How to Alienate Those Undesirable Fans.

#16 Nirvana: In Utero

Weeds.  They are all over the place. In my yard. The flower bed. The golf course. The heat isn't helping either. While the grass gets browner, the weeds get greener and taller. Look at 'em. So smug. But what can I do. How do you weed them out? HOW DO YOU WEED OUT THE WEEDS? I don't know, but if you ever need to weed out a few fans, you can always ask Kurt Cobain.  Nirvana's first major label album 'Nevermind' (which will appear later in the blog) was coated in a pop shell that kind of lessened the impact of the true musical genius of Cobain's songs. Butch Vig produced an album for Nirvana that while still very good, might not have been what the band wanted. However, it was good enough for the guys at Geffen records. It sold over 30 million copies too, so in the eyes of a record company, it was a total success based on its budget of $65,000...hell it'd be a success if it cost $5 million to make. For the next album, Kurt wanted more control. He wanted to create the sound he had originally envisioned for Nevermind. To do this he got the producer that made the Pixies "Surfer Rosa" album, a favorite of Cobain's. Steve Albini came in with the band and recorded the album in two weeks using very few studio tricks, overdubs, or embellishments of any kind. The result, was a disaster. At least in Geffen's eyes. The album was believed to be not commericially viable. The rumors and stories are everywhere and no will know for sure what really happened. Apparently the band was also not happy with the final result, and brought in another producer, after Albini refused to mess with it any further. The final mix of the album that most people hear, is the one with some extra mixing by Scott Lit. The Albini mix is out there, and if you have a lot of money, you can buy it. I think the Scott Lit version is great just the way it is. The record company suits (the MAN) still hated it, and didn't want it released. Turns out 'In Utero' would go on to sell over five million albums worldwide, not the huge number 'Nevermind' produced, but it probably did weed out the unwanted Nirvana fans that just didn't get this whole 'alternative rock' thing.

Side one begins with a great big BOOM. Starting on a hard B7 chord that will announce the intentions of the album, Nevermind era Nirvana fans might be thrown for a loop. The polished sound is gone. The studio tricks of Butch Vig are gone...Laughing time is OVER! With one chord, Kurt and the guys have distanced themselves from their poppy major label debut. Into the verse the song uses picking on some B7 and F# chords to a very satisfying over all sound. You can't fake tone like this...you can dress up a thousand pop musicians in flannel but they'll never be able to create this raw of a sound. The mixing is all different...quieter vocals until the screaming arrives, loud guitars, feedback is left in, the bass and drums roar and hit with a dead thud. This is what Nevermind was supposed to be. The vocal delivery of the chorus is fairly relaxing, not stressing the voice, plenty of songs to do that later. The solo features a somewhat sloppy sound that would embarrass some guitarists...but its all show, its supposed to be that way, so stop complaining! Oh listen there, you can hear Kurt coughing in the background. That's right producer, leave it all in. Next up comes "Scentless Apprentice" another song that breaks the Nevermind mold. I mean seriously, this is Nirvana, Quiet/Loud/Quiet/Loud/Bridge/Loud/Outro?  Isn't that how it goes?  At 15 I sure thought that's how it goes, I wrote every song for about 4 years in that style, I just thought that's how you write a song. This is now two songs in a row they use a new formula....Loud/Repeat. It sounds like something fresh. The song continues on its merry way using abrasive guitars, dissonant tones, and a very nice climb up the neck of the guitar to reach the release at the chorus. The solo once again focuses on NOISE more than anything. Back to the main riff and we're chuggin' right along. The main riff is pretty infectious. There's a poppy riff buried in it somewhere, but its been run over with a truck and hung out to dry so long its pretty much unrecognizable. Wow, I'm enjoying this!  Just when you think loud/quiet/loud is gone, here it comes in the form of "Heart Shaped Box." This song starts with a very clean and perfectly played riff in drop-d tuning. Its very Pixiesque by remaining quiet until the chorus comes along. The chorus lets the guitars roar with what seems to be a fuzz pedal. That's right, Kurt's beloved Boss DS-1 distortion pedal, that is featured on everything seems to be absent here. The chorus uses some great string bending on both guitar and the bass. The effect on the bass is very interesting and really, other musicians should take note of this technique's resulting sound. To punctuate the heavy feel of the chorus, Grohl hits the toms with reckless abandon. Back into the verse and second time around you can really feel the bass line. Using what I'm going to describe as a staccato approach to playing bass, the notes come out very suddenly and quite abbreviated. Back into the chorus we go, identical to the first time around, and then its off to the solo. The solo uses VERY fuzzed out guitar and played a very short string bending exercise before its back to the final verse.  The song concludes on a very heavy version of the chorus which allows Grohl to 'explore the studio space' with his ride cymbal. (BE LOUD). The next song, which resulted in Walmart altering the packaging of the album is "Waif Me."  Wait...that's not right...is it? According to Walmart, that is the name of the song, because that's what they changed it to when they deemed "Rape Me" a little too much for their customers. The band really didn't care that much...the song was left alone on the album, its just four letters on the back of the sleeve that were altered. The song uses a very simplistic approach of the same chords for the verse and chorus...one presented clean, one presented distorted. The music doesn't really have much to say, but Kurt sure does. Kurt had spoken out against rape many times before during interviews and at concerts. Honestly I can't think of anyone coming out in support of rape, but maybe he just felt someone had to make sure people remembered: rape = bad. The more you know... "Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle" is a song that sneaks up on you. With a very quiet and clean riff at the start it suddenly roars in and out before reaching the verse. The verse uses this same dynamic of loud/quiet/loud to great effect before finally fully releasing in the chorus that goes for the throat. The chorus is fueled by overpowering drums that beat the hell out of the toms and crash cymbals. The bridge is very "Teen Spirit" with its low to high chord progression but its definitely not "Nevermind" material, its still a brutal assault. You know, listening to the lyrics, it seems Kurt enjoys his world of depression. "Dumb" is a track that catches most casual fans off guard.  Reminiscent of "Polly" or "Something in the Way" the track stays acoustic and features some kick ass cello work. The song appears to be an ode to substance abuse and all the wonderful ways to get high. Lyrically not my cup of tea, but who cares...its still a classic Nirvana tune. For me this track is very interesting in retrospect...it hints to the musical path the band would eventually take with their Unplugged set, which for me, was an amazing accomplishment for a 'grunge' band.

