[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-uet7twNu0]
The above video repurposes a vintage advertisement to tell fans that UMe is planning a 20th anniversary reissue of Nirvana’s final album, 1993’s In Utero, on September 24.
In its own weird way, the video – featuring band members Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl being coached through a surreal lamaze class by comedian Bobcat Goldthwait – indicates how unusual the album was. In Utero was the polar opposite of 1991’s breakthrough Nevermind, with abrasive production by Steve Albini and considerably less accessible songs crafted by Kurt Cobain, who was clearly uncomfortable with his growing fame as the voice of a disaffected generation. (Almost seven months after the album’s release, Cobain died of a self-inflicted shotgun wound at 27.) Nonetheless, the album received critical acclaim and was certified five times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
UMe has confirmed “more than 70 remastered, remixed, rare, unreleased and live recordings” will be included on the multi-format reissue, which looks to include a single-disc remaster, a double-disc deluxe edition, a triple-LP deluxe edition and a super-deluxe box that encompasses three CDs and a DVD. Promised material includes “never-before-heard demos, B-sides, compilation tracks and live material featuring the final touring lineup of Cobain, Novoselic, Grohl and [second guitarist] Pat Smear…including the long-awaited release of the complete Live and Loud show from Seattle’s Pier 48 on December 13, 1993.” (Parts of that show, which will also be released on standalone DVD, were edited into a special for MTV in the band’s heyday.)
Today, Rolling Stone confirmed the contents of the super deluxe box:
- Disc 1 features the original album with previously released B-sides and bonus tracks from the era, as well as Steve Albini’s unreleased mixes of singles “Heart-Shaped Box” and “All Apologies”
- Disc 2 contains a newly-mixed version of the album (the band was famously skittish about Albini’s production, allowing Scott Litt to remix singles “Heart-Shaped Box” and “All Apologies” as well as cancelled single “Pennyroyal Tea”; it’s unknown as of yet who’s behind this new mix) with 11 unreleased demos, including a never-before-heard song, “Forgotten Tune”
- The Live and Loud concert on CD (Disc 3) and DVD (Disc 4), the latter also featuring both cuts of the video for “Heart-Shaped Box” and other live content from the band’s European tour
After the jump, all variants of the new In Utero are available to pre-order, as well as the full annotated track list.
In Utero: 20th Anniversary Edition (Geffen/UMe, 2013)
1CD Standard remaster (Geffen/UMe B0019038-02): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
2CD Deluxe Edition (Discs 1-2 of below content – Geffen/UMe B0019039-02): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
3CD/1DVD Super Deluxe Box (Geffen/UMe B0018824-00): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
3LP (Geffen/UMe B0018958-01): Amazon U.S. / (Amazon U.K. TBA)
Disc 1: Original LP (released as DGC DGCD-24607, 1993) and bonus tracks
- Serve the Servants
- Scentless Apprentice
- Heart-Shaped Box
- Rape Me
- Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle
- Dumb
- Very Ape
- Milk It
- Pennyroyal Tea
- Radio Friendly Unit Shifter
- tourette’s
- All Apologies
- Gallons of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through the Strip (ex-U.S. bonus track – Geffen GED 24536)
- Marigold (B-side to “Heart Shaped Box” – Geffen GFS 54 (U.K.), 1993)
- Moist Vagina (B-side to “All Apologies” – Geffen GFS 66 (U.K.), 1993)
- Sappy (from No Alternative compilation – Arista 07822 18737-2, 1993)
- I Hate Myself And Want to Die (from The Beavis and Butt-head Experience compilation – Geffen GEFD-24613, 1993)
- Pennyroyal Tea (Scott Litt mix) (from European CD single – Geffen GED 21907, 1994)
- Heart-Shaped Box (Steve Albini Mix) *
- All Apologies (Steve Albini Mix) *
Disc 2: New album mix and demos *
- Serve the Servants (2013 Mix)
- Scentless Apprentice (2013 Mix)
- Heart-Shaped Box (2013 Mix)
- Rape Me (2013 Mix)
- Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle (2013 Mix)
- Dumb (2013 Mix)
- Very Ape (2013 Mix)
- Milk It (2013 Mix)
- Pennyroyal Tea (2013 Mix)
- Radio Friendly Unit Shifter (2013 Mix)
