Track Listing

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
12. Milk it
13. Negative creep
14. Polly
15. Breed
16. Tourette's
17. Blew

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7363 in Music
• Released on: 2001-05-21
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Dimensions: .20 pounds
• Running time: 54 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Kurt Cobain's former bandmates Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl clearly had an agenda in compiling From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah, the second of what will no doubt be a long line of posthumous 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 by MTV's constant airings of the special in the days following Cobain's suicide. But that acoustic detour aside, the Nirvana live experience was always about displaying a lust for life-not a death wish-with all the energy the musicians could muster. Wishkah offers 16 songs spanning the band's career, all delivered in the loudest, most frenzied, and sometimes the sloppiest versions imaginable. In the opening "Intro", a snippet of pre-show noise, Cobain screams his heart out in joyful contrast to the haunted screams on "Where Did You Sleep Last Night". Then the group launches into "School," which ends with the spirited chorus, "Don't be sad." Indeed, it's impossible to dwell on the maudlin when listening to these renditions of "Smells Like Teen Spirit", "Sliver", "Heart-Shaped Box" and "Negative Creep"--they're too loud and too full of life. But while it should be applauded, Wishkah isn't the great lost Nirvana album--there are no unheard gems to add to the catalogue--and in the end, it isn't nearly as essential as any of the band's studio albums--or even the downbeat but revelatory Unplugged. --Jim Derogatis

CD Description
The electric smashes and thrashes compiled on FROM THE MUDDY BANKS OF THE WISHKAH were originally intended as half of adouble album; the other half would have been the acoustic show released as MTV UNPLUGGED IN NEW YORK. But after Kurt Cobain's death, UNPLUGGED was released on its own, and the task of putting together a live electric disc was put aside fora couple years.
Now completed, FROM THE MUDDY BANKS OF THE WISHKAH (named for a river that cuts through Nirvana's hometown, Aberdeen, Washington) serves as a perfect mirror to UNPLUGGED. Where that one offered a recontextualisation of Nirvana's oeuvre, this one offers a reaffirmation of the band's raw power. All the elements that made the band a legend are present here: piledriver rhythm section, scabrous guitar work that combines a Neil Young-ish tone with a punk sensibility, and Cobain's anguished, sandpaper vocal delivery.
Many of Nirvana's best-known songs are included in versions that double the intensity and aggression (and sometimes the speed) of the original recordings. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" finds the band charging at a pace that suggests its life depends on reaching the end of the song. "Scentless Apprentice"is a raging howl that makes the original version sound likea beer commercial.

Customer Reviews

Greatest Alternative Rock band in history!
One could say that Nirvana should be truly appreciated as a liveact and therefore its only fitting that Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic put together a final tribute to what was the greatest alternative rock bands in history. This album was recorded at many shows from the beginning in 1989 through to 1994 when Kurt past away. This album is full of quality music, from the band through to Cobain's twisted lyrics from his disillusion of fame drugs an popularity. What is important on this album is the first song they ever did together which is 'Spank Thru' remember this is a compulation of live recordings and this is not a new album packed with songs you've not heard of before. If you appreciate bands live and enjoy going to gigs then you are going to be a very happy person.

Best Live Album since If You Want Blood...
Until "With The Lights Out" this was the only live reference point for Nirvana, and some of the tracks (Spank Thru, tourette's) were not even included on that wonderous boxset. The sound quality on most of these tracks is incredible considering the venues they played at, and even "Intro" sounds good as organised chaos. For me, Aneurysm is the high point of the album with it's soaring guitars, closely followed by Heart-Shaped Box. Don't delay, buy today!

a sound live collection
if you're just getting into nirvana now but can't decide which album to buy first (which is a hard choice, i mean, do you go for the acclaimed nevermind, the preceding bleach or the final act, in utero?) then perhaps wishkah is a good choice. Named after the river which flowed through Kurt's home town in Washington state, the album is a fine collection of live tracks selected by band member Krist Novoselic. If this isn't a taste of true Nirvana then I don't know what is!!