In Utero

1993 Geffen release, the band's final studio album with the 7:33 long 'Gallons Of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through The Strip' added as a bonus track that is listed on the back inlay of the jewel case, but is hidden on the disc itself, since the CD scans only 12 tracks. 13 tracks total, also including the alternative hits 'All Apologies', 'Heart- Shaped Box', 'Milk It' and 'Rape Me'. The CD is a color picture disc.

Overwhelmed by sudden success, Nirvana promised to take a harsher, more abrasive route on their second major-label release. Enlisting Chicago-based noise maven Steve Albini (of Big Black fame), Kurt Cobain and company succeeded in producing a record that was violent, disillusioned, and deeply moving. Every song reads like a commentary on the cost of fame ("Serve the Servants") and the unhealthy relationship between performer and fan ("Milk It"). Of course, they might all simply be about Courtney Love. Gossip aside, there is no denying the sheer power of Cobain's songwriting, his singing, and the band's amazing, visceral power. Cobain even manages a John Lennon-like mantra at the end of the heart-wrenching "All Apologies." "All in all is all we are," he intones repeatedly, only for Cobain that's no consolation. --Percy Keegan