are. 10 When all the pain disappears and is replaced with apathy, and the fear of what lies ahead becomes the gratefulness of what's happening in the present. The treble-ee, chorus-ee, plucky sounds of the beginning riff and the signature white noise sound, and then the dirty distortion happy chorus. Beautiful. Nice bass line. The drums steal the show here if not for the guitar work, the drumming is genius, very intelligent. As par for the course on this album, the sentiment changes rapidly and is very apathetic in that 'I don't give a shit' way. Very beautiful. Masterwork.


Breed - When you're really frustrated and stressed out over a situation with your chick, and you decide to fix it all by just saying OK. 9 1/2 This song is Certainly not apathetic. The polar opposite of Come As You Are, it would of made sense for this to come before Come on the cd, but it doesn't. Breed is about the feeling you have, when in a relationship, when it seems to be going all wrong, and you are stressed and angry in general over the helplessness of making wrong moves everytime you open your mouth, and just can't find a way to say 'I love you'. You just go, you know what, whatever happens, it's ok, and I want to be with you during whatever shit happens. Something like that. Great song.


Lithium - This song is one of the best songs of all time, and it can't be interpretated in just one way. Relationship wise, it's when a relationship is just about failed, and the stress remains, but the anger of Breed subsides, and you just need to say, I love you. It isn't easy, and the relationship is probably already dead, but the feelings stay. You know somehow the other one feels the same, but you just can't reconcile. And finally, apathy takes over, and you just need to say the same thing in Breed but without any anger, with the apathy of Come but later on in a relationship when it's going to end. Inside, you know it's over, but it can't really be over right, which is what the chorus is saying. I love you but I'm not gonna crack, saying, I love you, but I can't give in anymore. If it ends, let it be, I can't fight it anymore. Somber indeed. 10 I also think of it as a way of narrarating the hopeless feeling you're bound to get living in Seattle, where it's raining, and cloudy, and then the sun comes out and shines on everything, and a cold warmth consumes you, which is the feeling you get from living in Seattle, I lived there. It's a little nihilistic, a little apathetic, a little angry, and a little sad. It's about reaching a point in life where you accept life, and the anger over things going wrong leaves, and you start to think, 'OK, life may be tough, but it really isn't that bad, look at the silver lining'. When you realize things aren't nearly as bad as they feel, and you start to accept life. Cool bass, very fuzzy nasty dirty distortion, simple guitar work. Beautiful song. Thank you Kurt, this one really means something.


Polly - This is as simple as Nirvana gets. Based on Kurt reading about some girl that was abducted and tortured or something. It's a simple narrarative basically, I can't really say. I just enjoy this one, I don't see any real meaning, you could find some, but generally, the meaning is about how cruel people can be and how disgusting it is. Nothing more. 7 Acoustic, pretty guitar work. Basic bass. Simple, pretty little acoustic ballad. It's nothing truly special, although it is very enjoyable, it's not anything like the power and meaning of Lithium. Interesting they put it in the very middle of 12 songs. Feels almost like a B-side.


Territorial Pissings - Here is where we get a little less intelligent and nihlistic, and just get pissed. Badass song. About the stupidity of machismo and how crazy it is that us dudes get so fucking arrogant and shit, just because we're men. 8 Badass song. I'm more like the type of guy they're making fun of here, but that's ok, I can take a joke. That's basically what this is, it's not overly emotional, it's just a fun, tough, rock song. It's an ass kicker, no true emotion other that the emotion of rocking out, this one is just a song for fun.


