MTV Unplugged In New York

I've never bought into the "Cobain was the voice of a generation" crap. This surprisingly intimate, honest live album is so much more than just KC, especially viewed in context of the greater music industry. Much of the major label music released after 1993 is extremely overproduced and polished; even stuff that was supposed to be raw and edgy is now sterile and safe. Those of us old enough remember that MTV itself went to shit starting in the mid-90s, moving away from music to TV and "reality" shows. So it's not unreasonable to regard this album (and the live event it captured) as a funeral for rock.

Go ahead and unplug me too while you’re at it.

Nothing like a 5-star record on a Saturday! I love this album so much, and I don't think there is a better album that represents Nirvana's talent more that this set. Beyond cool renditions of their own stuff, which was pretty new at the time, they did an amazing cover of Bowie's The Man Who Sold The World. From beginning to end, they have never sounded better and the gritty Where Did You Sleep Last Night is Cool Whip on top for me. Where would listening to this album be the best?....IN THE PINES, IN THE PINES!

A bunch of album tracks and half a dozen cover versions doesn't necessarily sound like the recipe for a killer acoustic live album but 'Unplugged In New York' turns out to be something special. The bands material translates wonderfully well into intimate, acoustic arrangements, and their cover versions are often better than the originals. A tantalizing look at what Nirvana might've evolved into, and still a fitting if sad way for the band to go out despite the large shadow Kurt Cobain's death casts over this record.

I never could understand all the hype about Nirvana and Cobain, but since the band and this album are so highly rated on 1,001 I figured it deserved a good listen. Well, I still don’t get all the hype. I also think you need to be a fan to like hearing them do stripped down versions of their hits because I think the studio versions are better. The best song on this album IMO is The Man Who Sold The World, and that’s Bowie song, so take that for what is worth.

Really cool to have a live album that became so ubiquitous and got serious airplay! I feel if you mention 'unplugged', you're talking about this album...or have to seriously clarify. Love that Nirvana pushed against the hitfactory MTV wanted and was able to make something unique and profound. I'd probably give this a 4 if it was only the music, as some of the tracks aren't my favorite, but the covers, story, guests (this is what intro'd me to the Meat Puppets, rad!) and legacy gotta bump it up to a five for me!

No thank you

Amazing album, lots of great covers. Originals are spot on. Kurt messes up a few times but the band is pretty spot on. Something magical about this performance maybe it's nostalgia.

When I was at school if you liked guitar music you were either into Britpop, Grunge, or Metal. The kids of Wyvern weren't having people crossing over and liking different Genres. I had quite a happy childhood so I joined the former bandwagon. Now as a miserable 30 something I can appreciate Nirvana a lot more. I still have no time for metal though. Stripped back these songs actually sound better which is a testamant to the song writing on show. What you are hearing here is a superstar at the absolute peak of his powers. One of, if not the best live album ever made featuring the greatest cover version of all time in Man who sold the world. 5/5

There are a few of the Unplugged series that will go down in music history. This is one of them. Who would have guessed that these Nirvana songs and covers would translate so well into acoustic gems to make an amazing album. Performances are top-notch and memorable, and you only want to revisit this concert again and again.

I heard this before In Utero or Bleach so these versions are still somehow more familiar to me. Weird. The thing that makes this album great is that they very easily could've just gone out their and played their biggest hits acoustically and called it a day. But they really only played one hit song and really focused on curating a performance that worked best for that setting and created a certain mood.

Nirvana was not a good band. I will die on this hill.

Some of the instrumentals were nice. But overall I found this terribly boring.

I hate Nirvana. I will not listen to this album. Fuck Kurt Cobain.

