Released December 14, 1992 Length 44:45 Incesticide(1992) In Utero(1993) Release date 14 December 1992 | Recorded 1988–1991 Producer Various Label FILMED ENTERTAINMENT INC. | |
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Similar Nirvana albums, Grunge albums | ||
Incesticide is a compilation album by the American grunge band Nirvana. It consists of their 1990 non-album single "Sliver", B-sides, demos, outtakes, covers, and radio broadcast recordings. At the time, the majority of the material on Incesticide was circulating within fan communities (albeit in lower quality). It was widely reported in the music press that the band wanted to offer fans a higher-quality alternative, but in the book Cobain Unseen, Charles R. Cross writes that Kurt Cobain agreed to the release of this compilation because he was allowed complete control over the album's artwork. The album was released on December 14, 1992 in Europe, and December 15, 1992 in the United States and eventually reached number thirty-nine on the Billboard 200. Since the songs were recorded in different sessions and some were recorded when Nirvana did not have a stable formation, the album includes recordings by four different drummers: Chad Channing, Dan Peters, Dale Crover, and Dave Grohl.
Contents
Previously unreleased
Previously released
Artwork and packaging
The cover art was painted by Cobain, who is credited as Kurdt Kobain in the liner notes. The rubber duck seen on the album's back cover also belonged to Cobain. The front cover prominently displays a poppy, hinting at Cobain's struggle with heroin addiction.
The first several pressings of the album contained liner notes written by Cobain. Versions of the album containing the liner notes by Cobain could be found at record stores as late as 1998. Initial copies in the US and Canada also contained a "Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics" sticker.
Commercial performance
Incesticide was released on December 14, 1992 in the United Kingdom, and on December 15, 1992 in the United States. The record label, Geffen, decided against heavily promoting the album, possibly to avoid a "Nirvana burnout" as the band had released Nevermind and four singles in the preceding fifteen months. Despite this lack of promotion and being a collection of old and new material, Incesticide debuted at number 51 in the Billboard 200 and sold 500,000 copies in two months. The album is certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. On November 23, 2012, Incesticide was re-released on vinyl as a limited two LP 45 RPM edition for its 20th anniversary.
Critical reception
The album received generally positive reviews. "Nobody really wants a Hatful of Hollow-type assortment of Peel/Goodier sessions, b-sides, demos and obscurities in the place of a proper studio album," observed Andrew Perry in Select. "But, hell, wouldn't you try and put an end to the consumer madness going on in your name? And harvest some of the money for yourself? Anyway, people might start talking about the music again…" In a review for AllMusic, music critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine said of the song "Aneurysm" on Incesticide, that it was "perhaps the greatest single song the group ever recorded".
Track listing
All tracks written by Kurt Cobain except where noted.
Personnel
All sessions:
Seattle, WA: Reciprocal Recording Studios (January 23, 1988)
Nirvana's first studio demo tape.
Songs: "Beeswax", "Downer", "Mexican Seafood", "Hairspray Queen" and "Aero Zeppelin"
Seattle, WA: Reciprocal Recording Studios (December 1988 – January 1989)
The Bleach recording sessions.
Song: "Big Long Now"
Seattle, WA: Music Source Studios (September 1989)
The Blew EP recording sessions.
Song: "Stain"
Madison, WI: Smart Studios (April 2, 1990 – April 6, 1990)
The sessions for the planned second Sub Pop album.
Song: "Dive"
Seattle, WA: Reciprocal Recording Studios (July 11, 1990)
The "Sliver" Sub Pop single session.
Song: "Sliver"
London, England: Maida Vale Studio 3 (October 21, 1990)
The 1990 BBC session for John Peel.
Songs: "Turnaround", "Molly's Lips" and "Son of a Gun"
London, England: Maida Vale Studio 4 (November 9, 1991)
The 1991 BBC session for Mark Goodier.
Songs: "Been a Son", "(New Wave) Polly" and "Aneurysm"
Songs
1Dive
2Sliver2:14
3Stain2:41