Bleach (album)

Bleach
Color-reversed image of a band playing on a studio.
Studio album by Nirvana
Released June 15, 1989
Recorded December 1988 – January 1989 at Reciprocal Recording in Seattle, Washington - "Love Buzz" and "Big Cheese" June-September, 1988
Genre Grunge
Length 42:37
Label Sub Pop
Producer Jack Endino
Nirvana chronology
Bleach
(1989)		 Nevermind
(1991)

Bleach is the debut album by the American grunge band Nirvana. It was recorded in Seattle at a cost of US$606.17 and released on June 15 1989 through the independent record label Sub Pop. Although singer Kurt Cobain says that many of the lyrics he wrote had no meaning, Michael Azerrad proposes that they regarded previous incidents in his life.

The album was well-received by critics, but only a moderate hit upon release. After being reissued in 1992, with Geffen Records dealing with the international release, it appeared on many charts, including a number eighty-nine on the Billboard 200, and sold over 1.7 million albums in the United States. A remastered 20th Anniversary Edition of the album was released in 2009 with an additional live recording of a Nirvana show from the period.

Contents

Recording

The main sessions for Bleach took place at Reciprocal Recording Studios in Seattle, Washington, with local producer Jack Endino. Nirvana began recording with a five hour session on December 24, 1988.[1] The band recorded again on December 29–31, and on January 14 and 24.[2] Endino billed the group for 30 hours of recording time.[3] Three of the album's songs–"Floyd the Barber", "Paper Cuts", and the CD-only track "Downer"–were recorded during a previous session at Reciprocal Studios in 1988, featuring Dale Crover on drums. Despite attempts to re-record them with new drummer Chad Channing, the band ultimately decided to remix the versions recorded with Crover for the final version of Bleach.[3] "Big Long Now" was omitted from the album because vocalist/guitarist Kurt Cobain felt "there was already enough slow heavy stuff on Bleach, and he 'didn't want that song to go out'", according to Endino.[2] "Blandest" was also omitted from the album. The album was edited and sequenced, but Sub Pop head Bruce Pavitt ordered that the album be completely re-sequenced.[3] The record was further delayed for several months until Sub Pop was able to secure sufficient funds to issue it.[3]

The recording sessions were completed in thirty hours with a cost of $606.17.[4] Jason Everman, a guitarist who was impressed by the band's demo with Dale Crover, supplied the money. He briefly joined Nirvana as a second guitarist.[3] Everman is credited (but removed on deluxe reissue) as a guitarist on the album sleeve, and is the other guitarist on the cover of the album, even though he did not perform on the record.[5][6] Bassist Krist Novoselic explained, "We just wanted to make him feel at home in the band."[5]

Music

According to Cobain, the music on Bleach conformed with the grunge genre Sub Pop heavily endorsed.[7] "There was this pressure from Sub Pop and the grunge scene to play 'rock music'," Cobain said, and noted that he stripped it "down and make it sound like Aerosmith."[8] Cobain felt he had to fit the expectations of the grunge sound in order to build a fanbase, and so he purposefully suppressed his arty and pop songwriting traits when crafting the record.[7] Krist Novoselic said in a 2001 interview with Rolling Stone that the band had played a tape in their van while on tour that had an album by The Smithereens on one side and an album by the [[[black metal]] band Celtic Frost on the other, and noted that the combination probably played an influence as well.[9] The songs were described as "deliberately bleak, claustrophobic, and lyrically sparse, with none of the manic derangement or sense of release of the live performance."[8] Cobain said that the song structures were "one–dimensional," and said that he sought to present a more "polished and urbane side of happy."[8]

Cobain told Spin in 1993 that with Bleach he "didn't give a flying fuck what the lyrics were about," and claimed that eighty percent of the lyrics were written the night before recording.[10] He was often still working on them on the drive to the recording studio.[3] He explained: "It was like I'm pissed off. Don't know what about. Let's just scream negative lyrics, and as long as they're not sexist and don't get too embarrassing it'll be okay. I don't hold any of those lyrics dear to me."[10] Nirvana biographer Michael Azerrad noted that, nevertheless, many of the songs on the album reflected Cobain and various incidents in his life.[11] "Mr. Moustache" was inspired by Cobain's dislike of macho behavior,[12] while "School" was a critique of the Seattle music scene, particularly Sub Pop.[13]

