Nirvana
In Utero – 20th Anniversary (Deluxe Edition)
(Geffen Records)

Nirvana’s third and final studio album, In Utero, has recently been re-released in honor of its 20th Anniversary with a bonus disk of demos, instrumental versions, and alternate mixes.

The album can be seen as a reaction to the quick and intense fame that the band, and even more so their frontman Kurt Cobain, gained and their feeling about it. The album notably closes with the track “All Apologies,” which foreshadowed and came to represent the band’s demise shortly afterwards and the singer’s suicide. The original 12 tracks were notably less polished than the band’s previous breakthrough album, Nevermind, when they were released in 1993, but the album was still a commercial success. The tracks are still great to listen to 20 years later with their trademark blend of apathy and rage with wit and sarcasm mixed in. However, there aren’t too many extras included that a big Nirvana fan wouldn’t already have.

The set includes a 2013 album mix with some interesting tweaks (neither the band nor the record company were very happy with the initial mix and tweaked it from the beginning) as well as the terrific B-sides and hidden track. The most interesting extras might be the demo of “Marigold” (the only track Dave Grohl sang lead on) along with fan-favorite extra tracks “Sappy” and “I Hate Myself and Want to Die.” In all, the album’s anniversary underscores the brilliant rise, influence, and ultimate quick burnout of the band that came to represent a time, place, and feeling in the 1990′s.