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Review
Nirvana headlined the Reading festival in 1992 as they were unsteadily acclimatising to their newfound status as multi-platinum unit shifters, frontman Kurt Cobain loudly declaring his disaffection with fame, and denying rumours of drug abuse that dogged him and his wife, Courtney Love. Indeed, hearsay across the festival site that weekend whispered that Nirvana would blow out their headline set, that Cobain was hospitalised by an overdose.
Such offstage drama lends an undeniable tension to this live album of that performance. On the DVD of the show that accompanies Deluxe Editions of this release (the standalone CD omits a song and all the between-song banter, and is very much inferior as a result), Cobain rolls onstage in a wheelchair and fakes an addled collapse, before ‘recovering’ and leading Nirvana through a ferocious and full-blooded Breed.
This venomous energy burns throughout what is by no means a greatest hits set; alienated by much of his newfound fandom, Cobain was in no mood to play crowd-pleaser. Performances of Nevermind anthems like Come As You Are and Smells Like Teen Spirit are by no means perfunctory, but Nirvana truly come alive here when exploring the murkier corners of their catalogue: fiery takes of fan-favourite B side Aneurysm and covers of The Wipers’ D7 and The Money Will Roll Right In (by 1980s Californian punks Fang) are highlights.
The true revelation, however, is the then-unrecorded All Apologies, dedicated to Courtney Love and their 12-day-old daughter Frances Bean. “[Courtney] thinks everyone hates her now,” says Cobain, betraying a vulnerable, boyish grin as the Reading audience yells “Courtney, we love you!” at his request. The song that follows remains perhaps Cobain’s most moving, and in this early stripped-bare version – just Cobain’s brittle, chiming guitar and howl, Dave Grohl’s powerhouse drums and Krist Novoselic’s McCartney-aping bass-lines – perfectly fuses Cobain’s equal love for Beatles-esque melody and punk-rock’s searing honesty, with a haunting intensity.
Forget the indulgent soloing and theatrical spectacle many live albums trade in. Live at Reading delivers instead an opportunity to revisit a key moment in rock history, unedited and unadorned; to experience the greatest rock’n’roll group of their era playing what became, tragically, their final performance on British soil. On this evidence, it was a truly remarkable night. --Stevie Chick
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Product Description
CD
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
By Craig Finlay
Format:Audio CD
Ok, here's an honest review of the DVD.
As most fans of the band will testify, you can only listen to songs so many times before they get a bit over familiar - no matter how good they are. I listened to Nirvana non-stop for years in my late teens and early twenties. My bootleg CD of this performance was the only one of many that stood the test of time due, in part, to it's impressive sound quality.
So...the first thing I'd say is that, soundwise, this official release is no better than the bootleg. Surprisingly, there's a lot of crowd noise and singing in the mix, but IMHO this simply adds to the excitement and frenzied atmosphere of the gig.
There aren't many shots of the audience, but footage of the crowd taken from behind the stage essentially positions you right next to Kurt, offering an intimate insight of what it must have been like for the band on the night. And it gave me chills to see the trio perform in such glorious high definition.
Make no mistake - this is a five-star performance. Everything that's good about Nirvana is right here on this disc: the passion, the bum notes, the banter, the chemistry, musicianship etc. And as has been pointed out, it's bittersweet to see Kurt smiling and having fun, pulling another rabbit out the hat at the top of his game. At times the renditions seem so fragile that they might fall apart altogether (Polly and All Apologies) but then that was always part of the magic of nirvana (that it never did!!). If you are a genuine fan, all I can say is don't hesitate to buy this. Sit down, pull the curtains and relax with a beer (or whatever floats your boat) and ENJOY!
As most fans of the band will testify, you can only listen to songs so many times before they get a bit over familiar - no matter how good they are. I listened to Nirvana non-stop for years in my late teens and early twenties. My bootleg CD of this performance was the only one of many that stood the test of time due, in part, to it's impressive sound quality.
So...the first thing I'd say is that, soundwise, this official release is no better than the bootleg. Surprisingly, there's a lot of crowd noise and singing in the mix, but IMHO this simply adds to the excitement and frenzied atmosphere of the gig.
There aren't many shots of the audience, but footage of the crowd taken from behind the stage essentially positions you right next to Kurt, offering an intimate insight of what it must have been like for the band on the night. And it gave me chills to see the trio perform in such glorious high definition.
Make no mistake - this is a five-star performance. Everything that's good about Nirvana is right here on this disc: the passion, the bum notes, the banter, the chemistry, musicianship etc. And as has been pointed out, it's bittersweet to see Kurt smiling and having fun, pulling another rabbit out the hat at the top of his game. At times the renditions seem so fragile that they might fall apart altogether (Polly and All Apologies) but then that was always part of the magic of nirvana (that it never did!!). If you are a genuine fan, all I can say is don't hesitate to buy this. Sit down, pull the curtains and relax with a beer (or whatever floats your boat) and ENJOY!
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By David Johnson
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This performance can be rightly remembered as Nirvana's high water mark. The set starts in blistering fashion, a typically brutal working over of "Aneurysm," is followed by one of the favourites from Bleach,"School." The set moves along with raucous venom, each track seamlessly dovetailing into the other.
