Help Me, I'm Hungry

LIVE NIRVANA BOOTOGRAPHY: Help Me, I'm Hungry

Label: Small Clone
Catalog Number: (SC-014)

Recorded performance:

11-05-89 - Melkweg - Amsterdam The Netherlands

Runtime: 72:30 / 18 Tracks
Matrix: SC-NR-014 602232X IFPI L602
Additional Artwork

Disc 1
01)	School	3:13
02)	Scoff	4:52
03)	Love Buzz	3:18
04)	Floyd The Barber	2:33
05)	Dive	4:25
06)	Polly	2:44
07)	Big Cheese	4:04
08)	Spank Thru	4:21
09)	About A Girl Mr. Moustache	7:18
10)	Even In His Youth	3:13
11)	Breed	4:22
12)	Been A Son	1:13
13)	Stain Jam	5:00
14)	Stain	2:36
15)	Negative Creep	3:09
16)	Blew	5:22
17)	Token Eastern Song	3:35
18)	Help Me	7:01

Live Nirvana Bootography Rating: C+ 79%

Live Nirvana Bootography Review:
This disc has a reputation for being the "rarest" Nirvana disc to be found.... Digital Nirvana doesn't fully support this notion, but it would easily rank among the top 5. The disc is quite interesting... it contains a rough audience recording that is one of the earliest dates to be put on a commercial CD. The back of the inlay is actually taken from an old touring poster.

The disc is plagued with editing errors. The worst error is a cut "Been a Son." "About a Girl" and "Mr. Moustache" are both on track 9, however the back of the inlay labels "Mr. Moustache" as track 10... which screws up the numerical listing of the last eight tracks. There is also some editing between some of the songs, and the track listing might not be in order. "School" is very rough and becomes over-driven when Kurt screams. The rest of the recording, while very rough, is listenable for veteran bootleg collectors. There are several places that contain "dead space" and the only thing that can be heard is the audience. It almost seems like the editing occurs in the wrong places. This disc isn't a good one for a beginner.

There are a number of positive attributes that should be mentioned. The entire disc is a whopping 72 minutes long.... that is HUGE for the band in this era. The disc contains the earliest recording for "Help Me, I'm Hungry" (the song) and also flaunts a very early "Breed" as well as the rarity "Token Eastern Song" and... everyone's favorite Bleach era song, "Mr. Moustache" (it wasn't played very often). The set list contains most of the rarities that were played on the European tour... a dream set list.

Overall the band appears to be in good form. The "Stain Jam" is actually Chris and Chad jamming after the band fails at it's first attempt at the song. Kurt stops playing and they continue. The band sounds like it's having a good time and they play with a lot of energy.

Because of the roughness of the recording sound and the various editing flaws, many collectors might prefer to avoid this disc. Collectors often refer to the disc as a prized possession because it can be very tough to obtain. The set list and date of the show are appealing, but there are better choices like the 11-22-89 show. The disc received a C+ as it's rating because a collector can easily view the disc from either end of the spectrum.

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In July of 2002, a repressing of this title appeared. Unlike other Small Clone repressings, the new release is printed on the same paperstock of the original Small Clone series! The disc contains blue lettering and the matrix does not match that of the original disc (It's SC-NR-014). This is as nice a reissue as I've seen!

Other than the disc lettering, the reissue and original release are nearly identical. If you inspect VERY closely, you can see a tiny bit of blurriness in the repressing's artwork. This is very minor and the repress will make an excellent substitute for the majority of the collectors who will never see an original Help Me I'm Hungry.

Reader Reviews:
Rating: 90% - Submitted by "Bleachedblack" on 2002.11.14 09:26:26 AM
This is a rough audience recording of a show with a VERY interesting setlist! The highlights for me are 'mr. moustache' (a great version, one of the best live ones i've heard), a very early 'Breed','Token Eastern Song' and Help Me, I'm Hungry. This contains most of the rarities they played during their 1989 tour. its a must for veteran collectors - but be warned, if you're a novice, i would recommend hearing some first! It's very rough. However, it's still very long(and there's editing so it is probably even longer!)

Mislabels:
"Token Eastern Song" Labeled As "Junkyard"