Opinion (song)
| "Opinion" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Nirvana | |
| from the album With the Lights Out | |
| Released | November 23, 2004 |
| Genre | Alternative rock |
| Length | 1:34 |
| Label | DGC |
| Composer(s) | Kurt Cobain |
| Lyricist(s) | Kurt Cobain |
"Opinion" is a song by American grunge band Nirvana, written by front-man Kurt Cobain and first released on the band's rarities box set, With the Lights Out, in 2004.
Background and recording
The earliest known recording of this song is a solo acoustic performance by Cobain on KAOS (FM) in Olympia, Washington on September 25, 1990.[1][2][3] Immediately after performing it, Cobain described the song as sounding like "Taxman" by The Beatles.[2] This performance was later released on the Nirvana rarities box set, With the Lights Out, in 2004,[4] and on the single disc compilation, Sliver: The Best Of The Box in 2005. According to Rolling Stone, Cobain's lyrics take aim at the media in lines like "a year's subscription of bad puns".[1]
According to Jim Griffin, an ex-employee of Nirvana's record label, Geffen Records, Nirvana recorded an electric guitar version of "Opinion" in the studio.[5] The BMI listing of the song was "Opinions" which was also the title that had been used by Cobain's widow, Courtney Love.[5] In a 1994 MTV interview with Kurt Loder, Love stated that she was going to give "Opinion" to Mark Lanegan whilst giving another Cobain rarity, "Talk to Me", to Iggy Pop.[6]
In 2015, a short clip of a different recording of "Opinion" was featured in the film Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck,[7] and Brett Morgen, who directed the film, confirmed that a previously unheard 12-minute acoustic track by Cobain was going to be included on the soundtrack Montage of Heck: The Home Recordings,[8][9] subsequently confirming on his Twitter account that the 12-minute recording was "Opinion".[10] However, despite this, the recording was not included on the soundtrack album. It was later confirmed that the tape with this 12-minute version of "Opinion" also includes two previously unreleased "practice audience" versions of "Talk to Me", along with the acoustic demo of "You Know You're Right" that was included on the With the Lights Out box set.[11]
Accolades
| Year | Publication | Country | Accolade | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | NME | United Kingdom | Every Nirvana song ranked in order of greatness[2] | 38 |
| Rolling Stone | United States | All 102 Nirvana Songs Ranked[1] | 80 |
Recording and release history
| Date recorded | Studio/venue | Releases | Personnel |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 25, 1990 | KAOS (FM), Olympia, Washington | With the Lights Out (2004) Sliver: The Best Of The Box (2005) |
|
| c. 1992-1994 | Unknown studio | Unreleased |
|
| 1994 | Cobain residence | Unreleased[note 1] |
|
References
- ^ a b c "No Apologies: All 102 Nirvana Songs Ranked". Rolling Stone. April 5, 2019. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ a b c Howard, Tom (April 5, 2019). "Every Nirvana song ranked in order of greatness". NME. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ Gaar, Gillian G. (2009). The Rough Guide to Nirvana. Rough Guides UK. p. (no page numbers). Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ Sacher, Andrew (February 11, 2019). "Nirvana's 15 Best Non-Album Songs". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ a b "Opinion". livenirvana.com. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ Holmen, Rasmus. "Courtney Love MTV Interview MTV Networks - 09/08/94". Nirvanaclub. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
- ^ a b Kurt Cobain - Opinion RareVersión #MontageOfHeck. YouTube. February 22, 2016. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
- ^ Cooper, Leonie (March 10, 2015). "Previously unheard 12-minute acoustic Kurt Cobain track to feature on 'Montage Of Heck' soundtrack". NME. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ Mokoena, Tshepo (March 10, 2015). "Unreleased Kurt Cobain song to feature on Montage of Heck film soundtrack". The Guardian. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "New info about Opinion home demo". Imgur. 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
- ^ "Shkreli Contract". Imgur. 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
Notes
- ^ A short clip of this version appears in the film Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck.[7]
