Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 20 hours ago
Fecal Matter - Illiteracy Will Prevail (Demo).
Recorded : September 10, 1985 - Music room, Earl residence, Burien, WA.
Recorded : March 30, 1986 - Music room, Earl residence, Burien, WA.
Kurt Cobain is thought to have travelled to his aunt Mari Earl's hous, September 10, 1985, In order to record these guitar riffs as a reference for the Fecal Matter demo sessions. some of the riffs were subsequently recorded over when Cobain came to dub copies of Illiteracy Will Prevail onto Cassette.
Following the depature of Greg Hokanson, Fecal Matter continued to rehearse as a two-piece. During Easter Break 1986, Kurt Cobain and Dale Crover journyed up to Burien, to the home of Cobain's aunt Mari Earl, to cut a demo on her 4-track TEAC A-2340 deck.
"He arrived with a huge notebook full of lyrics," recalls Earl. "I showed him how to adjust a few things, how to record with the reel-to-reel, and he went right at it."
"The drums were strong and forceful," Earl remembers. "The guitar riffs were fast and furious, with a powerful hook. the lyrical content was rebellious and angry. Mostly slams against society in general. Kurt didn't like the social ladder in school. Kids thinking they were cool because they wore the 'right' clothes or were handsome or pretty, or had money. His songs back then reflected his opinions about these things."
Early versions of Spank Thru and Downer were tracked, as well as Sound of Dentage, Bambi Slaughter, and a slew of untitled songs. Upon returning to Aberdeen, Cobain used the Shillingers' tape deck to dub off copies. He named the demo Illiteracy Will Prevail.
Fecal Matter continued to rehearse for awhile, albeit with an altered line-up Buzz Osborne assuming bass duties and Mike Dillard drums - but the project quickly dissolved.
After several months of foisting copies of the demo onto friends and associates, Illiteracy Will Prevail finally caught the attention of Osborne's friend, Krist Novoselic. Novoselic was impressed enough that he approached Cobain about forming a band.
Setlist
-------------------------------------------
0:00 Sound of Dentage
3:42 Reefer Madness Excerpts
5:00 Bambi Slaughter
8:27 Laminated Effect
10:36 Unknown #1 (Control)
13:15 Unknown #2 (Punk Rocker)
17:17 Unknown #3 (I Don't Want Your Cross)
19:12 Unknown #4 (Love My Family) Incl. "Annorexorcist" Interpolation
28:18 Unknown #5 (Accusations)
33:05 Spank Thru
36:55 Unknown #6 (Insurance)
38:28 Class of '86
42:48 Blathers Log (Vaseline)
45:17 Downer
48:22 Instramental (Instrumental version of Unknown #3)
50:59 Riffs & Devo
Fecal Matter - Illiteracy Will Prevail (Demo).
Recorded : September 10, 1985 - Music room, Earl residence, Burien, WA.
Recorded : March 30, 1986 - Music room, Earl residence, Burien, WA.
Kurt Cobain is thought to have travelled to his aunt Mari Earl's hous, September 10, 1985, In order to record these guitar riffs as a reference for the Fecal Matter demo sessions. some of the riffs were subsequently recorded over when Cobain came to dub copies of Illiteracy Will Prevail onto Cassette.
Following the depature of Greg Hokanson, Fecal Matter continued to rehearse as a two-piece. During Easter Break 1986, Kurt Cobain and Dale Crover journyed up to Burien, to the home of Cobain's aunt Mari Earl, to cut a demo on her 4-track TEAC A-2340 deck.
"He arrived with a huge notebook full of lyrics," recalls Earl. "I showed him how to adjust a few things, how to record with the reel-to-reel, and he went right at it."
"The drums were strong and forceful," Earl remembers. "The guitar riffs were fast and furious, with a powerful hook. the lyrical content was rebellious and angry. Mostly slams against society in general. Kurt didn't like the social ladder in school. Kids thinking they were cool because they wore the 'right' clothes or were handsome or pretty, or had money. His songs back then reflected his opinions about these things."
Early versions of Spank Thru and Downer were tracked, as well as Sound of Dentage, Bambi Slaughter, and a slew of untitled songs. Upon returning to Aberdeen, Cobain used the Shillingers' tape deck to dub off copies. He named the demo Illiteracy Will Prevail.
Fecal Matter continued to rehearse for awhile, albeit with an altered line-up Buzz Osborne assuming bass duties and Mike Dillard drums - but the project quickly dissolved.
After several months of foisting copies of the demo onto friends and associates, Illiteracy Will Prevail finally caught the attention of Osborne's friend, Krist Novoselic. Novoselic was impressed enough that he approached Cobain about forming a band.
Setlist
-------------------------------------------
0:00 Sound of Dentage
3:42 Reefer Madness Excerpts
5:00 Bambi Slaughter
8:27 Laminated Effect
10:36 Unknown #1 (Control)
13:15 Unknown #2 (Punk Rocker)
17:17 Unknown #3 (I Don't Want Your Cross)
19:12 Unknown #4 (Love My Family) Incl. "Annorexorcist" Interpolation
28:18 Unknown #5 (Accusations)
33:05 Spank Thru
36:55 Unknown #6 (Insurance)
38:28 Class of '86
42:48 Blathers Log (Vaseline)
45:17 Downer
48:22 Instramental (Instrumental version of Unknown #3)
50:59 Riffs & Devo
