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Nirvana, Nirvana, Nirvana... Who doesn't associate this band with the grunge explosion in Seattle in the early '90s? A genre that grouped together diverse and heterogeneous bands such as Soundgarden, those metalheads Alice in Chains (who knows why they immediately converted to the grunge creed...), Mudhoney, etc...
We know almost everything about Cobain and his beloved/hated partners, thanks to documentaries and books that are offered to us monthly. We have less documentation about their live performances. It's true, there's a sea of bootlegs, many available on e-mule, but officially the only audio testimony is "From the muddy banks of Wishkah".
Now semi-officially, we can listen to the historic recording at KAOS FM dated April 17, 1987, just six weeks after their first live performance, plus 4 tracks from Saturday Night Live '92-'93. It's incredible the qualitative gap in this span of time.
The radio recording, in somewhat decent quality, presents us with a rising band with absolutely normal characteristics; there are no particular flashes of genius, either in their sound (a poor imitation of the Melvins, more often than not) or in the voice. I challenge anyone to say that after hearing these recordings, their future as multimillionaire rock'n'roll stars was clear (why do you wrinkle your nose, it's the truth!).
"Love buzz" is clearly being refined, with Kurt improvising the lyrics and Aaron Burckhard's drumming staying linear throughout the piece; "Downer" is closer to "Ozma" than to "Bleach"; "Floyd the barber" and "Spank thru" are weak and boring; "Hairspray queen" has neither head nor tail. The only really interesting moments are the cover of Thunder And Roses "White lace and strange" and "Anorexorcist" (the latter also present on "With the lights out").
In stark contrast, the last tracks on this collection: "Smells like teen spirit" and "Territorial pissings" come from the January 11, 1992 performance on "Saturday Night Live"; "Rape me" and "Heart-shaped box" date back to September 25, 1993, again guests on the famous NBC program.
The performance is astonishing, absolutely in line with the ferocious performances of the trio (quartet with the addition of Pat Smear from '93 onwards). Grohl's drumming is devastating, Novoselic's bass is fluid and harmonic (the only point in common with the recording at KAOS FM), Cobain's voice has found the right way to express itself and take on the burden of its generation.
"Transmissions" also contains a video track with the videos of the last four songs in the tracklist attached. An album warmly recommended only to completists.
Tracklist and Lyrics
04 Love Buzz (03:42)
Would you believe me when I tell you
You are the queen of my heart
Please don't deceive me when I hurt you
Just ain't the way it seems
Can you feel my love buzz?
Can you feel my love buzz?
Can you feel my love buzz?
Can you feel my love buzz?
Would you believe me when I do you
You are the queen of my heart
Please don't deceive me when I hurt you
Just ain't the way it seems
Can you feel my love buzz?
Can you feel my love buzz?
Can you feel my love buzz?
Can you feel my love buzz?
05 Rape Me (02:38)
Rape me
Rape me my friend
Rape me
Rape me again
I'm not the only one
I'm not the only one
I'm not the only one
I'm not the only one
Hate me
Do it and do it again
Waste me
Rape me my friend
Am I the only one?
Am I the only one?
Am I the only one?
Am I the only one?
My favorite inside source
I'll kiss your open sores
Appreciate your concern
You'll always stink and burn
Rape me
Rape me my friend
Rape me
Rape me again
I'm not the only one
I'm not the only one
I'm not the only one
I'm not the only one
Rape me!
Rape me!
Rape me!
Rape me!
Rape me!
Rape me!
Rape me!
Rape me!
Rape me!
06 Smells Like Teen Spirit (04:46)
Load up on guns and bring your friends
It's fun to lose and to pretend
She's over-bored and self-assured
Oh no, I know a dirty word
Hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello
With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto, an albino
A mosquito, my libido, yeah
Hey
Yay
I'm worse at what I do best
And for this gift I feel blessed
Our little group has always been
And always will until the end
Hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello
With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto, an albino
A mosquito, my libido, yeah
Hey
Yay
And I forget just why I taste
Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile
I found it hard, it's hard to find
Oh well, whatever, never mind
Hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello, how low?
