Live at the Paramount (video)

Last updated

Live at the Paramount
Nirvana Live at the Paramount.jpg
Video by
Nirvana
ReleasedSeptember 24, 2011 (2011-09-24)
RecordedOctober 31, 1991 (1991-10-31) Paramount Theatre, Seattle, Washington
Genre
Length70:44
Label DGC
Nirvana chronology
Live at Reading
(2009)		Live at the Paramount
(2011)		 Live and Loud
(2013)

Live at the Paramount is a live video and album by American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 2011. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc as part of the 20th anniversary of the band's second album and mainstream breakthrough, Nevermind .

Contents

It features the band's live performance at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle, Washington, on October 31, 1991. Recorded five weeks after the release of Nevermind, the footage is taken from the only Nirvana show to be shot on 16 mm film. The Blu-ray features uncompressed 48 kHz/24-bit sound.

As well as the standalone DVD and Blu-ray releases, a DVD along with a CD audio version of the show are available packaged together as part of the limited edition Super Deluxe box set reissue of the Nevermind album. The concert was released for the first time on vinyl in April 2019.

Background

Nirvana's Paramount performance was the third of three shows in the Pacific Northwest with fellow Seattle band Mudhoney, and the final show of the North American leg of their Nevermind tour before the band departed for Europe. The three concerts, which also featured shows in Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, British Columbia, had been booked two months earlier and were originally to feature Mudhoney as the headliners. However, the surprising success of the band's second album, Nevermind , which had been released the previous month, led to Nirvana being moved to the headlining spot. The Seattle show, which also featured American rock band Bikini Kill on the bill, also had to be moved from the smaller Moore Theatre to the Paramount due to the demand for tickets. [1]

The Paramount show was attended by approximately 2,800 people, making it the largest audience the band played to during the first part of the Nevermind tour. Tickets to the show were $10. [2]

The performance

Nirvana's Paramount performance featured a typical set list of the time, with material from Nevermind and the band's 1989 debut album Bleach , as well as set list regulars "Aneurysm", "Been a Son" and the 1990 single, "Sliver". The show also featured a cover of "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam" by Scottish rock band the Vaselines, and an early version of "Rape Me", which Cobain wrote while Nevermind was being mixed. [3]

The show was filmed by a video crew the band's co-manager, John Silva, had hired for $250,000. [4] Cobain had invited Ian Dickson and Nikki McClure, two friends of his from Olympia, Washington, to dance onstage, and they wore shirts that read "Girl" and "Boy", respectively. [5]

English music journalist Everett True, a friend of Cobain's, described the Paramount show as "the end of an era" that showed that "incontrovertibly, Nirvana was now big news". [6] Seattle photographer Charles Peterson, acclaimed for his role in documenting the rise of the city's grunge scene, recalled that "the record label, unbeknownst to Nirvana, had set up a big film shoot. There were six guys all clad in black running around with compact 35mm movie cameras and I was like, 'This is the beginning of the end.' It was so unfair to their home audience because it stilted the performance. It reeked of money." [5]

Previously released songs

The idea of releasing the Paramount show in its entirety dates back to the band's lifetime. In his 1993 Nirvana biography Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana , Michael Azerrad wrote that the show "may one day be edited into a full-length film." [7] By the time of Cobain's death in April 1994, several songs from the soundboard recording, mixed by Andy Wallace, had been officially released. "School" and "Drain You" appeared on the second single from Nevermind, for the song "Come As You Are", in March 1992. "Been a Son" appeared on the following single, for "Lithium", in July 1992. Footage from the performance appeared in the music video for "Lithium" directed by Kevin Kerslake.

In November 1994, the Paramount versions of "About a Girl", "Breed", "Polly" and "Endless, Nameless" appeared in the home video Live! Tonight! Sold Out!! , which had been compiled by Cobain but unfinished at the time of his death. In October 1996, the Paramount version of "Negative Creep", from Wallace's mix, was released on the live compilation album From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah , compiled primarily by bassist Krist Novoselic. The video of "Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam" was released on the DVD of the band's rarities box set, With the Lights Out , in November 2004, while the video of "Polly" was re-released as a bonus feature on the Classic Albums: Nirvana – Nevermind DVD in March 2005.

The full soundboard of the Wallace mix had been available in trading circles for years before the release of Live at the Paramount, but remains unreleased.

