Nevermind

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Nevermind
Studio album by Nirvana
Released	September 24, 1991
Recorded	May – June 1991 at Sound City, Van Nuys and Devonshire, North Hollywood "Polly" recorded in April 1990 at Smart Studios, Madison, Wisconsin
Genre	Grunge
Length	59:20
Label	DGC Records Sub Pop
Producer(s)	Butch Vig
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Q Robert Christgau (A) link Rolling Stone 11/28/1991
Nirvana chronology
Blew (1989)	Nevermind (1991)	Hormoaning (1992)

Nevermind is the seminal second studio album from the American rock band Nirvana. The band's major label debut, it was released on September 24, 1991 by Geffen Records. Nevermind was a surprise success when it was released in the fall of 1991; by January of 1992 it had knocked superstar Michael Jackson's album Dangerous out of the top spot on the Billboard charts. Nevermind not only popularized the Seattle grunge movement, but brought alternative rock as a whole into the mainstream, establishing its commercial and cultural viability.^[1] It is one of the best selling albums of all time^[2] and is consistently acclaimed as one of the greatest albums ever released.

Contents 1 Background 2 Recording and production 3 Release 4 Music 5 Imagery 5.1 Album cover 6 Critical recognition 6.1 Initial reception 6.2 Retrospect 7 Legacy 8 Track listing 9 Accolades 10 Chart positions 10.1 Album 10.2 Singles 11 Pressings and re-releases 12 Credits 13 See also 14 Notes 15 References 16 External links

[edit] 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. The group released its debut album Bleach in 1989, with Chad Channing on drums. However, Channing soon left the band and the band was in need of a permanent drummer. After seeing a show by hardcore punk band Scream, they were impressed by the group's drummer Dave Grohl and after Scream broke up, they asked him to join the band. Novoselic said in retrospect that when Grohl joined the band everything "fell into place."^[3]

Meanwhile Cobain was writing a number of new songs. Feeling chaffed 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. A key development was the "Sliver" single, released on Sub Pop in 1990, which Cobain said "was like a statement in a way. 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."^[4] 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 them as simple as possible.^[3]

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.^[3] A number of labels were trying to woo the group, but Nirvana ultimately signed with Geffen Records based upon the recommendation of their management, who also managed the band's idols (and recent Geffen signings) Sonic Youth, and Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon.^[5]

[edit] Recording and production

Nirvana recorded demos for their planned second Sub Pop album in 1990, which was tentatively named Sheep. Sub Pop head Bruce Pavitt mentioned Butch Vig, who had previously worked on material by The Smashing Pumpkins and Killdozer, as a potential producer.^[3] Nirvana particularly liked Vig's work with Killdozer and called Vig up to tell him, "We want to sound as heavy as that record."^[6] The band recorded a demo tape at Vig's Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin in April of 1990. Ultimately seven songs were recorded: "Immodium" (later retitled to "Breed"), "Dive" (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."^[7] The band was supposed to record more tracks but Kurt Cobain blew his voice out on "Lithium" and they had to shut down recording. Vig was told that the band would come back to record more demos but didn't hear anything for a while.^[3] By May of 1990 the Smart Sessions demo was circulating amongst major labels, creating a buzz around the group.^[8]

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 the entire time for Vig.^[9] Novoselic noted in 2001 that the band was already nervous about recording on a major label, and since the producers suggested wanted percentage points for the album, and they optioned for Vig, whom they felt comfortable collaborating with.^[10] Nirvana was afforded a budget of $60,000 to record the album and recorded the album at Sound City Studios in Los Angeles, California in May and June of 1991. Nirvana was originally set to record their 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 Sound City, the band played a show where they debuted "Smells Like Teen Spirit" for the first time.^[3] Nirvana had sent Vig some rehearsal tapes prior to the sessions that featured the Smart Sessiosn songs along with some new ones, notably "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Come As You Are".^[11]