Hello, hello, hello
With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto, an albino
A mosquito, my libido
A denial
A denial
A denial
A denial
A denial
A denial
A denial
A denial
A denial
07 Territorial Pissings (02:44)
Come on people now, smile on your brother and
everybody get together, try to love one another right now
When I was an alien, cultures weren't opinions
Gotta find a way, a better way, when I'm here
Gotta find a way - a better way - I'd better wait
Never met a wise man, if so it's a woman
Gotta find a way, a better way, when I'm there
Gotta find a way - a better way - I'd better wait
Gotta find a way, to find a way, when I'm here
Gotta find a way - a better way - I'd better wait
Just because you're paranoid, don't mean they're not after you
Gotta find a way, a better way, when I'm there
Gotta find a way - a better way - I'd better wait
Gotta find a way, to find a way, when I'm here
Gotta find a way - a better way - I'd better wait
Gotta find a way, a better way, when I'm there
Gotta find a way - a better way - I'd better wait
Gotta find a way, to find a way, when I'm here
Gotta find a way - a better way - I'd better wait
09 Floyd The Barber (02:21)
Bell door on clanks, come on in
Floyd observes my hairy chin
Sit down chair don't be afraid
Steamed hot towel on my face
I was shaved
I was shaved
I was shaved
Barney ties me to the chair
I can't see I'm really scared
Floyd breathes hard I hear a zip
Pee pee pressed against my lips
I was shamed
I was shamed
I was shamed
I sense others in the room
Opey, Aunt Bea, I presume
They take turns and cut me up
I died smothered in Andy's clutch
I was shaved
I was shaved
I was shaved
10 Downer (02:16)
Portray sincerity, act out of loyalty
Defend every country, wish away pain
Hand out lobotomies to save little families
Surrealistic fantasy - bland, boring, plain
Hold me down in restitution
Living out your date with fusion
Is the whole fleece shun in bastard?
Don't feel guilty, master writing
Somebody said that they're not much like I am
I know I can
Make enough of the words as you go along
I sing then some
Sickening pessimist, hypocrite master
Conservative Communist, apocalyptic bastard
Thank you, dear God, for putting me on this Earth
I feel very privileged in debt for my thirst
Hold me down in restitution
Living out your date with fusion
Is the whole fleece shun in bastard?
Don't feel guilty, master writing
Somebody said that they're not much like I am
I know I can
Make enough of the words as you go along
I sing then some
11 Mexican Seafood (02:02)
Oh, itchy flakes, it isn't through me
Till the jaw's in flames, it's entertaining
True, the fungus mold is my attraction
Oh, it's only a disinfection
Only hurts when I, it hurts when I pee
Only hurts when I, it hurts when I sleep
I vomit cum and diarrhea on the tiled floor like oatmeal pizza
Fill my toilet bowl of a cloudy puss
I feel my blood becoming chowder rust
Only hurts a night, it hurts when I pee
Only hurts a night, until I sleep
Roll into my bed which does consist of lice bugs and fleas and
and yellow mucus
Stained dirt, Vaseline, toe jam & boogers
Stomach acid worms that dance in sugared slusdge
Mmmmm ...
13 Spank Thru (03:23)
This song is for lovers out there
And the little light in the trees
And all the flowers have gingivitus
And the birds fly happily
We're together once again my love
I need you back, oh baby baby
I can't explain just why we lost it from the start
Living without you girl, you'll only break my heart...
I can feel it, I can hold it
I can bend it I can shape it, I can mold it
I can cut it, I can taste it
I can spank it, beat it, masturbate it
I been looking for day glo
Always hearing the same ol'
Say you want to be faithful
I can make it do things you wouldn't think it ever could
15 Hairspray Queen (04:33)
I was your mind, you were my, my enemy
You were mine, I was your, your enemy
You would mind, I was your, your enemy
you were mine, I was was your, your ene
You rang
Your ears rang
I was your mind, you were my, my enemy
You were mine, I was your, your enemy
You would mind, I was your, your enemy
you were mine, I was was your, your ene
At night, The Wishful goddess
At night, She'll wish the hardest
At night, The disco goddess
At night, The bitch go gawd
I was your mind, you were my, my enemy
You were mine, I was your, your enemy
You would mind, I was your, your enemy
you were mine, I was was your, your ene
At night, The Wishful goddess
At night, She'll wish the hardest
At night, The disco goddess
At night, The bitch go gawd
I was your mind, you were my, my enemy
You were mine, I was your, your enemy
You would mind, I was your, your enemy
you were mine, I was was your, your ene
At night, The wishful goddess
At night, She'll wish the hardest
On Sight, The disco goddess
At night, The itch so modest
At night, The Crisco lochness
At night, The mouthful omelette
Out Sight, The fish-filled goblets
At night, The witch go Gawd
16 Pen Cap Chew (04:10)
Oh lesser God
Oh loathe me
You're lonely
Bore me
Oh Oh
You get you get you get you get to me
Holy is the time its such an easy way to go
You get you get you get you get to be
Hide the struggle in the skin under a fingernail
Oh lesser God Oh loathe me Oh lesser God oh you're lonely
Waste your time by saving worthless gullables
Kill a politician and then wear his clothes
This decade is the age of re-hashing
Protest and then go to jail for trespassing
Go home
Waste your time by saving worthless gullables
Kill a Politician and then wear his clothes
This decade is the age of re-hashing
Protest and then go to jail for trespassing
Go home
Can you see the reason for thy entrope?
Is there something wrong without society?
Has your conscience got to you for Accidents ?
Is this why unkowningly you eat your pens?
Go home
Go home
Go home
Go home
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