Nirvana

iTunes Review

In only a few short years, Nirvana altered the playing field for every “alternative” band that struggled through the 1980s or soldiered through the 1990s. With one swift kick of “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” Nirvana broke through to the musical mainstream with an anthem for a new generation and helped introduce another way of thinking about and making music. This 14-track summary features highlights from each of their three studio albums, a couple from their MTV Unplugged collection, and a previously unreleased track, “You Know You’re Right” that’s every bit as solid and confrontational as the best Kurt Cobain tunes. The band’s entire catalog is worth hearing and cherry-picking favorites is a personal affair when obvious chart action isn’t the only rule. That said, this collection features the obvious singles, “Teen Spirit,” “In Bloom,” “Lithium,” “Heart-Shaped Box,” as well as fan favorites, “Rape Me,” “About a Girl,” “Dumb,” and the David Bowie cover of “The Man Who Sold the World,” where Cobain’s emotional and parched plea is stunning in its eerie uneasiness with the world at hand.