Probably my all time favourite band. I really don't know what to say. All the three albums they put out and other great stuff like Incesticide are always on my iPod. I've been collecting Nirvana stuff on vinyl too, so I'm always open for trade / sale.
This year I bought the remastered Nevermind and Live at the Paramount Blu-ray, both are amazing, so you should check them out if you like this band!
I'm comparing to my original cd copy from when I was a kid. 92 or so? This new brickwalled master has no balls. I don't know about a 2009 master, but sometimes they need to leave "classic" and "perfect" alone IMO
I actually find myself liking all three albums. I can't really decide on a favorite one.
It really isn't easy, I know. After listening all three albums in a row: I think the mood and sound of In Utero is the best. It still sounds fresh. Well, it's Albini.
It really isn't easy, I know. After listening all three albums in a row: I think the mood and sound of In Utero is the best. It still sounds fresh. Well, it's Albini.
Now that you've mentioned it, I think that most of my favorites are actually on In Utero. I loved that album, but Bleach is also great too. It also depends on my mood as usual. I also like Nevermind for being the catchiest of the three.
I generally agree. As the years have gone on, the releases have gotten increasingly suspect
Unplugged in New York: Brilliant. A haunting, poignant last will and testament from a young artist who died far too young.
Muddy Banks of the Wishkah: Not bad. Would have been nice to have one complete show instead of a smattering of live performances from through the years, but still a good live document of Nirvana at the time.
Greatest Hits (Nirvana): Not really necessary, but I can understand the platform for Kurt's final song being unveiled. Anyone who bought this already had the other songs on their respective albums long ago. This was a compromise between Courtney, Dave and Krist.
Journals: Ghoulish and unnecessary, but entertaining as well. I'm not going to lie and say I don't own a copy of this. Like you said, nothing too revealing about his personal life. But this is definitely the point where it became obvious Kurt and Nirvana were now a brand being exploited for profit.
With The Lights Out boxset: I hold this one in high praise because it had a lot of worthwhile stuff on it and fans had been clambering for this kind of thing since the moment Kurt died. It was band endorsed and many of the recordings were of a much higher quality than the bootlegs that had already been circulating for years. A holy grail for Nirvana fans, no question.
Sliver - The Best of the Box: Okay...seriously?
Live at Reading: It's hard to argue with this release; it was a historic concert for the band and is legendary amongst their fans. Whoever created this package did a really nice job, too. I'd been listening to this on bootleg for years prior, so hearing it so loud and crisp came as a bit of a shock, but not in a bad way. Plus, this came out in that glorious November of 2009 when Live at Reading, The Foo's Greatest Hits and Them Crooked Vultures' debut all landed at the same time. Grunge was alive and well again.
Icon (Greatest Hits): *facepalm*
Nevermind 20th Anniversary remaster: Inevitable. No hardcore Nirvana fan was going to turn this away. Brickwall Bob Ludwig did his usual horrific remastering job -- managing to distort and clip fucking boombox cassette demos included with this set. Even
@seasonsinthesky
can't defend this one. But overall, a beautiful package. Plus, the "Live at Paramount" DVD that was long-sought was finally released as well.
In Utero 20th Anniversary remaster: Inevitable. The Albini mixes are inconsequential because only a true fanatic is going to be able to discern the differences in the mix, but whatever. It also had the complete "Live and Loud" show, at last.
Montage of Heck: Again, the documentary-collage thing was interesting and has its place in Cobain legacy. But the accompanying album signifies the nadir in exploiting the guy's name. Read the reviews online and people are appalled by this barrel-scraping. What more can there possibly be, save for whatever obligatory live releases are out there? Maybe release the band's final concert or final filmed performance for the 25th anniversary of his death, but other than that, leave it be already.
I generally agree. As the years have gone on, the releases have gotten increasingly suspect
This is kinda obvious when you think about it, anything worthwhile has already been unearthed and released long ago. The further we go on, the less valid material there is for the bottom feeders to attempt to monetize. Same phenomenon can be see with Tupac and Biggie Smalls. That said, MoH soundtrack is one of the worst posthumous releases I've ever come across. EVER.
On Frances, I'm not denying she made a terrible decision in authorising the release of MoH. I just think it's a bit unrealistic to expect someone with her upbringing to be some great champion of artistic integrity. She's surely gotta have some sizable chips on those shoulders.
The Paramount blu-ray is all kinds of fucked up. Wide reports have steady popped up since it's release last year about it being insanely out of sync. I bought it day-1 and lost my receipt, which sucks because it's absolutely unwatchable.
In Utero is definitely Nirvana's best album, and sadly in a couple of years when it gets it's 20th anniversary, it won't be nearly as big of a deal as the Neveremind re-release. In Utero also doesn't even need a remaster either. Albini made that album sound PERFECT.
Definitely more Bob Weston than Albini on IN UTERO.
More of a BLEACH and INCESTICIDE fan, IN UTERO has too much smacked out filler. "Milk It", "Tourettes" and the execrable "Rape Me" make it so I can't listen to the entire album in one go without skipping tracks, unlike all their other releases.
Today in 1992 Nirvana performed at the NBC Studios for Saturday Night Live. On the same day Nevermind went #1 on the chart knocking Michael Jackson’s “Dangerous” off the top spot. Everything started to change. Exactly 20 years ago.
