5 from Kurt and Nirvana

Thirty years ago, I was 18-years old and desperately looking forward to seeing Nirvana live at the SECC in Glasgow. I had queued for hours to get a ticket from Virgin Records on Union Street. 

Then, in early March 1994, Kurt overdosed in Italy, resulting in the original Glasgow date of 28th March being postponed. There was widespread concern for the health of Kurt, Courtney and young Frances. I remember reading an interview in the Melody Maker by Everett True, friend and champion of Kurt and the band where True wrote of his concern for the way Cobain and Love were living. It sounded utterly chaotic and unsustainable. Later documentary footage of the duo at home around this time is truly harrowing and heartbreaking. 

On 8th April 1994, news broke that Kurt's body has been found. I was in King Tuts to see The Pastels play as part of Glasgow Sound City. In a time before mobiles and the internet, there were pre-gig whispers/rumours around the room. The Pastels came on stage and dedicated the show to Kurt.

I had parked directly outside King Tuts and after the gig my friend Grant and I got into the car and turned on Radio 1 to hear John Peel, but Peel wasn't there. It was just Nirvana song after song, then a pre-recorded message to say that John wasn't able to broadcast and the show was dedicated to Kurt.

From memory, I don't think Grant and I spoke much on the way home. We must have been in shock. A hero had died. Did I grieve? Or just throw myself into more music? I honestly can't remember. I had only just turned 18. I think my grief was over quickly, maybe within a couple of weeks. Music ... and life ... went on. 

It's better to burn out than to fade away is what Kurt wrote in his suicide note. Cobain certainly burned bright and my friends and I would regularly talk about what the next Nirvana album was going to be like following their seminal MTV Unplugged performance. There were rumours that Michael Stipe wanted to write with Kurt.

On reflection, Nirvana got too big, far too quickly. They were a punk band with punk beliefs, but Kurt loved melodic guitar pop - from The Beatles to The Vaselines. Cobain's songwriting quickly developed from the release of debut album Bleach in 1989 to Nevermind and in 1991. Smells Like Teen Spirit took Nirvana to the mainstream, where they were eaten up and spat out, playing to 'jocks' and people that they were always against.

Geffen expected Nevermind  (released in September) to sell 250,000 copies, the same as Sonic Youth's Goo. By Christmas of 1991, Nirvana were selling 400,000 copies per week, fuelled by the phenomenal success of Smells Like Teen Spirit. As a result, the follow up single, Come As You Are, wasn't released until March 1992.

When it came to recording the follow up, Cobain broke from the polished sound of Nevermind, working with producer Steve Albini and writing songs with puns in the title (Radio Friendly Unit Shifter) and cries for help in the lyrics.

I've been listening back to Nirvana quite a bit recently and thought I would blog on 5 of my favourite songs by the band. 

At the time of writing, I chose;

About A Girl

The third song on debut album Bleach and the opening song from the MTV Unplugged performance and album. About A Girl was an early indication of Kurt's sense of melody, very much at odds from the heavy riffing and obscure song titles that dominated Bleach. In comparison, the title said it all. This was a love song about a girl (Tracy Marander), written back in 1988 after Kurt spent an afternoon listening to Meet The Beatles. Kurt had to go into the cafe that Marander worked in to see here. Hence the line I can't see you every night for free.

There is a fizzing guitar solo and a passionate vocal, the first real evidence that Kurt could sing and not just scream. The Unplugged performance sounds even better, Kurt's voice is so beautiful despite years of straining, screaming and singing with gut wrenching emotion. The fizzing guitar solo is much more mellow and allows the groove/rhythm a little space to breathe.

MTV Unplugged version

Lithium

Lithium is the sound of Nirvana perfecting the quiet /loud / quiet / loud / explosive sound.  

Perfectly structured, Lithium begins with a cool melancholic riff for the verses and Kurt singing I'm so happy, 'cause today I found my friends, they're in my head. Cobain doesn't sound happy though.

Things kick in for the yeah, yeah, yeah bridge, with Kurt's vocals straining in that beautiful way that entranced a generation and the second verse contains the brilliant line I'm so horny, that's OK my will is good. Then the second bridge builds to an explosion.

Even now, the relentless power of the I'm not gonna crack double chorus absolutely blows me away. 

I like it, I'm not gonna crack

I miss you, I'm not gonna crack

I love you, I'm not gonna crack

I killed you, I'm not gonna crack

Wow! At the time of writing, this could be my favourite Nirvana song. Listen to the lift into the second double chorus. As a teenager, cranking this up on my on my stereo with sub woofers and dancing around my bedroom was an absolute joy.

