I Feel Stupid And Contagious / A Nirvana Thread

[Kevin Davis]

Damn, somebody stop these guys!

[matt reeder]

A selection of recently surfaced rarities for the serious collector, remastered by everyone's favourite remasterer.

Probably best to steer clear of this one mikejasond

Nirvana "Unsurpassed Bastards"

01 Class Of '86 (Demo, March 1986)
02 Bambi Slaughter (Demo, March 1986)
03 Made Not Born (Demo, March 1986)
04 Bleed (Demo, March 1986)
05 I Don't Want Your Cross (Demo, March 1986)
06 Insurance Man (Demo, March 1986)
07 Blathers Log (Demo, March 1986)
08 Downer (Demo, March 1986)
09 Hairspray Queen (First Concert, March 1987)
10 Floyd The Barber (KAOS FM, May 1987)
11 Mexican Seafood (KAOS FM, May 1987)
12 Love Buzz (Rehearsal, Summer 1987)
13 Raunchola (Rehearsal, Summer 1987)
14 Aero Zeppelin (Live in Tacoma, January 1988)
15 Erectum (Live in Tacoma, March 1988)
16 Capitol Lake Jam Ad (August 1988)
17 Big Cheese (Demo, June 1988)
18 Mr. Moustache (Demo, June 1988)
19 Even In His Youth (Live in Manchester, September 1988)
20 Verse Chrous Verse (Demo, Summer 1990)
21 Dumb (Live on KAOS, September 1990)
22 Pennyroyal Tea (Demo, Fall 1990)
23 Stain (Live in Seattle, November 1990)
24 Sappy (Nevermind Outtake, May 1991)
25 Meat (Demo, January 1993)
26 Lullaby (In Utero Outtake, February 1993)

A selection of high quality tracks that were excluded from all of the official box set releases.

Ass Blaster 004
Fan Made Release - Not For Sale

Click Me

I'm actually working on a similar set but...well, it's not done yet.

[Kevin Davis]

Early Nirvana is something I've only really developed a taste for in the past few years; it was always too abrasive for my delicate young ears back when I was discovering the band. So now I'm poking around Live Nirvana trying to figure out: How many Nirvana originals are there which (a) were recorded at proper studio sessions and (b) did not end up (in some form) on an official album or contemporaneous B-side/compilation album? Doesn't seem like many:

If You Must
Pen Cap Chew
Blandest
Token Eastern Song
Old Age
Verse Chorus Verse

Is there anything I'm missing? If this is it, are the "With the Lights Out" versions considered the superior takes, or do better versions circulate?

[Wendy Carlos's Twin]

Early Nirvana is something I've only really developed a taste for in the past few years; it was always too abrasive for my delicate young ears back when I was discovering the band. So now I'm poking around Live Nirvana trying to figure out: How many Nirvana originals are there which (a) were recorded at proper studio sessions and (b) did not end up (in some form) on an official album or contemporaneous B-side/compilation album? Doesn't seem like many:

If You Must
Pen Cap Chew
Blandest
Token Eastern Song
Old Age
Verse Chorus Verse

Is there anything I'm missing? If this is it, are the "With the Lights Out" versions considered the superior takes, or do better versions circulate?

If You Must/Pen Cap Chew are shitty masterings on WTLO but it has the best sound.
The master tape for Blandest no longer exists. All sources sound shit.
Token Eastern is a shitty bizarre mix on WTLO but has vastly superior sound.
Old Age/Verse Chrous Verse are alternate takes on the box. The master takes are on the above bootleg.

More songs:

Here She Comes Now is a shit source on WTLO. It was released on a comp in perfect quality.

Spank Thru from Sub Pop 200 is not on WTLO.

There is an electric Somethng In The Way from the BBC that is a shit mastering on WTLO. Bootlegged in perfect quality.

There are several songs after Nevermind: Curmudgeon, Oh The Guilt, Return Of The Rat, Marigold, Moist Vagina, Sappy, I Hate Myself And Want To Die...all found in their original mixes/best quality on the original CD's.

