With the Lights Out

With the Lights Out
Box set by Nirvana
Released November 23, 2004
Recorded March 1987–March 1994
Genre Grunge, alternative rock, punk rock
Length 216:27
CD 1: 71:25
CD 2: 71:31
CD 3: 73:31
Label DGC
Producer Jack Endino, Greg Babior, Steve Fisk, Butch Vig, Steve Albini, Lance Bangs
Nirvana chronology
Nirvana
(2002)		 With the Lights Out
(2004)		 Sliver: The Best of the Box
(2005)

With the Lights Out is a box set, containing three CDs and one DVD, of previously rare or unreleased material, including b-sides, demos, rough rehearsal recordings and live recordings, from the American rock band Nirvana. It was released in November 2004. The title was taken from the lyric, "With the lights out, it's less dangerous" from the band's 1991 "Smells Like Teen Spirit" single.

With the Lights Out set a record for single week sales of any box set, with 105,760 units sold. As of 2007, it has sold over 925,000 units in the United States alone, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[1] It has also been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Background

Rumors of a posthumous Nirvana box set, or anthology, first surfaced in the mid-1990s, not long after the death of the band's singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain in April 1994. It was eventually announced that a 45-track box set would be released in September 2001, to mark the 10th anniversary of the band's breakthrough album, Nevermind, but a legal battle between Cobain's widow, Courtney Love, and surviving Nirvana members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, precluded this from happening.

Much of the dispute centered on "You Know You're Right", a song recorded in January 1994 during the band's final studio session. Grohl and Novoselic had wanted it for the box set, but Love blocked the song's release, and sued them for control of Nirvana's legacy. Love's lawsuit asserted that "the parties have fundamentally different concepts of how to manage the musical and artistic legacy of Kurt Cobain", which resulted "in a stalemate of decision making."[2] She believed that "You Know You're Right" would be "wasted" on a box set, and instead belonged on a single-disc compilation similar to the Beatles' 1.[3]

In 2002, the legal battle was settled, and "You Know You're Right" appeared on the "best-of" compilation Nirvana. This paved the way for what became the With the Lights Out box set, which arrived in November 2004, over three years after its original release date but with more music than had originally been promised, including an acoustic demo of "You Know You're Right."

Promotion

Before the release of With the Lights Out a promotional EP entitled Selections from With the Lights Out was sent out to radio stations, featuring the songs "White Lace and Strange," "Blandest," "Lithium", "Heart-Shaped Box" and "You Know You're Right" from the box set.[4] "Lithium" was also released as a downloadable single exclusively from iTunes on 22 November 2004.[5] The music video for the original version of "In Bloom" that was made in 1990 for the Sub Pop Video Network Program VHS compilation was released to music television as well as being included on the DVD of With the Lights Out.[6]

An online trailer was also released for the box set, featuring footage from the DVD and audio from the three CDs.

Packaging

With the Lights Out is packaged in heat-sensitive material which changes color when touched, revealing images of recording session tapes.[7]

Each of the three CD's loosely represent the rare recordings from each of the three eras of Nirvana's history, in line with the band's three studio albums (Bleach, Nevermind and In Utero) which were released in 1989, 1991 and 1993 respectively. The DVD contains rare live performances and rehearsals from throughout the band's career.

It includes a 60-page booklet, which contains liner notes by Thurston Moore, of the American rock band Sonic Youth, and journalist Neil Strauss, as well as photographs and a chronological catalog of the band's recording history, including studio sessions, television and radio appearances, live performances and home demo recordings sessions.

