With the Lights Out
Encyclopedia
With the Lights Out is a box set, containing three CDs and one DVD, of previously rare or unreleased material, including b-sides, demo
s, rough rehearsal recordings and live recordings, from the American
rock band Nirvana
. It was released in November 2004. The title was taken from the lyric, "With the lights out, it's less dangerous" from the band's 1991 "Smells Like Teen Spirit
" single.
With the Lights Out set a record for single week sales of any box set, with 105,760 units sold. As of 2007, it has sold over 925,000 units in the United States alone, according to Nielson SoundScan. It has also been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA).
, first surfaced in the mid-1990s, not long after the death of the band's singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain
in April 1994. It was eventually announced that a 45-track box set would be released in September 2001, to mark the 10th anniversary of the band's breakthrough album, Nevermind
, but a legal battle between Cobain's widow, Courtney Love
, and surviving Nirvana members Dave Grohl
and Krist Novoselic
, precluded this from happening.
Much of the dispute centered on "You Know You're Right
", a song recorded in January 1994 during the band's final studio session. Grohl and Novoselic had wanted it for the box set, but Love blocked the song's release, and sued them for control of Nirvana's legacy. Love's lawsuit asserted that "the parties have fundamentally different concepts of how to manage the musical and artistic legacy of Kurt Cobain", which resulted "in a stalemate of decision making." She believed that "You Know You're Right" would be "wasted" on a box set, and instead belonged on a single-disc compilation similar to the Beatles'
1.
In 2002, the legal battle was settled, and "You Know You're Right" appeared on the "best-of" compilation known as Nirvana. This paved the way for what became With the Lights Out, which arrived in November 2004 (and reissued in March 2009), over three years after its original release date but with more music than had originally been promised.
It includes a 60-page booklet, which contains liner notes
by Thurston Moore
, of the American rock band Sonic Youth
, and journalist Neil Strauss
, as well as photographs and a chronological catalog of the band's recording history, including studio sessions, television and radio appearances, live performances and home demo recordings sessions.
Several songs on the box set are mislabeled, including "Vendetagainst" (mislabeled as "Help Me I'm Hungry," which was a name invented by bootleggers, and believed to be the song's title at the time) and "Seed" (mislabeled as "Don't Want It All"). The song "Annorexorcist" is misspelled as "Anorexorcist." Additionally, the true title of the song labelled as "Mrs. Butterworth" is unknown.
The band's April 6, 1987 radio session at KAOS 89.3 FM
in Olympia
, Washington is mislabeled as being from April 17, 1987.
called it "a humanising, comprehensive and often heartbreaking document of a man who, in five years, changed the face of music, almost by accident."
However, several critics felt it contained too much second-rate material never intended for official release. Mark Richardson of Pitchfork wrote, "Those hoping for a trove of overlooked gems will be disappointed...Simply put, there's enough good stuff here for a solid single disc." Tim O'Neil of PopMatters
wrote, "The majority of the material presented here will appeal only to a select group of hardcore fans, music historians and critics."
Fans also accused the compilers of the set of lack of proper research. According to the website Live Nirvana, some of the material on the box set appears in inferior quality to what had been circulating among fans, or even to previously-released versions of the same material. For example, the version of "Here She Comes Now
" on the box set is believed to have been derived from an inferior source to the version of the same recording on the 1990 compilation, Heaven & Hell - A Tribute to the Velvet Underground, Volume One
, unless stated otherwise.
Disc 1
Disc 2
Disc 3
It contains 19 tracks pulled from the band's 2004 rarities box set, With the Lights Out, as well as three previously unreleased recordings: "Spank Thru," from the 1985 "Fecal Matter
" demo
, a 1990 studio recording of "Sappy
", and a 1991 boombox
demo of "Come as You Are".
Sliver: The Best of the Box opened at number 21 on the Billboard 200
. It was released on October 25, 2005 in Japan
as Sliver: The Best of Nirvana +3 in reference to the three previously-unreleased songs As of 2007, Sliver: The Best of the Box has sold over 300,000 copies in the U.S. alone.
, the title and cover photograph
for Sliver: The Best of the Box were chosen by Frances Bean
, the daughter of Cobain and Courtney Love
. The cover photograph depicts a cardboard box filled with Nirvana and Cobain tapes, including a copy of the Fecal Matter demo. Some of the tapes have spilled out of the box and are strewn across the floor.
Demo
Demo may refer to:*DEMOs, a business process design methodology by Jan Dietz*Demo , a comic book series by Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan*Demo , a non-interactive multimedia presentation...
s, rough rehearsal recordings and live recordings, from the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock band Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
. It was released in November 2004. The title was taken from the lyric, "With the lights out, it's less dangerous" from the band's 1991 "Smells Like Teen Spirit
Smells Like Teen Spirit
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. It is the opening track and lead single from the band's second album, Nevermind , released on DGC Records...
" single.
With the Lights Out set a record for single week sales of any box set, with 105,760 units sold. As of 2007, it has sold over 925,000 units in the United States alone, according to Nielson SoundScan. It has also been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA).
Background
Rumors of a posthumous Nirvana box set, or anthologyAnthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
, first surfaced in the mid-1990s, not long after the death of the band's singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
in April 1994. It was eventually announced that a 45-track box set would be released in September 2001, to mark the 10th anniversary of the band's breakthrough album, Nevermind
Nevermind
Nevermind is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991. Produced by Butch Vig, Nevermind was the group's first release on DGC Records...
, but a legal battle between Cobain's widow, Courtney Love
Courtney Love
Courtney Michelle Love is an American rock musician. Love is the lead vocalist, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist for alternative rock band Hole, which she formed in 1989, and is an actress who has moved from bit parts in Alex Cox films to significant and acclaimed roles in The People vs...
