With The Lights Out
by Nirvana
  • Record Label: Geffen
  • Release Date: Nov 23, 2004
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 87 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 66 out of 87
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 87
  3. Negative: 12 out of 87

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  1. PacoY.
    Sep 18, 2007
    4
    I was a HUGE Nirvana fan, and while I've listened to them to death, I still do have a huge affinity for all of their albums, especially In Utero (their very underrated best all around album). I have owned 3 bootlegs, 2 live shows (Rome, and a rather poor sounding Seattle show) and 1 set of their besides (like Marigold, Marijuana, etc) and I was extremely excited when this set first I was a HUGE Nirvana fan, and while I've listened to them to death, I still do have a huge affinity for all of their albums, especially In Utero (their very underrated best all around album). I have owned 3 bootlegs, 2 live shows (Rome, and a rather poor sounding Seattle show) and 1 set of their besides (like Marigold, Marijuana, etc) and I was extremely excited when this set first came out. But then I heard it and instantly realized why this stuff was left for dead on the shelf....it's just not very good. Kurt was a genius, no doubt, but it took him a while to harness his genius. THis set is mostly filled with ineffective projects, rough playing, poor singing, and bad sound quality. Had Nirvana released this stuff on their albums, their impact would have been greatly reduced. While it's nice that some of this has seen the light of day, I'd say of the 3 disc set only about 40 minutes of it is truly memorable, and maybe 30 minutes is good and maybe 20 minutes is fantastic This basically should have stayed on the shelf. If they had uncovered some of the Michael Stipe tapes, etc, or released some of Kurt's versions of the "Live Through This" material, then it would have risen this to maybe a 5-6 even with the filler. If you want "raw" Nirvana, stick with Bleach, a fantastic all around record, besides the overly cheesy Big Cheese. Don't waste your money. I'm a former HUGE nirvana fan (still like 'em...but have listened to them to death) and I'd say there's better music out there for your money. Plus the DVD isn't all that exhilarating either. The critics want to rate this high because of what Kurdt did to the music biz, but this set isn't worth more than a stretched 6/10. I feel like I'm stretching giving this a 4/10.… Expand
  2. JonH
    Feb 2, 2005
    5
    They say that the b-sides of a great band are better then the A-sides of lesser bands, not the case with Nirvana.
  3. ChrisG
    Nov 24, 2004
    6
    As much as I love Nirvana, this box set was a bit of a disappointment in the sense that I know all these songs, heard them all, perhaps not in the way they recorded it here. Those who think this is new, never heard before material will be greatly dissapointed...as I am starting to get the more I hear this set.
  4. polly
    Jan 15, 2005
    6
    it could be better than it is. I don't know about you, but I had the most part of the contents, and the only thing that has "surprised" me, is the dvd. so I feel a bit stupid, because I was waiting for this moment a long time ago, and i think that this box would be more dedicated to the real fans who obviously had more material than the songs that appears on their legal cd's. on it could be better than it is. I don't know about you, but I had the most part of the contents, and the only thing that has "surprised" me, is the dvd. so I feel a bit stupid, because I was waiting for this moment a long time ago, and i think that this box would be more dedicated to the real fans who obviously had more material than the songs that appears on their legal cd's. on the other side, it's Nirvana, and i had built the box until only appears one rarity. i'm not rating nirvana, i'm rating the contents. Nirvana is the best band of the world!… Expand
  5. MichaelB
    Jun 13, 2005
    5
    All the good stuff on this compilation of mostly crap (i have the right to say that considering how much it costs) could have been put on one disc. There is a reason however why most of this stuff wasnt released commercially before, and that's because it's crappy and Kurt did not want it to be heard obviously.
  6. All_ButTrU4
    Aug 6, 2022
    5
    If you are a fan this is considerably essential listening. So many fun interesting moments are on here at varying degrees of execution and seemingly glimpse of brilliance and angst. Nirvana demos are endlessly enjoyable and previously unreleased jams such as Sappy or Even in his youth stand as a testament to the nearly boundless talent they had
  7. Nermesiz
    Jul 2, 2022
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It Is good but there are just demo and live songs. I know this is an 2004 album after Kurt died but still it s not so good… Expand

Awards & Rankings

37
#37 Most Discussed Album of 2004
46
#46 Most Shared Album of 2004

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 26
  3. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. Austin Chronicle
    89
    For the fan-atic, WTLO's scrapbooklike discography unveils both a gold mine of (still) unreleased material and the Seattle trio's penchant for dashing off B-sides, tributes, and noise at the smash of a guitar.
    Read full review
  2. Dot Music
    90
    It’s the way “With The Lights Out” fleshes out the plot that makes it so compelling.
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  3. Stylus Magazine
    60
    There isn’t a doubt in anyone’s mind that this collection plays it way too safe to satisfy the über-devoted.
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