Description: One of the most powerful hard rock records crafted since the genre emerged, Nirvana took elements of punk rock, classic rock, and quirky alternative indie rock and delivered a potent, razor-sharp collection of unforgettable songs. Even now, their reach is far and wide, and any teen in a rock band will most probably have a song from this album in their repertoire. Aside from the powerful pulse of the music, the mucky yet anvil-like guitars, the key to this record's success is the lyrics and delivery of Kurt Cobain. With unpredictable phrasings that, every now and then, almost ring of the master off-kilter phraseologist, Frank Sinatra, Cobain brings his pain to the surface. At turns mocking of others, self-deprecating, and almost always deeply disenfranchised, Cobain is a hero to the disappointed and disillusioned. Underneath all of the acidic anger is a sensitivity to language and emotion that makes Nirvana a hard rock band with sonic crunch and emotional, even poetic, depth.
Reader’s Annotation: N/A
Artist bio: For all the bands claimed as the kings of the “alternative rock” boom of the late ‘80s/early ‘90s, Nirvana has the greatest claim to the throne. They were not just celebrated by critics, but embraced by a wide audience, especially for the song “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and the album “Nevermind,” from 1991. They were the most famous exemplars of the Northwestern trend called “grunge,” and when their singer and leader, the very complicated Kurt Cobain, killed himself in 1994, the alt-rock era was declared dead, and never quite recovered commercially.
The group’s members began to come together in mid-80s Washington state. Cobain was a blue-collar boy from a divorced family, and embodies the wounded but rugged soul of the band. They listened heavy metal, indie pioneers the Vaselines, and early David Bowie, and brought them all together in a mix that should have lasted longer.
Genre: Musical CD.
Curriculum Ties: The lyrics could be used in an English class.
Booktalking Ideas: N/A
Interest Age: 12 +
Challenge Issues: Some may object to the anger in the lyrics and the music. I'd keep positive reviews, lists of the band's critical rankings. I'd also have the collection policy on hand.
Why Included: Teens still love this band.
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