Recording Nirvana's song Polly (Butch Vig breaks it down...)
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- Опубликовано: 12 сен 2024
- www.MixMyMusic.net - Curious how they did it? This is a clip of Butch Vig dissecting Nirvana's song "Polly" from their album Nevermind. Butch Vig produced the record. Again, he solos out single sounds embedded in the song. It can be quite haunting to hear Kurt's voice by itself. Great song. Tip of the hat to "Classic Albums".
If you're a musician, in a band or into music production, please visit the site I maintain - www.mixmymusic.net . We offer professional mixing services for artists & musicians.
It's so obvious that Butch's entire heart and soul was fully invested in this album. He was the perfect man for this job.
BlackDogsMatter he’s probably the best producer I’ve seen, you can see he feels the song, and knows how to shape it to make others feel the same
For real
Believe it or not but he didn’t he just made the album and it exploded
REFLEX RaMPaGe he “didn’t” what?
@Taylor Bundy
wtf
“Sometimes the quieter songs become the most intense”… that hit on so many levels
butch is honestly the coolest guy ever
He could do asmr just his voice and music controls
Yep and he is the drummer and straw that stirs the drink in Garbage! He also produced Smashing Pumpkins first 2 albums...
9,,
Wow, thats so interesting to know that the line "Polly said" was actually a mistake. It completely works.
But in ALL the versions of the song, has the "Polly said", this song was composed in 1988 and would be on Bleach album but some other reasons the band quit to do it. In album Insesticide there is a recorded version before Nevermind with this "mistaken" "Polly said"
@@kbassocassino The version of "Polly" on Incesticide was recorded after Nevermind, but you're likely still correct overall. I always assumed it was intentional.
Butch Vig May have thought it was a mistake.
@@thruthenever it has to be intentional. It's present in recordings that date back to 1989.
lazrpo Yep, good point. It had been a long time since I listened to the Wishkah version, but it’s on that one as well.
it seems like he really misses Kurt, everytime he talks about him he has a sad look on his face. I miss Kurt and i didnt even personally know him. He was a very talented genious.
You can see he truly loves this song.
▶️🙋♂️🎸🍹
I never even noticed the bass going that high before
Angel Ramos it was probably EQ’d
Van Blueski as in notation - not frequency :)
@@indigo9336 really late I’m sorry but you can’t eq songs recorded on tape
@@ThRifTeDmUsIc there’s an EQ on every channel strip of an analog mixer
@@indigo9336 EQ wouldnt make it sound like it's up in that range. easy to tell the difference.
Butch looks so emotional while doing this, he knew we lost a legend and these tracks probably bring back some vivid memories of Kurt for him. so sad, it looks like he could breakdown at anytime.
colby morrison indeed
its ok to come early every once in a while
come as you are
@@GunterDierickx that’s not what he meant
@@kokomumu7420 it's a joke
hey guys did you know that kurt recorded polly with a $20 acoustic guitar from a junkshop?
Yeah, I think I heard that he didn't re-string it and played it with only 3 strings!
stephan foxx yep
Neal Schlatter Jr *5 strings and all were nylon
*30
13 strings were left actually
These videos with Butch breaking it down are so great for someone that loves Nirvana, is learning to play the guitar and is learning about home recording. Thanks for sharing! It's really impressive how fluid he can play the cheap guitar he used and give it that Polly sound.
You can see Butch Vig really enjoyed his time with Nirvana. :)
I like being able to hear him breathe between lyrics.
Yeah I don't get producers who cut that out, less human, it's a step towards autotune
Listening to Kurt's vocal, it sounds like hes had some vocal training, judging by his breathing.
It's something you just learn to do as a singer. Well, good singers learn, anyway.
He did take vocal lessons before recording Nevermind. He quit after only a few lessons though.
I’ve always felt that there was some training that we may not know of as that wouldn’t be cool but his scream especially nevermind era is extremely healthy and as someone with training I can only achieve that mix of flow and rasp that he achieves especially in this time period when I’ve been training regularly. You leave yourself too long and it can become quite tinny. People think that vocals are easy and you sing need training but when you get it you can distinctly hear the differences between a trained and untrained voice that being said it may well be he’s untrained and just a legend
Jesus Christ his fucking voice makes my body shudder, it’s beautiful
There you have it. The imperfections are what make it!
Like a small scar or assymetry in a smile... These are the most beautiful people. 😘
Almost looks as if he is holding back tears. Kurts music kept me wide awake when I traveled long distance because I would crank it all the way up. Just when I got into his tunes, he was gone. He was a baaaad dud!
Kurt kept the early "polly said" flub in later performances, namely Unplugged
I love when kurt makes the 4 chord song so epic and sincere.......!!!! so small makes so big and depth!
I'm an old-ish fart raised on the iconish 60's, 70's music and I tell ya, Kurt Cobain was a musical genius up there with the best of them.
Really, it's too bad about him.
