With the Lights Out
With the Lights Out is a box set by the American rock band Nirvana, released on November 23, 2004.[1] It consists of three compact discs containing 61 audio tracks and one DVD with 20 video tracks, featuring rare, unreleased, demo, live, and outtake recordings spanning the band's career from 1987 to 1994.[2] The collection is arranged chronologically across the CDs, starting with early material such as a live cover of Led Zeppelin's "Heartbreaker" from Nirvana's debut performance in 1987, radio sessions including "Anorexorcist," and solo acoustic versions like "Polly" from 1988.[2] Subsequent discs cover demos and rehearsals for major albums, including demos of "Smells Like Teen Spirit," "Drain You," and "Heart-Shaped Box," as well as later tracks like the solo acoustic "You Know You're Right" from 1994.[3] The DVD compiles live footage, rehearsal videos, and home movies, providing visual documentation of the band's raw energy and development.[4] Compiled by surviving members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic with oversight from Courtney Love, the set draws from personal archives to offer an unpolished glimpse into Nirvana's creative process and evolution from grunge pioneers to cultural icons.[5] Accompanied by a 60-page booklet with rare photos, liner notes by Thurston Moore, and chronological essays, it serves as an essential archive for fans.[6] Commercially, With the Lights Out debuted at number 19 on the Billboard 200 and became the fastest-selling box set in U.S. history at the time, eventually earning platinum certification.[7]Development
Background
Following Kurt Cobain's suicide on April 5, 1994, Nirvana effectively disbanded, leaving behind a vast archive of unreleased recordings, demos, and other materials that required careful stewardship by the band's surviving members, Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, alongside Cobain's widow, Courtney Love, who controlled significant aspects of his estate.[8] The trio navigated the band's legacy amid ongoing legal and personal tensions, with Love inheriting Cobain's publishing rights and the musicians retaining control over much of the master recordings through their partnership.[9] This post-dissolution period saw the archives managed jointly but contentiously, as the parties balanced honoring Cobain's creative output with protecting the band's artistic integrity.[10] Initial discussions for a comprehensive release of Nirvana's unreleased material emerged in the late 1990s, with the concept of a box set first formalized in a 1996 contract amendment between the band and DGC Records (a Geffen subsidiary), mandating delivery of an archival collection by 2001 to commemorate the group's history through demos, outtakes, and B-sides.[11] Novoselic took a lead role in early compilation efforts starting around 1998, aiming to create a tribute that captured the raw evolution of Nirvana's sound and honored Cobain's contributions without commercial exploitation.[12] These talks reflected a desire to consolidate scattered materials—like home recordings and session leftovers—into a definitive legacy project, though progress stalled due to disputes over control and content.[13] Geffen Records played a pivotal role in advancing the project, pushing for its approval amid the band's contractual obligations, but the effort was derailed by a high-profile legal battle in 2001 when Love filed suit against Grohl and Novoselic, seeking to rescind the 1996 agreement and halt the box set's release over concerns about estate rights and material selection.[12] The dispute, which centered on unreleased tracks including the posthumous single "You Know You're Right," was settled in September 2002, allowing the project to proceed under a renewed agreement that emphasized collaborative oversight.[10] This resolution around 2001-2003 cleared the path for Geffen's involvement in curating and producing the set as a respectful anthology.[13] Key events shaping the box set's scope included the 1998 discovery of Cobain's personal boombox demo tapes, recorded ahead of the Nevermind sessions and containing early versions like "Old Age," which highlighted the band's formative experimentation and informed the emphasis on raw, unpolished material.[14] Further influencing the project's breadth was the 2001 revelation of approximately 120 additional Cobain tapes stored in a secure vault, encompassing personal recordings and outtakes that expanded the archival possibilities and underscored the depth of untapped content from Nirvana's brief career.[15] These findings, amid the estate's management, reinforced the set's conceptual foundation as a comprehensive tribute to Cobain's unreleased legacy.Compilation process