Christopher Sandford described many of the compositions, saying: "'Paper Cuts' includes a folk-influence melody and ponderous rhythm of an early Led Zeppelin number; 'Mr. Moustache' addressed itself on Nirvana's male fans; 'Downer' showed the same exceptional contempt for the group's audience." "School" was said by Sandford to be memorable for its chorus that "served as the rip."[14] The song is only four lines long. "Scoff" is "a parting salvo at Don and Wendy," and "Negative Creep" was written by Cobain about himself.[14] According to Sandford, "About a Girl" has a "chiming melody and ironic chorus."[14] In Sounds magazine, Keith Cameron said the song "was exhilarating and it was exciting because that was the nature of the music, but there was also an almost palpable sense of danger, that this whole thing could fall apart any second. There was never any relaxation from the first note to the last."[15] In Chuck Crisafulli's book Nirvana: The Stories Behind Every Song, he wrote that the song "stands out in the Cobain canon as a song with a very specific genesis and a very real subject."[16]

Promotion and release

In November 1988, Sub Pop released a retail single, Love Buzz, with a limit of 1,000 pressings. The single's release was said by Kurt Cobain to have attracted "illiterate redneck kids".[17] Unhappy with the single, he described it as being marketed as "sludge [from] untamed Olympia drop–ins".[17] In August 1988, Alice Wheeler took photographs of the group under the Tacoma Narrows Bridge to publicize "Love Buzz".[17] After the album's release, Kmart distributed a selection of clothing that promoted the band, as well as the album.[8] On February 25, 1989, Nirvana played at venues on the west coast, including the University of Washington.[18]

The group began their first European tour in Newcastle-upon-Tyne on October 30 1989 and, on December 3 1989, the group performed a "triumphant" concert at the London Astoria. On April 1, 1990, the band launched their second major U.S. tour. During the tour, Chad Channing was replaced by Dale Crover.[18] On December 1 1990, Sub Pop issued the split single "Sliver"/"Dive".[18]

The album's working title was Too Many Humans.[19] It was renamed Bleach after Cobain found an AIDS prevention poster while Nirvana was driving through San Francisco. The poster advised heroin addicts to bleach their needles before use, featuring the slogan "Bleach Your Works".[3] In Australia, Bleach was released on Waterfront Records and re-issued on various colored covers and colored vinyl prior to 1992.[20]

On April 1992, following the success of Nirvana's following album Nevermind, Sub Pop released a remastered version of Bleach on LP, CD and cassette. Geffen Records handled the international release.[21] For the 20th anniversary of the album, Sub Pop released a deluxe reissue of Bleach featuring a March 2009 remastering from the original tapes by George Marino and a live recording of a 1990 show at Portland, Oregon's Pine Street Theatre.[22] It was released on November 3, 2009. The CD version was packaged in a cardboard foldout case that included a bonus booklet filled with photos of the band from 1987–1990.[23]

Reception

 Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
About.com 4/5 stars [24]
Allmusic 3.5/5 stars [25]
BBC Music (favorable) [26]
Blender 3/5 stars [27]
Drowned In Sound (7/10) [28]
Kerrang! 3/5 stars [29]
NME (8/10) [30]
Pitchfork Media (8.5/10) [31]
Rolling Stone 4/5 stars [32]