This is an easy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me. A concert that will still be talked long after we are gone (although I’d argue Alice in Chains unplugged is a better set for the unplugged format) it cruises to a five on the strength of the covers alone - Lake of Fire but especially Where did you sleep last night which just gave me goosebumps for the trillionth time this morning 😍

This is not my first time listening to this album. This will not be my last time, either. Nirvana is one of my favorite bands, therefore, this review will be in their favor. Let me just start off by saying that this album is amazing. Although all the songs are live recordings, that doesn't damage their value. If anything, it makes them better. You can hear the raw emotion in Kurt's voice. Every imperfection is dazzling. In this album, there is a variety of songs. Some are from Bleach, In Utero, and Nevermind, while others aren't even Nirvana original songs. These covers are what make the album, especially The Man Who Sold The World and Where Did You Sleep Last Night. They are very powerful to listen to. This album is truly an essential listen. 5/5

As probably predicted this is ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me. A concert that will still be talked long after we are gone (although I’d argue Alice in Chains unplugged is a better set for the unplugged format) it cruises to a five on the strength of the covers alone - Lake of Fire but especially Where did you sleep last night which just gave me goosebumps for the trillionth time this morning 😍

One of their best performances; the last track is haunting.

This is a close to a perfect album. In one performance, Nirvana showed the world that they didn't need to scream or play really loudly to completely blow you away. After stripping things down acoustically they revealed how incredible their songs really are. Many of the songs in this performance surpass their album counterparts. Kurt also used this moment to introduce the world to some of his favorite artists by doing inspired renditions of songs like "The man who sold the world", "Lake of Fire" and "Oh Me". This album is still relevant 30 years later and a true testimant to what an amazing band Nirvana was.

This album can’t be denied. It makes me ask, was Nirvana potentially a better acoustic band? Is this their most iconic album? Was this the catalyst for Indy Rock? It’s close, but I think Nevermind is still the most iconic and evidence that their just as good as rockers. This album is so good though, so many perfect covers chosen from an eclectic swath of artists. Also had great renditions of original songs. Kurt’s scratchy voice, the acoustic guitars with electric pickups, the cello, the pump organ, the acoustic bass, the banter and KURTS SWEATER, maybe it’s because I’ve listened to it so many times, but it just feels nearly perfect, especially considering I generally hate live albums and would always prefer an album recorded on the studio. A+

Where did you sleep last night completely blew me away. A truly powerful performance

Nirvana stayed true to their vision and I gotta respect that. Producers wanted more well known songs and guest artists plus an encore, and Nirvana told them to stuff it. They played hidden gems like About A Girl, The Man Who Sold The World, and Oh, Me that I otherwise wouldn’t know nearly as well if at all. I like that they paid tribute to their lesser known musical influences. Even though it’s an “acoustic” set, mostly…Cobain used an amp and effects pedals, there is still an edge to the set especially in Cobain’s vocals. Big props. Mad love.

NORVANA

You know what, I thought this would be good, but it was better.

To me, this is the most perfect live record that has ever been released. While Nirvana is known principally for their roles as pioneers of the grunge movement with their loud, abrasive punk rock roots, this recording shows their sound goes beyond that. There are raw, emotional lyrics (mostly written by late great Kurt Cobain) and beautiful melodies that exist beyond their signature sound. Though Cobain doesn't have the most angelic voice in the game, his power and angst at lead vocal fits like a glove for the songs they write and perform. There is a good mix of stripped-down versions of songs from three of their studio albums, but the most notable tracks from this concert to me are the covers. In a stroke of genius, they didn't cover other over-played rock tracks like a cover band at a dive bar. Rather, Nirvana did a version of the Christian song "Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam", a traditional folk song "Where Did You Sleep Last Night", and for me the masterpiece of this record which was a David Bowie cover, "The Man Who Sold The World". A lesser band could've rested on their laurels and simply played only their monster hits like "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (which didn't even make it on the setlist). But this dynamic recording skirted those expectations and it paid off. My favorite artists are always ones that can sound as comfortable in an acoustic setting as they are absolutely shredding, and this album is no exception. This session solidifies their short but iconic reign at the top of the rock landscape, and made them an all-time influential band. 10/10

