Fecal Matter

IN DECEMBER 1985, KURT BEGAN TO REHEARSE SOME OF THE SONGS HE'D WRITTEN WITH DALE CROVER ON BASS AND GREG HOKANSON ON DRUMS. HE CALLED THIS GROUPING FECAL MATTER. AND AFTER A WHILE THEY DITCHED HOKANSON WHOM THEY DIDN'T LIKE MUCH ANYWAY. THE TWO BEGAN REHEARSING INTENSIVELY IN PREPARATION FOR RECORDING A DEMO TAPE. KURT CONVINCED CROVER TO ACCOMPANY HIM ON A TRIP TO KURT'S AUNT MARI'S TO TAPE SOME OF THE SONGS. COBAIN AND CROVER WENT TO THE HOUSE OF COBAIN'S AUNT MARI IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON WITH A LARGE BOOK OF LYRICS AND RECORDED ILLITERACY WILL PREVAIL, A 15-SONG DEMO OF COBAIN'S SONGS, ON A 4-TRACK. CROVER PLAYED BASS AND DRUMS ON THE DEMO, WHILE COBAIN PLAYED GUITAR AND SANG.

SHE SHOWED KURT HOW TO ADJUST A FEW THINGS, HOW TO RECORD WITH THE REEL-TO-REEL, AND KURT WENT RIGHT AT IT. KURT RECORDED HIS VOICE FIRST AND THEN KURT AND CROVER WOULD TRACK THE GUITAR,BASS,AND DRUM PARTS OVER THE VOCALS. MARI WAS TROUBLED BY THE LYRICS TO "SUICIDE SAMURAI" BUT WROTE IT OFF AS TYPICAL TEENAGE BEHAVIOR. MARI WAS TAKEN ABACK BY THE AGGRESSIVENESS OF KURT'S VOCALS. "SHE DIDN'T HAVE ANY IDEA THAT I WAS SUCH AN ANGRY PERSON" SAYS KURT. THE BOYS ALSO CUT "BAMBI SLAUGHTER"

(THE STOREY OF HOW A BOY PAWNED HIS PARENTS WEDDING RINGS)

"BUFFY'S PREGNANT"(BUFFY FROM THE "FAMILY AFFAIR" TELEVISION SHOW)

"DOWNER" "LAMINATED EFFECT" "SPANK THRU" AND "SOUND OF DENTAGE"

WHEN KURT GOT BACK TO ABERDEEN,HE USED THE SHILLINGERS TAPE DECK TO DUB OFF COPIES. HAVING THE ACTUAL TAPE IN HIS HAND WAS TANGIBLE PROOF TO HIM THAT HE HAD TALENT-IT WAS THE FIRST PHYSICAL MANIFESTATION OF THE SELF-ESTEEM HE FOUND THROUGH MUSIC. LATER, KURT REHEARSED THE FECAL MATTER SONGS FOR A WHILE

WITH BUZZ OSBORNE ON BASS AND FORMER MELVINS DRUMMER MIKE DILLARD ON DRUMS BUT THEN DILLARD LOST INTEREST AND THE PROJECT EVAPORATED COMPLETELY WHEN AS OSBORNE REMEMBERS IT "KURT GOT DISGUSTED WITH IT BECAUSE I WOULDN'T BUY A BASS SYSTEM AND SO HE SAID THAT I WASN'T DEDICATED ENOUGH." NONETHELESS FECAL MATTER BROKE UP WITHOUT EVER PLAYING A SINGLE GIG.