"Most of what we recorded from 1990 to 1994 has been released or heard -- maybe if it's live stuff I'm not that sure -- but I think the real jewels of that box set will be the really weird stuff that was recorded before I was in the band." Grohl admitted that he hasn't been too hands-on with the project, with the majority of work being done by former Nirvana bassist, Krist Novoselic, and Seattle rock journalist Gillian G. Gaar. He felt fine leaving it in Novoselic's hands, since the bassist had also done the majority of the grunt work on 1996's From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah, the second posthumous Nirvana album, which compiles sixteen live tracks that span the band's career. Critics insisted that Wishkah wasn't the great lost Nirvana album since there were no unheard gems to add to the catalog, leaving the door open for the box set. While there is no release date, no title, nor track listing, the good news is that work is progressing. When contacted, Gaar confirmed that the process is moving forward, albeit slowly and thoroughly. She has been combing through tapes for the past year and a half -- ever since Novoselic contacted her upon reading a Goldmine article she wrote about the band in 1997, where she catalogued all the extant Nirvana recordings. Speaking of slowly, in other Nirvana news, it looks like Sub Pop's tenth anniversary reissue of Bleach, the band's 1989 debut, won't even be ready for the album's eleventh anniversary. Apparently lawyers for Sub Pop and Novoselic are squabbling over exactly what bonus tracks will be included on the reissue. Novoselic is also overseeing that project, as well as penning the liner notes. JAAN UHELSZKI |