When the band arrived in California they did a few days of preproduction where the band and Vig tightened up some of the song arrangements.^[12] The only recording carried over from the Smart Sessions demo was the song "Polly," which makes it the only song on Nevermind to feature Chad Channing on drums. Once recording commenced, the band would work eight to ten hours a day. The band 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 band had rehearsed playing the songs so much before recording started that often only a few takes were needed.^[10] Novoselic and Grohl finished their bass and drum track in a matter of days, but Cobain had to continue working for 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.^[15] Vig often had to trick Cobain, who was adverse to performing mutliple takes, into recording additional takes for overdubs. In particular, Vig convinced Cobain into double-tracking his vocals on the song "In Bloom" by telling him "John Lennon did it."^[3] While the sessions went well generally, Vig said Cobain would become moody and difficult at times; Vig said "He'd be great for an hour, and then he'd sit in a corner and say nothing for an hour."^[6]

There was supposed to be a rest period between the recording and the mixing of the record, but the sessions had run behind schedule. Vig thus had to go straight into mixing, but the mixes were deemed unsatisfactory. Noticing Vig's fatigue, Nirvana A&R man Gary Gersh contacted Slayer mixer Andy Wallace for help. Wallace ran the songs through various special effects boxes and tweaked the drum sounds, completing about one mix per day. While Wallace had used less effects than most pop albums, after the album's release members of Nirvana expressed dissatifaction with the polished sound the mixer had given Nevermind. Cobain said, "Looking back on the production of Nevermind, I'm embarassed by it now. It's closer to a Mötley Crüe record than it is a punk rock record."^[16]

Some CD versions of Nevermind feature a hidden track called "Endless, Nameless," which begins at the 13:51 mark on track 12 (about 10 minutes after the end of "Something in the Way"). The improvised noise song was recorded after a particularly stressful take of "Lithium".^[17] The song was not on the album's first CD pressing, as the mastering engineer had thought he had reached the end of the album. For unknown reasons, the song was removed from American pressings of the disc in 1994 (year of Cobain's death), and all subsequent CD pressings have lacked the song. "Endless, Nameless" was on the UMD version of Nevermind.

At least three songs were recorded during the Nevermind sessions which didn't make the album's final cut: "Sappy", "Old Age", and "Verse Chorus Verse". The latter two were released on Nirvana's 2004 box set With the Lights Out. A fourth song, "Song in D", may also have been attempted. However, there is a possibility that "Song in D" was simply an early version of "All Apologies", which was released on In Utero two years later.

[edit] Release

Nevermind was released on September 24th, 1991 with 46,251 copies of the album shipped to American record stores.^[18] 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.^[19] 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, which was the same level they had achieved with Sonic Youth's Geffen debut Goo.^[20] 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.^[21]

The album debuted on the Billboard 200 at position 144, which was high enough for the album to also top the Heatseekers chart.^[22][23] 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 premire on MTV's late night alternative show 120 Minutes but it soon proved so popular that the channel began playing it during the day.^[24] The record was soon certified gold, but the band was relatively disinterested by 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."^[25] 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."^[26] 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 televison.^[27]

Nevermind became Nirvana's first #1 album on January 11, 1992, replacing Michael Jackson at the top of the Billboard charts.^[28] By this time Nevermind was selling approximately 300,000 copies a week.^[29] "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. ^[30]

Nevermind was certified Gold and Platinum by the RIAA on November 27, 1991, and was certified Diamond on March 24, 1999.^[31]

[edit] Music

[edit] Imagery

[edit] Album cover

The Nevermind album cover shows a baby swimming toward a bill on a fishhook. According to Cobain, he conceived the idea while watching a television program on water births with Grohl. Cobain mentioned it to Geffen's art director Robert Fisher. The fishhook and bill were also Cobain's idea, albeit initially suggested as a joke. Fisher found some stock footage of underwater births but they were too graphic, and the stock house that controlled the photo of a swimming baby they had settled on instead wanted $7,500 a year for its use. 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. However, there was some concern because Elden's penis was visible in the image. 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."^[32] The alternate cover image is featured in Michael Azerrad's Nirvana biography Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana.

The band shot some promotional images to accompany the album playing upon the cover's theme, featuring them swimming underwater. The imagery was revisited in the video for "Come as You Are."

In 1992, Weird Al Yankovic mimicked the cover for his album Off the Deep End. That version features Yankovic swimming toward a donut instead of a dollar.

In 2003, VH1 named Nevermind's album cover the third greatest album cover of all time.

[edit] Critical recognition

[edit] Initial reception

Nevermind was voted as the best album of the year in The Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics poll.

[edit] Retrospect

Nevermind was listed #17 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, despite only getting three stars out of five when this magazine reviewed it originally in 1991. In 2004, it was one of 50 recordings chosen that year by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry, it is also the newest album in the registry.