Official video

All Apologies

Or maybe All Apologies might just be my favourite Nirvana song! The groove, the riff, the melody, Kurt's voice ... he reportedly recorded all his vocals for In Utero in just 6-hours. The song dates back to 1990, Dave Grohl recalls hearing a 4-track demo and thinking; 'this guy has such a beautiful sense of melody, I can't believe he's screaming all the time.'

This could be the home demo released on the Sliver - Best of the Box / In Utero boxset.

All Apologies - home demo

Kurt revisits this version in his Unplugged performance. It's still mellow and melancholic as the closing song on In Utero, but the use of cello really comes out on the Unplugged version. Kurt's guitar solo is gorgeous.

MTV Unplugged version

Lounge Act

Outstanding guitar power pop. Kicking in with a bass groove, Kurt then produces warm guitar sounds and a flowing vocal melody over the top, finding the chorus in 32 seconds. 

Don't, tell me what I wanna hear

Afraid of never knowing fear

Then at 90-seconds, Kurt brings out that voice. Stretched to the limits, Kurt goes for it with a verse and double chorus. There is no let up and it's all over in 2 minutes 36 seconds - glorious!

Truth, covered insecurity

I can't let you smother me

Son Of A Gun

I try not to include cover versions when writing features on 10 (or in this case 5) favourite songs by favourite artists, but given that covers feature so prominently through Nirvana's career - from debut single Love Buzz, through Peel sessions and to the legendary MTV show, it's hard not to feature one.

I was going to include Nirvana's cover of Bowie's The Man Who Sold The World as, personally, I think it is way better than the original. The thing that gets me about Bowie's recording is the percussion instrument that is turned up WAY TOO HIGH IN THE MIX in my opinion. It does my head in!

Kurt and Nirvana are not quite 'unplugged' for the fizzing guitar riff that opens their version. Kurt's voice has that beautiful aching feeling to it. No wonder so many people fell for Nirvana, no wonder their Unplugged performance was broadcast almost on a loop.

However, I'm going for Nirvana blitzing their way through The Vaselines for a John Peel session in 1990. This is pre-Teen Spirit and the post Nevermind craziness. I bought The Kurt Cobain Diaries in 2002 and poured over them. I loved Kurt doodling band logos, setlists, artwork and I loved reading his letters to Eugene Kelly from The Vaselines.

Kurt declared his love for the band. It's kind of amazing how he discovered The Vaselines EP's out in Seattle. The two form a bond, exchanging letters and records. In one unposted note to Eugene, Kurt says he is living in his car, passing on Krist's number. It was the same week Teen Spirit was released!

Playing a cover of a band he loved on a radio show by a DJ who fell for his own band just feels so Nirvana. So punk rock. Kurt would always champion his favourite underground acts, by wearing t-shirts by them, or covering their songs. Whether BMX Bandits, Daniel Johnston or The Meatpuppets (Kurt not only covered their songs but invited them to join Nirvana for Unplugged). For those he covered, royalty cheques made a huge difference to their lives and art.

Back to Son Of A Gun. Grohl's drums have a pounding punk Motown feel, Kurt's guitar fuzzes beautifully, Krist holds it all together and the vocals are almost bubblegum punk pop. And Cobain singing that chorus over and over just melts my heart every time. 

Please also see my 2015 blog - Nirvana play The Vaselines

McCartney

Ahead of Paul McCartney releasing McCartney III in December I thought I'd revisit McCartney from 1970 and McCartney II in 1980.

McCartney, Paul's debut solo album that officially announced The Beatles had split, is lovingly raw, playful, soulful and warm, perfect for the darker nights. I've been playing it a lot over the last week or so.

On reflection, I think Paul was both brave and clever to release this collection of songs as his debut album. Brave, well because he bares himself musically and emotionally, in a different way that he did with The Beatles. Where he once sang And I Love Her, with Maybe I'm Amazed he's now singing I really f**king love her and need her, she feels the same and I'm so lucky. And Paul being Paul, he shows off, playing some brilliant guitar and drums ... just because he can.

Clever, because it draws a clean line post Beatles; this is Paul McCartney doing what he does, doing what he loves, doing it because he really needs music in his life. 

Dig out your copy, or find it online, sit back and press play.

Here is what I wrote down when revisiting the album.

My favourite Linda McCartney photograph

Paul keeps baby Mary warm in his jacket

When The Beatles Anthology series was broadcast and then released on CD in the mid-90's, Beatles obsessives poured over demos, out-takes and hidden gems. But then that is what they were expecting.

I very much doubt that Beatles fans were expecting home-made recordings, one-man jams and instrumentals from the first Paul McCartney solo album. And it really was a solo album; written, performed and produced by Paul, although Linda features a (blink and you'll miss it) little.

