Incesticide

Incesticide is a compilation album by the American rock band Nirvana. It consists of their 1990 non-album single "Sliver", including its B-side, along with demos, outtakes, and recordings from BBC Radio sessions.^[1] It was released on December 14, 1992, in Europe, and December 15, 1992, in the United States, between the band's breakthrough album Nevermind and their third album In Utero.^[2] The album reached number 39 on the Billboard 200.^[3]

Incesticide
Compilation album by Nirvana
Released	December 14, 1992 (1992-12-14)
Recorded	January 23, 1988 – November 9, 1991
Genre	Grunge alternative rock
Length	44:41
Label	DGC
Producer	Miti Adhikari Dale Griffin Jack Endino Steve Fisk Butch Vig
Nirvana chronology
Hormoaning (1992) Incesticide (1992) In Utero (1993)

Background

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.^[4] 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.^[5] 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.^[4]

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.

In March 1993, more than two years after the release of "Sliver", a music video for the song was filmed to promote Incesticide.^[6] It was directed by Kevin Kerslake and features the band performing in Kurt Cobain's garage, decorated with his personal memorabilia. Cobain's infant daughter Frances Bean Cobain also makes an appearance.^[7]

Songs

Previously unreleased

• "Hairspray Queen"
• "Aero Zeppelin"
• "Big Long Now"
• "Been a Son" was originally released in 1989 on the Blew EP.^[8] The version on Incesticide was recorded in 1991 during a BBC Radio studio session.^[9]
• "(New Wave) Polly" is a hard rock version of the Nevermind album track "Polly", recorded in 1991 during a BBC Radio studio session.^[10]
• "Aneurysm" was originally released as a B-side on the "Smells Like Teen Spirit" single.^[11] The version on Incesticide was recorded two months later during a BBC Radio studio session.^[10]

Previously released

• "Dive" and "Sliver" were released on the "Sliver" single in 1990.^[12] "Dive" also appeared on the 1991 compilation album The Grunge Years.^[13]
• "Stain" was originally released on the Blew EP in 1989.^[8]
• Three cover songs, "Turnaround" (by Devo), "Molly's Lips", and "Son of a Gun" (both by The Vaselines), were released on the Hormoaning EP in 1992, which was released only in Australia and Japan.^[14] All three were recorded in 1990 during a BBC Radio studio session.^[10]
• "Mexican Seafood" appeared on the 1989 compilation Teriyaki Asthma Volume 1.^[15]
• "Beeswax" appeared on the 1991 compilation Kill Rock Stars.^[16]
• "Downer" was included as a bonus track on the 1990 CD release of Nirvana's 1989 debut album Bleach.^[17]

Although not commercially released at the time, "Beeswax", "Downer", "Mexican Seafood", "Hairspray Queen", and "Aero Zeppelin" were first circulated on Nirvana Demo / Montage of Heck, Nirvana's first demo tape, in 1988.^[18]

Artwork and packaging

The cover art was painted by Cobain,^[19] who is credited as Kurdt Kobain in the liner notes.^[20] The rubber duck seen on the album's back cover belonged to art-designer Robert Fisher. It can also be seen on the front sleeve of the compilation album DGC Rarities.^[21]

The front cover prominently displays a poppy (also seen throughout the music video for their song 'Heart-Shaped Box'), hinting at Cobain's struggle with heroin use.

The first several pressings of the album contained liner notes written by Cobain, including a statement decrying homophobia, racism and misogyny:^[22]

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.^[23]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[24]
Blender	[25]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[26]
Entertainment Weekly	B[27]
NME	7/10 / 3/10[28]
Pitchfork	8.7/10[29]
Rolling Stone	[30]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[31]
Select	[32]
The Village Voice	A−[33]

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…"^[32] 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".^[34]

Commercial performance

Incesticide was released on December 14, 1992, in the United Kingdom, and on December 15, 1992, in the United States.^[35] 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.^[36]

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.^[37] The album is certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number 17,^[2] 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.^[38]

Track listing

Incesticide track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Original release	Length
1.	"Dive"	Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic	"Sliver" single (1990)	3:55
2.	"Sliver"	Cobain, Novoselic	"Sliver" single (1990)	2:16
3.	"Stain"	Cobain	Blew EP (1989)	2:40
4.	"Been a Son"	Cobain	Previously unreleased alternate version	1:55
5.	"Turnaround" (Devo cover)	Mark Mothersbaugh, Gerald Casale	Hormoaning EP (1992)	2:19
6.	"Molly's Lips" (The Vaselines cover)	Eugene Kelly, Frances McKee	Hormoaning EP (1992)	1:54
7.	"Son of a Gun" (The Vaselines cover)	Eugene Kelly, Frances McKee	Hormoaning EP (1992)	2:48
8.	"(New Wave) Polly"	Cobain, Novoselic, Dave Grohl	Previously unreleased alternate version	1:47
9.	"Beeswax"	Cobain	Kill Rock Stars (1991)	2:50
10.	"Downer"	Cobain	CD version of Bleach (1990 reissue)	1:43
11.	"Mexican Seafood"	Cobain	Teriyaki Asthma Volume 1 (1989)	1:55
12.	"Hairspray Queen"	Cobain, Novoselic	Previously unreleased	4:13
13.	"Aero Zeppelin"	Cobain	Previously unreleased	4:41
14.	"Big Long Now"	Cobain	Previously unreleased Bleach outtake	5:03
15.	"Aneurysm"	Cobain, Novoselic, Grohl	Previously unreleased alternate version	4:35
Total length:				44:41

Personnel

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

Charts

Album Chart (1992/93) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[39] 22 Australian Alternative Albums (ARIA)[40] 1 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[41] 10 Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[42] 21 Canada Top Retail Albums (The Record)[43] 17 European Top 100 Albums (Music & Media)[44] 17 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[45] 31 Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts)[46] 16 French Albums SNEP)[47] 28 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[48] 40 Japanese Albums (Oricon)[49] 50 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[50] 23 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[51] 27 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[52] 18 UK Albums (OCC)[53] 14 UK Rock & Metal Albums (CIN)[54] 1 US Billboard 200[55] 39 Chart (1994) Peak position Scottish Albums (OCC)[56] 63 Chart (1995) Peak position US Top Catalog Albums (Billboard)[57] 43 Chart (2021) Peak position Greek Albums (IFPI)[58] 6 Chart (2022) Peak position Greek Albums (Billboard)[59] 5

Certifications Region Certification Certified units/sales Australia (ARIA)[60] Gold 35,000‡ Canada (Music Canada)[61] 2× Platinum 200,000^ France (SNEP)[62] Gold 100,000* United Kingdom (BPI)[63] Platinum 300,000* United States (RIAA)[64] Platinum 1,400,000[65] * Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.