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Ranks amongst Nirvana's best Murf!
As many other reviewers here have mentioned, this is not a 'proper' album, rather, it is a compilation of B sides, live sessions and rare tracks, compiled after Cobain's death. This might put you off, but I heartily recommend it. It starts off sounding something vaguely like Nevermind, although the second half of the album is more grungy, resembling "Bleach" closer. A lot of people knock the first track, Dive. OK, so lyrically it's very simple: it's largely Kurt repeating the line "Dive, dive, dive, dive with me", but it still works. The guitar work is awesome, and I think it is like a second Smells Like Teen Spirit at times. I think it's safe to guess that it's intentionally sung to sound like "die with me", incidentally. It's well sung, and it works, so could everyone just shaddap about this track and leave it alone? Next up is Sliver, which is just plain awesome in my everso 'umble opinion. It's about someone complaining about being brought to their grandparent's house. It seems almost cute and innocent until you notice the lyric about him shooting the dog. The tune works well here. It's not a metally as Dive, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Stain is track 3, and it's also got quite a bit of flack which it doesn't deserve. It's a grungy track with the central lyric "I'm a stain". The rest of the lyrics are a little repetitive, but hell, it's a fantastic track. Definitely one of the album's best. I absolutely love Been a Son, which follows. It's about how a girl could have got more attention by being a son. It's a strange satire, but the important thing is that the tune itself is great, and it hangs together really well. Unfortunately, as with a lot of tracks on the album, it's too short. Turnaround is a variable commodity. Parts of the track sound great, some don't. The lyrics are essentially one big insult, and it's pretty funny for it. It's got a... dodgy lyric about not letting people get behind you, as a bonus. A good track, but not great, with moments of brilliance. Molly's Lips is a solid track, albeit a little too repetitive both lyrically and in tune terms. It's along the same lines as Sliver in tone. Not one of the best here, but still very good. Son of a Gun is a little too happy for my liking, with some horribly nice lyrics: "sun shines in the bedroom when we play/the rain always starts when you go away". I suppose it's a nice change to hear Kurt being a little upbeat for a change... it works, and continues a tone pretty consistent through the album. I wasn't ever too keen on Polly, despite the dodgy rape-related lyrics, but this version, entitled (New Wave) Polly works better, I think. It's played far faster, which is how I think it sounds best. Beeswax is possibly the album's worst track. Here's a simple equation to sum it up: Kurt Cobain + a truckful of every mind enhancing drug on planet Earth + a guitar = not too wonderful. The guitar isn't too bad, but Kurt is. The lyrics - "I got my duties paid", over, and over, and over, and over again, piss me off a little. Downer is a little better, although hardly a highlight on the album. It's tone is as the track name suggests, but it seems like old Kurty layed off the smack a little for this one. Some of the lyrics are incomprehensible, annoyingly. It's still a pretty good tune. Mexican Seafood marks a return to Smackville for Cobain. Totally mashed up and half-comprehendable lyrics accompany an average tune to make an OK track, but like a lot of this end of the album, it's not up to Nirvana's best by a long shot. Hairspray Queen is just so screwed up it's funny. This time, Kurt's decided to let Novoselic and Grohl at his supplies as well, and there's plainly plenty to go 'round. There is a small section of the track, lasting about 15 seconds, about 1:50 in and again a bit later, which sounds good, but then it collapses. By the end of the track, the mushrooms are kicking in too, and I really can't see even the most fanatical fan of Nirvana getting much from this track. Aero Zeppelin is far better than the last few tracks. It's really mellow, and works really well for it. There's a rather good bit which picks up the pace significantly without wrecking the track as a whole. Far from Nirvana's best, but pretty good. This is definitely on the "Bleach" end of things. Big Long Now is another very mellow track, seemingly produced by a very big come down indeed. Very depressing, good lyrics when you can make them out, and a great tune to back it all. One of the album's highlights. The final track, Aneurysm, is one which divides opinions. I'm just about on the side of the fence which likes it. It starts off with a pretty good instrumental part, which then goes pretty mellow and even better. The lyrics are average. Not bad singing, and at least he's not too drunk, stoned and high. A fairly good track. Overall, this is a good album, not as good as In Utero or Nevermind, but not as far off at times as people make out, but better than "Bleach". Certainly worth getting.
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