McCartney is an album I became aware of as a 15-year old after watching Paul play one of the first MTV Unplugged shows. I knew all The Beatles songs and even a few of the covers that Paul played, but it was exciting to hear him play the first ever song he wrote, I Lost My Little Girl, and he also played 3 songs from his debut album; Every Night, That Would Be Something and the simply gorgeous Singalong Junk.

Back in 1991 you couldn't log on to google and type in the name of the songs or search Paul McCartney discography to find out where you could get these songs. You had to do some digging.

The MTV Unplugged performance was released as an album (I got it on cassette!) so it was later on when McCartney's back catalogue was reissued on CD that I eventually got to hear his debut solo album in the way he intended.

McCartney was released in April 1970 and it really did draw a line between Paul and The Beatles. The pre-album press release that accompanied promo copies was issued in the form of an interview with Paul, with the questions written in conjunction with Derek Taylor, long term Beatles press officer.

McCartney stated that the break with The Beatles was due to business, personal and creative differences, but most of all because I have a better time with my family and that he hadn't missed his (former) band mates when recording.

Check the full press release Q&A HERE

Paul might have not missed them while recording, but he missed them, he really missed The Beatles. The break up of his beloved band (who he really led with his project ideas after the death of Brian Epstein; Sgt Peppers, Magical Mystery Tour, Let It Be and Abbey Road were all driven by McCartney) had sent McCartney off to his Campbeltown farm in Scotland with Linda, her daughter Heather and new baby Mary. Living a reclusive lifestyle and drinking heavily, Paul would later reflect that he experienced a breakdown.

Asked to describe the texture of the album in a few words, Paul answers; "Home, Family, Love."

When asked if he'll do another album, Paul answers quite defiantly; "I will continue to do what I want, when I want to."

Paul & Mary, photograph by Linda McCartney

With McCartney, he certainly does what he wants. Describing his recording set up Paul has said it was "a Studer 4-track recording machine, one mic and nerve"

With one song Hot As Sun dating back to the 1950's,  two songs (Teddy Boy and Junk) from The Beatles trip to India in 1968 through to songs written in Scotland, through to improvised jams (Valentine Day, Momma Miss America and Oo You)  McCartney is a beautiful organic record, largely recorded at his home in St John's Wood in London.

While Lennon was taking primal scream therapy and pouring out long held grief into the Plastic Ono Band album that would come out later in 1970, McCartney was dealing with it all on his own with the help of Linda, who, in the press release, McCartney says is "a shoulder to lean on .... and someone who believes in me constantly."

So it is apt that McCartney opens his eponymous album with Lovely Linda, as short (44 seconds), classically melodic number that ends with Paul giggling. You can almost imagine Paul hitting record and then playing it to Linda, with that little (stoned?) giggle at the end.

That Would Be Something has a real bluesy feel to it, McCartney picks out a riff and groove and at times he hums along to it. The rawness suggests that it might have been just one take for everything, satisfying McCartney's creative urge and allowing him to move on to the next song.

Valentine Day is a jam with himself, a rough and ready rhythm, McCartney improvising on lead guitar and drums. Carefree fun.

The melodic but starkly confessional Every Night is perhaps McCartney's own Help! He just wants a blow out, to lie in bed, then realises he is quite happy just to stay in and be with his love.

Every night I just wanna go out, get out of my head

Every day I don't wanna get up, get out of my bed

Every night I wanna play out, and every day I wanna oooh oooh

But tonight I just wanna stay in and be with you

And be with you

It's a beautiful song, I love McCartney's voice and delivery, the gorgeous acoustic rhythm guitar and how Paul just hums a middle eight

Hot As Sun is a glorious instrumental, the guitar riff is sublime, typically catchy and there is a great drum roll at the minute mark. The closing 40 seconds Glasses, is McCartney making sound effects on wine glasses.

Back in his Beatles days, Paul had a melody he woke up humming that he was convinced was by someone else. He would improvise lyrics to the melody, calling it Scrambled Eggs, it would eventually become Yesterday.

Junk is an absolutely beautiful melody over a gentle acoustic. McCartney's voice is at its dreamiest and the reason I brought up Scrambled Eggs, is because I get the sense that Paul is improvising lyrics to fit the melody - he does so brilliantly. I could listen to this melodic gem all day.

Man We Was Lonely is classically upbeat McCartney, reflecting on being lonely and hard pressed to find a smile, but then realising that he wants to lie with his love for a while at home. Again coming back to the Home, Family and Love theme that runs through the album.

