Wikipedia:Today's featured article/June 20, 2009



In Utero is the third and final studio album by the American grunge band Nirvana, released September 13, 1993, on DGC Records. Nirvana intended the record to be significantly divergent from the polished production of its previous album Nevermind (1991). To capture a more abrasive and natural sound, the group hired producer Steve Albini to record In Utero during a two-week period in February 1993. The music was recorded quickly with few studio embellishments, and the song lyrics and album packaging incorporated medical imagery that conveyed frontman Kurt Cobain's outlook on his newfound fame and personal life. Soon after recording was completed, rumors circulated in the press that DGC might not release the album in its original state, as the record label considered the result "uncommercial". Although Nirvana publicly denied the statements, the group was not fully satisfied with the sound Albini had captured. Albini declined to alter the album further, and ultimately the band hired Scott Litt to make minor changes to the album's sound and remix the singles "Heart-Shaped Box" and "All Apologies". Upon release, In Utero entered the Billboard 200 chart at number one and received critical acclaim as a drastic departure from Nevermind. The record has been certified five times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, and has sold over four million copies in the United States alone. (more...)

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