[Scriptor Carpe Diem]

I just listened to the Album, Bleach by Nirvana...
(For the first real time taking the whole album in at once.)

Wow~

Such a good album, notably harder, less friendly, more grity and dirty, and doesn't have much of a trace of pop at all, defintally different than their ladder albums. Also not one bad song, in fact imo every song was good if not great. Besides the reoccuring thought that I've listened to their ladder stuff more and am more accustomed to it, in many ways I think Bleach might be their best album. Finally another thing that stood out a TON is how unique it is. I really don't recall hearing a sound like that at all, just really a unique piece I think when I think about the history of music.

Now what I'm acutally here to ask about.
Do you guys think this album is underatted or even really for the most part unknown to much of the public. I mean we already know that most of the current public would never ever look back into years for good music, they just go with what their being fed now. But disregarding them and focusing on the people that well I hate to say this "love and know good music" do you think "Bleach" is underatted and/or unknown. Personally I think it is, cause I only remember what credible friend that told me how good he thought the album was.

As stated I think it's a really unique and breaking piece both in style and direction as well as sound. To me it has the makings of memorable and notable album, no bad if not all good songs #1, and #2 Unique?

What do you guys think, Unique, Underatted, Unknown, none of the above, all of the above?

 

[Adab]

Everything Nirvana did was unfortunately overshadoowed by smells like teen spirit.

In Utero has always been my favourite.

 

[priest]

Bleach is totally overlooked, you are correct. Excellent album. Maybe my favorite of theirs, although I am not a raving fan of the band (I do own them all though).

 

[AtomikPi]

For me, it's certainly better than Nevermind. I'm not sure if I like it more than In Utero. In any case, it's definitely underrated.

 

[hayste]

In Utero is their clear best to me, but I'm undecided whether I prefer Bleach to Nevermind. Underrated, for sure.

 

[adrift]

I really liked Bleach pretty much for the reasons described in the OP. I actually had several early vinyl LPs and singles (including Bleach, Blew, and Wipeout) that I got cheap from some ex-DJ in the early/mid-90s who I think was looking for a fix. I joined the military and when I got back from a stint in Germany they came up missing (I think a neighbor kid got his hands on them). All of their early stuff was much more punk. Nice and raw. Not so polished. I lost interest in them after Nevermind.

 

[jesusio]

Check out Is This Real by The Wipers if you like Bleach. It's as close to the root of west coast punk rock as it gets.

 

[Jubei]

Nirvana is ok, but I have never been a big fan ... and of all their albums, I like Bleach most - as the OP stated, it is more raw and uncompromising.

Apparently Bleach will be re-issued with an additional live set (news to me, but maybe not to Nirvana fans) : The Quietus | News | Nirvana's Bleach To Be Reissued

 

[kwitel]

Bleach has certainly been overlooked and is definitely underrated.

IMO, "Sifting" is one of the best songs they've ever written.

 

[Riordan]

'bleach' is gritty, raw, energetic, full of anger. overlooked and underrated, very much so.

when i saw nirvana live in a tiny local venue just before they exploded into worldwide stardom they were already on the transition to 'nevermind', playing some songs from that album with the raw furor of bleach: that was the way i'd hoped the next album would sound....

 

[Jeff Guidry]

Bleach is a good set of songs, fully showcasing the hard rock talents of Kurt Cobain. I don't think it's a better record than any of the others they put out, and it is a touch monochromatic, they got looser and more innovative on later recordings. But it certainly is a touchstone in underground music, taking punk and hardcore and converting it into a frenetic yet sludgy mass. Though others say Melvins were there first, Melvins were too interested in speed (or lack thereof) for its own sake, being too insular with too much desire to make the audience the butt of their joke. Nirvana lacked that self-consciousness and combined it with ambition to make a very noteworthy recording.

 

[grawk]

It wasn't underrated or overlooked when it came out, it's what got them their larger distribution and attention for nevermind. It's just that it's not a strong enough album to maintain that attention after all this time...