Reception

Jayson Greene of Pitchfork wrote that "the joy of Live at the Paramount is hearing the charge of this moment: a great band newly famous, still reeling and flooded with nervy adrenaline." [8] Mark Deming of AllMusic compared the release to the 1964 film A Hard Day's Night in that they "captured the artists at a moment where success was a pleasure, just before it became a burden." [9]

Reviewing the vinyl release in 2019, Kerrang!'s Nick Ruskell wrote that the concert "doesn't even sound like the best show Nirvana ever played. But that's what makes this special – a truly spectacular band captured without hype, in the moment, just doing what they do. And for a band so steeped in legend, that is a rare thing to have. [10]

The Blu-ray version has been widely criticized for having audio sync problems. [11] Amazon has posted a statement from Universal that denies the problem exists, [12] but the review at the website Blu-ray.com gives the audio a score of 0/5 because of the sync issues. [13]

Legacy

On December 12, 2021, Live at the Paramount was screened at the Paramount Theatre by Seattle Theatre Group, the nonprofit group in charge of venue. The screening featured opening live music by Seattle rock bands Them and the Black Tones, with the latter band's set mixed by Nirvana's sound engineer, Craig Montgomery. [14]

Track listing

All songs by Kurt Cobain unless noted.

  1. "Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam" (The Vaselines cover) (Eugene Kelly, Frances McKee)- 5:48
  2. "Aneurysm" (Cobain, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic)- 5:05
  3. "Drain You" - 5:16
  4. "School" - 2:57
  5. "Floyd the Barber" - 2:21
  6. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Cobain, Grohl, Novoselic)- 6:58
  7. "About a Girl" - 3:02
  8. "Polly" - 3:04
  9. "Breed" - 2:54
  10. "Sliver" (Cobain, Novoselic)- 2:18
  11. "Love Buzz" (Shocking Blue cover) (Robbie van Leeuwen)- 4:01
  12. "Lithium" - 6:02
  13. "Been a Son" - 2:41
  14. "Negative Creep" - 3:00
  15. "On a Plain" - 4:09
  16. "Blew" - 3:00

Encore

  1. "Rape Me" (Early version) - 3:04
  2. "Territorial Pissings" (intro from the song "Get Together", spoken by Krist Novoselic) - 2:55 (Cobain, Chet Powers (uncredited))
  3. "Endless, Nameless" - 7:39 (Cobain, Grohl, Novoselic)

Bonus features

Easter Eggs

All video releases, the stand-alone DVD, Blu-ray, and the DVD that comes with the Nevermind "Super Deluxe" boxset, feature the following hidden tracks (easter eggs) from March 8, 1991, at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver, British Columbia. [15]

  1. "Territorial Pissings"
  2. "Breed"

Nevermind Super Deluxe DVD

The DVD that comes with the limited edition Nevermind "Super Deluxe" boxset features the music videos for the four singles from the Nevermind album. However these are not included with the standalone DVD or Blu-ray release.

  1. "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
  2. "Come as You Are"
  3. "Lithium"
  4. "In Bloom"

Charts

Chart (2011)Peak
position
Australian DVD Chart (ARIA Charts) [16] 1
Dutch DVD Chart (MegaCharts) [17] 4
Portuguese DVD Chart (AFP) [18] 5
Swedish DVD Chart (Sverigetopplistan) [19] 6
Swiss Music DVD Chart (Schweizer Hitparade) [20] 4
UK Music Videos (OCC) [21] 4
US Top Music Video Sales ( Billboard ) [22] 1

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [23] Gold7,500^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

2019 vinyl release

The concert was released as a double LP vinyl set on April 12, 2019, [24] which came with a 12x24" poster and a replica of the VIP pass that was used on the night as a download card. [25] [26]

Track listing

Side A [27]

  1. Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam
  2. Aneurysm
  3. Drain You
  4. School
  5. Floyd the Barber

Side B

  1. Smells Like Teen Spirit
  2. About a Girl
  3. Polly
  4. Breed
  5. Sliver

Side C

  1. Love Buzz
  2. Lithium
  3. Been a Son
  4. Negative Creep
  5. On a Plain

Side D

  1. Blew
  2. Rape Me
  3. Territorial Pissings
  4. Endless, Nameless

Charts

Chart (2019)Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [28] 70
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [29] 107
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [30] 99
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) [31] 16
US Top Album Sales (Billboard) [32] 72
US Rock Album Sales ( Billboard ) [33] 28
US Alternative Album Sales ( Billboard ) [34] 14

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nirvana (band)</span> American rock band (1987–1994)

Nirvana was an American rock band formed in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1987. Founded by lead singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic, the band went through a succession of drummers, most notably Chad Channing, before recruiting Dave Grohl in 1990. Nirvana's success popularized alternative rock, and they were often referenced as the figurehead band of Generation X. Their music maintains a popular following and continues to influence modern rock culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Krist Novoselic</span> American rock musician (born 1965)

Krist Anthony Novoselic is an American musician and activist. He was the bassist and a co-founder of the rock band Nirvana.

