Demo Tracks: The Gateway to Fanship

I made a serious leap this weekend, when I bought (used) the Nirvana box set “With the Lights Out.” It’s a collection of demos, live cuts, alternate takes, B-sides and oddities. It’s natural for a popular-yet-defunct band to release such sets, but they’re definitely not for everyone. So why did *I* get it? And what does that say about me that I can’t stop humming “Sappy?”

7 Random Thoughts on Nirvana

I didn’t mean for this to coincide with the anniversary of Cobain’s suicide. I’ve just been listening and re-listening to the albums for the first time in a while. Nevertheless, here it goes:

1.) “Nevermind” is better than “In Utero,”and the reason for that is simple numbers. I’m one of those people who actually rate the songs in my iPod (which, as you know, is super important), and when you compare the grades, “Nevermind” has the song-by-song edge. I may be grading this based on nostalgia, but only a little bit. It’s not even really my nostalgia. I wasn’t a first responder to the Nirvana tidal wave, so any nostalgia I feel has one foot in a fantasy. I’m imagining what I want to remember my high school years to be like. With that being said, the album holds up remarkably well, even with a slew of songs starting with the same kind of bass intro (more on that in a bit). Just depressing enough to be exciting, just exciting enough to be fun. Besides…