Endless, Nameless (song)
| "Endless, Nameless" | |
|---|---|
| File:Endlessnameless-.png B-side label of UK single | |
| Song by Nirvana | |
| from the album Nevermind | |
| A-side | "Come as You Are" |
| Released | September 24, 1991 |
| Recorded | May-June, 1991 |
| Genre | Grunge |
| Length | 6:43 |
| Label | DGC |
| Songwriter(s) | Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic, Dave Grohl |
| Producer(s) | Butch Vig |
| Nevermind track listing | |
12 tracks
| |
Listen to the song Endless, Nameless (song) or Buy it on amazon
"Endless, Nameless" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain, bassist Krist Novoselic, and drummer Dave Grohl. It is the 13th and final track on the band's second studio album, Nevermind, released in September 1991. It begins approximately 10 minutes after the end of "Something in the Way" and occupies the same track. A hidden track, the song is not listed in the album's artwork, although it was credited by name when it was re-released as a b-side on the album's second single, "Come As You Are," in March 1992.
Origin and recording[edit]
"Endless, Nameless" was first performed live on January 18, 1991 at the Library 4300 in Olympia, Washington. The song was first recorded in the studio in May 1991 by Butch Vig at Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, California, during the recording sessions for Nevermind. The recording began out of frustration, following a failed attempt at recording the future Nevermind single, "Lithium."[1] According to Michael Azerrad in the 1993 biography, Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana, Cobain asked Vig to continue recording while he started playing the song, with Novoselic and Grohl joining in. As Vig recalled, "Kurt was really pissed off, thrashing and screaming, and he smashed his guitar in the middle of it."[2] Vig said that Cobain's vocals on the song were, "fuckin’ scary to hear, because he kind of lost it.”[3]
Later pressings of Nevermind would include "Endless, Nameless" as a hidden track which begins after 10 minutes of silence following "Something in the Way", making it's total length 20:35. In a 1991 interview with ICE, Robert Smith, Geffen Records’ vice president of marketing, said "It was kind of a joke for the band to do, as in we're not going to list it in the packaging, or mention it exists. It's for that person who plays the CD, it ends, they're walking around the house and ten minutes later... Kaboom!"[2] Grohl explains in Nevermind: It's an Interview, "I think the original reason for it was because "Something in the Way" is sort of a slow song. It's the last song on the record and most likely to be listened to by someone who would have a carousel player. So, why not screw up their little carousel deal ?[2]
When Cobain was young, he was a huge fan of the Beatles and loved the way they put hidden tracks in their albums like "Her Majesty". He decided to put the song as a hidden track on their second album Nevermind after "Something in the Way"[4]
They often ended their concert with this song, and when finished, Cobain would scream and break his guitar.
Composition[edit]
After being unable to successfully record "Lithium" in the studio, Cobain decided to take a break and play random noises of guitar. Novoselic and Grohl dived right into the jam.[4] In the 1993 Nirvana biography, Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana, author Michael Azerrad explains that during the "Endless, Nameless" sessions, at the end of practice, Kurt would tune his guitar way down and he'd just bang away, making caterwauling feedback noise and occasionally drifting into the song's main riff.[5]
According to author Charles R. Cross, "Endless, Nameless", Cobain was yelling and smashing his guitar in the middle of the song. The band continued to play after Cobain destroyed the guitar. Around the nineteen and one half minute part of the song, Cobain runs back to the microphone and yells barely audible words. The entire recording had been done live with no overdub. Cobain's vocals and guitar were recorded in the middle of the room and Cobain used a Shure 57 microphone designed for conversation and not music. Vig recalls that "We had tremendous bleed from the bass and drums all pouring into Kurt's microphone.[1]
Reception[edit]
In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked "Endless, Nameless" at number sixty on their ranking of 102 Nirvana songs."[6]
In 2019, Vulture ranked "Endless, Nameless" at number 16, calling it "A noise jam that’s the bitter fruit of a prolonged “Lithium” recording session."[7]
Recording and release history[edit]
| Date recorded | Studio | Producer/recorder | Releases | Personnel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2–19, 1991 | Sound City, Van Nuys, California | Butch Vig | Nevermind (1991) (some CD copies only) Come as You Are (1992) (most international copies) |
|
| September 3, 1991 | Maida Vale Studios, London, England | John Peel | With the Lights Out (2004) |
|
| Date recorded | Venue | Releases | Personnel |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 31, 1991 | Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA | Live! Tonight! Sold Out!! (1994) Live at the Paramount (2011) |
|
| December 13, 1993 | Pier 48, Seattle, Washington | Live and Loud (2013) |
|
Personnel[edit]
- Kurt Cobain – vocals, lead guitar
- Krist Novoselic – bass guitar
- Dave Grohl – drums
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Azerrad, Michael (1993). Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana. Doubleday. p. 177. ISBN 0-385-47199-8. Search this book on
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Cross, Charles R (2003). Classic Rock Albums: Nirvana Nevermind. Schirmer Trade Books. p. none. ISBN 9780857127686. Search this book on
- ↑ Barker, Emily (27 July 2018). "Nrvana - The Story of Every Album Track". NME. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Crisafulli, Chuck (1996). Teen spirit : The Stories Behind Every Nirvana Song. Omnibus Press. p. none. Search this book on
- ↑ Azerrad, Michael (1993). Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana. Doubleday. p. none. ISBN 0-385-47199-8. Search this book on
- ↑ Shepherd, Julianne Escebedo (8 April 2015). "No Apologies: All 102 Nirvana Songs Ranked". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
- ↑ Beta, Andy (17 June 2019). "Every Nirvana Song, Ranked Thirty years after the band's debut album, we look back at their entire catalogue". vulture.com. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
| Studio albums | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Live albums | |||||||||||
| Compilation albums | |||||||||||
| Box sets | |||||||||||
| Extended plays | |||||||||||
| Singles | |||||||||||
| Promotional singles | |||||||||||
| Split singles | |||||||||||
| Other songs |
| ||||||||||
| Videos | |||||||||||
| Related |
| ||||||||||
This article "Endless, Nameless (song)" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Endless, Nameless (song). Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