[Kevin Davis]

Early Nirvana is something I've only really developed a taste for in the past few years; it was always too abrasive for my delicate young ears back when I was discovering the band. So now I'm poking around Live Nirvana trying to figure out: How many Nirvana originals are there which (a) were recorded at proper studio sessions and (b) did not end up (in some form) on an official album or contemporaneous B-side/compilation album? Doesn't seem like many:

If You Must
Pen Cap Chew
Blandest
Token Eastern Song
Old Age
Verse Chorus Verse

Is there anything I'm missing? If this is it, are the "With the Lights Out" versions considered the superior takes, or do better versions circulate?

If You Must/Pen Cap Chew are shitty masterings on WTLO but it has the best sound.
The master tape for Blandest no longer exists. All sources sound shit.
Token Eastern is a shitty bizarre mix on WTLO but has vastly superior sound.
Old Age/Verse Chrous Verse are alternate takes on the box. The master takes are on the above bootleg.

More songs:

Here She Comes Now is a shit source on WTLO. It was released on a comp in perfect quality.

Spank Thru from Sub Pop 200 is not on WTLO.

There is an electric Somethng In The Way from the BBC that is a shit mastering on WTLO. Bootlegged in perfect quality.

There are several songs after Nevermind: Curmudgeon, Oh The Guilt, Return Of The Rat, Marigold, Moist Vagina, Sappy, I Hate Myself And Want To Die...all found in their original mixes/best quality on the original CD's.

Thanks! I'm familiar with all the stuff that came out as official B-side/compilation tracks (I have your "Original B-Sides" mix after all!), I was thinking more of things that were formally recorded but missed contemporaneous release altogether. This pretty much answers my question.

[Wendy Carlos's Twin]

I was thinking more of things that were formally recorded but missed contemporaneous release altogether. This pretty much answers my question.

Oh. Then more specifically...

If You Must/Pen Cap Chew are finished recordings.

Blandest is a finished recording but is bootleg quality.

Token Eastern Song/Verse Chorus Verse/Old Age are unfinished recordings.

There is also "Forgotten Tune" from the In Utero box set, which is unfinished.

And also the novelty tracks "Meat" and "Lullaby" which are again on the above boot. And "Seasons In The Sun" too, which has been bootlegged in a bunch of different mixes, some of them perfect quality. I suppose those could be conisdered finished.

[Kevin Davis]

Thanks, WCT -- much appreciated.

[Birds in Hell]

Blasted Bleach on my morning commute today, what a gigantic monster of a record.

[tragabigzanda]

[bodysnatcher]

What's everyone's thoughts on the Bleach remaster?

I haven't listened to it, but I've been curious as well

[Birds in Hell]

The one with the bonus live show from a few years ago?

It's not bad (from memory) but I wish they'd put the show on a separate CD and not jammed it on the same disc.

[tragabigzanda]

Top 10 maybe?
Hello Morning
Close Captioned
The Kill
Place/Position
Do You Like Me?
Latest Disgrace
Recap Modotti
Nightshop
Break
Life & Limb

I'd maybe bump Life & Limb for Epic Problem

[bodysnatcher]

Yeah from what I've read they essentially just cleaned it up a little. Nothing like the disastrous Nevermind reissue (which makes sense give the mammoth undertaking that had to be). Given that the album was notoriously recorded for $600, I'm sure there were some flaws somewhere in there.

[wease]

A buddy of mine just informed me that both Kurt and Layne Staley died on April 5th. I never knew that. The only reason he remembered it was that's his birthday.

[bada]

A selection of recently surfaced rarities for the serious collector, remastered by everyone's favourite remasterer.

