Customer Reviews

From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah

5 star:		(110)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

The Amazon critic has it wrong: the chorus on "School" is "No recess," NOT "Don't be sad"! Now that we've got that cleared up....It is well documented that Nirvana could be very scattershot live in concert, usually depending on the mental & physical health of troubled singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain. On a bad night, the band could be very ragged and sloppy, even rude---some nights, they wouldn't even play their big hit, "Smells Like Teen Spirit," much to the dismay of their audience. But on a GOOD night---and there were quite a few of those, too---Nirvana were powerful, rockin' monsters. "From The Muddy Banks of The Wishkah" captures Nirvana live in concert on the various GOOD nights they had over the years, with the live tracks recorded between 1989 and 1994. Nirvana blast through 16 songs, featuring some signature tunes like "Teen Spirit" and "Lithium," as well as some lesser-known songs like "Spank Thru" and "Blew." The band sound incredible, with Cobain, bassist Krist Noveselic and drummer Dave Grohl interlocked together like a three-headed rock beast (though on some tracks, guitarist Pat Smear joins the trio, and original drummer Chad Channing is featured on a couple of tracks instead of Grohl). This is raw, in-your-face, take-no-prisoners rock of the highest order, with no bad performances anywhere, and the louder you can play this CD, the better. "From The Muddy Banks Of The Wishkah" is a brilliant document of what Nirvana could do live in concert on the nights when they *really* gave it everything they had. No Nirvana fan should go without this awesome live set.

People put down "From The Muddy Banks" because it's not one big live show. But, the songs do blend well together contrary to what some people think. Nirvana put out so much emotion into these songs. I'll give a song by song review since each song deserves it: 1. Intro: If you're having a bad day, crank this up and scream along with it. 2. School- Better than the version on Bleach in my opinion. Very hardcore and raspy. 3. Drain You- Much more hardcore than the version on Nevermind. It's just as good or better. 4. Aneurysm- Better than the Incesticide version. Much heavier and complex guitar work. 5. Smells Like Teen Spirit- a good version of it but the original captures more emotion and sounds better with studio tweaks and tune-ups. 6.Been A Son- Very sloppy vocals. Album version better. It' s ok though. 7. Lithium- Very powerful and raw performance. Great! 8. Sliver- Tuned down to low and the vocals can't match the lowness. 9. Spank Thru- a song not many people have heard. It's better live than recorded for a demo. Great song. 10. Scentless Apprentice- Powerful intro but it goes downhill after that. Not enough power screams. 11. Heart Shaped Box- the vocals are better on In Utero. Kurt should've cleared his throat before he did this one. And the guitar is also kind of sloppy. 12. Milk It- This version isn't that great but it still sounds ok if you loved the original Milk It. 13. Breed- A mediocre slopfest. This shouldn't have been included. Vocals aren't that good except for in the chorus and the guitar is too all over the place. 14. Polly- Very loud and hardcore version of Polly. It rocks! 15. Tourette's- I like this version better than the studio version. His screaming sounds better live for it. And the guitar solo is extended. 16. Blew- This song sounds great raised an octave higher. I also love the solo they threw in. A great rocking performance.

All in all, "From The Muddy Banks" succeeds more than it fails so get this if you are a Nirvana fan who appreciates what they did. This was the first nirvana album I ever got and I loved it. I guarantee satisfaction. Those people who only like the backstreet boys should beware though. This is punk/alternative/rock/grunge at it's best and hardest.

