"BLACK GOLD" SOUL ASYLUM (1992)

This month, I’m jumping into the #APlaceInTheSong challenge from @JukeboxJohnny2. Great songs have that special ability to describe places in a way that makes us feel like we’re right there. Each day, I’ll pick a track that I think accomplishes that feat.

College was a special time in my life – and music was there all along providing the soundtrack. I was a freshman in the fall of 1991, so you can imagine, grunge and all its varied forms was integral to these years. Soul Asylum is not a typical grunge band. In fact, many of their songs sound nothing like grunge. They had a big acoustic era, and they were even recording albums nearly 10 years before grunge exploded on the scene. Still, somehow the Grave Dancers Union album feels very much in line with era-defining releases like the Singles soundtrack, which was full of grunge jams.

“Black Gold” was pretty big on Boston’s alt rock radio station WFNX. “Runaway Train” and “Somebody To Shove” were bigger hits, but “Black Gold” is the most nostalgic of the three tracks for me. Quiet-loud-quiet dynamics evoke thoughts of Nirvana and Pixies. The heavier grunge-like guitar parts are fine, but it’s the iconic treble note cascades coming out of the chorus that get me every single time. Listening to the song again, I feel like I’m back in my freshman dorm all over again.

“Won't you fill up the tank, let's go for a ride.”

"SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT" NIRVANA (1991)

This month on Twitter, @sotachetan hosts #BrandedInSongs – which is a head-on collision of my personal world of music and my professional world of branding and advertising. The challenge is to simply pick a song with a brand name in its lyrics or title. I added one more criteria to my picks, which is this: the songs themselves must be as iconic as the brands they mention. No filler here.

Nirvana certainly suffers from that spell of commercialization that covers up just how pivotal they were as a cultural phenomenon. They were, in fact, the band that made an outsider music genre palatable for the masses. Their album covers – especially Nevermind – were the stuff of college dorm posters. And the smiley face t-shirt is ubiquitous. With the resurgence of 90’s rock music, it is kinda cool seeing kids latch on to bands like Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins. Just this week at my daughter’s concert, a three-piece band (hello Kurt, David and Krist) played “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and I felt like I died and went to heaven.

“Smells Like Teen Spirit” suffers from being probably the band’s most overplayed song. This has diminished the genius of the song. It rocks – and every element is absolutely iconic, the drums, the bass, and every single guitar hook. But it’s the lyrics that put the song in a whole separate class. This was my soundtrack – or at least a decent portion of it – to my freshman year in college. It was fun, rebellious and angry – and everyone from metalheads to alt rock fans got into it. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was the great equalizer.

“With the lights out, it's less dangerous. Here we are now, entertain us. I feel stupid, and contagious. Here we are now, entertain us.”

"ALL APOLOGIES" NIRVANA (1993)

For the next 30 days, I’ll be taking the #AprilAcrossAmerica challenge, picking one song a day as I make my way across the country and across genres at the same time.

Day 28: Seattle, WA

The obvious band for Seattle, for obvious reasons. Namely, turning grunge into a mainstream phenomenon. On the US release of In Utero, “All Apologies” appears as the last track. While the UK version came with an additional song, this is the track that many Americans attribute as Kurt Cobain’s final statement. While it was actually written in 1990 – even before Nevermind was released – it still sits at the end of the line: the last song on the band’s last studio album. The gravity of this ending is felt eerily and awfully on the heels of Cobain’s death.

“All Apologies” follows the music structure of many other Nirvana anthems with its quiet-loud-quiet dynamic. This lets the masterful melody shine in the verses, an underrated aspect of Cobain’s songwriting. But, just as vital to Nirvana’s sound, it also enables the screaming in the angst-filled chorus to reach boiling point. The emotion and sense of hopelessness explodes repeatedly. This is not an act. It’s more than a song. It’s like a hand-scrawled page ripped out of Cobain’s journal.

“I wish I was like you. Easily amused. Find my nest of salt. Everything is my fault.”

"MAYONAISE" THE SMASHING PUMPKINS (1993)

I started Mental Jukebox nearly three years ago at the beginning of the pandemic. During this time, I’ve discovered new music, rediscovered old favorites and I’ve met passionate music fans around the world. And when things opened up, I kept on blogging. This month, the jukebox goes deeper. The term “deep cut” has multiple meanings. It can refer to lesser known album tracks from well-known artists. It can also refer to tracks from lesser known artists. This month, I’ll be featuring both types. #DeepCutsFeb

Funny how music albums turn into time machines. You press “play” and then, just like that, you’re back in time. Somewhere great. Somewhere awful. I play The Smashing Pumpkin's’ Siamese Dream and I’m right back inside my dorm in my sophomore year of college. My roommate – who went on to become one of my groomsmen – and I lived and breathed music together. Going to shows. Picking up new CDs at Boston’s Newbury Comics. Writing record reviews for the school paper. And, best of all, blasting tunes like “Mayonaise” on our speakers.