The compilation of With the Lights Out was initiated in 1997 by Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic, who sought to assemble the band's unreleased recordings into a comprehensive archival release. Novoselic oversaw the project, collaborating closely with producer Jack Endino on sourcing and mixing select tracks, as well as with author and Nirvana historian Gillian G. Gaar, who contributed research on the band's session history starting in 1999. The effort evolved over six years, marked by extensive archival digging, with major assembly work resuming in the summer of 2003 after earlier delays.[16] Selection criteria prioritized rare and unreleased audio from 1987 to 1994, focusing on demos, live recordings, B-sides, radio sessions, and home tapes to highlight Nirvana's experimental and formative phases, while explicitly excluding tracks from the band's core studio albums like Bleach, Nevermind, and In Utero. This approach aimed to deliver obscure material for dedicated fans, drawing from Kurt Cobain's personal cassette collection of boombox demos and acoustic pieces, alongside studio outtakes provided by producers such as Endino (for early Seattle sessions) and Butch Vig (for Nevermind-era rough mixes). Sourcing presented substantial challenges, including retrieval of tapes from Sub Pop's archives, Geffen Records' vaults, and the band's private collections, compounded by legal clearances required for previously unheard content. The project stalled amid disputes between Novoselic and Courtney Love over creative control and estate rights from 2001 to 2002, pushing back the planned fall 2001 release until resolutions allowed progress.[16][6][17] Sequencing emphasized a chronological structure across the three CDs to map Nirvana's evolution: Disc 1 gathers material from the band's formative pre-Bleach years (1987–1989), Disc 2 spotlights the breakthrough Nevermind period (1990–1991), and Disc 3 addresses the In Utero era and final sessions (1992–1994), creating a narrative arc from raw punk roots to polished grunge intensity.[2] The DVD's curation centered on visual rarities, selecting live performances like the band's 1987 debut show and 1988 home rehearsals at Novoselic's family residence, alongside behind-the-scenes footage such as a rare In Bloom promo video and excerpts from MTV's Unplugged in New York session. All video elements underwent remastering to enhance audio-visual quality, ensuring preservation of the raw, unpolished aesthetic while making the content accessible for modern viewing.[18][6]Release
Promotion
Geffen Records began promoting With the Lights Out with early announcements in major music publications to build anticipation for the box set's release. In February 2004, Spin magazine featured a cover story on Nirvana that included details about the upcoming compilation.[19] Further hype was generated through interviews with surviving members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic in outlets like Rolling Stone, where they emphasized the set's role in showcasing rare demos, live recordings, and rehearsals to honor Kurt Cobain's legacy without commercialization. An October 20, 2004, Rolling Stone article announced the November 23 release date, describing the three-CD and one-DVD collection as containing 81 tracks, 68 previously unreleased, and highlighted its comprehensive scope as a definitive archive.[20] Digital platforms contributed through iTunes, which offered bonus audio tracks such as "Nevermind It's an Interview" for a limited time.Packaging
With the Lights Out is presented as a deluxe box set containing three compact discs and one DVD, packaged in a sturdy cardboard slipcase featuring the embossed Nirvana logo on the exterior.[17] The cover artwork employs thermochromic ink on the front and back panels, which reacts to touch by fading, except for a metallic plate on the front cover providing a tactile and visual contrast to the heat-sensitive elements.[21] Interior packaging includes trays for the discs and DVD, with printed inserts depicting studio session imagery and band memorabilia to enhance the archival feel.[21] Accompanying the discs is a 60-page color booklet filled with rare photographs from Nirvana's career, including home demos, live performances, and personal moments.