Am I going to write this review … by myself? Another album I loved as a kid. I will always remember the track teammate who would listen to this on the bus before meets. To get himself hyped? To mellow himself out? I never asked and now I’ll never know. The Nirvana tracks on this are good and several of them improve in this setting (About a Girl, Dumb, Something in the Way), but the covers are the standouts, especially the final track. If you’ve never seen Cobain’s eyes widen before that final “night through,” you need to. I was between a 4 and a 5 coming in, but after I “liked” every song from SITW to the end, I think the nostalgia boost is getting it to a 5. After finishing the album, I watched this video of a trained singer analyzing his vocal performance on where did you sleep last night, and her shock is palpable at the moment with about two minutes left when he shifts his style: https://youtu.be/wSxWhsWnP6o?si=5QCfyzMYvRsOudUn It’s cool to know someone who knows her stuff is also wowed by this.

An amazing set, and in my opinion the most interesting Nirvana album (Nevermind and In Utero are both great too). This mostly acoustic performance to me showcases the band’s talents, especially Cobain, as much or more as their studio albums. I prefer these renditions over many of their proper studio counterparts, especially the iconic All Apologies take. They arguably best David Fucking Bowie on The Man Who Sold The World, which should be a big enough endorsement for the record all by itself. It’s also very cool that Nirvana, one of the world’s biggest bands at the time, covered songs from Meat Puppets and Vaseline. The Lead Belly cover is also awesome and introduced Lead Belly to a new generation. Cobain’s singing is great and his words are able to stand out more clearly in the mix, making it easier to take in his sad, skeptical, brilliantly cryptic lyrics. His vocal performance on Lead Belly’s Where Did You Sleep Last Night is pretty incredible. It’s not all Kurt though. Novoselic‘s bass sounds great throughout. Dave Grohl adds some nice backing vocals and his restraint on the percussion is noteworthy I think as it shows he understood the assignment. What’s most sad to me is that this showed the world that Nirvana had range that probably could have produced some more amazing music if not for Kurt’s death. I’m not the biggest grunge or even Nirvana fan (although I do love their albums), but this is an all time great live album.

Sometimes I feel like I’m stuck between two worlds. I don’t mean that in the sense that my mind is unraveling or I’m losing my grip on reality. I mean it in the sense that, having been born in 1981, I have memory what the world used to be and the reality of what it has now become. I lived a good portion of my life without the internet or cellphones, I was alive to see the Berlin Wall fall and understand what it meant, was alive for hair metal on MTV, alive when Nirvana changed the world… That’s not to say that I think everything was great then and it’s all shit now. There were shitty things back then and there are shitty things now. Shit is a constant. Maybe I should put it this way: I was 13 in 1994. Primed for rebellion, I was the exact demographic that would benefit from having a band or genre of music that “came out of nowhere” and completely upended the natural order of things, showing that there was a different way of doing things than what you had been told was “normal”. Nirvana blew the doors wide open and with them came an entire world of underground music that might have otherwise been relegated to history. I cannot overstate the impact that had on my life as a bored suburban kid. It was like being shown an alternate reality, except…it actually existed. You could be weird, you could be raw and real, you could record an album in your basement and it could mean something, because even if you didn’t always see them in your everyday life, there were other people who thought like you did. I don’t believe Kurt Cobain to be some kind of rock and roll Jesus Christ. He was more of a catalyst, responsible for an unbelievable change of tides (though his role as catalyst is even debatable, given that it was at Sonic Youth’s urging that Geffen Records even signed Nirvana in the first place, but that is a debate for another day). For better or worse, he is the face of that change. Maybe it’s part of getting old, thinking about what could’ve been and how things could’ve (or should have) turned out differently and having to square the two in order to make sense of your place in the world. Would I be the person I am today without the alternative rock explosion of the early 90’s? I don’t think so. I certainly don’t think I would be as open to unconventional sounds or ideas as I am now. So, while I’m not the Nirvana fan I once was, the impact of their music on my life is making it hard for me to not rate at least one of their albums a 5. It’s basically a straight line from them to the person I am. That is probably really fucking lame to some of you, but it’s the truth and I fear that because of how fragmented we all are in the internet age, because of our lack of a shared cultural experience, it might not happen again for others.