More guitar, McCartney whispers to himself as Oo You kicks in with a swampy bluesy guitar riff and he just jams along with himself, letting out a classic Macca yelp every now and again, sounding like he's having fun.

McCartney creates a great feel with Momma Miss America, probably the most polished instrumental on the album, the addition of piano and organ help create a band feel to it. It has a cracking groove, with the bass underpinning it all. 

I'd be lying if I said I was a fan of Teddy Boy. That said, there is a typical flowing McCartney melody throughout.

Singalong Junk is McCartney at his best, the music is so dreamy, melodic and romantic, just beautiful. I do prefer this instrumental version.

McCartney has always sung of love, but never so personally as he does on the exquisite Maybe I'm  Amazed, which is quite simply a classic. For me, this is one of McCartney's very best songs.

Maybe I'm amazed at the way you love me all the time

Maybe I'm afraid of the way I love you

Paul's voice is clear and soulful, reflective as to where he is in life, how deeply in love he is and how appreciative he is of the love they have for each other. 

Maybe I'm a man, maybe I'm a lonely man

Who's in the middle of something

That he really doesn't understand

The guitar solo sets for stun, McCartney singing-a-long in the background, it is a gem of a song. I love how true to the original McCartney has stayed through the years, he was on to something, playing the lot! What a show off! :-) 

The trippy abstract Kreen-Akrore closes the album; drum solos, chants, loud electric guitar.

And that's it; a fascinating, kind of lovingly ramshackle insight to McCartney at work and play, ranging from jams, little snippets of melodies, riffs and ideas that could have been developed, through to the sublime Maybe I'm Amazed. 

It certainly documents a time, Paul's feelings and realisation of his love and need of Linda, the way he can easily conjure melodies and ideas, the fun he has with music and his talents.

McCartney went on to release Ram by Paul and Linda McCartney in 1971, also forming Wings and releasing their debut album Wild Life in the same year.

I'll blog on McCartney II in November and then review McCartney III in December upon release.

Live Forever

On 8th August 1994, 25-years ago today, Oasis released the majestic Live Forever. This remains one of my favourite Oasis songs, it flows, it soars, it brings a tear to my eyes, it makes me wanna hug my loved ones and punch the sky.

The NME was impressed; "Basically, what thus far looked like obnoxious Manc arrogance suddenly looks like sheer effortlessness."

Oasis took flight with Live Forever. There was no talk of BMW's, yellow sumbarine's, Mr. Ben or Mr. Soft like there had been on the first two singles. The song flowed naturally rather than being built around riffs, Noel's romanticism comes out, his daydreams that had previously been more prominent on b-sides were now front and centre, Live Forever was the sound of a guy wanting to fly now believing that he could. The sound of someone finding a soulmate.

Maybe you're the same as me

We see things they'll never see

You and I are gonna live forever

Noel was quick to point out that it wasn't effortless, talking of how he sat for days working out the guitar solo. However the rest of the song does sound like it just poured out of him.

Noel on the set of the promo shoot

Live Forever dovetails frustration and reality with dreams and shooting for the stars, Gallagher just wants to fly, but balances that with being soaked to the bone in the morning rain. He recognises that he might not achieve everything he wants, but with typical northern attitude now is not the time to cry, it's the time to find out why.

And oh how his brother Liam sings it for him. It's one of his best vocal performances, like the song was written for him. All of a sudden Oasis were being viewed in a different light. Early reviews talked of Happy Mondays and The Pistols, with Live Forever it was The Beatles that were being mentioned, the song was (and is) that good.

Since the release of Shaker Maker I'd caught the band play in a tent at T in the Park and it blew my mind. I was witnessing something incredibly special. The band were totally on it, someone threw a ball onstage and the Gallagher brothers played keepie uppie and volleyed the ball into the crowd, asking for it back and doing the same.

Things were about to go stratospheric ... supersonic. I was in for the rollercoaster ride, as an 18-year old in 1994 Oasis were the perfect band for me, I believed I could live forever.

Read on for the lyrics, original video, 1993 demo and Glastonbury, Top of the Pops and Royal Albert Hall performances. The latter was broadcast live on the Evening Session and I love the change to maybe you're the same as me, you take two sugars in your tea :-)

The original promo

The demo recorded in 1993

MTV 1994

Glastonbury 1994

Top of the Pops

Creation Undrugged, Royal Albert Hall, 1994

Maybe I don't really wanna know

How your garden grows 

Cause I just wanna fly

Lately, did you ever feel the pain

In the morning rain

As it soaks you to the bone

Maybe I just wanna fly

Wanna live, I don't wanna die

Maybe I just wanna breathe

Maybe I just don't believe

Maybe you're the same as me

We see things they'll never see

You and I are gonna live forever