MTV Unplugged In New York
Nirvana
1994
Album Summary
MTV Unplugged in New York is a live album by American rock band Nirvana, released on November 1, 1994, by DGC Records. It features an acoustic performance recorded at Sony Music Studios in New York City on November 18, 1993, for the television series MTV Unplugged. The show was directed by Beth McCarthy and aired on the cable television network MTV on December 16, 1993. In a break with MTV Unplugged tradition, Nirvana played mainly lesser-known material and covers of songs by the Vaselines, David Bowie, Lead Belly and Meat Puppets. Unlike prior MTV Unplugged performances, which were entirely acoustic, Nirvana used electric amplification and guitar effects during the set. They were joined by rhythm guitarist Pat Smear and cellist Lori Goldston, plus members of Meat Puppets for some songs. MTV Unplugged was released after plans to release the performance as part of a live double-album compilation titled Verse Chorus Verse, were abandoned. It was the first Nirvana release after the death of singer Kurt Cobain seven months prior. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and was certified eight-times multiplatinum by the RIAA in 2020. It won the Best Alternative Music Performance at the 1996 Grammy Awards, Nirvana's only Grammy Award win, and has since been ranked one of the greatest live albums of all time. The performance was released as a DVD in 2007.
WikipediaNothing 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Just a classic. Interesting this threw up one I've played a thousand times for my first one, but glad it did! Graham
I like this album. The live aspect wasn't too intrusive. Contained some of Nirvanas best hits.
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 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.
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!
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.
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
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+
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 😍
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 😍
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.
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.
The gold standard for live acoustic albums and probably my favorite Nirvana album. The cover of ‘Lake of Fire’ is awesome. RIP Kurt.
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.
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.
Plateau is weird.
One of my favorite all-time albums. LOVE the Bowie cover and the Meat Puppets inclusion. Gold standard acoustic transformation
Nirvana is always gonna be top for Me. Interesting takes on the unplugged version of songs
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.
Great and well known songs by Nirvana, even I have some weak spot in my heart for them.
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.
Still great, the meat puppets colabs are the stand out tunes. Listened while playing with Gabe, he liked Plateau because of the funny words and the way ‘the man’ said birrrrrds! Can’t argue, an iconic live tv event, strong cardigan game. Special shout out to All Apologies...Mary, ya ya ya yayayyaaaa
What can I say, I loved this album, I want to play it again & again. I tried not to love it, because its Nirvana and everybody loves Nirvana, but it was great and No Apologise's makes this album a 5 star.
Ho consumato questo album fino ai miei 17/18 anni tanto che ricordo a memoria i cazzeggi di Grohl alla batteria tra un pezzo e l'altro come se fossero parte delle canzoni, così come dove Kurt prende fiato all'interno dei pezzi. Risentirlo mi ha riportato indietro ai pomeriggi passati a cantare Where Did You Sleep Last Night o a studiare l'assolo di Lake Of Fire dei Meat Puppets. Questo album per me è l'apice della carriera dei Nirvana ed è stato bello riuscire a capire che dicono tra un pezzo e l'altro dopo tutti questi anni o a vedere la performance su YouTube visto che all'epoca o c'avevi la cassetta o non c'era modo di vederlo. Pensavo che oggi m'avrebbe fatto un effetto diverso, ma quando Kurt apre a Where Did You Sleep Last Night m'è venuta la pelle d'oca come quando c'avevo 16 anni. 5 facilissimo.
What an amazing album. Grew up with it and love it but I appreciate it even more now. Kurt's voice sounds great when it's exposed in this "acoustic" setting. So much raw emotion there. Great songs.
Damn good album. def heard it before but still really good. kinda falls off halfway through though
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
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.
The one live album on the top 15, the performance we saw again and again for months (and then years and decades) after that fateful April day back in 94, the one from which the most iconic pictures of Cobain are from (google his name and see for yourself), the sui generis MTV unplugged full of covers as they decided it would be a disservice to play an acoustic version of their hits and by doing so making it the greatest of all, the one MTV entrance of this list I might say! the icon, the moment in history, the otherwise impossible tribute/eclipse of Bowie, Lead Belly’s come back from the dead. All that and so much more… as an album it should be disqualified from the list but of course no one should die without listening. I was 7 the first time I SAW this and still give me the chills, I loved it before I ever understood English, I was of course one of the ignorant kids Bowie would later dismiss for not knowing the author of TMWSTW, actually the first song I ever downloaded from Napster I shit you not! After that I have had the opportunity to compare that hyper compressed mp3 file that took ages to download to the tv version and later to the vinyl and lossless versions… damn the mixing is amazing! I would pay to see a restored version of the concert with the album mixed audio. I nag all the time about the US-centrism of this list and how it is full of live albums but how can this one not be a 5?
