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Nevermind: Classic Rock Albums

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Nevermind established Nirvana as a worldwide sensation, made Kurt Cobain a rock idol, and put grunge rock on the map. Discover the inside story of this legendary album and its famous creator. With black and white photos.

173 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

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About the author

Jim Berkenstadt

4 books42 followers
Award-winning, Best-Selling author Jim Berkenstadt is the Rock And Roll Detective®. A true musical Sherlock Holmes, Berkenstadt uncovers the lost history and mysteries hidden within decades of popular music.

He currently serves as Co-Executive Producer and Script Consultant for the Ecosse Studios feature film based upon his Best Selling book, "The Beatle Who Vanished." An international authority on Rock And Roll, he served as historical consultant to Olivia Harrison's HBO Emmy winning film, "George Harrison: Living in the Material World," directed by Martin Scorsese, and as historical consultant to The Beatles’ Company Apple Corps, and the Estate of George Harrison.

The author has just released an updated version of "The Beatle Who Vanished: 60th Beatles Anniversary Tour" edition. This book, once and for all, SOLVES the mystery of drummer Jimmie Nicol. You will discover what happened to this iconic person in Beatles' history!

Berkenstadt has authored "Black Market Beatles" and "Classic Rock Albums: Nirvana -Nevermind." All of his books have been inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Library and Archives. He also appears as an expert on the Reelz Channel TV series "Celebrity Legacies" and "Celebrity Damage Control.

Berkenstadt's book, Mysteries in the Music: Case Closed, was released in March, 2022. The book has advanced praise from Chris Frantz (Talking Heads), Butch Vig (Nirvana), and Bestselling Author Marshall Terrill.

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Profile Image for Sharadha Jayaraman.
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June 10, 2020
5-star Review:
Nevermind: Nirvana by Jim Berkenstadt


“Nirvana is the best band in the world at singing ‘yea, yay, yah, yeahayea.’”
- The Rocket's review of Nevermind

Well, what can I say? It's one of my all-time favourite record, so the rating and review may be biased, well then, have at it.

It was enlightening to read about the recording process of this multi-platinum/Diamond certified magnum opus (the phenomenon that followed makes me use the word rather liberally) by the band that just wanted like-minded people to listen to their music and promote related acts, but managed to move several generations of music lovers across the globe.

New takeaways from this compilation (there were a lot, but stuff that stuck):
1. Wasn't aware the Butch Vig also helped produce the Smart Sessions. I was under the impression that it was a demo tape (which it eventually became) as opposed to a second LP under Nirvana's older label with the same producer as on Nevermind; bonus that he was a small-time producer at the time and it was a gamble that paid off. And while I love Nevermind as it is, I definitely cherish the amped up guitars on the Smart Sessions more, with the In-Bloom version recorded here especially outclassing the one on Nevermind.

2. Getting Dave onboard was crucial to kick-starting this making-alt-rock-mainstream-again movement because, boy, can he pound on them drums. But, interestingly, while he basically regurgitated Chad's drum lines on the songs that had been recorded during the Smart Sessions, one cannot argue that his drum fills were so much more organic as compared to Chad's, which were pivotal to elevating the tunes that much.

All-in-all, I loved taking this journey and, just, listening to the record all over again with renewed awareness. I'd love to read something similar for few other rock albums that are important in rock music (in my book) - The Wall (Pink Floyd), Loveless (My Bloody Valentine), Definitely Maybe/(What's the Story) Morning Glory/Be Here Now (Oasis), Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik/Californiacation (RHCP), Hybrid Theory/Meteora (Linkin Park) - I'm sure there are more that I am missing. Off on my hunt to find these gems!
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