From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah

From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah
Live album by Nirvana
Released October 1, 1996
Recorded 1989–1994
Genre Grunge
Length 53:55
Language English
Label DGC
Producer Shauna O' Brien, Diane Stata
Nirvana chronology

Singles
(1995)		 From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah
(1996)		 Nirvana
(2002)
Singles from From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah
  1. "Aneurysm (promo)"
    Released: 1996

From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah is a live album by the American alternative rock band Nirvana. It was released on October 1, 1996 and features live performances recorded from 1989 to 1994. As opposed to Nirvana's previous live album, MTV Unplugged in New York (1994), which features an acoustic performance, From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah is a compilation of live electric performances.

The album opened at number one on the Billboard 200. It spent 25 weeks on the chart and became the band's sixth platinum album since 1991. As of 2001, it has sold over 1.15 million copies in the United States alone.[1]

Release

From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah was the second Nirvana album to be released following the death of singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain in April 1994. It was compiled primarily by Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic, who also penned the album's liner notes. Novoselic and Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl had originally intended on releasing a live album in 1994, to accompany what became MTV Unplugged in New York in a two-disc set originally titled Verse Chorus Verse, named after both a Nirvana song and the most prevalent song structure in the band's music, but were emotionally unable to compile it so soon after Cobain's death.[2]

The album's title refers to the Wishkah River in Aberdeen, Washington, where Cobain claimed to have spent nights sleeping under the Young Street Bridge as a teenager (as referenced in the song "Something in the Way," from the band's 1991 release, Nevermind). This claim has since been refuted by Novoselic, who said, "He never lived under that bridge. He hung out there, but you couldn't live on those muddy banks, with the tide coming up and down. That was his own revisionism."[3]

No commercial singles were released from the album, but promotional singles were sent out for radio play for a number of the songs, including "Aneurysm" (U.S. and U.K.), "Drain You" (U.S.), "Lithium" (the Netherlands) and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Spain and France). A limited edition promotional box set was also released in Australia containing three promotional singles for the songs "Aneurysm", "Heart-Shaped Box", and "Polly". The box set also included Nevermind: It's an Interview, a promotional interview disc first released in 1992.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic [4]
Rolling Stone [5]
Robert Christgau (A)[6]

Critical reception of the album was generally positive. It was rated #9 in Rolling Stone's 1997 critics' poll of the top 10 albums of 1996,[7] and #14 in Spin's Best Albums of 1996.

Lorraine Ali of Rolling Stone described the album as the "emotional, visceral flip side" of MTV Unplugged in New York, and as "riotous and liberating," showing the band "in their most natural state, smashing instruments and inducing irreversible tinnitus."[2] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic called it "a little scattershot" but "still a terrific record" which "finds a great band in top form."[8] American music critic Robert Christgau wrote, "I play Unplugged to refresh my memory of a sojourner's spirituality. I'll play this one when I want to remember a band's guts, fury, and rock and roll music."[6]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Kurt Cobain, except where noted. 

No. TitleOther writers Length
1. "Intro"    0:52
2. "School" (recorded by VPRO-TV in Amsterdam, Netherlands, at Paradiso, November 25, 1991.)  2:40
3. "Drain You" (recorded by Westwood One at Del Mar Fairgrounds, CA, December 28, 1991.)  3:34
4. "Aneurysm" (recorded by Westwood One at Del Mar Fairgrounds, California, December 28, 1991.)Cobain, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic 4:31
5. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (recorded by Westwood One at Del Mar Fairgrounds, California, December 28, 1991.)Cobain, Grohl, Novoselic 4:47
6. "Been a Son" (recorded by VPRO-TV in Amsterdam, Netherlands, at Paradiso, November 25, 1991.)  2:07
7. "Lithium" (recorded by VPRO-TV in Amsterdam, Netherlands, at Paradiso, November 25, 1991.)  4:10
8. "Sliver" (recorded by Craig Overbay at the Springfield Civic Center, Springfield, MA, November 10, 1993.)  1:55
9. "Spank Thru" (recorded by Stereoral at Il Castello Vi de Porta, Castello 41 Rome, November 19, 1991.)  3:10
10. "Scentless Apprentice" (recorded for MTV Live and Loud by Scott Litt at Pier 48, Seattle, WA, December 13, 1993.)Cobain, Grohl, Novoselic 3:31
11. "Heart-Shaped Box" (recorded by Craig Overbay at the Great Western Forum, Los Angeles, CA, December 30, 1993.)  4:41
12. "Milk It" (recorded by Craig Overbay at the Seattle Center Arena, January 7, 1994.)  3:45
13. "Negative Creep" (recorded by Andy Wallace at the Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA, October 31, 1991.)  2:43
14. "Polly" (recorded by Craig Montgomery at the London Astoria, December 3, 1989.)  2:30
15. "Breed" (recorded by Craig Montgomery at the London Astoria, December 3, 1989.)  3:28
16. "Tourette's" (recorded by Fujisankei Communications International, Inc. in Reading, England at the Reading Festival, August 30, 1992.)  1:55
17. "Blew" (recorded by VPRO-TV in Amsterdam, Netherlands, at Paradiso, November 25, 1991.)  3:36
Vinyl edition bonus track
No. Title Length
18. "Untitled" (various concert outtakes and stage banter on side 4) 5:47

