Nirvana is a greatest hits album by Nirvana, released on October 29, 2002. It was the third Nirvana album released following the death of vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain in 1994.
The album includes songs from Nirvana‘s three studio albums and the live album MTV Unplugged in New York, plus the previously unreleased You Know You’re Right, recorded in 1994 during Nirvana‘s final studio session, a version of Been a Son, previously only available on a UK limited release, and the Scott Litt remix of Pennyroyal Tea.
Nirvana opened at number three on the Billboard 200 with 234,000 copies sold. It has sold one million copies in the United States, and two million copies in Europe as of 2007. Nirvana was released following the settlement of a long-standing legal dispute between Cobain‘s widow, Courtney Love, and surviving Nirvana members Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl.
The dispute was largely centered around You Know You’re Right, which Novoselic and Grohl had wanted to release on a long-delayed Nirvana rarities box set. However, Love blocked the song’s release, and sued Novoselic and Grohl over control of Nirvana‘s legacy.
In September 2002, it was officially announced that the lawsuit had been settled, and that You Know You’re Right would be released on (Nirvana, a one-CD history of the band), in November, with the box set to follow in 2004.
Tracklist:
- You Know You’re Right: Previously unreleased
- About a Girl: Bleach (1989)
- Been a Son Blew (1989)
- Sliver: non-album single (1990)
- Smells Like Teen Spirit: Nevermind (1991)
- Come as You Are: Nevermind
- Lithium: Nevermind
- In Bloom: Nevermind
- Heart-Shaped Box: In Utero (1993)
- Pennyroyal Tea: (Scott Litt remix) In Utero (censored version; 1994)
- Rape Me: In Utero
- Dumb: In Utero
- All Apologies: MTV Unplugged in New York (1994)
- The Man Who Sold the World: David Bowie MTV Unplugged
Bonus Track International - Where Did You Sleep Last Night: MTV Unplugged in New York
- Something in the Way: MTV Unplugged in New York
Credits
Kurt Cobain: vocals and guitar
Krist Novoselic: bass guitar
Dave Grohl: drums (except on tracks 2, 3 and 4) and backing vocals on “In Bloom” and MTV Unplugged tracks
Chad Channing: drums on About a Girl and Been a Son
Dan Peters: drums on Sliver
Pat Smear: guitar on MTV Unplugged tracks
Lori Goldston: cello on MTV Unplugged tracks
Kera Schaley: cello on Dumb
Production
Nirvana: production
Butch Vig: production, engineering
Steve Albini: engineering, mixing
Jack Endino: engineering, mixing
Steve Fisk: engineering, mixing
Adam Kasper: engineering, mixing
Andy Wallace: mixing
Scott Litt: production, mixing
Bob Ludwig: mastering
Robert Fisher: Art Direction
David Fricke: liner notes
Michael Meisel: project director
James Barber: project director
John Silva: project director
Corbis Bettman: photography
Frank Micelotta: photography
Frank Ockenfels: photography
Charles Peterson: photography
Redferns: photography
Kurt Cobain (February 20, 1967 – April 5, 1994).
