Nirvana's third and final studio album suffered from the syndrome of "the difficult second" right from the start. Although it was not technically that, it was the follow-up to their breakthrough album
Nevermind (1991). There was, according to
Kurt Cobain, much that needed to be different on this new record. For example, he thought the sound on Nevermind was too smooth and wanted to get rid of the
… stigma of making commercial music (which paradoxically it was, having scored a huge hit with Smells Like Teen Spirit). Production was difficult, due to creative disagreements with the idiosyncratic producer Steve Albini and Cobain's high standards. Even record company Geffen, which preferred a second Nevermind, was not satisfied. Still, the album came. The sound is closer to the band's live sound and shows a broader artistic pallet than its predecessor. 30 years later, many of these songs, such as Rape Me and All Apologies, have also become Nirvana classics. This anniversary release also adds previously unreleased live recordings. (JV)more
