No Alternative | ||||
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Compilation album by various artists | ||||
Released | October 26, 1993 | |||
Recorded | 1991–1993 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 74:21 | |||
Label | Arista | |||
Producer |
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Red Hot Benefit series chronology | ||||
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Singles from No Alternative | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Christgau's Consumer Guide | [2] |
Deseret News | [3] |
Los Angeles Times | [4] |
Orlando Sentinel | [5] |
No Alternative is an alternative rock compilation album produced by Paul Heck and Chris Mundy that was released in 1993. It was the third compilation put together by the Red Hot Organization, a charity dedicated to raising money for and awareness of AIDS relief. [6] The album features original tracks and cover versions from bands who went on to define the alternative rock scene of the 1990s. It was released with two different versions of album art: the standard version depicting a boy (without the Nirvana song listed on the back and liner notes), [7] and the alternate version depicting a girl (some with and some without the Nirvana song listed on the back and liner notes).
A television special hosted by MTV and a VHS home video release featured live performances, music videos, and information about AIDS.
On 20 April 2013, as part of the annual internationally celebrated Record Store Day, No Alternative was released for the first time on vinyl as a special 20th anniversary edition LP. [8] Stereogum lauded the album in a retrospective piece, saying that "it captures the American alternative scene at its commercial, cultural, and critical peak." [9] In an interview with Radio New Zealand, producer Paul Heck discussed the history of the Red Hot Organization and the anniversary of No Alternative, saying that the response from the musicians asked to contribute was "overwhelmingly positive" and that some artists even wrote songs specifically for the compilation. [10]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Artist | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Superdeformed" | Matthew Sweet | Matthew Sweet | 3:58 |
2. | "For All to See" | Buffalo Tom | Buffalo Tom | 3:36 |
3. | "Sexual Healing" | Odell Brown, Marvin Gaye, David Ritz | Soul Asylum | 4:45 |
4. | "Take a Walk" | Urge Overkill | Urge Overkill | 4:39 |
5. | "All Your Jeans Were Too Tight" | Mark Eitzel | American Music Club | 3:33 |
6. | "Bitch" | Mick Jagger, Keith Richards | Goo Goo Dolls with Lance Diamond | 3:17 |
7. | "Unseen Power of the Picket Fence" | Scott Kannberg, Stephen Malkmus | Pavement | 3:53 |
8. | "Glynis" | Billy Corgan | The Smashing Pumpkins | 4:53 |
9. | "Can’t Fight It" | Bob Mould | Bob Mould | 3:49 |
10. | "Hold On" | Sarah McLachlan | Sarah McLachlan | 4:23 |
11. | "Show Me" | Ben Shepherd | Soundgarden | 2:48 |
12. | "Brittle" | Shayne Carter, Straitjacket Fits | Straitjacket Fits | 3:24 |
13. | "Joed Out" | Graeme Downes | Barbara Manning and the San Francisco Seals | 3:52 |
14. | "Heavy 33" | Graeme Downes | The Verlaines | 4:21 |
15. | "Effigy" | John Fogerty | Uncle Tupelo | 5:59 |
16. | "It's the New Style" (Live) | Beastie Boys, Rick Rubin | Beastie Boys and DJ Hurricane | 2:20 |
17. | "Iris" (Live) | Kim Deal | The Breeders | 3:44 |
18. | "Memorial Song" (Live) | Patti Smith | Patti Smith | 3:33 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Artist | Length |
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19. | "Verse Chorus Verse" (*Note [a] ) | Kurt Cobain | Nirvana | 3:24 |
No Alternative | |
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Video by various artists | |
Released | February 22, 1994 |
Genre | Alternative rock |
Length | 65:00 |
Label | PolyGram Video |
Director | various |
US live performances:
UK live performances:
Spoken word:
Chart (1993–1994) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia Alternative Albums ( ARIA ) [11] | 15 |
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [12] | 46 |
US Billboard 200 [13] | 56 |
US Top 100 Pop Albums ( Cashbox ) [14] [15] | 21 |
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