Product 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.

Track Listing

1. Intro (Nirvana / From The Muddy Banks Of The Wishkah)
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: #25442 in Music
• Released on: 2001-05-21
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Live
• 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

Customer Reviews

Only one problem
This album is very poor for what it could of been. This is basically a load of live tracks from different shows spanning 5 years. Many of the venues and dates from which the tracks suposedly orignate from are wrong!
another major problem with this record is that because its different recordings, the passion and consistancy thats prssent in most nirvana shows is lost.
On the otherhand the tracks are not that bad seperately and are a good mix of nirvanas best songs. This should of been the track listing for there greatest hits. Hopefully a full live recording will be released.

if you want to check out good live nirvana then listen to there unplugged album

greatest album in history far from it!!
what is this crap i'm hearing from other reviewers that this is the greatest band and album ever!! dudes this isn't really a good album..the sound quality is ok..kurt's vocals on most of the tracks are strained and tired..on most of the songs he sounds bored well that's what coporate music does too you..makes you hate singing your own songs in the end..because the record company wants this and that from you..i feel sorry for kurt..he never wanted too be the rock god of a generation all he wanted too do was make music and survive not a idol.. well with all this neagitive there is some highlights "teen spirit" an over-rated song but still cool "drain you" has a mucky charm "lithium" one of kurt's best songs a class live version
"scentless apprentice" and "heart shaped box" too more great versions the rest are mucky and forgotable long live kurt
the best spokes-person of a generation that wasn't
"load up your guns and kill your idols!"

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!