Some cool tunes I had lying around, from 7/11/00.  Enjoy.

Kiss and Pearl Jam teases (YSI)

Weezer Tatoo Story

Learn to Fly (acoustic) (with Dave’s LSD story) (YSI)

Ramble On Tease (Led Zep)

Shot in the Dark tease (Ozzy) (YSI)

This is a Call (acoustic)

Part One is here!

F is for

• Floyd the Barber-Nirvana.  A rare live version from 1991. (YSI)
• Floaty-Petra Haden and Bill Frisell (Foo Fighters).  One of my absolute favorite covers of all time.  It took a song I was only lukewarm on to begin with and turned into something truly beautiful.

G is for

• A tracked tagged “Gothic Teen Spirit” by Nirvana (YSI).  If any of you know the story behind this version, please share it in the comments.  I love this take on this song–it’s so different, yet so similar.  Like New Order doing Nirvana.
• Generator-Foo Fighters.  A live version I’m including because I needed a G.  Plus, it’s a pretty cool tune.

H is for

• Hole’s cover of Nirvana’s Pennyroyal Tea (YSI).  The best song about abortion since “Lime in the Coconut.”  (I know that’s just a rumor, but it’s such a great one.)
• Hole’s own tune: Asking For It (Live)-Hole.  I figured I had to have a little Courtney repped here, and this is one of the best Hole songs and one of the best live performances I’ve heard by her, as well.

I is for

• In Bloom-Lotus (Nirvana)
• I Feel Fine-Nirvana (Beatles c0ver) (YSI).  This is really just Dave Grohl fucking around on the drums.  It’s pretty funny.  He’s a great improviser.

J is for

• Junk.  Immigrant Song-Nirvana (YSI).  This is bad quality and it’s just a fragment.  For completists only.

K is for

• Kurt and Courtney’s duet on “Pennyroyal Tea.”
• My Sharona-Nirvana (Knack cover).
• Kurt Cobain’s Cardigan-The Pains of Being Pure at Heart.  Okay, not a cover.  A tribute.  I still think it qualifies for this post.
• Kome back tomorrow for more!

I’ve said on this site many times that The Foo Fighters are one of the top 2 working, touring rock and roll bands alive today.  (The other is Pearl Jam, naturally.)  Dave’s work post-Nirvana blows my mind.  Every album is consistent and classic, with the possible exception of “Echoes,” which for some reason didn’t hit me right.  I’ve paid tribute to Foo before, several times, but I’ve never homaged a little band Dave was in before he became a Foo.

Nirvana.

I heard an interview with Dave once, where the interviewer was, like me, not a huge Nirvana fan.  The interviewer asked Dave how he could have just laid so far back in the cut, since he’s clearly a brilliant songwriter and a fabulous frontman.  Dave said he learned to play drums just so he could play with Kurt Cobain.  He said Kurt was the greatest songwriter of his generation.

It got me thinking.  I don’t believe I’ll ever be a huge Nirvana fan–I like their hits, I love their MTV acoustic album, but I’m just not that into most of their albums.  But I do have to admit that they wrote some great stuff.  So I figured it was time for another serial post.  I did this with Rockers Who Rap and The Beatles and Neil Young, among others, and since the Foos are one of my favorite bands around, this seems worthwhile.  Plus, there are so damn many songs to choose from, particularly when you start with covers and then throw in Nirvana offspring and rarities.  Again, the focus here will be Nirvana.  But there will be many guests.

So, I hope you dig this.  Your comments are appreciated and welcome.  Z will be for Zipfile, so if you want to wait until the last post, you can get it all in one shot.

PART ONE: A to E

A is for:

• All Apologies-Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie (Nirvana).  I must start with Nirvana, being that they are the hosts of the posts.  And I think it’s so funny and ironic that Gibbard is the frontman for Death Cab, which is probably the least Nirvana-ish band around.

• Arms Wide Open-Dave Grohl (Creed cover) YSI.  I adore this snide, mocking cover.  But there was also a stellar version he did where he was singing to a stripper (“With legs wide open, under the spotlight . . .”) that I can’t find anywhere.  I heard it on Howard Stern once.  If any of you have it, I’ll trade any show I have, any boot I have . . . Just name your price.  I want this song more than I want life itself.  (Okay, not that much, but I’ve been looking for it for about 5 years.)
• Aurora (acoustic, live)-Foo Fighters.  Sometimes when Dave plays acoustic he gets kinda slow and lazy, but this version kicks ass.  Especially the guitar work.

B is for

• Bambi Slaughter-Nirvana.  (YSI) This is some kinda weird outtake or something.  I’m posting it because I really like the bassline, but it’s fucking freaky.  Anyone know who is singing on it?
• Smells Like Teen Spirit-Benevoto/Russo (Nirvana).  A live cover.

C is for

• The Cars!  My Best Friend’s Girl-Nirvana (YSI)

D is for

• Pennyroyal Tea-Brian Dolzani (Nirvana)
• Smells like Electro-Dsico That No Talent Hack.  A remix/mash thingie.

E is for

• Everlong-Flawless Escape (Foo Fighters)
• And E is for “End of this Post”!  Come back tomorrow!

Aquarium Drunkard is promoting a benefit project of Los Angeles bands covering Paul McCartney’s 1971 solo album, RAM. The whole album is free, and chock full of good tunes, but if you provide donations, AD promises that “Every penny of donations from listeners will go directly to No More Landmines.” If you’re not convinced yet, I’ll just tell you that the roster includes Earlimart, Radar Bros., and The Broken West, among others.

To help support this fun project and worthy cause, I’m offering . . .

TEN REASONS TO DIG PAUL MCCARTNEY COVERS!

1. Band on the Run-Foo Fighters (YSI)

2. Jet-Jellyfish

3. My Love-The Bordellos

4. Live and Let Die-Duffy

5. Listen to What the Man Said-Ron Sexsmith (YSI)

6. Jet-The Features

7. Monkberry Moon-Robbers on High Street (YSI)

8. Maybe I’m Amazed-Harvey Danger

9. Every Night-Mason Jennings

10. Let Me Roll It-Drive-By Truckers

1.  Every Mother’s Son-Drive-By Truckers

2. Free Bird-Cat Power

3. Saturday Night Special-Ryan Adams

4.  Sweet Home Alabama-eels

5.  Gimme 3 Steps (Skynrd cover) Uncle Tupelo w/Mike Heidorn & the Bottle Rockets

6.  Sweet Home Alabamajam-Foo Fighters

7. Simple Man-Subliminal Criminals

8.  Free Bird-Ryan Adams

9.  Free Bird-Hayes Carll

10.  Free Bird-Camper Van Beethoven