Monday, February 22, 2010

Nevermind


Man, now I feel old. I watched a VH1 program about classic albums, and Nirvana's Nevermind was profiled. First, it's the Police being played on classic rock stations, and now this.

That opus came out in '91. I have always enjoyed the album, especially the songs "Lithium, "Stay Away," and "Something in the Way." But, hell, the whole dang thing is solid.

I still listen to grunge because, well, it's damn fine music. Pearl Jam still does good work, and Soundgarden has always had a special place in my troubled soul. The folks who did the profile of the album really showcased how Cobain was quite a singer, much better than I had realized. As a lyricist, he certainly didn't care much for linear structure, and as Dave Grohl pointed out in the program, Cobain's mantra was "the music, then the lyrics."

So while the lyrics are interesting thought-collages, there are songs such as "Breed and "Territorial Pissings" and "Something in the Way" that really connected to lots of folks on a visceral level. Cobain and the lyrics he bore presented the alienation that people felt, and the music rocked.

Thank goodness Nevermind kicked the music business "in the balls," as one person in the program related.

2 comments:

Justin Evans said...

If you don't mind me barging in on your blog (I am a friend of Sandy's) I have always loved Mudhoney, and for me, they are the essence of grunge.

Quintilian B. Nasty said...

Hi Justin. That's one under-appreciated band for sure.
I've always like Soundgarden the most out of that scene.