Art Of Vinyl US Vinyl & CDs

Review: Captured at the Hollywood Rock Festival on January 23rd 1993 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this performance has gone down in infamy as one of the Seattle grunge legends' worst yet most insightful. Rumours swirl that the chaotic nature stemmed from a myriad of factors such as Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love's relationship hitting their worst low yet, whilst many have stated cocaine was used as a replacement or combatant for the frontman's severe heroin dependency at this point. It's also commonly believed that the band sought to self-sabotage their largest shows yet, playing for over 100,000 in attendance due to a cigarette brand named "Hollywood" sponsoring the festival, seemingly at odds with Nirvana's entire ethos. Whether a declarative punk statement, genuine artistic implosion, rejection of their uncomfortable success, or a cocktail timebomb of all of the above, this raw, unhinged and purposefully haggard performance is sadly emblematic of who and where the band were at this point in time. Pressed on a lush picture disc, this set eschews the majority of their biggest hits, opting rather for fan favourite deep cuts such as 'Sliver', 'Been A Son', 'On A Plain' and 'Lounge Act'.