Heard it a million times and it's pretty good... but I gotta say AIC and PJ did the unplugged albums better. 10 points to Cobain for making the setlist mostly deep cuts though. and the bowie cover is really goodl. 4/5.

i went into this album thinking that i didn’t like nirvana. i came out of this album only liking one song, which was a david bowie cover. just not my thing

I don’t get the Nirvana hype; this is just background music to me and I can’t stand his voice on this album. I was begging for this to end. Begging for mercy. The 30 seconds of clapping at the end of each song still echoes through my ears like a terrible memory. Because having to listen to Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged in New York IS a terrible memory.

Plateau is weird.

One of the best MTV Unpluggeds ever. Nice memories from back in the day. Plus, for some reason 1001 Albums Generator threw me two Nirvana albums in a row, which is never a bad thing.

Wow what a great performance. I’m not the biggest Nirvana fan in the world, but this feels like such a slice of time. And the unplugged venue really showcases Cobain’s vocal strengths. This is probably the second best version of Man Who Sold the World. But it’s close.

Just a classic. Interesting this threw up one I've played a thousand times for my first one, but glad it did! Graham

Excellent album. Great to hear a different side of the band and a very upfront and real portrayal of unique covers.

..... One of the best CDs ever

Amazing album

Very good! Long ish and not my usual genre but I enjoyed the whole thing. One of the better live albums we’ve gotten, also recently i have heard/seen more Kurt Cobain references than usual which is a funny coincidence 9/10

The gold standard for live acoustic albums and probably my favorite Nirvana album. The cover of ‘Lake of Fire’ is awesome. RIP Kurt.

A classic; I watched this special when it aired and it was absolutely formative to my musical tastes.

I remember watching this on TV in the 90's when I was in high school. It was a big deal and everybody was talking about it back then. I still enjoy hearing it and remembering when I first heard it. This is one that I love enough to actually own.

Incredible live performance, really highlights Kurt’s voice. Loved it

It's pretty crazy how good these guys sound even when they're going for a significantly more mellow sound than what they're known for. Not usually a fan of the live albums on here, but this is really good

Pretty Frickin great. I like the little Meatpuppets suite at the end. This album really demonstrates the strength of Kurt Cobain's songwriting I think.

Loving this. Some covers. Some nirvana. All great. Last track "Where did you sleep last night" was Kurt Cobain's last recorded song before his suicide.

I remember when this album came out, ironically this is the first time I've listened to the whole thing. Total banger. Kurt is the focal point, but all the musicians on this album are killing it. Nirvana was a great band, I wish they would've been around a lot longer.

My favorite Nirvana album and maybe the best Unplugged performance of the series.

I like this album. The live aspect wasn't too intrusive. Contained some of Nirvanas best hits.

The only band that understood the assignment when it came to Unplugged. As essential as any of their studio albums.

My glorious youth!!!

Unplugged was huge in the 90's - started by Paul McCartney and ended here - I mean, who was going to be able to top this? Nirvana's raw power is still felt even during this funereal like renditions of their own tunes and their personal favourites. I still get chills from that last sigh that Cobain gives before the last line of the last song that he ever sang on record. He sounds like he's finally made some decision and the weight of being who he was is something that will soon be in the past. Best Tracks: About a Girl; The Man Who Sold The World; Where Did You Sleep Last night?

Classic have on vinyl. Stand out tracks: -Where did you sleep last night -The man who sold the world -Polly -Something in the way -Plateau

