Nevermind
Studio album by Nirvana
Released	September 24, 1991
Recorded	May–June 1991 at Sound City Studios, Van Nuys and Devonshire, North Hollywood, California "Polly" recorded in April 1990 at Smart Studios, Madison, Wisconsin
Genre	Grunge
Length	42:36 (59:23 with "Endless, Nameless")
Label	DGC
Producer	Butch Vig
Professional reviews
Allmusic link Robert Christgau (A) link Entertainment Weekly (A-) link Q Rolling Stone 11/28/1991
Nirvana chronology
Bleach (1989) Nevermind (1991) In Utero (1993)
Singles from Nevermind
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" Released: September 1991 "Come as You Are" Released: March 1992 "Lithium" Released: July 1992 "In Bloom" Released: October 1992

Nevermind is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991. A studio album is an original collection of new tracks by a recording artist Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen Washington. Events 622 - Prophet Muhammad completes his hegira from Mecca to Medina. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. North Hollywood is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles California. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. " Polly " is a song by the American rock band Nirvana. Smart Studios is a Recording studio located on East Washington Avenue in Madison Wisconsin. Madison is the capital of the US state of Wisconsin and the County seat of Dane County. A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Geffen Records is an American Record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing Butch Vig (born Bryan David Vigorson, August 2, 1955, Viroqua, Wisconsin) is both a Record producer and the Drummer allmusic (previously All Music Guide) is a Metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide. Robert Christgau (born April 18 1942) is an American Essayist, Music journalist, and the self-declared "Dean of American Entertainment Weekly (sometimes abbreviated as EW) is a Magazine published by Time Inc Q is a Music Magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom, with a circulation of 130179 as of June 2007 Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen Washington. Bleach is the debut album by the American Alternative rock band Nirvana. For the Nirvana album see In Utero. In utero is a Latin term literally meaning "in the Uterus " " Smells Like Teen Spirit " is a song by the American rock band Nirvana. " Come as You Are " is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana, written by frontman Kurt Cobain. " Lithium " is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana, written by frontman Kurt Cobain. " In Bloom " is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen Washington. Events 622 - Prophet Muhammad completes his hegira from Mecca to Medina. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Produced by Butch Vig, Nevermind was the group's first release on Geffen Records, which signaled its move away from Seattle-based independent record label Sub Pop. Butch Vig (born Bryan David Vigorson, August 2, 1955, Viroqua, Wisconsin) is both a Record producer and the Drummer Geffen Records is an American Record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label An independent record label (or indie record label) is a Record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the Major record labels Sub Pop is an Independent record label (though funded and sharing distribution outlets with Warner Music founded by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman Front man Kurt Cobain sought to make music outside of the restrictive confines of the Seattle grunge scene, drawing influence from groups such as the Pixies and its use of loud/quiet song dynamics. Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20 1967 – c April 5 1994 was an American musician who served as lead singer, Guitarist, and songwriter for the Seattle Pixies are an American Alternative rock band formed in Boston Massachusetts in 1986

Nevermind was a surprise success by late 1991, largely due to the success of its lead single "Smells Like Teen Spirit". " Smells Like Teen Spirit " is a song by the American rock band Nirvana. By January 1992 it had replaced Michael Jackson's album Dangerous at number one on the Billboard charts. Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29 1958 is an American musician entertainer and businessman Dangerous was the first album Michael Jackson released in the 1990s (and his eighth on November 22 1991 See Billboard (Turkish magazine Billboard is a weekly American Magazine devoted to the Music industry Nevermind was responsible for bringing alternative rock to a large mainstream audience, and would subsequently be regarded as one of the best rock albums of all time. Alternative rock (also called alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative; known primarily in the UK as indie) is a genre of

Contents 1 Background 2 Recording and production 3 Release 3.1 Critical reception 3.2 Pressings and re-releases 4 Music 4.1 Lyrics 5 Packaging 6 Legacy 7 Track listing 8 Charts 8.1 Album 9 Personnel 10 See also 11 References 12 Notes 13 External links

