On this date in 1991, Nirvana's "Nevermind" was released. While, I may not have this album in my personal top 10 albums of all time - it marks a window of time. A time where pop music was scrapping the bottom of the gutter for "talent." (See the below Top 10 for that week.)1. I Adore Mi Amor - Color Me Badd
2. Things That Make You Go Hmmmm... - C&C Music Factory
3. Good Vibrations - Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch
4. Motownphilly - Boyz II Men
5. The Promise Of A New Day - Paula Abdul
6. Time, Love And Tenderness - Michael Bolton
7. Too Many Walls - Cathy Dennis
8. Now That We Found Love - Heavy D. & The Boyz
9. The Motown Song - Rod Stewart
10. Love Of A Lifetime - Firehouse
And second - I am becoming old. No longer just a mature, young adult. To put things in perspective, I was listening to Soundgarden's "Superunknown" in the office the other day and someone that works in the office came over and said, "Is that Soundgarden? My parents used to listen to that. It came out when I was like 8." Nice.
Please feel free to drop in your recollections of "Nevermind." As for me, I remember thinking it was nice that I could start watching MTV and not feeling the urge to vomit. And that maybe I could be the mediocre bassist for a mega hit band. Seriously, if Krist Novoselic could do it, I sure as hell could. ...And then I could get laid - but probably not.
10 comments:
That's arguably the worst Top 10 list for any given week. Yikes.
I was a freshman in college when Nevermind came out (15 years - double yikes), and bought it after I heard "Something in the Way" on WOXY. I thought all the guys in my dorm listening to Use Your Illusion would like it a lot, which, apparently, they all did (same with Pearl Jam).
The weirdest thing, though, is when I went home for fall break and did the obligatory stopping by my old high school to gloat over my friends who were still seniors, and it was like an alternative bomb had exploded in the middle school girls' restrooms. The hallways looked like an all-ages punk show, when just six months before it was metal hair and Benetton.
I remember thinking it was nice that I could start watching MTV and not feeling the urge to vomit.
Uh, I think that was because of the "anti-nausea medication" we were taking.
Travis, I keep getting older, but they stay the same age.
IRod, for the record, the anti-nausia medication must have had some kind of mind eraser elerment becuase, for the record, I have no recollection of those events.
But I do recall purchasing the "Wizard of Oz" and something about chicken-monkey.
Travis - I was a Sophmore when Nevermind came out and I also heard it on WOXY (very sad about it BTW). I remember thinking "Smells like Teen Spirit" was going to be a One-Hit-Wonder. I hadn't been that wrong since my high school haircut.
I hope you got the kid who made that Soundgarden comment fired. I said something about the Pixies a month ago, and this 24-year-old looked at me like I was speaking in tongues.
Well, you asked for it.
My sharpest memory of Nevermind was that it was really hard to find in the record stores around college. Studiodave was the only person I knew who had a copy. Where did he get it? His mom sent it to him! Along with a nice sweater, I believe.
"Look what the cat dragged in"
Mascara?
Bret Michaels' balls?
I was fresh out of college during the Seattle Invasion... Nirvana, Soundgarden, AIC and Pearl Jam were all in heavy rotation in my various CD players.
When I quit my agency job after a year and went to NY to work at a magazine, The Sub-Pop "LOSER" T became acceptable work attire, and I was flush with cash to pour into a ridiculous stereo, tons of CDs and vinyl. I'd say '91 to '95 were the musical pinnacle for me.
Those were good days.
My biggest Nirvana memory (besides it blaring out the dorm freshman year), is sitting in a bar as Kurt Loder or whoever began the 90s style Grieve-a-thon with the news that Cobain had eaten his gun. I think Loder then went on to compare Cobain to John Lennon.
The sinking feeling that I was going to be inundated with crap-filled eulogies hit me pretty hard.
Eventually, all those commemorative Kurt Cobain throw pillows and jean jacket patches from the county fair would be replaced by Franklin Mint Princess Di plates, tasteful Dale Earnhardt window decals, and 9/11 merchandise.
Nevermind came out right before our fall break, which involved a road trip through Chapel Hill, Athens GA, and Atlanta.
As luck would have it, on each and every stop, we were in town at the same time Nirvana was playing a show. And I mean small-time clubs, the last tour they'd do that in.
Three times on the trip, we talked about going to see them -- tickets were available and cheap, as this was just another SUB>POP band out on the road, like so many we'd seen before.
Each time we decided we'd rather go drinking.
My greatest regret from college.
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