In honor of the late Kurt Cobain’s 48th birthday on Feb. 20, I thought it would be proper to give a track-by-track review of Nirvana’s sophomore album, “Nevermind.” Released in late 1991, the album knocked Michael Jackson out of the No. 1 Billboard position, made Kurt Cobain a household name and put Seattle on top of the music world. The album is consistently cited as one of the best of all time, and Nirvana, despite its short career, remains one of the most popular and polarizing bands in music history.
The album gets straight to the point, starting off with the rock radio staple “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” As the first single released from “Nevermind,” the song is instantly recognizable because of its iconic opening guitar riff, Cobain’s seemingly meaningless lyrics and vocals, and, frankly, its catchiness. The song was made for radio, it seems, and will forever be remembered as Nirvana’s most popular song.
The second track, “In Bloom,” was also quite popular and is remembered for its retro-classic music video. Slower in tempo and propelled by bassist Krist Novoselic’s chugging bassline and drummer Dave Grohl’s tight drumming, the song further solidifies Nirvana’s half-hearted and, perhaps, regretted attempt to break into the mainstream.
“Come As You Are” follows a sort of call-to-arms of the Nirvana fan base. Kurt is remembered for his open-mindedness and acceptance of social deviants, and this song is practically an anthem for “grunge” fans. With another iconic guitar riff, this single also receives steady airplay to this day.
The band speeds things up with “Breed,” Cobain’s guitar matching Novoselic’s bass note-for-note on the main riff. Simple, fast and quite “punk rock,” the song races along under Cobain’s angst-filled yelling.
The fifth track, “Lithium,” is perhaps my favorite off the album. Brilliantly written from a bipolar point of view, the happy/sad tone of the song, combined with Cobain’s ironic lyrics, makes for a true alternative classic. The chorus of the song consists of Cobain yelling, “Yeah,” and my favorite part of the song is Novoselic’s bassline in the verses. He is all over the bass, once again, reflecting the bipolar theme of the song.
“Polly,” an acoustic slow-burner with suggestive lyrics, slips in the middle of the album, showing off Cobain’s softer side. The song stands out simply because it is not played electrically.
True to form, the band turns the punk rock back on for “Territorial Pissings,” with Cobain eventually screaming his lungs out and Dave Grohl putting on an exhibition in punk drumming. Quick and to the point, the song is over before you know it. There is a stellar reference to The Youngblood’s “Get Together” in the beginning, too.
“Drain You” shows off Cobain’s obsession with infants and birth. It is a twisted love song, displaying Cobain’s odd obsessions.
“Lounge Act” once again shows off Novoselic’s poppy bass-playing and Grohl’s immortal drumming technique, followed by “Stay Away,” which displays the punk side of Nirvana, again.
“On a Plain” is another personal favorite of mine. The band is simply firing on all cylinders. One must listen to truly enjoy it.
Ending with “Something in the Way/Endless Nameless” seems appropriate, sending the listener off with a downright depressing, honest acoustic session, then fifteen minutes of silence. This is followed by what can only be described as a “true Grunge-breakdown,” full of fuzz and spastic playing.
Happy birthday and thank you, Kurt Cobain.

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