Background

Nirvana was a band from Aberdeen, Washington, formed by Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic, that had signed to Seattle independent record label Sub Pop. Aberdeen (ˈæbɚdiːn is a city in Grays Harbor County Washington, United States, founded by Samuel Benn in 1884 Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20 1967 – c April 5 1994 was an American musician who served as lead singer, Guitarist, and songwriter for the Seattle Krist Anthony Novoselic II (born May 16, 1965) is an American rock musician best known as the Bassist for Nirvana. The group released its debut album Bleach in 1989, with Chad Channing on drums. Bleach is the debut album by the American Alternative rock band Nirvana. Chad Channing (born January 31 1967 in Bainbridge Island, WA) was a Drummer for the band Nirvana from 1988 until 1990 However, Channing left Nirvana in 1990, and the band was in need of a permanent drummer. After seeing a show by hardcore punk band Scream, Novoselic and Cobain were impressed by the group's drummer, Dave Grohl. Hardcore punk (now usually referred to as simply hardcore) is a subgenre of Punk rock that originated in North America in the late 1970s Scream was a Hardcore punk band from Washington DC active from 1981 to 1990. David Eric Grohl (born January 14 1969 is an American rock musician Singer and Songwriter. Following Scream's unexpected disbandment, Grohl contacted Novoselic, made his way to Seattle, and was soon invited to join the band. Novoselic said in retrospect that when Grohl joined the band, everything "fell into place". ^[1]

Meanwhile Cobain was writing a number of new songs. Feeling disillusioned by the heavy detuned rock popular in the Seattle grunge scene and which Sub Pop had built its image upon, Cobain at the time was listening to bands like R.E.M., The Smithereens, and the Pixies, and began writing more melodic songs as a result. REM is an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by Michael Stipe ( lead vocals) Peter Buck ( Guitar The Smithereens are a Rock band from Carteret, New Jersey, United States. Pixies are an American Alternative rock band formed in Boston Massachusetts in 1986 A key development was the single "Sliver", released on Sub Pop in 1990 (before Grohl joined the band), which Cobain said "was like a statement in a way. " Sliver " is a song by American Alternative rock band Nirvana. I had to write a pop song and release it on a single to prepare people for the next record. I wanted to write more songs like that. "^[2] Grohl said that the band at that point often made the analogy of likening their music to children's music, in that the band tried to make its songs as simple as possible. ^[1]

By the start of the 1990s Sub Pop was experiencing financial difficulties. With rumors that Sub Pop would sign up as a subsidiary for a major label, the band decided to "cut out the middleman" and start to look for a major label. ^[1] A number of labels courted the band, but Nirvana ultimately signed with Geffen Records based upon the recommendation of its management, who also managed the band's idols (and recent Geffen signings) Sonic Youth, and Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon. Sonic Youth is an American Alternative rock band formed in New York City in 1981 Kim Althea Gordon (born April 28, 1953) is an American musician vocalist and artist ^[3]

Recording and production

In the spring of 1990, Nirvana began planning its second album for Sub Pop, tentatively titled Sheep. For the album, Sub Pop head Bruce Pavitt suggested Butch Vig as a potential producer. Bruce Pavitt is the Chicago -born founder of Record label Sub Pop. Butch Vig (born Bryan David Vigorson, August 2, 1955, Viroqua, Wisconsin) is both a Record producer and the Drummer ^[1] Nirvana particularly liked Vig's work with Killdozer and called Vig up to tell him, "We want to sound as heavy as that record. Killdozer was the name of a Noise rock / Sludge metal band formed in Madison Wisconsin in 1983 with members Bill Hobson Dan Hobson and Michael "^[4] In April of 1990, the band travelled out to Vig's Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin to begin work on the album. Smart Studios is a Recording studio located on East Washington Avenue in Madison Wisconsin. Madison is the capital of the US state of Wisconsin and the County seat of Dane County. Most of the basic song arrangements were completed by that time, but Cobain was still working on lyrics and the band was unsure of which songs to record. ^[5] Ultimately, eight songs were recorded: "Immodium" (later retitled "Breed"), "Dive" (later released as the b-side to "Sliver"), "In Bloom", "Pay to Play" (eventually renamed "Stay Away" and given a new set of lyrics), "Sappy", "Lithium", "Here She Comes Now" (released on Velvet Underground Tribute Album: Heaven and Hell Volume 1), and "Polly". " In Bloom " is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. " Lithium " is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana, written by frontman Kurt Cobain. " Here She Comes Now "/" Venus in Furs " is a split single from the American rock bands Nirvana and The ^[6] The band had planned to record more tracks, but Cobain blew his voice out on "Lithium", forcing them to shut down recording. Vig was told that the band would come back to record more songs, but the producer didn't hear anything for a while. ^[1] Instead, the band used the sessions as a demo tape to shop for a new label. Within a few months, the tape was circulating amongst major labels, creating a buzz around the group. ^[7]

