In utero, Nirvana’s third and last studio album, was released around the date my son was born. I got the album soon afterwards and set the sound system like I was used to set it, with the little fellow sleeping in his Maxicosy. Within a few days after his birth I knew for certain that there was nothing wrong with his ears, as after the first three ticks of Dave Grohl’s sticks the dissonant and loud guitar kicked in the little fellow had his arms and legs stretched out in four directions and let out an even louder yell. Welcome to the world of Nirvana. It worked as years later he was walking around with a Kurt Cobain t-shirt I bought for him during a holiday. I had learned a valuable lesson.
This year we celebrate the 20 years celebration of In utero’s
release with a special luxury edition, with all the sort of extras that such
albums bring. I’m not going into them, except note that the live album attached
to it, shows how a dynamic and exiting band Nirvana was. What a loss it was
that Kurt decided to join that infamous group, one that I feel more sorry for
each year I grow older. Guys (and girls), you’re missing out on so much fun and
growth! No, I want to go into In utero itself. How good is it 20 years down the
line?
To set the stage. Yes, like almost everyone else I got on
board of Nirvana with ‘Smells like teen spirit’. Like a lot of ‘Nevermind’ as
well. Some I deemed too loud, but heard the quality of most songs, including
the rage called ‘Territorial pissings’. Kurt Cobain thought ‘Nevermind’ too
commercial, I think it probably scared the hell out of him. The insecure and angry kid
from Aberdeen was still inside the worldwide pop idol and not bound to go away
because of some success. Probably the opposite. Cobain decided to come up with
a harder, rougher and less commercial album. He succeeded, as I did not really
appreciate the album in 1993. I just did not think the songs as good as ‘Nevermind’s.
Too loud, too edgy to listen to in a comfortable way. And then he came up with
the MTV show, which was brilliant and then just shot himself.
Now it is 2013. I have played In utero through the years to
remember all the songs, but the 20 year celebration is a reintroduction of sorts.
And one of the pleasant kind. Twenty years down the line I can only say “wow”, what an
album. In utero is a near perfect album. Holding several perfect popsongs, some
under an ugly, nasty even, veneer, but brilliant popsongs non the same. Take ‘Frances
Farmer will have her revenge on Seattle’ e.g. This song has the Nirvana/The Police
dynamics, but has a brilliant chorus. Kurt singing, shouting, crying, reaching
out in a desperate way with the last threads of his vocal chords hanging in
shards at the back of his throat. The contrast with the subdued ‘Dumb’, cello
and all, can not possibly be bigger. But also ‘Dumb’ is a beautiful song. Unfortunately
the main message “just happy” did not apply to Kurt Cobain. These are just two
examples of a set of songs that is close to too fantastic to be true.
What was the role of the two other members? They catered their
front man mostly, I suppose. In Dave Grohl, Kurt Cobain had a young, great
power drummer, that at the same time could totally hold back. And someone who
could sing. (As well as write songs, which the world found out on the b-side of
‘Heart-shaped box’.) Krist Novoselic was his big bass player that played all
the notes in between. Not very much getting attention nor asking for it, like
most bass players. Still, together they made Nirvana what it was, were part of
the sound that the world fell for. They were Nirvana together.
In 2013 Kurt Cobain would have been 46 years old.
Unimaginable, as his young face is still looking at us from t-shirts and
sweaters worn by youngsters that weren’t around when he was alive. An icon like
Jim Morrison was for my generation in the 80s and early 90s. There is no
telling where Nirvana or Cobain solo would be at now. I’m very sure that it
would not be as big as ‘Nevermind’ made them. In utero saleswise already proved
that. Like Pearl Jam never got over ‘10’. Nirvana could have had a career like
Pearl Jam though, as a revered relic from the grunge days that still sells
records and can play bigger shows and head line a festival every few years. We’ll
never know, what I can say, is that with the demise of Kurt Cobain a more than
averagely talent left us, who had more up his sleeve than we had the chance to
find out. A waste of talent his suicide was, but an act of desperation we have
to respect. Sad but true.
In utero remains a relic from a gone age. Next year we’ll be
celebrating the 20th year release of the only album of that other
lost icon of the 90, the one that drowned in a freak swimming incident. Two huge
losses. So sad. The one question that will never be answered remaining is, what
would Dave Grohl have done had Kurt lived? Foo Fighters or no Foo Fighters?
Wo.
You can listen to 'Heart-shaped box' here.
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