Albums Archives - Page 2 of 4

Nirvana Sued For Use of “Upper Hell” Map

June 3, 2021 By Professor Elizabeth Coggeshall

“Move over smiley face. Welcome to the Seventh Circle of Hell.

“Nineties grunge-rock band Nirvana, already embroiled in a long-running legal battle against fashion company Marc Jacobs over its ‘happy face’ t-shirt designs, now finds itself on the less happy end of a new copyright infringement lawsuit worthy of Dante’s trip through the underworld.

“The complaint, filed in federal court in Los Angeles [in April 2021], claims that Nirvana infringed an illustration first published in a 1949 English language translation of Dante’s Inferno. The drawing depicts Dante’s circles of Upper Hell and, like Nirvana’s smiley face logo, has been featured on the band’s merchandise for decades. [. . .]” –Aaron Moss, “Foreign Works, US Rights: The 7th Circle of Copyright Hell?” on Copyright Lately (April 30, 2021)

The disputed image was featured on the B-side of Nirvana’s debut album Bleach (Sub Pop Records, 1989).

Contributed by Jared Brust (Florida State University ’21)

“The Convalescent” by Manic Street Preachers (2001)

February 22, 2020 By Alexa Kellenberger FSU '22

Alberto Juanterino unique in his field
These are the things that, that make you feel
Klaus Kinski with love of Werner Herzog
Scream until the war is over[x2]
Srebrenica cousin of Treblinka
Scream until the war is over
War is over
And Dante’s Inferno slides into dysmorphia
So scream until the war is over” [. . .]

On their 2001 album Know Your Enemy, Manic Street Preachers‘ song “The Convalescent” contains the lyric “And Dante’s Inferno slides into dysmorphia” in verse three. (Manic Street Preachers, Epic, March 19, 2001)

Contributed Victoria Nicholls (The Bolles School, ’22)

“The Roommate from Hell” by MC Lars

February 22, 2020 By Alexa Kellenberger FSU '22

In MC Lars’ 2006 album The Graduate, the song “The Roommate from Hell” contains lyric “when did room 56 become Dante’s Inferno?” (MC Lars, Horris Records, March 21, 2006)

Contributed by Victoria Nicholls (The Bolles School, ’22)

“You’re the Top” by Ella Fitzgerald

February 18, 2020 By Alexa Kellenberger FSU '22

In the 1956 studio album Ella Fitzgerald Covers the Cole Porter Song Book, Ella Fitzgerald covers “You’re the Top” from the 1934 musical Anything Goes, and in the last verse sings “You’re a rose, you’re Inferno’s Dante.”

Contributed by Victoria Nicholls (The Bolles School ’22)

The Swoon, Neverland/ben son ben son Beatrice (1990 album)

January 2, 2020 By Professor Elizabeth Coggeshall

Christian rock band The Swoon released an EP in 1990 titled Neverland/ben son ben son Beatrice. Click the image of the album cover to listen to one of the tracks, “Via Dolorosa,” on YouTube. An image of the track list, as printed on the CD, is below (image from Amazon.com).

Read a 1991 review of the album in Hope College’s student newspaper The anchor, here.

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