With the Lights Out [Box] (CD - 2004)

"With The Lights Out" includes a DVD as well as a large booklet with pictures and liner notes.

Nirvana (US): Kurt Cobain (vocals, guitar); Dave Grohl (vocals, drums); Krist Novoselic (bass guitar).

Liner Note Author: Thurston Moore.

Ten years after the death of Kurt Cobain, Nirvana fans finally got what they had been waiting for in the form of 2004's WITH THE LIGHTS OUT, an extensive three-CD/one-DVD box set spanning the deified rock band's career. Part of Nirvana's charm was its gleefully subversive aesthetic, and this trait is heavily featured on Disc One, which begins with a slaughtered version of Led Zeppelin's "Heartbreaker" at the group's first gig in 1987. Distortion and low fidelity reign on most of these songs (including "Anorexorcist", "Pen Cap Chew," and a demo version of "Even in His Youth"), and Cobain probably wouldn't have had it any other way.

Disc Two covers the band's uneasy transition to superstar status and features the crucial addition of drummer Dave Grohl, whose powerhouse percussion worked perfectly with Krist Novoselic's rumbling bass and Cobain's tortured vocals and fiery guitar playing. In addition to Cobain's solo acoustic tracks and demo versions of well-known songs, excellent B-sides and compilation tracks are presented here, including a gorgeous reading of the Velvet Underground's "Here She Comes Now" and a fierce take on Greg Sage's "D-7" that rivals the most intense Nirvana studio tracks. Covering the post-NEVERMIND years, Disc Three features acoustic readings of IN UTERO tunes, along with rarities like the stomping (and rather prophetic) "I Hate Myself and I Want to Die" and the emotive "Sappy." The beautiful booklet and the DVD of archival footage serve to further illuminate Nirvana's legacy, which extends far beyond this well-compiled set. minimize