The super deluxe 4CD/1DVD edition of Nirvana's Nevermind finally hits (Best Buy) stores today. Or, you can download the entire reissue over at iTunes, where the song "Territorial Pissings" is censored as "Territorial P******s" by Apple's suddenly prude music service. There are 70 songs and over four hours of music to absorb in this extraordinary reissue, but thankfully The Amp is here to give you the highlights. Obviously, the best tracks on the Nevermind reissue are all found on the original LP, so our favorites will focus on the songs that weren't available until the 20th anniversary edition. These are The Amp's five must-hear tracks:
• "Territorial Pissings (Devonshire Mix)" -- Not all that different from the Side B opener -- producer Butch Vig's mix is more distinct on "On a Plain" and "Something in the Way" -- the Devonshire Mix of "Territorial" is notable because it omits Krist Novoselic's off-key singing of the Youngblood's "Get Together" and launches straight into "Pissings."
• "Sappy (Smart Sessions)" -- A song that Nirvana worked on since their inception that ultimately wound up as a hidden track on the No Alternative charity comp. That's still the best version of "Sappy" (or "Verse Chorus Verse" as it was incorrectly called in 1993), but the Smart Studio demo of the song presents the track with glossy Nevermind production.
• "Old Age (Boombox Rehearsals)" -- An unearthed version of a song that was previously unreleased until the With the Lights Out box set. That was the only "Old Age" -- not counting Hole's cover -- that existed until now.
• "Something in the Way (BBC Live)" -- The Amp's personal favorite of the deluxe material, the haunting Nevermind closer is performed here with a full band, and they make it even darker and more visceral. It's missing the cello from the original, but what it lacks in strings in makes up for in distortion.
• Live at the Paramount's "Rape Me" -- An early performance of the track that wouldn't show up on In Utero until two years later. A typical killer Cobain guitar solo replaces the finished version's "My favorite inside source" bridge.
If you're an absolute novice to the Nirvana catalog and you're just discovering Nevermind for the first time, then the B-sides "Even in His Youth," "Curmudgeon" and the cover of the Wipers' "D-7" are all essential as well.
The worst song on the Nevermind reissue: "Dive (Smart Sessions)." Essentially, it's the same exact version that appears on Incesticide. Other songs were demoed at Smart Studios, including a still-unreleased track with the working title "Song in D," so why release a "Dive" everyone already has? At Sirius' Nevermind Town Hall, Vig brought up "Song in D" and how it reminded him of an R.E.M. tune. To which Dave Grohl replied gleefully, "Sounds like another box set!"