So as a rock guy, I am fairly familiar with the “Nirvana Unplugged” album, though have never run it all-the-way through… Was actually surprised to find that it was on the 1,001 list, as I didn’t think “live” albums were a part of it… Appears it made it because there were some covers on it, doesn’t really change that criteria for me and I would not have included it, but c’est la vie… #1 – I like the arrangements, and am glad that they used a little amplification as that was part of the secret sauce of the album – so a big plus there… #2 – After a while however, several of the songs started to sound the same the longer the album went on… Especially noticeable from “Something In The Way” (Track 9) through the Meat Puppets covers (Tracks 10, 11, 12)… #3 – As for the covers, didn’t really care for The Vaseline’s “Jesus Doesn’t Want Me For A Sunbeam” – but here are the rest – “Man Who Sold The World” – Bowie – 5-stars out of 7… “Plateau” – Meat Puppets – 4-stars out of 7… “Oh Me” – Meat Puppets – 1-star out of 7… “Lake Of Fire” – Meat Puppets – 5-stars out of 7… “Where Did You Sleep Last Night” – Lead Belly – 5-stars out of 7… #4 – Kurt’s frailty really comes through, and if I had been a band member back then, I would have been VERY concerned about his mental state and overall health, as you can tell that he’s pretty distant at best… Kind of sad that what really made this album popular, was the fact that it was released later in 1994 after Kurt’s death that spring… #5 – The best Nivana songs IMO were – “Come As You Are” – 6-stars out of 7… “Dumb” – 4-stars out of 7… “On A Plain” – 4-stars out of 7… “All Apologies” – 5-stars out of 7… The rest were just filler as far as I’m concerned… Glad I listened to the album in it’s entirety, and that I did it during the month of the 30th Anniversary of Kurt’s death… Given the historic nature of what it captured, plus the fact that there were a number of arrangements that I really enjoyed, “Nirvana Unplugged” clocks in at a solid 4 for me…

the songwriting is impeccable and this performance just lets that shine

There are few live albums that really cut through and this is one. It's a gentle and brilliant run across their catalogue and covers that just kind of works.

This album was never all that appealing to me, couldn't really understand why everybody fawned over it so much -- part of the appeal to Nirvana, to me, was the noise, the feedback, distortion, Dave Grohl abusing his drum kit. It says something that my favorite song on this is actually a Meat Puppets song. That being said, it is also a fine listen, but nothing spectacular.

Got the unplugged ball rolling. Love how raw and unedited it is. Will probably never voluntarily listen to it again.

This album is the embodiment of why I'll never pick live music over "produced". Yes, it is clear that there's a huge amount of talent there, but you know what? Producers are talented too, and they make music sound better. I don't need or want to hear people whooping appreciatively and cheering - I can enjoy the music without a live studio audience yo let me know what I should think about it. Let's hear it for studio producers. The most underrated people in music.

Not much going for this. A live set on a TV show. No great shakes. But an event happens and it gets elevated to some crazy status the performance does not merit. The unplugged moniker is simply for the franchise, it is merely the band pared down. Some songs work most do not.

MTV unplugged also, Perle der Hochkultur die uns auch 25 Jahre später noch Meisterwerke wie Marius Müller Westernhagens Greatest Fails präsentiert, neu arrangiert und mit grotesk prätentiösem Wagenrad auf dem Kopf. Um den Hals hätte ich auch gut gefunden, als Analogie zu dem dicken Nagel den dieses „Konzert“ hier in Kurt Cobains Sarg geschlagen hat. Die Seuche der massenfabrizierten sogenannten Authentizität brach Anfang der 90er über die Welt, und „MTV Unplugged“ war der erste große Fieberschub. Gar nichts war da handgemacht und weniger noch von Herzen, das war und ist fucking Marketing, Kerzenschein aus Halogen und Verstärker im Souffleusenkasten. Konsequent nur, dass es ab da immer schneller immer weiter abwärts ging. MTV Real World, RTL Big Brother, die DFB National MANNSCHAFT powered by Coca Cola, Michael Wendler, Marc Zuckerberg und Donald Trump. Es. Ist. Nicht. Auszuhalten. Suizid wegen Kein Bock mehr auf all die Phonies, Speichellecker und Arschgeigen turned Grungeionistas. So sitzt Kurt nun da in diesem Sony-Studio, depressiv, auf Entzug und dann auch noch Ärger wegen Meat Puppets. Singt seine Lieder und klagt sie, schön, dringlich, unheimlich sogar und zeigt dieser ganzen Welt, was er von ihr hält: nichts. Sie tut ihm weh, er hält es nicht mehr aus, und Schuld sind die ganzen Wixer von MTV und von Sony. Die ihm hier diese vorgezogene Begräbnisfeier hingestellt haben, garniert mit weißen Lilien und schwarzen Kerzen auf dass sich die Platte achtfach Platin verkaufe; mit irgendwelchen Claqueuren im „Publikum“ deren hohle Ergriffenheit ja selbst auf Platte kaum auszuhalten ist. Die Idee, einer dreckigen Punkband aus Sellout-Gründen die Verzerrer wegzunehmen ist keinen Deut besser als eine Metalband die sich für Wagner hält und ein Symphonieorchester auf die Bühne holt. Und kann natürlich auch keinen Zehntelpunkt mehr bekommen, egal wie beeindruckend die Band das tatsächlich umsetzt. Here‘s to you, Reality Bites.

