Disco de Nirvana: “In Utero [Edited]”

A couple years ago, I had a different Amazon.com account, and I used it to go in and bash Nirvana albums. I had never actually heard most of them (my reviewing standards were somewhat lower back then), but I thought that since I was a Pearl Jam fan that I had to hate Nirvana. Yeah, the 16-year old mind is a strange one. One day I actually got to listen to "In Utero" and I immediately realized how wrong I had been. I now consider "In Utero" to be one of the best rock albums of the 90's. I write this review partly to say I'm sorry for previous Nirvana reviews I have posted.

The album is front-loaded with radio singles, probably a decision of their record company. However, it is immediately striking as a darker and more complex album than their previous "Nevermind". It is much heavier as well, and less pleasing to the mainstream masses. And wow, how it's all so terrific.

It's disturbing in many ways because it's difficult not to view this as Kurt Cobain's suicide note- he mentions it explicitly on "Milk It" and often talks about death and despair. However, that man was a true songwriting genius. The lyrics flow together beautifully, and power the music forward. "In Utero" works as an adrenaline rush as well, since most of the songs rock as hard as any of their other grunge peers.

The album probably gets most interesting around the halfway mark. Don't get me wrong, I love "Serve the Servants", "Rape Me", and "Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle", but I believe that it's most interesting to pay attention to what happens after the album's more commercial first half. It becomes almost downright nihilistic around "Very Ape" and descends into guitar screeches and wails that cumulate in the "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter/Tourette's" duo. This was truly an artist in pain, and yet his songs still remain hauntingly poetic. Everything wraps up with "All Apologies", which I still find myself getting into all these listens later. That was probably the best song Nirvana ever did.

After hearing "In Utero", I always have a feeling of sadness because the album just leaves you begging for more, which you know you can't have. I believe that this is the best example of great Nirvana, both in Cobain's songwriting and how hard the music rocks. I only wish they could have gone on longer.

As I'm sure a lot of you have seen already, there have been some mind-numbingly incorrect statements being made about Nirvana and their album 'In Utero', as well as a few other bands such as Alice in Chains, by certain members of this site. Members such as Spidermonkey, Slave to the Power of Prog Metal, Cure My Ills, EveryoneZen and PARTICULARLY Mastershake. Let me just take some time to address some of the ill-informed opinions of some of these misguided people.

Spidermonkey:

You're major problem with this album seems to be its lyrical content. Quote: "Teenage angst has paid off well...Oh the irony of the opening line of the album. I'm sure it did pay them well... in bucket loads of cash." First off, did you even listen to the line IMMEDIATELY following that one? Incase not, Kurt says "Now I'm bored and old." Kurt is commenting on the futility of being angry at everything and everyone all the time and how it gets you nowhere. Look at the poor mans life, CHRIST...it's a testament to that thought. Do you think he wanted to be rich and famous? He had debilitating stomach ulcers that left him puking up blood before concerts due to the stress of touring and his new-found popularity, he hated the media and avoided interviews whenever he could, shrugged off ANY suggestion that he was the "Voice of a Generation" and drove a 1300 dollar Volkswagen. You also stated that 'Heart-Shaped Box' and 'All Apologies' where...whiny? I will agree that, yes they did come from a different emotional state then some of the other tracks on the album, but to call them whiny is really just ignorant. Listen not to what Kurt is saying with his words but what the overall musical arrangements are trying to tell you. Listen to the way the guitars intermix with the vocals and drums to create a mood of agitation in some parts to mourning and sorrow in other parts. What Kurt could not express fully in his lyrics, he expressed perfectly with his guitar textures. And yes, we all know that Kurt was not the best guitarist in the world but what he lacked in ability and "b*tching licks", he made up for in raw passion and conviction. To me, that is more impressive then how many time signature shifts and fret board wanking you can pull off in a single measure of music anyway. Also, you made light that this album was `less-tolerable' then `Nevermind'. Listen man, this album WAS SUPPOSED TO BE less tolerable then their breakthrough album. `In Utero' was a conscious effort to separate the posers they picked up when early 90's alternative hit the main stream from their REAL audience. They meant it to be a bleaker, more introspective picture of the world and they wanted it to alienate people. So if you're looking for mindless/easy pop music, look to Hilary Duff or Avril please.