- tourette’s (2013 Mix)
- All Apologies (2013 Mix)
- Scentless Apprentice (Rio Demo)
- Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle (Laundry Room Demo)
- Dumb (Word of Mouth demo)
- Very Ape (Rio Demo)
- Pennyroyal Tea (Word of Mouth Demo)
- Radio Friendly Unit Shifter (Word of Mouth Demo)
- tourette’s (Word of Mouth Demo)
- Marigold (Upland Studios Demo)
- All Apologies (Music Source Demo)
- Forgotten Tune (Rehearsal)
- Jam (Word of Mouth Demo)
Disc 3: Live and Loud – Pier 48, Seattle – 12/18/1993
- Radio Friendly Unit Shifter
- Drain You
- Breed
- Serve the Servants
- Rape Me
- Sliver
- Pennyroyal Tea
- Scentless Apprentice
- All Apologies
- Heart-Shaped Box
- Blew
- The Man Who Sold the World
- School
- Come As You Are
- Lithium
- About a Girl
- Endless, Nameless
Disc 4: DVD – Live and Loud – Pier 48, Seattle – 12/18/1993 plus bonus content
- Radio Friendly Unit Shifter
- Drain You
- Breed
- Serve the Servants
- Rape Me
- Sliver
- Pennyroyal Tea
- Scentless Apprentice
- All Apologies
- Heart-Shaped Box
- Blew
- The Man Who Sold the World
- School
- Come As You Are
- Lithium
- About a Girl
- Endless, Nameless
- Very Ape (Live & Loud Rehearsal)
- Radio Friendly Unit Shifter (Live & Loud Rehearsal)
- Rape Me (Live & Loud Rehearsal)
- Pennyroyal Tea (Live & Loud Rehearsal)
- Heart-Shaped Box (promo video)
- Heart-Shaped Box (promo video – director’s cut)
- Rape Me (Live on “Nulle Part Ailleurs” – Paris)
- Pennyroyal Tea (Live on “Nulle Part Ailleurs” – Paris)
- Drain You (Live on “Nulle Part Ailleurs” – Paris)
- Serve the Servants (Live on “Tunnel” – Rome)
- Radio Friendly Unit Shifter (Live in Munich)
- My Best Friend’s Girl (Live in Munich)
- Drain You (Live in Munich)
No One Can Hear You Stream: Mondo Celebrates “Alien” with Two Vinyl Reissues
Step Back from That Ledge: Third Eye Blind Expand Debut for 20th Anniversary
Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man: Third Man Issues Rare Bob Seger Tracks for Record Store Day
Got Love If You Want It: More Record Store Day 2017 Essentials
I look forward to getting the details. As much as I love Nevermind, I think that In Utero has aged better, and is a more cohesive / interesting album.
Totally agree with you.
WoW! $150!!! That’s a bit steep for 4 discs. Even the PF Immersion sets weren’t that much. I’ll have to think about that.
The Amazon U.K. link featured above currently has the box at approximately 68 GBP, which translates to $105. Still expensive, but a bit less so…
I’m lost–I had thought the “No Alternative” hidden track was called “Verse Chorus Verse”. Now I’m finding out that “Verse Chorus Verse” is a completely different song.
Either way, I really hope that Disc 1 will be available on its own (in that the single-disc version will also have the same bonus tracks listed). I was wring a couple of days ago about how I have the import version of “In Utero” that closes with twenty minutes of silence followed by “Gallons Of…”, which is collectable enough to own, but unwieldy enough to seldom play.
I’d bet a “Disc 1 of deluxe edition” version will ship as a retail exclusive, much like “Nevermind” did at Target.
You are not lost… you are correct, the No Alt comp. track was called Verse Chorus Verse. However, the original title of that song was “sappy” and was called that since late 89-90. Now here is where things get tricky. Kurt wrote a song called Verse Chorus Verse and was recorded for Nevermind but not released until the With The Lights Out Box Set. So in order to not confuse fans, they went back to the original title of Sappy (for No Alt. comp track) and now Verse Chorus Verse refers to that Nevermind outtake song.
$150 is waaaay too much for this box. Heck, Amazon’s almost $28 for the double disc is too much, too, but I’d rather buy that, and wait for the stand-alone DVD. Just don’t chintz out on the DVD and hold back the extras, UMe!
I’ll probably opt for the standard 2-CD Deluxe edition, as it contains most of what I’m truly interested in. The “Live and Loud” disc would be nice to get, I guess, but at that premium? Fuggeddaboutit!!!!
I don’t have high hopes for the mastering, as the “Nevermind” Deluxe had pretty disappointing sound quality, IMO. My MFSL gold disc leaves it in the dust. And the MFSL “In Utero” sounds fantastic as well. I guess we’ll see.