MoeFOH's Album of the Week... Week #29

[MoeFOH]

MoeFOH's Album of the Week 🎶

Same as the movie thread, each week we're going to spotlight an album... be it a classic, new release, hidden gem, or outright turd... and open it for discussion: i.e. post up your favourite tracks, clips, lyrics, experiences if you saw live, etc... or dive deeper and give us a critique on why you think it's great, overrated, or a complete train wreck... And finally score it for us...  

All contributors go into a monthly prize draw for a 3-cigar sampler! 

PM me with suggestions if there's an album you want to nominate for next week's discussion. 

 

Week #29: Nevermind

Wiki says: 

Nevermind is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991, by DGC Records. It was Nirvana's first release on a major label and the first to feature drummer Dave Grohl. Produced by Butch Vig, Nevermind features a more polished, radio-friendly sound than the band's prior work. It was recorded at Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, California, and Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin in May and June 1991, and mastered that August at the Mastering Lab in Hollywood, California.

Written primarily by frontman Kurt Cobain, the album is noted for channeling a range of emotions, being noted as dark, humorous, and disturbing. Thematically, it includes anti-establishment views, anti-sexism, frustration, alienation and troubled love inspired by Cobain's broken relationship with Bikini Kill's Tobi Vail. Contrary to the popular hedonistic themes of drugs and sex at the time, writers have observed that Nevermind re-invigorated sensitivity to mainstream rock. According to Cobain, the sound of the album was influenced by bands such as Pixies, R.E.M., the Smithereens, and the Melvins. While the album is considered a cornerstone of the grunge genre, it is noted for its musical diversity, which includes acoustic ballads ("Polly" and "Something in the Way") and punk-inspired hard rock ("Territorial Pissings" and "Stay Away").

Nevermind became an unexpected critical and commercial success, charting highly on charts across the world. By January 1992, it reached number one on the US Billboard 200 and was selling approximately 300,000 copies a week. The lead single "Smells Like Teen Spirit" reached the top 10 of the US Billboard Hot 100 and went on to be inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Its video was also heavily rotated on MTV. Three other successful singles were released: "Come as You Are", "Lithium", and "In Bloom". The album was voted the best album of the year in Pazz & Jop critics' poll, while "Smells Like Teen Spirit" also topped the single of the year and video of the year polls. The album also garnered the band three Grammy Award nominations in total across the 34th and 35th Grammy Awards, including Best Alternative Music Album.

Nevermind and its singles' success propelled Nirvana to being widely regarded as the biggest band in the world, with Cobain being dubbed by critics as the "voice of his generation". The album brought grunge and alternative rock to a mainstream audience while ending the dominance of hair metal, drawing similarities to the early 1960s British Invasion of American popular music. It is also often credited with initiating a resurgence of interest in punk culture among teenagers and young adults of Generation X. It has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time. In March 1999, it was certified Diamond by the RIAA. Among the most acclaimed and influential albums in the history of music, it was added to the National Recording Registry in 2004 as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically important", and is frequently ranked on lists of the greatest albums of all time.

Over to you...

How do you rate it? 🤔

Thoughts, experiences, memories... post em' up! 

Score it out of 10!  

[MoeFOH]

 

[JohnS]

I remember the landscape of Popular Music changing overnight in 1991. Every Music Shop (yes, we still bought CDs in those days, LPs had just been phased out) had posters of Nirvana's Nevermind Album Cover everywhere!

Furthermore, I remember the videos for Lithium, Smells Like Teen Spirit, Come As You Are and In Bloom were on all the music TV shows in Australia too...like for ages!

Heaps of bands adopted a 'grunge' style sound for a few years after this album came out.

[M1B]

One of my favorite albums when I was younger and can still listen to it all the way through.  10/10

[BurstReynolds]

This album whales, even still. But I have to admit that when I listened to it a few weeks ago (first time in many years), it just didn’t hit the same way. For me it’s impact feels proportional to my level of angst while listening. Guess I’ve mellowed a bit. I can only give it a 7/10 and a lot of that owes to fond memories of this cd once claiming my discman as its place of residency. 

