It consists of their 1990 non-album single "Sliver", B-sides, demos, outtakes, cover versions, and radio broadcast recordings, and as such is not the official follow-up to the band's breakthrough album, Nevermind.

[3] Sub Pop sold the recordings to Geffen for "a six-figure amount" on the condition that the band would create and approve the release of an album by Christmas 1992.

The first several pressings of the album contained liner notes written by Cobain, including a statement decrying homophobia, racism and misogyny:[7] If any of you in any way hate homosexuals, people of different color, or women, please do this one favor for us—leave us the fuck alone!

"Nobody really wants a Hatful of Hollow-type assortment of Peel/Goodier sessions, B-sides, demos and obscurities in the place of a proper studio album," observed Andrew Perry in Select.

[20] The record label, Geffen, decided against heavily promoting the album, possibly to avoid a "Nirvana burnout" as the band had released Nevermind and four singles in the preceding fifteen months.

Song: "Big Long Now" Seattle, WA: Music Source Studios (September 1989) The Blew EP recording sessions.

Songs: "Turnaround," "Molly's Lips," and "Son of a Gun" London, England: Maida Vale Studio 4 (November 9, 1991) The 1991 BBC session for Mark Goodier.