Released on 15 June 1989, "Bleach" was the debut studio album by American alternative rock band, Nirvana, it was Nirvana's only album released on the Sub Pop label and their only studio album to feature drummer Chad Channing, the album spawned two singles "Love Buzz" and "Blew". The album originally did not chart but was well received by critics, following the breakthrough success of the band's second album "Nevermind", "Bleached" peaked at No. 89 on the Billboard 200, No. 33 on the UK albums chart and No. 34 on the Australia chart, turning into the Sub Pop's best-selling album to date.
Like a fairytale, the band practically had no chance of anything, even Sub Pop label was doubtful to hire them at the beginning, but they decided to gave them a chance under the condition the band pay for the production, so they began the recordings between December 1988 and January 1989, it was a simple record session cause the band were in there for just five hours at the studio on Christmas eve and then comeback three days later to finish everything on New Year's Eve.
The songs were described as deliberately bleak, claustrophobic, and
lyrically sparse, with none of the manic derangement or sense of release
of the live performance", the sound was heavily influenced by Seattle sludge metal scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s, some others describe the sound of various songs as folk influenced melody with certain Led Zeppelin rhythm, about the lyrics, most of them are about my life in Aberdeen, but as Cobain said once in 1993: "I didn't give a fuck what the lyrics were about" and many of them were written the nigh before recording, some songs like "Mr. Moustache" were inspired by Cobain's dislike of macho behaviour, "School" was a critique of Seattle music scene and Sub Pop.
The single "Love Buzz" was a cover of the bizarre dutch rock band Shocking Blue, "About A Girl" was a dedication to Cobain's former girlfriend, a little bit pop sound but catchy at once, "Blew" was another cool one alongside "Been A Son" and "Stain", the reflective "Negative Creep" was another essential an all-time favourite in the band's playlist amongst fans. The album had certain curiosities, Dale Crover of the Melvins played the drums originally, but then, the band decided to use Chad Channing but he had certain issues during the recordings with "Floyd The Barber", "Paper Cuts" and "Downer" and the band didn't like it, so they decided to remixed Crover recordings, another musician was Jason Everman, he put the $606 the band needed to finish the recording sessions, so he joined the band as a second musician but then due the lack of afinity, he quitted the band but remains on the album credits.
The album was about to be called "Too Many Humans" but then it was renamed "Bleach" after Cobain found and AIDS prevention poster while Nirvana was driving through San Francisco, featuring the slogan "Bleach Your Works", and the cover was photographed by Cobain's former girlfriend Tracy Marander during a concert at the Reki Muse art Gallery in Olympia, Washington.
Bleach did not sell well but received positive rewiews from critics, some called this is the biggest, baddest sound from Sub Pop, so primitive that they manage Mudhoney to sound like Genesis, Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth was impressed by the album, called completely melodious but also punk vibes, and this was the inspiration the band use to record "Goo" in 1990, the album defined the entire decade of the 90's, and this was the essence and their most essential record of their catalogue.
Bleach Track List:
1. Blew
2. Floyd The Barber
3. About A Girl
4. School
5. Love Buzz
6. Paper Cuts
7. Negative Creeps
8. Scoff
9. Swap Meet
10. Mr. Moustache
11. Sifting
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