100/5. Just perfect. The originals, the covers, the conversations in between and the set. Everything fell into place that night. The covers had me chasing the originals and the deep cuts made me listen and explore more of Nirvana. What are they tuning a harp?
Killer live album Man who sold the world Nothing on top but a bucket and mop Meat puppets song
I never really listened to Nirvana, but this was real nice. Guitar is creative and kinda new. But, Kurt’s voice is another instrument and was the blood in the veins! Loved it!
Wonderful album. Showcases Cobain’s ability as a performer to enrapture a room as well as Grohl’s versatility as a drummer
This is a perfect concert and to me, the BEST Nirvana album. It spans their entire skillset, shows their versatility, and cements them as one of the best bands of all time.
This was one of my all time favorite albums before 1001 suggested it and it still is one of my all time favorite albums
It's a bit good. For many the GOAT when it comes to live albums. Defo a contender! I mean it created a £250,000 cardigan FFS.
An excellent live album. There are so many highlights on this album but their cover of Where Did You Sleep Last Night? remains an all time favorite
You can hear in his voice that he's considering shooting himself in the head. It's fucking great really. Not the shooting bit, the music.
We had this record on at our Christmas party in Downing Street last year. It made none of us pause for reflection as we snorted coke off eachother's erect cocks. Top night.
this is the most dave grohl that i've put up with for a long time. he used to be such a nice boy. for some reason i've never listened to this album before. what a pleasant surprise. live albums are usually a bit shit, probably because a lot of the time its the band being their most polished and showy which is probably why this sounds so good, its not that.
Absolutely brilliant in every way shape an form. In fact it was so good he knew the only way to top it was by topping himself. What a lad
95. MTV Unplugged In New York - Nirvana 14 tracks. Not a massive Nirvana fan but there is no doubting how good this is. I think the reason I don't listen to them more is that it's what I call "down" music and I just prefer "up" music. The question is... is it a 4 or a 5? 5/5
This live performance is a combination of multiple Nirvana albums, which dabbles primarily in grunge and alternative rock. Nirvana as a band can be thought of as a paradigm shift in their space, with this album's stripped-down arrangements of their music display best their ups and downs as a grunge outfit. There is a profound sense of vulnerability throughout the entire record, from the live hall ambience to the unplugged musical approach - all to the morose qualities of the late Kurt Cobain's life.
The last great hurrah for Kurt Cobain and Nirvana. A unique selection of songs for this unplugged show helps it stand out, making for a fun listen even on revisits. Favorites: "The Man Who Sold The World", "Lake Of Fire", "Where Did You Sleep Last Night"
- Very interesting to listen to as I know about Nirvana but had only heard Come as you are before -Full of great songs both musically and performance wise - you can really hear the emotion Kurt puts into singing each one -Like the banter between the band between songs Overall one of my favourite live albums. Will definitely be listening again / adding many songs to my chill playlist 9/10
I’ve heard many great things about this album and they all stood by their word. Very good!
5, I mean come on. There haven't been many other bands that can take music that's pretty heavy and loud, turning it into a beautiful acoustic set. Perfect flow with a couple excellent cover choices throughout. Flawless.
Albums like this make me question "what makes an album?". Technically, this is a bunch of cover songs (including their own), acoustic, recorded live. I keep coming back to the conclusion of, do I think this is something that music fans should be aware of, and listen to at least once. Yes, absolutely. Or could that be my Gen X nostalgia? Probably, time will tell. "The Man Who Sold The World" - arguably better than Bowie's version?
Pure class, demonstrating Cobain’s skill, and an album I could leave on repeat for quite a while. The cover versions are a joy
This is probably my favourite live album by any act. There's a lovely relaxed vibe throughout, I almost feel like the band are playing in my living room! In the video the flowers are a neat touch (makes me think of the sixties). On the recording Cobain is in good voice, charismatic and in good humour throughout. It's obviously Nirvana is his band. There's a great selection of originals and covers. There's some fabulous arrangements and instrumentation (the accordion on Jesus Doesn't Want Me and Cello on lots of tracks). It's hard to pick stand out tracks as they're all great, but I love the Meat Puppets tracks and All Apologies followed by a rousing finale of Where Did You Sleep Last Night is a cracking end to the album. It genuinely saddens me that months later Cobain was dead.