After signing to Geffen, a number of producers for the album were suggested, including Scott Litt, David Briggs, and Don Dixon, but Nirvana held out for Vig. Scott Litt is an American Record producer who mostly works with artists in the Alternative rock genre and is best known for producing six R David Briggs ( February 29, 1944 - November 26, 1995) was an American Record producer best known for his work with Neil Young Don Dixon is a Record producer, songwriter musician Bass guitarist and very occasional actor ^[8] Novoselic noted in 2001 that the band was already nervous about recording on a major label, since the producers suggested wanted percentage points for the album, and they optioned for Vig, whom they felt comfortable collaborating with. ^[9]

Afforded a budget of $65,000, Nirvana recorded Nevermind at Sound City Studios in Los Angeles, California in May and June of 1991. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. ^[10] Nirvana was originally set to record the album during March and April of 1991, but the date kept getting pushed back in spite of the band's anxiousness to begin the sessions. To pay for gas money to get to Los Angeles, Nirvana played a show where they played "Smells Like Teen Spirit" for the first time. " Smells Like Teen Spirit " is a song by the American rock band Nirvana. ^[1] The band sent Vig some rehearsal tapes prior to the sessions that featured the Smart Sessions songs along with some new ones, notably "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Come As You Are". " Come as You Are " is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana, written by frontman Kurt Cobain. ^[11]

When it arrived in California, Nirvana did a few days of pre-production where the band and Vig tightened up some of the song arrangements. ^[12] The only recording carried over from the Smart Studios sessions was the song "Polly", which included cymbal crashes performed by Chad Channing. Once recording commenced, the band worked eight to ten hours a day. The band members tended to take two or three tries at instrumental takes; if the takes weren't satisfactory at that point, they would move on to something else. ^[13] The group had rehearsed the songs so much before recording started that often only a few takes were needed. ^[9] Novoselic and Grohl finished their bass and drum track in a matter of days, but Cobain had to work longer on guitar overdubs, singing, and particularly lyrics (which sometimes were finished mere minutes before recording). ^[14] Cobain's phrasing was so consistent on various takes that Vig would mix the takes together to create overdubs. ^[13] Vig often had to trick Cobain, who was averse to performing multiple takes, into recording additional takes for overdubs. In particular, Vig convinced Cobain to double-track his vocals on the song "In Bloom" by telling him "John Lennon did it. John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (born "^[1] While the sessions went well generally, Vig said Cobain would become moody and difficult at times: "He'd be great for an hour, and then he'd sit in a corner and say nothing for an hour. "^[4]

After the recording sessions were completed, Vig and the band set out to mix the album. Audio mixing is the process by which a multitude of sound sources are combined into one or more channels However, after a few days, both Vig and the band members realized that they were unhappy with how the mixes were turning out. As a result, they decided to call in someone else to oversee the mixing, with DGC supplying a list of possible options. The list contained several familiar names, including Scott Litt (known for his work with R. Scott Litt is an American Record producer who mostly works with artists in the Alternative rock genre and is best known for producing six R E. M. ) and Ed Stasium (known for his work with The Smithereens). The Smithereens are a Rock band from Carteret, New Jersey, United States. However, Cobain feared that bringing in known mixers would result in the album sounding like the work of those bands. Instead, Cobain chose Andy Wallace (who had co-produced Slayer's 1990 album Seasons in the Abyss) from the bottom of the list. Andy Wallace is a Grammy Award -winning music studio engineer with a long track record of successful productions beginning with the early 1980s production of the Seasons in the Abyss is the fifth studio album by the Thrash metal band Slayer. ^[15] Novoselic recalled, "We said, 'right on,' because those Slayer records were so heavy. "^[16] Wallace ran the songs through various special effects boxes and tweaked the drum sounds, completing about one mix per day. ^[17] Both Wallace and Vig noted years later that upon hearing Wallace's work the band loved the mixes. ^[18] After the album's release members of Nirvana expressed dissatisfaction with the polished sound the mixer had given Nevermind. Cobain said in Come as You Are, "Looking back on the production of Nevermind, I'm embarrassed by it now. It's closer to a Mötley Crüe record than it is a punk rock record. Mötley Crüe ( IPA pronunciation: /'mɒtliː "^[17]

