Sept91: Nirvana Is “Trying To Make A Bit Of Money”

Laurent

Now I know why I’m nostalgic for 1991.

September 1991 in Les Inrockuptibles (the French super cult rock magazine at the time , not to be compared with today’s version, which is completely different in content and format): “we can easily imagine getting played on the radio and trying to make a bit of money” (Nirvana).

And that’s not all, just look at the list of September/October album releases, some of my (our?) favorite albums of all time:

  • Blur ‘Leisure” – In my opinion their best album, closer to the post-punk rock I like.
  • The Charlatans “Between 10th and 11th” – Their second-best album after the cult “Some Friendly” (announced in Les Inrockuptibles in Sept91 but effectively released in 1992).
  • Hole “Pretty on the Inside” – By far my favorite Hole album, released one week before “Nevermind”, when Kurt & Courtney were not yet in a relationship but still so close musically, they basically invented grunge in parallel. Fascinating. One of my biggest regrets was missing Hole playing at a small café in Nancy called “La Plage” in Nov91… my god.
  • Mudhoney “Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge” – An underrated masterpiece of hardcore rock (or is it more grunge-related?).
  • Nirvana “Nevermind” – Well, simply one of the greatest rock albums ever.
  • Pixies “Trompe le Monde” – By far my favorite Pixies album.
  • Primal Scream “Screamadelica” – Their masterpiece.
  • Slowdive “Just for a Day” – Their first and cult album.
  • Talk Talk “Laughing Stock” – Just the invention of post-rock as we know it.
  • U2 “Achtung Baby” – My favorite U2 album?

… and nowadays, over the past two months, we’re happy if we just get a new Wet Leg album (and Turnstile for hardcore), and that’s about it!

Other beautiful moments when reading it all in my room as a college student at the time, looking forward to sharing my thoughts at cafés with my two best friends, my other pals at concerts, or even with our two record dealers:

  • A full 5-page interview with Dinosaur Jr, using totally non-politically correct language when talking about his childhood (he’d definitely be censored nowadays).
  • A 4-page interview with Blur, cocky as ever, during their very first “Leisure” tour, in my opinion their best era, when their concerts were a mix of full wall of sound and pop at the same time. A bit like Ride, but slightly different (Ride were the kings with their “Nowhere” album and true wall of sound).
  • A 5-page interview with Mark Hollis (Talk Talk), whom we miss so much since his early death, talking about his masterpiece “Laughing Stock”, the first true post-rock album ever.
  • And also interviews or articles about some of my favorite film directors: Joel & Ethan Coen, Mike Leigh, and Ken Loach (seven years before my favorite movie “My Name Is Joe”).

And finally, interviews with cult singers like Robert Wyatt (the handicapped genius who led Soft Machine during the “Third” album sessions) and Jean-Louis Murat (a deeply missed French singer).