I really love this album. It gives you a real taste of what Nirvana was like in concert. The editing is such that it seems that you are listening to one whole concert, even though the album is culled from many live performances. Here are the tracks:

1 - Intro - Just a cut of pre-show noise. Has some conversation between Kurt and Krist. Then Kurt screams for some fun, and then we get...
2 - School - This is a "Bleach" cut. It's really well done. It churns and smashes in true form. It isn't the best, but it's a good starter.
3 - Drain You - Kurt's vocals are great. Very raw and it's a great reinterpretation. I would say better than studio, which is saying a lot.
4 - Aneurysm - I love this take. The vocals are hilarious. It's really tight.
5 - Smells Like Teen Spirit - Not even close to the studio version, but it's cool to hear Krist stomp on his distortion pedal during Kurt's solo.
6 - Been A Son - This is a marvelous cover of a Vaselines song. Bursts with energy and it rocks. Kurt loved the Vaselines, and it really shows.
7 - Lithium - I hate this one. The whole take is sharp. Not even close to studio.
8 - Sliver - Krist is so good in the beginning. His tone is awesome. Pat's entrance is marked by some horrific feedback. Kurt concentrated harder on his vocals on the "In Utero" tour, so I think there's more guitar from Pat. Pat's always on the left channel.
9 - Spank Thru - There is a reason why they didn't release this on "Incesticide" or anything else. ...
10 - Scentless Apprentice - For my money, I'd say this track is the best on the album. Bar none. If you listen to the left channel alone on this, you can see why Pat was an idol to both Kurt and Dave. Everyone is in great form, but this is really Pat's track. His distortion is the best EVER. Much, much better than the "In Utero" version, and that was one of my favorite cuts on "In Utero". The fast tempo is great.
11 - Heart-Shaped Box - This is nowhere near "In Utero"'s version. Kurt's solo here though is awesome. Heavy, heavy chorus effect on his solo.
12 - Milk It - Again, Pat is in great form. Listen to him on the left channel (for those of you who don't know what I mean, pan to the left speaker alone.) He's great. Recorded shortly before Kurt died. Really good. It does sound like a Rotovibe is used, although I know no one in Nirvana ever used one. Something with the mixing?
13 - Negative Creep - Pure headbanging enjoyment! I love that thing about "Great Caesar's ghost!" at the beginning.
14 - Polly - Pretty [bad] prethink of the song. It is truly meant to be acoustic and slow, or clean electric when there isn't an acoustic around.
15 - Breed - Don't like this too much either. Channing's drumming is inferior to Grohl's drumming, and you just need that distorted bass.
16 - Tourette's - Krist's intro is simply hilarious. I love the first title - "The Eagle Has Landed". But it needed that thing about "moderate rock" at the beginning.
17 - Blew - So sweet. Great way to end. Double bass drumming!

Great live album.

I've heard so many mixed reviews of this CD.Personally,I really liked it.I feel SO fortunate to have seen the band play something like six months prior to Kurt Cobain's passing.Back then,I just KNEW Nirvana wouldn't last.As a band,they were JUST too good and too intense.There's a total of seventeen cuts here and the stand outs are "Drain You",their signature tune "Smells Like Teen Spirit","Lithium","Spank Thru","Heart-Shaped Box" and "Blew".These tracks were recorded live,anywhere between 1989-94.Comes with a ten page booklet of live photos and tidbits of interesting facts.

Have you ever wanted to go to a Nirvana concert but weren't ever able to go?Maybe they didn't come to your area or you didn't have the money or time or a ride but for whatever reason,you weren't able to go.
Well,put on your headphones,push play,close your eyes and your there.You're there when Kurt starts playing the riff to Smells like teen spirit,and the audience goes crazy as they recognize it,see,this cd is the ticket you never had,and as you hear these songs you love being played live and with an urgent passion it's not impossible to imagine you're actually at one of their concerts,right next to the speakers,bumping against sweaty,angst filled,flannel wearing teenagers in the moshpit, feeling that incredible release.Indeed perhaps you can see Kurt up there with his blonde hair flailing as he screams into the microphone "A denial" at the top of his lungs over and over and in that moment you know that you're not just listening to nirvana,you're EXPERIENCING nirvana,to me,THAT'S what this cd's about,when you can be there,without ever having gone.

The main gripe with this album seems to be its sloppy playing or its track selection. Yes, the versions of 'Breed' and 'Heart-Shaped Box' are a little off. Maybe the studio version of 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' was better. 'Scentless Apprentice' may not have had the same quality vocals as the studio version.

