Nirvana:
Kurt Cobain: Guitar, Vocals
Krist Novoselic: Bass
Dave Grohl: Drums, Vocals
Their first cd was a loud and under produced mess. A great mess called Bleach. They gained a small colt following with this but gained the recognition they deserved (and a little more) when they released Nevermind. That started a huge alternative movement and kick started the bands career. The cd held their most well known and overrated song: Smells Like Teen Spirit. Kurt worried that the band sold out by releasing a cd like Nevermind so Nirvana released a cd called In Utero. In Utero was an attempt to lose their mainstream appeal, but of course everyone ate it up. With The Lights Out is a compilation of demo versions, live versions, and covers that Nirvana did. This has no production what-so-ever (except maybe on the outtakes and maybe a few demos).
The first cd is the one with the most little known songs on it. It’s loud and in your face punk rock and metal largely influenced by The Melvins. The cd starts with a cover of Led Zeppelin’s song Heartbreaker. It’s taken from the bands first live show, at some party. The guitar is loud and the bass is hard to hear and the drums are very simple, it’s really loud and could annoy someone very easily. It also has an awesome shredding solo by Kurt. Kurt didn’t shred much so it’s really cool to hear him do it. He also has a fast ripping riff on Mrs. Butterworth. It’s very fast and metaly, the drums fast, and the bass thumping along and copying the guitar. It’s a great song and has a funny interval with Kurt talking about how he’s gonna make money and what he’s gonna do with it. It can get boring though if you don’t find it funny. There are also a few Leadbelly covers one here. Leadbelly, if you’re wondering, was an awesome blues artist who die in the 1940’s. They cover: Grey Goose which is a boring instrumental and one of the worst songs on the box set, They Hung Him on a Cross, which is a simple and really cool song with just kurt singing and playing some basic chords, and a very loud version of Ain’t It A Shame. The last two are the only good ones on this disc. Ain’t it a shame being a fast distorted and really fun song. The bass has some great riffs on here like in: Don’t Want It All, Chris does a simple and slow bass line that sounds pretty weird, it’s one of my favorite bass lines of his. It’s just the guitar, drums and vocals in this song. The drums are very odd just the bass drum with the occasional hit on the bell of the cymbal. They really go well with the slow sludgy bass line though. Clean up before She Comes is a real gem on the first disc. With the harmonies of Kurt and Dave singing and a simple guitar during the verse. Then in the chorus some great chords that go with the vocals very well. No bass or drums which kind of takes away from the song, but it’s still a great song. The best song on here though is definitely Blandest. It’s got some excellent instrumental arrangements and great vocals. The instruments and the vocals come together very well on this track. Better than any on this disc. It sounds angry with Kurt singing in a low voice during the verse and chorus, but what gives it the angry feeling is when he screams HEY! And how the distortion sounds on the guitar. Although he does it only once per chorus it stays with you.
The first five tracks on the 2nd disc are all from a radio performance Kurt did. The first song was written only like a few hours before he did the performance: Opinion. They all sound very cheap but I find that that sounds nice. His vocals are great on all of them, too. They aren’t as rough as most of his vocals. One of the best on here is a cover of Lou Reed’s Here She Comes Now. The guitar for this is really great. It starts off with a nice guitar riff and then turns into a loud distorted song that ends with one of Kurt’s semi noise solos that goes in and out of playing the main riff. Kurt’s vocals aren’t amazing on here, typical, but very good considering this is just a demo. Another great song is Drain You. It sounds different from the original somehow. There’s also a solo instead of the mindless noise bridge of the studio version. Of course it’s a noise solo that somewhat incorporates the main riff into it a t times. The vocals are nice and raw and suit this nicely. Another great is Breed. It’s basically the same but what they recorded it on cause it to sound different. Also the vocals are better on this version. The solo never changed which is kind of weird to me. Verse Chorus Verse is a great soft song. The instrumentation is very infectious. The vocals are very low and lazy. It sounds like Kurt is just giving enough energy to be heard. The chorus really makes this song great. It’s very catchy and memorable. Old Age is very much like Verse Chorus Verse. It has a nice catchy bass line and great drums. The vocals sound basically the same but with a little more effort. The pre chorus is also very nice. The chorus isn’t as good as VCV but it’s still nice. Then there’s the SECRET SONG. Otherwise known as Endless Nameless. It’s basically a loud jam session. I love it though. I highly doubt many people do like it though, it’s a lot of noise with strangled and incomprehensible words. It’s extremely in attractive (even less than most Nirvana songs). D-7 is another great one. A cover of the band The Wipers. It’s an excellent track with great guitar and drums (typical bass). Around the middle it fades out but quickly comes back with a ripping and fast palm muted and much more rockin’ version of the main riff. Kurt’s vocals are really nice and deliver the lyrics well. Return of the Rat is also a cover of The Wipers. It’s got great fast guitar that make you want to head bang. When the words come it kind of takes a way as they are kind of too loud. But none the less this is still one of the gems.