Today in 1992 Nirvana performed at the NBC Studios for Saturday Night Live. On the same day Nevermind went #1 on the chart knocking Michael Jackson’s “Dangerous” off the top spot. Everything started to change. Exactly 20 years ago.
Yes but it didn't last long really...2 years after your event markers then it was over.
I have a love/hate relationship with Nirvana. Sometimes I think they are brilliant but most of the time I find them grossly overrated and my least favorite of the group they are usually slumped into (Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains..etc) as far as my frequency of listening and fandom. Though I must say I own and love my 20th anniversary edition Bleach. My favorite. I like handfuls of songs from their other albums but I wouldn't call myself a huge fan of all they have.
I don't think they'd be considered as popular and 'influential' as they are now if Kurt hadn't committed suicide. But that's just me.
^^ Out of curiosity, were you around (and old enough to be fully aware of the general hair metal music crap scene) when Nevermind came out? And the impact it had? The HUGE impact it had?
At the time, I thought Nirvana was sent by Jesus to save rock.
Seriously, even MTV completely changed. The video for "Smells Like Teen Spirit," with the cheerleaders with hairy armpits and all that? It was, like, HOLY FUCK, TOTO, WE AIN'T IN WHITE SNAKE KANSAS, ANYMORE.
I mean, really, THIS in 1992, unless you were there, you cannot possibly imagine:
Kurt was fucking brilliant. If you have any doubts, read his journals. It's one of my favorite books.
It's really nice to see some unabashed Nirvana love.
I can't say I listen to them nearly as much as I did growing up (they were definitely one of my absolute favorite bands back then), but I do still consider myself a fan. In Utero has always been my favorite*. Nevermind is still a great, great album, but I think In Utero is far superior.
I will say, though, that the unplugged album has always bored me to tears. Every once in awhile I'll dust it off and give it another shot, but I've never really been able to get into it.
I will never forget putting Nevermind in the stereo after buying it and hearing the opening riff for "Smells Like Teen Spirit." I mean, I had heard that song before certainly, but I was just sort of finding my way in music and developing my own taste and had never really sat down and listened to it before, you know what I mean? So I very excitedly bought that album (I remember having to search for it, because for some reason our local Best Buy didn't have it...this was in 96 or so) and went home and popped it in and it just hit me like a ton of bricks. Every once in awhile, even though I've heard that song a million times and it's not even close to being my favorite Nirvana track, I'll throw that album on and that riff will still give me chills. It may be overplayed, but it is a fucking incredible song.
*=I still haven't heard "Bleach," though. I know, I know. I know. *dodges flying tomatoes* I'll probably end up making a blind buy one of these days.
*=I still haven't heard "Bleach," though. I know, I know. I know. *dodges flying tomatoes* I'll probably end up making a blind buy one of these days.
Not a problem dude. If you loved Nevermind, along with your love for Smells Like Teen Spirit, Bleach will most likely satisfy you, or more depending on what you're looking for. Then again, I'm one of those people that don't think you can go wrong with all three albums. Aside from that, I hope you like Bleach. I definitely liked it the instant I heard Blew for the first time.
And on a very small note, I noticed that In Bloom has finally grew on me. I used to always skip that song whenever I was listening to Nevermind.
Last edited by Halo Infinity; 01-13-2012 at 01:11 AM.
Reason: To put it another way: I actually like In Bloom now.
^^ Out of curiosity, were you around (and old enough to be fully aware of the general hair metal music crap scene) when Nevermind came out? And the impact it had? The HUGE impact it had?
At the time, I thought Nirvana was sent by Jesus to save rock.
Seriously, even MTV completely changed. The video for "Smells Like Teen Spirit," with the cheerleaders with hairy armpits and all that? It was, like, HOLY FUCK, TOTO, WE AIN'T IN WHITE SNAKE KANSAS, ANYMORE.
I mean, really, THIS in 1992, unless you were there, you cannot possibly imagine:
Kurt was fucking brilliant. If you have any doubts, read his journals. It's one of my favorite books.
Hey allegro, I remember when the book came out but it didn't catch my interest, but your comment makes me want to read it. Care to elaborate more on the book?
the group they are usually slumped into (Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains..etc)
i know they were all part of the same town and therefore, lumped in together as part of the grunge movement, but i've always personally felt that bands like nirvana and smashing pumpkins were far too diverse and eclectic to really fit that mold. nirvana came off to me more like a modern, vital punk band despite having the same sludgy, heavy edge from time to time.
i'm not trying to separate them from the movement, but perhaps trying to shed some light on your (lack of?) interest.
After reading this thread I think I might dust off my Nirvana CDs and load them on the iPhone. It's been ages since I last listened to any of their tunes (except for when I went to the EMP here in Seattle and got the chance to see a bunch of cool Nirvana stuff)
Funny story: when I was in 5th or 6th grade I asked my mom to buy me the CD with the guy/kid on the cover in a pool (I didn't know the band's name back then) and when I came home I found the CD sitting on my kitchen table. I quickly ran up to my room and popped it in only to be like "what the heck is this!?" - my mom bought me Off the Deep End by Weird Al. (-_-)