[edit] Legacy

[edit] Track listing

1. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Cobain/Grohl/Novoselic) – 5:01
2. "In Bloom" (Cobain/Nirvana) – 4:14
3. "Come as You Are" (Cobain) – 3:38
4. "Breed" (Cobain/Nirvana) – 3:03
5. "Lithium" (Cobain) – 4:16
6. "Polly" (Cobain/Nirvana) – 2:57
7. "Territorial Pissings" (Cobain/Nirvana) – 2:22
8. "Drain You" (Cobain/Nirvana) – 3:43
9. "Lounge Act" (Cobain/Nirvana) – 2:36
10. "Stay Away" (Cobain/Nirvana) – 3:32
11. "On a Plain" (Cobain/Nirvana) – 3:16
12. "Something in the Way" (Cobain/Nirvana) – 3:50

• "Endless, Nameless" (6:45) is a hidden track on some copies of the record. This brings the length of Track 12 to 20:34, starts at 13:51

[edit] Accolades

• Ranked #1 in Spin's "90 Greatest Albums of the 90s" (1999)
• Ranked #1 in Entertainment Weekly's "Top 10 Albums of the 90s" (2000)
• Ranked #1 in MuchMoreMusic's "40 Best Albums of the Past 25 Years" (2004)
• Ranked #2 in IMDB's "Users Top 100 Albums" (2006)
• Ranked #2 in VH1's Top 100 Albums (2001)
• Album cover ranked #3 in VH1's Greatest Album Covers (2003)
• Ranked #3 in Spin's "100 Greatest Albums, 1985-2005" (2005)
• Ranked #3 in Q's "100 Greatest Albums Ever" (2006)
• Ranked #3 in Q's "Best 50 Albums of Q's Lifetime" (2001)
• Ranked #17 in Colin Larkin's "All-time Top 1000 Albums" (2000)
• Ranked #17 in Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" (2003)
• Ranked #6 in Pitchfork's "Top 100 Albums of the 1990s (Redux)" (2003) link
• Ranked #3 in Channel 4's 100 Greatest albums
• Ranked #6 in My Favourite Album [1]

[edit] Chart positions

[edit] Album

Year	Album	Chart	Position
1992	Nevermind	The Billboard 200	No. 1
1991	Nevermind	Heatseekers	No. 1
1991	Nevermind	Official Finland Album Charts	No. 1
1992	Nevermind	Official Portugal Album Charts	No. 1
1992	Nevermind	Official Holland Albums Chart	No. 2
1992	Nevermind	Official Australian Albums Charts	No. 2
1992	Nevermind	Official Switzerland Albums Chart	No. 2
1992	Nevermind	Official Austrian Albums Chart	No. 2
1992	Nevermind	Official Norwegian Albums Chart	No. 2
1992	Nevermind	Official New Zealand Albums Chart	No. 2
1992	Nevermind	Official Spanish Albums Chart	No. 2
1992	Nevermind	Official German Albums Chart	No. 3
1991	Nevermind	Official UK Albums Chart	No. 7
1992	Nevermind	Official Hungarian Albums Chart	No. 12
1992	Nevermind	Official Sweden Albums Chart	No. 13
1992	Nevermind	Official Japanese Albums Chart	No. 24