Nevermind was mastered on the afternoon of August 2 in The Mastering Lab in Hollywood, California. Mastering, a form of audio Post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a Data storage device Howie Weinberg started working alone when no one else showed up at the appointed time in the studio; by the time Nirvana, Andy Wallace, and Gary Gersh arrived, Weinberg had mastered most of the album. ^[19] One of the songs mastered at the session, a hidden track called "Endless, Nameless" intended to appear at the end of "Something in the Way", was accidentally left off initial pressings of the album. In the field of recorded music, a hidden track (sometimes secret track) is a piece of music which has been placed on a Compact disc, audio cassette Nevermind is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24 1991 Weinberg recalled, "In the beginning, it was kind of a verbal thing to put that track at the end. Maybe I misconstrued their instructions, so you can call it my mistake if you want. Maybe I didn't write it down when Nirvana or the record company said to do it. So, when they pressed the first twenty thousand or so CDs, albums, and cassettes, it wasn't on there. " When the band discovered the song's omission after listening to its copy of the album, Cobain called Weinberg and demanded he rectify the mistake. ^[20] Weinberg complied and added about ten minutes of silence between the end of "Something in the Way" and the start of the hidden track on future pressings of the album. ^[21]

Release

Nevermind was released on September 24, 1991 with 46,251 copies of the album shipped to American record stores;^[22] 35,000 copies were shipped in the United Kingdom, where Bleach had been successful. Events 622 - Prophet Muhammad completes his hegira from Mecca to Medina. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. ^[23] The lead single "Smells Like Teen Spirit" had been released on September 10th with the intention of being a base-building cut among alternative rock fans, while the next single "Come As You Are" would be the song that would possibly garner more attention. " Smells Like Teen Spirit " is a song by the American rock band Nirvana. ^[24] The band set out on a short American tour four days before the release date to support the album. Geffen Records hoped that Nevermind would sell around 250,000 copies, which was the same level the record company had achieved with Sonic Youth's Geffen debut Goo. Goo is an Album by Alternative rock band Sonic Youth, released on June 26, 1990. ^[25] The best estimate was that if the band, the management, and the label all worked really hard, the record could possibly be certified gold by September of 1992. ^[26]

The album debuted on the Billboard 200 at position 144, which was high enough for the album to also top the Heatseekers chart. The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard Top Heatseekers is a weekly albums chart introduced by Billboard in 1993 whose purpose is to highlight sales by new and developing musical recording artists ^[27][28] Geffen shipped about half of the initial US pressing to the American Northwest, where it sold out quickly and was unavailable for days. Geffen reputedly put production of all other albums on hold in order to fulfill demand in the region. ^[29] Nevermind was already selling well, but over the next few months the album momentum increased significantly as "Smells Like Teen Spirit" unexpectedly became more and more popular. The song's video had received a world premiere on MTV's late night alternative show 120 Minutes but it soon proved so popular that the channel began playing it during the day. MTV ( Music Television) is an American Cable television network based in New York City. ^[30] The record was soon certified gold, but the band was relatively uninterested in the achievement. Novoselic recalled, "Yeah I was happy about it. It was pretty cool. It was kind of neat. But I don't give a shit about some kind of achievement like that. It's cool—I guess. "^[31]

As the band set out for their European tour at the start of November 1991, Nevermind entered the Billboard Top 40 for the first time at number 35. By this point "Smells Like Teen Spirit" had become a genuine hit and the album was selling so fast none of Geffen's marketing strategies aimed at different sales levels could be enacted. Geffen president Ed Rosenblatt told the New York Times, "We didn't do anything. It was just one of those 'Get out of the way and duck' records. "^[32] Nirvana found as they toured Europe during the end of 1991 that the shows were dangerously oversold, television crews became a constant presence onstage, and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was almost omnipresent on radio and music television. ^[33]

Nevermind became Nirvana's first number one album on January 11, 1992, replacing Michael Jackson at the top of the Billboard charts. Events 1055 - Theodora is crowned Empress of the Byzantine Empire. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) ^[34] By this time Nevermind was selling approximately 300,000 copies a week. ^[35] "Come As You Are" was finally released as the second single in March of 1992; it peaked at number 32 on the Billboard charts. Two more singles, "Lithium" and "In Bloom," were released from the album. Nevermind eventually spent two hundred and fifty-two weeks on the Billboard 200. ^[36]

Nevermind was certified Gold and Platinum by the RIAA on November 27, 1991, and was certified Diamond on March 24, 1999. In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of Albums and singles sold through retail and In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of Albums and singles sold through retail and Events 1095 - Pope Urban II declares the First Crusade at the Council of Clermont Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Events 1401 - Mongol emperor Timur sacks Damascus. 1603 - James VI of Scotland Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) ^[37] It was also certified Diamond in Canada (1,000,000 units) by the CRIA on March 19, 2001. The Canadian Recording Industry Association is a Non-profit trade organization that was founded in 1964 to represent the interests of Canadian companies ^[38] By April 2007, Nevermind has sold 26 million copies worldwide. ^[39]

