Mixtape Madness: A Kurt Cobain Mixtape For Nevermind’s 20th Anniversary

In honor of Nevermind’s 20th year, we compile a list of of artists and songs that made it happen.

In 2001, the independent label Late Night Tales began a series of mix CD’s consisting of tracks compiled by notable artists entitled “Another Late Night” which eventually was changed to the name of the label. “Late Night Tales” has had many notable contributors over the years including the Flaming Lips, Belle & Sebastian, Air, and most recently MGMT.

Sadly, this series began seven years after Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain’s death, so we never got to hear what a Kurt Cobain mixtape would be like. Needless to say, it would have been a thrilling listen, as he often name checked a wide variety of great artists during his brief time in the spotlight, crediting artists as stadium sized as KISS and Aerosmith to unknown indie bands like the Vaselines and the Shaggs.

In honor of the 20th anniversary of Nevermind, and as a lifelong Nirvana fan (they formed a couple months before my birth and hit it big as I reached the age of reason), I will be taking on the task of compiling a set of songs that most likely would have made it onto such a mix had it ever been made by Kurt Cobain.

Iggy & the Stooges – “Raw Power”

Starting it off is the title track from the record claimed to be Cobain’s favorite according to his posthumously released journals. To say that the Stooges were an influence on Nirvana goes without saying, as their sound was the blueprint for all jagged alternative rock to come in the years after its 1973 release.

Black Sabbath – “Hand of Doom”

As much as Nirvana were the 90′s version of punk rock, they were equal parts the decade’s new hard rock icons, evident in their use of sludgy riffs over thunderous drums in the vein of hard rock pioneers, Black Sabbath. “Hand of Doom,” from the band’s second album “Paranoid,” was sometimes covered by Nirvana in concert, and while its proggy, mid-song change up was not adopted in their sound, its use of thick riff-work would be a staple of Cobain’s style.

ABBA – “Dancing Queen”

When Nirvana toured the US in support of “Bleach,” one of the cassettes that was in constant rotation in the touring van was the immortal hits collection “ABBA Gold,” a set of some of most sugary pop the 1970′s had to offer. Both Cobain and Krist Novoselic would often credit ABBA among their favorites in various interviews.

Pixies – “Tame”

Another tape floating around that van was the newly released “Doolittle” by the Pixies. The band’s second full length, it showcased the perfection of their quiet/loud dynamics to which Nirvana made a career out of utilizing, most effectively on “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”

The Shaggs – “Philosophy of the World”

When listening to the the Shagg’s one album, “Philosophy of the World,” it’s astonishing to think that it was ever made. Full of disjointed songs, with tempos wobbling in and out of time, it naturally fell on deaf years upon its original release in 1969, but was saved from obscurity by Terry Adams and Tom Ardolino from NRBQ, who found the record at a radio station in the late 70′s. They convinced Rounder Records to reissue “Philosophy of the World” in 1980 which gave it a second life, getting it in the hands of Cobain, who ranked it #5 on his favorite albums list.

Leadbelly – “In the Pines”

A haunting ballad, and a possible contender for this year’s Death and Taxes Halloween mix, “In the Pines” is an old traditional song, sometimes referred to as “Black Girl,” that was made popular by blues-folk legend, Leadbelly, in the 1940′s. Possibly more popular now due to Nirvana’s famous “Unplugged” performance of “Where Did You Sleep Last Night,” the song’s creepy progression has often been associated, if not unconsciously, with Cobain’s death.

The Vaselines – “Son of a Gun”

One of Cobain’s most championed bands was the Vaselines. From Glasgow, Scotland, the group quickly formed and disbanded in the late 80′s, but not without leaving behind about an hour’s worth of excellent indie pop. Cobain did wonders for the band’s afterlife, reviving them to open for Nirvana in 1992, and covering this song, along with “Molly’s Lips” and “Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam.” One could even say their recent reunion was based on a high demand that Cobain got rolling back in his day.

The Sex Pistols – “EMI”

Like most artists that emerged in early 90′s alternative wave, the Sex Pistols were a major influence on Cobain. In his journals, he claimed the band to be significantly more important than the Clash, based mainly on the fact that he never liked “Sandinista!”

The Raincoats – “No One’s Little Girl”

In the liner notes to “Incesticide,” Nirvana’s 1992 rarities collection, Cobain relates a story where he met Ana da Silva from the Raincoats in search of a copy of the band’s first record. While it seemed at the time like she was giving him the brush off, da Silva pulled through with a thoughtful gift: “A few weeks later I received a vinyl copy of that wonderfully classic scripture with a personalized dust sleeve covered with xeroxed lyrics, pictures, and all the members’ signatures. There was also a touching letter from Ana…It was one of the few really important things that I’ve been blessed with since becoming an untouchable boy genius.”

Sonic Youth – “Eric’s Trip”

Sonic Youth were instrumental in Nirvana’s sudden success. On the strength of “Daydream Nation,” they secured a deal with Geffen Records in 1989 and released their first major label album, “Goo,” the next year. On the tour for that album, they selected Nirvana as an opening act and it would be Kim Gordon that would point them towards DGC. “Eric’s Trip” bears the most resemblance to Nirvana’s handiwork, most particularly on “School,” where Cobain borrows Thurston Moore’s fret shredding style in the solo.

The Beatles – “I Wanna Be Your Man”

Although “Introducing The Beatles” preceded it by a few months, most Americans got to know the fab four on “Meet The Beatles!,” an album that Cobain said he listened to on repeat for three hours before he wrote “About a Girl.” The Ringo Starr sung “I Wanna Be Your Man” is the closest that record gets to Nirvana’s manic attack.

The Wipers – “D-7″

The Wipers were a major influence on Nirvana, but mainly on grunge in general. Released in 1979, “Is This Real?” contained the song “D-7,” often covered by Nirvana, and a blueprint for the Seattle sound – “They started Seattle grunge rock in Portland, 1977.”

PJ Harvey – “Rid of Me”

Cobain had listed PJ Harvey’s debut “Dry” as #16 on his favorite albums list, and it would be that record’s followup that would be a major factor in Nirvana’s choosing of Steve Albini to produce “In Utero.” While already a fan of his work, especially on the Pixies’s “Surfer Rosa,” when Albini gave the band a tape of “Rid of Me,” which he had just finished with Harvey, the band was signed on.

R.E.M. – “Drive”

There has been much speculation as to what the fourth Nirvana album would have sounded like. The Adam Kaspar produced “You Know You’re Right” would indicate the band was continuing to prolong the grunge scene, but several interviews and candid conversations with friends like Michael Stipe, hinted at a shift towards a sound that was “pretty ethereal, acoustic, like R.E.M.’s last album ['Automatic For the People'].” Stipe talked about his conversations with Cobain about his ideas for the next record in Newsweek in 1994, “It was going to be an amazing fucking record, and I’m a little bit angry at him for killing himself. He and I were going to record a trial run of the album, a demo tape. It was all set up. He had a plane ticket. He had a car picking him up. And at the last minute he called and said, ‘I can’t come.’”

Not a bad mix if I do say so myself. Happy Birthday “Nevermind”!