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sarahanne

Looking back on Nevermind

Fri 23rd Sep, 2011 in Features

Today marks the 20th anniversary of Nevermind; an album that not only ushered in a new era of music, but came to define an entire generation and inspired countless generations thereafter. Much like the great records that came before it, it’s difficult to avoid getting dug down in hyperbole when discussing Nevermind or the legend of Kurt Cobain.

Music journalist Scott Creney recently wrote an honest and hype-free piece about the album which, in his own words, “made the world a little less chipper and a little bit more real.” Through his frank account Creney takes readers back to the very moment that Nevermind arrived and the effect it had on him personally, and his generation as whole, a view which so many musicians borne from Generation X can relate to.

When we asked Magic Dirt’s Adalita about her memories of the album she recalled, “It absolutely changed my life. Kurt Cobain’s voice is so beautiful. I remember Dean and I called each other as soon as we saw the video for Smells LIke Teen Spirit. We were going fucking bananas over it.” While Grinspoon’s Phil Jamieson’s sent us a hand written note to say that his love for Nirvana was defined more by ”...what they did to open me up for music. Urge Overkill, The Melvins, Huggy Bear, Teenage Fanclub, are all bands who I’d have never heard without Nirvana.”

Rather than review an album about which so much has already been written, we decided to ask one the band’s peers to share his memories of the band and their seminal album Nevermind.

In 1991 Brian Ritchie from the Violent Femmes was sent an advance copy of Nevermind and asked whether he would have Nirvana support the Femmes on their upcoming tour of Australia, which included the first Big Day Out. Here is is Brian’s recollection.

My memories of Nirvana and Nevermind with as little emotion and hyperbole as possible.

Ken West and Vivian Lees [of Big Day Out fame] sent me an advance cassette of Nevermind requesting whether Violent Femmes would have Nirvana support us on our forthcoming Australian tour, which included Big Day Out #1.

I listened to it and told them, “Sure these guys sound like the Monkees, if you think they’re a good fit, it’s alright with me.”

I didn’t think about it much after that but in the interim between this decision and the actual tour Nirvana and “Nevermind” exploded and suddenly became the biggest band in the world. Some discussion ensued about possibly switching the bill but Nirvana were not confident enough in their live show to follow the Femmes on stage, so preferred to keep the bill as it was.

It was a pleasure to meet the guys who were all big Femmes fans. Dave and Chris were normal American kids, and Kurt was sweet too but obviously a bit troubled and ill. I remember on the first show in Brisbane, Kurt stood in one place and seemed to need all his energy just to play the songs and sing. A great effort. Then for the Femmes set he huddled in a blanket and sat cross-legged to my immediate left.

Shortly thereafter we did some shows with them in Scandinavia and by this time there was no question of who was the headliner. They had relaxed into performing to huge crowds and musically were a lot more commanding. However when I saw Kurt in the hotel later his pallor and complexion were not encouraging.

I was in the midst of a day of phone interviews when one of the journalists called me back and said, “Sorry to bother you again but have you heard about Kurt Cobain?” I wasn’t surprised. He didn’t seem long for this world. Since then I’ve seen the other two a few times, we never discuss the past.