Critical reception

Upon the album's release, several mainstream newspapers and magazines gave Nevermind positive reviews. Karen Schoemer of The New York Times wrote, "With 'Nevermind,' Nirvana has certainly succeeded. There are enough intriguing textures, mood shifts, instrumental snippets and inventive word plays to provide for hours of entertainment. " Schoemer concluded, "'Nevermind' is more sophisticated and carefully produced than anything peer bands like Dinosaur Jr. and Mudhoney have yet offered. Mudhoney is an American Grunge band Formed in Seattle Washington in 1988 following the demise of Green River, Mudhoney has for the most of its recording "^[40] Entertainment Weekly gave Nevermind an A- rating, and reviewer David Browne argued that on Nevermind Nirvana "never entertain the notion" of wanting to sound "normal," compared to other contemporary alternative bands. Entertainment Weekly (sometimes abbreviated as EW) is a Magazine published by Time Inc ^[41] Rolling Stone gave the album three out of five stars; reviewer Ira Robbins wrote, "If Nirvana isn't onto anything altogether new, Nevermind does possess the songs, character and confident spirit to be much more than a reformulation of college radio's high-octane hits. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published "^[42] The Boston Globe was less enthusiastic about the album; reviewer Steve Morse wrote, "Most of Nevermind is packed with generic punk-pop that been done by countless acts from Iggy Pop to the Red Hot Chili Peppers," and added "the band has little or nothing to say, settling for moronic ramblings by singer-lyricist Cobain. The Boston Globe (and Boston Sunday Globe) is the most widely circulated daily Newspaper in Boston and in New England, James Newell Osterberg Jr (born April 21, 1947) better known by his Stage name Iggy Pop, is an American rock singer Songwriter Red Hot Chili Peppers are "^[43]

Nevermind was voted as the best album of the year in The Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics poll; "Smells Like Teen Spirit" also topped the single of the year and video of the year polls. This article is about a New York newspaper For the Ottawa Hills Ohio magazine see The Village Voice of Ottawa Hills. The Pazz & Jop critics' poll is a highly influential poll of music critics run by The Village Voice newspaper ^[44] Nevermind topped the poll by a large majority, and Village Voice critic Robert Christgau wrote in his companion piece to the poll, "As a modest pop surprise they might have scored a modest victory, like De La Soul in 1990. Robert Christgau (born April 18 1942) is an American Essayist, Music journalist, and the self-declared "Dean of American De La Soul is a Grammy Award-winning hip hop group They are best known for their eclectic sampling and quirky surreal lyrics and their contributions to the evolution Instead their multiplatinum takeover constituted the first full-scale public validation of the Amerindie values--the noise, the toons, the 'tude--the radder half of the [Pazz & Jop poll] electorate came up on. "^[45]

Nevermind has continued to garner critical praise since its release. The album was listed at number seventeen on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. ^[46] Time placed Nevermind, which writer Josh Tyrangiel called "the finest album of the 90s," on its 2006 list of "The All-TIME 100 Albums. Josh Tyrangiel is a journalist best known as the editor of TIME "^[47] In 2004, the Library of Congress chose Nevermind as one of fifty albums to be added to the National Recording Registry that year. The Library of Congress is the De facto National library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress The National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that "are culturally historically or aesthetically important and/or inform or reflect life in the United States

Pressings and re-releases

In 1996, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab released Nevermind on vinyl as part of its ANADISQ 200 series, and as a 24-carat gold CD. Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab ( MFSL or MoFi) is a company that produces reissues of classic albums A gramophone The KARAT (abbreviation "K" or 'Kt' or "KP" for Karat Plumb is a measure of the Purity of Gold Alloys. The CD pressings included "Endless, Nameless". The LP version sold out quickly of its limited pressing, but the CD edition stayed in print. ^[48] In 1999 the Nevermind album was re-released in a collectors box set with the 1993 album In Utero. For the Nirvana album see In Utero. In utero is a Latin term literally meaning "in the Uterus "

Music

Cobain, Nirvana's main songwriter, fashioned chord sequences that were based mainly around power chords and wrote songs that combined pop hooks with dissonant guitar rhythms. His aim for Nevermind's material was to sound like the "Bay City Rollers getting molested by Black Flag". The Bay City Rollers were a Scottish Pop/rock band of the 1970s Black Flag was a Hardcore punk band formed in 1977 in southern California, largely as the brainchild of Greg Ginn: the guitarist ^[49] Many of the songs on Nevermind feature shifts in dynamics, where the band changes from quiet verses to loud choruses. Dave Grohl said this approach originated during a four-month period prior to the recording of the album, where the band would experiment with extreme dynamics during regular jam sessions. ^[50]

