This week on Left of The Dial, we will be taking a look at the compilation album Incesticide by the legendary band Nirvana. Nirvana was a grunge-rock band from Aberdeen, Washington, consisting of Kurt Cobain on guitar and vocals, Krist Novoselic on bass, and Dave Grohl on drums. Incesticide was released in 1992 as the band’s third LP-length record, following Bleach in 1989 and Nevermind in 1991. Being a compilation album, Incesticide contains a combination of old demos, covers, singles, and even a handful of previously unreleased songs. I’ll go into a bit of each song’s backstory as we go through the tracklist. Before we dive in though, I should also mention that the record features four different drummers, who I will also specify for each song.
The album kicks off with “Dive,” which was recorded in April 1990 with drummer Chad Channing. Lyrically, it’s simple and repetitive, not unlike classic punk songs of the era. Cobain’s cryptic lyrics appear to be from the perspective of someone trying desperately to stand apart among a crowd of admirers, all with their eyes on one love interest, as implied by the repeated phrase “Pick me, pick me yea.” The narrator makes their case by saying “Everyone is hollow,” and “You could be the baby,” just as a few examples. It takes a sadistic twist at the end, as the narrator begs “Hit me, hit me yea, I’m real good at hitting,” implying they either get a kick out of being beaten or that maybe they aren’t the perfect lover that they say they are. The heavy, punchy drum work and brooding bass lead me to believe that it’s the latter implication.
Next up is “Sliver,” likely the most well-known single off this album. This was recorded in July 1990 and featured Dan Peters on the drum kit. I say it’s the most well-known because it was released as a single that same year, with “Dive” being its B-side. “Sliver” is much lighter in tone than “Dive,” telling a simple story of a young kid being babysat by his grandparents while his parents are out at a show. The kid is an absolute brat, throwing a tantrum and repeating “Grandma take me home” in the chorus. The crunchy guitar tone and fast drum tempo are quite effective at relaying the narrator’s moodiness. The lyrics are delightfully childish in tone, with lines like “Mashed potatoes and stuff like that, I couldn’t chew my meat too good.” All together, it makes for a cohesive song and stands as one of my favorites off of the album.
“Stain” comes afterward, having been recorded and released in 1989 for the Blew EP and once again featuring Chad Channing on drums. If you thought “Dive” was lyrically simple, then “Stain” gives it a run for its money. The song describes, as the title says, a stain on society, particularly a character that does absolutely nothing with his life. “He never reads and he never draws, And he never sleeps cuz he’s got bad blood yeah” are just a few of the things he doesn’t do. To compare this song to “Dive” again, we’re seeing another punk-styled song, though that doesn’t help it stand out among the other tracks on the album. This is a forgettable song, simple to a fault.
Fortunately, “Been A Son” shines above its predecessor. This was recorded in November 1991, and features Dave Grohl behind the drum kit. To me, Nirvana’s best tracks were the ones that forced listeners to face down dark situations and gruesome aspects of reality, and this song is one of those. Cobain was an active feminist in a time where that wasn’t commonplace, and many of his songs discussed abuse and misogyny. In that vein, “Been A Son” is from the perspective of a father who is violently disappointed in the fact that he doesn’t have a son. Instead, he has a daughter who he wishes was a boy. He says “She should have died when she was born, She should have worn the crown of thorns,” to get his point across, with the chorus bluntly stating “She should have been a son.” The message holds up strongly and may have even evolved to take on a different meaning today. As I was listening to this song, I started thinking about how the lyrics could also apply to transgender people and their struggles with identity in the face of unsupportive parents. Whatever your interpretation is, though, the song sticks in your head with its message.
“Turnaround” is the next track, which is a cover of a Devo song. This track was recorded in October 1990, also with Grohl on drums. Nirvana’s cover stays true to the original, with the obvious difference being the guitar, bass, and drums replacing the keys and synths. The lyrics ask you to do some self-reflecting, carrying a smug tone when they say how insignificant you are, like the narrator is mocking the listener. Cobain’s vocal delivery is right on point here, carrying the right balance of apathy and disgust to help the lyrics stick.
The next song is “Molly’s Lips,” which was recorded at the same session as “Turnaround.” This is another cover song, this time of The Vaselines. There are a couple more changes to the song this time, with some minor lyrical simplifications and the electric overhaul of the original’s folksy tone. It’s a fairly simple love song about a couple’s promise to stay together, so long as the narrator “stayed clean.” If the main guitar riff sounds familiar, then you might be thinking of “She’s A Rebel” by Green Day. I can’t confirm if they took inspiration from The Vaselines or Nirvana for the riff, so I’d chalk it up to being a coincidence.
Up next is another The Vaselines cover, this time for “Son Of A Gun.” This was also recorded at the same time as “Turnaround” and “Molly’s Lips.” If for some reason you were starting to tune out listening to this album, the piercing squeal of feedback at the beginning of this track should give you a startle. Again, there are some minor changes made to the lyrics with the tempo receiving a fast overhaul compared to the sunny, pop tone of the original. This is another cheesy love song, with lyrics like “The sun shines in the bedroom, When we play, The raining always starts, When you go away.” There’s something endearing about hearing those soft, fluffy lyrics being delivered with Cobain’s rough, scratchy vocals. This is another favorite of mine from the album.
