Incesticide

Early in 1992, Jonathan Poneman of Sub Pop contacted Gary Gersh, who had previously signed Nirvana to DGC Records, to inform him that Sub Pop still had a number of unreleased early Nirvana recordings in their possession.[2] The band had intended to release the material via Sub Pop and cynically called it Cash Cow. However, Sub Pop could not match Geffen Records' distribution network, and the band felt that getting the material maximum exposure was important.[3] Sub Pop sold the recordings to Geffen for "a six-figure amount" on the condition that the band would create and approve the release of an album by Christmas 1992.[2]

At the time, the majority of the material on Incesticide was circulating within fan communities (albeit in lower quality). It was widely reported in the music press that the band wanted to offer fans a higher-quality alternative. In the book Cobain Unseen, Charles R. Cross writes that Kurt Cobain agreed to the release of this compilation because he was allowed complete control over the album's artwork.

Since the songs were recorded in different sessions and some were recorded when Nirvana did not have a stable formation, the album includes recordings by four different drummers: Chad Channing, Dan Peters, Dale Crover, and Dave Grohl.

The cover art was painted by Cobain,[4] who is credited as Kurdt Kobain in the liner notes.[5] The rubber duck seen on the album's back cover belonged to art-designer Robert Fisher. The front cover prominently displays a poppy, hinting at Cobain's struggle with heroin addiction.

The first several pressings of the album contained liner notes written by Cobain, including a statement decrying homophobia, racism and misogyny:[6]

If any of you in any way hate homosexuals, people of different color, or women, please do this one favor for us—leave us the fuck alone! Don't come to our shows and don't buy our records.

Versions of the album containing the liner notes by Cobain could be found at record stores as late as 1998. Initial copies in the U.S. and Canada also contained a Parental Advisory label.[7]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[8]
Blender	[9]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[10]
Entertainment Weekly	B[11]
NME	7/10 / 3/10[12]
Pitchfork	8.7/10[13]
Rolling Stone	[14]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[15]
Select	[16]
The Village Voice	A−[17]

The album received generally positive reviews. "Nobody really wants a Hatful of Hollow-type assortment of Peel/Goodier sessions, B-sides, demos and obscurities in the place of a proper studio album," observed Andrew Perry in Select. "But, hell, wouldn't you try and put an end to the consumer madness going on in your name? And harvest some of the money for yourself? Anyway, people might start talking about the music again…"[16] In a review for AllMusic, music critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine said that the song "Aneurysm" was "perhaps the greatest single song the group ever recorded".[18]

Incesticide was released on December 14, 1992, in the United Kingdom, and on December 15, 1992, in the United States.[19] The record label, Geffen, decided against heavily promoting the album, possibly to avoid a "Nirvana burnout" as the band had released Nevermind and four singles in the preceding fifteen months.[20]

Despite this lack of promotion and being a collection of old and new material, Incesticide debuted at number 51 in the Billboard 200 and sold 500,000 copies in two months.[21] The album is certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number 17,[1] and peaked at number 14.

On November 23, 2012, Incesticide was re-released on vinyl as a limited two-LP 45 RPM edition for its 20th anniversary.[22]

All sessions:

• Kurt Cobain – vocals, guitar
• Krist Novoselic – bass guitar

Seattle, WA: Reciprocal Recording Studios (January 23, 1988)
Nirvana's first studio demo tape.
Songs: "Beeswax," "Downer," "Mexican Seafood," "Hairspray Queen," and "Aero Zeppelin"

• Dale Crover – drums
• Jack Endino – producer, engineer

Seattle, WA: Reciprocal Recording Studios (December 1988 – January 1989)
The Bleach recording sessions.
Song: "Big Long Now"

• Chad Channing – drums
• Jack Endino – producer, engineer

Seattle, WA: Music Source Studios (September 1989)
The Blew EP recording sessions.
Song: "Stain"

• Chad Channing – drums
• Steve Fisk – producer

Madison, WI: Smart Studios (April 2, 1990 – April 6, 1990)
The sessions for the planned second Sub Pop album.
Song: "Dive"

• Chad Channing – drums
• Butch Vig – producer

Seattle, WA: Reciprocal Recording Studios (July 11, 1990)
The "Sliver" Sub Pop single session.
Song: "Sliver"

• Dan Peters – drums
• Jack Endino – producer, engineer

London, England: Maida Vale Studio 3 (October 21, 1990)
The 1990 BBC session for John Peel.
Songs: "Turnaround," "Molly's Lips," and "Son of a Gun"

• Dave Grohl – drums
• Dale Griffin – producer
• Mike Engles – engineer
• Fred Kay – engineer

London, England: Maida Vale Studio 4 (November 9, 1991)
The 1991 BBC session for Mark Goodier.
Songs: "Been a Son," "(New Wave) Polly," and "Aneurysm"

• Dave Grohl – drums
• Miti Adhikari – producer
• John Taylor – engineer

Bibliography

• Azerrad, Michael. Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana. Doubleday, 1994. ISBN 0-385-47199-8
• Cross, Charles. Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain. Hyperion, 2001. ISBN 0-7868-8402-9

• Incesticide at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed)
• Live Nirvana Companion to Official Releases - Incesticide