wearethelastbeatniks

 Back then, Nirvana were a well-loved but little-known band from the burgeoning alternative rock scene in Seattle, a scene that would come to be known as “grunge”. Having released one album, Bleach, for influential indie label Sub Pop Records, founding members Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic along with their new drummer Dave Grohl were tipped by insiders as the scene’s potential “most-likely-to”, had secured a major contract with Geffen Records’ imprint DGC to help them on their way. But the power of Cobain’s singular vision of fusing the white squall of metal with the pop sensibilities of punk, would unwittingly redefine the musical landscape. Nevermind exploded instantly. And while 20 years later, with this deluxe special edition, the record’s visceral impact and spirit have not changed, what the record has come to mean has grown in scope and scale beyond anything that the band could have intended, or even imagined. Perhaps against the band’s better intentions, Nevermind came to define and represent a generation in ways that were about far more than just music itself. Yet that music was sensational; the lead-off single “Smells Like Teen Spirit” became that generation’s anthem, a counter-cultural clarion call that was as celebratory as it was seethingly defiant. From the moment it powered into the Billboard top ten, the direction of rock music would change, and the band would be sent off on a rollercoaster journey that would change all of their lives forever. And the making of a legend began. On this site, we look at the story of Nevermind, from the people who created it back then, to all the people whose lives it has touched all these years later.

 THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

 For fans of Nirvana, the 20th anniversary super-deluxe edition of Nevermind provides the ultimate treasure chest of essential, unheard material. Indeed, for anyone with even a passing interest in rock history, it’s an artifact of unmatchable depth. Here is a chance to hear a classic album from its earliest gestation to an alternative future.

 Nevermind offered up four singles, “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “Come As You Are,” “Lithium” and “In Bloom,” that in total offered up 9 unique B-sides for fans to collect around the world.  Long out of print and unavailable for fans to get their hands on, these rare B-sides are brought back to life with digital remastering on the 20th Anniversary 2CD Deluxe and 4CD+1DVD Super Deluxe Editions ofNevermind.  Three tracks are studio cuts consisting of “Even In His Youth,” “Aneurysm” and “Curmudgeon,” while three tracks are live performances of “Been A Son,” “School,” and “Drain You” from the 1991 Paramount Theatre concert, along with two additional live performances of “Sliver” and “Polly”  from the 1991 Del Mar concert. The last collectible B-side is from the October 1990 John Peel Session at the BBC, a cover of “D-7” by the influential Pacific Northwest punk band The Wipers.

 The Boombox Rehearsals disc is the sound of these Nevermind songs taking shape before your ears, with clues as to what was to come, and suggestions of what never transpired, in fuzzy, lo-fi honesty. The Smart Studio Sessions provides early suggestions of Nevermind as it was originally conceived, before the major label platform was theirs, and before Dave Grohl came on board to give the line-up its then-elusive third heat. Yet what you can hear is a record clearly on an unstoppable trajectory to its finished incarnation. Just as fascinating are The Devonshire Mixes. Andy Wallace’s engineering would give the finished record its unmistakable finish, a crisp, durable curve that managed to maintain the raw intensity of the players’ delivery. But the track-for-track facsimile of those same recording provides a fascinating insight in the form of Butch Vig’s alternative vision of Nevermind ‘s final mix.

 Completing the package is a DVD containing their homecoming Halloween 1991 show at Seattle’s Paramount Theatre. As the only known Nirvana show ever to be shot in full and on film, it’s the first piece of high-definition concert footage ever to be released, and yet another essential historical document. As an added bonus, the DVD is finished off with the music videos: “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and its frenetic cheerleaders, the retro Beatles-esque meets Nirvanamania TV spoof of “In Bloom,” the trickling water and chandeliers in “Come As You Are,” and the array of classic live footage appearing in “Lithium.”

 Nirvana – Nevermind (20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)

Number of Discs: 4

Label: Geffen Records

released September  2011

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