From E!online. Let the Nirvana bashing begin...

Nirvana, Public Enemy Preserved

by Josh Grossberg
Apr 11, 2005, 1:45 PM PT


Fifty selections have been deemed worthy of preservation by the library's National Recording Registry, and this year's class features some edgy picks, including albums by Nirvana and Public Enemy, along with seminal releases by the Beach Boys, Allman Brothers Band, John Coltrane and John Williams' soundtrack for Star Wars.

The National Recording Preservation Board, consisting of 20 experts from the music industry and preservation field, culled its list from nominations made by the public for recordings considered "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

And Nirvana's landmark 1991 album, Nevermind, which launched a radio revolution and ushered in the grunge era, was right up there with the best of them. Also singled out was Public Enemy's 1990 release, Fear of a Black Planet, arguably the most influential rap recording ever made.

On the flipside, the man most often sampled by hip-hopsters, the Godfather of Soul himself, James Brown, will have his classic 1965 performance, Live at the Apollo, immortalized.

Other musical masterpieces getting the archive treatment include 1929's performance by Sergei Rachmaninoff of his Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor with the Philadelphia Orchestra; 1939's "In the Mood" by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra; 1944's recording of "Down by the Riverside" by Sister Rosetta Tharpe; 1947's "Manteca" by the Dizzy Gillespie Band with Chano Pozo, which laid the foundation for Latin jazz; 1949's "Lovesick Blues" by country star Hank Williams; and 1950's original cast recording of Broadway's Guys and Dolls.

There's also the 1954 tune "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man" by blues great Muddy Waters; Coltrane's pioneering 1959 jazz album, Giant Steps; Stan Getz, Joao Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and Astrud Gilberto's breezy love song, "The Girl From Ipanema"; 1965's pop gem, Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys; and the Allman Brothers Band's legendary 1971 Live at the Fillmore East.

Aside from a wide-ranging group of genres including rock, jazz, gospel, country, folk, classical and pop, the 50 selections also feature historically relevant recordings. Among those: NBC's radio broadcast coverage of Charles Lindbergh's arrival in Washington, D.C. after his historic flight across the Atlantic; Edward R. Murrow's radio report from London in 1940; and Neil Armstrong's 1969 broadcast from the moon.

Other audio notables include Alexander Scourby's 1966 spoken word take on the King James version of the Bible and biologist Katharine Payne's 1984 recording of Asian elephants.

The library also has announced its discovery of a long-lost recording of Thelonious Monk's quartet featuring Coltrane at Carnegie Hall benefit in 1957 that was recorded by the Voice of America for broadcast overseas.

The Library of Congress will maintain a digital copy of all recordings selected for the registry along with backups on the library's servers in the same way it also preserves movies via the National Film Registry.

A complete list of those recordings to be enshrined is available at the registry's Website, www.loc.gov/rr/record/nrp...04reg.html

The link to the Library of Congress in the original post has the list along with a brief synopsis of each. Here is the chronological listing of the 50 selections:

1. "Gypsy Love Song." Eugene Cowles. (1898)

2. "Some of these days." Sophie Tucker. (1911)
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3. "The Castles in Europe One-Step (Castle House Rag)." Europe’s Society Orchestra. (1914)

4. "Swanee." Al Jolson. (1920)

5. Armistice Day broadcast by Woodrow Wilson. (1923)

6. "See See Rider blues." Gertrude "Ma" Rainey. (1923)

7. "Charleston." Golden Gate Orchestra. (1925)

8. "Fascinating Rhythm" from Lady, Be Good! Fred and Adele Astaire; George Gershwin, piano. (1926)

9. NBC radio broadcast coverage of Charles A. Lindbergh’s arrival and reception in Washington, D.C. (1927)

10. "Stardust." Hoagy Carmichael. (1927)

11. "Blue Yodel (T for Texas)." Jimmie Rodgers. (1927)

12. "Ain’t Misbehavin’." Thomas "Fats" Waller. (1929)

13. "Gregorio Cortez." Trovadores Regionales. (1929)

14. Sergei Rachmaninoff. Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor. Sergei Rachmaninoff, piano; Leopold Stokowski, conductor. Philadelphia Orchestra. (1929)

15. "The Suncook Town tragedy." Mabel Wilson Tatro of Springfield, VT. (July 1930)

