When Kurt Cobain died in 1994, the alliance between surviving members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic dissipated, not personally but professionally. Novoselic and Grohl grieved the loss of their mutual friend, but their post-Nirvana successes were a world apart. Fearing comparisons to Nirvana were they to form a band together, the two felt that recording together might bring unnecessary criticism.
Dave Grohl went on to release a small collection of demos on which he played every instrument. The rare collection, dubbed The Pocketwatch Demos, was put together in the early 90s, just prior to Nirvana’s breakout success.
On July 3, 1995, Grohl?s band, The Foo Fighters, released a self-titled LP. Again, Grohl played all the instruments except for a small guitar track by Greg Dulli of the Afghan Whigs. The highly anticipated record went platinum and the number one hits “This Is A Call” and “I’ll Stick Around” gave Grohl an identity outside of Nirvana. Grohl and his band eventually went on to release the platinum CD’s The Colour and The Shape and There Is Nothing Left To Lose, while playing to sold-out audiences world-wide.
For Krist Novoselic, things were much different. The loss of Cobain took its toll on Novoselic and he took time to himself while voicing political concerns and forming his act Sweet 75. Unfortunately, Sweet 75’s self-titled album did not have the mainstream appeal of a Foo Fighters record and the band never caught on. Despite a small but loyal following, Novoselic’s commitment to distancing himself from the sound of Nirvana ultimately spelled doom for his band and Sweet 75 only managed to release one recording before disappearing.
Just weeks ago, the rumor mills were in full spin when it was reported that Dave Grohl entered Conway Studios in Los Angeles with Krist Novoselic, Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, L7?s Donita Sparks, and Queens of the Stone Age?s Josh Homme to record several songs. The supergroup’s efforts have not been given titles and the details are far and few between, but the recordings did occur.
This marks the first time since Nirvana’s In Utero that Grohl and Novoselic have recorded together. When and for what purpose the songs will appear remains a mystery, as does the state of Nirvana’s long-awaited box set marking the 10-year anniversary of Nirvana’s groundbreaking and classic record Nevermind.
Everything would be on schedule, however, everyone’s favorite rock widow Courtney Love has decided that Novoselic and Grohl should not have a say in any and all future releases. Love claims that she was coaxed into signing a contract to establish Nirvana L.L.C, a union between Love, Grohl and Novoselic that was created to protect the legacy of the band and to prevent their music from being used in commercials or movies. The move has thus far protected the legacy, but recently Love has sought to dissolve the union which requires a majority vote between Grohl, Love and Novoselic to make major decisions on behalf of the band.
Love has made it clear that she wants full control of the band and recently won an injunction against Grohl and Novoselic. The injunction prevents them from releasing the box set, which is set to contain the last piece of music Nirvana recorded, “You Know You’re Right.” The song has also gone by the titles “On The Mountain” and “You’ve Got No Right” and is one of the most closely guarded pieces of studio music in the world. Only a handful of people have heard the recorded version, although a poor quality, live bootleg of the song does exist.
Also set for inclusion is the rare track “Opinion,” a rolling, 4-chord acoustic track originally premiered on a local radio show in Seattle where Cobain had driven to premiere the catchy song.
Despite the fact that Grohl’s drumming and energy were a major factor in the success of Nirvana, Love claims that, since Grohl was the band?s sixth drummer, he should have no say in the release of future recordings despite his involvement in a large majority of the tracks. Love also claims that Novoselic is an alcoholic and that Nirvana was set to split up if Cobain hadn’t killed himself. Grohl, Novoselic and other insiders have refuted all of these charges.
As Nirvana fans wait for the outcome of the pending court cases, the Nirvana vaults remain closed. When and if they will ever be opened may perhaps be decided by a judge?or worse yet, Courtney Love.