Marshall Of Rock

Corey Taylor (Slipknot, Stone Sour) is the latest rocker who has collaborated with Dave Grohl on what I speculate is a documentary about the legendary Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, California. Taylor revealed the recording session, writing, "HUGE checks off the Bucket List today — did a song with Dave Grohl and Butch Vig. Do the words 'holy shit' say enough about it?!?"

Stephen Pearcy and Warren DeMartini of Ratt recently recorded a song for the project with Pearcy saying, "Warren and I are recording an original song for a project for Dave. He's way cool and we're ready to go. . . We'll let [Dave] tell you about when he's ready, kidz. [It's not a track] for a Ratt record."

Ratt and Slipknot have both recorded albums at Sound City Studios. Butch Vig produced Nirvana's landmark 1991 album "Nevermind", which was also recorded at Sound City.

Grohl said recently, we can expect some “epic” performances in addition to the rockumentary.

The now closed Sound City Studios was the grounds where many incredible rock album were recorded, just a few of the artists who’ve recorded there include Metallica, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, Nine Inch Nails, Willie Nelson, and Eric Clapton. We initially learned of Grohl’s documentary secondhand from REO Speedwagon frontman Kevin Cronin, who briefly teased the project before realizing he should probably let Dave deliver the news. The topic came up in a Q&A featured in the latest issue of Rolling Stone and Grohl talked about what inspired him to helm the project:

“When Sound City closed last year it was a very sad day. That place was like a church. The list people that recorded there is like a virtual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We recorded ‘Nevermind’ there back in 1991. That funky old place had the best drum room in the world. The drum sound at the beginning of ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit?’ That’s Sound City. I decided to make a film about that feeling when you put five guys in a room, hit “record” and the hair on the back of your neck stands up. Expect some epic jam sessions.”

The Daily Show's Jon Stewart hosted a special Town Hall Q&A in celebration of the 20th Anniversary of "Nevermind." Fans asked questions of Krist Novoselic, Dave Grohl and producer Butch Vig in the SiriusXM Studios in New York City. In the first clip, the three talk about the tracks on Nevermind and jokingly tease about another possible box set. In the second, Krist and Dave recall Dave's first rehearsal with the band, and Dave talks about leaving his former band, Scream.

The special aired as part of Nevermind Radio, a five-day all-Nirvana channel featuring live recordings, rarities and more. Nevermind Radio took over Lithium, which plays the best '90s alternative music. These clips are really good, let's hope the entire interview will get posted at some point.

This Saturday (Sept. 24) marks the 20th anniversary of the release of Nirvana's Nevermind. To commemorate this milestone, the LP will be reissued next week in Deluxe and Super Deluxe packages. The Deluxe edition will contain a remastered version of the original album, with B-sides and a second disc featuring the Smart Studios demo sessions, BBC sessions and boombox rehearsals. I've put together a plethora of Nirvana video, links and other cool stuff for you to check out and take a trip back.

The Super Deluxe edition contains even more, with the addition of Butch Vig's original album mixes and audio and video footage of the band's Halloween performance at Seattle's Paramount Theatre on October 31, 1991 which fans will recognise from the performances of Breed, Polly, About A Girl and Endless Nameless on Live! Tonight! Sold Out!! The Super Deluxe edition is limited to 10,000 copies in the US and a further 30,000 worldwide.

One of the items in the Super Deluxe set is a full DVD and CD of the band performing live at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle in 1991, the year Nevermind turned the music world on its ear. The above clip is from that concert. Check out Nirvana ripping their way through Territorial Pissings.

The Deluxe edition tracklisting:
CD one
Original album:
Smells Like Teen Spirit
In Bloom
Come As You Are
Breed
Lithium
Polly
Territorial Pissings
Drain You
Lounge Act
Stay Away
On A Plain
Something In The Way

B-sides:
Even In His Youth
Aneurysm
Curmudgeon
D-7 (live at the BBC)
Been A Son (live)
School (live)
Drain You (live)
Sliver (live)
Polly (live)

CD two
The Smart Studio Sessions:
In Bloom (previously unreleased)
Imodium (previously unreleased)
Lithium (previously unreleased)
Polly (previously unreleased mix)
Pay To Play
Here She Comes Now
Dive (previously unreleased)
Sappy (previously unreleased)

The Boombox Rehearsals:
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Verse Chorus Verse (previously unreleased)
Territorial Pissings (previously unreleased)
Lounge Act (previously unreleased)
Come As You Are
Old Age (previously unreleased)
Something In The Way (previously unreleased)
On A Plain (previously unreleased)

BBC Sessions:
Drain You (previously unreleased)
Something In The Way (previously unreleased)

The Super Deluxe edition tracklisting (CDs one and two as per Deluxe edition):
CD three
The Devonshire Mixes:
Smells Like Teen Spirit
In Bloom
Come As You Are
Breed
Lithium
Territorial Pissings
Drain You
Lounge Act
Stay Away
On A Plain
Something In The Way

CD four & DVD
Live At The Paramount Theatre:
Jesus Doesn't Want Me For A Sunbeam
Aneurysm
Drain You
School
Floyd The Barber
Smells Like Teen Spirit
About A Girl
Polly
Breed
Sliver
Love Buzz
Lithium
Been A Son
Negative Creep
On A Plain
Blew
Rape Me
Territorial Pissings
Endless, Nameless

DVD only
Music videos:
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Come As You Are
Lithium
In Bloom

Listen to three of the unreleased tracks here.