<i>Nevermind</i> 1991 studio album by Nirvana

Nevermind is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991, by DGC Records. It was Nirvana's first release on a major label and the first to feature drummer Dave Grohl. Produced by Butch Vig, Nevermind features a more polished, radio-friendly sound than the band's prior work. It was recorded at Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, California, and Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin, in May and June 1991, and mastered that August at the Mastering Lab in Hollywood, California.

<i>From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah</i> 1996 live album by Nirvana

From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah is a live album by American rock band Nirvana, released on October 1, 1996. It features live performances recorded between 1989 and 1994.

<i>With the Lights Out</i> 2004 compilation box set by Nirvana

With the Lights Out is a box set by the American rock band Nirvana, released on November 23, 2004. It contains three CDs and one DVD of previously rare or unreleased material, including B-sides, demos, and rehearsal and live recordings. The title comes from the lyrics of Nirvana's 1991 single "Smells Like Teen Spirit". The box set was planned for release in 2001, but was delayed by a legal battle with Courtney Love, the widow of Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain. As of 2016, With the Lights Out had sold 546,000 copies in the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">In Bloom</span> 1992 single by Nirvana

"In Bloom" is a song by American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It appears as the second track on the band's second album, Nevermind, released by DGC Records in September 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lithium (Nirvana song)</span> 1992 single by Nirvana

"Lithium" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It appears as the fifth track on the band's second album Nevermind, released by DGC Records in September 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sliver (song)</span> 1990 single by Nirvana

"Sliver" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic.

<i>Blew</i> 1989 EP by Nirvana

"Blew" is a song by American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It is the first song on the band's debut album Bleach, released in June 1989 by Sub Pop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">On a Plain</span> 1991 promotional single by Nirvana

"On a Plain" is a song by American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist, Kurt Cobain. It is the 11th track on their second album, Nevermind, released in September 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">About a Girl (Nirvana song)</span> 1989 song by Nirvana

"About a Girl" is a song by American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It is the third song on their debut album, Bleach, released in June 1989.

<i>Singles</i> (Nirvana box set) 1995 Nirvana box set

Singles is a box set by the American rock band Nirvana, released in Europe in December 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aneurysm (song)</span> Nirvana song

"Aneurysm" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain, bassist Krist Novoselic, and drummer Dave Grohl. It first appeared as a B-side on the band's breakthrough "Smells Like Teen Spirit" single in September 1991. A second studio version was released on the rarities compilation, Incesticide, in December 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Endless, Nameless (song)</span> 1991 song by Nirvana

"Endless, Nameless" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain, bassist Krist Novoselic, and drummer Dave Grohl. It is the 13th and final song on the band's second studio album, Nevermind, released in September 1991.

<i>Live! Tonight! Sold Out!!</i> 1994 video by Nirvana

Nirvana: Live! Tonight! Sold Out!! is a live video by the American rock band Nirvana, directed by Kevin Kerslake, and released on November 15, 1994, on VHS and laserdisc. It was re-released on DVD on November 7, 2006.

<i>Nevermind Its an Interview</i> 1992 live album by Nirvana

Nevermind, It's an Interview is the only officially released interview CD of American grunge band Nirvana. It was only a promotional release and was never commercially available. Released in limited-edition form worldwide in 1992 by Geffen Records, written, produced and engineered at WFNX Boston by Kurt St. Thomas and Troy Smith, (authors of Nirvana: The Chosen Rejects,. The original interview sessions were recorded by St. Thomas the night of Nirvana's first appearance on NBC's Saturday Night Live in 1992. It contains over an hour of audio interview with live and studio recordings. The reason for its production was for radio stations world-wide to have a Nirvana interview to play because at that time the band was so popular that it was not possible for them to visit all the radio stations that were playing their music. Copies of the CD are rare and have become collectors items. However, for a limited time, the entire CD was included at the end of the iTunes version of With the Lights Out, Nirvana's posthumous box set. It is listed as:

  1. "Nevermind It's an Interview, Pt.1"
  2. "Nevermind It's an Interview, Pt.2"
  3. "Nevermind It's an Interview, Pt.3"
<i>Classic Albums: Nirvana – Nevermind</i> 2005 video by Nirvana

Classic Albums: Nirvana – Nevermind is a documentary DVD released by Eagle Vision in March 2005, as part of the Classic Albums series. It features interviews specifically for this release with Nirvana band members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, as well as Nevermind album producer Butch Vig about the recording of the album. Other interview highlights include Garry Gersh, Jonathan Ponneman and Nils Bernstein, Thurston Moore and Jack Endino.

"Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam" is a song originally recorded by the Scottish alternative band the Vaselines. It was later covered by American rock band Nirvana in 1993 who renamed it "Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam".

<i>Live at Reading</i> 2009 live album by Nirvana

Live at Reading is a live CD/DVD by American rock band Nirvana, released on November 2, 2009. It features the band's headlining performance at the Reading Festival in Reading, England, on August 30, 1992. Bootlegged for years, the new issues present the performance for the first time mastered and color corrected.

<i>Live and Loud</i> (Nirvana video) 2013 video by Nirvana

Live and Loud is a live video by American rock band Nirvana, released on September 23, 2013. It was released as part of the 20th anniversary of the band's third and final studio album, In Utero.

References

  1. ↑ Luerssen, John D. (2014). Nirvana FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Most Important Band of the 1990s. Hal Leonard Corporation. pp. 251–252. ISBN   978-1-61713-588-0.
  2. ↑ Cross, Charles R. (December 7, 2021). "Film of legendary Nirvana performance at Seattle's Paramount Theatre to be shown there for first time". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  3. ↑ Azerrad, Michael (1994). Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana. Doubleday. p. 323. ISBN   0-385-47199-8.
  4. ↑ Luerssen, John D. (2014). Nirvana FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Most Important Band of the 1990s. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 252. ISBN   978-1-61713-588-0.
  5. 1 2 True, Everett (2007). Nirvana: The Biography. Da Capo Press. ISBN   978-0-306-81554-6. p. 314.
  6. ↑ True, Everett (2007). Nirvana: The Biography. Da Capo Press. p. 314. ISBN   978-0-306-81554-6.
  7. ↑ Azerrad, Michael (October 1993). Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana. U.S.: Doubleday. p. 321. ISBN   0-385-47199-8.
  8. ↑ Greene, Jayson (January 11, 2012). "Nirvana - Live at the Paramount". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  9. ↑ Deming, Mark. "Nirvana - Live at the Paramount". AllMusic . Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  10. ↑ Ruskell, Nick (April 15, 2019). "ALBUM REVIEW: NIRVANA - LIVE AT THE PARAMOUNT". Kerrang! . Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  11. ↑ Nirvana - Live at the Paramount amazon.com. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  12. ↑ Nirvana - Live at the Paramount amazon.com. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  13. ↑ Nirvana - Live at the Paramount Blu-ray.com. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  14. ↑ Cross, Charles R. (December 7, 2021). "Film of legendary Nirvana performance at Seattle's Paramount Theatre to be shown there for first time". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  15. ↑ Nirvana Live Guide - 1991 Archived April 24, 2013, at the Wayback Machine nirvanaguide.com. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  16. ↑ ARIA Chart report 17 October, 2011 - DVD Chart pandora.nla.gov.au. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  17. ↑ "Nirvana - Live at the Paramount DVD". dutchcharts.nl. MegaCharts . Retrieved January 26, 2019.
  18. ↑ "TOP OFICIAL AFP – Semana 40 de 2011" (in Portuguese). Artistas & Espectáculos. Archived from the original on October 12, 2011.
  19. ↑ "Search for "Nirvana"". sverigetopplistan.se. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  20. ↑ "Nirvana - Live at the Paramount (DVD)". Swisscharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  21. ↑ "Official Music Video Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  22. ↑ "Nirvana - Chart History - Music Video Sales". Billboard . Archived from the original on August 7, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  23. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2011 DVDs" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  24. ↑ Munro, Scott (March 5, 2019). "Nirvana's Live At The Paramount set for vinyl release". loudersound.com. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  25. ↑ "Nirvana's Live at the Paramount will be released on vinyl". kerrang.com. Kerrang!. February 26, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  26. ↑ Aubrey, Elizabeth (February 26, 2019). "Nirvana's famed 'Live at the Paramount' concert is being released on vinyl". NME . Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  27. ↑ "Nirvana's 'Live At The Paramount' Concert To Be Released On Vinyl". udiscovermusic.com. March 1, 2019. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  28. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Nirvana – Live at the Paramount" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  29. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Nirvana – Live at the Paramount" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  30. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Nirvana – Live at the Paramount" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  31. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  32. ↑ "Nirvana Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
  33. ↑ "Nirvana - Billboard Rock Album Sales". billboard.com. Billboard. Archived from the original on August 7, 2019. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  34. ↑ "Nirvana - Billboard Alternative Album Sales". billboard.com. Billboard. Archived from the original on August 7, 2019. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.