THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “To say that Nirvana’s third and ultimately final studio album In Utero was one of the most impactful records of the modern era would be an understatement.
Originally released Sept. 21, 1993, In Utero’s unadorned sonic rawness was received by critics and fans with equal measures of shock and elation, as Steve Albini’s recording laid bare every primal nuance of the most confrontational yet vulnerable material Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl would ever record. And with its 1991 predecessor Nevermind having sold some 30 million copies and causing a seismic pop cultural shift, In Utero was essentially the first record Nirvana would make with any expectations from the public. So from the opening quasi-shamble melodics of Serve The Servants through the bittersweet closing strains of All Apologies, In Utero was the sound of the most incredible yet conflicted musical force of the era at the peak of its powers coming to terms with a generational spokes-band mantle they’d never seen coming — and ultimately surmounting these struggles to make the record they needed to make.
Nirvana recorded In Utero over the course of six days in February 1993 at Pachyderm Studio in Cannon Falls, MN with Albini. In Utero went on to mark Nirvana’s first No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200 and has since been certified six-times-platinum in the United States.
Geffen/UMe/Universal Music Canada commemorates the 30th anniversary of In Utero with several multi-format reissues, arriving on Oct. 27. Configurations include a limited-edition eight-LP Super Deluxe box set, a five-CD Super Deluxe box set, a single LP + 10” edition, a two-CD Deluxe Edition, and a Digital Super Deluxe edition.
The three Super Deluxe Edition releases comprise a total of 72 tracks with 53 previously unreleased tracks. Among the unreleased material, two full In Utero-era concerts, namely Live In Los Angeles (1993) and the band’s final Seattle performance, Live In Seattle (1994), are included in addition to six bonus live tracks from Rome, Springfield, and New York. Seattle producer and engineer Jack Endino — who helmed the band’s 1988 debut Bleach — reconstructed the live tracks from stereo soundboard tapes for this year’s reissue. Additionally, In Utero’s original 12 songs, along with five bonus tracks and B-sides, have been newly remastered from the original analog master stereo tapes by Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering Services — who assisted Albini as the only other engineer at the original sessions.
The physical Super Deluxe Edition box sets also boast a removable front-cover acrylic panel with the album’s iconic angel; a 48-page hardcover book with unreleased photos; a 20-page newly designed fanzine; a Los Angeles tour poster lithograph by hot-rod artist Coop; replicas of the 1993 record store promo angel mobile, three gig fliers, two ticket stubs for Los Angeles and Seattle, an all-access tour laminate, and four cloth sticky tour backstage passes: Press, photo, after show, and local crew.
In Utero: 30th Anniversary LP Version
The 8LP Super Deluxe features 180-gram pressings of the album + 5 B-sides & bonus tracks newly remastered from 96kHz 24-bit transfers of the original analog master tapes, 2 complete concerts from Los Angeles ’93 & Seattle ‘94 plus 6 bonus live songs from the tour – 72 total tracks – 53 unreleased tracks. Bonus items: an Angel-on-acrylic panel; 48-pg book with unreleased photos; new 20-pg fanzine; LA gig poster litho; 2 ticket stubs; replicas of the promo Angel mobile, 3 gig flyers, all-access tour laminate & 4 backstage passes.
LP 1: In Utero
SIDE 1
Serve The Servants
Scentless Apprentice
Heart-Shaped Box
Rape Me
Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle
Dumb
SIDE 2
Very Ape
Milk It
Pennyroyal Tea
Radio Friendly Unit Shifter
tourette’s
All Apologies
LP 2: Bonus Tracks & B-Sides
SIDE 1
Gallons Of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through The Strip
Marigold
Sappy
Moist Vagina
I Hate Myself And Want To Die
SIDE 2: Bonus Live 1993/1994
Serve The Servants (Live in Rome)*
Scentless Apprentice (Live in Rome)*
Heart-Shaped Box (Live in Rome)*
Very Ape (Live in Rome)*
Milk It (Live in Springfield)*
tourette’s (Live in New York)*
LP 3-5: Live In Los Angeles
Great Western Forum – December 30, 1993
SIDE 1
Radio Friendly Unit Shifter*
Drain You*
Breed*
Serve The Servants*
SIDE 2
Come As You Are*
Smells Like Teen Spirit*
Sliver*
Dumb*
SIDE 3
In Bloom*
About A Girl*
Lithium*
Pennyroyal Tea*
SIDE 4
School*
Polly*
Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle*
Rape Me*
Territorial Pissings*
SIDE 5
Jesus Doesn’t Want Me For A Sunbeam*
The Man Who Sold The World*
All Apologies*
On A Plain*
SIDE 6
Heart-Shaped Box
Blew*
Feedback Jam*
LP 6-8: Live In Seattle
Seattle Center Arena – January 7, 1994
SIDE 1
Radio Friendly Unit Shifter*
Drain You*
Breed*
Serve The Servants*
SIDE 2
Come As You Are*
Smells Like Teen Spirit*
Sliver*
Dumb*
SIDE 3
In Bloom*
About A Girl*
Lithium*
Pennyroyal Tea*
SIDE 4
School*
Polly*
Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle*
Milk It
Rape Me*
SIDE 5
Territorial Pissings*
Jesus Doesn’t Want Me For A Sunbeam*
The Man Who Sold The World*
All Apologies*
SIDE 6
On A Plain*
Scentless Apprentice*
Heart-Shaped Box*
Blew*
* Previously unreleased
