A Thread on Nirvana’s In Utero Turning 25 Years Old
With Alan away in Las Vegas, he has passed the torch of writing about In Utero on its 25th anniversary to yours truly. I had done up an impassioned Twitter thread that he’s allowing me to repost here. Hope you enjoy, preferably whilst spinning the album in its original 12-track glory. The 2013 mixes on the deluxe edition(s) weren’t really necessary in my opinion given how great the original studio versions sound. Granted, there was a wee bit of production controversy at the time that made 20 year-old Gilles wonder if we were ever going to hear from Nirvana again. Thankfully it was released, and reverberations are still being felt today.
I may not be able to remember where I was exactly 25 years ago today, but one thing I do know for sure is that at some point I bought a CD I had been waiting a long time to get my hands on. #InUtero25
— Gilles LeBlanc (@ROCKthusiast) September 21, 2018
My hands shook a little as I broke through the cellophane, my brain telling me to ignore the interesting – albeit slightly grotesque – anatomical artwork, and go straight for the musical gusto. #InUtero25
— Gilles LeBlanc (@ROCKthusiast) September 21, 2018
The loud-quiet-loud dynamic Nirvana had built off the Pixies' back had been fine-tuned by producer Steve Albini, but these songs seemed so much more abrasive. I naively thought this is what punk must really sound like (as opposed to the metallish side of grunge). #InUtero25
— Gilles LeBlanc (@ROCKthusiast) September 21, 2018
It didn't take long for my brother(s) and I to wear out our CD, so we quickly turned our attention to finally seeing Nirvana live that November. I still believe Toronto's old Maple Leaf Gardens was a terrible venue for them, but they were big times now. #InUtero25
— Gilles LeBlanc (@ROCKthusiast) September 21, 2018
Now I have a nephew who's apparently a huge Nirvana fan. He's (hopefully) unaware of how badly things ended, but all I wish for him is he approaches any music listening and discovery with the same unfettered excitement his cool uncles had. Happy Anniversary! #InUtero25
— Gilles LeBlanc (@ROCKthusiast) September 21, 2018
One last note – my nephew isn’t old enough yet, but if you’re any kind of Nirvana fan and anywhere near the Toronto area on December 15th, you owe it to yourselves to be at Handlebar in Kensington Market. Hervana are the best all-female Nirvana cover band there is (no Trump-like hyperbole needed), and will be playing In Utero in full at their first show in a year and a half. I know I’m already making plans to be there, even if you skip over “Rape Me”.
About the Author
Gilles LeBlanc Gilles LeBlanc literally fell into “alternative rock” wayyy back at Lollapalooza 1992, where he got caught in his first mosh pit watching some band named Pearl Jam. Since then, he’s spent the better part of his life looking for music to match the liberating rush he felt that day, with a particular chest-beating emphasis on stuff coming out of his native Canada. It took him awhile, but Gilles now writes feverishly about all things that rock (and or roll) through his ROCKthusiast alter ego.
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Similar experience for me, i vividly remember having my mom drive me to A&B Sound to buy the cassette. I had my walkman with me and had it playing before we even pulled out of the parking lot. Alternately though, I love also having the 2013 mix as it always seemed to be a bit of a holy grail in the archives.