| Nirvana From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah |
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 | Tracklist:
1. Intro
2. School
3. Drain You
4. Aneurysm
5. Smells Like Teen Spirit
6. Been a Son
7. Lithium
8. Sliver
9. Spank Thru
10. Scentless Apprentice
11. Heart Shaped Box
12. Milk It
13. Negative Creep
14. Polly
15. Breed
16. Tourette\'s
17. Blew
| Ranking: #78 for 1996 | |
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8 of 10 thought this review was well written
Everyone tends to forget an album in the Nirvana repertoire. This is a live album, for those who didn't realise it. It's basically the last genuine full length that Nirvana brought out after Cobain's death. It is quite overlooked mainly due to the fact that Nirvana's other live album 'Unplugged in New York' was so overly praised by the people and the critics. Not that I'm going to deny the fact that Unplugged was a good album, au contraire, it was better than this. But no matter how you turn it, Nirvana was not an acoustic band, hence that album didn't quite give you the 'I'm at a Nirvana concert' feeling, more like the 'I'm at a Nirvana concert but Cobain is so stoned that he forgot the amps so they went acoustic' feeling.
All bad descriptions aside, I think this CD represents what Nirvana was all about at a live concert. It slightly fills the gap I experience because I never had the chance to see Nirvana live.
This CD is a perfect argument for people that flame Nirvana. Kurt wasn't a very good guitarist, there are some mistakes in his playing here and there. But personally, I think it just adds to the live feeling. As you can expect there's an enormous amount of feedback and other amp noise between and sometimes even during the songs. Sometimes so high-pitched that a grimace would appear on my otherwise so intelligent-looking face, whilst I was listening to the album through my headphones. Another thing anti-Nirvana people would say is that Kurt wasn't a good singer. True, but he had a darn good voice. The vocal performance on this album hardly ever reaches the level of Kurt's studio efforts, sometimes screaming all over the place or singing out of key. But that's why I like Nirvana. Their sound is raw and slightly chaotic.
Some big Nirvana fans might notice the strange line up I listed, with Nirvana's old Drummer Chad Channing. This is because the material on this album was recorded at concerts all over the world dating from 1989 to 1994. Despite of the great amount of time that elapsed between those dates, the songs fit together as a whole, the different sound they bring help keeping the album varied. If you're expecting witty interludes from Kurt between the songs like on Unplugged, you'll be disappointed, because he usually doesn't say more than "Thank you", if that.
As a compilation most people wouldn't consider this a best of; with lesser known tracks such as Aneurysm, School and Negative Creep and even B sides material that I hadn't even heard before I got this (Spank Thru). However it does have enough hits to keep the less dedicated Nirvana fans entertained : Smells like teen Spirit, Lithium.
Recommended songs :
Drain You: Which just has a very nice tone in this version and decent vocal performance.
Aneurysm: Just an "underrated" nirvana song, well performed.
Polly: Starting clean, then going into distortion, possibly my favourite polly version
Smells Like Teen Spirit and Lithium : Because they never get old for me.
Conclusion: No flawless performance here*, no improvised solos. Just the gloomy raw performance from a very good band, no matter how much they get bashed or overly praised.
(*Note : When I say no flawless performance, I'm talking about Kurt, because the other band members do a fine job and Krist does a little something extra on his bass too.)
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| Recent reviews by this author | | | |
NIRVANA rocks man, I love all thier albums, ESPECIALY unplugged, there is nothing rong with it and there is everything rite with it. I dont like the way you citized them in that reviwe but apart from that good work
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Best Nirvana album
Love tourettes
| | | Album Rating: 4
Very good Nirvana C.D. Has a lot of great song, but what Nirvana song isn't great. I would have to say Polly is one of the best songs on this album. Im out Peace
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This is my fave Nirvana album, along with Bleach.
Polly and Tourette's are IMO the best songs, simply cos they are several million times better than the "original" album versions.
There was one track I was missing though. The version of Lithium could've been switched with the Reading Rock Festival version (from where Tourette's came from), where the crowd sings along. It is absolutely awesome.
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awesome cd.
by the way, the starting of polly isnt accoustic, it's clean electric, then goes into distortion. but man, that version is fuckin amazing! really gets me going.
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Not on unplugged :p
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the unplugged version is alright, but i've never heard a version like the muddy banks one :P
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This review is lackluster. Never going into detail on any of the songs, or mentioning much of anything. I dont have this, but after the shell shock I got listening to "real Nirvana" (Scentless Apprentice on In Utero) Im not planning on getitng any more Real Nirvana.
Digging: Animal Collective - Fall Be Kind
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Real Nirvana > Nevermind.
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Eliminator, you dont like popular music do you?
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What's wrong with Scentless Apprentice?
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[quote=MusicOfficial101]Eliminator, you dont like popular music do you?[/quote] No. I'm obviously too indie for that.
You comformist, mindless, mainstream-radio driven robot!!!!!This Message Edited On 12.21.05
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Listen to the bass on Smells Like Teen Spirit on this album.... it goes way too fast.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
When I first got this album I listened to it constantly, now I don't so much. I love Kurt's voice, especially on Milk It. The album is good, and I'm glad Krist picked a good selection of songs. Good reveiw.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Good album, too bad Kurt was stoned at just about every show he played.
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[quote=MusicOfficial101]Eliminator, you dont like popular music do you?[/quote]He likes Fall Out Boy, a lot. Nothin wrong with that however. 
I must go wash my hands now from posting in a Nirvana review. :D
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
^^^****
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NIRVANA KICKS ASS ON THIS ALBUME I LOVE THE REALL NIRVANA LOAD AND SCREAMING
dOSE ANYONE LIKE THE MELVINS =)
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dOSE ANYONE LIKE THE MELVINS =)
yes
Digging: Wilco - Being There
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
I like this album. A lot. It's a cool live album and it has the best version of Scentless Apprentice. And Spank Thru is kick ass song when Kurt isn't mumbling slowly like the original. Heart Shaped Box sounds a little cracked. I like the In Uteru version better. Way better. And SLTS sounds stupid too. This is like the second best album to buy if you want to start listening to Nirvana.
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