In Utero

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For the term used in biology, see In utero.

In Utero is the third and final studio album from the American grunge/punk band Nirvana. It was released in September 1993. Following the massive and unexpected commercial success of Nirvana's second album, Nevermind, in 1991, the band had intended to "return to its roots" by recording a more abrasive and less mainstream-sounding release. Singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain was aware that Nirvana risked alienating its core fanbase of punk and indie rockers with its recent superstardom, and the band chose Steve Albini, a well-respected "recording engineer" (working with the likes of The Pixies, major influences to Nirvana) and member of the bands Rapeman and Big Black, to record the album. In Utero opened at #1 on the Billboard 200, and had hit singles with the songs "Heart-Shaped Box", "Rape Me", and "All Apologies", but also showcased the band's more corrosive and experimental side with tracks like "Scentless Apprentice", "tourette's" and "Milk It", keeping its punk credibility intact. The song "Sappy" was originally planned to be the twelfth track on the album, in between "tourette's" and "All Apologies", but Cobain instead donated the song to the AIDS charity album No Alternative.

[edit] Recording

In Utero was recorded at Pachyderm Studios in Cannon Falls, Minnesota. It was recorded for a total of $24,000, and Albini took a flat rate of just $100,000, turning down royalty payments which would have given him far more. Recording sessions started on February 14, 1993, and were completed in about one week (including the basic tracks and overdubs), after which Albini spent a few days mixing the songs. In total, the band used 12 of the 14 days they had booked for the studio; Cobain later described it in Michael Azerrad's Nirvana biography Come as You Are as "the easiest recording [Nirvana had] ever done." [1] Three songs, "Heart-Shaped Box", "Pennyroyal Tea", and "All Apologies", were later remixed by Scott Litt, which caused friction between the band and Albini.

[edit] Medical themes

Cobain had flirted with medical themes in the past, such as in the Nevermind song "Drain You" and in some of his paintings and collages, but never to the extent as on In Utero - the title itself is a Latin term meaning, literally, "in the uterus." The lyrics contain mentions of or references to semen, hymens, open sores, parasites, milk, and even abortion, and the album's artwork includes a photo of a pregnant anatomical angel on the front cover (with angel wings later added by Cobain), a collage of flowers, plastic fetuses and turtle shells on the back cover, and various Greek symbols of fertility on the back cover and sprinkled throughout the liner notes.

[edit] Controversy

Even before In Utero's release, the album was surrounded by turmoil. A number of articles emerged in early 1993 which suggested that DGC Records, the band's record label, disliked the album and was reluctant to release it. When three songs were later remixed ("All Apologies," "Pennyroyal Tea," and "Heart Shaped Box") many cited this as proof of Nirvana yielding to the label. Geffen responded with a press release in which Cobain said, "There has been no pressure from our record label to change the tracks we did with Albini. We have 100 percent control of our music." [2]

When In Utero did hit the shelves, many feminists objected to the song "Rape Me," which Cobain defended in several interviews as being "anti-rape." Wal-Mart and Kmart refused to carry the album because of its artwork, and a "clean" version was released for them which featured an altered version of the back cover collage - "zoomed in" to omit the fetuses - and listed "Rape Me" as "Waif Me", though the lyrics of the song remained unchanged. The band defended its decision to release a censored version by pointing out that many fans in places like the Midwestern United States may not live near record shops, and buy most of their albums from chain stores like Wal-Mart.

[edit] Singles

"Heart-Shaped Box" was released as In Utero's first single in August 1993, and features "Milk It" (CD only) and "Marigold" as B-sides. The second single was a split for the songs "All Apologies" and "Rape Me" (both A-sides), and was released in December 1993 with "Moist Vagina" as the B-side. A third single, for the song "Pennyroyal Tea" and featuring "I Hate Myself And Want To Die" and the band's MTV Unplugged rendition of the blues song "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" as B-sides, was planned for a May 1994 release, but was cancelled following Cobain's death in April 1994. A few copies were released prematurely, and today can fetch a hefty sum from collectors. All singles were released outside of the U.S. only. Though never released as a single, the song "Dumb" was picked up by many alternative rock radio stations, and became a modest hit.

[edit] Miscellanea

• At least four In Utero songs - "Dumb", "Pennyroyal Tea", "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter", and "All Apologies" - were written in 1990, three years before the album's release. "Rape Me" was written in 1991.

• Early titles for In Utero included "Verse Chorus Verse" and "I Hate Myself and I Want to Die" (the latter was abandoned when the band became concerned that fans might not understand it was a joke). The final title was taken from a poem by Courtney Love, Cobain's wife and singer/guitarist of the band Hole.

