Nirvana

Before all of the overwrought attention and endless raving for their lead singer/guitarist, Nirvana were a simple three-chord punk band with inclinations towards classic rock thanks to wandering solos and the occasional mid-tempo groove. Moreover, they were fun-loving oddballs who just plugged away at their tunes happily and incredibly sloppily, a truth highlighted on this wonderful 20th anniversary edition of debut album Bleach. Featuring both the remastered original 13 tracks and a 12-song set from Portland, circa 1990, Bleach: Deluxe Edition excludes any hoopla tracks from Nevermind on and features early renditions of songs that were fresh at the time but would later become band staples thanks to Incesticide and MTV Unplugged In New York. Live versions of "Dive," "Been A Son" and covers "Molly's Lips" and "About A Girl" are energetic bouts of amusement. The best of both worlds, Bleach: Deluxe Edition's sound cleans up the original yet still relays the band's youthful vigour on the studio portion with its catchy, upbeat tunes, providing an engaging document of the wily havoc they were capable of when unleashed onstage.