In Utero: 20th Anniversary Re-issue

            Saturday marked the 20 year anniversary of Nirvana’s last studio album’s release in America. Initially, the album was available on vinyl and cassette tape only, with a CD release on September 21^st, 1993. Accordingly, the remaining members of the band along with Universal Records are releasing a remastered version of the album on September 24 to commemorate this year’s landmark in the band’s history. The Super Deluxe version of the release boasts: “more than 70 [Steve Albini] remastered, remixed, rare and unreleased recordings, including B-sides, compilation tracks, never-before-heard demos and live material featuring the final touring lineup of Cobain, Novoselic, Grohl, and Pat Smear,” as well as a DVD of the band’s full performance at Seattle’s Pier 48 on December 13, 1993.

            There are also four other, cheaper, releases for those of us belonging to the 99% who can’t afford (or don’t want) to drop $150 on a big box set, that all include unreleased Steve Albini mixes of the album, various live cuts, and other rarities associated . Full details are available here. My eye’s on the triple LP Anniversary Edition as the best value ($50).

            So to keep up with the acclaimed Nirvana/Albini collaboration (37 Flood is torn between the two) we’re gonna’ catch up with the obnoxious bassist who threw his instrument fifteen feet into the air only for it to come crashing down on his face at the 1992 VMAs. Turns out he was found hours later holding ice to his head, drinking champagne with Brian May. Not a bad deal.

            

           
                 Since he’s the only living member of Nirvana who didn’t hop onto the Foo Fighters after the April 5, 1994 assassination, it’s understandable that most people don’t know Krist Novoselic joined the influential punk outfit Flipper in 2006. But more importantly, when Washington State included the Erotic Music Law in 1995, Krist jumped to action starting the Joint Artists and Musicians Political Action Committee (JAMPAC) to fight the law that would heavily support Censorship, taking the stance that the First Amendment protects the freedom of artists and viewers alike to create and patronize as they wish. JAMPAC also took down the Seattle Teen Dance Ordinance, a law that prohibited persons under the age of 21 attending late-night concerts.

            In 2008, Novoselic  became the chairman of FairVote, an organization that promotes and encourages ease of access to voting for all people. On top of that, the man was also elected Democratic State Committeeman for Wahkiakum County.
           You can hear an exclusive interview that Novoselic did with Dave Grohl and Bob Boilen to promote the reissue on npr.org.
              

More information about Krist Novoselic is available here.