![]() ![]() The only complaint in the recording/production of Bleach is the weak inclusion of Chad Channing’s drums that, in comparison to Cobain’s crunchy guitar and Novoselic’s rumbling bass, appear undercooked, tired and tinny. At no point does the listener believe the recording is below par or in any way sounding rushed. Nirvana’s reputation as a solid live band allowed them to translate this onto record and produce a set of songs that fizzled with young energy. “Paper Cuts” also rumbles and throbs and basically contains within it the template for every subsequent Alice in Chains song.ĭespite being rush recorded for just over six hundred dollars at Reciprocal Recording Studio in Seattle (later Sleater-Kinney would record their 1997 album Dig Me Outthere) the production remains muscular and pulsating throughout. Another obvious pointer is the band’s cover of Shocking Blue’s Sixties groove-fest, “Love Buzz.” Although admittedly the groove is placed there by another composer, the band offer a beefed-up, if throwaway, version of the song. It is also there in the raging punk of “Negative Creep” and in the Sabbath sludge of “School” that without the echoed howls of “no recess” might have never built on its epic quality. Cobain harmonizes with himself and sets the agenda for the layered vocals on Nevermind. An obvious pointer is “About a Girl,” the jangly (sort of) love song that calls to mind The Beatles or Jefferson Airplane at their most lovely and infectious. Yet as mentioned, the pop sensibility is there throughout. ![]() The excitement and power of the music was obvious, yet listening through the lens of Butch Vig’s crisper production of Nevermind, Bleach sounded like it was being made by aliens, admittedly aliens with knowledge of how to hold a decent tune. Not gibberish as such, but guttural wails of frustration and alienation. Lyrics were mostly chewed up and spat out as incomprehensible and unimportant. The Cobain harmonies were mostly absent and all that seemed present were the screams, howls and yelps of Cobain as he tried to make his voice heard above the racket. The pop magnificence that was heard on Nevermind (and it is essentially a pop record) was buried beneath several layers of sludge. But upon first listen to Bleach, it was hard to figure it all out. Of course the disenfranchised teenager could only muster a shrug and a mumble.Īlthough younger than most listeners to Nirvana, and a little late coming to Nevermind, it had spoken to me and I needed to hear more from this band. Songs such as “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “Come As You Are” captured the zeitgeist, the idea that the youth of the day could and should be satisfied with their lot in the neoliberal landscape. The version of Nirvana served up by Nevermind was of a punk band with a good ear for a pop hook and lyrics that spoke to a generation. When Nevermind landed in 1991 and brought the attention of Grunge to the masses the idea that there was an embryonic version of the band recorded and released was certainly intriguing to me. Despite its indie label origins, Bleach has sold over two million copies worldwide and still remains Sub Pop’s best-selling release.Īs many people did, I experienced Nirvana’s Bleach a number of years after its original release. ![]() Although listed as a second guitarist, Jack Everman did not contribute to the record, although he did pay for the recording at Reciprocal Recording Studio in Seattle and played live with the band for a short period of time. Released by Sub Pop Records in June 1989, Nirvana’s debut album Bleach was recorded for only $606, a frugal sum for the band comprised of vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain, bassist Krist Novoselic, and drummer Chad Channing. Happy 30th Anniversary to Nirvana’s debut album Bleach, originally released June 15, 1989.
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