Kurt Cobain may have come to regret Nirvana becoming such an all-conquering, mainstream proposition in the wake of Nevermind’s monstrous success, but in 1990 he was determined that the band’s second record would be the sort of infectiously melodic album that could connect on an epic scale. At that point, they were in between records, their scuzzy debut Bleach having arrived a year earlier, but when it came to recording a single that could be released to coincide with a forthcoming UK tour, Cobain knew exactly what form he wanted it to take. The song that became Sliver was his big pop prototype.
It was a time of flux for the future-grunge giants. Sliver was made whilst Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic were in the process of auditioning new drummers – look out for a thunderous hitter named Dave, lads! – and so Mudhoney’s Dan Peters stood in for them behind the kit. He was a good fit. “The chemistry was definitely there with Dan, Krist and I,” Kurt said in Michael Azerrad’s Nirvana biog Come As You Are. “We could’ve ended up writing some really good songs together.”
