Womb with a view: Nirvana's In Utero 20th anniversary re-issue- Hear Forgotten Tune & more...

Nirvana fans have been getting into a lather of late, after last month’s 20th anniversary re-issue of In Utero, which was widely promoted and publicised for the three key reasons that’ll surely motivate others like myself to rush out and buy it.  But what did I discover having brought my booty home?

Although the 3 CD & 1 DVD set features an awesome array of bonus material (that unexpectedly and pleasingly features liner notes from tour support act Bobcat Goldthwaite AKA Zed!) that understandably blows you away, the eagerly anticipated and seemingly mythical highlights are somewhat lamentable.

(Obeying my OCD) I had to play the discs in numerical order, but from there on in I knew I had to get straight to the “good stuff”, like any lowdown music junkie should, so I skipped forward to track 18, which transpired to be an enlightening yet lacklustre Scott Litt mix of Pennyroyal Tea.  

Undeterred I continued my quest to unearth the hidden sonic gems that surely sat in wait.  Jam and Forgotten Tune were the second disc’s last 2 tracks, with the almost miraculous latter stirring the most anticipation. But I soon found out why both it and Jam were forgotten in the first place.


                                 

Far from the new and exciting tracks that held such promise and demanded such close scrutiny so as to glean even further between Nirvana’s lines and ranks, the pair despairingly turned out to be undeniably raucous instrumentals that just don’t cut it, as fellow lyrical fanatics will fully appreciate.

Dave Grohl offered further insight into In Utero's re-issue during a recent XFM interview:                            

"I recognize myself back then and I remember what it was like to be in the band but it's hard to believe that that much time has gone by. A lot has happened in those 20 years, when I think about In Utero and what the world was like, what my life was like back then, it's strange … From the time that Nevermind came out in September of 1991 to the time that Nirvana was over, it was really just a few years and a lot happened in those few years. I look back at this album and looking at the packaging and the old pictures and listening to songs that I haven't heard in twenty years, all of these rarities and demos, it's kind of a trip."

I wasn’t there, but having all these new Steve Albini-born remixes, demos and live sets that includes the entire recording of Live & Loud (Live at Pier 48, Seattle, WA - 13/12/93) on disc 3 as well as the DVD, I imagine it is, as the Nevermind re-issue surely was, quite a flashback for Dave Grohl to face.

The 12 extras found on the 4th disc are the box-set’s final attractions and I can thankfully report that they’re nothing short of fantastic. Amidst the 2 hour selection of rehearsals and live tracks, the cover of The Cars’ My Best Friend’s Girl bolsters Anton Corbijn’s original cut of his Heart-Shaped Box video. 

Nirvana were a detail & specific-hungry band that actually enjoyed hearing mixes such as those included herein, so they’ll surely approve of the new 2013 mixes, regardless of their immediate comparability with the originals and because the track selection is as comprehensive as you could hope for, that should also please.

The inclusion of Kurt’s hand-written lyrics is a nice touch too; it somehow magnifies the significance of his premature demise, as well as the sheer tragic damage done to today’s music scene, which sadly will never see a surely majestic solo album release from a more mature, well-tempered frontman.  

In Utero obviously proved challenging for the casual fans who undoubtedly missed Bleach altogether.  The preferred/bought into, radio friendly unit shifter that was Nevermind is where their dedication ended, which is something of a blessing for the select few (millions) who’ll love this set.  Here's the complete tracklist...

CD1: Remastered, original mix of In Utero, plus B-sides and bonus tracks recorded at Pachyderm.