Probably best to steer clear of this one mikejasond

Nirvana "Unsurpassed Bastards"

01 Class Of '86 (Demo, March 1986)
02 Bambi Slaughter (Demo, March 1986)
03 Made Not Born (Demo, March 1986)
04 Bleed (Demo, March 1986)
05 I Don't Want Your Cross (Demo, March 1986)
06 Insurance Man (Demo, March 1986)
07 Blathers Log (Demo, March 1986)
08 Downer (Demo, March 1986)
09 Hairspray Queen (First Concert, March 1987)
10 Floyd The Barber (KAOS FM, May 1987)
11 Mexican Seafood (KAOS FM, May 1987)
12 Love Buzz (Rehearsal, Summer 1987)
13 Raunchola (Rehearsal, Summer 1987)
14 Aero Zeppelin (Live in Tacoma, January 1988)
15 Erectum (Live in Tacoma, March 1988)
16 Capitol Lake Jam Ad (August 1988)
17 Big Cheese (Demo, June 1988)
18 Mr. Moustache (Demo, June 1988)
19 Even In His Youth (Live in Manchester, September 1988)
20 Verse Chrous Verse (Demo, Summer 1990)
21 Dumb (Live on KAOS, September 1990)
22 Pennyroyal Tea (Demo, Fall 1990)
23 Stain (Live in Seattle, November 1990)
24 Sappy (Nevermind Outtake, May 1991)
25 Meat (Demo, January 1993)
26 Lullaby (In Utero Outtake, February 1993)

A selection of high quality tracks that were excluded from all of the official box set releases.

Ass Blaster 004
Fan Made Release - Not For Sale

Click Me

Just saw this. A lot of those 86 demos I've never heard before. Blathers Log is pretty awesome. Thanks!

[fyfe79]

A selection of recently surfaced rarities for the serious collector, remastered by everyone's favourite remasterer.

Probably best to steer clear of this one mikejasond

Nirvana "Unsurpassed Bastards"

Ass Blaster 004
Fan Made Release - Not For Sale

Click Me

Thanks a lot for this. Great artwork too - can I ask what program you use to create it?

[fyfe79]

First time hearing 'Raunchola' - pretty cool, sounds a little like how I imagine mid-80's era Soundgarden to have sounded like. Shame about Aaron Burckhard using the same damn snare roll in every song (ala "Mrs Butterworth")! The drumming spoils the fun a little, but the guitar and bass are trippy as fuck.

Btw, how did people figure out that was the name of that song? That title's been around for years and assigned to various untitled tracks from what I recall.

[Wendy Carlos's Twin]

Btw, how did people figure out that was the name of that song? That title's been around for years and assigned to various untitled tracks from what I recall.

They didn't. It's the only song title left from that era that hasn't been attributed to an actual song. And there are three songs from that era with unknown titles. This song is the only one of the three that fits the bill. So that's the title I went with. Some of the 1986 demo titles are made up too. I don't care if they're incorrect. I needed titles and the chances of ever finding out the correct ones are probably nil.

I also did this because it pisses off the losers/virgins at LiveNirvana.

[fyfe79]

Fair enough - I can certainly imagine Kurt finding the riff "raunchy", it has a slinky vibe (for want of better terminology). What are the other two untitled tracks from that era? It's difficult keeping track of what's what anymore.

Has anyone created a definitive "non-album" set, like the Radiohead compilation in another thread here?

Stuff like the "Lounge Act" out-take embedded in the box set dvd, the "Drain You" rehearsal from the LTSO dvd, "Horrified" from Dutch radio etc? I remember ripping various bits and pieces over the years but they're all scattered on various cdr's in my garage somewhere. Would be nice to have a uniformed set with matching artwork etc. Something like the Outcesticide series, I guess.

Actually, was the "Drain You" rehearsal in the re-issue box? Can't even remember anymore if it was a different take or not. Things are further complicated by the record company "remixing" certain tracks, and of course all of the Nevermind re-issue and WTLO being brickwalled to hell.

[fyfe79]

I wonder if like all albums in the world would be better if they were shorter.

There's definately a reason why a lot of the "classic" albums are from the 70's and early 80's. Quite simply, the vinyl format's limitations matched perfectly with people's attention span and helped bands to focus on their better material. From the late 80's and early 90's onwards, all bands maximised the new CD format to the detriment of quality control. I mean, I love Soundgarden's Superunknown, but imagine how revered that album would be if they had made it 25 minutes shorter? If Tool could make an album under the 45 minute mark, they might be able to release one more than every 8 years.

I think the extra-long, every 3-4 years will do approach to albums that modern day rock bands have, is detrimental to them building a legacy similar to the classic acts (Sabbath, AC/DC, Maiden, Motorhead, Priest etc).