No Alternative

No Alternative
Compilation album by Red Hot AIDS Benefit Series (Various Artists)
Released	October 26, 1993
Recorded	1991–1993
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	74:21
Label	Arista
Producer	Paul Heck Butcher Bros. Joe Chiccarelli Richard Dashut Billy Corgan Chris Mundy Paul Fox Bruce Kaphan Pierre Marchand Christopher Shaw
Red Hot AIDS Benefit Series (Various Artists) chronology
Red Hot + Dance (1991) No Alternative (1993) Red Hot + Country (1994)

Professional ratings
Review scores
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Allmusic

No Alternative is an alternative rock compilation album produced by Paul Heck and Chris Mundy. It was released in 1993 to benefit AIDS relief. The album features original tracks and cover versions from bands who went on to define the alternative rock scene of the 1990s. It was released with two different versions of album art: the standard version depicting a boy (without the Nirvana song listed on the back and liner notes), and the alternate version depicting a girl (with the Nirvana song listed on the back and liner notes; however, some CDs have the girl but no Nirvana mention).

A television special hosted by MTV and a VHS home video release featured live performances, music videos, and information about AIDS.

Album track listing

1. "Superdeformed" (Matthew Sweet) – 3:58
2. "For All to See" (Buffalo Tom) – 3:36
3. "Sexual Healing" (Odell Brown, Marvin Gaye, David Ritz) – 4:45
   • performed by Soul Asylum
4. "Take a Walk" (Urge Overkill) – 4:39
5. "All Your Jeans Were Too Tight" (Mark Eitzel) – 3:33
   • performed by American Music Club
6. "Bitch" (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) – 3:17
   • performed by Goo Goo Dolls with Lance Diamond
7. "Unseen Power of the Picket Fence" (Scott Kannberg, Stephen Malkmus) – 3:53
   • performed by Pavement
8. "Glynis" (Billy Corgan) – 4:53
   • performed by The Smashing Pumpkins
9. "Can’t Fight It" (Bob Mould) – 3:49
10. "Hold On" (Sarah McLachlan) – 4:23
11. "Show Me" (Ben Shepherd) – 2:48
    • performed by Soundgarden
12. "Brittle" (Shayne Carter, Straitjacket Fits) – 3:24
    • performed by Straitjacket Fits
13. "Joed Out" (Graeme Downes) – 3:52
    • performed by Barbara Manning and the San Francisco Seals
14. "Heavy 33" (Graeme Downes) – 4:21
    • performed by The Verlaines
15. "Effigy" (John Fogerty) – 5:59
    • performed by Uncle Tupelo
16. "It’s the New Style" (Beastie Boys, Rick Rubin) (live) – 2:20
    • performed by Beastie Boys and DJ Hurricane
17. "Iris" (Kim Deal) (live) – 3:44
    • performed by The Breeders
18. "Burning Spear"*
    • performed by Sonic Youth
19. "Hot Nights"* (live)
    • performed by Jonathan Richman
20. "Memorial Song" (Patti Smith) (live) – 3:33
21. "Verse Chorus Verse" (Kurt Cobain) – 3:24 (hidden track)
    • performed by Nirvana. Song title is actually "Sappy", but labeled here as "Verse Chorus Verse", which is also the title of a different Nirvana song.

* - indicates cassette-only track.

No Alternative
Video by Various Artists
Released	February 22, 1994
Genre	Alternative rock, Grunge, Spoken word
Length	65:00
Language	English
Label	PolyGram Video
Director	various

Home video track listing

1. Matthew Sweet "Superdeformed"
   • directed by Kevin Kerslake
2. Neneh Cherry "Athens, Georgia 1993"
   • directed by Jim McKay & Michael Stipe
3. Urge Overkill "Take a Walk"
   • directed by Matt Mahurin
4. Hole, Luscious Jackson, Free Kitten, Huggy Bear & Bikini Kill "No Alternative Girls"
   • directed by Tamra Davis
5. The Smashing Pumpkins "Hot Heads"
   • directed by Jennie Livingston
6. Sarah McLachlan "Hold On"
   • directed by Nick Gomez
7. The Breeders "Iris"
   • directed by Hal Hartley
8. Patti Smith "Memorial Tribute"
   • directed by Derek Jarman

US live performances:

9. Goo Goo Dolls "Bitch"
   • directed by Beth McCarthy
10. The Smashing Pumpkins "Glynis"
    • directed by Beth McCarthy
11. The Smashing Pumpkins "Today"
    • directed by Beth McCarthy
12. Buffalo Tom "For All to See"
    • directed by Beth McCarthy

UK live performances:

13. The Breeders "Iris"
    • directed by Neil Breakwell
14. Suede "The Next Life"
    • directed by Derek Jarman

Spoken word:

15. Maggie Estep "No More Mrs Nice Guy"
16. Lou Reed "Busload of Faith"
17. David Wojnarowicz "Untitled"

See also

• Red Hot Organization
• Red Hot AIDS Benefit Series

External links

• No Alternative at NYU's Fales Library and Special Collections' Guide to the Red Hot Organization Archive (1989–2004)