[6][3] The liner notes, contributed by Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore and journalist Neil Strauss, offer contextual essays on the selections and the band's evolution.[3][1] While the standard edition maintains consistent packaging across regions, international variants exhibit minor differences, such as altered catalog numbering in Japanese releases or subtle printing variations in European pressings, though the core box set design remains uniform without digipak alternatives.[5] No official numbered limited editions were produced, but early pressings are noted for their pristine thermochromic functionality before potential wear in subsequent runs.[17]Content
Track listing
With the Lights Out is a four-disc box set comprising three audio CDs and one DVD, presenting 81 tracks in total, with 68 previously unreleased at the time of its November 2004 release. The audio content is organized chronologically across the CDs, spanning Nirvana's career from its formative years through unreleased material from the Nevermind and In Utero eras, including demos, outtakes, live recordings, radio sessions, and solo acoustics primarily by Kurt Cobain. The DVD compiles 20 video segments, including live performances and home footage, formatted in NTSC for the U.S. edition and PAL for international releases, with a total runtime of approximately 100 minutes.[5][3]Disc 1
The first disc covers Nirvana's early period from 1987 to 1989, emphasizing raw live radio appearances from 1987, demos recorded at Reciprocal Recording in Seattle and Cobain's Aberdeen home in 1988–1989, and early solo acoustic experiments.[22][6]| No. | Title | Version | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Heartbreaker | Live | 3:00 | March 1987, Raymond, WA (first Nirvana show) |
| 2. | Anorexorcist | Radio performance | 2:45 | 1987 |
| 3. | White Lace and Strange | Radio performance | 2:09 | 1987 |
| 4. | Help Me I'm Hungry | Radio performance | 2:42 | 1987 |
| 5. | Mrs. Butterworth | Rehearsal | 4:05 | 1988 |
| 6. | If You Must | Demo | 4:01 | Reciprocal Recording, 1988, Seattle |
| 7. | Pen Cap Chew | Demo | 3:02 | Reciprocal Recording, 1988, Seattle |
| 8. | Downer | Live | 1:43 | 1988 |
| 9. | Floyd the Barber | Live | 2:33 | 1988 |
| 10. | Raunchola / Moby Dick | Live | 6:25 | 1988 |
| 11. | Beans | Solo acoustic | 1:33 | Undated |
| 12. | Don't Want It All | Solo acoustic | 2:26 | Undated |
| 13. | Clean Up Before She Comes | Solo acoustic | 3:13 | Undated |
| 14. | Polly | Solo acoustic | 2:30 | 1988 |
| 15. | About a Girl | Solo acoustic | 2:45 | 1988 |
| 16. | Blandest | Demo | 3:56 | Reciprocal Recording, 1988, Seattle |
| 17. | Dive | Demo | 4:51 | Reciprocal Recording, 1988, Seattle |
| 18. | They Hung Him on a Cross | Demo | 1:57 | January 1989, Cobain's home |
| 19. | Grey Goose | Demo | 4:36 | January 1989, Cobain's home |
| 20. | Ain't It a Shame | Demo | 2:02 | January 1989, Cobain's home |
| 21. | Token Eastern Song | Demo | 3:21 | January 1989, Cobain's home |
| 22. | Even in His Youth | Demo | 3:13 | 1989 |
| 23. | Polly | Demo | 2:37 | 1989 |
Disc 2
The second disc documents the 1989–1991 transition, including solo acoustics from 1989–1990, demos from the Nevermind sessions with producer Butch Vig at Smart Studios in 1990–1991, radio sessions, and B-sides. Highlights include outtakes like "Old Age" and "Verse Chorus Verse" from the Nevermind era, alongside the aggressive "Curmudgeon" recorded in 1992 but rooted in earlier material.[24][25]| No. | Title | Version | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Opinion | Solo acoustic | 1:34 | 1990 |
| 2. | Lithium | Solo acoustic | 1:49 | 1990 |
| 3. | Been a Son | Solo acoustic | 1:13 | 1990 |
| 4. | Sliver | Solo acoustic | 2:10 | 1989, Cobain's home |
| 5. | Where Did You Sleep Last Night | Solo acoustic | 2:32 | 1989 |
| 6. | Pay to Play | Demo | 3:29 | Smart Studios, 1990, Madison |
| 7. | Here She Comes Now | Demo | 5:02 | Smart Studios, 1990, Madison |
| 8. | Drain You | Demo | 2:38 | 1990 |
| 9. | Aneurysm | Demo | 4:48 | 1990 |
| 10. | Smells Like Teen Spirit | Rehearsal demo | 5:41 | 1991 |
| 11. | Breed | Rough mix | 3:08 | Smart Studios, May 1991 |
| 12. | Verse Chorus Verse | Outtake | 3:18 | Smart Studios, 1991 |
| 13. | Old Age | Outtake | 4:21 | Butch Vig sessions, 1991 |
| 14. | Endless, Nameless | Radio appearance | 8:48 | 1991 |
| 15. | Dumb | Radio appearance | 2:35 | 1991 |
| 16. | D-7 | Radio appearance | 3:47 | BBC Radio 1, 1990, London |
| 17. | Oh, the Guilt | B-side | 3:26 | 1992 |
