Nirvana "In Utero"

 

Nirvana "In Utero" 8/10

Today would have been Kurt Cobain's 54th birthday,  so I figured it would be a good day to evaluate what was perhaps the most polarizing (and also the final) Nirvana studio effort.

Nirvana was arguably the biggest band of the past 30 years; hitting a cultural reset switch with waves still reach rock music to this day.  Originally formed in Seattle by Kurt and Chris Novoselic, they built a cult following through releases on the famous Subpop label, as well as through relentless touring.

Signing on to Geffin records in 1991, mostly seen as a regional write off for the company, Nirvana went into the stratosphere.   Dave Grohl joined and filled the drummers throne as a permanent member, adding power behind the kit and melodic backing vocals.  Butch Vig had produced their major label debut, "Nevermind" and the lead off single, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" became a cultural event.  

Being donned the "spokesperson" of Gen X weighed heavily on the shy and insecure Kurt.  A guy who had probably never really believed he would achieve more than some moderate success was now an international celebrity.  

"In Utero" was in a lot of ways, a "fuck you" record.  To juxtapose the polished production of "Nevermind," Kurt brought on Chicago punk icon Steve Albina to produce.  Kurt wanted a loud, raw, harrowing record.  The label let the sessions stand, but cleaned the record up a bit in post production.   The version we are going to celebrate is the 2013 mix, also known as the original Steve Albini mix.  This cut is a double 45 RPM LP for extra fidelity, and it sounds absolutely amazing.  This is the album as the band had intended.

The songs are angry, raw, autobiographical,  and meant to touch a nerve.  Some fans were turned off by this more challenging record, but most fans stood by the dirtier sound of the record, and the strength of the songs themselves. 

1) "Serve the Servants"

This one sets the tone for the whole record.  First line is a callout; "teenage angst has paid off well, now I'm bored and old" (he was 26).  Hard to tell if the servants he is serving are his legions of rabid fans, or expectant labels, but this feedback filled anthem seems to be Kurt telling everyone he is only going to play for himself.

2) "Scentless Apprentice"

Big drums pull us in for this one.  Dave is just pounding away, to a one chord riff laden with more feedback.  This is a dirty punk anthem that would have easily found a space on Nirvana's grungy debut, "Bleach."  It is hard to tell the difference between the lead guitar lines, and the feedback, and it is 100% intentional.

3) "Heart-Shaped Box"

This song seems to play out the torrid and toxic love affair of Kurt and Courtney.  It feels like a heroin-nod induced lover's quarrel.  This was the biggest single on the album, and is one of Nirvana's signature songs.  It is full of Melvins-like sludge and down tuning, but crafted to be palatable enough for rock radio.

4) "Rape Me"

Another callout to the record industry.  As the pressures of runaway success were mounting, and as Kurt became a cultural icon, his mental health deteriorated.  He felt as though he could never get away from the cameras, or the controversies surrounding his band, his marriage, his parenthood, and his career.  This song is a sort of variation on the riff from "Teen Spirit," perverted to turn into an anti-rape anthem; both against the heinous act as well as against how Kurt felt he was being treated.

5) "Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle"

Frances Farmer was an actress from Seattle who had unfairly been institutionalized.  Kurt felt many of the same pressures in the public eye that Frances (whom he named his daughter for) and identified with her tragedy.  This song is an ode to her, as well as an acknowledgement of the trappings of fame.  This song certainly also continues Kurt's infatuation with the loud-quiet-loud dynamic that he borrowed from The Pixies.  Nothing is more 90s style melancholy than a chorus that says "I miss the comfort in being sad."

6) "Dumb"

This song feels like an anthem about numbness, and a classic story of ignorance being bliss.  Maybe happiness really is just not knowing, and tucking yourself away.  It has been said that the greatest folly of mankind is his inability to sit quietly in a room by himself.  This slow acoustic number also gives a nice break from the brute force of the album openers.

7) "Very Ape"

Kurt Cobain was never afraid to borrow (and acknowledge) from his favorite artists.  This quick send-up feels like it was lifted from an early Husker Du record.  Indeed, all 3 members of Nirvana had name dropped The Huskers as their inspiration for being their own punk power trio.  The Husker Du Wall of Sound is all over this record, but the Husker ferocity paints this track. 

8) "Milk It"

This off-the-cuff sounding slow build keeps going until it goes off like a bomb.  Sort of the drama found in Fugazi's signature song "Waiting Room."  The crackling guitar builds and builds with the bass and drums peppering the sound behind it, until it just absolutely explodes in the chorus.  Cool deep track, and it sounds like something that was probably written and recorded in about 20 minutes after a late night session.

9) "Pennyroyal Tea"

This song sounds like suicidal depression put to tape.  Pennyroyal Tea is a drug that was used to induce miscarriage prior to abortion procedures.  The themes of pregnancy and birth obviously flow throughout this record.  This song sounds like a long, sad, tired sigh.  Maybe Kurt was juxtaposing postpartum depression with his own bipolar struggles?  This song was released as a single a week or two before Kurt's suicide, and was pulled from the shelves for obvious reasons.  It still stands as probably the darkest number on the album.

10) "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter"

Probably the weakest song in the set.  It is okay, but it is mostly a vehicle to play with feedback.  Kurt certainly knew how to layer a song with melodic feedback, but this feels more like a deep and forgettable cut from a Sonic Youth record.

11) "tourette's"

A 3 chord punk send up of some dirty words.  Once again borrowing from the Husker Du playbook, but making it their own.  Almost a sequel to the garage band scream, "Territorial Pissings," from "Nevermind."

12) "All Apologies"

This song stands as Kurt's farewell to his fans.  At the time, the song sounded dark and depressed.  In retrospect, he was saying "goodbye" and "I'm sorry."  A heartbreaking anthem musing over his own demise.  It fades out as it builds into a sort of universal chant.  Kurt was in trouble, and he was on a collision course with depression, addiction, and the pressures of success.  He ultimately lost his battle with his demons and mental illness.

The final Nirvana record gives us a preview of what the band could have become.  Dave Grohl was probably always going to find his way into his own project, being a writer, front man, and multi-instrumentalist in his own right.  Kurt showed us he could write convincing grungy ballads along with punk-explosive send ups.  Tragically, this record stands as his last stamp at writing and creating, as he took his own life in April of 1994, just a few months after the release of "In Utero."