, and surviving Nirvana members Dave Grohl
Dave Grohl
David Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
and Krist Novoselic
Krist Novoselic
Krist Anthony Novoselic II is a Croatian-American rock musician, best known for being the bassist and co-founder of the grunge band Nirvana. After Nirvana ended, Novoselic formed Sweet 75 and then Eyes Adrift, releasing one album with each band...
, precluded this from happening.
Much of the dispute centered on "You Know You're Right
You Know You're Right
"You Know You're Right" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. It is the first song on its compilation album, Nirvana , and one of the last songs recorded by the band.-History:...
", a song recorded in January 1994 during the band's final studio session. Grohl and Novoselic had wanted it for the box set, but Love blocked the song's release, and sued them for control of Nirvana's legacy. Love's lawsuit asserted that "the parties have fundamentally different concepts of how to manage the musical and artistic legacy of Kurt Cobain", which resulted "in a stalemate of decision making." She believed that "You Know You're Right" would be "wasted" on a box set, and instead belonged on a single-disc compilation similar to the Beatles'
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
1.
In 2002, the legal battle was settled, and "You Know You're Right" appeared on the "best-of" compilation known as Nirvana. This paved the way for what became With the Lights Out, which arrived in November 2004 (and reissued in March 2009), over three years after its original release date but with more music than had originally been promised.
Packaging
With the Lights Out is packaged in heat-sensitive material which changes color when touched, revealing images of recording session tapes.It includes a 60-page booklet, which contains liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
by Thurston Moore
Thurston Moore
Thurston Joseph Moore is an American musician best known as a singer, songwriter and guitarist of Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside of Sonic Youth, as well as running the Ecstatic Peace! record label...
, of the American rock band Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
, and journalist Neil Strauss
Neil Strauss
Neil Darrow Strauss , also known by the pen names Style and Chris Powles, is an American and Kittitian author, journalist and ghostwriter...
, as well as photographs and a chronological catalog of the band's recording history, including studio sessions, television and radio appearances, live performances and home demo recordings sessions.
Several songs on the box set are mislabeled, including "Vendetagainst" (mislabeled as "Help Me I'm Hungry," which was a name invented by bootleggers, and believed to be the song's title at the time) and "Seed" (mislabeled as "Don't Want It All"). The song "Annorexorcist" is misspelled as "Anorexorcist." Additionally, the true title of the song labelled as "Mrs. Butterworth" is unknown.
The band's April 6, 1987 radio session at KAOS 89.3 FM
KAOS (FM)
KAOS is a hybrid college-community radio station licensed to The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. It broadcasts in HD Radio at a power of 1,100 watts and also streams live via the Internet. The station continues to offer free radio broadcasting training to any member of the...
in Olympia
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
, Washington is mislabeled as being from April 17, 1987.
Reception
With the Lights Out received generally positive reviews from music critics, many of whom saw it as a valuable glimpse into the band's musical evolution. Julian Marshall of the NMENME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
called it "a humanising, comprehensive and often heartbreaking document of a man who, in five years, changed the face of music, almost by accident."
However, several critics felt it contained too much second-rate material never intended for official release. Mark Richardson of Pitchfork wrote, "Those hoping for a trove of overlooked gems will be disappointed...Simply put, there's enough good stuff here for a solid single disc." Tim O'Neil of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
wrote, "The majority of the material presented here will appeal only to a select group of hardcore fans, music historians and critics."
Fans also accused the compilers of the set of lack of proper research. According to the website Live Nirvana, some of the material on the box set appears in inferior quality to what had been circulating among fans, or even to previously-released versions of the same material. For example, the version of "Here She Comes Now
Here She Comes Now
"Here She Comes Now" is the fourth track appearing on The Velvet Underground's second album, White Light/White Heat, released in 1968. The performance and mix of the song are both simple and traditional, making it somewhat distinct from the other five songs on the album, all of which contain some...
" on the box set is believed to have been derived from an inferior source to the version of the same recording on the 1990 compilation, Heaven & Hell - A Tribute to the Velvet Underground, Volume One
Heaven & Hell - A Tribute to The Velvet Underground
Heaven & Hell - A Tribute to The Velvet Underground is a series of tribute albums released by Imaginary Records in the UK dedicated to The Velvet Underground...
Track listing
All songs written by Kurt CobainKurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
, unless stated otherwise.
Disc 1
- March 7, 1987 show in Raymond, WashingtonRaymond, WashingtonRaymond is a city in Pacific County, Washington, United States. The population was 2,975 at the 2000 census and decreased 3.1% to 2,882 at the 2010 census. The town's economy is based on logging and fishing, together with a limited amount of tourism....
. (Nirvana's first show)
- "HeartbreakerHeartbreaker (Led Zeppelin song)"Heartbreaker" is a song from English rock band Led Zeppelin's 1969 album, Led Zeppelin II. It was credited to all four members of the band, having been recorded at A&R Studios, New York, during the band's second concert tour of the United States, and was engineered by Eddie Kramer."Heartbreaker"...
" (John BonhamJohn BonhamJohn Henry Bonham was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove...
/ John Paul JonesJohn Paul Jones (musician)John Paul Jones is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. Best known as the bassist, mandolinist, and keyboardist for English rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones has since developed a solo career and has gained even more respect as both a musician and a...
/ Jimmy PageJimmy PageJames Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
/ Robert PlantRobert PlantRobert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
) – 2:59- April 6, 1987 radio session at KAOS 89.3 FMKAOS (FM)KAOS is a hybrid college-community radio station licensed to The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. It broadcasts in HD Radio at a power of 1,100 watts and also streams live via the Internet. The station continues to offer free radio broadcasting training to any member of the...