Charts and certifications

Album charts

Chart (1996) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[9] 1
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[10] 3
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[11] 10
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[12] 4
Canada (Canadian Albums Chart)[13] 1
Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[14] 14
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[15] 2
France (SNEP)[16] 1
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[17] 38
Japan (Oricon)[18] 12
New Zealand Albums (Recorded Music NZ)[19] 2
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[20] 8
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[21] 7
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[22] 6
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[23] 9
UK Albums (OCC)[24] 4
US Billboard 200[25] 1

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Argentina (CAPIF)[26] Gold 30,000x
Austria (IFPI Austria)[27] Gold 7,500x
Canada (Music Canada)[28] 2× Platinum 200,000^
France (SNEP)[29] 2× Gold 200,000*
Japan (RIAJ)[30] Gold 100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[31] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[32] Platinum 1,000,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Preceded by
Falling Into You by Celine Dion		 Billboard 200 number-one album
October 19, 1996–October 26, 1996 		Succeeded by
Falling Into You by Celine Dion
Preceded by
The Very Best of Toni Childs by Toni Childs		 Australian ARIA number-one album
October 13, 1996–October 20, 1996 		Succeeded by
The Very Best of Toni Childs by Toni Childs
Preceded by
New Adventures in Hi-Fi by R.E.M.		 Canadian Albums Chart number-one album
October 19, 1996–November 9, 1996 		Succeeded by
Best Of – Volume I by Van Halen

Personnel

Nirvana
Production

References

  1. ↑ Basham, David (2001-12-20). "Got Charts? No Doubt's Christmas Gift; Nirvana Ain't No Beatles". MTV.com.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Ali, Lorraine (1996-10-17). "One last blast". Rolling Stone (745): 129–130.
  3. ↑ "The Seattle Times: Pacific Northwest Magazine". Seattletimes.nwsource.com. Retrieved 2011-10-04.
  4. ↑ Thomas, Stephen. "Allmusic Review". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-10-04.
  5. ↑ Lorraine Ali (1998-02-02). "Rolling Stone Review". Rollingstone.com. Retrieved 2011-10-04.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Robert Christgau Review". Robertchristgau.com. 2001-08-20. Retrieved 2011-10-04.
  7. ↑ Kemp, Mark (1997-01-23). "Critics poll 1997". Rolling Stone (752): 43–47.
  8. ↑ . Allmusic.com Review http://www.allmusic.com/album/from-the-muddy-banks-of-the-wishkah-r240896title=Allmusic Review. Retrieved 2011-10-04. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  9. ↑ "Nirvana – From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah". Australiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  10. ↑ "Nirvana – From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah" (in German). Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  11. ↑ "Nirvana – From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah" (in Dutch). Ultratop.be. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  12. ↑ "Nirvana – From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah" (in French). Ultratop.be. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  13. ↑ "Top Albums/CDs - Volume 64, No. 9, October 14, 1996". RPM. Retrieved 2010-10-09.
  14. ↑ "Nirvana – From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah" (in Dutch). Dutchcharts.nl. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  15. ↑ "Nirvana: From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  16. ↑ (The user has to select "Nirvana" from the drop down list) "InfoDisc : Le Détail des Albums de chaque Artiste". Infodisc.fr. Retrieved 2012-10-14.
  17. ↑ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  18. ↑ "From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 2009-10-06.
  19. ↑ "Nirvana – From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah". Charts.org.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  20. ↑ "Nirvana – From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah". Norwegiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  21. ↑ "Nirvana – From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah". Spanishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  22. ↑ "Nirvana – From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah". Swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  23. ↑ "Nirvana – From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah". Swisscharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  24. ↑ "Nirvana | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  25. ↑ "Nirvana Album & Song Chart History" Billboard 200 for Nirvana. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  26. ↑ "Discos de oro y platino" (in Spanish). Cámara Argentina de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
  27. ↑ "Austrian album certifications – Nirvana – From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah" (in German). IFPI Austria. Enter Nirvana in the field Interpret. Enter From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah in the field Titel. Select album in the field Format. Click Suchen
  28. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Nirvana – From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah". Music Canada.
  29. ↑ "French album certifications – Nirvana – From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
  30. ↑ "RIAJ > The Record > April 2000 > Certified Awards (February 2000)". Recording Industry Association of Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 2013-08-02.
  31. ↑ "British album certifications – Nirvana – From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah". British Phonographic Industry. Enter From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search
  32. ↑ "American album certifications – Nirvana – From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH

External links