EveryoneZen:

You said something to the effect that this album was too polished compared to Nirvana's earlier work. Compared to Nirvana's earlier work, the one track basement tapes I made in 2000 with my old band sound like the work of Brian Eno or Kevin Shields. `Bleach' was made for only $600 because that's all that the band had at the time! Kurt even said that he was less then happy with the way `Bleach' turned out in the end. When they were signed to DGC, for `Nevermind', producer Butch Vig and mixer Andy Wallace were part in parcel with the contract. The result, though a timeless magnum opus was not what the band, in particular Kurt, had envisioned. So for `In Utero', don't you think that it's acceptable that, now that they had the money and the means, they would now make the record they always wanted to make? I mean, they didn't spend it on anything else. And who better then New York Noise scene musician/producer Steve Albini to do the job? Out of any of the producers available at the time, I totally believe that he was, HANDS DOWN, the best man for the job. Yeah, it definitely sounded cleaner than `Bleach' but that's what happens when underground bands hit the mainstream. It doesn't take away from cred, it's just the way the system works sometimes. Who cares if they pumped a lot of money into its production? The result was amazing and yes, it is a difficult listen, but a very rewarding one if you stick with it.

Slave to the Power of Prog Metal:

Ok, like I said before, Kurt Cobain was not the greatest guitarist in the world. So what? Comparing Nirvana to Soundgarden is like comparing apples to oranges. Each band, like each of the big four of early 90's Grunge, has a completely different aesthetic and played for different audiences; they all just got heaped into the buzz-word/lifestyle of "Grunge" to make it easier for record execs and fashion designers to exploit them. Nirvana was a band more concerned with the punk technique for writing songs whereas Soundgarden took the more technical metal approach to theirs. Now, I LOVE Soundgarden and Mr. Cornell, but you can't honestly say one was better then the other...it's unfair. Oh, and by the way, PLEASE leave those clichéd puns to Chad Kroeger.

Cure My Ills:

Now, I understand that a lot of people don't agree with a lot of the things that Kurt did in his life and that a few aspects of it were deplorable (and I think that we're not getting the whole story behind his tragic death, but that is a discussion for another time). Therefore I do realize why you wouldn't want a young child to follow his example. However, if you're child worships Cobain THAT much, then something isn't right here. I loved, LOVED this band when I was younger. They were all I listened to day and night, and opened me to so much beautiful and challenging music as I grew up, but I had total respect and admiration for my parents. They were my role models, not Kurt and how he decided to live his life. If that isn't the case with you, then your qualms lay elsewhere, not with the subject matter of this album. Also, keep in mind that this is a music review page and we're here to discuss that music, not the lifestyle of the artists who made it.

Mastershake:

My God...where do I begin? I have taken it upon myself to read all of your reviews and NEVER have I seen anyone so misinformed as yourself. The only thing I can think of that explains your reviews are that A: you have NO idea what's going on, NO concept of the passage of time and have been living under a rock for the last 14 years or B: you're joking around. I sincerely hope its B. If not, I have some writing to do...

1) Its spelled Kurt Cobain, not Kirk Conbay or Kirk Konami. This statement in itself is the biggest evidence I have that you're just a**ing around and that all of what I'm going to say in pointless...but never the less...

2) Nirvana formed nearly a decade before Puddle of Mudd. They were jamming in the Seattle area before Wes Scantlin even picked up his first guitar. Wes has also been quoted as saying that "Nirvana and Alice in Chains were some of (his) biggest influences growing up". So, how can bands that came and concluded before his musical career began, be the ones ripping him off? This is like saying the Beatles ripped off Oasis.

3) Pearl Jam was formed from the ashes of a band called Mother Love Bone who were the remnants of a band called Green River. Green River along with Soundgarden, Malfunkshun (whose singer, Andy Wood, would join with members of Green River to form Mother Love Bone), The Melvins, Skin Yard and The U-Men would appear on a compilation released by Sub-Pop called `Deep Six'. This compilation would lay the groundwork for the genre we now know as "Grunge". Like my previous statement however, Pearl Jam was formed nearly a decade before Staind came into being so once again, you're chronology is incomprehensibly wrong. Staind also have a song on their last album `14 Shades of Grey' called "Layne". As you probably don't know, that song was written about Layne Staley. The lead singer of Alice in Chains who died in mid 2002. Aaron Lewis, like Wes Scantlin, considers Alice in Chains, a MAJOR influence on his bands sound and has total respect and admiration for Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam.

