Nirvana - "Wild Tales (Live in Amsterdam, November 1991)"

So I didn't post Thursday... I know, I know, I've broken your trust. But it's okay, today's file really ought to make up for it. This here's an awesome live recording of Nirvana playing some small-ish place in Amsterdam in 1991. Don't the early 90's feel like another lifetime at this point...?

This is a pretty high-quality recording, sound-wise. I don't know if it was done up for radio or just committed to tape by an ambitious guy behind the boards, but whatever the case may be, the audio here is about as good as you could hope for from a concert bootleg.

Some highlights include a bitchin' rendition of "Aneurysm" and a wild take on "Floyd the Barber". While they were never the kind of band to expand on songs in a live format, choosing instead to provide audiences with close approximations of the music as heard on record, it's downright impressive how close Nirvana could come to sounding like a slightly sped-up version of their discography. The material from Bleach is well represented, but it's when you listen to the stuff from Nevermind--presumably because it was relatively new at this point--that it becomes pretty clear what a solid live band these guys were.

In short, there isn't a bad version or a major mistake on this entire recording. This comes as a surprise only because they were in Amsterdam, of all places. The idea that a band like Nirvana could be set free in the opiate capital of the world and not be a total trainwreck by showtime is a happy surprise, but then again Kurt just lived to confound expectations didn't he?

I'd normally include links to buy the disc, but because the artist in question wouldn't get anything from your purchase this time out, I'm gonna forgo that tradition. (It doesn't help that I can't seem to find the damn thing listed anywhere--perhaps I have a rarity on my hands.) In any case, I hope you enjoy this and if you've only got time to listen to one track, I recommend skipping straight to "Breed" and turning your speakers up about as loud as they'll go. If it doesn't make you want to smash every piece of furniture in your house, I guarantee your money back...