Last April, Kurt Cobain once again made the cover of Spin magazine. This time, it was for a special tribute to mark the 10-year anniversary of his death. Given Nirvana’s long silence following “From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah” and then the disappointing “Best of” release, it’s easy to forget why the group is still making headlines.

But Nirvana was easily the most influential band of the ’90s, and probably the most romanticized as well. From the periphery of Aberdeen, Wash., Cobain brought to the very center of the mainstream a deafening roar of grunge and feedback. By the time of his death, he had become an icon for a generation, and the mark he left on rock music is far from gone.

After the release of “Muddy Banks,” it was only a matter of time before fans started clamoring for access to the band’s unreleased recordings. Talk of a Nirvana box set began in 1994, and bassist Krist Novoselic started compiling materials all the way back in 1998. But legal disputes between Cobain’s bandmates and his widow kept the project on hold for years.

A full decade after its conception, the collection is finally here — and it’s packaged in gaudy metallic silver. So grapple with the cellophane, open the box and step back 10 years. “With the Lights Out” is Nirvana’s latest and possibly their final release, a box set containing three CD’s, a DVD, a beautiful full-color booklet and more than 50 unreleased recordings. But it is hardly the band’s defining statement.

The recordings are of mixed quality — a jumbled assortment of demo tracks, live shows and solo acoustic performances. The three-CD collection is a chronological auditory tour through Nirvana’s history. But for those who can wade through the filler (and there is literally hours of it), there are plenty of rewards.

Disc one contains songs from the band’s pre-fame era. “Pen Cap Chew” shows us the driving force behind the band’s harder songs, and despite the poor recording quality, “About a Girl” reminds us that this isn’t just your average rock band.

Put on disc two and you’ll find some of Nirvana’s big hits — the set in its entirety contains not one, not two, but three new versions of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” — but some of the band’s lesser known songs have just as much force behind them. “Aneurysm” is a perfect example of Cobain’s soft-loud-soft songwriting, full of heavy drums and even heavier distortion.

Finally, disc three boasts some of the later songs, among them a demo of “Heart-Shaped Box” and a solo acoustic performance of “Pennyroyal Tea.” Some of the set’s real highlights are on this disc — a nine-minute jam on “Serve the Servants” invites us inside the band’s creative process; Cobain gives a heart-jerking vocal performance on the unknown “Do Re Mi; and Sappy” (elsewhere titled “Verse Chorus Verse”) is one of the best songs the band ever released.

Inevitably, the collection ends with a solo performance of “All Apologies.” This time, the recording is rough and Cobain’s guitar is out of tune. But despite these shortcomings and the utter predictability of the ending, it works just as well as it did on “In Utero” more than a decade ago.

At their best, the acoustic tracks strip away the noise and give us access to the emotional core of Nirvana’s songs. Other times, Cobain’s halfhearted guitar playing and faltering voice simply remind us that we were never meant to listen to these recordings. Hearing his voice crack in the barely-there solo version of “Rape Me” is just painful, and not in a good way.

The DVD is much more fun. It starts with nine tracks recorded in a poorly-lit room in Novoselic’s mother’s house. For some reason, Cobain sings with his face to a wall, and the recording quality is terrible. But there’s a real feeling of authenticity here. This is pre-fame Nirvana. This is the birth of grunge. Besides the first-ever performance of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and an unexpectedly touching rendition of “Seasons in the Sun” (Cobain plays drums), the DVD offers the simple voyeuristic pleasure of looking in at the band before the world knew they existed. And it’s downright enjoyable.

For anyone expecting unreleased gems or a new hit single, “With the Lights Out” is sure to disappoint. But if you’ve been waiting for a more personal look at Nirvana and a glimpse inside Cobain’s creative process, then look no further — “With the Lights Out” is well worth the listen. As for the $50, that’s up to you.