The album has generally received positive reviews by professionals. Anthony Carew from the About.com Guide said that the album "define[d] the entire decade of the '90s", and awarded it four out of five stars.[24] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic gave the album three and a half out of five stars, noting that "Kurt Cobain illustrated signs of his considerable songcraft, particularly on the minor-key ballad 'About a Girl' and the dense churn of 'Blew'". He also said that "it's a debut from a band that shows potential but haven't yet achieved it."[25] NME's Edwin Pouncey said that the album was the "biggest, baddest sound that Sub Pop have so far managed to unearth. So primitive that they manage to make label mates Mudhoney sound like Genesis, Nirvana turn up the volume and spit and claw their way to the top of the musical garbage heap," and gave it an eight out of ten rating.[30] Bleach was considered by Rolling Stone as "a moderate hit on college radio and the underground/DIY circuit."[32] Before Nevermind was released, Bleach had sold 40,000 units in North America.[33] The 1992 re-release of the album was successful at the charts, with Bleach eventually reaching eighty-nine at the Billboard 200,[34] thirty–three on the UK album charts,[35] thirty–four on the Australian Recording Industry Association chart,[36] and number twenty–four on the Finland charts.[37] Kurt Cobain's death in 1994 also lead to a resurgence of popularity, with Bleach entering the Top Pop Catalog chart at number six in the week following his death,[38] and eventually earning the top spot on May 7.[39] The 2009 deluxe edition entered the Catalog Albums at seventh.[40] Bleach was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America on February 1995,[41] and has sold an estimated 1.7 million units in the United States,[42] It is Sub Pop’s biggest selling record ever, and was ensured by the record company that the album "is always in print and available even at big box retailers."[43]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Kurt Cobain, except where noted. 

Initial release[44][45]
No. Title Length
1. "Blew"   2:55
2. "Floyd the Barber"   2:18
3. "About a Girl"   2:48
4. "School"   2:42
5. "Love Buzz" (Robbie van Leeuwen) 3:35
6. "Paper Cuts"   4:06
7. "Negative Creep"   2:56
8. "Scoff"   4:10
9. "Swap Meet"   3:03
10. "Mr. Moustache"   3:24
11. "Sifting"   5:22
12. "Big Cheese" (Cobain, Krist Novoselic; not available on original vinyl release) 3:42
13. "Downer" (not available on original vinyl release) 1:43
2009 re-release: Pine Street Theatre live performance (recorded February 9, 1990 - Portland, Oregon)[22][46]
No. Title Length
14. "Intro"   0:53
15. "School"   2:36
16. "Floyd the Barber"   2:17
17. "Dive" (Cobain, Novoselic) 3:42
18. "Love Buzz" (van Leeuwen) 2:58
19. "Spank Thru" (previously released as a b-side on the "Sliver" single in 1990) 2:59
20. "Molly's Lips" (Eugene Kelly, Frances McKee; Previously released as a single in 1991) 2:16
21. "Sappy"   3:19
22. "Scoff"   3:53
23. "About a Girl" (previously released as a b-side on the "Sliver" single in 1990) 2:28
24. "Been a Son"   2:01
25. "Blew"   4:32

Personnel

Charts

Charts (1992) Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart[48] 34
Austrian Albums Chart[48] 26
Belgium Albums Chart (Wallonia)[48] 23
Japanese Albums Chart[49] 46
New Zealand Albums Chart[50] 30
UK Albums Chart[51] 33
US Billboard 200[52] 89

Release history

Year Type Record Catalog Ref
1989 Compact Disc Sub Pop Records SP34B [25]
Cassette SP34A
LP record SP34
1992 Compact Disc Geffen Records 24433
1995 1929
2005 LP record Phantom Records TUPLP6
Compact Disc Warner Music Group 9878700342
2008 LP record 7840034 [53]
2009 Sub Pop Records 70834
Compact Disc
Rhino Entertainment 5186561462 [54]

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Azerrad, 1994. p. 90
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Gaar, Gillian G. "Verse Chorus Verse: The Recording History of Nirvana". Goldmine. 1997-02-14
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Azerrad, 1994. p. 91
  4. ↑ Hannah Levin, "Jack Endino", Seattle Metropolitan, December 2008, p. 66.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Azerrad, 1994. p. 92
  6. ↑ Ian Halperin, Max Wallace. Who Killed Kurt Cobain? The Mysterious Death of an. Citadel, 2000. p. 33. ISBN 0806520744
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Azerrad, 1994. p. 102
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Sandford, 1995. p. 112
  9. ↑ Fricke, David. "Krist Novoselic". Rolling Stone. 2001-09-13
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Steinke, Darcey. "Smashing Their Heads on That Punk Rock". Spin. October 1993.
  11. ↑ Azerrad, 1994. p. 97
  12. ↑ Azerrad, 1994. p. 99
  13. ↑ Azerrad, 1994. p. 100
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Sandford, 1995. pp. 116–118
  15. ↑ Sandford, 1995. p. 135
  16. ↑ Crisafulli, Chuck (2006). Nirvana: The Stories Behind Every Song. Bleach. Da Capo Press. pp. 28–36. ISBN 1560259477. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Sandford, 1995. p. 111
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Sandford, 1995. pp. 378–379
  19. ↑ Cross, p. 105
  20. ↑ Waterfront Records Discography. NKVD Records. Retrieved 2007-04-04.
  21. ↑ Berkenstadt, Jim; Cross, Charles R. (2003). Classic Rock Albums: Nevermind - Nirvana. Music Sales Group. p. 148. ISBN 0825672864. http://books.google.com.br/books?id=No3CKSsCRQcC&pg=PA148. 
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Breihan, Tom (2008-08-14). "Sub Pop to Reissue Nirvana's Bleach". Pitchfork Media. http://pitchfork.com/news/36229-sub-pop-to-reissue-nirvanas-ibleachi/. Retrieved 2008-08-14. 
  23. ↑ Azerrad, 1994. p. 95
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Carew, Anthony "Definitive Albums: Nirvana 'Bleach' (1989)". About.com. Retrieved 2010-07-18.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 Stephen Thomas Erlewine "allmusic ((( Bleach > Overview )))". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-07-04.
  26. ↑ Leaver, Anthony "Nirvana Bleach Review". BBC. 2007-04-23. Retrieved 2010-07-18.
  27. ↑ "Bleach - Blender". Blender. Retrieved 2010-07-17.
  28. ↑ "Drowned In Sound Review". Drowned In Sound. Retrieved 2010-07-17.
  29. ↑ Paul Brannigan (2009-11-04), "Nirvana - Bleach: Deluxe Edition (Rhino) KKK. Reissue of the grunge legends' ugly birth", Kerrang! (1286): 48 
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 Pouncey, Edwin "-Nirvana: Bleach (Sub Pop import US LP only)". NME. 2003-04-08. Retrieved 2010-07-06.
  31. ↑ Berman, Stuart "Nirvana: Bleach [Deluxe Edition / Live at Reading"]. Pitchfork Media. 2009-11-11. Retrieved 2010-07-17.
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 Charles Young and Kevin O'Donnell "Nirvana". Rolling Stone Music. 2010-04-11. Retrieved 2010-07-02.
  33. ↑ "20 Year Old Bleach". Sub Pop. 2009-08-14. http://www.subpop.com/channel/blog/20_year_old_bleach. Retrieved 2010-08-24. 
  34. ↑ "Bleach - Nirvana Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/#/album/nirvana/bleach/12521. Retrieved 2009-11-10. 
  35. ↑ Roberts, David, ed. (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums. 19th edition. HIT Entertainment. ISBN 1-90499-410-5.
  36. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992 and 1993 - 2005. St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0646119176.
  37. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2003). Sisältää hitin: levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972. Otava Publishing Company Ltd. ISBN 951121053X.
  38. ↑ "Cobain Death Spurs Rush at Retail". Billboard: 9. 1994-04-23. http://books.google.com.br/books?id=RQgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA9. 
  39. ↑ "Catalog Albums - Week of May 7, 1994". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/charts/catalog-albums?chartDate=1994-05-07#/charts/catalog-albums?chartDate=1994-05-07. Retrieved 2010-08-24. 
  40. ↑ "Catalog Albums - Week of November 21, 2009". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/charts/catalog-albums?chartDate=2009-11-21#/charts/catalog-albums?chartDate=2009-11-21. Retrieved 2010-08-24. 
  41. ↑ "Search Results". Recording Industry Association of America. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Nirvana&sort=Artist&perPage=50. Retrieved 2009-11-12. 
  42. ↑ Barnes, Ken (2007-03-23). "Sales questions: Nirvana vs. Pearl Jam". Archived from the original on 2008-02-20. http://web.archive.org/web/20080220120312/http://blogs.usatoday.com/listenup/2007/03/sales_questions_1.html. Retrieved 2007-07-25. 
  43. ↑ AJ Ramirez "Nirvana: Bleach". PopMatters. 2009-11-05. Retrieved 2010-07-02.
  44. ↑ (1989) Album notes for Bleach by Nirvana [CD]. Sub Pop.
  45. ↑ "Bleach | Nirvana | Album". MTV. Retrieved 2010-08-02.
  46. ↑ (2009-10-02) "Previously Unreleased Live NIRVANA Song From 'Bleach' Reissue Posted Online". Blabbermouth.net.
  47. ↑ 47.0 47.1 True, 2007. p. 124
  48. ↑ 48.0 48.1 48.2 "Nirvana - Bleach (Album)". Swiss Charts. http://swisscharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Nirvana&titel=Bleach&cat=a. Retrieved 2009-07-05. 
  49. ↑ Album Chart-Book Complete Edition 1970-2005. Orikonmāketingupuromōshon (2006). ISBN 4871310779.
  50. ↑ Scapolo, Dean (2001). New Zealand Music Charts, 1975-2000: Albums. ISBN 0908876343.
  51. ↑ Roberts, David, ed. (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums. 19th edition. HIT Entertainment. ISBN 1-90499-410-5.
  52. ↑ "allmusic ((( Bleach > Charts & Awards )))". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-07-18.
  53. ↑ Stephen Thomas Erlewine "allmusic ((( Bleach (Deluxe Edition) > Overview )))". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-07-18.
  54. ↑ "allmusic ((( Bleach > Overview )))". Allmusic . Retrieved 2010-07-18.

External links

Nirvana
Kurt Cobain · Dave Grohl · Krist Novoselic
Aaron Burckhard · Chad Channing · Dale Crover · Jason Everman · Dave Foster · Dan Peters · Pat Smear
Studio albums
Bleach · Nevermind · In Utero
Live albums
MTV Unplugged in New York · From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah · Live at Reading
Extended plays
Blew · Hormoaning
Compilations
Incesticide · Singles · Nirvana · With the Lights Out  · Sliver: The Best of the Box  · Icon
Singles
"Love Buzz" · "Blew" · "Sliver" · "Molly's Lips" · "Here She Comes Now" · "Smells Like Teen Spirit" · "Come as You Are" · "Lithium" · "In Bloom" · "Oh, the Guilt" · "Heart-Shaped Box" · "All Apologies"/"Rape Me" · "Pennyroyal Tea" · "About a Girl" · "The Man Who Sold the World" · "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" · "Lake of Fire" · "Aneurysm" (live) · "Drain You" (live) · "You Know You're Right"
Videos
Live! Tonight! Sold Out!! · Classic Albums: Nirvana – Nevermind · Nirvana – A Classic Album Under Review – In Utero · MTV Unplugged in New York · Live at Reading
Related bands
Dain Bramage · Eyes Adrift · Fecal Matter · Flipper · Foo Fighters · The Melvins · The No WTO Combo · Scream · Sweet 75 · Them Crooked Vultures · Queens of the Stone Age
Other
Discography · Bootleg Recordings · Nevermind It's an Interview · Songs · 1991: The Year Punk Broke · Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana · Smells Like Bleach: A Punk Tribute to Nirvana · Kurt & Courtney · Kurt Cobain: About a Son · Death of Kurt Cobain · Journals · Frances Bean Cobain
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