Guitar World wrote, "Kurt Cobain's guitar sound on Nirvana's Nevermind set the tone for Nineties rock music. Guitar World is a monthly Music Magazine devoted to Guitarists It contains original interviews album and gear " On Nevermind, Cobain played a 1960s Fender Mustang, a Fender Jaguar with DiMario pickups, and a few Fender Stratocasters with humbucker bridge pickups. The Fender Mustang is an Electric guitar by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, introduced in 1964 as the basis of a major redesign of Fender's The Fender Jaguar is an Electric guitar which was introduced in 1962 The Fender Stratocaster, often referred to as the Strat, is a model of Electric guitar designed by Leo Fender, George Fullerton and Freddie Tavares The guitarist used distortion and chorus pedals as his main effects, the latter used to generate a "watery" sound on "Come as You Are" and the prechoruses of "Smells Like Teen Spirit". A chorus effect is A condition in the way people perceive similar sounds coming from multiple sources ^[51] Krist Novoselic tuned down his bass guitar one and a half steps to D flat "to get this fat-ass sound". ^[9]

Lyrics

Grohl said that Cobain told him, "Music comes first, lyrics come second," and Grohl believes that above all Cobain focused on the melodies of his songs. ^[1] Cobain was still working on the album's lyrics well into the recording of Nevermind. Additionally, Cobain's phrasing on the album is often difficult to understand. Vig asserted that clarity of Cobain's singing wasn't paramount. Vig said, "Even though you couldn't quite tell what he was singing about, you knew it was intense as hell. "^[1]

Charles R. Cross asserted in his 2001 biography of Kurt Cobain Heavier than Heaven that many of the songs written for Nevermind were about Cobain's dysfunctional relationship with Tobi Vail. Charles R Cross is a Rock music journalist and Author based in Seattle. Heavier Than Heaven is the name of a 2001 biography of musician Kurt Cobain, the lead singer of the grunge rock band Nirvana. Tobi Vail (born July 20 1969) is a Musician, influential DIY Punk zinester Activist, and Feminist theorist After the relationship ended, Cobain began writing and painting violent scenes that included hatred for himself and others. Songs written during this period were less violent, but still reflected an anger absent from many of Cobain's previous songs. ^[52] Cross argues Cobain wrote about a half dozen songs about Vail, including "Drain You", "Lounge Act", "Lithium", and "Smells Like Teen Spirit". Though "Lithium" had been written previous to Cobain knowing Vail, the lyrics of the song changed until it contained references to her; Cobain also said in an interview with Musician that "some of my very personal experiences, like breaking up with girlfriends and having bad relationships, feeling that death void that the person in the song is feeling–very lonely, sick. Musician (c1980–1999 was a monthly Magazine that covered news and information about American Popular music. "^[53]

Packaging

Nevermind had been tentatively titled Sheep by Cobain in what he saw as an inside joke towards the people he expected to buy the record. He wrote a fake ad for Sheep in his journal that read "Because you want to not; because everyone else is. "^[54] Novoselic said the title was inspired by the band's cynicism about the public's reaction to Operation Desert Storm. ^[9] Cobain grew tired of the title as recording sessions for the album were completed, and suggested to Novoselic that the new album be named Nevermind. Cobain liked the title because it was a metaphor for his attitude on life and was grammatically incorrect. ^[55]

The Nevermind album cover shows a baby swimming toward a US dollar bill on a fishhook. An album cover is the front of the packaging of a commercially-released audio recording product or Album. According to Cobain, he conceived the idea while watching a television program on water births with Grohl. Water birth is a method of giving birth, which involves immersion in warm water Cobain mentioned it to Geffen's art director Robert Fisher. Robert Fisher may refer to Robert Fisher (journalist, Canadian television and radio journalist Robert J Fisher found some stock footage of underwater births but they were too graphic for the record company. Also, the stock house that controlled the photo of a swimming baby that they subsequently settled on wanted $7,500 a year for its use, so instead Fisher sent a photographer to a pool for babies to take pictures. Five shots were yielded and the band settled on the image of a three-month-old infant named Spencer Elden, the son of the photographer's friend Rick Elden. CEvin Key The Dragon Experience (Spencer Eldenjpg|right|200px|thumb|2003 Elden at age 12 on the cover of cEvin Key’s The Dragon Experience ]] Spencer Elden (born However, there was some concern because Elden's penis was visible in the image. The penis (plural penises, penes Geffen prepared an alternate cover without the penis, as they were afraid that it would offend people, but relented when Cobain made it clear that the only compromise he would accept was a sticker covering the penis that would say "If you're offended by this, you must be a closet pedophile. "^[56]

