The Songs of Kurt Cobain is a 5-disc CD box set of music by the American rock band Nirvana, released as a promo only in 2007. The first three CDs feature songs by Nirvana themselves, while the last two discs feature covers by 11 other artists as well as seven "lullaby" and six "string" renditions of the band's songs.[1][2]
| The Songs of Kurt Cobain | |
|---|---|
 The wooden heart-shaped box set | |
| Box set by | |
| Released | 2007 |
| Recorded | 1988–1994 |
| Genre | |
| Label | Primary Wave |
| Alternative cover | |
 Outer packaging of the box | |
Release
editThe Songs of Kurt Cobain was released by Primary Wave, who had acquired the rights to the Nirvana frontman's compositions from his widow Courtney Love in early 2007[3] for the purpose of promoting interest in licensing his work. The cover versions were recorded by artists such as Sinéad O'Connor ("All Apologies") and Tori Amos ("Smells Like Teen Spirit").[1] Scala & Kolacny Brothers' cover of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was later used in the documentary Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck in 2015.[4]
The release is highly valued by collectors, having been limited to a run of 500 copies.[1]
Packaging
editEach CD in the box set has a custom-printed picture and they are housed in a heart-shaped, hand-carved wooden musical box with Kurt Cobain's caricature logo etched on the lid and Primary Wave's logo on the side. When the lid is removed it plays the intro bars of the Nirvana song "Heart-Shaped Box". Each box set also comes with a booklet and individually numbered certificate.[3]
Reception
editDespite having become a sought-after collector's item, Tiny Mix Tapes gave the release a poor review in November 2007.[5] WorthPoint, however, stated that the release was "the best collection of singer/songwriter Kurt Cobain's music available".[6]
Track listings
editCD 1
editAll tracks are written by Kurt Cobain except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Smells Like Teen Spirit" | Cobain, Krist Novoselic, Dave Grohl | Nevermind (1991) | 5:01 |
| 2. | "In Bloom" | Nevermind | 4:14 | |
| 3. | "Come as You Are" | Nevermind | 3:39 | |
| 4. | "Breed" | Nevermind | 3:03 | |
| 5. | "Lithium" | Nevermind | 4:17 | |
| 6. | "On a Plain" | Nevermind | 3:16 | |
| 7. | "Pennyroyal Tea" | In Utero (1993) | 3:36 | |
| 8. | "Heart-Shaped Box" | In Utero | 4:39 | |
| 9. | "About a Girl" | Bleach (1989) | 2:48 | |
| 10. | "Polly" | Nevermind | 2:57 | |
| 11. | "Something in the Way" | Nevermind | 3:52 | |
| 12. | "Dumb" | In Utero | 2:29 | |
| 13. | "All Apologies" | In Utero | 3:50 | |
| 14. | "You Know You're Right" | Nirvana (2002) | 3:38 | |
| 15. | "Something in the Way" | MTV Unplugged in New York (1994) | 4:01 | |
| 16. | "Pennyroyal Tea" | MTV Unplugged in New York | 3:40 |
CD 2
editAll tracks are written by Kurt Cobain
| No. | Title | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Blew" | Bleach | 2:56 |
| 2. | "Floyd the Barber" | Bleach | 2:18 |
| 3. | "School" | Bleach | 2:42 |
| 4. | "Mr Moustache" | Bleach | 3:24 |
| 5. | "Negative Creep" | Bleach | 2:56 |
| 6. | "Dive" | Incesticide (1992) | 3:55 |
| 7. | "Sliver" | Incesticide | 2:16 |
| 8. | "Been a Son" | Incesticide | 2:22 |
| 9. | "(New Wave) Polly" | Incesticide | 1:48 |
| 10. | "Territorial Pissings" | Nevermind | 2:22 |
| 11. | "Drain You" | Nevermind | 3:43 |
| 12. | "Lounge Act" | Nevermind | 2:36 |
| 13. | "Stay Away" | Nevermind | 3:32 |
| 14. | "Serve the Servants" | In Utero | 3:36 |
| 15. | "Sappy" | No Alternative (1993) | 3:24 |