[edit] Singles

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1991	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Official Irish Singles Chart	No. 1
1992	Come as You Are	Official Irish Singles Chart	No. 7
1992	Lithium	Official Irish Singles Chart	No. 5
1992	In Bloom	Official Irish Singles Chart	No. 7
1991	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Official UK Singles Chart	No. 7
1992	Come as You Are	Official UK Singles Chart	No. 9
1992	Lithium	Official UK Singles Chart	No. 11
1992	In Bloom	Official UK Singles Chart	No. 28
1992	Smells Like Teen Spirit	The Billboard Hot 100	No. 6
1992	Come as You Are	The Billboard Hot 100	No. 32
1992	Lithium	The Billboard Hot 100	No. 64
1991	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Official Sweden Singles Chart	No .3
1992	Come as You Are	Official Sweden Singles Chart	No .24
1992	In Bloom	Official Sweden Singles Chart	No. 30
1992	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Official Switzerland Singles Chart	No. 6
1992	Come as You Are	Official Switzerland Singles Chart	No. 21
1992	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Official Austrian Singles Chart	No. 2
1992	Come as You are	Official Austrian Singles Chart	No. 28
1992	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Official Italian singles Chart	No. 3
1992	Come as You Are	Official Italian Singles Chart	No. 8
1992	Lithium	Official Italian Singles Chart	No. 16
1992	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Official Australian Singles Chart	No. 5
1992	Come as you Are	Official Australian Singles Chart	No. 25
1992	Lithium	Official Australian Singles Chart	No. 53
1992	In Bloom	Official Australian Singles Chart	No. 75
1992	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Official German Singles Chart	No. 2
1992	Come as You Are	Official German Singles Chart	No. 22
1991	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Official Holland Singles Charts	No. 3
1992	Come as You Are	Official Holland Singles Charts	No. 14
1992	Lithium	Official Holland Singles Charts	No. 16
1992	In Bloom	Official Holland Singles Charts	No. 87
1992	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Official Norway Singles Chart	No. 2
1992	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Official Belgium Singles Chart	No. 1
1992	Come as You Are	Official Belgium Singles Chart	No. 15
1992	Lithium	Official Belgium Singles Chart	No. 28
1992	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Official French Singles Chart	No. 1
1992	Come as You Are	Official French Singles Chart	No. 12
1991	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Official Spanish Singles Chart	No. 1
1992	Come as You Are	Official Spanish Singles Chart	No. 16
1992	Lithium	Official Spanish Singles Chart	No. 13
1991	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Official Finland Singles Chart	No. 9
1992	Come as You Are	Official Finland Singles Chart	No. 12
1992	Lithium	Official Finland Singles Chart	No. 3
1992	Smells Like Teen Spirit	Official New Zealand Singles Chart	No. 1
1992	Come as You Are	Official New Zealand Singles Chart	No. 3
1992	Lithium	Official New Zealand Singles Chart	No. 28
1992	In Bloom	Official New Zealand Singles Chart	No. 20

[edit] Pressings and re-releases

• In 1996, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab released Nevermind on vinyl as part of their "ANADISQ 200" series, and as a 24-carat gold CD. The CD pressings included "Endless, Nameless."
• In 1999 the Nevermind album was re-released in a collectors box set with the 1993 album In Utero.

[edit] Credits

• 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 - Baby on cover

[edit] See also

• Nevermind Its an Interview
• Classic Albums - Nirvana - Nevermind
• Off the Deep End by "Weird Al" Yankovic

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• Classic Albums--Nirvana: Nevermind. Isis Productions, 2004.
• Azerrad, Michael. Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana. Doubleday, 1993. ISBN 0-385-47199-8

[edit] External links

v • d • e Nirvana

Kurt Cobain • Krist Novoselic • Dave Grohl Aaron Burckhard • Dave Foster • Chad Channing • Dale Crover • Dan Peters • Jason Everman • Pat Smear Discography Studio and live albums: Bleach • Nevermind • In Utero • MTV Unplugged in New York • From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah Compilations and Extended Plays: Blew • Hormoaning • Nevermind: It's An Interview • Incesticide • Outcesticide • Nirvana • Sliver: The Best of the Box Singles: "Love Buzz" • "Sliver" • "Molly's Lips" • "Here She Comes Now" • "Smells Like Teen Spirit" • "Come as You Are" • "Lithium" • "On a Plain" • "In Bloom" • "Oh, The Guilt" • "Heart-Shaped Box" • "All Apologies" • "Rape Me" • "Pennyroyal Tea" • "About a Girl (Unplugged)" • "The Man Who Sold the World (Unplugged)" • "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" • "Lake of Fire (Unplugged)" • "Aneurysm (live)" • "Drain You (live)" • "You Know You're Right" Video releases and box sets Live! Tonight! Sold Out!! • Singles • With the Lights Out • Classic Albums - Nirvana - Nevermind Related content Articles: 1991: The Year Punk Broke • Grunge music • Generation X • Courtney Love • Frances Bean Cobain • Heavier Than Heaven • Hype! • Kurt & Courtney • Last Days • Tom Grant • Journals • Fecal Matter • Spencer Elden • Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana Foo Fighters • Sweet 75 • Eyes Adrift Categories: Nirvana • Nirvana members • Nirvana albums • Nirvana songs