That pressure-cooker experience could be felt all over Nevermind’s caustic 1993 follow-up, In Utero, as raw and furious a record that’s ever debuted at No. But his tumultuous marriage to Hole frontwoman Courtney Love also made him a prime target for the tabloids. The staggering success of Nevermind, which symbolically knocked Michael Jackson off the top of the Billboard charts in January 1992-turned Cobain into the sort of massively influential figure that could convert suburban kids into socially conscious punks and get obscure artists major record deals by virtue of wearing their t-shirt. After Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic replaced drummer Chad Channing with Bonham-esque basher Dave Grohl, the group moved from Seattle’s Sub Pop imprint to major label DGC, which released Nevermind, a record that fused ‘60s pop hooks, ‘70s hard-rock heft, ‘80s post-hardcore noise, and eternal teen angst into what would become the definitive sound of the ‘90s. But amid the corroded jangle of “About a Girl,” singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain betrayed a Lennon-esque melodic sensibility at odds with prevailing DIY-punk orthodoxies. It’s a fate few would’ve bet on when the Aberdeen, Washington-formed group dropped their 1989 debut, Bleach, which positioned them as a baby-brother band to grunge kingpins Mudhoney. The lead-off track to the Seattle-based trio’s second album, Nevermind, didn’t just send the grungy sound of the Pacific Northwest underground crashing into the mainstream, it prompted rock radio stations to flip their formats to alternative almost overnight, turned thrift-store flannel into a must-have fashion accessory, and sent the music industry scouring indie scenes from coast to coast in search of the next leftfield crossover act. No other band could have offered covers of David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold the World" and the folk standard "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" on the same record, turning in chilling performances of both - performances that reveal as much as their original songs.The insolent opening chords to Nirvana’s 1991 single “Smells Like Teen Spirit” were no mere guitar riff-this was a ticking time bomb, triggering an explosion that instantly changed the face of pop culture and sent shockwaves that are still being felt to this day. Few records are as unblinkingly bare and naked as this, especially albums recorded by their peers. Then, there's the subtexts, as Kurt's hurt and suicidal impulses bubble to the surface even as he's trying to suppress them. As it turns out, it accomplishes its goals rather too well this is a band, and songwriter, on the verge of discovering a new sound and style. It's a nakedly emotional record, unintentionally so, as the subtext means more than the main themes of how Nirvana wanted to prove its worth and diversity, showcasing the depth of their songwriting. circa Automatic for the People, it's the Nirvana record that nobody, especially Kurt, wanted revealed. Is it the choice of material or the spare surroundings that make it so effective? Well, it's certainly a combination of both, how the version of the Vaselines' "Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam" or the three covers of Meat Puppets II songs mean as much as "All Apologies" or "Something in the Way." This, in many senses, isn't just an abnormal Nirvana record, capturing them in their sincerest desire to be R.E.M. If In Utero is a suicide note, MTV Unplugged in New York is a message from beyond the grave, a summation of Kurt Cobain's talents and pain so fascinating, it's hard to listen to repeatedly.
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