Incesticide

Buying time and thwarting bootleggers, Nirvana and DGC released the rarities compilation 'Incesticide' toward the end of 1992. Like any odds'n'sods collection, this is uneven, but that's its charm since it captures Nirvana's character better than any official album. After all, this was a band that was born equally from '70s sludge metal, bubblegum pop, post-punk artiness, and indie rock inclusiveness, each of which are apparent on this collection. There are some non-entities here, particularly on the second side, but the plodding sub-metallic grind was part of their identity, one part of their multi-faceted character.
Nirvana meant everything to everyone, from the jangle pop veterans to the garage rock ravers that worshiped the Stooges to stoner metal fetishes and indie rock bed-sits that adopted Sebadoh just as they outgrew Morrissey - everybody loved Nirvana, and there's something for every kind of fan here, thanks to murky sludge, Devo and Vaselines covers, BBC sessions, instrumentals, and limited-edition singles, plus sub-Melvins goop; everything visceral where 'Bleach' was tame.
'Nevermind' doesn't capture this freewheeling indie spirit but 'Incesticide' does, piling on some essentials in the meantime - the pummeling 'Dive,' the childhood snapshot 'Sliver,' the terrific forgotten indie pop tune 'Been a Son,' and 'Aneurysm,' perhaps the greatest single song the group ever recorded. Yeah, there's some filler here, but this is the sound of what Nirvana was actually like.

Originally intended as a stopgap record following the massive success of Nirvana's Nevermind, the archival Incesticide album has taken on an added significance in light of subsequent events. Consisting of outtakes, demos, non-album singles, and live BBC sessions, it's a fascinating if less-than-truly essential listening experience. Highlights include the rip-roaring childhood memoir "Sliver" and its caustic companion (from a pre-Nevermind single) "Dive." There's also a brilliant cover of the Vaselines' "Molly's Lips." --Daniel Durchholz