Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain became legendary after committing suicide in 1994 at the age of 27. His heroin addiction, his marriage to Courtney Love, his sensitivity and his depressive tendencies ended his reign as the leader of his generation. He never reached his personal nirvana on this Earth.
The 90's were the hangover from the 80's. After years of excess and luxury, it was the turn of the losers who didn't achieve the American Dream - the 90's proved to be a time of depression and a move back to simplicity. They were called Generation X, with films such as Reality Bites, Singles, and My Own Private Idaho, and the music of grunge.
Grunge was born in Seattle and brought fame to Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and hordes more. Hedonism was replaced by social awareness; suntanned, muscled rockers became guys who looked almost homeless. Reflecting the cruelty of reality, grunge rockers seemed to say life's not worth trying. Musically, they were a cross between punk and classic rock.
Nirvana was the most successful grunge band, and Nevermind was the album of 1992. Even the CD cover is meaningful: a baby swims towards a dollar bill; we are taught crass capitalism from birth. Did anyone care?
That album, Nevermind, remains a rock classic, and all twelve of its tracks are memorized by virtually the entire generation that grew up with it. Nirvana's music continues to be picked up by younger generations too, eager to see what the fuss is about and impressed with what they find.
Everyone has their own personal list of favorite tracks from Nevermind. If you want to compile your own mental playlist for this album, get to know all the songs and see which ones jump out at you the best. You might start with these:
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"Nirvana chose a deodorant, Teen Spirit, to sing about youth and the values they are taught. At the time, the generation seemed to have it all - but people felt lost and bored. Socially, the herd was more important than the person. The lighting in the video, like the song, is claustrophobic, dark like Caravaggio. Cobain's face is blurred: the future is frightening, but inevitable.
"Lithium"Lithium is an anti-depression medication. After administering the medicine, everything seems to be fine, and there's no risk of "cracking". Loneliness and fear are gone. Love is a reason to go on. Adrenaline is another reason, as the video shows: instruments are destroyed chaotically. But there is a contrast between the lyrics in which Cobain calmly explains his feelings and those where he maniacally promises he'll continue without going crazy.
While just a sample of the album, these two songs are recommended if you're looking to get into Nirvana's Nevermind or get back into it after a long absence. All twelve of the songs on the album are classics. Have fun discovering and re-discovering the gems within!
[music reviews update]
สมัครสมาชิก:
ส่งความคิดเห็น (Atom)
ไม่มีความคิดเห็น:
แสดงความคิดเห็น