The 500 - #435 - Nirvana - In Utero

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

Album # 435

Album Title: In Utero
Artist: Nirvana
Genre: Grunge, Alternative Rock
Recorded: February, 1993
Released: September, 1993
My age at release: 28
How familiar was I with it before this week: Fairly
Song I am putting on my Spotify Mix: All Apologies 
(Suggested by my friend Michelle Ryan, honourable mention to Brent Kelders who pitched some awesome "deep track" choices.)

The grunge movement of the early 90s wasn't intended to be a movement. Before 1990, the burgeoning Seattle music scene was an underground collection of bands who began fusing elements of punk rock and heavy metal into their own sound. It was a reaction to the heavily commercialized "over-the-top" glam-rock of the MTV 80s. However, these musicians did not call themselves "grunge" nor did they seek to revolutionize the sound of the day. They just wanted to make authentic music without worrying about style. If this was a restaurant, they sold the steak, not the sizzle.

Four Seattle Bands - Pearl Jam (Top Left) , Nirvana (Top Right),
 Soundgarden (Bottom Left), Alice in Chains (Bottom Right)

The so-called "grunge" sound varied from band to band. Some played fast, angry and loud -- replicating the raw energy of punk and garage rock bands of the previous two decades (Black Flag, The Misfits, The MC5 or The Stooges). Other Seattle rockers were influenced by 70s heavy metal acts (Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and UFO). They used distortion to create brooding anthems that were low and slow. Both of these styles provided a canvas for lyrics that were dark, angst-filled and deeply introspective, seeking to capture the isolation and alienation of upstate Washington's dismal climate.

By the time In Utero was released in September 1993, the Seattle scene had exploded. An art form which began with earnest intention was now a commercial juggernaut. The 1992 film Singles had thrust the movement into mainstream culture. 

Teens and twenty-somethings across the world were decked out in the same loose-fitting, androgynous, disheveled clothing that were trademarks of bands who had now become household names (Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains). However, these clothes were no longer inexpensive, thrift-store discoveries. "Granddad's old lumber jacket" was on sale at mainstream outlets and designers (including Marc Jacobs and Perry Ellis) capitalized on the trend, incorporating elements into their 1993 spring collections.

There are three Nirvana records on The 500 List, including Nevermind which cracks the top 20. In Utero appears first at #435.

Beyond the fashion, I really liked the music and, in the fall of 1993, I was excited about the release of this record. However, after my first listen, I wasn't as impressed as I'd hoped. I had the feeling that might best be captured by the well known expression "You can never go home again." It seemed as if the band was trying to recapture something that had been swept away by this commercial whirlwind.

The "lightning in a bottle" sound captured in those early days was now a "genie out of the bottle" -- and she was wearing Doc Martens' combat boots and baggy flannel from The Gap. 

Some of these thoughts were confirmed this week as I listened to The 500 Podcast episode dedicated to the In Utero record. In it, host Josh and guest, Jeff Dye. a comedian, actor and Nirvana fan, discussed the band's intention to create a more unpolished, raw and authentic record. To help capture the abrasive sound, the band hired outspoken and controversial engineer Steve Albini, who abhorred any effort to homogenize a band's sound. Nirvana also committed themselves to a rigid two-week recording session at the remote Pachyderm Studio in Cannon Falls, Minnesota. According to a Rolling Stone article at the time:

"The music was quickly recorded within that time with few studio embellishments. The song lyrics and album packaging largely incorporated medical imagery that conveyed front-man Kurt Cobain's outlook on his publicized personal life and his band's newfound fame."

Cobain had actually wanted the record to be titled, I Hate Myself And I Want To Die, which was the response he gave to anyone who asked how he was doing. The title was rejected but the words would become a terrible harbinger. 

Overwhelmed by his mental illness and heroin addiction, Cobain would take his life seven months after the record's release on April 8, 1994. The suicide note he left echoed the sentiments he'd made clear in multiple interviews. He simply could not find joy in the music he was creating or from the energy of fans he entertained. 

After his passing I, like many, revisited the Nirvana catalog.  Over time, I gained a deeper appreciation for the cathartic, almost corrosive energy of In Utero. Certainly, it is coloured by Cobain's suicide, but I also understand the record a little better now. Perhaps, I was right. "You can't go home again"...and that can be devastatingly painful.