Live at Reading

Awesome Power and Force!
I should start out this review by saying that I am a huge Nirvana fan. I own pretty much every recording they have ever released and I actually was unaware that this live set was released on CD until well after it came out. They play some of their best songs at this show, and the power and force of Nirvana is felt when it comes out of the speakers. This live set shows how good music was 20 years ago and how most current music folds like a cheap suit in comparision. This album might be the best representative of what Kurt Cobain, Krist Noveselic, and Dave Grohl were all about when they picked up their instruments and played such an awesome show that it left the fans salivating for more.

Here's what you get with the "Nirvana: Live At Reading" official CD release.
One of Nirvana's dignified live shows totally butchered and released with one of the worst modern sound mixes to ever disgrace my ears. If you're the type that endures low-bitrate, compressed to hell mp3s that sound like they're playing straight out of a tin can, you'll be smitten with the audio mix on this CD. And don't even get me started on the obviously fake crowd inclusion on every beginning and ending of every track herein. It's a nuisance on the legacy of the original recording and the band's performance. The band's screwin' around and occasional bantering are completely excluded, as well as the infamous performance of Shocking Blue's "Love Buzz" in which frontman Kurt Cobain actually takes time to tune his guitar while bassist Krist Novoselic and drummer Dave Grohl continue to play through the song. Yeah, I still own this, despite the sodomy that Geffen put it through. If you're really wanting a nearly-authentic "Live At Reading" experience, get the DVD release, instead.

Fantastic.
Saw them live in 93'. Hopefully sales on this DVD will be enough to make them release it on Blu-ray. Audio is fantastic on the DVD...can't imagine it uncompressed. Highly recommended.

24 Great Live Renditions of Some Old Favorites
You have to know that Kurdt Kobain was an enigmatic rock and roll star. Reluctant to accept fame he craved it just the same. I think this is why he was never content with himself or anything much else in life except maybe his art and his music. He once said that, "Punk Rock should mean freedom; liking and playing what you want; as sloppy as you want as long as it's good and has passion....I'll write a few sincere lines and then I'll have to make fun of it with another line...." He didn't want to be "too obvious" or "then it gets stale", he said. But he didn't want to be "too cryptic" nor should lyrics be "in peoples faces". He liked them to be somewhat "weird and spacey" as that "painted a nice picture" concluding that "I guess that's the way I like Art". (from "Live! Tonight! Sold-Out!") Another thing you should know about Kurt Cobain is that when his voice was off in a live rendition of a song, he would often mock it and deteriorate it to the point of silliness, For example in Come As You Are in Amsterdam in 1991, he screams the lyrics in a child tantrum-like voice after coming in off-key. The difficulty he has with this song isn't as evident on Live At Reading, thank goodness, and the Solo is excellent. Kurt Cobain was a complex individual, an inspiration to millions of kids and young adults and the last most recent frontman / guitar god to grace our planet. His live best is better than anybody else and his live worst is probably about the same. In Live At Reading Kurt mostly shines in both his guitar playing and his vocals (Dave and Krist were spot on throughout, esp., Dave who's drumming must be inspired by Bonzo). My favorite live song combo is "Drain You" followed by "Aneurysm" from the Wishkah collection. The combo on this one is about equal to that one as Aneurysm is better here, but Drain You is slightly off (but still killer all the same!). The most disappointing guitar performance is during Smells Like Teen Spirit. He is spotty in hitting and then letting "ring" Riffs "A" and "B": in the Intro when he can't hit Riff A he sounds like he's Milking It (tuning his guitar which works in Milk It); and when he hits Riff A he can't let it "ring"; in the second chorus he hits Riff B but can't let it "ring". To top it off he completely botches the Solo. (And I don't believe it was done purposely even given his hatred of Smells, either). If he was just playing "sloppy" I hope he thought it was good and felt "passion" while doing it, but I know it didn't hit me this way. Although Smells comes right in the middle of the set, it seems that Kurt's singing and playing get better with every song during this show. Maybe he just needed to get warmed up vocally. It is a pleasure to hear live electric versions of "About A Girl", "On A Plain", "All Apologies", "Dumb", "The Money Will Roll Right In" and "D-7". Overall this audio CD gives new and old fans a real taste of Kurt's sonic brilliance. All-in-All, have a very Merry Nirvana set by adding this to your collection!

An Alright Gig
This gig was ok, but nothing more. I was at this festival and quite enjoyed Nirvana standing besides a campfire with a pint of two of beer in my hand (but non of my friends down the front were impressed at all.) Over the three days Nirvana (who I rate highly as a studio band) were about the 5th best band, come forward - Ride, The Wonder Stuff, Manic Street Preachers, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds,The charlatans , Mega City - and take your crown. Nirvana's gig was rough and ready (and not necessarily in a good way) and the sound was nothing special even with a fourth member added to the line up - and this was not the case with the other bands mentioned here. I can not help but feel that Nirvana's gig is being held in too high an esteem because Curt in his hospital smock is pictured on the In Utero cover (for posterity - what an iconic image) and because he died not too long after the gig took place. By the way, I hope that smock was not stolen from one of our British hospitals as they are rather underfunded given that we pay for our NHS service via taxes not Insurance as you do in the USA, if so, we will be waiting for Dave G with a bucket at airport customs the next time the Foo Fighters come over and we will expect more that loose change.