4) This one kills me. Fred Durst IS NOT an 80's thrash metal pioneer. Fred Durst is a washed-up tattoo artist who road the coattails of Korn and the late 90's Nu-Metal flash in the pan to stardom. If you want REAL thrash metal pioneers, listen to Metallica or Slayer.

5) AVRIL LAVIGNE IS NOT PUNK.

6) HILARY DUFF DOES NOT SCREAM NOR IS SHE HEAVY.

7) Godsmack got their name FROM Alice in Chains not vic versa. Originally, Godsmack was an Alice cover band and it wasn't until 1995, after AIC stopped touring, that Sully Erna decided to write original material with his band.

8) `Nevermind' outsold `In Utero' and though the latter was praised by critics, `Nevermind' (along with `Ten' from Pearl Jam) are considered modern rock masterpieces. Call it a hunch...but I doubt Godsmack, Puddle of Mudd or maybe even Staind will ever have that distinction under their belts.

9) `In Utero' was not Nirvana's debut album, it was their last. `Bleach' was their debut on a minor (Sub-Pop) and `Nevermind' was their debut on a major (DGC). `Nevermind' was never banned in the United States.

10) Lacuna Coil came before Evanescance.

11) Linkin Park has no Thrash elements to their sound.

That all being said, and pending that your not kidding around...though I don't see how you couldn't be, PLEASE for your sake and everyone else's, go to www.allmusic.com and read their critics reviews of some of the albums/artists you have slagged on here. All I can say aside from that is, and this goes for everyone, keep listening to as much music as you can, regardless of style or content. There are two many three-chord wonders writing songs about how their childhood was bad and how their girlfriend left them for another guy and making money off it. That is why the music industry is in the sad state of affairs that it's in today. Not enough people challenging themselves to listen or write truly original timeless music. I'm not saying we need ANOTHER Nirvana...we have too many of those already, I'm just saying we need visionaries of like-minds, not of like-sounds.

Also, being a fan of music, doesn't just mean owning all of bands albums, it means reading up on their bios, history and anything else you can get your hands on all the while being media literate and keeping an open mind.

One final note on this album though. This may be presumptuous, but anyone who doesn't give this album and albums like it, at least 4 stars...isn't listening hard enough. This was the swan-song of a truly gifted songwriter and arguably our generations John Lennon. Don't let this turn into a forgotten masterwork...keep it alive, keep listening.

Whether you like Nirvana or not, you have to give them credit. "Nevermind" was the filled with teen angst and hooks that rocked like no nobody's business. So did Nirvana follow "Nevermind" up with another angst masterpiece? Listen to the first track, "Serve The Servants": "Teenage angst has payed off well, now I'm bored and old". It gets better. "In Utero" is different, harsher, more complex, and a lot more angrier. For a band that saved Rock with radio-friendly songs to make an abrasive album like "In Utero" can be career suicide. And you can't help but feel that's exactly what Nirvana wanted. A lot of these songs are raw Punk. "Scentless Apprentice" and "Milk It" are more than enough to send Alt-Rock fans running for Creed's "Human Clay". "Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle" snarls with rage. On certain lyrics like "It's so relieving, to know that you're leaving, as soon as you get paid" you can't help but think he's talking about Courtney Love. On "Nevermind", Kurt threw in a lot of funny moments while still being serious. On "In Utero", Kurt just doesn't seem to be in the mood for anything other than expressing his pain. "I miss the comfort in being sad", "I'm on my time with everyone", "I think I'm dumb", "What is wrong with me?". The lyrics weren't whiny like most of the bands today, they were sadly true. The slower songs are beautiful as well. "Dumb" and "All Apologies" weep with brilliance and talent. Both show a side to the band that came out better on "Unplugged In New York", but they're still amazing here. The end to "All Apologies" is enough to make you cry. Kurt sings over and over, "All in all is all we are". So is "In Utero" better than "Nevermind"? No, it's not. It's just as good. But be warned, this isn't an album you should listen to expecting to hear fun little songs, "In Utero" is a bleak masterpiece. On one of my personal favorites, "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter" (How can you not love that title?), Kurt is beyond anger and depression. "What is wrong with me?", Kurt says over and over, "What is wrong with me?". A final call never sounded so disturbing.

