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EDITORIAL REVIEWS One of the defining moments of the 1990s, despite happening at the start of the decade. The guitars start jittering, then "BOOMA-ABOOMA-ABOOMA-ABOOM!", the drums kick in and grunge splatters itself all over a generation of MTV viewers. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" will surely always speak to alienated teenagers, while giving them something to thrash around their rooms to, kicking the whole thing off as it means to go on. "Come As You Are" is dark and twisted, while "Lithium" and "In Bloom" show Kurt Cobains often overlooked sense of humour, and "Stay Away" highlights the best way to shred your vocal chords. Its nigh-impossible not to love this album, and it will remain Nirvanas most affectionately remembered work. Its just a shame that a misplaced sense of "selling out" (stupid term if ever there was one) led to such an internal rejection of "...Teen Spirit". A work of genius, no question. --Emma Johnston AMAZON.COM If Neverminds sound is familiar now, its only because thousands of rock records that followed it were trying very hard to cop its style. It tears out of the speakers like a cannonball, from the punk-turbo-charged riff of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" onward, magnifying and distilling the wounded rage of 15 years of the rock underground into a single impassioned roar. Few albums have occupied the cultural consciousness like this one; of its 12 songs, roughly 10 are now standards. The records historical weight can make it hard to hear now with fresh ears, but the monumental urgency of Kurt Cobains screams is still shocking. --Douglas Wolk



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