The Pixies - Where Is My Mind?
“I really like it [Trompe le Monde]. It’s not as good as Surfer Rosa, but much better than their last two albums. I still love the Pixies. I was delighted to hear that they revert to their old sound: voices shouted and chaotic guitars.” - Kurt Cobain.
Cobain also stated that the album “Surfer Rosa” was a huge influence on “Nevermind”, he later hired the albums producer Steve Albini to work on “In Utero”.
The Breeders- Cannonball. Released in August of 1993 from their album “Last Splash.”
“The main reason I like [The Breeders] is for their songs, for the way they structure them, which is totally unique, very atmospheric. I wish Kim was allowed to write more songs for the Pixies, because ‘Gigantic’ is the best Pixies song, and Kim wrote it.” - Kurt Cobain.
When Nirvana released their debut album Bleach in 1989 on a small-time American independent label (Sub Pop) very few people took any notice of its caustic, angst-ridden howl of Black Sabbath and Black Flag-isms twisted around irresistible yet spiky melodies. Two years later, in September 1991, the band released their follow-up, Nevermind, and they were transformed from underground favourites to the biggest rock stars on the planet. The angst in their music was still palpable, the attitude unchanged, but this time Kurt and co. let the melody and pop control the metal and punk rather than the other way around.
In every interview we’ve had over the last two years we’ve been practically warning everyone that we’re writing more pop songs, so I don’t think it’ll be a surprise to anyone when they hear [Nevermind]. All my favourite songs are pop songs. Pop just means simple, and that’s what punk rock has been forever until it turned into hardcore. - Kurt Cobain, August 1991 interview with NME.
Two decades and over 30 million sales since its first release we take a look at five bands whose approach to songwriting helped to shape Nirvana’s own, making Nevermind the iconic album that it is.
