Received wisdom has it that Nirvana only became the superstar band we know, after David Grohl sat on the drum stool. Their 1989 debut is often exhibited as argument, but when one looks closely the seeds of greatness are already there. The band just needed direction, as Cobain was obviously conflicted about both what he wanted and how to achieve it. The pop insticts of Grohl and producer Butch Wig helped him shape his vision into the mega-selling triumph of "Nevermind". But "Bleach" producer Jack Endino was notorious for his sludgy sub-metal productions, not the best sound for potential hits like "Blew" and "About a Girl". Cobain's own idea of a commercial single was contemporary heavy metal. As he has stated "...there was this pressure from Sub Pop and the grunge scene to play 'rock music', so I stripped it down and made it sound like Aerosmith". Which, of course, it doesn't. Not with a budget of $600 and a producer like Jack Endino. The more metallic cuts are throwaway filler, proof that his heart wasn't in it. His attempts on heavy guitar soloing are not that bad, though. Opener "Blew" is case in point. An anthemic song that stood the test of time to become a live favorite, it had all the markings of a Nirvana classic: Strong hooks, Zeppelinesque guitar, a rough but passionate vocal performance. "Floyd the Barber" (one of three songs recorded with Melvins' drummer Dale Crover) sports metallic riffs that remind me of Mötorhead. The most important track here is "About A Girl", exhibiting great songwriting and hitherto hidden pop sensibilty - dare I say a Beatles influence? Plus, it doesn't hurt to tackle a universal theme like relationships and...girls. "School" tackles another universal theme, that of teenage alienation. Later on, he'd write the ultimate song on this subject ("Smells Like Teen Spirit", of course). "School" is almost as anthemic a song and a live favorite. "Love Buzz" was the album's sole cover and the fact that it was chosen as lead single speaks volumes on the band's lack of self-confidence. It was penned in the mid-60s by Shocking Blue, the Dutch pop-meesters from Den Haag, who also wrote the super-hit "Venus". The oriental surf/metal guitar motiff may have been an influence on Offspring and it proved for the first time that a marriage between grunge and pop is not only feasible, but probably a good idea too. "Paper Cuts"and "Downer"are the two other Dale Crover tracks, songs powerful but too rough and grungy. "Negative Creep" is just as aggressive but a much better song and features Cobain's soon-to-become-famiiar self deprecating lyrics. After that, the quality drops noticeably. Despite some good riffs, "Scoff", "Swap Meet", "Shifting" and "Big Cheese" mostly just wallow in metallic sludgeland and "Mr. Moustache" is a punky ironic assault on the fake rebellious machism of the grunge scene. With hindsight, it's easy to see Nirvana's world-shaking potential and the album does include a handful of great songs, but it's weighed down by too much filler. Which is why I'll give it 3*.
***** for About a Girl
**** for Blew, School, Love Buzz, Negative Creep
*** for Floyd the Barber, Paper Cuts, Swap Meet, Mr. Moustache, Downer
** for Scoff, Sifting, Big Cheese
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