A cultural milestone (Nevermind - Nirvana)

Member Name: shaneo632

Product:	Nevermind - Nirvana
Date:	13/09/09 (5 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Grungey and raw

Disadvantages: None

Nevermind is a vital album for any grunge fan in as much as it represents a zeitgeist and a slice of pop culture - the iconography contained within each song is reflective of the 1990s music in general, and of course of the furore that Kurt Cobain and his bandmates started, influencing bands including Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. This album was immensely successful upon its release and saw Kurt and the rest of the band shoot to fame virtually overnight, largely thanks to the lead single, Smells Like Teen Spirit. Above all else, it's perhaps something of a depressing reminder of a talent gone far beyond his time, although of course there's no escaping the fact that musically speaking, Nirvana are very rough around the edges, but again, this is largely part of their charm, and how they reflected an entire section of society that were bored and fed up is hugely impressive.

There are so many famous songs on this album, from the aforementioned song which just makes you want to jump around, to In Bloom, which had a hilarious musical video made for it by the way, Come As You Are, which ironically remarks, "No, I don't have a gun", and also the famous song Lithium, which is largely incomprehensible but nevertheless great.

It isn't relentlessly fast paced, though - Polly is a bit slower going, although the only slow one on the album really. Breed attempts to move away from the grunge element and be a bit more rock-like, but through and through the best known tracks on this album are the grunge track which, of course, all became singles.

This is a vital cultural milestone and possibly the best testament to Cobain's talent as a musician - this is raw, gritty, and powerfully speaks to its audience who were fed up with the duldrums and pomposity of the 1980s.

Summary: Great album