[Ford2112]

I remember one day browsing through some records and I saw this werid looking album cover, like a superimposed shot of a band playing ,reminded me of an Iggy Pop album or something,and I thought, "Nirvana? Great name. What the hell I'll try it". Bleach. None of my friends had ever heard of them. I was really into the Melvins at the time and Dale from the Melvins drummed on that album. I really liked the album a lot,and it remains my favorite Nirvana album along with Incesticide a close second. A month or 2 later Neverminde came out.

Yes it sounds a bit dated now but the impact of Nevermind is inestimable. Great drumming from Grohl,great riffage. Great vocals. Solid songwriting. 8/10 because it's 3rd on the list of Nirvana albums. 

Now the Melvins...10/10 lol

[Ken Gargett]

to my knowledge, i have never heard a single song on it. and could not have told you the name of one on pain of death. probably not likely to rate it that highly, then. 

[Edicion]

Somehow, if you weren't there I don't think you'll get it - type of music/album/band. I also don't think it will influence future generations musically, but I hope I'm wrong. 

Personally it's a 10/10 

I did also like their MTV unplugged session. Although it's debatable that it was not solely acoustic.

 

[joeypots]

Never listened to it. I could identify one song but I’d struggle to identify one other. I know it’s supposed to be great but I don’t seem to care.

[Cigar Surgeon]

Okay, well. At the risk of self promotion here, we did a 90s battle of the albums and it came down to Nevermind versus Ten (Pearl Jam) with Nevermind taking the win.

Then we did an entire album archaeology episode on it (2 hrs 15 min):

Listen here: https://cigarjukebox.com/2022/09/07/prime-time-jukebox-episode-76-episode-76-album-archaeology-9-nevermind-nirvana/

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHl8XpqRI7M

The TL;DR version is that some tracks have been played to death over the years, but the track itself is still brilliant. Some of the tracks are illuminating when you go back to them. And Kurt clearly needed some serious help to anyone who was paying attention. And what stands out is how the format change from vinyl to CD seemingly impacted the track order and the concept of a side A and side B

[Lewberry]

Man, it’s so incredible to see the greatness that Dave Grohl was able to achieve as an artist, following Nirvana. Did anyone watch all of the Taylor Hawkins Tribute show footage? Speechless.  Anyway, goes to show how amazing Kurt and Nirvana shaped and changed music for future generations. I grew up into this album even though it was a little before my time, it still resonates with me and influenced my music while I was growing up. 
Killer album, wore it out. 

[Doctorossi]

It underwhelmed me at first because it didn't feel different enough from their first album (which I adored). It didn't take long, though, until the excellent songwriting seeped in on a subconscious level and I fell in love with this one, too. 10/10.

[rolaand]

A pure gutteral exhibition that largely contributed to a movement. Although not particularly complex in terms of musicality virtuoso performances by Kurt Cobain and Dave Grohl are in full display. I gave it a re-listen since it has been quite a few years. I found myself recalling the next song at the end of nearly every track. Although their unplugged album is more my cup of tea; this album is a seminal work and is still just as listenable as I remember. 

9.42/10.00

[Ford2112]

If it were to have influenced future generations we wouldn't have the drivel they call rock music now. 

[La_Tigre]

Always preferred Soundgarden for grunge with some musicality. I get it though. 8/10

[JC67]

Not overly excited by this album... 6/10

[Chucko8]

Without a doubt full marks on this album for my mind. This album was pivotal at the time and undoubtedly helped to usher in grunge music and alternative rock to the main stream. As an 18 year old at the time I felt that this album along with Ten by Pearl Jam, were the voices of the generation. 

[Greenhorn2]

Great album. 9/10.

[Tdm_86]

Oh how many times I’ve listened to this album, played it to death all through my teenage years. I loved Bleach for it’s unpolished edges, Nevermind was more evolved and was kind of eye opening with songs like Something In The Way. All very in tune with the teenage angst.

I recently re-read Cobain’s biography Heavier Than Heaven by Charles R. Cross, accompanied by all the albums. I hadn’t really listened to Nirvana anymore in probably 10+ years. Recommended reading if you like(d) Nirvana, as it sheds some light on the trials and tribulations of it’s frontman. Goes to show how important mental and physical health are. 

If you’d asked me to rate Nevermind ‘back in the day’, no question it’d be a 10/10. Today it still is, even though I sparingly revisit it.