The band's May 6, 1987 radio session at KAOS 89.3 FM in Olympia, Washington is mislabeled as being from April 17, 1987.[7]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic76/100[8]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[9]
Blender[10]
Classic Rock[11]
NME[12]
New York Times(Positive)[13]
Paste(Positive)[14]
Pitchfork Media(6.3/10)[15]
PopMatters(Neutral)[16]
Rolling Stone[17]
Spin(A)[18]

With the Lights Out received generally positive reviews from music critics,[8] many of whom saw it as a valuable glimpse into the band's musical evolution. Julian Marshall of the NME called it "a humanising, comprehensive and often heartbreaking document of a man who, in five years, changed the face of music, almost by accident."[19]

However, several critics felt it contained too much second-rate material never intended for official release. Mark Richardson of Pitchfork wrote, "Those hoping for a trove of overlooked gems will be disappointed...Simply put, there's enough good stuff here for a solid single disc."[15] Tim O'Neil of PopMatters wrote, "The majority of the material presented here will appeal only to a select group of hardcore fans, music historians and critics."[20]

Track listing

All songs written by Kurt Cobain, unless stated otherwise.

Disc 1
  1. "Heartbreaker" (John Bonham/ John Paul Jones/ Jimmy Page/ Robert Plant) – 2:59
  1. "Anorexorcist" (a.k.a. "Annorexorcist") – 2:44
  2. "White Lace and Strange" (Chris Bond) – 2:09
  3. "Help Me, I'm Hungry" (a.k.a. "Vendetagainst") – 2:41
  1. "Mrs. Butterworth" (a.k.a. "Unknown #2")  – 4:05
  1. "If You Must"  – 4:01
  2. "Pen Cap Chew" – 4:02
  1. "Downer" – 1:43
  2. "Floyd the Barber" – 2:33
  3. "Raunchola" (a.k.a. "Erectum")/ "Moby Dick" ("Moby Dick" - John Bonham/ John Paul Jones/ Jimmy Page) – 6:24
  1. "Beans" – 1:32
  2. "Don't Want it All" (a.k.a. "Seed") – 2:26
  3. "Clean Up Before She Comes" – 3:12
  4. "Polly" – 2:30
  5. "About a Girl" – 2:44
  1. "Blandest" – 3:56
  1. "Dive" (Kurt Cobain/ Krist Novoselic) – 4:50
  1. "They Hung Him on a Cross" (Huddie Ledbetter) – 1:57
  2. "Grey Goose" (Huddie Ledbetter)  – 4:36
  3. "Ain't It a Shame" (Huddie Ledbetter)  – 2:01
  1. "Token Eastern Song" – 3:21
  2. "Even in His Youth" – 3:12
  3. "Polly" – 2:36
Disc 2
  1. "Opinion" – 1:34
  2. "Lithium" – 1:49
  3. "Been a Son" – 1:12
  1. "Sliver"  – 2:09
  2. "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" (traditional) – 2:31
  1. "Pay to Play" (early version of "Stay Away") (previously released on DGC Rarities: Volume 1 in 1994)  – 3:29
  2. "Here She Comes Now" (John Cale/ Sterling Morrison/ Lou Reed/ Maureen Tucker) (previously released on split-single with the Melvins in 1991)  – 5:01
  1. "Drain You" – 2:38
  1. "Aneurysm" (Kurt Cobain/ Dave Grohl/ Krist Novoselic) (previously released on "Smells Like Teen Spirit" single in 1991)  – 4:47
