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39 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Accept it or not, it molded the 90's, October 3, 2002
By A Customer
Nirvana's Nevermind sounds so cliche and overplayed today because a million and one bands have ripped off their innovative sound that molded grunge and rock music for the better. The musicianship of the album isn't complicated for the mostpart, as "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Come As You Are" are typical songs for the early guitarist, but the song writing and arrangements are so well done that the need for anything profound and complex is immediately thrown out. Nirvana was a band who were great at what they did, needing only their honesty and emotion to get them across, not flashy 80's solos and glam attire.Kurt Cobain's guitar work, as stated, was not complex, but was interesting, new, innovative, creative, and original, as he was one of the first artists to begin using the rhythm guitar to lead the melody without the choppy leads of 80's hair metal. His chord progressions are simple and basic for a large portion of the album, but throughout the entire recording his technique stays true to form, using original flowing riffs to carry the song when he does use his instrument as a lead. Kurt Cobain's guitar style has essentially motivated and shaped how the instrument has been used since 1991 and almost all of rock's song writing processes today. In equal impressiveness alongside his guitar skill are Cobain's lyrics and his vocal stylings, which always have an underwritten sense of urgency and need in them, supporting the hurt heard in his voice. Although he did not possess one of the greatest voices in music, and still does not, he used his singing well with the music, fitting the musicianship and instrumentation perfectly. Chris Novoselic's bass lines are upbeat, catchy, and just as sincere as Kurt's guitar playing, his instrument carrying a melody all of its own instead of just following the bass drum and staying in the background, once again breaking away from the rock and metal stylings of the previous decade. Truly standout. Alongside him on the rhythm is Dave Grohl, who should've stuck with the drums instead of moving onto fronting the Foo Fighters in later years and taking up guitar duties. His drumming is solid and top notch on Nevermind, showing him at his best on the instrument he shines with. Standout tracks in addition to the first six, all of which were hit singles, are "On A Plain" and "Something In The Way"'s acoustic strummings. One of the greatest albums of the 90's. You may think Nirvana is getting a bit old now and the sound too cliche, but try to listen from a perspective when all this was new to the scene and you will feel the truly groundbreaking effect on you it was meant to have.
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214 of 263 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nearly A Decade Later......., September 9, 2000
.......and "Nevermind" still sounds fresh. How? Nirvana were just that damn good. Dave Grohl's drumming was not only powerful, but lightning-speed fast (my personal pick for the greatest drummer ever). Krist Novoselic's bass skills were amazing, melodic, furious, and catchy. And Kurt Cobain, well, what can't you say about the guy? I can sit here and say all these great (and true) things about Kurt, but I'll leave it at this: there is a reason Kurt is a legend, and this was proven numerous times before his unfortunate passing. All the classics are here, "In Bloom", "Lithium", "Come As You Are" (my personal favorite from the band), and, of course, "Smells Like Teen Spirit". But the album as a whole is amazing. "Drain You" is one of the best Alternative songs ever made. "Breed", "Territorial Pissings", and "Stay Away" are punk rock perfection. "Something In The Way" is haunting (it's far superior on their "Unplugged In New York" album), while "Polly" is a glimpse of Cobain's "softer" side at it's best. Even the worst ones here, "Lounge Act" and "On A Plane", are better than anything Creed will ever do (I guess that isn't saying much, but you get the point, those two songs are still brilliant). Cobain was a brilliant singer-songwriter, he could be filled with rage and self-doubt one second ("Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Something In The Way") and be funny the next ("Breed" and "Lithium"). From lines like "Here we are now, entertain us" to "I'm so ugly, that's okay, 'cause so are you", not many could even come close to the talent of Kurt Cobain. From start to finish, Nirvana made one of those rare albums that manages to pull everything out of the bare essentials (guitars, bass, drums) and make an absolute classic out of it. Some of these songs sound better on the band's live albums, and even "In Utero" was just as good as "Nevermind" (despite what some say), and even those two albums put together could not equal "Unplugged In New York"; but this still stands as a landmark for not only rock, but music in general. It was talent beyond anything mortal, that's for sure.
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47 of 57 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Easily The Most Important Album Of The 90's, June 7, 2000
Is there any doubt that this is the landmark album of the 1990's? Some might say this distinction belongs to Dr. Dre's THE CHRONIC, Beck's ODELAY, Pearl Jam's TEN, or even Radiohead's OK COMPUTER, but NEVERMIND has to be the choice. The entire genre of rock throughout the 90's was based on this record with every band trying to recapture its memorable sound and market appeal. Of course "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was the anthem that started the alternative revolution, but there's quality in many other songs here besides just this. I'm not sure why, but "Something In The Way" has always stood out to me with its gentle, yet sad mood. The haunting "Come As You Are" will always remain an emotional track because of the circumstances that would follow a few years later. The true punk roots of Nirvana are shown well in "Territorial Pissings," which is possibly the most brutal and emotional song I've ever heard. "In Bloom" and "Lithium" became MTV and radio staples for good reason since they displayed with a vengenace that NEVERMIND had much more depth beyond its well-known first hit. My final favorite, among many, would be "Polly" because of its mid-tempo pace and hummable chorus that isn't buried amongst the guitars. It's a shame to see about ten copies of this CD in every used record store I walk into because it should be a part of any fan's collection who has absoluely the slightest interest at all in rock, metal, punk, or power-pop music.
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