The 3rd disc is great. It holds the songs from the In Utero period. There’s an annoying thing at the beginning though, Rape Me is there twice, just two different versions, neither as good as the studio version. Although I must admit I love his vocals on the acoustic version. I was very disappointed by the version of Scentless Apprentice. The main riff is a little different than the studio version. The drums are also no where near as good as they are on the studio version. It’s very repetitive and boring doing the same thing way too much. Also the little mini solos are very annoying. I Hate Myself and I Want to Die was going to be the name of In Utero but Kurt didn’t think people would get the joke (I don’t). But it’s a great song. It starts with a bunch of feedback then in comes the low and thundering riff. I love this riff. The vocals are also very nice on here. They match the instruments very nicely. The chorus though isn’t as good as the verse but it’s still great. Milk It is another great song. A very random like intro into a hard hitting riff that’s so ***in’ catchy it’s amazing. I adore this song. It’s so random and the words are very soft during the verse but burst out in the chorus along with the guitar. This song sounds very tight. M.V. (aka: Moist Vagina or Marijuana) is also another great song. It’s extremely simple and somewhat un creative but it’s still awesome. The instruments when he sings are very anger driven and the lyrics: She has a moist vagina, are screamed. Stay away if you don’t like strange and simple songs, and strangled vocals (actually stay away from Nirvana if you don’t like those things). Serve the Servants sounds very nice on the acoustic. It’s not much different than the studio version but it’s less individual notes being played and it’s more chordy. The vocals sound kind of unsure and weak but they sound good anyways. Sappy is another great song. It starts with guitar and vocals then busts into an angry and aggressive while still sounding vulnerable song. The chorus is really great with Kurt singing: You’re in a laundry room. The solo was an unexpectedly really awesome solo. It’s very well done and shows that Kurt was progressing as a soloist. It was much more structured than many of his solos and is a great solo for this song. It’s one of his best if you ask me. You Know You’re Right isn’t as good as the studio version. It doesn’t have the anger and aggression need to pull off such a song. The guitar is also kind of boring. It doesn’t do the same thing as the studio version, which is much better than this.
The dvd is very good. Some great performances on it. Also the video of Seasons in the Son that made me love it. I highly suggest this song to nirvana fans. The performance of Teen Spirit is also a very great one. It’s the first version with the original lyrics. It’s sung a little different than the one many know and love, therefore the solo is somewhat different. I would rather this version be on nevermind, it’s much better and doesn’t get boring. The rehearsal at Krist’s house is a great part of this aswell. Chad does a very good job on the drums. Krist is hard to hear but when heard is great and keeps the beat going nicely. Kurt sounds basically the same here as he did on Bleach. His vocals are hard to hear sometimes and the guitar overtakes the other instruments but it’s still a great performance in all.
This isn’t for someone who likes produced stuff. If you like raw and loud this for you. I highly advise this isn’t your first Nirvana experience. It’s mainly only for hardcore fans. Kurt’s vocals are strangled and sometimes nice, the guitar is loud and rough, the bass is catchy with some great riffs, and the drums are great with excellent fills.
Individual Rating
Disc One: 4.5
Disc. Two: 4
Disc. Three: 4.5
DVD: 4