  1. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Kurt Cobain/ Dave Grohl/ Krist Novoselic)  – 5:40
  1. "Breed" (Butch Vig rough mix) – 3:07
  2. "Verse Chorus Verse" – 3:17
  3. "Old Age" – 4:20
  1. "Endless, Nameless" – 8:47
  2. "Dumb" – 2:35
  1. "D-7" (Greg Sage) (previously released on "Lithium" single in 1992)  – 3:46
  1. "Oh, the Guilt" (alternate mix of previously released song on split-single with the Jesus Lizard in 1992)  – 3:25
  2. "Curmudgeon" (alternate mix of previously released song on "Lithium" single in 1992) – 3:03
  3. "Return of the Rat" (Greg Sage) (alternate mix of previously released song on Eight Songs for Greg Sage and the Wipers in 1993)  – 3:09
  1. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Kurt Cobain/ Dave Grohl/ Krist Novoselic) (Butch Vig mix) – 4:59
Disc 3
  1. "Rape Me" – 3:23
  1. "Rape Me" – 3:01
  1. "Scentless Apprentice" (Kurt Cobain/ Dave Grohl/ Krist Novoselic) – 9:32
  1. "Heart-Shaped Box" – 5:31
  2. "I Hate Myself and Want to Die" – 4:03 (mis-labeled as the "b-side" version)
  3. "Milk It" – 4:34
  4. "Moist Vagina" (a.k.a. "MV") – 1:56
  5. "Gallons of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through the Strip" (Kurt Cobain/ Dave Grohl/ Krist Novoselic) (previously released on non-U.S. versions of In Utero, 1993)  – 7:33
  6. "The Other Improv" – 6:24
  1. "Serve the Servants" – 1:36
  2. "Very Ape" – 1:52
  1. "Pennyroyal Tea" – 3:30
  1. "Marigold" (Dave Grohl) (previously released on "Heart-Shaped Box" single in 1993)  – 2:34
  2. "Sappy" (previously released as "Verse Chorus Verse" on No Alternative in 1993)  – 3:26
  1. "Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam" (Eugene Kelly/ Frances McKee) – 3:57
  1. "Do Re Mi" – 4:24
  1. "You Know You're Right" – 2:30
  1. "All Apologies" – 3:33
DVD
  1. "Love Buzz" (Robbie van Leeuwen) – 2:32
  2. "Scoff" – 0:47
  3. "About a Girl" – 3:05
  4. "Big Long Now" – 4:22
  5. "Immigrant Song" (Jimmy Page/ Robert Plant) – 1:57
  6. "Spank Thru" – 3:10
  7. "Hairspray Queen" – 3:37
  8. "School" – 2:53
  9. "Mr. Moustache" – 3:47
  1. "Big Cheese"(Kurt Cobain/ Krist Novoselic)  – 3:13
  1. "Sappy" – 4:27 (mislabled as track 12 on the cover)
  1. "In Bloom" – 4:28 (mislabeled as track 11 on the cover) (Pre-Nevermind version, featuring Chad Channing on drums, recorded April 1990 at Smart Studios, Madison, Wisconsin. Producer: Butch Vig)
  1. "School"  – 2:33
  1. "Love Buzz"  – 3:40
  1. "Pennyroyal Tea" (first live performance) – 1:55
  2. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Kurt Cobain/ Dave Grohl/ Krist Novoselic) (first live performance) – 6:16
  3. "Territorial Pissings" – 2:45
  1. "Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam" (Eugene Kelly/ Frances McKee) – 3:32
  1. "Talk to Me" – 3:35
  1. "Seasons in the Sun" (Terry Jacks) – 3:40