Side two is an assault on the poppy ears of those needless Nirvana fans. It starts with "Very Ape," a track with an ever whining guitar echoing in the background throughout the song. The song takes an almost punk attitude with some pretty nonsensical lyrics. The basic dynamic of the song is just sliding power chords up and down the neck in time with the frantic drumbeat. Its not a long song, but at this pace, it doesn't need to be long. The next wall of noise is "Milk It," a song that starts with some poorly played guitar followed by some heavy hitting power chords. The verse then takes over with very quiet and Pixiesque (there's that word again) structure. The chorus brings back the power chords and a hammering of the crash cymbals on the quarter notes for a very heavy sound. The vocal delivery is just pure Cobain scream, the melody is there, but its hidden underneath the almost throat mutilating yell. The solo uses the poorly played guitar again in an insult to 'dual lead guitar' bands everywhere. It fits the feel of the record...to...a...T.  The song finally rips through one last assault of screamed lyrics and crash cymbals before it finally concludes. The abrupt conclusion leads us into a personal favorite of mine. "Pennyroyal Tea" has the loud guitars, has the quiet verses and the manic bridge, but it all feels different. There's a distinct urgency in the vocal delivery like Kurt is really trying to tell us something. Something bad. The song has overtones of heroin abuse, depression, and all shades of things to come.  Oh the warning signs were all there. The unplugged version of this song is even harder to listen to knowing what comes next.  Its a sad song, and as played on the Unplugged album; solo and unaccompanied, it sounds like the last rights of a great musician. Next comes "Radio Friendly Unit Shift," a term that comes from the music biz. Basically, this term describes a catchy song that will guarantee you will sell some records. Interesting title considering this song is about as far from that as you can possibly get. Feedback, repetitive bass and drums, flatly delivered vocals and an intense feedback driven conclusion that leaves your ears completely spent. That was exhausting...and its not over yet. Next up is a brief intense song with no real lyrics, or musical value of any kind. That's why it NEEDS to be on this album. "Tourettes" uses fast power-chords, crashing the ride cymbal and start/stop crunch to give one last big flurry of pure noise rock. The album concludes with a nice drop-D tuning song. "All Apologies" brings the cello back and the vocal delivery of the verse varies between calm and somewhat stressed. The chorus roars to one simple power-chord before a sudden stop features a pounding drum fill. The song concludes with a trailing off overly distorted version of the basic riff with a little feedback, a sort of soloing guitar and drums that slowly fall apart to nothingness. The song concludes with the drums playing like a heartbeat slowly coming to a stop.  Basically, what you have is the whole album, every piece, every style, and every manic moment in one song.  Wow...well played.

So, after listening to that, are you still a fan? I hope so, cause this album is amazing and blows away 'Nevermind.' I have to admit I did a little song skipping when I first got it on tape back in 1993, I was a touch hesitant. But I just kept listening over and over and soon I discovered this was the band that Nirvana needs to be. Yeah, we all know how it ends, this was the last studio album they ever released and we'll never know what they would've done next, but that's a pretty big 'what if' for the music world to ponder.

Strongest Song: Pennyroyal Tea
Weakest Song: Everything on the album, NEEDS to be on the album.
Song You Know: Heart-Shaped Box, Rape Me
Why You Might Hate It: You're one of those 'Nevermind' only Nirvana fans.
Buy It?  YES, own this album. I've owned this album on Tape, CD, MP3 and Vinyl...and you should too.