Not usually a fan of live albums, but this one is essential. Its acoustic nature strips Kurt of his electrified anger and softens Nirvana's rough edges, revealing something more tender. The covers, in particular "Man Who Saved the World," fit in perfectly too.
This is a great album. Every song is interesting and well-executed. I'd dock it a couple of points because the songs are all fairly depressing and a little bit repetitive. So 5 stars if you listen to it spaced out over time but 4 stars if you have to listen to it all at once.
Nirvana are all at the top of their game here, and in a genre that they're not too familiar with; acoustic rock. The covers are great, the originals are great, don't see any flaws with this record.
Been a big Nirvana fan since I was 14 and there greatest hits album came out in 2002. Love this album it was always getting 5 stars, the version of All Apologies is brilliant and so are the covers, In my opinion the man who sold the world is better than the original.
The sheer force of personality and charm of Nirvana made this really enjoyable, and I can't get enough of "Come as You Are" live! It sounds amazing, and their covers are really solid too (I love a Bowie cover!)
4.8 - just an amazing album. Such a mixture of nostalgia for me and amazing music. What it would give to have been at this concert.
Disco mítico del grunge, punto final a una era de músicos rockeros que sabían y saben tocar. ► Me encantan sus canciones en acústico: "Come as You Are", "Pennyroyal Tea", "Dumb","Polly", "On a Plain" y "All Apologies". ► Y las versiones que hicieron de otros grupos: "Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam" (The Vaselines), "The Man Who Sold the World" (David Bowie),"Lake of Fire" (Meat Puppets) y "Where Did You Sleep Last Night". ♫♫♫♫♫ Disco de 5 estrellas imprescindible.
I assumed this would be an easy 5. I love Nevermind but don’t think I’ve ever listened to this album all the way through, I came out a little underwhelmed. It is brilliant, I enjoyed it, great tracks, awesome delivery but I just can’t escape the feeling that I’d rather hear them rocking the fuck out than sat down strumming out a folky one. Maybe I’m holding this album to too high a standard, because I’m mostly comparing it to one of the best albums of all time, rather than judging it purely on its own merits. So 9/10 I guess, still 5 stars but not a Nevermind 5 starts.
Actually really enjoyed this -- in the past I've tried to give Nirvana a go and was kinda luke-warm. But this album is killer and its funny to hear a bit of his personality.
Might be the best live performance ever captured. Favorite tracks: Plateau, Something in the Way, Lake of Fire, and all of them.
What a great collection of songs, didn't realize how many of the "definitive" versions of these songs in my mind came from this performance.
Starting off with something familiar. This album is already on my personal top 10 so its a great way to start off.
Love it. Eerie/spooky vibes from the set, and a ton of *great* songs. I'm always really impressed whenever live albums sound good, and this one sounds as good or better than the recorded versions. I'm also impressed by their ability to take songs from other artists and really make them their own. Highlights include the man who sold the world, something in the way (ty batman), plateau, lake of fire, come as you are, and where did you sleep last night. The only real lowlight for me was pennyroyal tea, but overall this album is fantastic and several songs are already in my rotation or will be after this.
As a rule I hate live albums. Nirvana is the exception, always the exception. This is an emotionally charged, raw set. It’s moving and spellbinding. Kurt has gravitas. The covers are all impeccable too! They fit so well with Nirvana’s own material. It all blends together so seamlessly. So many things going right, it’s just so so good. It hits differently than all other live albums. Bottled lightening. Zap!
An album that I'm already very familiar with. It's a tough act making a hard rock sound acoustic friendly for Unplugged. There's a real sense of the band being hopelessly under-rehearsed. This is good. They make it up as they go along with some wonderful results. Kurt has an almost apologetic persona. The Bowie cover works a charm. Shout out to Dave Grohl with his brush drumming light touch work. This helps the whole album to hang together.
Awesome album, watching this on tv was what first inspired me to start listening to grunge
Probably the best live album, with maybe some exception for Johnny Cash, but really something special, so intimate.
An enthralling live performance, and the deep tracks and covers really help make it a unique experience. Something about stripping it all down like this really lays bare Cobain's emotions and songwriting. It is clear why this album is so highly regarded.