“Mayonaise” is essential Pumpkins. Not an obscure track by any stretch. In fact, it’s considered one of the band’s best songs by some of their biggest fans. But it wasn’t one of Siamese Dream’s singles – and it is Track 9 on the album. A revered deep cut from the mid 90’s, it is languid and sleepy one moment, then the pressure valve releases and musical catharsis happens. “Mayonaise” – a playful spelling of the song’s theme “my own eys” was co-written by Billy Corgan and James Iha, which endears the song to me even more. It cannot be traced back to just the frontman, it’s the band’s song. And in 1993, it was our song.

“Pick your pockets full of sorrow. Run away with me tomorrow.”

"ALL APOLOGIES" NIRVANA (1993)

You can get off to a fast start. You can sustain your opener with the main course, not filler. But can you end on a high note? Sometimes I wonder if recording a strong closer is the most difficult thing to pull off when it comes to album rock. When it comes to the cream of the crop in music, I can think of more strong openers than strong closers. Nonetheless, I still have my favorites which I’ll be featuring on Mental Jukebox all month.

The overwhelming significance of a closing track from a band like Nirvana is not lost on me. There’s a heaviness that can’t be denied. On the US release of In Utero, “All Apologies” appears as the last track. While the UK version came with an additional song, this is the track that many Americans attribute as Kurt Cobain’s final statement. While it was actually written in 1990 – even before Nevermind was released – it still sits at the end of the line: the last song on the band’s last studio album. The gravity of this ending is felt eerily and awfully on the heels of Cobain’s death.

“All Apologies” follows the music structure of many other Nirvana anthems with its quiet-loud-quiet dynamic. This lets the masterful melody shine in the verses, an underrated aspect of Cobain’s songwriting. But, just as vital to Nirvana’s sound, it also enables the screaming in the angst-filled chorus to reach boiling point. The emotion and sense of hopelessness explodes repeatedly. This is not an act. It’s more than a song. It’s like a hand-scrawled page ripped out of Cobain’s journal.

“I wish I was like you. Easily amused. Find my nest of salt. Everything is my fault.”

"NEARLY LOST YOU" SCREAMING TREES (1992)

For the last five days of October, I’m remembering music artists that died in 2022 by celebrating the music and legacy that continues to live on.

Mark William Lanegan: Nov 25, 1964 – Feb 22, 2022

Grunge was one of the few genres that seemed to come out of nowhere to take over the world. It was a strain of alternative rock that was practically unavoidable by the masses. Just how influential was the period? Well, as anyone who owned a flannel shirt in the early 90s can tell you, it impacted pretty much everything. Even non-grunge acts became more grunge-like during that era. Depeche Mode, Suzanne Vega and other artists all released albums that borrowed elements of the grunge sound into their recordings during the period. But the real stuff was where it was at. And right up there near the top was Screaming Trees’ “Nearly Lost You”.

Singles was one of those rare creative expressions that managed to define a new generation while also encapsulating an important musical era. It didn’t just use actors to achieve those ends. The film took place in Seattle – and actual members of Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains appear in it. When “Nearly Lost You” came out, it could be heard constantly in my dorm hall. It got into your head, and then just stayed there. Mark Lanegan’s vocals were nearly Tom Waits-like, and the guitar riff swirled around like a siren. “Nearly Lost You” was just as important as any track off Nevermind, Dirt, BadMotorFinger and Ten – and it should come as no surprise that it became one of the most memorable songs from the Singles soundtrack.

“Did you hear the distant lie calling me back to my sin.”

"RELEASE" PEARL JAM (1991)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #31DaySongLyricChallenge

Day 29

Epic grunge bands have come and gone with the era: Soundgarden, Nirvana, Screaming Trees, Alice in Chains. But only one has stood the test of time and even experienced a resurgence in recent years: Pearl Jam. If I can think of one characteristic for the band, it’s resilience. They’ve persevered and stayed relevant and active all these years. The album Ten was huge back in my college days. Just as played as Nevermind, Ten was full of bangers of different paces and sensibilities: “Even Flow”, “Alive” and “Jeremy”. “Black” is a personal favorite, but one of my less expected loves is the album closer “Release”, a fully cathartic experience and a nearly ten minute emotional drone that wraps up one of the great records of the grunge era.

