Montage of Heck [Super Deluxe Version]

by Kurt Cobain

Overview

Simultaneously billed as the first Kurt Cobain solo album and the soundtrack to Brett Morgan's 2015 documentary Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, this mangled beast of a record is indeed both. No other records are credited to Kurt Cobain, and this album, in either its single- or double-disc edition, wouldn't exist if Morgan hadn't stumbled upon a cache of homemade cassettes when researching his film. So, truth in advertising in that regard. The bigger question is whether Montage of Heck needs to exist at all. Purportedly an unflinching, "intimate" -- upon its release in November 2015, no writing about the record, whether it arrived in the form of a review or feature, lacked that word -- portrait of the young artist at work, Montage of Heck is cobbled together from home recordings, some previously leaked on Nirvana bootlegs in the '90s (mainly the Outcesticide series), that come tantalizing close to taking the form of a rough demo but are amorphous enough to be called "free form" or "experimental." Uncharitably, they could also be called "dicking around." This isn't a criticism as much as it is a description. Cobain made these tapes with no expectation they'd ever be heard. Based on a few, including the opening "The Yodel Song" (inexplicably featured in a "clean" version on the single-disc and "explicit" in the double-disc), it's likely he never considered the tape again after he pressed the stop button. Certainly, there's some historical merit in exploring early drafts, demos, and outtakes from an important figure, but apart from a handful of demos ("Clean Up Before She Comes," "Sappy," "Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle"), Montage of Heck largely doesn't consist of early drafts; it consists of scrawls waiting to be turned into a first draft. While that's interesting for a while, at a certain point -- and it arrives rather quickly -- the fascination curdles and it's hard not to feel unclean, as if you're snooping through your beloved brother's desk. [A Super Deluxe Version included the two-hour feature film on DVD and Blu-Ray, a 31-track deluxe soundtrack on CD and cassette, almost an hour's worth of bonus interviews, a hardbound book with more interviews and photos, a 12"x12" double-sided puzzle in its own tin, an 18"x24" double-sided movie poster, collectable 5"x7" double-sided postcards, and a bookmark.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	11/13/2015
Label:	Universal
UPC:	0602547504371
Rank:	87324

Tracks

Disc 1

1. The Yodel Song
2. Been a Son [Early Demo]
3. What More Can I Say
4. 1988 Capitol Lake Jam Commercial
5. The Happy Guitar
6. Montage of Kurt
7. Beans
8. Burn the Rain
9. Clean Up Before She Comes [Early Demo]
10. Reverb Experiment
11. Montage of Kurt II
12. Rehash
13. You Can¿¿¿t Change Me/Burn My Britches/Something in the Way [Early Demo]
14. Scoff [Early Demo]
15. Aberdeen
16. Bright Smile
17. Underground Celebritism
18. Retreat
19. Desire
20. And I Love Her
21. Sea Monkeys
22. Sappy [Early Demo]
23. Letters to Frances
24. Scream
25. Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle [Demo]
26. Kurt Ambiance
27. She Only Lies
28. Kurt Audio Collage
29. Poison's Gone
30. Rhesus Monkey
31. Medley: Do Re Mi

Disc 2

32. The Yodel Song
33. Been a Son [Early Demo]
34. What More Can I Say
35. 1988 Capitol Lake Jam Commercial
36. The Happy Guitar
37. Montage of Kurt
38. Beans
39. Burn the Rain
40. Clean Up Before She Comes [Early Demo]
41. Reverb Experiment
42. Montage of Kurt II
43. Rehash
44. You Can¿¿¿t Change Me/Burn My Britches/Something in the Way [Early Demo]
45. Scoff [Early Demo]
46. Aberdeen
47. Bright Smile
48. Underground Celebritism
49. Retreat
50. Desire
51. And I Love Her
52. Sea Monkeys
53. Sappy [Early Demo]
54. Letters to Frances
55. Scream
56. Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle [Demo]
57. Kurt Ambiance
58. She Only Lies
59. Kurt Audio Collage
60. Poison's Gone
61. Rhesus Monkey
62. Do Re Mi [Medley]

Disc 3

63. Montage of Heck [DVD]

Disc 4

73. Montage of Heck [Blu-Ray]

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Kurt Cobain   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Jeff McClane   Painting Photography,Sculpture
Kurt Cobain   Paintings,Sculpture,Composer
Gavin Lurssen   Mastering
John Lennon   Composer
Robert Fisher   Package Design
Reuben Cohen   Mastering
Jeff Fura   Soundtrack Supervisor
James Smith   Production Liason
Monique McGuffin Newman   Production Manager
Kyle Lane   Transfers
Simon Edwards   Product Manager
Brett Morgen   Sculpture,Executive Producer,Painting Photography
Paul McCartney   Composer