• Cobain wrote a set of liner notes for In Utero which was not used at the time, but made public in 2002 with the publication of Journals. In his notes for the "odds and sods" compilation Incesticide, he had famously attacked the homophobic, racist and sexist faction of his fanbase, which he wanted to eliminate. The unused In Utero notes were less confrontational, dealing mostly with the songs themselves. For the "Serve The Servants" entry, he wrote about the fractured relationship he had with his father, a theme addressed very clearly in the song itself. For the "Pennyroyal Tea" entry, he wrote, "It doesn't work you hippie," referring to the abortifacient after which the song is named.

• In Utero was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in 1994, but lost to U2's Zooropa. Nirvana won the same award two years later with its posthumous MTV Unplugged In New York album.

• Kera Schaley, the cellist who plays on "Dumb" and "All Apologies", has also appeared on albums by Azure Ray, Vic Chesnut, and Low. She sings and plays cello for her own band, Martyr & Pistol.

• In a 1993 interview with a French magazine, Kurt Cobain said that that King Crimson's Red had influenced In Utero, particularly the distortion sounds and recording dynamics that were finally used.

[edit] Track listing

All songs by Kurt Cobain unless otherwise noted.

1. "Serve the Servants" – 3:34
2. "Scentless Apprentice" (Cobain/Grohl/Novoselic) – 3:47
3. "Heart-Shaped Box" – 4:39
4. "Rape Me" – 2:49
5. "Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle" – 4:07
6. "Dumb" – 2:29
7. "Very Ape" – 1:55
8. "Milk It" – 3:52
9. "Pennyroyal Tea" – 3:36
10. "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter" – 4:49
11. "tourette's" – 1:33
12. "All Apologies" – 3:50

[edit] Bonus Track

1. "Gallons Of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through The Strip" (Cobain/Grohl/Novoselic) – 7:33 (This "devalued American dollar purchase incentive track" is available on European and Australian copies of In Utero, as well as various other non-U.S. pressings. It is a jam recorded in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in January 1993, and does not get a separate track position on the disc, starting about 20 minutes after the end of "All Apologies").

[edit] Early Track Listings

[edit] I Hate Myself And I Want To Die

1. "Serve the Servants"
2. "Chuck Chuck Fo Fuck" (Cobain/Grohl/Novoselic, later retitled "Scentless Apprentice")
3. "Heart-Shaped Coffin" (later retitled "Heart-Shaped Box")
4. "Pennyroyal Tea"
5. "Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle"
6. "The Eagle Has Landed" (later retitled "tourette's)"
7. "Dumb"
8. "Rape Me"
9. "I Hate Myself And I Want To Die"
10. "Very Ape"
11. "Milk It"
12. "Four Month Media Blackout" (later retitled "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter")
13. "Sappy" (was to be retitled "Verse Chorus Verse" but was omitted)
14. "La La La (Alternateen Anthem)" (later retitled "All Apologies")

• This was the first draft of the album completed shortly after recording was completed. This was before "Pennyroyal Tea," "Heart-Shaped Box," and "All Apologies" were remixed. Also before several name changes, and removal of tracks.

[edit] Verse Chorus Verse

1. "Serve the Servants"
2. "Chuck Chuck Fo Fuck" (Cobain/Grohl/Novoselic, later retitled "Scentless Apprentice")
3. "Heart-Shaped Box"
4. "Pennyroyal Tea"
5. "Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle"
6. "Eustacian Tube Turret's" (later retitled "tourettes")
7. "Dumb"
8. "Very Ape"
9. "Milk It
10. "I Hate Myself And I Want To Die"
11. "Rape Me"
12. "Nine Month Media Blackout" (later retitled "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter")
13. "Verse Chorus Verse" (omitted before release)
14. "La La La (Alternateen Anthem)" (later retitled "All Apologies")

• This version was not much different then the first version however several name changes of songs were included. Also the title of the album.

[edit] Track listing changes

• The final version is much different than the first two versions aside from name changes. "Heart Shaped Box," and "All Apologies" were remixed for the album. "tourette's" was moved from 6 to 11, and its name was changed. "La La La (Alternateen Anthem)" was changed to "All Apologies." "Pennyroyal Tea" was remixed like "All Apologies," and "Heart Shaped Box," but the remixed version was not included the album, also the track number changed. "Nine Month Media Blackout" was changed to "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter." And finally "Verse Chorus Verse" was omitted and "Gallons of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through The Strip" was included.

[edit] Samples