Drain You - Pick up perfectly after the feeling of Pissings, this is a real song, in the lieu of Lithium. There's real meaning here, but it retains the sense of fun found in Pissings. A perfect mix of fun, emotion, and meaning, so it will please all kinds of music fans. Very juvenile. I've read it's about sexual relationships, I certainly wouldn't be surprised, it feels like it's coming from a quirky, humorous, friendly angle while having some meaning, and a little emotion. Fun song. 8 Certainly about relationships, I think it feels like it's talking about the adolescent stupidity of teenage relationships, and how crazy they can be. Youthful, ya know. Fun song. The beginning strumming is just beautiful, and as always in this album, sets the mood for the rest of the song, on that guitar tone alone. As usual, the guitar sentiment is dumbed down so everyone can enjoy, while being interesting and fresh enough for even the most insanely guitar obsessed guitar nerds around. Nothing technically dazzling, of course, just abuse of a guitar with violent strumming, and weird feedbacks and fuzzy dirty unnatural yet completely natural distortions. Of course, wonderful chord progression as usual. Great drum work, matches the mood, simple bass.


Lounge Act - Picks up from Drain You, but gets more mature, and get's a focus on a sentiment and emotion for the first time since Lithium. It's still fun, but it's a serious song, and it's less frills guitar wise, it's simple and dumbed down, completely straightforward. Same old violent sloppy apathetic nihlistic arrogant strumming patterns, pretty heavy distortion, but not a feedback fest. Basic, but enjoyable and compatible bass line. Very good drum work, matches very nicely. About losing your girl to another guy, a friend of yours, and the competitive anger over this, and wanting your chick back, but not coming completely clean about it. Could mean that, except being confrontational about it. Or maybe it's just gibberish. 9 Fun song.


Stay Away - More complex song, not serious in the slightest, just a basic human emotion, of wanting someone to stay the fuck away, and making a song about it and jamming. 9 Brilliant, this is Nirvana for you. The apathy, and anger, and youthful excitedness, the carelessness, the lack of polish or direction, all while being 'clean' in that it's intelligently done, and genuine. Great.


On A Plain - This picks up Perfectly, only this time, we have a song of the emotional and sentimental strength of Lithium again. Pure beauty. About overwhelming emotion, crippling emotion, and dealing with that emotion. Dealing with pain and emotion you can't even comprehend, and being totally ok with it. Confusion, anger, fear, hopelessness, and then happiness. Trying to deal with that happiness when you think you shouldn't be happy, and trying to figure out why you're so fucking crazy. Being totally ok with all of this, and figuring all of this out completely alone, no chick, no friends, just you in a dark room with yourself and your thoughts. 11 Best song ever. The guitar is hauntingly beautiful, distortion but not ridiculous amounts. Same simple chords done over and over, beautiful. Great drumming, matches well. Bass as well. "Love myself, better than you, I know it's wrong, so what should I do". Masterpiece.


Something In The Way - Beautiful ending song, same value to ending an album as Release on Pearl Jam's Ten. A soft, powerfully gripping ballad of something that overwhelms you. In this case, something that blocks you from completing something, or doing something you need to do. Thing's that stop you from doing something you really want to do, but don't want to cause others grief by doing. Self reflection. 10 Masterpiece. Great song. Beautiful.

Music isn't who makes it, it's what it means to us. It can be written by the biggest stoner/metalfreak/rapfag/whatever imaginable but if it mean's something to you and you find meaning and relevance in the lyrics, then it's music. Many bands can make songs that sound catchy and you listen to, but only a few can makes songs that are truly music. Say It Ain't So by Weezer, On A Plain by Nirvana, Release by Pearl Jam, The Unforgiven by Metallica, Under The Bridge by The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Santeria by Sublime, Sober by Tool, Good For You by Third Eye Blind, Creep by Radiohead, Big Empty by Stone Temple Pilots, Just Like Heaven and Close To Me by The Cure, What You Are by Audioslave, Little Wing by Jimi Hendrix, NYC by Interpol, Iris by Goo Goo Dolls, For All The Cows by Foo Fighters, Perfection Through Silence by Finch, Seattle by Fastball, Glycerine And Comedown by Bush, Idiot Wind or anything by Bob Dylan, and Sunshine by Alice In Chains, some songs that bands have made that are truly music.

So, whatever you may think about Nirvana or "grunge," give this album a chance, then try Bleach and In Utero.

Just make sure you forget all the stereotypes and give this one a real chance.

from: ultimate-guitar.com