01 November, 2004

Nirvana Boxed Set

From Billboard:

The Nirvana box set With the Lights Out will take a chronological look at the Kurt Cobain-led band's brief but enormously influential career, beginning with a Led Zeppelin cover from its debut show in 1987 to Cobain solo acoustic performances just prior to his 1994 suicide. The three-CD/one-DVD package is due Nov. 23 via Geffen/UME.

Kicking off with a run through Led Zeppelin's "Heartbreaker," disc one sports early versions of familiar tracks like "Floyd the Barber," "Polly" and "About a Girl," demo recordings of the Leadbelly tracks "Grey Goose," "They Hung Him on a Cross" and "Ain't It a Shame" and undated tracks presumed to have been recorded in 1987 or 1988, such as "Beans," "Clean Up Before She Comes" and "Don't Want It All."

Disc two includes demos for the classic "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and an alternate mix by producer Butch Vig, a 1991 live radio performance of "Dumb" two years before it appeared on the studio album In Utero and such covers as the Velvet Underground's "Here She Comes Now" and the Wipers' "Return of the Rat" and "D-7."

In addition to unreleased acoustic and electric versions of "Rape Me" and an undated run through "All Apologies," some of Nirvana's final studio recordings show up on disc three. Six tracks originate from a January 1993 session in Rio de Janeiro, including "Gallons of Running Alcohol Flows Through the Strip" and "The Other Improv." Cobain's solo home demos of "Do Re Mi," "You Know You're Right" and "All Apologies" close the set.
BAs for the DVD, it includes nine tracks captured at a 1988 rehearsal at the home of bassist Krist Novoselic's mother, 10 previously unreleased live performances of such tracks as Jacques Brel and Rod McKuen's "Seasons in the Sun" (recorded at the Rio sessions) and "Pennyroyal Tea" and the rare 1990 video for "In Bloom."

"With the Lights Out" was originally intended for release in Christmas 2001, to coincide with the 10-year anniversary of Nirvana's breakthrough album, Nevermind. But surviving members Novoselic and Dave Grohl were thwarted by lawsuits from Cobain's widow Courtney Love, who objected to their planned use of the previously "You Know You're Right" in the set.

The dispute was eventually settled in September 2002, with the parties agreeing to earmark "You Know You're Right" for a self-titled Nirvana compilation released the following month.

Here is the track list for "With the Lights Out":

"Heartbreaker" (1987)
"Anorexorcist" (1987)
"White Lace and Strange" (1987)
"Help Me I'm Hungry" (1987)
"Mrs. Butterworth" (1987)
"If You Must" (1988)
"Pen Cap Chew" (1988)
"Downer" (1988)
"Floyd the Barber" (1988)
"Raunchola/Moby Dick" (1988)
"Beans" (undated)
"Don't Want It All" (undated)
"Clean Up Before She Comes" (undated)
"Polly" (1988)
"About a Girl" (1988)
"Blandest" (1988)
"Dive" (1988)
"They Hung Him on a Cross" (1989)
"Grey Goose" (1989)
"Ain't It a Shame" (1989)
"Token Eastern Song" (1989)
"Even in His Youth" (1989)
"Polly" (1989)

Disc two:
"Opinion" (1990)
"Lithium" (1990)
"Been a Son" (1990)
"Sliver" (1989)
"Where Did You Sleep Last Night" (1989)
"Pay To Play" (1990)
"Here She Comes Now" (1990)
"Drain You" (1990)
"Aneurysm" (1990)
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" (1991 demo)
"Breed" (1991)
"Verse Chorus Verse" (1991)
"Old Age" (1991)
"Endless, Nameless" (1991)
"Dumb" (1991)
"D-7" (1990)
"Oh the Guilt" (1992)
"Curmudgeon" (1992)
"Return of the Rat" (1992)
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" (1991 Butch Vig mix)

Disc three:
"Rape Me" (1992 acoustic version)
"Rape Me" (1992 electric version)
"Scentless Apprentice" (1992)
"Heart Shaped Box" (1993)
"I Hate Myself and I Want To Die" (1993)
"Milk It" (1993)
"Moist Vagina" (1993)
"Gallons of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through the Strip" (1993)
"The Other Improv" (1993)
"Serve the Servants" (1993)
"Very Ape" (1993)
"Pennyroyal Tea" (1993)
"Marigold" (1993)
"Sappy" (1993)
"Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam" (1994)
"Do Re Mi" (1994)
"You Know You're Right" (1994 home demo)
"All Apologies" (undated)

DVD:
"Love Buzz" (1988 rehearsal)
"Scoff" (1988 rehearsal)
"About a Girl" (1988 rehearsal)
"Big Long Now" (1988 rehearsal)
"Immigrant Song" (1988 rehearsal)
"Spank Thru" (1988 rehearsal)
"Hairspray Queen" (1988 rehearsal)
"School" (1988 rehearsal)
"Mr. Moustache" (1988 rehearsal)
"Big Cheese" (1989)
"In Bloom" (music video, 1989)
"Sappy" (1990)
"School" (1990)
"Love Buzz" (1990)
"Pennyroyal Tea" (1991)
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" (1991)
"Territorial Pissings" (1991)
"Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam" (1991)
"Talk to Me" (1992)
"Seasons in the Sun" (1993)

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