Sub Pop's reissue of 'Bleach' is pure, brilliant Nirvana

Nirvana, 'Bleach' (Sub Pop)

Today Sub Pop reissues Nirvana's 1989 debut, "Bleach." The reissue's a big deal, deserving of appraisal and celebration. Dust off the decades of history and "Bleach" is as seething and catchy and funny as 20 years ago. Packaging is meticulous and includes a half-hour of bonus concert material recorded in Portland in 1990.

But instead of going into all that, we'll talk about "Love Buzz" for a minute, because it's not just the best song on "Bleach," it's a three-and-a-half-minute summation of the entire Nirvana phenomenon.

"Love Buzz" was Nirvana's first single, originally released on 7" vinyl in 1988. It's a cover of Dutch psych-pop band Shocking Blue. Nirvana always wore their affections proudly: Covers of the Meat Puppets and the Vaselines got those bands noticed, and in interviews Kurt Cobain copped to the overt influence of Boston and Pixies. If Nirvana's version of "Love Buzz" drove attention to Shocking Blue, win-win.

The song itself, "Bleach" version: ragingly up-tempo; difficult, hypnotic bass line; layers of distorted guitar; addictive pop sweetness buried beneath harsh-punk angst. Cobain's voice sounds like someone else's, another hallmark. Like they did with all their covers, Nirvana makes the song theirs.

Then there's "Love Buzz" from "Live! Tonight! Sold Out!," a 1994 compilation of live concert footage, wherein Cobain lunges into a Dallas crowd mid-song, throttling his guitar while the band chugs behind him. Floating atop the melee, Cobain thunks a bouncer with his guitar. The bouncer pulls him back onstage and punches the back of his head, twice, hard. Show over.

Cobain's act of self-sabotage, dramatic and violent, ends the show way too soon.