“Oh dear dad. Can you see me now? I am myself. Like you somehow. I'll ride the wave where it takes me. I'll hold the pain. Release it.”

"LITHIUM" NIRVANA (1991)

One of the most powerful things about music is that it is the soundtrack of our lives. Fellow music fanatic Sharon Hepworth started a music challenge on Twitter for the month of July. Each day, fans around the world will select a song from their life and describe what it means to us. These are my songs. #SoundtrackToYourLife

Day 11

Neil Young may be the Godfather of Grunge. The Pixies and The Melvins may have inspired Kurt Cobain. But it’s Nirvana that defined the grunge era. That was certainly the case for me and the guys in Duchesne Hall at Boston College in the fall of 1991. The entire Nevermind album was on non-stop play in my college residence hall my freshmen year. It didn’t matter what kind of music you listened to before. We had guys who were into Ministry, the Chili Peppers, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Iron Maiden and the Aladdin soundtrack. But everyone was fixated on Nevermind and the quiet-loud-quiet genius of “Lithium”.

“Lithium” has an explosive quality to it—going from soft and dormant to loud and ignited. This was a dynamic that I started to really appreciate with the Pixies. A couple of years after the Doolittle album, I saw the quiet-loud-quiet construct truly mastered on “Lithium”. Cobain oscillates between singing and screaming in a manner where it flows seamlessly. This stands in direct contrast to Black Francis’ approach which feels more ragged and disruptive. The quiet segments are pretty much all Cobain, but the loud parts put Cobain, Novoselic and Grohl on a maddening collision course. What’s not to like for a college student?

“I'm so happy because today. I've found my friends. They're in my head.”

"NEARLY LOST YOU" SCREAMING TREES (1992)

This month, the Mental Jukebox revisits the movie soundtracks of the nineties. The music I’m highlighting are some of my personal favorites. In many cases, the movies themselves were huge for me as well. But the focus will still be on the music – as always. Let’s bring on the throwback classics, the grunge, the gangsta rap, and the indie gems. #31DaysOf90sMovieSongs

Movie: Singles

Grunge was one of the few genres that seemed to come out of nowhere to take over the world. It was a strain of alternative rock that was practically unavoidable by the masses. Just how influential was the period? Well, as anyone who owned a flannel shirt in the early 90s can tell you, it impacted pretty much everything. Even non-grunge acts became more grunge-like during that era. Depeche Mode, Suzanne Vega and other artists all released albums that borrowed elements of the grunge sound into their recordings during the period. But the real stuff was where it was at. And right up there near the top was Screaming Trees’ “Nearly Lost You”.

Singles was one of those rare creative expressions that managed to define a new generation while also encapsulating an important musical era. It didn’t just use actors to achieve those ends. The film took place in Seattle – and actual members of Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains appear in it. When “Nearly Lost You” came out, it could be heard constantly in my dorm hall. It got into your head, and then just stayed there. Mark Lanegan’s vocals were nearly Tom Waits-like, and the guitar riff swirled around like a siren. “Nearly Lost You” was just as important as any track off Nevermind, Dirt, BadMotorFinger and Ten – and it should come as no surprise that it became one of the most memorable songs from the Singles soundtrack.

“Did you hear the distant lie calling me back to my sin.”

"POLLY - UNPLUGGED IN NEW YORK" NIRVANA (1993)

In my series “Long Live Live”, I’m highlighting some of the most revered live recordings of all time. You’ll see my musical biases, but there’s no doubt that each of these tracks played a pivotal role in shaping music history. I started Mental Jukebox last year because I needed another music listening outlet when there were no more live shows to go to. These songs remind me that nothing will ever replace the blend of atmosphere and performance captured in the live experience.

MTV Unplugged had been going for a few years, but Nirvana’s appearance for the acoustic series at Sony Music Studios in New York City felt like a reboot. Just five month’s before Kurt Cobain’s death, they translated the sonic grunge of Nirvana into an unplugged setting. One of Cobain’s finest songwriting showcases, “Polly” was played quieter, slower, moodier. But it wasn’t even an ounce less powerful than the recording on Nevermind.

“I think she wants some water to put out the blow torch.”

"LITHIUM" NIRVANA (1991)

Neil Young may be the Godfather of Grunge. The Pixies and The Melvins may have inspired Kurt Cobain. But it’s Nirvana that defined the grunge era. “Lithium” had an explosion quality—going from soft and dormant to loud and ignited. This song and the entire Nevermind album was on non-stop play in my college residence hall my freshmen year. It didn’t matter what kind of music you listened to before. You now listened to Nirvana and that was that.

“I'm so happy because today. I've found my friends. They're in my head.”