Nirvana and Life - personal reflection
Nirvana used to be what I lived for. The music, the purported lifestyle and ideology were exactly what a 12 year old victim of a divorce was looking to latch onto.
Nevermind was the first CD I ever bought with my own money, and to this day it remains my favourite album of all-time. From “Smells Like Teen Spirit” to the hidden “Endless Nameless”, I worshipped and memorized every single lyric and guitar chord.
I still hold the opinion that the four track line-up of “Drain You”, “Lounge Act”, “Stay Away”, and “On a Plain” rival any other four consecutive tunes on ANY album EVER.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I once heard Nevermind described as the Nirvana album that one would be most likely to marry, were it a woman. I believe that would be the same choice for me as well; with In Utero as a good friend of mine that I found beguiling, Incesticide would be my eccentric best friend and Unplugged would be the person I could bare my soul to. Bleach would be like an old girlfriend who shows up once and a while to hang out. From the Muddy Banks is like a little brother to the rest of the albums, great in its own regard but feeding off of the greatness of the other works.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I was just old enough to be deeply affected, like thousands of other teenagers, when Cobain killed himself in April of 1994. I was supremely pissed off at Kurt for a short period of time, until I put it all into perspective; his life and his situation: addiction and health problems. Suddenly I felt empathy for his tortured personality.
Perhaps he was right in quoting Neil Young; sometimes it is better to burn out than to fade away. Think of all the other “great” musical icons that died around the same age: Hendrix, Joplin, Morrison, and Brian Jones, all dead at 27 years of age. It’s a tragically young age to die, but had they lived to old age, they may not be viewed as such enigmas, eidolons.
Nevermind was the first CD I ever bought with my own money, and to this day it remains my favourite album of all-time. From “Smells Like Teen Spirit” to the hidden “Endless Nameless”, I worshipped and memorized every single lyric and guitar chord.
I still hold the opinion that the four track line-up of “Drain You”, “Lounge Act”, “Stay Away”, and “On a Plain” rival any other four consecutive tunes on ANY album EVER.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I once heard Nevermind described as the Nirvana album that one would be most likely to marry, were it a woman. I believe that would be the same choice for me as well; with In Utero as a good friend of mine that I found beguiling, Incesticide would be my eccentric best friend and Unplugged would be the person I could bare my soul to. Bleach would be like an old girlfriend who shows up once and a while to hang out. From the Muddy Banks is like a little brother to the rest of the albums, great in its own regard but feeding off of the greatness of the other works.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I was just old enough to be deeply affected, like thousands of other teenagers, when Cobain killed himself in April of 1994. I was supremely pissed off at Kurt for a short period of time, until I put it all into perspective; his life and his situation: addiction and health problems. Suddenly I felt empathy for his tortured personality.
Perhaps he was right in quoting Neil Young; sometimes it is better to burn out than to fade away. Think of all the other “great” musical icons that died around the same age: Hendrix, Joplin, Morrison, and Brian Jones, all dead at 27 years of age. It’s a tragically young age to die, but had they lived to old age, they may not be viewed as such enigmas, eidolons.
posted by Brian at 4:10 a.m.
<< Home