is a compilation album by the American rock band

Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...

. It consists of their 1990 non-album single " Sliver", B-sides, demos, outtakes, cover versions, and radio broadcast recordings, and as such is not the official follow-up to the band's breakthrough album, ''

Nevermind ''Nevermind'' is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991, by DGC Records. It was Nirvana's first release on a major label and the first to feature drummer Dave Grohl. Produced by Butch Vig, ''Ne ...

''. The album was released on December 14, 1992, in Europe, and December 15, 1992, in the United States. It eventually reached number 39 on the ''Billboard'' 200.

Background

Early in 1992,

Jonathan Poneman Jonathan Poneman is an American record executive and co-founder of two record labels: Sub Pop and Hardly Art. Early life and education The third child of Harold and Beverly Poneman, Jonathan Poneman was born October 9, 1959 in Toledo, Ohio and ...

Sub Pop Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the grunge movement. They are of ...

contacted

Gary Gersh Gary Gersh is an American music industry executive who previously managed recording artists including Nirvana, Soundgarden and the Foo Fighters. As president of AEG's touring division he has worked with bands and musicians such as Luke Combs, ...

, who had previously signed Nirvana to

DGC Records DGC Records (an initialism for the David Geffen Company) was an American record label that operated as a division of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, which is owned by the Universal Music Group. History DGC Records was launched in 1990 as a subsi ...

, to inform him that Sub Pop still had a number of unreleased early Nirvana recordings in their possession. The band had intended to release the material via Sub Pop and cynically called it ''Cash Cow''. However, Sub Pop could not match Geffen's distribution network, and the band felt that getting the material maximum exposure was important. Sub Pop sold the recordings to Geffen for "a six-figure amount" on the condition that the band would create and approve the release of an album by Christmas 1992. At the time, the majority of the material on ''Incesticide'' was circulating within fan communities (albeit in lower quality). It was widely reported in the music press that the band wanted to offer fans a higher-quality alternative. In the book ''Cobain Unseen'', Charles R. Cross writes that Kurt Cobain agreed to the release of this compilation because he was allowed complete control over the album's artwork. Since the songs were recorded in different sessions and some were recorded when Nirvana did not have a stable formation, the album includes recordings by four different drummers: Chad Channing,

Dan Peters Daniel Joe Peters (born August 18, 1967) is the drummer for Mudhoney, having played with them since their formation in 1988. Prior to Mudhoney, he joined Bundle of Hiss when he was fifteen years old. He was also briefly the drummer for Nir ...

Dale Crover Dale Crover (born October 23, 1967) is an American rock musician. Crover is best known as the drummer for Melvins and has also been the drummer for Men of Porn, Shrinebuilder, Crystal Fairy and, for a brief time, Nirvana. He is also guitari ...

, and

Dave Grohl David Eric Grohl (born January 14, 1969) is an American musician. He is the founder of the rock band Foo Fighters, in which he is the lead singer, guitarist, and principal songwriter. Prior to forming Foo Fighters, he was the drummer of grun ...

Songs

Previously unreleased

*"Hairspray Queen" *"Aero Zeppelin" *"Big Long Now"

Alternate versions

*"Been a Son" was a song originally released on the 1989 '' Blew EP'', the version on ''Incesticide'' was recorded in 1991 during a

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, includin ...

live studio session. *"(New Wave) Polly" is a hard rock version of the ''Nevermind'' album track, " Polly". The version on ''Incesticide'' was recorded in 1991 during a BBC Radio 1 live studio session. *"Aneurysm" was a song originally released as a b-side to the "

Smells Like Teen Spirit "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana. It is the opening track and lead single from the band's second album, ''Nevermind'' (1991), released on DGC Records. The unexpected success of the song propelled ''Ne ...

" single, the version on ''Incesticide'' was recorded two months later during a BBC Radio 1 live studio session.

Previously released

*"Dive" and "Sliver" were released on the " Sliver" single in 1990. "Dive" was also previously released on '' The Grunge Years'' compilation album in 1991. *"Stain" was released on the ''Blew EP'' in 1989. *The three cover songs, "Turnaround" (

Devo Devo (, originally ) is an American rock band from Akron, Ohio, formed in 1973. Their classic line-up consisted of two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs ( Mark and Bob) and the Casales (Gerald and Bob), along with Alan Myers. The band ha ...

), "Molly's Lips" and "Son of a Gun" (

The Vaselines The Vaselines are a Scottish alternative rock band. Formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1986, the band was originally a duo between its songwriters Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee, but later added James Seenan and Eugene's brother Charlie Kelly on ...

) were released on the '' Hormoaning EP'' in 1992, which was only released in Japan and Australia. All three songs were recorded live in 1990 during a BBC Radio 1 live studio session. *"Mexican Seafood" appeared on the 1989 ''Teriyaki Asthma Volume 1'' compilation. *"Beeswax" appeared on the 1991 ''

Kill Rock Stars Kill Rock Stars is an independent record label founded in 1991 by Slim Moon and Tinuviel Sampson, and based in both Olympia, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. The label has released a variety of work in different genres, but was originally know ...

'' compilation album. *"Downer" appears as a bonus track on the CD version of Nirvana's 1989 debut album, ''

Bleach Bleach is the generic name for any chemical product that is used industrially or domestically to remove color (whitening) from a fabric or fiber or to clean or to remove stains in a process called bleaching. It often refers specifically, to ...

''.

Artwork and packaging

The cover art was painted by Cobain, who is credited as ''Kurdt Kobain'' in the liner notes.''Incesticide'' liner notes The rubber duck seen on the album's back cover belonged to art-designer Robert Fisher. The front cover prominently displays a poppy, hinting at Cobain's struggle with heroin addiction. The first several pressings of the album contained

liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes. Origin Liner notes are descen ...

written by Cobain, including a statement decrying

homophobia Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred or antipathy, ma ...

racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism ...

and

misogyny Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women. It is a form of sexism that is used to keep women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the societal roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been widely practiced f ...

