It only took Nirvana a few years and three studio albums to change rock history. For all Kurt Cobain’s punk spirit and sarcasm, he wrote tidy songs with meticulous verses and choruses that belong in the same conversation as The Beatles.
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“All Apologies” is something like the Gen X “Yesterday”. And “Smells Like Teen Spirit” jolted culture with an anthem that was equally heartbreaking and propelling at the same time.
If you are a soft Nirvana fan and only know the singles, consider this an intro to the band’s deep cuts, though many of them probably could have been singles, too.
“Scentless Apprentice”
The second track on In Utero accomplishes a lot in its three minutes and 48 seconds. First, it proves, once again, the genius of Steve Albini. Secondly, if you didn’t know, Dave Grohl is the best rock drummer of his generation, and the opening beat proves this, too. Finally, “Scentless Apprentice” distills exactly what Kurt Cobain was after when he wanted to make the under-produced follow-up to Nevermind with Albini.
“Aneurysm”
The B-side to “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is my favorite Nirvana song. Period. It dates back to 1990 and is one of the few Nirvana songs written as a band. “Aneurysm” was first recorded in early 1991. A re-recording months later from a BBC show in London appears on Incesticide, the B-sides and outtakes collection. To me, the track combines Cobain’s classic pop instincts with a raw early sound from the Bleach era.
“Dive”
This one’s from the pre-Dave Grohl days and features Chad Channing on drums. “Dive” is the B-side to Nirvana’s second single, “Sliver”. A 1989 recording features guitarist Jason Everman, but the band, without Everman, cut it again with Butch Vig in 1991 at Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin. Though “Sliver” and “Dive” were first released on Sub Pop, DGC Records included both songs on Incesticide.
“On A Plain”
Calling anything from Nevermind a deep cut feels ridiculous. Still, over time, history tends to narrow its focus on blockbuster singles such as “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, “Come As You Are”, “Lithium”, and “In Bloom”. But “On A Plain” makes the list for its timelessness. It could have been a Buddy Holly single in 1958. It’s also perfectly grunge, yet sounds decades beyond the 1990s. When the track fades out, only Cobain’s overdubbed and harmonized voice remains, like a giant sigh.
Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
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