Nevermind is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991. Nevermind was never meant to change the world, but you can never predict when the Zeitgeist will hit, and Nirvanas second album turned out to be the place where alternative rock crashed into the mainstream. This wasnt entirely an accident, either, since Nirvana did sign with a major label, and they did release a record with a shiny surface, no matter how humongous the guitars sounded. And, yes, Nevermind is probably a little shinier than it should be, positively glistening with echo and fuzzbox distortion, especially when compared with the black-and-white murk of Bleach. This doesnt discount the record, since its not only much harder than any mainstream rock of 1991, its character isnt on the surface, its in the exhilaratingly raw music and haunting songs. Kurt Cobains personal problems and subsequent suicide naturally deepen the dark undercurrents, but no matter how much anguish there is on Nevermind, its bracing because he exorcizes those demons through his evocative wordplay and mangled screams -- and because the band has a tremendous, unbridled power that transcends the pain, turning into pure catharsis. And thats as key to the records success as Cobains songwriting, since Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl help turn this into music that is gripping, powerful, and even fun (and, really, theres no other way to characterize Territorial Pissings or the surging Breed). In retrospect, Nevermind may seem a little too unassuming for its mythic status -- its simply a great modern punk record -- but even though it may no longer seem life-changing, it is certainly life-affirming, which may just be better. Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Posted on: Wed, 24 Sep 2014 06:40:25 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015