The back cover of the album features a photograph of a rubber monkey in front of a collage created by Cobain. The collage features photos of raw beef from a supermarket advert, images from Dante's Inferno, and pictures of diseased vaginas from Cobain's collection of medical photos. Cobain noted, "If you look real close, there is a picture of Kiss in the back standing on a slab of beef. Kiss (also typeset as KISS) is an American rock band formed in New York City in December 1972 "^[57] The album's liner notes contain no complete song lyrics; instead, the liner contains random song lyrics and unused lyrical fragements that Cobain arranged into a poem. ^[58]

Legacy

Nevermind not only popularized the Seattle grunge movement, but brought alternative rock as a whole into the mainstream, establishing its commercial and cultural viability. Alternative rock (also called alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative; known primarily in the UK as indie) is a genre of ^[59] Nevermind's success surprised Nirvana's contemporaries, who felt dwarfed by its impact. Fugazi's Guy Picciotto later commented: "It was like our record could have been a hobo pissing in the forest for the amount of impact it had. Fugazi are an American alternative / post-hardcore band that formed in Washington D Guy Picciotto is an American musician from Washington DC. He is most widely known for his roles as the guitarist and vocalist for the groups Fugazi and Rites [. . . ] It felt like we were playing ukuleles all of a sudden because of the disparity of the impact of what they did". ^[60] In 1992, Jon Pareles of The New York Times described that in the aftermath of the album's breakthrough, "Suddenly, all bets are off. Jon Pareles is an American Journalist who is chief music critic at the arts section of the New York Times. No one has the inside track on which of dozens, perhaps hundreds, of ornery, obstreperous, unkempt bands might next appeal to the mall-walking millions". Record company executives offered large advances and record deals to bands, and previous strategies of building audiences for alternative rock bands had been replaced by the opportunity to achieve mainstream popularity quickly. ^[61]

Michael Azerrad argued in his Nirvana biography Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana (1993) that Nevermind marked the emergence of a generation of music fans in their twenties in a climate dominated by the musical tastes of the baby boomer generation that preceded them. Michael Azerrad is an American Author, Journalist and Musician. Come as You Are The Story of Nirvana is a 1993 Book by Michael Azerrad, covering the career of Nirvana from its inception Baby boomer is a term used to describe a person who was born during the Post-World War II baby boom between 1946 and 1964 Azerrad wrote, "Nevermind came along at exactly the right time. This was music by, for, and about a whole new group of young people who had been overlooked, ignored, or condescended to. "^[62] Rolling Stone wrote in it entry for Nevermind on its 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, "No album in recent history had such an overpowering impact on a generation -- a nation of teens suddenly turned punk -- and such a catastrophic effect on its main creator. "^[63]

Track listing

All songs were written by Kurt Cobain, except where noted.

1. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Cobain, Krist Novoselic, Dave Grohl) – 5:01
2. "In Bloom" – 4:14
3. "Come as You Are" – 3:39
4. "Breed" – 3:03
5. "Lithium" – 4:17
6. "Polly" – 2:57
7. "Territorial Pissings" – 2:22
8. "Drain You" – 3:43
9. "Lounge Act" – 2:36
10. "Stay Away" – 3:32
11. "On a Plain" – 3:16
12. "Something in the Way" – 3:55
    • "Endless, Nameless" (6:44) is a hidden track on some copies of the record. " Smells Like Teen Spirit " is a song by the American rock band Nirvana. Krist Anthony Novoselic II (born May 16, 1965) is an American rock musician best known as the Bassist for Nirvana. David Eric Grohl (born January 14 1969 is an American rock musician Singer and Songwriter. " In Bloom " is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. " Come as You Are " is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana, written by frontman Kurt Cobain. " Lithium " is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana, written by frontman Kurt Cobain. " Polly " is a song by the American rock band Nirvana. " Drain You " is a song by American grunge band Nirvana, and the eighth track from their 1991 breakthrough album Nevermind " On a Plain " is a song by the American rock band Nirvana.