, OlympiaOlympia, WashingtonOlympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
, Washington. (Nirvana's first radio session)
- April 6, 1987 radio session at KAOS 89.3 FM
- "Anorexorcist (aka "Annorexorcist")" – 2:44
- "White Lace and Strange" (Chris Bond) – 2:09
- "Help Me, I'm Hungry" (aka "Vendetagainst") – 2:41
- Summer 1987 band rehearsal in Aberdeen, WashingtonAberdeen, WashingtonAberdeen is a city in Grays Harbor County, Washington, United States, founded by Samuel Benn in 1884. Aberdeen was incorporated on May 12, 1890. The city is the economic center of Grays Harbor County, bordering the cities of Hoquiam and Cosmopolis...
.
- Summer 1987 band rehearsal in Aberdeen, Washington
- "Mrs. Butterworth" (aka "Unknown #2") – 4:05
- January 23, 1988 studio session at Reciprocal Recording StudiosReciprocal RecordingReciprocal Recording was the name of a recording studio in Seattle, Washington, USA, that was founded in 1984 and officially closed in July 1991.-History:Chris Hanzsek and Tina Casale opened Reciprocal Recording in Seattle in 1984...
, SeattleSeattle, WashingtonSeattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, Washington. Producer: Jack EndinoJack EndinoJack Endino is a producer and musician based in Seattle. Long associated with Seattle label Sub Pop and the grunge movement, Endino worked on seminal albums from bands such as Mudhoney, Soundgarden, and Nirvana...
. (Nirvana's first studio session)
- January 23, 1988 studio session at Reciprocal Recording Studios
- "If You Must" – 4:01
- "Pen Cap Chew" – 3:02
- January 23, 1988 show at the Community World Theatre, TacomaTacoma, WashingtonTacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
, Washington.
- January 23, 1988 show at the Community World Theatre, Tacoma
- "Downer" – 1:43
- "Floyd the Barber" – 2:33
- "Raunchola" (aka "Erectum")/ "Moby Dick" ("Moby Dick" - John BonhamJohn BonhamJohn Henry Bonham was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove...
/ John Paul JonesJohn Paul Jones (musician)John Paul Jones is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. Best known as the bassist, mandolinist, and keyboardist for English rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones has since developed a solo career and has gained even more respect as both a musician and a...
/ Jimmy PageJimmy PageJames Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
) – 6:24- 1987-1988 solo 4-trackMultitrack recordingMultitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole...
home recordings, Aberdeen, Washington.
- 1987-1988 solo 4-track
- "Beans" – 1:32
- "Don't Want it All" (aka "Seed") – 2:26
- "Clean Up Before She Comes" – 3:12
- "PollyPolly (song)"Polly" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. It is the sixth song on its 1991 album, Nevermind.-History:Dating back to at least 1988, "Polly" stands alongside "About a Girl" as one of singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain's earliest forays into unfiltered pop songwriting. It was originally titled...
" – 2:30 - "About a Girl" – 2:44
- June 6, 1988 studio session at Reciprocal Recording Studios, Seattle, Washington. Producer: Jack Endino
- "Blandest" – 3:56
- Spring 1989 studio session at The Evergreen State CollegeThe Evergreen State CollegeThe Evergreen State College is an accredited public liberal arts college and a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. It is located in Olympia, Washington, USA. Founded in 1967, Evergreen was formed to be an experimental and non-traditional college...
Audio Studio, OlympiaOlympia, WashingtonOlympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
, Washington. Producer: Greg Babior.
- Spring 1989 studio session at The Evergreen State College
- "Dive" "(Kurt CobainKurt CobainKurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
/ Krist NovoselicKrist NovoselicKrist Anthony Novoselic II is a Croatian-American rock musician, best known for being the bassist and co-founder of the grunge band Nirvana. After Nirvana ended, Novoselic formed Sweet 75 and then Eyes Adrift, releasing one album with each band...
) – 4:50- August 20/ 28 studio session at Reciprocal Recording Studios, Seattle, Washington. Producer: Jack Endino. (Studio session for "the Jury," a Lead Belly cover band featuring members of Nirvana and the Screaming Trees)
- "They Hung Him on a CrossThey Hung Him on a Cross"He Never Said a Mumblin' Word" is an American spiritual folk song....
" (Huddie Ledbetter) – 1:57 - "Grey GooseGrey Goose (folk song)"Grey Goose" is a traditional American folk song. Its subject is a preacher who hunts and captures a grey goose for dinner on a Sunday. He tries to kill the goose prior to eating it, but no matter how hard he tries, he cannot kill it, the implication being that he had not properly observed the...
" (Huddie Ledbetter) – 4:36 - "Ain't It a ShameAin't It a Shame"Ain't It a Shame" or "Ain't It a Shame to Go Fishin'" or "Keep You Hands Off Her" is an American folk song. It has been recorded by Lead Belly and Nirvana, among others. Also the name of a song by The B-52s on the Bouncing Off the Satellites LP . Covered by Sinead O'Connor in 2003 on She Who...
" (Huddie Ledbetter) – 2:01- September 1989 studio session at Music Source Studios, Seattle, Washington. Producer: Steve Fisk.
- "Token Eastern Song" – 3:21
- "Even in His Youth" – 3:12
- "Polly" – 2:36
Disc 2
- September 25, 1990 solo radio session on The Boy Meets Girls Show, KAOS 89.3 FMKAOS (FM)KAOS is a hybrid college-community radio station licensed to The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. It broadcasts in HD Radio at a power of 1,100 watts and also streams live via the Internet. The station continues to offer free radio broadcasting training to any member of the...
, Olympia, Washington. Host: Calvin Johnson.
- "Opinion" – 1:34
- "Lithium" – 1:49
- "Been a Son" – 1:12
- 1990 boomboxBoomboxBoombox is a colloquial expression for a portable cassette or CD player. Other terms known are ghetto blaster, jambox, or radio-cassette. It is a device capable of receiving radio stations and playing recorded music , usually at relatively high volume...