Personnel

Additional

Sliver: The Best of the Box

Sliver: The Best of the Box
Compilation album by Nirvana
Released November 1, 2005
Recorded 1985–1994
Genre Grunge, alternative rock
Length 74:34
Language English
Label DGC
Nirvana chronology
With the Lights Out
(2004)		 Sliver: The Best of the Box
(2005)		 Live at Reading
(2009)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[23]
Blender[24]
Pitchfork Media(6.8/10)[25]

Recording and release

Sliver: The Best of the Box is a compilation album by the American rock band, Nirvana, released in November 2005. It contains 19 tracks from the band's 2004 rarities box set, With the Lights Out, as well as three previously unreleased recordings: "Spank Thru," from the 1985 "Fecal Matter" demo, a 1990 studio recording of "Sappy", and a 1991 boombox demo of "Come as You Are". Sliver: The Best of the Box opened at number 21 on the Billboard 200.

Artwork

According to Rolling Stone, the title and cover photograph for Sliver: The Best of the Box were chosen by Frances Bean, the daughter of Cobain and Courtney Love. The cover photograph depicts a cardboard box filled with Nirvana and Cobain tapes, including a copy of the Fecal Matter demo. Some of the tapes have spilled out of the box and are strewn across the floor.[26]

Track listing

  1. "Spank Thru" (December 1985 Fecal Matter demo) – 3:45
  2. "Heartbreaker" (March 1987 show in Raymond, Washington) – 2:59
  3. "Mrs. Butterworth" (Summer 1987 band demo) – 4:05
  4. "Floyd the Barber" (January 23, 1988 show in Tacoma, WA) – 2:33
  5. "Clean Up Before She Comes" (1988 home demo) – 3:12
  6. "About a Girl" (1988 home demo) – 2:44
  7. "Blandest" (June 6, 1988 studio session in Seattle, Washington. Produced by Jack Endino) – 3:56
  8. "Ain't It a Shame" (August 1989 studio session in Seattle, WA) – 2:02
  9. "Sappy" (January 1990 studio session in Seattle, Washington. Produced by Jack Endino) – 3:33
  10. "Opinion" (September 25, 1990 KAOS radio show) – 1:35
  11. "Lithium" (September 25, 1990 KAOS radio show) – 1:49
  12. "Sliver" (1990 home demo) – 2:10
  13. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (March 1991 boombox demo) – 5:40
  14. "Come as You Are" (March 1991 boombox demo) – 4:10
  15. "Old Age" (May 1991 studio session for Nevermind)  – 4:21
  16. "Oh, the Guilt" (April 1992 studio session in Seattle, WA) – 3:25
  17. "Rape Me" (May 1991 solo acoustic home demo) – 3:23
  18. "Rape Me" (October 1992 studio session in Seattle, WA) – 3:03
  19. "Heart-Shaped Box" (January 1993 studio session in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) – 5:32
  20. "Do Re Mi" (1994 boombox demo solo acoustic) – 4:24
  21. "You Know You're Right" (1994 boombox demo solo acoustic) – 2:30
  22. "All Apologies" (undated boombox demo solo acoustic, circa 1992) – 3:33

Charts

With the Lights Out

Chart (2004) Position
Top Canadian Albums[27] 10
Japanese Oricon Albums Chart[28] 16
USA Billboard 200[27] 19
French Albums Chart[29] 20
Belgium Albums Chart (VL)[29] 21
Belgium Albums Chart (WA)[29] 25
Switzerland Albums Chart[29] 28
Belgium Albums Chart[29] 29
Norwegian Albums Chart[29] 31
Austrian Albums Chart[29] 34
New Zealand Albums Chart[29] 39
German Albums Chart[30] 48
UK Albums Chart[31] 56
Netherlands Albums Chart[29] 65
Italian Albums Chart[32] 21

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
United States (RIAA)[33] Platinum 1,000,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[34] Silver 60,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Sliver: The Best of the Box

Chart (2005) Position
Billboard Top 200 (US)[35] 21
Austrian Albums Chart [36] 26
French Albums Chart[37] 19
Japanese Oricon Albums Chart[38][39] 33
UK Albums Chart[31] 56
Switzerland Albums Chart[40] 87
German Albums Chart[30] 97

