Giving opinions for several years and showing like a fine vintage
Giving opinions for several years and showing like a fine vintage
Member since:11.07.2000
Reviews:625
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It's easy for some people just to dismiss the grunge era in the early nineties as sheer noise and nothing more. Sure there were a lot of pretenders who have fallen by the wayside but the real quality outshone everything else. The mark of a great band has been to strip them down, away from the overdrive pedals and large amps and into a more intimate enviroment. This is where the MTV unplugged series comes in and gives us some truly memorable performances.
That's where Nirvana dispelled the opinion that they were just noise. In this stripped down enviroment Kurt Cobain's song take on a whole new element. The album starts off with the usual whooping and hollering before the words "this is off our first record...most people don't own it" lead us into 'About A Girl' from the Bleach album. This has always been one of my favourite Nirvana tracks and it sounds it's best on this record. It's more clean and simple with the words "but I can't see you every night-free, I do" echoing out through Cobains nicotine scarred tonsils.
The Nevermind album gets the treatment on several tracks such as 'Come As You Are' and 'On A Plain'. These songs take a more laid back tone, they almost change into something your older generation could probably sing along to happily. You can imagine them chirping alog in the car with "I'm on a plain/I can't complain". Without the Drop-D tuning of electric guitars they just sound a lot more nicer. Of course the likes of 'Polly' and 'Something In The Way' will never be happy even if you played them on a harp.
The 'In Utero' album was a lot more acoustic then it's predecessor so it's no surprise that those tracks end up unplugged. 'Dumb' and 'Pennyroyal Tea' take on a more raw beauty, they sound more soulful and a lot better without Steve Albini's raw production. One of the albums real hi ghlights comes from 'All Apologies'. With the addition of live strings it takes on a more uplifting tone, bringing in more live instruments and building it up into something that just build and builds.
The real attraction to buying this album is hearing Nirvana do some cover versions. Their version of Bowie's 'The Man Who Sold The World' cheats a little bit by bringing a bit of electric into the acoustic proceedings but it creates the backbone of the track. Word has it that Bowie really likes the version.
Nirvana even bring in some members of The Meat Puppets to add their talents to a Nirvana version of some 'Puppet's songs'. 'Plateau', 'Lake of Fire' and 'Oh Me' all keep up the high standard. Without the restrains of a guitar, Cobain opens on these songs vocal wise and it's a real pleasure to listen to. I reccomend you check out some Meat Puppets records as their albums are pretty good.
The real barnstorming track on here is the end song. Taking Leadbelly's 'Where Did You Sleep Last Night' could have been simple and restrained. Instead Cobain and Co make it something to anticipate from the opening riff. The song just builds and builds into something that just explodes into a traditional howling wail from Cobain. Adding in some forboding strings is the master touch and something which ends up being haunting considering what was to happen about 6 months later.
If you don't like Nirvana but love quality music then to be frank you need to have this album in your collection. It's on of the best live, unplugged performances you'll hear and let you see the band in a different light. When you consider that some bands done their unplugged sessions after weeks of rehearsal then this achievement is all the better.
Unplugged is one of those albums that points towards what could have been if Cobain hadn't taken his life in 1994. Thankfully the le gal wranglings have been sorted and un-heard Nirvana material is now on the way. Until that time you can be content with the songs and the in-between banter that is on this record.
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When I was at school I had a copy of this on tape from a friend. I have no idea what happened to it and frankly, until now I'd forgotten about it. But while reading your op, I could remember all the songs and I actually quite miss it, so there's something else for my Christmas List!
indiecater 29.10.2002 20:17
Your writing does this great album justice.
Silverback 29.10.2002 07:41
Useful stuff. I'm not a Nirvana completist but I love Nevermind and their track on the 'No Alternative' compilation. This sounds like an essential addition.
Unplugged was the last collection recorded by Nirvana before the untimely death of Kurt ... more
Cobain and it caught many by surprise. As a testament to the group's live dynamic in a acoustic setting, it's a fantastic document that emphasises the nuances of on...
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Advantages: Relaxing, moving, mellowed, characteristic and above all music in its finest form : LIVE. Disadvantages: Some songs are not their original material.
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