From The Muddy Banks Of The Wishkah: Vinyl 2LP

Kurt Cobain’s former bandmates Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl clearly had an agenda in compilingFrom the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah, the second of what will no doubt be a long line ofposthumous Nirvana albums. Because of its sombre, intense nature, the first post-Cobain release,MTV Unplugged in New York, was largely perceived as music for a wake-an impression reinforced byMTV’s constant airings of the special in the days following Cobain’s suicide. But that acoustic detouraside, the Nirvana live experience was always about displaying a lust for life-not a death wish-with allthe energy the musicians could muster. Wishkah offers 16 songs spanning the band’s career, alldelivered in the loudest, most frenzied, and sometimes the sloppiest versions imaginable. In theopening “Intro”, a snippet of pre-show noise, Cobain screams his heart out in joyful contrast to thehaunted screams on “Where Did You Sleep Last Night”. Then the group launches into “School,” whichends with the spirited chorus, “Don’t be sad.” Indeed, it’s impossible to dwell on the maudlin whenlistening to these renditions of “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, “Sliver”, “Heart-Shaped Box” and “NegativeCreep”–they’re too loud and too full of life. But while it should be applauded, Wishkah isn’t the greatlost Nirvana album–there are no unheard gems to add to the catalogue–and in the end, it isn’tnearly as essential as any of the band’s studio albums–or even the downbeat but revelatoryUnplugged. – Jim Derogatis

Track Listing

Disc 1

1. Intro
2. School
3. Drain You
4. Aneurysm
5. Smells Like Teen Spirit
6. Been A Son
7. Lithium
8. Sliver
9. Spank Thru
10. Scentless Apprentice
11. Heart-Shaped Box

Disc 2

1. Milk It
2. Negative Creep
3. Polly
4. Breed
5. Tourette’s
6. Blew
7. Stage Banter