: Versions of the album containing the liner notes by Cobain could be found at record stores as late as 1998. Initial copies in the U.S. and Canada also contained a

Parental Advisory Advisory (abbreviated PAL) is a warning label introduced by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 1985 and adopted by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in 2011. It is placed on audio recordings in recognition of profan ...

label.

Critical reception

The album received generally positive reviews. "Nobody really wants a ''

Hatful of Hollow ''Hatful of Hollow'' is a compilation album by English rock band the Smiths, released on 12 November 1984 by Rough Trade Records. The album features BBC Radio 1 studio recordings and two contemporary singles with their B-sides. It was eventua ...

''-type assortment of Peel/Goodier sessions, B-sides, demos and obscurities in the place of a proper studio album," observed Andrew Perry in '' Select''. "But, hell, wouldn't you try and put an end to the consumer madness going on in your name? And harvest some of the money for yourself? Anyway, people might start talking about the music again…" In a review for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

, music critic

Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, oc ...

said that the song "Aneurysm" was "perhaps the greatest single song the group ever recorded".

Commercial performance

''Incesticide'' was released on December 14, 1992, in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and No ...

, and on December 15, 1992, in the United States. The record label, Geffen, decided against heavily promoting the album, possibly to avoid a "Nirvana burnout" as the band had released ''Nevermind'' and four singles in the preceding fifteen months. Despite this lack of promotion and being a collection of old and new material, ''Incesticide'' debuted at number 51 in the ''Billboard'' 200 and sold 500,000 copies in two months. The album is certified Platinum by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and ...

. In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number 17, and peaked at number 14. On November 23, 2012, ''Incesticide'' was re-released on vinyl as a limited two-LP 45 RPM edition for its 20th anniversary.

Track listing

Personnel

All sessions: *

Kurt Cobain Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – April 5, 1994) was an American musician who served as the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter of the rock band Nirvana. Through his angst-fueled songwriting and anti-establishment person ...

–

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

* Krist Novoselic –

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and sc ...

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

, WA: Reciprocal Recording Studios (January 23, 1988)

's first studio demo tape.
Songs: "Beeswax," "Downer," "Mexican Seafood," "Hairspray Queen," and "Aero Zeppelin" *

– drums * Jack Endino – producer,

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the lim ...

Seattle, WA: Reciprocal Recording Studios (December 1988 – January 1989)
The ''

'' recording sessions.
Song: "Big Long Now" * Chad Channing – drums *Jack Endino – producer, engineer Seattle, WA: Music Source Studios (September 1989)
The ''

Blew "''Blew''" is a song by American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It is the first song on the band's debut album ''Bleach'', released in June 1989 by Sub Pop. The song was re-released by the Tupelo record la ...

'' EP recording sessions.
Song: "Stain" *Chad Channing – drums *

Steve Fisk Steve Fisk is an American, Washington-based audio engineer, record producer and musician. As a musician, he has been in bands such as the instrumental alternative/indie rock band Pell Mell and the electronic band Pigeonhed. He has long been a ...

– producer Madison, WI: Smart Studios (April 2, 1990 – April 6, 1990)
The sessions for the ''planned'' second

album.
Song: "Dive" *Chad Channing – drums *

Butch Vig Bryan David "Butch" Vig (born August 2, 1955) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known as the drummer and co-producer of the alternative rock band Garbage and the producer of the diamond-selling Nirvana album ''Neve ...

– producer Seattle, WA: Reciprocal Recording Studios (July 11, 1990)
The "Sliver" Sub Pop single session.
Song: "Sliver" *

– drums *Jack Endino – producer, engineer

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, England:

Maida Vale Maida Vale ( ) is an affluent residential district consisting of the northern part of Paddington in West London, west of St John's Wood and south of Kilburn. It is also the name of its main road, on the continuous Edgware Road. Maida Vale is p ...

Studio 3 (October 21, 1990)
The 1990 BBC session for

John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...

.
Songs: "Turnaround," "Molly's Lips," and "Son of a Gun" *

– drums *

Dale Griffin Terence Dale "Buffin" Griffin (24 October 1948 – 17 January 2016) was an English drummer and a founding member of 1970s rock band Mott the Hoople. Later, he worked as a producer, and produced many of the BBC Radio 1 John Peel sessions from 1 ...

– producer *Mike Engles – engineer *Fred Kay – engineer London, England: Maida Vale Studio 4 (November 9, 1991)
The 1991 BBC session for

Mark Goodier Mark Goodier (born 9 June 1961) is a British radio disc jockey best known for his time on BBC Radio 1 between 1987 and 2002. He had two spells presenting the station's Top 40 singles chart, from 1990 to 1992 and from 1995 until 2002. He also ...

.
Songs: "Been a Son," "(New Wave) Polly," and "Aneurysm" *Dave Grohl – drums *Miti Adhikari – producer *John Taylor – engineer

Charts

Album

Certifications

References

Bibliography *Azerrad, Michael. ''Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana''. Doubleday, 1994. *Cross, Charles. ''Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain''. Hyperion, 2001.

External links

''Incesticide''
at

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second most ...

(streamed copy where licensed)
Live Nirvana Companion to Official Releases - Incesticide
{{Authority control Nirvana (band) compilation albums 1992 compilation albums Geffen Records compilation albums DGC Records albums Albums produced by Butch Vig Albums produced by Steve Fisk Albums produced by Jack Endino B-side compilation albums Peel Sessions recordings