That was intended by Grohl and Novoselic. Unplugged was a GREAT release. Just about every magazine and music website recommends that you own it. It was very polished but it was very downbeat; 'Muddy Banks...' is the exact opposite. It's full of life, it's sloppy, it's LOUD, it's what Nirvana should be remembered as. Nirvana didn't break into the music industry as a depressing, acoustic band to touch our hearts. They were faster, louder, more emotional, and better than all that worthless pop that dominated the charts in the early 90s. Dave Grohl and Kris Novoselic wanted Nirvana to be remembered like that, and they did a great job of it.

As for the song selection - maybe it wasn't what everyone wanted. There's no such thing as a perfect compilation cd. I'm sure lots of people wanted a live version of 'Rape Me' or a better version of 'Smells Like Teen Spirit.' 'In Bloom' would've been great and maybe some more tracks from 'In Utero.' Unreleased stuff would've ben equally as nice! The song selection on here is a good representative selection of (except for a couple songs) Nirvana, including mostly uncommercial songs like 'Negative Creep' and 'Milk It' (meaning people who only liked 'Teen Spirit' won't like this release a whole lot except for that one song). THIS IS ESSENTIAL Nirvana material, anybody who says otherwise is wrong. Oh, and check out that punked-out electric version of 'Polly.'

Well since when Nirvana was at its peak I was too young to really even know who Nirvana was.After hearing a few songs by them I bought this album. I realized that Nirvana really was the band that shaped todays music. This an awesome album to listen strait through. There is just so much energy in their songs expecially "Smells like Teen Spirit".This album is for anyone that likes alternative rock. OR anyone that likes AWESOME music. To bad Kurt died. Otherwise they would still be makin' rocking music like this.

Well, ive read some of the reviews on here, and i totally disagree with what some of the people have said. This is a great album, with great versions of their songs. Nirvana always had a reputation of being a better live band than a studio band, and this album is evidence of that. This album shows you what great musicians can do, a great sound of the instruments and a great voice of Kurt Cobain. Teen Spirit has to be the best performance, the distortion, drums and bass are quality and Kurts vocals are brilliant, the crowd show their enthusiasm as Kurt starts the song, they errupt at the end because, it was a great version. All the songs on here are from their whole career, from Bleech to In Utero, as they progressed they got better, brilliant versions of Scentless Apprentice, Heart Shaped Box and Milk It. If you dont know much about Nirvana, then this is all you need to be convinced that Nirvana were a great rock band. All the songs on here will make you feel free, just turn it up full blast and try to re- live Nirvana as they were and as they will be, listen to this album. Nirvana? It comes damn close.

The first album that was posthumously released by the surviving members of Nirvana was the MTV Unplugged album. That album was a quiet and beautiful eulogy to Kurt Cobain. After that album, Chris Novoselic and Dave Grohl released this live set, From The Muddy Banks of the Wishkah, which shows the live power that the band was famous for. There aren't any quiet moments include here, just the full blast of the band's manic live shows. Songs like "Lithium", Aneurysm", "Drain You" and "Breed" bristle with earth moving intensity and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is a call to arms for Generation X. This album serves as a testament that Nirvana was a truly great live band and one that is still missed.

Let me get staight to the point, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is the greatest song ever. Live though, it's beyond perfect, more like sonic perfection at it's best. I'm sure everyone's heard it by now (smack yourself if not), but the song is a lot more faster than the "Nevermind" version. The guitar solo makes your jaw drop. And to think, that's only one song. Some of these songs come of wonderful here like "Heart Shaped Box" and "Negative Creep". Others didn't, like "Milk It" and "Scentless Apprentice". The majority did though, even if Kurt's voice comes off raspy remember, this is punk. Or is it grunge? Maybe alternative? Who cares, it's brilliant. This and "MTV Unplugged" are all you need. Nirvana still rock like nobody's business, I'll never forget Kurt and co. Let me just shut up, so the reader can stop reading and click that button above, do so now.