Nevermind Producer Butch Vig Says Album "Would Not Have The Same Cultural Impact" If Released Today
Butch Vig reckons that it would "be tough to repeat that zeitgeist moment", and Nirvana's Nevermind mightn't be so successful if it was released in 2020.
Garbage drummer and producing titan Butch Vig has recently discussed the cultural impact of Nirvana's Nevermind, pondering that it mightn't have been such a successful record if it wasn't released at the right time.
As well as producing Nirvana's diamond-selling 1991 classic, Butch has worked with everyone from Foo Fighters to The Smashing Pumpkins to Green Day over the years, his expertise making him the perfect person to look at how different albums have impacted at different times throughout rock history. And despite Nevermind undoubtedly being an utterly brilliant piece of work, it could have been considerably less popular if it was unveiled in 2020.
Read this: The stories behind every song on Nirvana's Nevermind
"I think it would be tough to repeat that zeitgeist moment," he tells NME. "If Nevermind came out this week, despite being a great record, it would not have the same cultural impact. It was perfect timing coming out when there was a shift in music and it felt like a revolution. I can see that happening again, but not in the same way."
He continues of the effect that culture can have on how well an album or band does: "Everything is so instant that it’s hard to build up some mystique. When you really want something but can’t quite get your hands on it, that makes it all the more powerful. Everyone has access to everything these days. Maybe someone will come along with a band who sounds like Nirvana but a lyricist who writes like Bob Dylan and is into hip-hop and doesn’t have Instagram or Facebook.
"Maybe they’ll do a couple of shows and disappear. If they did, people would go mental because they’d want them all the more. If you know who that is, please call them because I want to produce them!"
In other Butch-related news, Shirley Manson confirmed back in August that a new Garbage album was being mixed.
"We have a new record being mixed as we speak that’s going to come out next year," she said. "We’ve got three more songs to go and then we’re done. And then we’ll concentrate on the artwork and start planning for next year. We were really excited. We were talking with our team this morning, and things are still looking hopeful."
Butch's band 5 Billion In Diamonds are set to release their new album Divine Accidents on November 20 via Make Records.
Read this: 10 bands from the ’90s who have managed to keep their original line-up together