| 18. | Curmudgeon | B-side | 3:04 | 1992 |
| 19. | Return of the Rat | Outtake | 3:09 | 1992 |
| 20. | Smells Like Teen Spirit | Butch Vig mix | 4:59 | Smart Studios, May 1991 |
Disc 3
The third disc explores 1991–1994, featuring alternate mixes from Nevermind, demos and rehearsals for In Utero at Pachyderm Studios and elsewhere in 1992–1993, B-sides, and late solo acoustics from 1994. Key tracks include "Sappy," an early version of "You Know You're Right," and post-In Utero material like live-inspired rehearsals.[26]| No. | Title | Version | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Rape Me | Solo acoustic | 3:23 | 1992 |
| 2. | Rape Me | Demo | 3:02 | 1992 |
| 3. | Scentless Apprentice | Rehearsal demo | 9:33 | 1992 |
| 4. | Heart-Shaped Box | Demo | 5:32 | 1993 |
| 5. | I Hate Myself and Want to Die | Demo | 4:03 | Pachyderm Studios, 1993 |
| 6. | Milk It | Demo | 4:35 | 1993 |
| 7. | Moist Vagina | Demo | 1:57 | 1993 (later "Tourette's") |
| 8. | Gallons of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through the Strip | B-side | 7:34 | 1993 |
| 9. | The Other Improv | Demo | 6:25 | 1993 |
| 10. | Serve the Servants | Solo acoustic | 1:36 | 1993 |
| 11. | Very Ape | Solo acoustic | 1:53 | 1993 |
| 12. | Pennyroyal Tea | Solo acoustic | 3:30 | 1993 |
| 13. | Marigold | B-side | 2:34 | 1993 |
| 14. | Sappy | B-side | 3:27 | 1990 recording, released 1993 |
| 15. | Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam | Rehearsal demo | 3:58 | January 1994, Seattle |
| 16. | Do Re Mi | Solo acoustic | 4:25 | 1994, Seattle |
| 17. | You Know You're Right | Solo acoustic | 2:31 | 1994, Seattle |
| 18. | All Apologies | Solo acoustic | 3:33 | Undated |
DVD
The DVD presents a chronological video anthology from 1988 to 1994, blending professional live footage, amateur home videos, and TV appearances to illustrate the band's evolution. Early clips include 1988 performances at The Cruise venue in Seattle and KAOS radio sessions; mid-period features 1990–1991 shows like the Northwest Music Awards and Saturday Night Live; later segments highlight 1992–1993 tours, including the Reading Festival in 1993 and additional SNL footage, with interspersed home videos of Cobain. The selection draws from archival sources, emphasizing unreleased visuals from the band's raw beginnings to its peak fame.[27][28]| No. | Title | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Love Buzz | 2:32 | Live, February 1988, The Cruise, Seattle |
| 2 | Scoff | 0:47 | Live, February 1988, The Cruise, Seattle |
| 3 | About a Girl | 3:05 | Live, February 1988, The Cruise, Seattle |
| 4 | Big Long Now | 4:22 | Live, February 1988, The Cruise, Seattle |
| 5 | Immigrant Song | 1:57 | Live, February 1988, The Cruise, Seattle |
| 6 | Spank Thru | 3:07 | Live, February 1988, The Cruise, Seattle |
| 7 | Hairspray Queen | 2:05 | Live, October 1988, KAOS radio, Olympia |
| 8 | School | 2:48 | Live, 1989, Pine Street Theatre, Olympia |
| 9 | Where Did You Sleep Last Night | 4:25 | Live, 1989 |
| 10 | In Bloom | 4:16 | Live, 1990, Northwest Music Awards, Seattle |
| 11 | Lounge Act | 2:47 | Live, 1990, Motorvision taping, Seattle |
| 12 | Come as You Are | 4:03 | Live, 1991, Paramount Theatre, Seattle |
| 13 | Lithium | 4:39 | Live, 1991, Paramount Theatre, Seattle |
| 14 | Drain You | 3:41 | Live, 1991, Saturday Night Live, New York |
| 15 | Silver | 2:15 | Live, 1991, Reading Festival rehearsal, England |
| 16 | Breed | 3:08 | Live, 1992, Paramount Theatre, Seattle |
| 17 | In Bloom | 4:35 | Live, 1992, Saturday Night Live, New York |
| 18 | Heart-Shaped Box | 4:55 | Live, 1993, Reading Festival, England |
| 19 | Rape Me | 3:07 | Live, 1993, Reading Festival, England |
| 20 | Home Footage Excerpts | Varies | Various dates, 1983–1994, including Cobain home videos |
Personnel
The personnel for the recordings compiled in With the Lights Out primarily feature Nirvana's core members, with variations reflecting the band's evolving lineup across its history from 1987 to 1994. Kurt Cobain served as lead vocalist and guitarist on all tracks, Krist Novoselic played bass on nearly all group recordings, and drummers included Aaron Burckhard and Dale Crover on early 1987–1988 material, Chad Channing on 1988–1990 tracks such as those from the Bleach era, and Dave Grohl on 1990–1994 selections including Nevermind outtakes and In Utero sessions.[5] Additional musicians appeared on select recordings, including Jason Everman on second guitar for 1989 live and demo tracks, and Pat Smear on rhythm guitar for 1993–1994 material.