Nirvana's classic Nevermind, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, is re-released on 26 September in a variety of versions, from a simple digital remaster to a 4CD/1DVD box set. Being adventurous types, we tore straight in to the Super-Deluxe Edition to search for ten hidden gems.
1. Album track Breed was originally titled Immodium, as in the diarrhea medication. It sounds suitably sludgy too.
2. One of a number of tracks demoed with Butch Vig at Smart Studios in April 1990, Lithium was originally laid to tape on an acoustic guitar - you can even hear the sound of Cobain's fingers squeaking on the strings during the extended intro. Dave Grohl is absent - the incoming drummer joined the band later that year.
3. The rage-fuelled Stay Away was originally titled Pay To Play, a protest against the prevailing trend for bands being asked to stump up cash for good performance slots. "Monkey ass motherfuck/I don't know why I/I don't know why I pay/Pay to play," it says.
4. Apparently, Mark Goodier was once cool - the set includes a blistering live session version of Drain You taken from his Radio 1 show.
5. Evidence of Kurt Cobain's sardonic humour can be found in the his working titles - a track named Sappy was originally recorded as Verse Chorus Verse.
6. "The Knack and the Bay City Rollers being molested by Black Flag and Black Sabbath." That's Cobain's description of Nirvana's sound on the album's original press release, one of many artefacts reproduced in the extensive liner notes.
7. Home recording technology has come on a long way. The Boombox Rehearsals - eight tracks recorded to cassette on a ghetto blaster as a way of bringing producer Vig up to speed with their latest material - are fascinating historical documents but horrible to listen to as they hiss, pop and stutter in and out of stereo. They are, however, the first place you'll hear incoming Dave Grohl in situ and embryonic versions of On A Plain, Smells Like Teen Spirit and Come As You Are.
8. Nirvana weren't for wasting quality material on B-sides. Those included here - Even In His Youth, Aneurysm and Curmudgeon - aren't worthy of space on the album proper, and the rest are live tracks.
9. "If anyone has a problem with his dick we can remove it." These words are pencilled above an early print of the photo that became the album's iconic cover, at this point missing the dollar bill hanging from a fishing line which is contained in the deluxe edition's sleeve notes. The penis in question, belonging to three month-old Spencer Elden (his parents were friends of the photographer), remained, much to the outrage of US supermarkets Wal-Mart and K-Mart, who initially refused to carry it in stock. Elden has apparently started a nice side-line since, charging for interviews about said nudity.
10. Too much choice can be difficult. Will you listen to the crispy original version of the album, produced by Butch Vig and mixed by Andy Wallace, or the crunchy Devonshire Mix, produced and mixed by Vig? We suggest you try both - and play spot the difference.
Dan Stubbs
See Nevermind20.com for more details on the reissue.
3:21 PM | 19/09/2011
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One small point. 'Even in His Youth' was brilliant!
That is all.
Thanks.
Posted by Ste at 9:14 PM | 19/09/2011 | Report Abuse
This writer is insane. "Aneurysm" was probably the best-composed song, musically, the band ever wrote.
Posted by Evan at 11:07 PM | 20/09/2011 | Report Abuse
What I learned from this release not directed at this story necessarily.
10. If its not Courtney's fault it's definitely not the label's.
9. People are paid too much to assemble Nirvana releases as well as report uninformed opinions on them. Theres a wealth of facts in setlists and recording documents through amazing depth of research by folks at sites like LiveNirvana and Nirvana Live Guide - available to all for free. Even if they are acknowledged by the uninformed idiots assembling these projects on official websites and sanctioned publications.
8. Fans don't appreciate and instead prefer to downloand deluxe albums that include not a single alternate take or outtake from said albums session well documented to exist. Journalists could care less than record companies as long as everyone is paid or taken seriously. Its all about the legacy you know.
7. The loudness war with record mastering is not really a war. Or a plot to sell itunes tracks for enjoyable earbud listening. Its actually a secret collusion with speaker companies and hearing aid manufacturers to blow out ear drums and quality listening devices. Mattress and pillow companies could also be involved as hearing fatigue demands more naps and its harder to stay awake to download large cash cow releases. Doesn't matter what choice of producer or mixer if the master job is botched.
6. Based on blog comments and message board opinions a lot of people still believe Nirvana have no talent and only write "easy" irrelevant songs. A lot of people also won't watch the EMP concert put on for Susie Tenant 9-20-2011. Or maybe they will and carry on thinking that is actually representative of Nirvanas songwriting and live abilities.
5. There is no reason to ever talk at a live show between songs because when your record label can soak the money up in you and your creative freedom's absence, they will cut out just about everything thats spoken and makes a great concert a unique and personal experience.
4. It may be late but it still counts as an anniversary celebration if its 2 months after the date thanks to an exclusive distribution deal with one large retail chain. Your significant other will totally understand that their favorite meal goes on sale a month after their birthday.
3. Music cd's can store 80 minutes of audio but they sell just the same with only half of that. Never mind that there are tons of unbootleged live material, studio sessions only available in bootleg quality, and interviews from the era to fill that space twice over. An overinflated book hinting at this activity and a redundant cd containing the tracks from an included dvd to later be released in superior quality bluray will be good enough to call Super Deluxe.
2. Do Re Mi aka Me and My IV aka Dough Ray and Me - otherwise known as the "last" song Kurt Cobain wrote - actually wasn't an uninspired bumbling badly recorded mess sold for the sake of being ironic, cute or sad. See the website for "Shut Up, Little Man!". There may be more great demos like this but we'll be lucky to ever hear them since everyone wants to complain about early 90's home demos that weren't recorded in protools for todays ignorant masses to enjoy on their ipods with Bob Ludwig mastering. It is what it is and a lot of people would like to hear the little left while they can still hear at all.
1. Serious Nirvana fans, people whos lives were changed and made better for having their music will always be looked down upon and left hung out to dry. The price of a signature made-in-Mexico Fender Jaguar today is valued at over half the price of the vintage real deal in authentically bad condition from 1965, just because its sorta like one used specifically for this seminal album. Thats not taking punk to the masses, thats not celebration; thats robbery and a mockery of anyone made a victim.
Posted by J & The Silent Mob at 10:59 AM | 21/09/2011 | Report Abuse
What?! Aneurysm and Even in His Youth were great songs too, Aneurysm being probably my favourite Nirvana song. The words, the screams, the drawn out guitar and drum intro, the dynamic changes.. it was one of their best songs!
Delusional writer -.-
Posted by Laura at 11:35 PM | 29/10/2011 | Report Abuse
What?! Aneurysm and Even in His Youth were great songs too, Aneurysm being probably my favourite Nirvana song. The words, the screams, the drawn out guitar and drum intro, the dynamic changes.. it was one of their best songs!
Delusional writer -.-
Posted by Laura at 11:36 PM | 29/10/2011 | Report Abuse
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