FEATURE:
The Lockdown Playlist
IN THIS PHOTO: Nirvana (Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl) in 1991/PHOTO CREDIT: Anton Corbijn
Nirvana’s Nevermind at Thirty: Songs from the Best Albums of 1991
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SINCE I have already put out…
a feature regarding the thirtieth anniversary of Nirvana’s Nevermind, I am going to approach the album from a different angle. The iconic second studio album from the Seattle band, Nevermind was released on 24th September, 1991. Produced by Butch Vig, it was Nirvana's first release to feature drummer Dave Grohl – who, to me, instantly transforms their sound and elevates the music significantly to what we heard on 1989’s Bleach. Nevermind is noted for a more polished, radio-friendly sound than the band's prior work. Some people say that, unlike Bleach and Nevermind’s follow-up, In Utero, Nevermind is less representative of the band and more commercial. Reaching number one on the U.S. album chart and kicking off with the decade-defining single, Smells Like Teen Spirit, Nevermind is a masterpiece. I am going to round this feature off by uniting songs from the best albums of 1991. Although Nevermind helped define the year and shook musical foundations, there were some other phenomenal albums released that year. I think I have done a 1991 playlist before but, as I am thinking of a legendary album from that year, I will do a deeper dive and combine deep cuts from year-ruling albums. First, I want to bring in a review of Nevermind from NME.
“NIRVANA DO here what Sonic Youth did so emphatically with 'Goo' last year - making the move from cult indie to major label with not as much as a hiccup. In fact, just as the Sonics impressed and outstripped the sceptics' expectations, Nirvana have made an LP which is not only better than anything they've done before, it'll stand up as a new reference point for the future post-hardcore generation.
For starters, this makes a refreshing change from the recent crop of groups - both British and American - who've used the Dinosaur Jr/Husker Du sound as their base starting point. Nirvana's rawk, instead, draws upon their roots in Sub Pop grunge, but also takes in chunks of heavy '70s bass/guitars and ideology.
Normally, this would spell the sort of appalling disaster you'd usually associate with ITV's autumn schedules, but Nirvana, in their defence, have attacked rock and changed the format. This is monstrous in the sense of a good drama series, rather than a cheap US thriller. While various American grunge bands seem content to slosh around in their respective hardcore genres - albeit with some success and lucidity - Nirvana have opted out of the underground without wimping out of the creative process.
'Nevermind' is a record for people who'd like to like Metallica, but can't stomach their lack of melody; while on the other hand it takes some of the Pixies' nous with tunes, and gives the idea new muscle. A shock to the system. Tracks like the excellent 'In Bloom' and best of the lot, 'Come As You Are', show a dexterity that combines both a tension and a laid-back vibe that work off each other to produce some cool, constructed twists and turns.
'Come As You Are' has something eerie about it, while opening track (and forthcoming single) 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' has a 'Goo'ey feeling inherent in its lurching structure. At other times, the threesome lean into thrashier territory with the berserk 'Territorial Pissings' and screaming-pop of 'Breed'.
This is the natural progression from their debut LP 'Bleach', exploring different avenues. They are less specific lyrically than SY, sometimes annoyingly so, but yet they still produce these vivid moods with 'Drain You', 'Polly' and the closing, quieter 'Something In The Way'.
'Nevermind' is the big American alternative record of the autumn. But better still, it'll last well into next year”.
To mark thirty years of one of the best albums ever, the playlist below takes two deeper cuts from Nevermind, joined by tracks from the very best albums of 1991. One hell of a year for music, you can get a good sense of the sounds, bands and artists who defined 1991. Happy thirtieth to Nirvana’s Nevermind! It is an album that still resounds and influences many…
TO this day.