5/5 ALWAYS

i’ve always loved these renditions of all the songs… 10/10

Amazing live album. Up there with "Frampton Comes Alive".

I came as I am

Love it! Takes me back to Uni days and seeing them live.

Jesus don’t want me for a sunbeam

My favourite nirvana album

An amazing album. I forgot how good it was!

Recorded less than five months before Kurt Cobain’s death from suicide by gunshot, “MTV Unplugged in New York” by Nirvana now plays as a haunting epitaph for the musician as well as a glimpse into where the band could’ve been headed musically had he not ended his life so young. I’ll keep my remarks short as I’m sure plenty has been written already about this record, but in retrospect it’s fascinating to reflect on how big Nirvana were that they could skirt MTV’s requirements for the program - rather than being entirely acoustic, they got to use electric amplification and guitar effects, and instead of performing their hits, Nirvana played nearly as many covers (six, “The Man Who Sold the World” and “Lake of Fire” are two standouts) as originals (eight), and “Come As You Are” was the only hit they performed (“All Apologies” hadn’t yet been released as a single). It’s worth noting that the entire performance can be viewed on YouTube - worth checking out for both the hilarious early 90’s fashion on display in the audience, and to see the set decorated, in Cobain’s words, “Like a funeral” with stargazer lilies, black candles and a crystal chandelier.

Awesome live performance.

I dig the acoustics and grohl in a sweet sweet turtleneck

What can I say? I start to play guitar with this album. I love it

Il mio problema coi Nirvana è che li ho sempre associati ai svariati compagni delle superiori che andavano in giro con sigaretta, camicia di flanella, capelli lunghi, puzza di sudore e depressione: mi stavano sul cazzo. Per fortuna li ho scoperti molto dopo, quasi per caso. In quest'album, quelle sonorità graffianti tipiche del loro sound sono ridotte perché suonano in acustico, ma la loro anima rimane intatta, di espone e si illumina. Grazie per questa esperienza e questa atmosfera. Sono contento di averlo riascoltato! Il mio voto è 5, ma meriterebbe un 6 per la performance live (ho un debole per gli album live). Voto: 6

One of the best live albums. Really shows the versatility of the band

An absolute classic from my youth. Raw, emotional.

A fanta

5/5 - legend

Stunning. They are absolutely wonderful here. The song choices are perfect, the Meat Puppets are a great addition to this and Where Did You Sleep Last Night? is incredible. If I could have been at one show, this would have been it.

The good stuff

I love this

The final track is worth the top mark on its own, it's stunning. This album reignited my appreciation for Nirvana when it waned a little following my Nevermind obsession period. The Unplugged sessions were such a great idea and produced some amazing musical moments. This is always a great listen, it can't really be faulted.

An old fav, big feels. The sound for this show is so good.

Kurt legend

Good

flawless

At the top of their game

From my favorite band of all time, this record is amazing!

I watched this to get the full experience and it was perfect

Woohoo, class

.

Great memories!! Best unplugged ever?

Really good. Never been much in to Nirvana but I like the stripped down versions.

Damn good album. def heard it before but still really good. kinda falls off halfway through though

Is this the best acoustic set ever played?

Raw

Great live album

One of the best albums of all time

Amazing album with my favorite covers

Great and well known songs by Nirvana, even I have some weak spot in my heart for them.