Draft:Radio Friendly Unit Shifter
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| "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Nirvana | |
| from the album In Utero | |
| Released | September 21, 1993 |
| Genre | Grunge |
| Length | 4:51 |
| Label | DGC |
| Songwriter(s) | Kurt Cobain |
| Producer(s) | Steve Albini |
| In Utero track listing | |
12 tracks
| |
"Radio Friendly Unit Shifter" is a song by the American grunge trio Nirvana from their third and final album In Utero, which released on September 21, 1993 by DGC Records.[1]
Background
[edit]"Radio Friendly Unit Shifter" was originally titled both "Nipe Month Media Blackout"[2] and "You Said a Mouthful"[3]. The song was Kurt Cobain's response to a Vanity Fair article titled "Strange Love: The Story of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love".[2][4] The title of "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter" references the success of Nirvana's second album Nevermind,[5] as a radio-friendly unit shifter refers to an album or a song that radio stations consider successful and will be played lot on radio stations.[6]
Composition and lyrics
[edit]The lyrics of "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter" partially describe Cobain's angst toward Vanity Fair with an article written by Lynn Hirschberg about Cobain's relationship with Hole lead singer Courtney Love.
Reception
[edit]"Radio Friendly Unit Shifter" was initially trashed upon release on the In Utero album, but has since been seen as one of the band's best tracks. When reviewing the 20th anniversary of In Utero, Mike Diver of Clash magazine described it as a song where "Cobain is at his lyrically weakest, a string of non-sequiturs proving graphically effective but conceptually incoherent"[7]
Personnel
[edit]According to the liner notes of In Utero.[1]
- Kurt Cobain – guitar, vocals
- Krist Novoselic – bass
- Dave Grohl – drums
Legacy
[edit]In 1996, the song was included on Home Alive: The Art of Self Defense, a benefit album.[8] The song later charted on many radio airplay charts due to it being played on radio after the tribute album's release.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b In Utero (CD liner notes). Nirvana. DGC. 1993.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ a b Cross 2001, p. 269.
- ^ Gaar 2006, p. 48.
- ^ "No Apologies: All 102 Nirvana Songs Ranked". Rolling Stone Australia. 2021-06-16. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
- ^ Azerrad 1994, p. 329.
- ^ Burlingame 2006, p. 96.
- ^ Diver, Mike (2013-09-18). "Nirvana - In Utero (20th Anniversary Edition)". Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
- ^ Parisien, Roch. "Home Alive: The Art of Self Defense". Allmusic. Retrieved September 4, 2007.
- ^ * "Active Rock Playlists" (PDF). Radio & Records. February 16, 1996. p. 82. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
- "Active Rock Playlists" (PDF). Radio & Records. March 1, 1996. p. 108. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
- "Alternative Playlists" (PDF). Radio & Records. March 1, 1996. p. 116. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
- "Active Rock Playlists" (PDF). Radio & Records. March 8, 1996. p. 71. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
Bibliography
[edit]- Azerrad, Michael (1994). Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana. Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-47199-8.
- Burlingame, Jeff (2006). Kurt Cobain: Oh Well, Whatever, Nevermind. Enslow. ISBN 0-7660-2426-1.
- Cross, Charles (2001). Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain. Hyperion. ISBN 0-7868-8402-9.
- Gaar, Gillian G. (2006). In Utero. 33⅓. Vol. 34. Continuum International Publishing Group. ISBN 0-8264-1776-0.
