| In 1989, Nirvana were mentioned in the same breath as Mudhoney, Tad and The Melvins--just another band doing the rounds on the Seattle underground. Bleach doesn't adequately explain why, so many years on, Nirvana remains a household name when so many of their contemporaries have been forgotten, but it offers the first essential clues. "About A Girl", for instance, which was later memorably revived for their MTV Unplugged In New York album, is one of Nirvana's finest moments--a Beatles-esque light touch between the caustic likes of "Floyd The Barber" and "School". It was when Nirvana toned down the fuzz-metallic tendencies so characteristic of the Sub Pop label that Cobain's gift for melody shone through- -notably, the cover of Shocking Blue's "Love Buzz". Of course, Cobain quickly realised this, and much better was to come with 1991's classic Nevermind. --Louis Pattison |
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