Charts

Album

Charts (1991) Peak position Top Heatseekers 1 Finnish Album Charts 1 UK Albums Chart 7 Charts (1992) Peak position Billboard 200 1 Portugal Album Charts 1 Holland Albums Chart 2 ARIA Charts 2

Charts (1992) Peak position Switzerland Albums Chart 2 Austrian Albums Chart 2 Norwegian Albums Chart 2 New Zealand Albums Chart 2 Spanish Albums Chart 2 German Albums Chart 3 Hungarian Albums Chart 12 Sweden Albums Chart 13 Japanese Albums Chart 24

Personnel

• Kurt Cobain (appears on the credits for the "Monkey Photo" as Kurdt Kobain) – vocals, guitar, photography
• Krist Novoselic (credited as Chris Novoselic) – bass guitar, vocals
• Dave Grohl – drums, vocals
• Nirvana – co-producers, engineers:
• Butch Vig – co-producer, engineer
• Kirk Canning – cello on "Something in the Way"
• Chad Channing – cymbals on "Polly" (uncredited; song recorded when he was still in the band)
• Jeff Sheehan – assistant engineer
• Andy Wallace – mixing
• Howie Weinberg – mastering
• Michael Lavine – photography
• Robert Fisher – artwork, art direction, design, cover design
• Craig Doubet – assistant engineer, mixing
• Kirk Weddle – cover photo
• Spencer Elden – infant in cover photo

See also

• Nevermind It's an Interview
• Classic Albums - Nirvana - Nevermind

References

• Classic Albums—Nirvana: Nevermind [DVD]. The Billboard charts are music sales airplay and digital ranking reports distributed to the general public by Billboard magazine The UK Albums Chart is a list of Albums ranked by sales in the United Kingdom. The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20 1967 – c April 5 1994 was an American musician who served as lead singer, Guitarist, and songwriter for the Seattle The guitar is a Musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles Krist Anthony Novoselic II (born May 16, 1965) is an American rock musician best known as the Bassist for Nirvana. The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the David Eric Grohl (born January 14 1969 is an American rock musician Singer and Songwriter. A drum kit (also drum set or trap set) is a collection of Drums Cymbals and sometimes other Percussion instruments such as cowbells In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing Audio engineering is a part of audio science dealing with the recording and reproduction of Sound through mechanical and electronic means Butch Vig (born Bryan David Vigorson, August 2, 1955, Viroqua, Wisconsin) is both a Record producer and the Drummer The violoncello (abbreviated to cello, or 'cello, plural cellos or celli —the c is tʃ Chad Channing (born January 31 1967 in Bainbridge Island, WA) was a Drummer for the band Nirvana from 1988 until 1990 Cymbals are a modern percussion instrument Cymbals consist of thin normally round plates of various Cymbal alloys; see Cymbal making for a discussion of their Michael Lavine (born October 13, 1963, San Francisco CA) grew up in Denver Colorado, and graduated from Denver's South High School in 1981 CEvin Key The Dragon Experience (Spencer Eldenjpg|right|200px|thumb|2003 Elden at age 12 on the cover of cEvin Key’s The Dragon Experience ]] Spencer Elden (born Nevermind It's an Interview is the only officially released Nirvana interview CD Classic Albums - Nirvana - Nevermind was a documentary DVD released by Eagle Vision in March 2005 as part of the Classic Albums series Isis Productions, 2004.
• Azerrad, Michael. Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana. Doubleday, 1993. ISBN 0-385-47199-8
• Berkenstadt, Jim; Cross, Charles. Classic Rock Albums: Nevermind. Schirmer, 1998. ISBN 0-02-864775-0
• Cross, Charles. Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain. Hyperion, 2001. ISBN 0-7868-8402-9
• Sandford, Christopher. Kurt Cobain. Carroll & Graff, 1995. ISBN 0-7867-1369-0

Notes

External links

• Nevermind at Google Music

Preceded by Dangerous by Michael Jackson	Billboard 200 number-one album January 11 - January 17, 1992	Succeeded by Ropin' the Wind by Garth Brooks
Preceded by Ropin' the Wind by Garth Brooks	Billboard 200 number-one album February 1 - February 7, 1992	Succeeded by Ropin' the Wind by Garth Brooks

Google Inc is an American public corporation, earning revenue from advertising related to its Internet search, e-mail, online Dangerous was the first album Michael Jackson released in the 1990s (and his eighth on November 22 1991 Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29 1958 is an American musician entertainer and businessman The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard These are the Billboard magazine number one albums of 1992, per the Billboard 200. Events 1055 - Theodora is crowned Empress of the Byzantine Empire. Events 38 BC - Octavian marries Livia Drusilla. 1287 - King Alfonso III of Aragon invades Minorca Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Ropin' the Wind is American Country music artist Garth Brooks ' third album released on Tuesday September 10, 1991. Troyal Garth Brooks, known professionally as Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American Country music Singer-songwriter. The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard These are the Billboard magazine number one albums of 1992, per the Billboard 200. Events 1327 - Teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Events 457 - Leo I becomes emperor of the Byzantine Empire. 1074 - Battle of Montesarchio in which the Prince Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar)

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic