Listen Now
Beginning our SIXTH band’s full studio album discography review, we’ve decided to head to the Pacific Northwest to cover one of, if not THE, most influential grunge bands of all time… NIRVANA. A band that, prior to recording this episode, seemed to be split fanwise amongst the Light the Sky team (has Mark mentioned that he’s not a fan of 90s music yet?) We’re looking forward to digesting Nirvana’s story and their recorded studio album output (sorry, no live albums or compilation albums right now) to see if they deserve the legendary status that they hold today.
Episode 67 covers Nirvana’s first full length studio album, 1989’s Bleach (FYI we’re only covering the initial 11 track 1st press LP track listing). Bleach had sold 40,000 copies in North America before the release of Nevermind. It has since been certified platinum by the RIAA and has sold more than 1.9 million copies in the United States alone.[12] It is Sub Pop’s best-selling album to date and is unlikely to be surpassed by competitors.[13] Frontman Kurt Cobain’s death in April 1994 also led to a resurgence in the album’s popularity, reaching number one on the Top Pop Catalog Albums chart.[14] In April 2019, Bleach was ranked No. 13 on Rolling Stone’s 50 Greatest Grunge Albums list. Mark, Kevin, Alex, and Chris take you on a historical journey surrounding the album as well as share our favorites and not-so favorites from the record. We go on a deep dive track-by-track listen of this album as well as share personal stories of discovering Nirvana’s Bleach. Tune in next week for Episode 68 where we cover Nirvana’s second, and landmark studio album, Nevermind.
Subscribe, Rate, and Review:
Quick Reviews
Mark Found it interesting to hear the genesis of what would be the 90s sound. Great energy, but some ugly moments here too.
Chris Kind of Nirvana’s “Kill ’em All”. Very dirty and sludgy. Not quite the 90s sound yet but on its way there.
Alex Solid debut although top heavy. Love hearing the Melvins/Black Flag influences and a lot of these deep cuts grew on me. Crazy to think about the jump from Bleach to Nevermind.
Kevin Ultimately, disappointing. Wasn’t expecting any kind of instrumental virtuosity, but even the lyrics didn’t live up to expectations
Love It or Flush It
| M | C | A | K | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Blew" | 2:55 | L | L | L | F | |
| 2 | "Floyd the Barber" | 2:18 | F | L | L | F | |
| 3 | "About a Girl" | 2:48 | L | L | L | B | |
| 4 | "School" | 2:42 | T | L | B | T | |
| 5 | "Love Buzz" (Shocking Blue cover) | 3:35 | F | B | L | L | |
| 6 | "Paper Cuts" | 4:06 | L | B | L | F | |
| 7 | "Negative Creep" | 2:56 | F | L | B | T | |
| 8 | "Scoff" | 4:10 | B | L | F | B | |
| 9 | "Swap Meet" | 3:03 | F | T | T | F | |
| 10 | "Mr. Moustache" | 3:24 | T | T | T | F | |
| 11 | "Sifting" | 5:22 | B | F | F | F |
Love It or Flush It Legend
L = Love. As many as you like.
F = Flush. Must flush at least one track per album.
B = Buy. Purchased for the ultimate LTS “Best Of” playlist for each of us. One per album.
T = Terminate. Should have never even existed. One per album.
The Rules
Each of us must Love, Flush, Buy, and Terminate AT LEAST ONE track on an album, no matter how great or terrible the album is. Whoever wins the “7 for the Buy” section gets an extra Buy or Terminate to use on the album. Because Chris hosts this section and thus cannot win, he gets an extra Buy or Terminate every 4 albums.
Album Information
Bleach is the debut studio album by American rock band Nirvana, released on June 15, 1989, by Sub Pop. After the release of their debut single “Love Buzz” on Sub Pop in November 1988, Nirvana rehearsed for two to three weeks in preparation for recording a full-length album. The main recording sessions for Bleach took place at Reciprocal Recording in Seattle, Washington between December 1988 and January 1989. It is the only Nirvana album released on the Sub Pop label and their only album to feature drummer Chad Channing.
Bleach did not chart upon initial release, but was well received by critics. When reissued internationally by Geffen Records in 1992 following the success of Nirvana’s second album, Nevermind, Bleach peaked at number 89 on the Billboard 200, peaked at number 33 on the UK Albums Chart and number 34 on the Australian albums chart. In 2009, Sub Pop released a 20th anniversary edition of Bleach featuring a live recording of a 1990 Nirvana performance in Portland, Oregon as bonus material.
Bleach had sold 40,000 copies in North America before the release of Nevermind. It has since been certified platinum by the RIAA and has sold more than 1.9 million copies in the United States alone.[12] It is Sub Pop’s best-selling album to date and is unlikely to be surpassed by competitors.[13] Frontman Kurt Cobain’s death in April 1994 also led to a resurgence in the album’s popularity, reaching number one on the Top Pop Catalog Albums chart.[14] In April 2019, Bleach was ranked No. 13 on Rolling Stone‘s 50 Greatest Grunge Albums list.[15]
