'Nevermind'

I searched long and hard for this album and I couldn't find it. I believe it was one of many stolen in college. Needless to say, I went right out to my used CD store and bought a copy.

It still holds up. How could I not own a copy of the album that changed a lot of things culturally and musically for my generation? For better or for worse, that stinkin' band and that stinkin' album defined my youth.

Ironically, I enjoy it more 18 years (!!!!) later.

My notes:

1. There's a lot that this album means to people, however, I think we'd be remiss if we didn't mention the musicianship. Dave Grohl was a late-comer, but he put them over the edge. Such a tight and brilliant drummer, much like what Ringo Starr did for the Beatles. We don't hear enough about the tone on Kurt Cobain's guitar. And Kris Novaselic on bass ... listen to his work on "On A Plain" sometime.

2. Cobain flipping off the camera on the linear notes seems so forced and arbitrary. I wonder how he felt about it afterwards.

3. In fact, I wonder how he felt about a lot things. He always seemed so listless. Add in the drugs, depression and everything else and it just amplified this scene. Could you imagine being an engineer in the recording studio going in and asking Cobain to re-do a vocal? It probably took an act of god to get the guy to do anything.

4. These basic responsibilities I think helped ruin Cobain. Add on the fact that millions of teenagers adored a guy that had such poor self-image problems and that he had bigwig music people expecting him to lead some sort of anti-hair metal revolution and it was too much. Brushing his own teeth probably wasn't high on Cobain's to-do list. More or less lead a bunch of bratty surburban kids toward hating their parents and listening to Korn. I might have blown my brains out too.

5. Best songs, in order, when I was 14: "Drain You," "Lithium," "Smells Like Teen Spirit," "Come As You Are," "In Bloom," "Polly," "Lounge Act," "Something in the Way," "Stay Away," "On A Plain," "Breed" and "Territorial Pissings."

6. Best songs, in order, now: "Breed," "On a Plain," "Territorial Pissings," "Drain You," "Polly," "Stay Away," "Lounge Act," "Smells Like Teen Spirit," "In Bloom," "Lithium," "Something in the Way," and "Come As You Are."

7. In all, "Nevermind" was a well-produced punk album.

8. How did Nirvana really change anything culturally. First and foremost I think it helped independent rock music (although I wouldn't categorize them as "indie") somewhere on a broader map. I think it was also responsible for a lot of punk labels and bands to make it on a largers stage, Warped Tour, ska and all that entails. "Nevermind" and Coban were very angry entities. Much more angrier than any Marilyn Manson, Korn or whatever. We think Manson's fucking nuts for some of his stunts ... well, let's see him blow his brains out wearing Converse One Stars.

9. The first time I heard any part of "Nevermind" was in 1992 and my brother-in-law had the album and had me listen to "Polly." Despite owning the coolest album of the past 25 years before 85 percent of everyone else, my brother-in-law has the worst taste in music.