Nevermind Album Cover Analysis: Nirvana's Symbolic Image

1. Visual By: Kelly Dillon

2. Background Album Info • This album cover comes from Nirvana‘s 1991 hit “Nevermind.” • First album produced with new record label, DGC records. • It was produced by Andy Wallace; who also had worked with bands such as Slayer, Metallica, and Guns ‘n’ Roses • Image was created by the band’s art director, Robert Fisher. • The baby pictured is named Spencer Elden, who was Fisher’s nephew.

3. Audience • Other musicians • Producers • Music critics • Fans • Just anybody evolved with music

4. Background Band Info • Formed by lead singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in 1987 in Aberdeen, Washington. • First number one hit was “Smells Like Teen Spirit” off of there first album “Bleach.” • This band was the leaders of the grunge rock era. • The group stayed together till 1994 when Cobain lost his personal battle wit heroin and shot himself in his Seattle home and out of respect the band members all went there own ways to focus on the things that are most important in life.

5. Reaction of Viewers • What is the first thing you notice in the picture? • What is the second things you notice? • What do you think this picture is trying to say? • How does the title of the CD go with the message the picture gives?

6. My opinion • The first thing I noticed was obviously the baby. • The second thing I noticed was the money in water. • In my opinion this picture is trying to capture the way that the American culture has become by show how people try to chase the dollar and they used a baby to give it more emphasis then I would if it was just an adult. • The name of the album and this picture go together perfectly. By calling it nevermind and showing how the dollar has became so important to us; the title shows how we the people have turned a blind eye to all the corrupt and morally wrong things people do just to make more money. We pretty much have just said never mind and just accepted that this is how it is going to be.

7. Appeal • I believe that this picture has pathos(emotional) appeal as well as ethos(ethical) appeal. • It has pathos appeal because after seeing the picture it is sad the this is what our culture has become and what it accepts as normal. • It has ethos appeal because ethically it is wrong how some money is made and some things done in order to get more.

8. Symbols • The baby and the dollar bill are both symbols in this picture. I believe they symbolize how most Americans have put making money at the top of their priority list rather than things such as family, your faith/religion, or what ever people think about you.

9. Irony • I believe this picture is ironic. I say this because in the begin when this country was founded people didn’t have money and those that did for the most part didn’t have any more than what they needed, but now money is the thing that makes the world go around. Statistically speaking if you don’t have money in today's society you don’t have anything. It’s crazy how things change over time.

10. Bibliography • http://www.musicdirect.com/product/85727 • http://www.nirvanaclub.com/

11. The End