@Walter B he wasn’t a genius, rather he had genius
@The Ass Assassin he definitely was.
i love how he was complimenting kurt throughout the whole thing...you could tell this man truly loved kurts work, we miss you Kurt❤️
"theres a litte spot there where Kurt came in too early... and we left it in"
Imagine how he felt recording this and seeing that level of talent up close. Before the fame and celebrity, Kurt was just a great writer, truly great, as well as a brilliant singer and musician. It must have been absolutely profound for Butch to witness this masterpiece being created and and seeing that talent up close. It must have been so evident and leagues above what he’s ever seen preciously. He must have had chills constantly.
I love that album
The cymbal crashes are Chad Channing. His only appearance on Nevermind.
His voice song fantastic!! Miss you soo much dude!
0:56 cHAD cHANINg
wow im really thankful and appreciative of butch vig. really supported what kurt was trying to make.
dont deny this: you miss the first experience of you listening to this song
butch is THE producer of the 90's
Hearing his voice from these raw recordings is devastating.
This guy reminds me of Kip from Napoleon Dynamite
yet talks like jonathan davis (korn)
Clean up your shit
get goosebumps with those vocals
he is not listening he is feeling it
The cymbal crashes were actually performed by Chad Channing
Butch Vig produced 3 of the biggest albums of the 90s, Nevermind, Garbage’s self-titled debut & Smashing Pumpkins’ Siamese Dream!
Polly was and still is perfect song. One of my favourite from Nirvana. Guitar and bass lines are simply and perfect on this song.
That bass isn't prevalent in the mix at all.
I would love to hear this with the bass cranked a bit.
2020 y aun los escucho como cuando estaba en el colegio
1:31 But in ALL the versions of the song, has the "Polly said", this song was composed in 1988 and would be on Bleach album but some other reasons the band quit to do it. In album Insesticide there is a recorded version before Nevermind with this "too early" Polly said
those harmonies by themselves are haunting
Gaw, the memories that must be flowing in when he presses play
Butch sure likes to say "mournful" to describe Nirvana
Butch Big is a Rockstar maker. Nevermind and Siamese Dream are 2 of the best album ever!
Today is Kurt's 52nd birthday, I'm watching this and I'm crying :c
Butch’s description is poetic
A dark and beautiful song indeed
the story behind this song is sick
1:03 I was saying that to myself seconds before he said it
The darkest song ever
No I would probably say something in the way
@Jakob Really? Something in the Way is about Kurt's life when he was kicked out of home and supposedly lived under that bridge. It is a sad song, sure. Except Polly was written about an event that took place in the late 80's, where a girl who attended a rock concert was offered a lift home by a middle aged stranger who ended up raping and torturing her. The melody of Something in the Way has a sad/dark tone, but Polly is a much, much darker song.
Yea I know that but here is the thing it’s in the song itself that’s darker not so much the meaning, yes something in the way is about being kicked out but also it’s about his depression on how he never had friends such as when he says, “ tarp has sprung a leak and the animals I’ve trapped have all become my pets...” even more so with something in the way is something he can get over (depression) and through out the song in a monotone voice we can here the darkness of him and the song p.s. fuck off dude it’s just a RUclips comment I’m not instulting the guy I had a different opinion so I stated it no need to get all fucked up about it chill out
Also really dude a fucking 😂 beanie dead meme bro dead meme
I don't fully understand the relevance of that comment, other than it's most likely you just nit-picking around my profile and finding whatever you can to try and insult me with so that you can try feel superior in this apparent 'argument'.
But sure, I guess I just need to chill out. Thanks for noticing! :)
Thank you for letting us know about and see this
I love this thumbnail
That's a good point, and props for catching that. I wonder if there is an earlier demo or live version of the song and whether Kurt performs it that way.
dang when he isolated kurt’s vocals in the chorus section he sat there as if he was mourning his buddy.
"...But his voice sounds fantastic" 🙈
This guy was made to explain how nirvana recorded their songs
My favorite nirvana song to sing :D
1:33 i knew it it was on accident. Finally can confirm my friends.
Yeah. It wasnt. There are lives of 1989 when he says that
I love his solemn commentary on all these songs. I sense he misses Kurt deeply! Thanks Butch
Live at the Paramount, 1991.
I never knew the first "Polly Said" when the bass is playing before the verse was a mistake. That's awesome :)
Happy Birthday Kurt!
I love you!
This is relaxing.
Heart. Shaped. Box.
butch vig is easly one of the greatest producers of all time
"Kurt came in early but we decided to leave it in." I would have never known that was unintentional
No, Vig doesn't remember this well, this "mistake" was in live-recordings from 1989 already, it was part of the song
I didn't know the first, "Polly says..." wasn't intentional. That's deece. Favourite Nirvana song.
it really is my fav Nirvana album, probably because it was my first in the 90's, but I'm more into Bleach. So I love them both, in different ways.
They do. However, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Kurt is harmonizing with his own vocal track on this one, or at least it sounds that way. I know on "In Bloom" Kurt's vocals are harmonized with Dave's track.