-recorded home demos, Olympia, Washington.
- 1990 boombox
- "SliverSliver (song)"Sliver" is a song by American grunge band Nirvana. It was originally released as a non-album single in 1990 by Sub Pop. DGC re-released the song to radio to support the release of the rarities compilation album Incesticide in 1992....
" – 2:09 - "Where Did You Sleep Last NightWhere Did You Sleep Last Night"In the Pines", also known as "Black Girl" and "Where Did You Sleep Last Night", is a traditional American folk song which dates back to at least the 1870s, and is believed to be Southern Appalachian in origin. The identity of the song's author is unknown, but it has been recorded by many artists...
" (traditional) – 2:31
- April 2-6, 1990 studio session at Smart Studios, MadisonMadison, WisconsinMadison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
, WisconsinWisconsinWisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. Producer: Butch VigButch VigButch Vig is an American musician and record producer, best known internationally as the drummer of the Madison, Wisconsin-based alternative rock band Garbage and the producer of multi-platinum selling album Nevermind by Nirvana....
.
- "Pay to Play" (early version of "Stay Away") (previously-released on DGC Rarities: Volume 1DGC Rarities Volume 1DGC Rarities: Volume 1 is the name of a rarities album compiled by DGC Records and released in 1994. The songs featured on this album are all B-sides, demos, covers and other rarities...
in 1994) – 3:29 - "Here She Comes NowHere She Comes Now/Venus in Furs"Here She Comes Now"/"Venus in Furs" is a split single from the American rock bands Nirvana and The Melvins. It was released in 1991 and includes the songs "Here She Comes Now" performed by Nirvana, and "Venus in Furs" performed by The Melvins...
" (John CaleJohn CaleJohn Davies Cale, OBE is a Welsh musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground....
/ Sterling MorrisonSterling MorrisonHolmes Sterling Morrison, Jr. was one of the founding members of the rock group The Velvet Underground, usually playing electric guitar, occasionally bass guitar, and singing backing vocals.-Biography:...
/ Lou ReedLou ReedLewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
/ Maureen TuckerMaureen TuckerMaureen Ann "Moe" Tucker is a musician best known for having been the drummer for the rock group The Velvet Underground.- The Velvet Underground :...
) (previously-released on split-single with the MelvinsThe MelvinsThe Melvins are an American band that formed in 1983. They usually perform as a trio, but in recent years have performed as a four piece with two drummers. Since 1984, singer and guitarist Buzz Osborne and drummer Dale Crover have been the band's constant members...
in 1991) – 5:01
- April 1991 4-track demo, San FranciscoSan Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
). Features Dale CroverDale CroverDale Crover is an American rock musician. Crover is best known as the drummer for Melvins and Men of Porn, Shrinebuilder, and for a brief time, drummer for Nirvana. He is also guitarist and vocalist for Altamont...
on drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
and Dave GrohlDave GrohlDavid Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
on bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
.
- "Drain YouDrain You"Drain You" is a 1991 song by American grunge band Nirvana and the eighth track from their breakthrough album Nevermind. It is most famous as a B-side on the band's most successful single "Smells Like Teen Spirit". However, a live version recorded in 1991 appeared on the live album From the Muddy...
" – 2:38
- January 1, 1991 studio session at Music Source Studios, Seattle, Washington. Producer: Craig Montgomery.
- "AneurysmAneurysm (song)"Aneurysm" is a song by the American grunge band, Nirvana.-Studio versions:*"Aneurysm" was first recorded in the studio on January 1, 1991, by Craig Montgomery at the Music Source in Seattle, Washington. This version was first released as a B-side on the "Smells Like Teen Spirit" single later in...
" (Kurt CobainKurt CobainKurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
/ Dave GrohlDave GrohlDavid Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
/ Krist NovoselicKrist NovoselicKrist Anthony Novoselic II is a Croatian-American rock musician, best known for being the bassist and co-founder of the grunge band Nirvana. After Nirvana ended, Novoselic formed Sweet 75 and then Eyes Adrift, releasing one album with each band...
) (previously-released on "Smells Like Teen SpiritSmells Like Teen Spirit"Smells Like Teen Spirit" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. It is the opening track and lead single from the band's second album, Nevermind , released on DGC Records...
" single in 1991) – 4:47
- March 1991 band rehearsal, Tacoma, Washington.
- "Smells Like Teen SpiritSmells Like Teen Spirit"Smells Like Teen Spirit" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. It is the opening track and lead single from the band's second album, Nevermind , released on DGC Records...
" (Kurt CobainKurt CobainKurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
/ Dave GrohlDave GrohlDavid Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
/ Krist NovoselicKrist NovoselicKrist Anthony Novoselic II is a Croatian-American rock musician, best known for being the bassist and co-founder of the grunge band Nirvana. After Nirvana ended, Novoselic formed Sweet 75 and then Eyes Adrift, releasing one album with each band...
) – 5:40
- May-June 1991 studio session at Sound City Studios, Van Nuys, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Producer: Butch Vig. (Studio session for NevermindNevermindNevermind is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991. Produced by Butch Vig, Nevermind was the group's first release on DGC Records...
)
- "Breed" (Butch VigButch VigButch Vig is an American musician and record producer, best known internationally as the drummer of the Madison, Wisconsin-based alternative rock band Garbage and the producer of multi-platinum selling album Nevermind by Nirvana....
rough mix) – 3:07 - "Verse Chorus Verse" – 3:17
- "Old Age" – 4:20
- September 3, 1991 radio session at Maida Vale StudiosMaida Vale StudiosMaida Vale Studios is a complex of seven BBC studios on Delaware Road, Maida Vale, London.It has been used to record thousands of classical music, popular music and drama sessions for BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4 from 1946 to the present...
, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. (John PeelJohn PeelJohn Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
session)
- "Endless, Nameless" – 8:47
- "Dumb" – 2:35
- October 21, 1990 radio session at Maida Vale Studios, London, England. (John Peel session)
- "D-7" (Greg SageGreg SageGreg Sage was the principal songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist for the influential Portland, Oregon-based punk rock band Wipers. Greg Sage's first recording was on the pro-wrestler Beauregarde's full length album, released in 1971 . He met Beauregarde, recorded and played with him when he was only...
) (previously-released on "Lithium" single in 1992) – 3:46
- April 7, 1992 studio session at Laundry Room Studios, Seattle, Washington. Producer: Barrett JonesBarrett JonesBarrett Jones is an American football offensive lineman. He currently attends the University of Alabama in his junior year. Jones is considered one of the best offensive lineman of his class....
.
- "Oh, the GuiltPuss/Oh, the Guilt"Puss"/"Oh, the Guilt" is a split single from the American alternative rock bands The Jesus Lizard and Nirvana. It was released on February 15, 1993, and includes the songs "Puss" by the Jesus Lizard and "Oh, the Guilt" by Nirvana. The cover art for the single is a painting by Malcolm Bucknall...
" (previously-released on split-single with the Jesus LizardThe Jesus LizardThe Jesus Lizard was an American alternative rock and noise rock band formed in 1987 in Austin, Texas. They were "a leading noise rock band in the American independent underground…[who] turned out a series of independent records filled with scathing, disembowelling, guitar-driven pseudo-industrial...
in 1992) – 3:25 - "Curmudgeon" (previously-released on "Lithium" single in 1992) – 3:03
- "Return of the RatReturn of the Rat"Return of the Rat" is a song by the punk rock band Wipers, and is the first track on Wipers' 1980 debut album Is This Real?. Like much of the album, the song structure is circularly tight and catchy, containing a driving drum beat and choppy, distorted guitar riffs.The song grew in popularity...
" (Greg SageGreg SageGreg Sage was the principal songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist for the influential Portland, Oregon-based punk rock band Wipers. Greg Sage's first recording was on the pro-wrestler Beauregarde's full length album, released in 1971 . He met Beauregarde, recorded and played with him when he was only...
) (original mix previously released on Eight Songs for Greg Sage and the WipersEight Songs for Greg Sage and The WipersEight Songs for Greg Sage and the Wipers is a Wipers tribute album released on Tim/Kerr Records in 1992. The album was first released as a box set of 4 colored 7-inch records....
in 1993) – 3:09
- May-June 1991 studio session at Sound City Studios, Van Nuys, California. Producer: Butch Vig. (Studio session for Nevermind)
- "Smells Like Teen SpiritSmells Like Teen Spirit"Smells Like Teen Spirit" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. It is the opening track and lead single from the band's second album, Nevermind , released on DGC Records...
" (Kurt CobainKurt CobainKurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
/ Dave GrohlDave GrohlDavid Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
/ Krist NovoselicKrist NovoselicKrist Anthony Novoselic II is a Croatian-American rock musician, best known for being the bassist and co-founder of the grunge band Nirvana. After Nirvana ended, Novoselic formed Sweet 75 and then Eyes Adrift, releasing one album with each band...
) (Butch VigButch VigButch Vig is an American musician and record producer, best known internationally as the drummer of the Madison, Wisconsin-based alternative rock band Garbage and the producer of multi-platinum selling album Nevermind by Nirvana....
mix) – 4:59
Disc 3
- May 1991 solo boombox-recorded home demo, Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.
- 1. "Rape MeRape Me"Rape Me" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana, written by frontman Kurt Cobain. The song was released as the second single from Nirvana's third album In Utero in 1993, packaged as a double A-side along with "All Apologies"...
" – 3:23- October 25–26, 1992 studio session at Word of Mouth Studios (former Reciprocal Recording Studios), Seattle, WA. Producer: Jack Endino.
- 2. "Rape Me" – 3:01
- Winter 1992 band rehearsal, Seattle, Washington.
- 3. "Scentless Apprentice" (Kurt CobainKurt CobainKurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
/ Dave GrohlDave GrohlDavid Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
/ Krist NovoselicKrist NovoselicKrist Anthony Novoselic II is a Croatian-American rock musician, best known for being the bassist and co-founder of the grunge band Nirvana. After Nirvana ended, Novoselic formed Sweet 75 and then Eyes Adrift, releasing one album with each band...
) – 9:32- January 19–21, 1993 studio session at Ariola Ltda BMG, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Producer: Craig Montgomery.
- 4. "Heart-Shaped BoxHeart-Shaped Box"Heart-Shaped Box" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. The song was released as the first single from the group's third and final studio album, In Utero, in 1993. It was one of two songs from the album mixed by Scott Litt in order to augment...
" – 5:31 - 5. "I Hate Myself and Want to Die" – 4:03
- 6. "Milk It" – 4:34
- 7. "Moist Vagina" (a.k.a. "MV") – 1:56
- 8. "Gallons of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through the Strip" (Kurt CobainKurt CobainKurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
/ Dave GrohlDave GrohlDavid Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
/ Krist NovoselicKrist NovoselicKrist Anthony Novoselic II is a Croatian-American rock musician, best known for being the bassist and co-founder of the grunge band Nirvana. After Nirvana ended, Novoselic formed Sweet 75 and then Eyes Adrift, releasing one album with each band...
) (previously-released on non-U.S. versions of In Utero, 1993) – 7:33 - 9. "The Other Improv" – 6:24
- Fall or Winter solo boombox-recorded home demos, Seattle, WA.
- 10. "Serve the Servants" – 1:36
- 11. "Very Ape" – 1:52
- 1993 solo boombox-recorded home demo, Seattle, Washington.