Following is a new-wave rendition of “Polly” from Nevermind. This version was recorded at the same session as “Been A Son.” If you’ve listened to Nevermind, then you’re already familiar with this song. It was written about the case of Gerald Friend, who kidnapped and raped a 14 year-old girl in 1987, and the narrative of the song is told from his perspective. The original version was driven with a simple, acoustic guitar riff with minimal additions by the bass and drums, while this rendition is more traditional by Nirvana standards. “New Wave” has a quicker tempo and features all three instruments prominently. While it does an adequate job of expressing Friend’s madness, it takes away from the intimate feeling the acoustic version takes advantage of. Simply put, if you’re going to listen to “Polly,” pull up the version off Nevermind and give the new-wave rendition a pass.
“Beeswax” is the next track, and you might want to prepare yourself for some major discomfort here. This track was part of Nirvana’s first demo tape, recorded in January 1998 with Dale Crover on drums. I’d try to explain the lyrics, but I don’t think I’d do the song or Cobain any justice by trying. According to him, the lyrics weren’t supposed to be taken literally, as they were written to accentuate the melody and hallucinogenic intensity of the song. In short, they’re total gibberish. The whole song feels like a bad drug trip, with the squealing guitar tones giving it a menacing tone. What makes this feeling more intense is Cobain’s vocal delivery, slurring and screeching the words as if he were also on drugs in the recording studio. I could only handle listening to it a handful of times before I started squirming in my seat from how uncomfortable the whole experience felt, so I have to give it credit for its ability to convey such a feeling.
“Downer” has a similar feeling to its predecessor, though less intense and slightly more coherent lyrically. Like “Beeswax,” it dates back to the band’s original demo tape. The lyrics are a messy attempt at a political statement, discussing how depressing it is to be born poor in a rich country, and slinging some mud at both extremist conservatives and communists. Take these interpretations with a giant grain of salt though, as the incoherency makes it really tough to pluck out any meaning. “Downer” doesn’t seem to have the excuse of being intentionally messy like “Beeswax” does, which leads me to conclude that this song is just poorly written. This is another one to skip.
“Mexican Seafood” continues with the theme of general discomfort, being another track off the original demo tape. The lyrics describe, in gruesome detail, the results of eating Mexican Seafood, as implied by the title. It’s possible that the narrator of this song is also suffering from a STI, as he repeatedly says “it burns when I, it hurts when I pee.” I won’t describe the lyrics any further, as I was getting a little nauseous reading them. I’d say if you have a high tolerance for bodily fluids and creepy-crawly things, then you’ll have a pretty decent hidden gem on your hands. Even if you’re squeamish toward those things, Cobain’s notoriously unintelligible vocal delivery makes those details less overt, so it’s much more tolerable to listen to than to read. Just don’t look up the lyrics if you’d like to keep your food down today.
Up next is another hidden gem from the demo tape, “Hairspray Queen.” The best element of this song is easily Cobain’s vocal delivery. He screeches and whines the lyrics, effortlessly dropping to a melodic croon in the chorus to show off his impressive range. Another element of note is the bass line, with the way it bounces to accentuate the off-kilter feeling of the song. The lyrics themselves are again pretty unintelligible, I’d say it’s describing a relationship gone sour, with the sex involved playing a role in the eventual breakup. Again, take that with a grain of salt. Besides, the lyrics aren’t too important in the grand scheme of the song, as the other aspects I described make up for it and more.
We’re finally down to the final track from the demo tape, “Aero Zeppelin.” The song starts slow, the guitar weaving effortlessly with Cobain’s melodic delivery. It isn’t until about a minute and a half in that the tempo quickens and his vocals jump up to his trademark screech. The lyrics serve as a statement about the lack of creativity and care being put into popular music. Particularly potent lyrics include “You could sh*t upon the stage they’ll be fans,” and “All the kids will eat it up, If it’s packaged properly.” Like “Been A Son,” its message is one that holds up uncomfortably well, even outside of the music scene. I think we can all picture a handful of celebrities that became famous either despite their lack of originality and regard for other people, or worse, celebs who are famous for those things.
“Big Long Now” comes next. This was recorded during the sessions for Bleach from December 1988 to January 1989, with Chad Channing once again on drums. The track is slow and brooding, the guitar carrying a heavy, yet empty tone. The lyrics seem to show a one-sided relationship, with the narrator attempting to woo a girl who just isn’t into him. Cobain sounds genuinely hurt in his delivery, and the droning tone of the instrumentals only pile on the sadness. I think a lot of people can relate to the embarrassment and rejection of not having your feelings reciprocated by another person, which makes “Big Long Now” hit harder.
Finally, we come to the last track on Incesticide: “Aneurysm.” This track came from the same session as “Been A Son” and the new-wave version of “Polly.” This song was written about Cobain’s ex-girlfriend Tobi Vail of Bikini Kill fame, both as a tribute and an attempt to win her back after she dumped him. The line “Love you so much, it makes me sick,” calls back to how being around her for the first time made him sick to his stomach. There’s also plenty of jabs at common pop tropes, with the persistant use of “Come on over and do the twist,” being accentuated with a gleefully mocking tone from Cobain’s vocals. The upbeat, dare I say poppy (by Nirvana’s standards) instrumentals make for a fitting piece to end the album on. It makes sure “Big Long Now” doesn’t leave you depressed at the end.
Incesticide is an enjoyable album of hidden gems and only a few duds. Due to the age on a lot of these songs, they lean more toward Nirvana’s punk roots, which I prefer over some of the band’s heavier material from late in their career. My top three tracks would be “Sliver,” “Been A Son,” and “Hairspray Queen,” not necessarily in that order. The bottom three would be “Downer,” “(New Wave) Polly,” and “Stain,” again not in that order.
Rating: 8/10
Feature Photo by Becca Fauteux