1. "Serve The Servants" (Albini mix/original release)
2. "Scentless Apprentice" (Albini mix/original release)
3. "Heart-Shaped Box" (Litt mix/original release)
4. "Rape Me" (Albini mix/original release)
5. "Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle" (Albini mix/original release)
6. "Dumb" (Albini mix/original release)
7. "Very Ape" (Albini mix/original release)
8. "Milk It" (Albini mix/original release)
9. "Pennyroyal Tea" (Albini mix/original release)
10. "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter" (Albini mix/original release)
11. "tourette's" (Albini mix/original release)
12. "All Apologies" (Litt mix/original release)
13. "Gallons Of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through The Strip" (ex-U.S. bonus track)
14. "Marigold" (B-side; "Heart Shaped Box)
15. "Moist Vagina" (B-side; "All Apologies")
16. "Sappy"
17. "I Hate Myself And Want To Die"
18. "Pennyroyal Tea" (Litt mix)
19. "Heart-Shaped Box" (Albini mix/unreleased)
20. "All Apologies" (Albini mix/unreleased)

CD2: 2013 mix of In Utero, plus pre-album demos.

1. "Serve The Servants" (2013 mix)
2. "Scentless Apprentice" (2013 mix)
3. "Heart-Shaped Box" (2013 mix)
4. "Rape Me" (2013 mix)
5. "Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle" (2013 mix)
6. "Dumb" (2013 mix)
7. "Very Ape" (2013 mix)
8. "Milk It" (2013 mix)
9. "Pennyroyal Tea" (2013 mix)
10. "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter" (2013 mix)
11. "tourette's" (2013 mix)
12. "All Apologies (2013 mix)
13. "Scentless Apprentice" (Rio demo)
14. "Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle" (Laundry Room demo)
15. "Dumb" (Word Of Mouth demo)
16. "Very Ape" (Rio demo)
17. "Pennyroyal Tea" (Word Of Mouth demo)
18. "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter" (Word Of Mouth demo)
19. "tourette's" (Word Of Mouth demo)
20. "Marigold" (Upland Studios demo) REPORTEDLY GROHL'S SOLO DEBUT!
21. "All Apologies" (Music Source demo)
22. "Forgotten Tune" (Rehearsal)
23. "Jam" (Word Of Mouth demo)

CD3: Live & Loud- Live at Pier 48, Seattle, WA on 13/12/93

1. "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter"
2. "Drain You"
3. "Breed"
4. "Serve The Servants"
5. "Rape Me"
6. "Sliver"
7. "Pennyroyal Tea"
8. "Scentless Apprentice"
9. "All Apologies"
10. "Heart-Shaped Box"
11. "Blew"
12. "The Man Who Sold The World"
13. "School"
14. "Come As You Are"
15. "Lithium"
16. "About a Girl"
17. "Endless, Nameless"

DVD (Main feature): Live & Loud- Live at Pier 48, Seattle, WA on 13/12/93

1. "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter"
2. "Drain You"
3. "Breed"
4. "Serve The Servants"
5. "Rape Me"
6. "Sliver"
7. "Pennyroyal Tea"
8. "Scentless Apprentice"
9. "All Apologies"
10. "Heart-Shaped Box"
11. "Blew"
12. "The Man Who Sold The World"
13. "School"
14. "Come As You Are"
15. "Lithium"
16. "About a Girl"
17. "Endless, Nameless" 

DVD (Extras):

18. "Very Ape" (Live & Loud Rehearsal)
19. "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter" (Live & Loud Rehearsal)
20. "Rape Me" (Live & Loud Rehearsal)
21. "Pennyroyal Tea" (Live & Loud Rehearsal)
22. "Heart-Shaped Box" (Original Music Video + Director’s Cut)
23. "Rape Me" (Live on "Nulle Part Ailleurs" – Paris, France)
24. "Pennyroyal Tea" (Live on "Nulle Part Ailleurs" – Paris, France)
25. "Drain You" (Live on "Nulle Part Ailleurs" – Paris, France)
26. "Serve The Servants" (Live on “Tunnel” – Rome, Italy)
27. "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter" (Live in Munich, Germany)
28. "My Best Friend's Girl" (Live in Munich, Germany)
29. "Drain You" (Live in Munich, Germany)