16. Rosina Cohen oral narrative from the Lorenzo D. Turner Collection. (1932)

17. "Stormy Weather." Ethel Waters. (1933)

18. "Body and Soul." Coleman Hawkins. (1939)

19. Sergey Prokofiev. Peter and the Wolf. Serge Koussevitzky, conductor; Richard Hale, narrator. Boston Symphony Orchestra. (1939)

20. "In the Mood." Glenn Miller and His Orchestra. (1939)

21. Edward R. Murrow broadcast from London. (1940)

22. We Hold These Truths. Radio broadcast. (1941)

23. Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky. Piano Concerto No. 1, op. 23, Bb minor. Vladimir Horowitz, piano; Arturo Toscanini; conductor; NBC Symphony Orchestra. (1943)

24. "Down by the Riverside." Sister Rosetta Tharpe. (1944)

25. U. S. Highball (A Musical Account of a Transcontinental Hobo Trip). Harry Partch; Gate 5 Ensemble. (1946)

26. Four Saints in Three Acts. Virgil Thomson, composer, with members of original 1934 cast. (1947)

27. "Manteca." Dizzy Gillespie Big Band with Chano Pozo. (1947)

28. Jack Benny radio program, show of March 28, 1948.

29. "Foggy Mountain Breakdown." Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs. (1949)

30. "Lovesick Blues." Hank Williams. (1949)

31. Guys and Dolls. Original cast recording. (1950)

32. "Old Soldiers Never Die" (Farewell Address to Congress). General Douglas MacArthur. (1951)

33. Songs by Tom Lehrer. (1953)

34. "I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man." Muddy Waters. (1954)

35. "Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)." The Penguins. (1954)

36. Tuskegee Institute Choir Sings Spirituals. Directed by William L. Dawson. (1955)

37. Messiah. Eugene Ormandy, conductor; Richard Condie, choir director. Mormon Tabernacle Choir; Philadelphia Orchestra. (1958)

38. Giant Steps. John Coltrane. (1959)

39. Drums of Passion. Michael Babatunde Olatunji. (1960)

40. Peace Be Still. James Cleveland. (1962)

41. "The Girl from Ipanema." Stan Getz, Joao Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Astrud Gilberto. (1963)

42. Live at the Apollo. James Brown. (1965)

43. Pet Sounds. The Beach Boys. (1966)

44. King James version of the Bible. Alexander Scourby. (1966)

45. Remarks by Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong broadcast from the moon. (1969)

46. The Allman Brothers Band at Fillmore East. (1971)

47. Star Wars (Soundtrack). John Williams. (1977)

48. Recordings of Asian elephants by Katharine Payne. (1984)

49. Fear of a Black Planet. Public Enemy. (1989)

50. Nevermind. Nirvana. (1991)

Everything on this list should be material that needs preservation. As opposed to stuff like Nevermind which is not about to have its master tapes disintegrate into a pile of ash. I have no idea why they're preserving material that has 20 gazillion digital copies disseminated around the world, while neglecting vital material which exists on maybe one or two crumbling shellack acetates. I'm sure someone on this board could send them .wav copies of the last 20 or so items on this list and save them the trouble.
[Edited 4/12/05 6:45am]

Star Wars.

VoicesCarry said:

They'll need preserving some day.

minneapolisgenius said:

What's so funny? John Williams has more Grammy awards than any other person living or dead, and rightly so. The Star Wars soundtracks are incredible pieces of music.

The thought of all the above music being in need of preservation is pretty silly though in itself.
[Edited 4/12/05 17:30pm]

Marrk said:

I can't laugh because Star Wars is on there? I love John Williams and the Star Wars soundtrack. I never said otherwise. It just struck me as funny when I scanned down the list.

So, anything NOT on that list isn't worth preserving for music history's sake?

VC called it. Let's start by preserving recordings that are currently "endangered" of existing anymore.
[Edited 4/13/05 5:06am]

CinisterCee said:

Yep, apparently.

minneapolisgenius said:

Do not provoke or feed the Star Wars fans.

CinisterCee said:

They announce a batch of 50 every year, similar to the way the Board of Film Preservation announces films for preservation every year.

Would be hilarious to see some rejected nominees:

Toni Basil's "Mickey"

RipHer2Shreds said:

I know. I didn't see the sign posted there at first.
[Edited 4/13/05 5:58am]

minneapolisgenius said:

i got the wrong end of the stick. sorry.

Marrk said:

No problem.