10 Nirvana Covers Better Than The Original

Recorded long before they hit the big time, this 1987 cut of a fairly obscure ‘60s rock track is closer to the classic “punk band covering an unexpected song” genre than any of Nirvana’s other best covers, but it more than does the job of elevating an also-ran track from rock’s heyday.

The original, by Thunder And Roses, is a run of the mill number that sounds like it could be a Hendrix or Cream B-side; the guitar work, particularly, is heavily Clapton-inspired, though the drums and rhythm guitar have a heaviness that sets it apart from a lot of the era’s music, and is quite likely what drew Nirvana’s ear to it.

The Seattle trio gives it a new lease of life, though, and their process is a simple one, playing it far faster and with a lot more oomph. Krist Novoselic is the star here, carrying much of the melody with his booming bass while Cobain chews through the relatively fluffy lyrics with his knack for making things sound like they have a lot more meaning than they probably do.

A radio session that remained lost for a long time, this was a collector’s item for Nirvana fans that eventually made its way to a collection and gives a great picture of the young band already with plenty of ideas.