Sheep Timeline
7 videos • 228 views • by Aj61406 Following Heavier Than Heaven in 1989 and some Smart Studio sessions with Nirvana in April 1990, Kurt Cobain becomes an underground spokesperson following Bleach with the group's second album produced by Butch Vig at Smart Studios, Sheep, released on August 10, 1990. Chad stays with Nirvana for nearly another year after Cobain agrees to let him rewrite some material, leading to Sheep instead of Nevermind and the drumming on the album sounding similar to that of Bleach, but more upbeat in sound like Nevermind. Some of the songs from Nevermind sound slower and some faster, similar to Bleach/Channing era Nirvana. In other words Dave Grohl never meets Kurt Cobain this year and plans to form a solo band based on his previous project, Pocketwatch-Late! and attempt to sign with a major label for his debut album. Sheep is not as successful as Nevermind was in our timeline, but causes a boom in the underground music scene alongside bands like Dinosaur Jr at the time. In place of Nirvana, Soundgarden would be mainstream and popularize the grunge movement through the album Badmotorfinger in 1991, with the grunge movement being mostly the same, minus Pearl Jam's Ten being as popular or selling as many copies since MTV doesn't have a Smells LIke Teen Spirit or Nevermind to promote. One final note, Kurt Cobain never meets Courtney Love in 1990 and spends most of 1990 and some of 1991 promoting Sheep through a European tour in small venues and starts doing heroin with Dylan on the side as he becomes exhausted and worn out from touring and recording for Sheep. The band isn't too satisfied with the album, forced tour, and feel like they could've put more effort into the product and adds even more fire to Kurt and Krist's hatred for Sub Pop, with Chad Channing preparing to leave Nirvana for a better act in early February 1991, believing that Kurt Cobain's latest project was for nothing and was a waste of time to him. Nirvana would go on hiatus following Chad Channing's departure and the burning hatred for Sub Pop records, Kurt Cobain does heroin more often off-stage to ward off the exhaustion. Chad Channing bumps into Dave Grohl at a Melvins show on March 1st in Santa Cruz, where the two musicians have a conversation, ending with Dave asking if Chad would be interested in joining his unnamed solo project he has begun working on, to which Chad accepts and writes down some songs for him and Dave to record back in seattle under the newly formed California record label Interscope. The sound of the material for the unnamed project is reminiscent to that of Dave's solo demo album, but with a cleaner sound, songs remastered and re-recorded, and with Chad Channing on bass. Dave Grohl (who plays drums and does vocal work) is finding a lead guitarist to audition for the project. Meanwhile in September Kurt Cobain, who is still dating Tobi Vail in this timeline, invites Krist over to her place to hangout, drink together, and record some jams on tape. Tobi encourages Krist and Kurt to join Bikini Kill live at the Mushroom Seattle on-stage. They accept this offer and perform a couple of the songs from their first album including a cover of Kiss's "Do You Love Me", despite the underground rock fans demanding to hear songs like "Spank Thru" and "Lithium". Krist and cobain left the stage four songs into the show due to the crowd getting increasingly upset towards the band for not playing any of their sheep songs. Backstage after the show, which Bikini Kill continued to perform live, Tobi Vail would talk Krist and Kurt into signing with independent label K Records, another offer the former Nirvana bandmates take from Tobi that might buy them out of their Sub Pop contract and get Nirvana together with a new drummer. The two men already have plans on what to name the album and what to put on the album first, that being a jam session Krist and Tobi Vail had done while drunk and with Kurt on heroin while on the drums, auditioning for a new drummer has begun as Nirvana regroups and books studio time at Robert Lang Studios in January 1992 for serve the servants, signing with K Records. Dave Grohl's debut studio album Milk is released on January 22, 1992 with Chad Channing on bass and Jack Endino on lead guitar. Dave Grohl's band at the moment is called TDGP or the Dave Grohl Project as the members had not thought of a permanent name for the band yet. Being Dave's first studio release, Dave Grohl is rightfully happy that his debut album had been successful thanks to Steve Albini, who is the producer of the album in this timeline instead of producing In Utero. To the band's surprise, the album was a mainstream success to grunge and alternative rock fans alike, considering it one of the best examples of grunge in North America. Fans praise songs like “Winnebago,” “Hell's Garden,” “Empty Handed,” “Milk,” (the self-titled track) and “Podunk” and see them as cult classics of the grunge era.