MTV is celebrating the anniversary by busting out a mass of archival footage for a week’s worth of remembrance, as part of the ‘Nevermind You Knew’ promotion. There's classic interview footage of  bassist Krist Novoselic simply defining Nirvana as “just this crazy rock and roll band.” Novoselic made that declaration during the band’s initial MTV interview, which aired on Sept. 30, 1991, when ‘Nevermind’ had been in stores for just six days. He then joked that he hadn’t had a psychiatric evaluation lately.

MTV also rolled out another classic interview with Kurt Cobain, where he doesn’t want to talk about the band name and instead discusses the humble beginnings of the band. He also says that “the Beatles and punk rock” were the band’s biggest influences.

Check out  Foo Fighters leader Dave Grohl, looking so damn young!

Check out more awesome Nirvana MTV videos: www.mtv.com

On September 20th each song on "Nevermind" was played by a different Seattle group at the Sky Church venue at the Experience Music Project. Duff McKagan's Loaded, Krist Novoselic, members of The Fastbacks, Presdents Of The U.S.A. and Campfire O.K. The show was a benefit for Seattle music industry figure Susie Tennant, who was recently diagnosed with cancer.

Here's a review of the show: www.rollingstone.com
Here's Duff and Loaded performaning "Lithium"

Here's an update on Francis Bean Cobain and what she is up to these days: www.new.music.yahoo.com

Musicradar.com has posted some fantastic "Nevermind" related blogs including "The Story of Nirvana's Nevermind" here, and an interview with Danny Goldberg (ex-Nirvana manager) here. Great stuff!

Nirvana members Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl, as well as Butch Vig, who produced Nevermind, will sit down for a rare Q&A session, hosted by Jon Stewart, with a select group of SiriusXM listeners at the SiriusXM studios in New York City.

"SiriusXM's Town Hall with Nirvana," the two-hour broadcast event, will air live on Lithium, channel 34, on Saturday, September 24 at 8:00 pm ET, the 20th anniversary of the release of Nevermind. The live special is part of SiriusXM's "Town Hall" series, an intimate gathering with an iconic musician and a studio audience of SiriusXM listeners.

Hosted by Jon Stewart, the "SiriusXM Town Hall with Nirvana" will feature Novoselic, who founded Nirvana with Kurt Cobain; Grohl, whose first full length recording with the band was the classic Nevermind; and producer Vig answering questions from the live studio audience as well as questions from listeners calling in from around the country.

"This is our way to honor the artists who, with the release of Nevermind, influenced a generation and marked a change in the course of music history no generation will ever forget," said Scott Greenstein, President and Chief Content Officer, SiriusXM. "Our 'Town Hall' series offers our listeners a rare chance to meet some of the most important and influential artists of our time."

"SiriusXM's Town Hall with Nirvana" is part of Nevermind Radio, an all-Nirvana limited-run channel on SiriusXM. Nevermind Radio will launch on Friday, September 23 at 3:00 pm ET on channel 34 and will feature the music of Nirvana's entire career, including their three classic albums, B-sides, rarities and live performances. The channel will also feature celebrities in various fields sharing their thoughts on Nirvana and their influence. Nevermind Radio will air through Wednesday, September 28 at 12:00 am ET.

Nevermind's 20th anniversary will be marked by Universal Music Enterprises' September 27 full spectrum re-release. With configurations ranging from a 4-CD/1-DVD Super Deluxe Edition to a 4-LP, 180-gram heavyweight vinyl edition to a standard digital/CD remaster of the original album, the 20th anniversary reissue of Nevermind unearths dozens of previously unreleased recordings, obscure B-sides, alternate mixes, radio sessions, studio rarities and live recordings, including a 1991 Halloween concert at Seattle's Paramount Theatre in its entirety (the only known Nirvana concert shot to film).

A 20th anniversary edition of "Nevermind" is due out in multiple formats on September 27. Producer Butch Vig recently spoke with Rolling Stone and revealed a multitude of memories regarding the recording and mixing of the iconic album.

Butch Vig talks "Nevermind" here:rollingstone.com

The album will be released as a remastered CD, vinyl and digital release, a two-disc set featuring rarities, live cuts, B-sides and demo recordings, and a "super deluxe" four-CD/one-DVD limited edition that will include an alternate mix of the album, a 90-page book and a CD/DVD of Nirvana's 1991 Halloween gig in Seattle.

A special art, photo and memorabilia exhibition celebrating the anniversary will take place next month in London, England.

Novoselic will join local musicians at a Seattle concert this fall to mark the 20th anniversary of "Nevermind". According to RollingStone.com, the event will take place on September 20 in the Sky Church venue at the Experience Music Project. It will double as a benefit for Seattle music industry figure Susie Tennant, who was recently diagnosed with cancer.

The album will be played from front to back by different groups, although Novoselic tweeted that he himself will be performing just one song with the Presidents of The United States of America. Other musicians scheduled to appear include current and former members of Seattle acts like the Fastbacks, The Screaming Trees, Vaporland and others. Former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl will not be able to attend, as his band Foo Fighters performs in Cleveland that same night.