Bleach (20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)

iTunes Review

Nirvana’s debut album was recorded for a little more than $600 over a few days in engineer Jack Endino’s studio where many early grunge recordings from Seattle were made. No one knew the fortunes awaiting the band. Kurt Cobain’s songwriting is already in place as the jangle-pop hook of “About a Girl” illustrates. However, the production emphasizes the band’s molten crunch, not yet completely solidified without drummer Dave Grohl. (“Floyd the Barber” trudges with an anchoring rhythm section.) Still, it’s a fantastic voyage with the punk attitude of “Negative Creep” and “School” complimenting the psych undertones of the Shocking Blue cover, “Love Buzz,” and the opening fuzz-out of “Blew.” The 20th- Anniversary Deluxe Edition includes an 11-song live set from Portland, Oregon on February 9, 1990 that features the highlights from the debut album along with a punkish cover of the Vaselines’ “Molly’s Lips” and other originally non-LP cuts such as “Dive” and “Been A Son.” Cobain’s voice was gaining in authority and developing into the band’s most powerful weapon.