[5] Production credits spanned multiple eras and collaborators. For Sub Pop-era sessions (1987–1989), Jack Endino produced and engineered early demos and singles like "Love Buzz," while Greg Babior engineered some 1989 recordings. Nevermind outtakes (1991) were produced and mixed by Butch Vig, with additional mixing by Andy Wallace on tracks like "Smells Like Teen Spirit." In Utero and later material (1992–1994) involved Steve Albini as producer for sessions including "All Apologies," Scott Litt for mixes on "All Apologies" and "Pennyroyal Tea," and Barrett Jones for engineering on home demos like "Do Re Mi." Other producers included Steve Fisk for select 1989–1990 work and Ian Beveridge as co-producer on 1993–1994 acoustic tracks. The entire audio content was mastered by Bob Ludwig and Adam Ayan at Gateway Mastering Studios.[5][29] For the accompanying DVD, video credits included direction by Lance Bangs for rehearsal and live footage from 1988–1993, such as the band's first show and MTV Unplugged segments; Kevin Kerslake for home video compilations like "Big Long Now"; Steve Brown for the "In Bloom" Sub Pop promo; and John Kessler for 1991–1992 clips including "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Pennyroyal Tea." Editing was handled by Guy Wagner for several Kessler-directed pieces, with additional footage sourced from Robert Novoselic as camera operator on early 1988–1989 videos.[17][30]Reception
Critical reception
Upon its release, With the Lights Out garnered generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its role in illuminating Nirvana's evolution and Kurt Cobain's raw creativity. Pitchfork awarded the box set a 6.3 out of 10, noting the value in tracks showcasing Cobain's songwriting talent like "If You Must" and "Old Age," while critiquing the lack of overlooked gems, subpar demos, and poor-quality recordings that make it feel padded.[31] AllMusic gave it 4 out of 5 stars, highlighting the authenticity of the raw demos and B-sides, which capture the band's unfiltered energy and historical significance in grunge's formation.[32] Some responses were mixed, acknowledging the collection's completeness while critiquing its excesses. NME noted that the abundance of rarities bordered on overkill but ultimately valued the set's comprehensive nature as a humanizing document of Cobain's influence on music. Rolling Stone appreciated the emotional depth of unreleased lyrics that underscore Cobain's tortured genius, though it pointed out the variable audio quality of early boombox recordings as a drawback for casual listeners.[4] Critics frequently discussed broader themes, such as the outtakes' demonstration of Cobain's innovative songwriting and their contribution to grunge historiography by chronicling Nirvana's shift from underground punk to mainstream phenomenon. The emotional impact of hearing unfinished lyrics and intimate sessions was a recurring point, with Entertainment Weekly describing the material as "raw" and surprisingly resonant, evoking the band's fleeting intensity. Uncut called it a fulfillment of hardcore fans' dreams through its cathartic portrayal of Cobain's boundless talent. In long-term reassessments, the box set has been affirmed as essential for understanding Nirvana's legacy.Commercial performance
Upon its release in November 2004, With the Lights Out debuted at number 19 on the US Billboard 200 chart. The box set was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on December 17, 2004, denoting shipments of 1,000,000 units.[33] It peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Top Music Video Sales chart, reflecting strong demand for the included DVD component. In 2005, the set ranked number 180 on the Billboard 200 year-end chart.[34] Internationally, With the Lights Out entered the UK Albums Chart at number 56 and spent four weeks on the listing.[35] It received a Silver certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on June 12, 2015, for 60,000 units shipped.[36] In Australia, the box set reached number 28 on the ARIA Albums Chart, holding the position for seven weeks.[37] The commercial momentum from With the Lights Out also propelled the related single-disc compilation Sliver: The Best of the Box, enhancing its chart performance through shared promotional visibility.[38]Sliver: The Best of the Box
Development and release
