Nirvana – Bleach (1989) {Deluxe Edition 2013} [HDTracks FLAC 24bit/96kHz]

Nirvana – Bleach (1989) [Deluxe Edition 2013]
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 76:37 minutes | 1,67 GB | Genre: Grunge
Official Digital Download – Source: HDTracks.com | Front cover

Originally recorded over three sessions with producer Jack Endino at Seattle’s Reciprocal Recording Studios in December 1988 and January 1989, Bleach was released in June of ‘89 and unequivocally/unsurprisingly remains Sub Pop’s very favorite Nirvana full-length album. The album initially sold 40,000 copies, but was brought into the international spotlight following the release and worldwide success of their 1991 sophomore effort, Nevermind. Subsequently Bleach went on to sell 1.7 million copies in the US alone. This 20th Anniversary Edition has been re-mastered from the original tapes at Sterling Sound in a session overseen by producer Jack Endino.

This edition includes an unreleased live recording of a complete February 9th, 1990 show at the Pine Street Theatre in Portland, Oregon. The show features performances of “Love Buzz,” “About a Girl” and a cover of The Vaselines’ song “Molly’s Lips” and has been re-mixed from the original tapes by Endino.

This is one case where the legend really precedes the record itself. Cut for about 600 dollars in Jack Endino’s studio over just a matter of days, this captures Nirvana at a formative stage, still indebted to the murk that became known as grunge, yet not quite finding their voice as songwriters. Which isn’t to say that they were devoid of original material, since even at this stage Kurt Cobain illustrated signs of his considerable songcraft, particularly on the minor-key ballad “About a Girl” and the dense churn of “Blew.” A few songs come close to that level, but that’s more a triumph of sound than structure, as “Negative Creep” and “School” get by on attitude and churn, while the cover of “Love Buzz” winds up being one of the highlights because this gives a true menace to their sound, thanks to its menacing melody. The rest of it sinks into the sludge, as the group itself winds up succumbing to grinding sub-metallic riffing that has little power, due to lack of riffs and lack of a good drummer. Bleach is more than a historical curiosity since it does have its share of great songs, but it isn’t a lost classic — it’s a debut from a band that shows potential but haven’t yet achieved it.

Tracklist
01 – Blew
02 – Floyd The Barber
03 – About A Girl
04 – School
05 – Love Buzz
06 – Paper Cuts
07 – Negative Creep
08 – Scoff
09 – Swap Meet
10 – Mr. Moustache
11 – Sifting
12 – Big Cheese
13 – Downer
14 – Intro (Live at Pine Street Theatre)
15 – School (Live at Pine Street Theatre)
16 – Floyd The Barber (Live at Pine Street Theatre)
17 – Dive (Live at Pine Street Theatre)
18 – Love Buzz (Live at Pine Street Theatre)
19 – Spank Thru (Live at Pine Street Theatre)
20 – Molly’s Lips (Live at Pine Street Theatre)
21 – Sappy (Live at Pine Street Theatre)
22 – Scoff (Live at Pine Street Theatre)
23 – About A Girl (Live at Pine Street Theatre)
24 – Been A Son (Live at Pine Street Theatre)
25 – Blew (Live at Pine Street Theatre)