Cobain knew himself that Nirvana would have never reached the wider audience they did without Grohl on the drums. His display here is typically staggering, the DVD in particular showing just how well the rhythm section worked. Cobain looks nerdy in his long doctor's coat, shifting around his part of the stage, frequently re-tuning his guitar before and during tracks. The DVD gives an excellent insight as to how Nirvana worked as a band and Cobain as a guitarist. He was clearly obsessed with the instrument and its dynamics - visibly smug that his partners could carry anything that he chose to do along at a blistering pace.
All of the favourites appear on here and it marks an interesting point between Nevermind and In Utero with many of the tracks from Bleach still featuring heavily on the set list. Nirvana fans should teasure this as it shows Cobain still happy and clearly enjoying the music,"this is our last ever show," he jokes, "until the start of our tour in November." - it's much better than the gaunt, depressed image we are left with from the unplugged performance.
For those growing up in the early nineties this fantastic DVD/CD set is likely to serve as than more than just a nostalgic trip down musical memory lane. It's easy to forget than Nirvana were not just a band - they became a social phenomenon. I was left with the impression that I was watching a piece of history going by.
Cobain knew himself that Nirvana would have never reached the wider audience they did without Grohl on the drums. His display here is typically staggering, the DVD in particular showing just how well the rhythm section worked. Cobain looks nerdy in his long doctor's coat, shifting around his part of the stage, frequently re-tuning his guitar before and during tracks. The DVD gives an excellent insight as to how Nirvana worked as a band and Cobain as a guitarist. He was clearly obsessed with the instrument and its dynamics - visibly smug that his partners could carry anything that he chose to do along at a blistering pace.
All of the favourites appear on here and it marks an interesting point between Nevermind and In Utero with many of the tracks from Bleach still featuring heavily on the set list. Nirvana fans should teasure this as it shows Cobain still happy and clearly enjoying the music,"this is our last ever show," he jokes, "until the start of our tour in November." - it's much better than the gaunt, depressed image we are left with from the unplugged performance.
For those growing up in the early nineties this fantastic DVD/CD set is likely to serve as than more than just a nostalgic trip down musical memory lane. It's easy to forget than Nirvana were not just a band - they became a social phenomenon. I was left with the impression that I was watching a piece of history going by.
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I have actually stopped buying live DVDs these days as I find that the performance is usually ruined by special effects and the ridiculous need of 40,000 cameras showing different angles every .5 of a second.
However, what you get here is, believe it not, a recording of a great band playing great songs. No effects, no stupid camera tricks, just the band playing. Thats all I want in a live DVD as the band and their music is all you, as a viewer and fan, should need. At the end of the day, the crowd dont get different angles and effects and they love it, so why shouldnt we.
This DVD/CD set is fantastic and shows possibly one of the greatest ever Reading performances by any band. If you like Nirvana dont miss it and if you fancy getting into them I recommend getting this to achieve that.
Long live in our hearts and memory a truly great song writer.
However, what you get here is, believe it not, a recording of a great band playing great songs. No effects, no stupid camera tricks, just the band playing. Thats all I want in a live DVD as the band and their music is all you, as a viewer and fan, should need. At the end of the day, the crowd dont get different angles and effects and they love it, so why shouldnt we.
This DVD/CD set is fantastic and shows possibly one of the greatest ever Reading performances by any band. If you like Nirvana dont miss it and if you fancy getting into them I recommend getting this to achieve that.
Long live in our hearts and memory a truly great song writer.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
This will be played at my funeral
I was not a fan of Nirvana prior to buying this album. My friends had always banged on about how good they were, and I, with a shameful admittance, confessed that the only song of... Read more
Published 2 days ago by Luke Brooks
5.0 out of 5 stars
Can't believe this was almost 3 Months before I was born :o
As a Huge Nirvana fan I had to but this CD/DVD and after having it in my wishlist for over a year I finally decided to buy it and I was not dissapointed, Its a fantastic concert... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Ciarian F. J. Miles
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nirvana Live Do I Need To Say Any More?
If you like Nirvana this is a must have for your collection. Sounds great and well worth the price to relive the band in their hay-day.
Published 1 month ago by C L Collings
3.0 out of 5 stars
This Gig Was OK - update
This gig was ok, but nothing more. I was at this festival and quite enjoyed Nirvana standing beside a campfire with a pint or two or beer in my hands (but none of my friends down... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Stanley Spogot
4.0 out of 5 stars
Top performance
I bought this for my sixteen year son. He's interested in Nirvana and having experienced all the CD's & biographies available i thought a recording of a live show would be... Read more
Published on 12 Jan 2011 by Bronco
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nirvana Reading 92
It is understandable why this has live Nirvana show has now been officialy released. It was their most high profile show of their career, however it is not their best live... Read more
Published on 16 Nov 2010 by Mr. M. J. Munro
5.0 out of 5 stars
We were at this gig!
Bought it purely because my husband and I went to this gig way back when so I bought it as a prezzie for him. He loves it, a must for die-hard Nirvana fans.
Published on 10 May 2010 by Spinderella 27
5.0 out of 5 stars
very good
I always thougt Nirvana was not that good live. But after watching this DVD is must change my opinion. Very good! Read more
Published on 15 April 2010 by E. Keek
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Timeless Classic
I had a bootleg of the Reading performance, but it is rubbish compared to this DVD!!! I cannot believe how clear the picture and sound are- its simply awesome... Read more
Published on 19 Mar 2010 by Vicky1982
4.0 out of 5 stars
yeah its pretty good.......................
...............But i think if your after a dvd that shows off kurts better playing then it has to be unplugged. Read more
Published on 31 Dec 2009 by Mr. Peter J. Bryant
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