CD 3
editAll tracks are written by Kurt Cobain except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Swap Meet" | Bleach | 3:03 | |
| 2. | "Downer" | Bleach | 1:43 | |
| 3. | "Aero Zeppelin" | Incesticide | 4:41 | |
| 4. | "Big Long Now" | Incesticide | 5:03 | |
| 5. | "Aneurysm" | Cobain, Novoselic, Grohl | Incesticide | 4:35 |
| 6. | "Scentless Apprentice" | Cobain, Novoselic, Grohl | In Utero | 3:48 |
| 7. | "Rape Me" | In Utero | 2:49 | |
| 8. | "Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle" | In Utero | 4:09 | |
| 9. | "Very Ape" | In Utero | 4:09 | |
| 10. | "Milk It" | In Utero | 3:55 | |
| 11. | "Tourettes" | In Utero | 1:35 | |
| 12. | "Come as You Are" | MTV Unplugged in New York | 4:13 | |
| 13. | "Dumb" | MTV Unplugged in New York | 2:52 |
CD 4
editAll tracks are written by Kurt Cobain except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Performing artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Lithium" | The Polyphonic Spree | ||
| 2. | "Smells Like Teen Spirit" | Cobain, Novoselic, Grohl | Paul Anka | |
| 3. | "Smells Like Teen Spirit" | Cobain, Novoselic, Grohl | Scala & Kolacny Brothers | |
| 4. | "Smells Like Teen Spirit" | Cobain, Novoselic, Grohl | Tori Amos | |
| 5. | "Smells Like Teen Spirit" | Cobain, Novoselic, Grohl | Patti Smith | |
| 6. | "Smells Like Teen Spirit" | Cobain, Novoselic, Grohl | Feat Morel-Desmond Williams | |
| 7. | "Come as You Are" | Charlie Hunter trio | ||
| 8. | "Breed" | Steve Earle | ||
| 9. | "All Apologies" | Herbie Hancock | ||
| 10. | "All Apologies" | Sinéad O'Connor | ||
| 11. | "Something in the Way" | Stereophonics |
CD 5
editAll tracks are written by Kurt Cobain except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Performing artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Come as You Are" | Lullaby rendition by Michael Armstrong | ||
| 2. | "In Bloom" | Lullaby rendition by Michael Armstrong | ||
| 3. | "Lithium" | Lullaby rendition by Michael Armstrong | ||
| 4. | "Something in the Way" | Lullaby rendition by Michael Armstrong | ||
| 5. | "About a Girl" | Lullaby rendition by Michael Armstrong | ||
| 6. | "Heart-Shaped Box" | Lullaby rendition by Michael Armstrong | ||
| 7. | "All Apologies" | Lullaby rendition by Michael Armstrong | ||
| 8. | "Smells Like Teen Spirit" | Cobain, Novoselic, Grohl | The Tallywood Strings | |
| 9. | "Come as You Are" | The Tallywood Strings | ||
| 10. | "In Bloom" | The Tallywood Strings | ||
| 11. | "Lounge Act" | The Tallywood Strings | ||
| 12. | "Polly" | The Tallywood Strings | ||
| 13. | "Something in the Way" | The Tallywood Strings |
References
edit- ^ a b c Gaar, Gillian G (March 31, 2020). "A look at Nirvana's collectible recordings". Goldmine. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
- ^ "The Songs of Kurt Cobain". nirvana-discography.com. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
- ^ a b "Nirvana (US) The Songs Of Kurt Cobain + Custom Outer Box US Promo box set". eil.com. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
- ^ Garofalo, Alex (May 4, 2015). "'Montage Of Heck': 6 Music Moments, Unreleased Tracks And Live Performances Featured In The HBO Kurt Cobain Documentary [VIDEO PLAYLIST]". International Business Times. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- ^ Smart, Dan (November 21, 2007). "Review". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
- ^ "Nirvana The Songs of Kurt Cobain Heart Shaped Wooden Music Box Promo 5 CD Set". worthpoint.com. Retrieved April 2, 2020.