References

  1. ↑ . Nielsen Entertainment http://en-us.nielsen.com/tab/industries/media/entertainment. Retrieved 2010-06-05. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. ↑ Teri VanHorn. "Love Blocks Nirvana Release". MTV News. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
  3. ↑ Jim DeRogatis. "A piece of Kurt Cobain". Retrieved 2008-09-02.
  4. ↑ Enrico Vincenzi. "Nirvana discography in section "Promo only" under section "EP's"". www.sliver.it. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  5. ↑ Rasmus Holmen. "[NFC: The Internet Nirvana Fan Club]". Nirvanaclub.com. http://www.nirvanaclub.com/index.php?section=news&file=09_2002.htm. Retrieved 2012-05-06.
  6. ↑ Memorabilia - VHS Promo Singles sliver.it. Retrieved 18 May, 2013.
  7. 1 2 "Companion To Official Releases". Live Nirvana. Retrieved 2011-11-27.
  8. 1 2 "Nirvana: With the Lights Out (2004): Reviews". MetaCritic. Retrieved 2008-09-02.
  9. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/r720088
  10. ↑
  11. ↑ Clerk, Carol (February 2005). "King Kurt". Classic Rock 76. London, UK: Future Publishing Ltd. p. 98.
  12. ↑ "NME Album Reviews - Nirvana : With The Lights Out". Nme.Com. 2004-12-10. Retrieved 2011-11-27.
  13. ↑ Pareles, Jon (November 29, 2004). "'With the Lights Out' by Nirvana". The New York Times.
  14. ↑ "Nirvana - With the Lights Out :: Music :: Reviews :: Paste". Pastemagazine.com. 2005-02-01. Retrieved 2011-11-27.
  15. 1 2 Richardson, Mark (2004-11-23). "Nirvana: With the Lights Out | Album Reviews". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2011-11-27.
  16. ↑ O'Neil, Tim. "Nirvana: With the Lights Out < PopMatters". Popmatters.com. Retrieved 2011-11-27.
  17. ↑ "Rolling Stone Music | Album Reviews". Rollingstone.com. 2011-11-22. Retrieved 2011-11-27.
  18. ↑ "Nirvana - With the Lights Out". SPIN.com. 2004-12-24. Retrieved 2011-11-27.
  19. ↑ "NME Album Reviews - Nirvana : With The Lights Out". Nme.Com. 2004-12-10. Retrieved 2011-11-27.
  20. ↑ O'Neil, Tim. "Nirvana: With the Lights Out < PopMatters". Popmatters.com. Retrieved 2011-11-27.
  21. ↑ Gillian G. Gaar The Rough Guide to Nirvana "The demo's first song "If You Must".."
  22. ↑ "iTunes Store". itunes.apple.com. Retrieved 2011-11-27.
  23. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/r803569
  24. ↑
  25. ↑ Archived December 27, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  26. ↑ Lash, Jolie (2005-09-10). "Unreleased Nirvana Due". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2007-06-25.
  27. 1 2 http://www.billboard.com/artist/312336/nirvana/chart With the Lights Out @ Billboard.com
  28. ↑ "Oricon Weekly Album Charts for the second week of December 2004" (in Japanese). oricon ME inc. Archived from the original on 2012-10-17. Retrieved 2015-05-25.
  29. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Swedishcarts.com". Retrieved 2009-12-03.
  30. 1 2 "Die ganze Musik im Internet: Charts, News, Neuerscheinungen, Tickets, Genres, Genresuche, Genrelexikon, Künstler-Suche, Musik-Suche, Track-Suche, Ticket-Suche". musicline.de. Retrieved 2011-11-27.
  31. 1 2 http://www.theofficialcharts.com/artist/_/nirvana/
  32. ↑ "Classifica Artisti - Classifica settimanale dal 03/12/2004 al 09/12/2004" (in Italian). Federation of the Italian Music Industry. Archived from the original on 31 December 2004. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  33. ↑ "American album certifications – Nirvana – With the Lights Out". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
  34. ↑ "British album certifications – Nirvana – With the Lights Out". British Phonographic Industry. Enter With the Lights Out in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search
  35. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p5034
  36. ↑ Steffen Hung. "Austria Top 40 - Hitparade Österreich". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 2011-11-27.
  37. ↑ (The user has to select "Nirvana" from the drop down list) "InfoDisc : Le Détail des Albums de chaque Artiste" Check |url= value (help). Infodisc.fr. Retrieved 2012-10-14.
  38. ↑ "Sliver: The Best of Nirvana +3" (in Japanese). Oricon Style. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved 2009-11-07.
  39. ↑ "Nirvana - Sliver: The Best of Nirvana+3" (in Japanese). oricon ME inc. Retrieved 2015-05-25.
  40. ↑ Steffen Hung. "Die Offizielle Schweizer Hitparade und Music Community". Hitparade.ch. Retrieved 2011-11-27.

External links

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