I can say almost nothing that will do justice to "In Utero," because it is an album that is so far removed from conventional rock 'n roll as to be on a divinely inspired plane. It is, in a way, music's answer to Faulkner's "As I Lay Dying"--a dark, purloined wasteland that captures the very sound of decay and rot. Throughout these catharticly venomous songs, Kurt Cobain unearths a musical truth that is as raw as an exposed nerve and as repulsive as an infected cut: life is a contradiction, and only those who can balance this contradiction can be considered serious human beings. As he writhes about on "Serve the Servants," he intones "I just want you to know that I/Don't hate you anymore" atop a musical background that seethes with hateful, aggressive guitars. During "Heart Shaped Box," he says "Hey wait, I've got a new complaint," so as to mock the perception of him as a whiner--yet he never surrenders this discontent image, because that would be "selling out." As one can see, he is both black and white at once, both yin and yang. Furthermore, the main lyric of "Dumb," (I think I'm dumb/or maybe just happy") though rudimentary, conveys a profound meaning--that happiness itself disgusted Cobain. It is because of such messages that Kurt was an unparalleled and tortured genius. In effect, he did not give into the naive American conception that one must always be optimistic and thus must block out all darkness--he spoke passionately for the depressed masses ("I miss the comfort/In being sad") that society skipped over in its characteriscally shallow and non-understanding manner. In razing the world and spewing his dissatisfaction, Cobain delivers a set of throat-ripping narratives ("What is wrong with me?" he howls during "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter") and tortured messes that carry such sincere weight as to shame all those pretentious emo-screamer copycats who have followed Nirvana's inimitable example. "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter," the central song here, is so vitriolic, so dark, so authentic, that is can almost make me cry, so profound is its message. While Cobain's swarthy lyrics are the towering centerpiece, the sludgy guitar melodies--which are among the finest tunes ever penned by a pop-punk ensemble--and thunderous rhythms are also interesting. But even their brilliance takes the back seat to Cobain's revelatory state--his screams, so drowned in pain, are shocking canticles for the ages. Forget all those other classic "hard rock" albums, all those overblown epics by Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith--"In Utero" is the real deal. It is a record whose unsettling intensity communicates so much more than any one riff or note; it is, in effect, a well of darkness that reflects the sky (and the world) in perfect detail.

When Kurt Cobain wrote Nevermind he planned blow listeners away with a different sound than what was currently popular. He succeeded in blowing them away, but to his dismay, he could not predict the popularity that the album would reach. Now I would say that that album is not a weak or poppy album. That album is loud and heartfelt. But when Kurt found that listeners had been waiting for that sort of music, he decided to write an album that would be even louder, more depressing and meaningful so that this time he wouldn't get the widespread popularity. He was right on the dot.

This album is a Kurt Cobain album. No harm or offense meant to Dave Grohl or Chris Novolesic, but Nevermind was a Nirvana album. When you listen to it you think "man they're good." When you listen to this one you think "man he's good."

Serve the Servants is a happy, ponderous song with some fantastic chords (and a spectacular solo). Scentless Apprentice is raw and loud. A screaming song. Heart Shaped Box is very good, one of the best. Rape Me has a pretty verse and a real rocking chorus. Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle is wild. I LOVE the guitar riffs in this one. Dumb is one of Nirvana's best acoustics, along with Pennyroyal Tea. Very Ape is fast and quite good. Milk It, in my opinion, is one of the most underappreciated songs ever. Slow, agitated and frightened in the verse, loud, harsh and painful during the chorus...Kurt did a great job on this one. Pennyroyal Tea is an awesome song, very sad but just an excellent one all around. This would be my favorite Nirvana slow-song. Radio Friendly Unit Shifer is a really loud and good song, however the weird noise in the into gets annoying. Tourettes...is simply crazy and awesome. You learn to love it. All Apologies is sad. It is a very well written song, with good lyrics and a great chorus. It's almost like its Kurts last words to the world.

This CD is different. When looking through the inlay, you would not expect this to be from the biggest, richest, most popular band of the time. It looks like some underground group making its first big label record. I would just describe this as wonderful, the best by Nirvana. I suggest that if you have Nevermind, buy this as well....