- 12. "Pennyroyal TeaPennyroyal Tea"Pennyroyal Tea" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. Featured on the band's third and final studio album, In Utero , it was initially scheduled to be released as the third single in April 1994...
" – 3:30- February 12–26, 1993 studio session at Pachyderm Studios, Cannon Falls, Minnesota. Producer: Steve Albini. (Studio session for In Utero)
- 13. "MarigoldMarigold (song)"Marigold" is a song written and composed by American rock musician Dave Grohl, that was first released on Pocketwatch, an album Grohl issued under the pseudonym Late! in 1992....
" (Dave GrohlDave GrohlDavid Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
) (previously-released on "Heart-Shaped BoxHeart-Shaped Box"Heart-Shaped Box" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. The song was released as the first single from the group's third and final studio album, In Utero, in 1993. It was one of two songs from the album mixed by Scott Litt in order to augment...
single in 1993) – 2:34 - 14. "SappySappy"Sappy" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana. It was first released as a hidden track on the 1993 AIDS-benefit compilation album No Alternative. At the time the song was credited by the title "Verse Chorus Verse", which happens to be the title of a different Nirvana song...
" (previously-released as "Verse Chorus Verse" on No AlternativeNo Alternative-Home video track listing:# Matthew Sweet "Superdeformed"#*directed by Kevin Kerslake# Neneh Cherry "Athens, Georgia 1993"#*directed by Jim McKay & Michael Stipe# Urge Overkill "Take a Walk"#*directed by Matt Mahurin...
in 1993) – 3:26- February 5, 1994 band rehearsal at Pavilhão Dramático, CascaisCascaisCascais is a coastal town in Cascais Municipality in Portugal, 30 kilometres west of Lisbon, with about 35,000 residents. It is a cosmopolitan suburb of the Portuguese capital and one of the richest municipalities in Portugal. The former fishing village gained fame as a resort for Portugal's royal...
, PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
.
- February 5, 1994 band rehearsal at Pavilhão Dramático, Cascais
- 15. "Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam" (Eugene KellyEugene KellyEugene Kelly is a Scottish musician who is a member of the group The Vaselines, a founding member of the now disbanded Eugenius and has had a number of solo releases....
/ Frances McKeeFrances McKeeFrances McKee is a singer and songwriter known best for her work in the Scottish indie band The Vaselines.The Vaselines formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1986. Following the release of two EPs, Son of a Gun and Dying for It, the first and only full length album, Dum-Dum, in 1989, the band split up...
) – 3:57- 1994 solo boombox-recorded home demo, Seattle, Washington.
- 16. "Do Re Mi" – 4:24
- 1993 or 1994 solo boombox-recorded home demo, Seattle, Washington.
- 17. "You Know You're RightYou Know You're Right"You Know You're Right" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. It is the first song on its compilation album, Nirvana , and one of the last songs recorded by the band.-History:...
" – 2:30- 1991 or 1992 solo boombox-recorded home demo, Olympia, Washington, or Seattle, Washington.
- 18. "All ApologiesAll Apologies"All Apologies" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana, written by frontman Kurt Cobain. It was released as the second single from the band's third album, In Utero, which was released on September 21, 1993...
" – 3:33
iTunes bonus tracks
- 19. Nevermind, It's an InterviewNevermind It's an InterviewNevermind It's an Interview is the only officially released interview CD of American grunge band Nirvana. Released in limited-edition form worldwide in 1992 by Geffen Records, written, produced and engineered at WFNX Boston by Kurt St. Thomas and Troy Smith . The original interview sessions were...
, Pt. 1 - 17:41 - 20. Nevermind, It's an Interview, Pt. 2 - 18:13
- 21. Nevermind, It's an Interview, Pt. 3 - 17:46
DVD
- 1988 band rehearsal, residence of bassistBassistA bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Krist Novoselic'sKrist NovoselicKrist Anthony Novoselic II is a Croatian-American rock musician, best known for being the bassist and co-founder of the grunge band Nirvana. After Nirvana ended, Novoselic formed Sweet 75 and then Eyes Adrift, releasing one album with each band...
mother, Aberdeen, Washington.
- 1. "Love Buzz" (Robbie van LeeuwenRobbie van LeeuwenRobbie van Leeuwen is a Dutch musician who used to be the guitarist, sitarist, background vocalist and main songwriter for the Dutch bands The Motions, Shocking Blue and Galaxy-Lin. His most well-known compositions are Shocking Blue's most famous songs, Venus, which was an American no...
) – 2:32 - 2. "Scoff" – :47
- 3. "About a Girl" – 3:05
- 4. "Big Long Now" – 4:22
- 5. "Immigrant SongImmigrant Song"Immigrant Song" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was released as a single from their third album, Led Zeppelin III, in 1970.-Overview:...
" (Jimmy PageJimmy PageJames Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
/ Robert PlantRobert PlantRobert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
) – 1:57 - 6. "Spank Thru" – 3:10
- 7. "Hairspray Queen" – 3:37
- 8. "School" – 2:53
- 9. "Mr. Moustache" – 3:47
- June 23, 1989 show at Rhino Records, Los Angeles, California.
- 10. "Big Cheese"(Kurt CobainKurt CobainKurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
/ Krist NovoselicKrist NovoselicKrist Anthony Novoselic II is a Croatian-American rock musician, best known for being the bassist and co-founder of the grunge band Nirvana. After Nirvana ended, Novoselic formed Sweet 75 and then Eyes Adrift, releasing one album with each band...
) – 3:13- February 16, 1990 show at Bogarts, Long BeachLong Beach-United States:*Long Beach, California, most populous city with this name**Long Beach Airport**Long Beach Naval Shipyard**Long Beach Search & Rescue**Long Beach Unified School District**Port of Long Beach*Long Beach, Indiana*Long Beach, Minnesota...