Vig is great would love to meet a talented producer like himself. Many people enjoy this album but don't realize how much effort was put into it to make it sound as great as it does. By the way I have the masters for this song :)
This song is much more than amazing :O
IMO "Nevermind" is the MOST grungy & raw yet so slick ly produced albums of all time. I would've loved to have been in the lab when it was cooked up & layed down!Even at age 11 when it dropped I knew it was sumthing very special
mmh not really.. what was originally called Grunge by people at Sub Pop and journalists, was a very doomy, slow slugde, sort of rock. Like Green River, Tad, Melvins .. Nirvana made it a point to get away from that by writing more melodic stuff. Still, that didn't prevent the band being pigeonholed in the "Grunge"- thing, simply bc they were from the Seattle area
@raymondhartmeijer9300 mmh yes really...1st off I said IMO "In my opinion" so there's that. 2nd I didn't say "Grunge" I said "grungy" which means literally grimy, dirty and the lp NEVERMIND has harsh loud guitars and lazy vocals and I'm pretty sure that's the definition of grunge music but I'd have to look that up. Talking about Green River that was pre Nirvana I think there debut was in 1985. I also know Kurt sumtimes would say he didn't mind being called Grunge but sumtimes he would say we're not Grunge we're punk Kurt would flip flop on things depending how he felt with the interviewer. In 1 of his last interviews Kurt said he didn't mind being called that because they would call him sumthing else if it wouldn't that. Me and u both know he didn't give a shit what media and journalists called him/them hell alot of them called them POP. Also every thing I've read from Green River / Mudhoney/ Mark Arm/ Bruce Pavitt/etc about the term Grunge describes Nirvana/NEVERMIND to me in my opinion but I've only been into music since 1991 playing drums 32 years/producing,mixing,mastering,audio engineering since 2001. Lastly all I originally said was IMO the lp sounded grungy meaning grimy and dirty but was also so slick sounding because of Butch's production that's it I wasn't putting a "label" on the band or lp just the sound. Hell u can call it Grunge/grungy/punk/rock/alternative/pop/etc etc. IMO🙂 it's a F'n 🔥 lp peace bro ✌️🫡
butch vig seems real cool
Butch Vig is the man!
These videos are great
My fav song in nirvana is polly, but the demo's song of polly wan unbeliveable grunge
legend
DAyum, Butch is very serious about the record. Understandable ofcourse (I play the record almost everyday, not kiddin), but still amazing to see.
Butch is the shit!
dudes a fucking pro! love it!
how he talks about kurt. i am cried.
1:30 He didn't come in too early, as the demo proves.
Ratelzwatel Yes he did, but as he said they kept it in the song :)
Simon Egelund
The demo proves that he didn't come in too early.
***** Are you making fun of mentally handicapped people? UNFUNNY ALERT!!!
+mumu Of course. You probably know it better than Butch. I mean who is he anyway? It's not like he was the producer of the album and was there when they recorded it.
bro this is butch vig - the fuck do you know?
0:40... deliberate mistake? palm muted low e or hit g note on low e string when playing the E chord just before vocal starts. Sounds wonderful.
not suprised. it sounds like it. cool, thanks for telling!
Great sound comes from musician's good performance, not from engineers. Kurt has a incredible voice
i know that dave said when he hears this he literally has flashes of making it , that time in his life etc… i think same can be said for vig, he is def emotional
polly is a name!
He says they left that mistake in, when he came in too early? But the heavy version that appears on Incesticide has it too. That was recorded earlier than Nevermind. Hmmmm....
*****
My mistake, thanks man.
***** He comes in early on the 1988 demo version too. I have a feeling it was intentional.
aslhd10 you're incorrect it was intentional
Chris Blue are u sure? Is this a Different demo then the one ur reffing to?
ruclips.net/video/3QdsPZ6w2g4/видео.html
Doesn't he say this was recorded for the Sub Pop album before all of the other Nevermind tracks were laid down? That would have been 1989.
@btyremanable I love the production of Nevermind as a whole different songs sound different but all work together and the final version is loud and abusive sounding even though as far as modern standard its actually quiet and not overly limited or compressed its got great dynamics still.
Proud to listen to Nirvana at 00:00 1/1/12 :D
Nirvana can make a mistake and it sound even better lmao
well said, that's exactly what Kurt did best, when life gives you a lemon you squeeze and make every drop work ... :p
About the original recording yes it was analog (tape) remember reading it somewhere.
kurt cobain never died from my view. we still feel him through his music.
Thx Bono
Fuck... this is so real... real music made by real people with real mistakes that just make it perfect. The voice of a generation.
I doubt he came in early by mistake. The guitar riff starts two beats before the vocals, and if he were to have come in early, he would have hit that first chord rather than sung the lyric. If Vig is correct, that would mean that Kurt came in early AND totally forgot to strum the first chord - which is just something so instinctive that I find it hard to believe that Vig is correct on this. Kurt could have messed up. But I think it more likely that Vig's memory is just a tad off.
1:32, it's sick how Kurt made a mistake and came in too early, but they just kept it in the song. I always thought they just wanted it that way
that cheap guitar tho :o
lmao it sounds good
toad nah i’m ghetto elmo
Mmm nop
Thats a fender with a fernandes arm
Dream job
i like it with the false start! haha