One of the most fun things to do as a record collector is to dig through the bins at a record shop. And sometimes when digging through the bins, if you’re lucky you’ll come across unofficial releases. You know them when you see them mostly because you’ve likely never seen them before. A lot of these bootlegs are live recordings or demo tapes that were never meant to be released, which adds to their appeal.
I’ve managed to amass quite a few bootleg records in my years of bin digging and while a lot of them are of questionable sound quality, here are 10 worth picking up if you see them during your next visit to your friendly local record shop.
Rage Against the Machine “Demo 1991“
Have you ever wanted to hear Reggae Against the Machine? Well look no further than “Mindset’s a Threat,” the eighth track on the demo tape that would lead to Rage Against the Machine signing a major-label deal.
Radiohead “Stop Staring at Me“
This is a live recording of pre-OK Compter Radiohead. It’s when they were a guitar rock band on the road to becoming the visionaries they’re known as today. It includes the b-side “Pop Is Dead” and the humorous back-to-back placement of “Creep” and “Iron Lung” in the set list. I’m sure the band has played those songs in that order several times, but I still find it tongue-in-cheek funny for Radiohead to follow up their biggest hit with the song that was written about it being such an albatross.
Pearl Jam “Live at The Gorge, Sept. 05-06, 2005“
One clear tell for any bootleg is incorrect song names, or in this case an incorrect date. Pearl Jam’s legendary Gorge shows happened on Sept. 5 2005 and then again the following year during Labor Day weekend in 2006. This bootleg is the full concert from 2005 and the sound quality is so good when you play it back it’s almost like you’re there, minus the triple-digit heat of course.
Soundgarden “Live in Germany 1990”
This is a rare recording with former Nirvana guitarist Jason Everman filling in on bass for Soundgarden. The audio quality is great, Chris Cornell gives a shout out to the late Andy Wood during his stage banter and the set includes classics like “Flower,” “Gun,” Beyond the Wheel” and “Loud Love.”
Beastie Boys “Paul’s Boutique Demos“
“Paul’s Boutique” is a classic record and sometimes you want to hear how the musical sausage was made. This LP gives a small peek behind the curtain and lets you hear a few different verses and edits that didn’t make it onto the final product.
Alice in Chains “Unchained: The 1989 Demos“
Before Alice in Chains were a dark and heavy grunge band they were a pop-metal and hairspray-heavy band. This LP captures that period during which AIC sounds similar to all the glam-forward hairmetal bands they would help dethrone. It also includes “Queen of the Rodeo,” a song that would never fly in 2024 but somehow was acceptable back in 1989.
The Cure “Everything Is Red, Lost My Head“
There are dozens (hundreds?) of bootleg Cure records out there. I picked this one up on a whim due to its stellar tracklist. I got very lucky on the sound quality. It’s a worthy addition to Cure fan’s record collection.
Nirvana “Hi, How Are You Madrid?“
As with the Cure, and most of the bands on this list, there’s a ton of bootleg live Nirvana records out there to choose from. The best live stuff is going to be the officially released titles like “Live at the Paramount” or anything that comes in the deluxe editions of “Bleach,” “Nevermind” or “In Utero.” What made this one stand out to me was the setlist. The 20 songs capture a majority of what Nirvana had recorded for their first two studio albums, making it a great representation of Nirvana’s early days of fame.
Metallica “… And Justice for Jason“
Metallica famously released their fourth album “… And Justice for All” with the bass barely noticable in the mix. Rumor has it this was to haze then new bassist Jason Newsted. This bootleg attempts to remedy that and do exactly what it says by adding bass to every song on this iconic metal masterpiece.
Mother Love Bone “Captain Hi Top Live in Dallas, Texas, 20 Apr 1989 FM Broadcast“
There’s not a lot of live Mother Love Bone out there to buy which is what makes this such a good boot to own. Because it is a rip of a radio broadcast the audio quality is solid and as a bonus you get to hear Andy Wood pander to the crowd by talking about Troy Aikman’s contract with the Cowboys.
