If any record is worthy of a tribute album, it’s Nirvana’s Nevermind. It would be impossible to sum up in a few words the social impact that this record has had on American popular culture, there have been whole books written on the subject. But, while it is easy to focus on grunge and the later death of frontman Kurt Cobain, it is easy to lose sight on just how good this album is. Nevermind is not an easy record to criticize, full of both massive hits like “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “Lithium,” along with beloved deep cuts like “Breed” and “Territorial Pissings.” Thus, SPIN Magazine’s tribute affair, complete with bands that were directly involved with Nirvana and heavily influenced by the Seattle three-piece, serves as a welcome reminder of the strength of Cobain’s songwriting, brought to us now in celebration of the 20-year anniversary of its release.
And while it is easy to appreciate the concept and the integrity behind the release (it was given away as a free download, after-all), it is unfortunate that the tribute is such a mixed bag in terms of where the audience went with their interpretations. A quick glance at the tracklist shows artists ranging from the electronic-leaning Midnight Juggernauts, soul-singer Charles Bradley, and straight-ahead rock band Titus Andronicus. The fact that all of these artists are on the same tribute point toward a problem that many tributes find themselves in, namely, that in focusing on one concept (getting covers of every song on Nevermind), the curators failed to put together something that contains anything resembling cohesion. Sure, this might fly for many in love with their iTunes shuffle, but a theme in the sound of the record, and not just the concept, would have been nice, and would have made for a piece that people could revisit, rather than just give a couple spins for novelty purposes, make note of a couple favorites, and then forget as quickly as it took to download.
Getting both The Vaselines and the Meat Puppets to contribute to this comp was probably the biggest coup, as both were covered by Nirvana during their legendary Unplugged performance, though, unfortunately, only one of them was successful with their tune. The Vaselines’ hushed “Lithium” serves as a lovely and haunting take on the mid-tempo rocker. Never having the distortion come in keeps the audience guessing, and mystery is something that is generally lacking on a covers record. The Meat Puppets, drawing the most difficult track with “Smells Like Teen Spirit” sounds exactly like you would expect it to, serving somewhat an opposite affect that Nirvana’s covers of their tracks did. A band known for their craftsmanship and not so much the way they actually sound, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” comes across as awkward, a pale resemblance on the original.
For the younger bands, Titus Andronicus, EMA, and Surfer Blood all work to some degree, though it takes Surfer Blood until the conclusion of “Territorial Pissings” to really get cooking. Foxy Shazam, though instantly revolting with their version of “Drain You,” shows why you need to listen to an entire song before you judge it, coming out of the epic bridge (one of Nirvana’s finest moments on record) with horns and directness rarely seen on the compilation. Somehow, “Drain You” becomes the most unexpected of standouts on the album. But, the failures on the album, notably a silly blues take on “In Bloom” by Butch Walker & The Black Widows and a tasteless electronic riff on “Come As You Are” by the Midnight Juggernauts, weigh the album down and are likely to infuriate Nirvana purists. Sure, it will be hard not to get some sort of enjoyment out of Newermind, as the source material is so strong, but the casting of the collection is at times ill-advised, and at other times just ridiculous, resulting in an experience that is middle-of the road – a level of quality that is almost insulting to associate with Nevermind.
