CB was pushed towards this album by a writer/musician, John Armstrong. Living in the Pacific Northwest he had his finger on the music pulse in the area. I can’t remember exactly what he wrote about this album other than he liked it. That was enough for me to go and grab it.
Right from the opening track I dug the music. CB likes hard rock and this is what he got. The band explodes. Hard, aggressive, good vocals and lyrics. Really liked the sound these guys were making and that was just the first song. The songs just keep coming making one very good album. It doesn’t stop. I really liked Cobain’s guitar.
This was a fresh sound and Armstrong knew what CB would like. It was just hard rock that appealed to me. I had no preconceived ideas so I was going at it with fresh ears. I never heard the “grunge” term used, I think that came later. ‘Come As You Are’ is just a really cool tune. Three guys making some really good noise! ‘Nevermind’ is an album that really grabbed me. Nirvana was a band that also grabbed me. Music needs a kick in the ass once in a while . Nirvana kicked it.
I liked this album then and still like it today. It’s about the music for me and this is some good stuff. So there are some good opinions out there, you just have to find them (Like I find from you folks). I like discovering good new music and this was some of that.
(John Armstrong was part of The Vancouver music scene back when. Check out this clip of a band he was in.)
Dunno if any guitar rock album since has had an impact anyway near as big as this one had. Immediate changing of the guard.
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The proof is in the listening of this record. I’m a fan of good hard rock and this delivers with that guitar you mention and a whole lot more. The boys came up with a great sound. Know nothing of where they were drawing it from but I can hear influences all over. They put it though their ideas and come up with this!
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“Nevermind” came out in the early ninety’s and Nirvana was just an group of musicians that were true to themselves and their music. It was a different time back then, when Michael Jackson got booted off the top of the chart’s with this album, and some real instrumental music finally got more exposure.
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“True to themselves and their music”, yeah I like that. I had no idea how high this made it on the “charts” but I do know that the band got popular and found that hard. To bad because they were good. They rocked hard.
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I think”Nevermind” was a part of the original music of the ninety’s, heck it was some kind of a musical revolution. More and more alternative radio stations started to playing Nirvana and finally the face of MTV changed.
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A classic album. Number 17 on Rolling Stone’s Top 500. “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” What a great way to kick off an album. My son’s favorite band and he was, like, six months old when Cobain died.
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Earl digs this band also. Just a good solid record Doc. I like when guys like Cobain riff on the guitar. No pretense just let it rip. Nice to hear people play like it isn’t a technical test.
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I’ve never come across the annswer to this. CB, I hope you know: Grohl was a powerhouse drummer in Nirvana. How come he switched to guitar with Foo Fighters?
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No idea Neil. I never got into the makings of the band. I did watch a documentary on Cobain and his girl friend. Not a real lift me up watch. Grohl was absent from any kind of comment in the film. That always tells a story. I like Grohl’s energy.
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Hi CB,
I love Nirvana, and although I haven’t reviewed any of their albums, I did go through a Spring Fling a couple of years ago with films about Kurt Cobain, if you care to read:
“Come as you are” is my favourite of theirs. Cya!
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Liked your review. Probably more than I would like the film. I watched a doc a while ago on Cobain. Mentioned it to yeah another blogger. Hard to watch addicts going through their shit. Despite that stuff I really like the music Cobain made with the band. Thanks for the heads up. Maybe one day I’ll catch this film
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This was such a huge album for me, CB.. but I didn’t really hear it or get onboard until after Cobain died. Just before the release of Unplugged, actually. But man, they opened doors to all sorts of great music and bands. That ‘Seattle Scene’.
I don’t listen to it much now, right enough. I don’t know why, really… great bunch of songs and catchy as hell!
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I don’t listen to it a lot but when I do it always sounds good. Yeah I’m lucky I have a built in “stay away from the hype and bullshit meter”. The review I read by Armstrong was good. I trusted the guy. If I listened to the crap written about bands I wouldn’t listen to them. Isn’t your buddy Lanegan from the same area? I picked up on him with the Screaming Trees then the ‘Whiskey’ album. I also like Mudhoney from that group of bands.
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Yeah, I like so many of those bands, too – Tad, Melvins, Soundgarden, The Trees… The Afghan Whigs. The latter two being two of my absolute favourite bands ever.
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I have to give the ‘Wings’ a go just on your recommendation. Which one do I start with?
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Black Love is my favourite. Just. 1965 is great, too. Some people argue that Gentlemen is the essential album. I’d recommend all of them… but Black Love is quite the album.
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Noted. Thanks. Just been listening to great album. I’ll spring it on you at a later date.
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I’ll look forward to it.
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The ears do the choosing for me on this one. It’s good
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I go in and out of love with this album. Right now I am out… I played it recently and it just hit me wrong. I dunno. But there’s an old original of it in my car, ready and waiting for when I try it again down the road and love it again.
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I don’t have that problem. I love everything and everybody. Well just about. I was over at your page today. I’ll pop in tomorrow and mouth off on some of your takes.
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For some reason, I never really got into Nirvana – at the time, I felt their music was a notch too hard and too dissonant for my taste.
Nowadays I have to say “Smells Like Team Spirit” is a hell of a song – I love the ups and downs on that track and the taunting guitar intro that cuts like a knife. I also agree “Come As You Are” is a gem. Additionally, the cover artwork must be among the most memorable of the ‘90s and perhaps ever.
BTW, I also dig Nirvana’s unplugged version of “The Man Who Sold The World.” It gives me the creeps, but in a good way, if that makes sense.
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All well said Christian. It was the “hard and dissonant” sound that caught my ear. The whole sound on the unplugged album has that vibe you mention. ‘In The Pines’ is very moody.
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In the meantime on my way to work I’ve actually listened to most of the Nevermind album.
I have to say the dissonant melodies of Nirvana’s tunes are catchy in a very unusual way. The songs also have terrific dynamic with intriguing ups and downs.
This is a band I should probably further explore! I feel there’s more to them than just grunge, which generally isn’t much my thing.
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When I first heard them the word “grunge” wasn’t around (or I was unaware of it). Your second paragraph captures their sound. I thought they rocked hard and put their spin on a music that had been around for years. I like when musicians take what’s old and add their feel.
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