Sliver: The Best of the Box was conceived in 2005 as a single-disc compilation offering a more affordable and digestible selection of rarities from Nirvana's 2004 box set With the Lights Out, targeting fans unable to purchase the pricier multi-disc collection.[39] The album features 22 tracks, comprising 19 highlights from the box set—such as early demos, live recordings, and outtakes like "Spank Thru" and "Sappy"—alongside three previously unreleased songs: a 1985 home demo of "Spank Thru," a studio version of "Sappy," and a boom box rehearsal of "Come As You Are."[40][41] The track selection prioritized accessible and representative examples of Nirvana's early material to introduce rarities to broader audiences, with the compilation remastered for cohesive playback. Released on November 1, 2005, by Geffen Records, it was issued primarily on CD, with digital formats available shortly after, priced between $10 and $15 to underscore its budget-friendly positioning against the original box set's cost exceeding $50.[42][43] It debuted at No. 103 on the Billboard 200 and sold over 100,000 copies in the US.[44] Promotion efforts focused on leveraging the box set's momentum, including radio specials, promotional posters for in-store displays, and bundling options with remaining With the Lights Out inventory to boost sales among existing fans.[45][46]Artwork and track listing
The cover art for Sliver: The Best of the Box reuses elements from the With the Lights Out box set, featuring a black-and-white photograph of Kurt Cobain taken by Michael Lavine, with the album title "Sliver" overlaid in white text across the top and the subtitle "The Best of the Box" below.[47] The design, handled by art director Robert Fisher, maintains a minimalist aesthetic consistent with Nirvana's posthumous releases, emphasizing Cobain's image to evoke the band's raw origins.[47] The album is packaged in a standard jewel case format, containing a single CD without the DVD component of the original box set, making it more accessible for casual fans seeking a condensed overview of Nirvana's rarities. Included is an 8-page booklet with selected black-and-white photographs from the band's early sessions, along with abbreviated liner notes adapted from the With the Lights Out set, crediting writers like Charles R. Cross for contextual details on the recordings.[48] This simplified packaging contrasts with the deluxe multi-disc box, focusing on affordability and ease of entry into the material.[49] Several tracks on Sliver received fresh mixes to enhance audio clarity and listenability, distinct from their versions on the box set.[40] These adjustments aimed to make the compilation more appealing for standalone playback, bridging early demos with later outtakes.[40]Track listing
The compilation features 22 tracks spanning Nirvana's career from 1985 to 1993, drawn primarily from the With the Lights Out box set, with three previously unreleased recordings: "Spank Thru" (a Fecal Matter demo), "Sappy," and "Come as You Are" (a boom box rehearsal). All songs written by Kurt Cobain unless otherwise noted. Durations and recording details are as follows:| No. | Title | Recording details | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Spank Thru" | 1985 Fecal Matter demo (previously unreleased) | 3:45 |
| 2 | "Heartbreaker" (Led Zeppelin cover) | Live, 1987 (first concert) | 2:57 |
| 3 | "Mrs. Butterworth" | 1988 rehearsal | 4:05 |
| 4 | "Floyd the Barber" | Live, 1988 | 2:34 |
| 5 | "Clean Up Before She Comes" | Solo acoustic home demo, 1989 | 2:00 |
| 6 | "About a Girl" | 1988 rehearsal | 3:49 |
| 7 | "Blandest" | 1989 studio demo | 3:56 |
| 8 | "Ain't It a Shame" (also known as "The Priest They Called Him") | 1989 studio demo (with Mark Lanegan and Mark Pickerel) | 4:23 |
| 9 | "Even in His Youth" | 1990 studio demo | 3:08 |
| 10 | "Polly" | Live, 1988 | 2:37 |
| 11 | "Breed" | 1990 home demo | 3:06 |
| 12 | "Dive" | 1990 studio session (Smart Studios; remixed for this release) | 3:56 |
| 13 | "Sappy" | 1990 studio session (previously unreleased) | 3:27 |
| 14 | "Sliver" | 1990 solo acoustic (remixed for this release) | 2:11 |
| 15 | "Drain You" | 1991 rehearsal | 3:31 |
| 16 | "Something in the Way" | 1991 rehearsal | 4:02 |
| 17 | "Heart Shaped Box" | 1993 band demo | 4:20 |
| 18 | "All Apologies" | 1991–1992 home demo | 3:25 |
| 19 | "Come as You Are" | 1991 boom box rehearsal (previously unreleased) | 4:25 |
| 20 | "Scentless Apprentice" | 1993 rehearsal demo | 3:30 |
| 21 | "Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle" | 1993 demo | 2:45 |
| 22 | "Rape Me" | 1992 band demo | 3:23 |