, California.
- February 16, 1990 show at Bogarts, Long Beach
- 11. "Sappy" – 4:27 (mislabled as track 12 on the cover)
- 1991 Sub Pop music videoMusic videoA music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
. Director: Steve Brown.
- 1991 Sub Pop music video
- 12. "In BloomIn Bloom"In Bloom" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. Written by frontman Kurt Cobain, the song addresses people outside of the underground music community who did not understand the band's message....
" – 4:28 (mislabeled as track 11 on the cover) (Pre-Nevermind version, featuring Chad ChanningChad ChanningChad Channing is an American musician who is best known for being the drummer of the band Nirvana from 1988 until 1990, during which time they recorded and released their debut album Bleach...
on drums, recorded April 1990 at Smart Studios, Madison, Wisconsin. Producer: Butch Vig)- September 22, 1990 show at the Motor Sports International Garage, Seattle, Washington.
- 13. "School" – 2:33
- October 11, 1990 show at North Shore Surf Club, Olympia, Washington. (Drummer Dave Grohl's first show)
- 14. "Love Buzz" – 3:40
- April 17, 1991 show at OK HotelOK HotelThe OK Hotel was a bar and music venue located under the viaduct in Seattle's Pioneer Square district. The club's 15-year-plus life span came to an end with the Nisqually earthquake of February 28, 2001, which damaged numerous buildings in the historic district.Most widely recognized as a prominent...
, Seattle, Washington.
- April 17, 1991 show at OK Hotel
- 15. "Pennyroyal Tea" (first live performance) – 1:55
- 16. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Kurt CobainKurt CobainKurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
/ Dave GrohlDave GrohlDavid Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
/ Krist NovoselicKrist NovoselicKrist Anthony Novoselic II is a Croatian-American rock musician, best known for being the bassist and co-founder of the grunge band Nirvana. After Nirvana ended, Novoselic formed Sweet 75 and then Eyes Adrift, releasing one album with each band...
) (first live performance) – 6:16 - 17. "Territorial Pissings" – 2:45
- October 31, 1991 show at the Paramount TheatreParamount Theatre (Seattle, Washington)The Paramount Theatre in Seattle, Washington is a 2,807-seat performing arts venue at 9th Avenue and Pine Street in Downtown Seattle in the United States of America. The theater originally opened March 1, 1928 as the Seattle Theatre with 3,000 seats, the theater was placed on the National Register...
, Seattle, Washington.
- October 31, 1991 show at the Paramount Theatre
- 18. "Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam" (Eugene KellyEugene KellyEugene Kelly is a Scottish musician who is a member of the group The Vaselines, a founding member of the now disbanded Eugenius and has had a number of solo releases....
/ Frances McKeeFrances McKeeFrances McKee is a singer and songwriter known best for her work in the Scottish indie band The Vaselines.The Vaselines formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1986. Following the release of two EPs, Son of a Gun and Dying for It, the first and only full length album, Dum-Dum, in 1989, the band split up...
) – 3:32- October 4, 1992 show at the Crocodile Cafe, Seattle Washington.
- 19. "Talk to Me" – 3:35
- January 22, 1993 studio session at BMG Ariola Studios, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Producer: Craig Montgomery.
- 20. "Seasons in the SunSeasons in the SunApart from the versions noted above, there have been numerous cover versions of the song. Generally, these use the same translation as the Terry Jacks version, and thus inherit that version's less harsh interpretation of the song's storyline....
" (Terry JacksTerry JacksTerrence Ross "Terry" Jacks is a Canadian singer, songwriter, record producer and environmentalist.-Early life:...
) – 3:40
Sliver: The Best of the Box
Recording and release
Sliver: The Best of the Box is a compilation album by the American rock band, Nirvana, released in November 2005.It contains 19 tracks pulled from the band's 2004 rarities box set, With the Lights Out, as well as three previously unreleased recordings: "Spank Thru," from the 1985 "Fecal Matter
Fecal Matter (band)
Fecal Matter was a short-lived punk band from Aberdeen, Washington, that formed in late 1985. It was the first band conceived by Kurt Cobain, who would become famous as the frontman and guitarist of the seminal grunge band, Nirvana. The band recorded only one demo tape, Illiteracy Will Prevail,...
" demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
, a 1990 studio recording of "Sappy
Sappy
"Sappy" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana. It was first released as a hidden track on the 1993 AIDS-benefit compilation album No Alternative. At the time the song was credited by the title "Verse Chorus Verse", which happens to be the title of a different Nirvana song...
", and a 1991 boombox
Boombox
Boombox is a colloquial expression for a portable cassette or CD player. Other terms known are ghetto blaster, jambox, or radio-cassette. It is a device capable of receiving radio stations and playing recorded music , usually at relatively high volume...
demo of "Come as You Are".
Sliver: The Best of the Box opened at number 21 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. It was released on October 25, 2005 in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as Sliver: The Best of Nirvana +3 in reference to the three previously-unreleased songs As of 2007, Sliver: The Best of the Box has sold over 300,000 copies in the U.S. alone.
Artwork
According to Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, the title and cover photograph
Album cover
An album cover is the front of the packaging of a commercially released audio recording product, or album. The term can refer to either the printed cardboard covers typically used to package sets of 10" and 12" 78 rpm records, single and sets of 12" LPs, sets of 45 rpm records , or the front-facing...
for Sliver: The Best of the Box were chosen by Frances Bean
Frances Bean Cobain
Frances Bean Cobain is the daughter of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain and Hole singer Courtney Love.-Childhood and youth:...
, the daughter of Cobain and Courtney Love
Courtney Love
Courtney Michelle Love is an American rock musician. Love is the lead vocalist, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist for alternative rock band Hole, which she formed in 1989, and is an actress who has moved from bit parts in Alex Cox films to significant and acclaimed roles in The People vs...
