Search - Nirvana :: Live at Reading [CD/DVD]

Love & Hate

T. Perrine | Cleveland, Ohio | 11/04/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Being a long time, die hard Nirvana fan since I was a kid in the early 1990's, and going to my local record den and finding the latest imports and bootlegs by my favorite band, I procured this very concert probably a dozen years ago. I always thought this to be a great performance, with high energy, a great set list, and that "something" that keeps you putting in your illicit buy again and again. Having said that, I was pretty thrilled to learn that the 8/30/92 Nirvana show at the Reading Festival was being officially released. I picked up the cd this morning, along with the 20th anniversary edition of Bleach's release, the DVD was "still in the back and hasn't been put out yet" - so says the couldn't-care-less salesman at my local Wal*Mart.



On the way to work, I popped in the Reading CD and was overly pleased with the improvement on the sound quality from bootleg copies of this show that have been circulating for years. - I was, however, totally irritated with the general production of this performance for it's release, and by that, I mean this; they took out a lot of the between-song talking, and goofing around, which is, in part, what made a Nirvana concert a Nirvana concert. Now, before everyone starts blasting me, I understand that some of it had to be deleted for continuity, space on the CD, etc, etc.. But how do you edit out the band mocking themselves by turning the intro of 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' into a jam on Boston's 'More Than A Feeling' with Krist singing (poorly)? Or when Kurt announces that the next song is for his then 12-day-old-daughter, and his wife, and proceeds to ask the crowd to yell 'Courtney We Love You!" - That song was 'All Apologies'. Now we all know that no one likes Courtney Love, but that was a moment, that accurately reflects the vibe of the times in Nirvana's history, and should have been left in. Like Courtney, or hate her, it was a pretty touching moment, and a rare thing for Kurt to do at a concert.



Another that that drove me absolutely up a wall about this CD is the insertion of fake crowd cheering at the beginning of every song, and it sounds like the same canned sound clip of the crowd cheering is used in a good portion of the songs in the set. This is especially annoying, and almost comical to hear by the end of the disc. It really takes away from the experience, especially after listening to the bootleg version for so long, whose quality was not nearly as good, but at least it was real, and raw. To put this all in a nutshell, The show was epic enough on it's own, don't mess with it.

Anyone even a little familiar with the time line of Nirvana's music knows that songs like 'All Apologies', "School", "Sliver", and "Been a Son" were virtually unknown songs in 1992, so hearing an erupting cheer when they start playing 'Been a Son' sounds totally ridiculous. At least to me.. Maybe I'm being overly critical, but it's really annoying, and like I said earlier, comical to listen to by half way into the show.



Stick to the DVD, people. All the "little things" are in there that give this show it's charm in the first place, and yes, the stuff that was deleted from the CD.. but the same annoying addition of fake crowd cheering is on both the CD and the DVD.. Oh well..



-Phiber Optik"

Awesome Show!!

T. Nelson | Saint Joseph, MO | 11/04/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Just finished watching the dvd in its entirety. All I have to say is, "Classic Show!" One of the cool things about watching/listening to a Nirvana show, is how all the songs seem like they're gonna fall apart at any moment. Or, how Kurt seems to wanna half-sabotage each and every song! You can even catch Dave and Krist laughing about it during some songs! I love seeing this side of the band. Especially since a lot of people have this preconceived idea that Nirvana were a bunch of overly serious, sad and depressed bunch of guys. Obviously not the case, as anyone can see in most of their live performances.



I highly recommend this cd/dvd set to anyone who considers themselves a fan. And oh yeah, be sure to stay tuned until after the credits. There's a bit of a surprise."

Nirvana Live At Reading - Worth The Wait!

Chauncey Gardner | Los Angeles | 11/03/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In a word - amazing! Live At Reading serves as a vibrant reminder as to why Nirvana belongs in the pantheon of great rock bands, and how they may likely be the last great and meaningful band to emerge in the past twenty years. Live At Reading captures the band at a crossroads - just a year before in 1991, the band played the very same festival, but was relegated to an afternoon performance somewhere in the middle of the multi-day, multi-band gathering. Just a year later, they would be arriving as conquering anti-heroes, having in the space of a year, accomplished the small feat of changing the face of music. Now the festivals headliners, Nirvana - and particularly Kurt Cobain, had become the subject of much public attention, and amidst a cloud of rumours and innuendo stirred up by the press, the appearance was as much anticipated for the spectacle as it was for the expected performance, a performance that would be the bands final in the U.K. What is captured on tape, hardly comes across as a band in its final moments - Live At Reading explodes with ferocity and moments of sheer brilliance. Granted it has its less than sparkling moments, but those are few and far between, and seem more a by-product of a band at odds with its own success, and adding verity to event.



The moments where Nirvana truly shine are too many to mention - the performance of "School" displays the skills and sound which made Dave Grohl such a key addition to the band. His drumming matches the visceral attack of Kurt's vocals, turning the performance into a thundering pummel that churns the crowd into a sea of screaming bodies. Other highlights include blistering performances of tracks from Nevermind, including "Breed," and "Lithium," the latter of which induces the crowd into a most memorable sing-a-long segment, serving to illustrate both the bands immense popularity at the time, and the potency of its songs.



Other highlights include those from the then forthcoming In Utero album, including the first ever performance of "Tourette's" and the soon to become classic "All Apologies."



On the technical side, the 5.1 Surround mix mastering done by Bob Ludwig is nothing short of incredible. Having been fortunate enough to work from the original multi-track masters, the sound freed from those tapes is a revelation, and reason enough for any lagging fans still listening in simple stereo, to make the leap to a surround system. The picture quality is also a quantum leap forward, having owned a bootleg copy for years, the improvement is clearly visible. Live At Reading is a must have for any Nirvana fan, casual or core.



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