Natasha Kampusch ~ my role-model: Paper Cuts

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"Paper Cuts" is a song by the grunge band, Nirvana. It is the sixth song on their 1989 album Bleach. The song was written by Kurt Cobain (credited as Kurdt Kobain). The song was first recorded as a demo on 1988-01-23, with Dale Crover of The Melvins on drums, and produced by Jack Endino for only $152.44. During the sessions for Bleach, takes of "Floyd the Barber" with Chad Channing on drums couldn't match the Crover versions, so the Crover demo was remixed and added to the album. The Melvins' influence on Nirvana is especially evident in "Paper Cuts".

A home video exists of the band with Dale Crover at the drums playing at least this song and "If You Must" at a Radio Shack. Filmed by a friend, lights are flickered and cigarette smoke is blown in effort to create special effects. According to Charles Cross this video was Kurt's attempt to be considered a serious rock star but gave up on seeing how amateur it was. The friend gave the tape to Courtney Love in front of a news crew a few weeks after Kurt Cobain had died.

The song is partially based on the true story of a family in Aberdeen (Kurt's hometown) that kept their children locked in a windowless room, only opening the door to give them food. Kurt Cobain actually knew one of the kids. The song also describes Kurt's alienation from his mother.

References
* Azerrad, Michael. Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana, Doubleday, New York: 1993, ISBN 0-86369-746-1

Bleach was the debut album by Nirvana, released in 1989 through Sub Pop.

Most of the songs feature themes based on life in Aberdeen, Washington, USA, a small working class town where songwriter Kurt Cobain grew up. Lyrically the album is less surreal and nonsensical than much of what came after. This may have been because Cobain may not have yet heard the songs of Frank Black whose songwriting style Cobain greatly admired and would later admit to ripping off in "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Musically the album is heavily influenced by early Black Sabbath, the heavy dirge rock of The Melvins and Mudhoney, and the Hardcore of Black Flag and Minor Threat. Kurt has even said that the band listened to Swiss extreme metallers Celtic Frost before recording the album. The band's punk rock roots are most evident on 'Negative Creep' though there is little trace of the direction they would later go in. 'Love Buzz', Nirvana's first single, is a cover of a Shocking Blue song and 'About A Girl' displays the quiet/loud dynamic of the Pixies and Dinosaur Jr., a dynamic Nirvana would later make their own. 'Bleach' was recorded at the Reciprocal Recording Studios in Seattle, Washington for $606.17 and a sandwich, by Jack Endino.

Three of the songs on the album ('Floyd the Barber', 'Paper Cuts', and 'Downer'), were recorded with Dale Crover on drums during a January 1988 demo session. The band liked those performances enough to feel it wasn't worth re-recording the tracks with Channing.

'Downer' was only included on CD versions of the album. Some international versions of Bleach also lack the song. As a result, the band added the track to their 1992 compilation Incesticide.

The first 1000 copies were pressed on white vinyl. The first 3,000 copies of the vinyl also came with a poster that prominently featured Jason Everman, who was credited on the album despite not featuring on any of the tracks. All pressings after that were on assorted color vinyl. After Nirvana became famous, later versions of the album were released as digitally remastered.

In the US:SP-34 1st release white vinyl (1000 copies), 2nd release black vinyl (2,000 copies), both inlcuded the poster. A 3rd release included various vinyl colors

In the UK the record was released via Tupelo: TUPLP6 1st release white vinyl (300 copies), 2nd release dark green vinyl (2,000 copies).

Sub Pop released a remastered version of the album in 1992.

Contents

References

Azerrad, Michael. Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana, Doubleday, New York: 1993, ISBN 0-86369-746-1

Track Listings
(All songs by Kurt Cobain unless otherwise noted)