10 Things You Didn't Know About Nirvana's Nevermind
9. Cobain Reeled Off The Track Listing To Executives On The Spot
When Nirvana completed the recording sessions of Nevermind, like most bands, they set about selecting what batch of songs best represent their current status as a band. According to surviving band members, bassist Krist Novoselic and drummer Dave Grohl, it was a fairly simple selection process. A few weeks before mastering would begin on the preferred songs, Cobain and Novoselic met with Geffen Records executives and submitted the final track listing. Novoselic admits he was startled when watching Cobain simply reel off the track listing without any sort of planned list or perceived order in mind. Bands labour over that type of thing for months with plenty of back and forth between band and record label before a compromised track listing is agreed upon. But for Cobain to just name them on the spot, off the top of his head without any discussion, shows his vision for the album was set in stone months before. Either that, or he couldnt care less what order they played in -- which strikes as being more Cobain like. It has also been suggested that Cobain done a parallel thing when the band finished up their third album In Utero, which points more in the way that Cobain really didnt put much forethought into track listing whatsoever.
