Classic Albums

With the release and eventual success of their second album, Nevermind, Nirvana cemented themselves as one of the cornerstones of a musical upheaval. Along with the likes of Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Mud Honey, and Alice In Chains, Nirvana broke ground and laid the foundation for what would serve as the stepping stones for many to come.

The Classic Albums series celebrates the impression left by this monumental album with the release of “the definitive authorized story” behind the masterpiece. The trio from small town Washington state blindsided an industry and toppled the “King of Pop” from the top of the charts, with a vision and without compromise.

Nevermind – Classic Albums features interviews with the surviving band members, producer Butch Vig, members of the DCG promotions team, and representatives from Sub Pop records. Collectively, they deconstruct the creation of the landmark album and give insight on the luminary, Kurt Cobain, who touched millions of dysfunctional and disillusioned youths. They delve deeper into the architectural design Kurt envisioned for the album by describing how Kurt’s vocals acted as a glue to bring the tracks together by utilizing their sounds even more so than their meanings, all along focusing on a child-like simplicity.

Producer Butch Vig disassembles segments of Nevermind track by track, exposing the band’s nakedness. Vig illustrates how the band used overdubs and doubling vocal tracks to create a heaviness that would effectively mask the hookiness and base pop foundation of the album. In essence, this created a subliminal pop sound that made the tracks radio friendly.

Live footage of key tracks such as “Lithium,” “Polly,” “Drain You,” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit” compliment the various interviews. Bonus features include the breakdown of “Drain You,” the story of Dave Grohl joining the band, “Polly” live in concert, and the design of the album sleeve.

Nirvana was about the music, only dedicated to creating an album that “sounded good.” They had no ambition or desire to write an album that would support the creation of a new genre or change an industry. Nirvana surprised the world as well as themselves.