. The cover photograph depicts a cardboard box filled with Nirvana and Cobain tapes, including a copy of the Fecal Matter demo. Some of the tapes have spilled out of the box and are strewn across the floor.
Track listing
- "Spank Thru" (December 1985 Fecal Matter demo) – 3:45
- "HeartbreakerHeartbreaker (Led Zeppelin song)"Heartbreaker" is a song from English rock band Led Zeppelin's 1969 album, Led Zeppelin II. It was credited to all four members of the band, having been recorded at A&R Studios, New York, during the band's second concert tour of the United States, and was engineered by Eddie Kramer."Heartbreaker"...
" (March 1987 show in Raymond, Washington) – 2:59 - "Mrs. Butterworth" (Summer 1987 band demo) – 4:05
- "Floyd the Barber" (January 23, 1988 show in Tacoma, WA) – 2:33
- "Clean Up Before She Comes" (1988 home demo) – 3:12
- "About a Girl" (1988 home demo) – 2:44
- "Blandest" (June 6, 1988 studio session in Seattle, WA. Produced by Jack Endino) – 3:56
- "Ain't It a ShameAin't It a Shame"Ain't It a Shame" or "Ain't It a Shame to Go Fishin'" or "Keep You Hands Off Her" is an American folk song. It has been recorded by Lead Belly and Nirvana, among others. Also the name of a song by The B-52s on the Bouncing Off the Satellites LP . Covered by Sinead O'Connor in 2003 on She Who...
" (August 1989 studio session in Seattle, WA) – 2:02 - "SappySappy"Sappy" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana. It was first released as a hidden track on the 1993 AIDS-benefit compilation album No Alternative. At the time the song was credited by the title "Verse Chorus Verse", which happens to be the title of a different Nirvana song...
" (January 1990 studio session in Seattle, WA. Produced by Jack Endino) – 3:33 - "Opinion" (September 25, 1990 KAOS radio show) – 1:35
- "Lithium" (September 25, 1990 KAOS radio show) – 1:49
- "SliverSliver (song)"Sliver" is a song by American grunge band Nirvana. It was originally released as a non-album single in 1990 by Sub Pop. DGC re-released the song to radio to support the release of the rarities compilation album Incesticide in 1992....
" (1990 home demo) – 2:10 - "Smells Like Teen SpiritSmells Like Teen Spirit"Smells Like Teen Spirit" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. It is the opening track and lead single from the band's second album, Nevermind , released on DGC Records...
" (March 1991 boombox demo) – 5:40 - "Come as You Are" (March 1991 boombox demo) – 4:10
- "Old Age" (May 1991 studio session for NevermindNevermindNevermind is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991. Produced by Butch Vig, Nevermind was the group's first release on DGC Records...
) – 4:21 - "Oh, the GuiltPuss/Oh, the Guilt"Puss"/"Oh, the Guilt" is a split single from the American alternative rock bands The Jesus Lizard and Nirvana. It was released on February 15, 1993, and includes the songs "Puss" by the Jesus Lizard and "Oh, the Guilt" by Nirvana. The cover art for the single is a painting by Malcolm Bucknall...
" (April 1992 studio session in Seattle, WA) – 3:25 (Also a limited edition split single in 1993) - "Rape MeRape Me"Rape Me" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana, written by frontman Kurt Cobain. The song was released as the second single from Nirvana's third album In Utero in 1993, packaged as a double A-side along with "All Apologies"...
" (May 1991 solo acoustic home demo) – 3:23 - "Rape Me" (October 1992 studio session in Seattle, WA) – 3:03
- "Heart-Shaped BoxHeart-Shaped Box"Heart-Shaped Box" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. The song was released as the first single from the group's third and final studio album, In Utero, in 1993. It was one of two songs from the album mixed by Scott Litt in order to augment...
" (January 1993 studio session in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) – 5:32 - "Do Re Mi" (1994 boombox demo solo acoustic) – 4:24
- "You Know You're RightYou Know You're Right"You Know You're Right" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. It is the first song on its compilation album, Nirvana , and one of the last songs recorded by the band.-History:...
" (1994 boombox demo solo acoustic) – 2:30 - "All ApologiesAll Apologies"All Apologies" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana, written by frontman Kurt Cobain. It was released as the second single from the band's third album, In Utero, which was released on September 21, 1993...
" (undated boombox demo solo acoustic, circa 1992) – 3:33
With the Lights Out
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Top Canadian Albums Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
10 |
| 2004 | Japanese Oricon Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... Albums Chart |
16 |
| 2004 | USA Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
19 |
| 2004 | French Albums Chart | 20 |
| 2004 | Belgium Albums Chart (VL) | 21 |
| 2004 | Belgium Albums Chart (WA) | 25 |
| 2004 | Switzerland Albums Chart | 28 |
| 2004 | Belgium Albums Chart | 29 |
| 2004 | Norwegian Albums Chart | 31 |
| 2004 | Austrian Albums Chart | 34 |
| 2004 | New Zealand Albums Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
39 |
| 2004 | German Albums Chart | 48 |
| 2004 | UK Albums Chart | 56 |
| 2004 | Netherlands Albums Chart | 65 |
Sliver: The Best of the Box
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Billboard Top 200 (US) | 21 |
| 2005 | Austrian Albums Chart | 26 |
| 2005 | Japanese Oricon Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... Albums Chart |
33 |
| 2004 | UK Albums Chart | 56 |
| 2005 | Switzerland Albums Chart | 87 |
| 2005 | German Albums Chart | 97 |
External links
- Nirvanabox.com - The official site promoting the release of With the Lights Out.
- The Internet Nirvana Fan Club's report on the settlement of the Nirvana lawsuit, September 30, 2002