I actually watched this set on Youtube about a week before this app suggested the album. Despite a very casual vibe to the band's banter and a few remarks from Cobain on whether he will mess up certain songs, it's a remarkably tight set. The acoustic (or near-acoustic) format, while far from the grunge sound of the original recordings, still retains the angst, rage, and introspective qualities. Cameos by the Meat Puppets and support from The Germs's Pat Smear, and a few covers, notably David Bowie and the powerful Leadbelly closer, make it far more than a greatest hits collection.
What should have been a cheesy event somehow turned into a raw and emotional string of performances that immortalized Nirvana. The covers here prove to be just as timeless as the original music from Nirvana. Kurt's influences and own mind laid bare--along with his heart.
I remember this all so clearly. I watched it in full the first time MTV aired it, and saw it in bits and pieces many times since then. I bought the album when it was released and listened to it quite often. In this performance, I hear hints and shadows from where I believe many others also feel Kurt Cobain might've gone musically and artistically had he lived and gotten clean. I honestly believe he is on the same generationally-rare songwriting plane as, say, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and others of that ilk. I can't tell if this is my mind's shaping of the memory or if it truly happened this way, but my memory of the experience of watching this for the first time is that I was mesmerized by it all, fascinated at times, totally engaged with it and that I also couldn't shake a feeling of sadness. No, I'm not at all claiming I had a sense of Kurt Cobain's impending death or anything like that. It was just how I experienced the entire thing.
Listened Before? Y This is an amazing classic. Nirvana was a great band, and this is their best, least chaotic, and most well-arranged performance IMO. The cameos from the Meat Puppets and the songs they covered are a major highlight. Added to Library? Y Songs added to playlist: The Man Who Sold the World, Plateu
This is the fastest yet that I've said "yea that's a 5" after seeing the album title/cover pop up on this list. When I was young I loved Nirvana but I had this rebellious thing where I just couldn't fully embrace something that everyone else did; like famous bands (I would gravitate towards the other 90s grunge acts like STP, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam), and even the best sports teams (Mets > Yankees cmon now). I think a lot of if not most people have that when they are younger and I'll admit it took me way too long to get over that and love Nirvana but I did, and I do now. Nirvana is just so timeless, and this album is my favorite by them. Who knew that stripped down they would be so good? Usually raw and gritty vocals are enhanced by a shield of distortion behind them. It's scary for a singer to take their perfected vocal timbre and completely change the setting around it and hope it still works. Sometimes I even feel uncomfortable singing using someone else's acoustic guitar; there's certain chords and dynamics that I know I can hide behind on my own guitars when I need it! I read that Kurt was really nervous and also suffering from drug withdrawal and while the drug withdrawal seems obvious now, I have always found it interesting and sad that he was also nervous. A titan of music who is one of the most famous musicians of all time... and he was nervous. The feedback on "The Man Who Sold The World" at 01:55 is one of my favorite moments of music ever. Ugh it's like it was placed there on purpose. The first note of the solo at 02:46 that is the wrong note? Ugh I love it. It's so easy to listen to this album. "Jesus Doesn't Want Me For A Sunbeam" "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" "The Man Who Sold The World" "All Apologies" are all top ~100 songs for me, and "where did you sleep last night" is probably a top 15 or 20. A side effect that this album has had along with some of the other legendary unplugged records is that I think about the people who were present for these shows and the whole event behind the recorded album. They were filmed in New York. If I was ~10 or 12 years older I would have tried to go. The side effect though is that they make me think "what other shows are happening right now that are going to be seen as legendary performances?" Glastonbury always tends to have a lineup that is jam-packed. I've seen some smaller gigs that were amazing for me, but I figure were just the right mixtures of performance + buzzed + a little high + my back feeling OK... all of which are personal variables and not universal. I'm not sure if I've gone to a legendary performance yet. I have so many great memories with this album and I hope that it is as timeless as I think it is.
A stunning live album and a personal favorite. Their original songs sound amazing - totally transformed and rich with emotion. And their choices of cover songs are impeccable. ("Where Did You Sleep Last Night" -- what a closer!) I love imitating the way Kurt Cobain sings "Fourth of Juu-lyyy!" on "Lake of Fire."
Classic and arguably the best Nirvana album. Kurt's vocals shine on tracks like Something in the Way and the acoustic arrangement of Lake of Fire brings another level to the song.
Possibly Nirvana's best album. Certainly up there with Nevermind. Shows a softer side to their sound and it works so well. Part of me wonders if Kurt's music may have evolved in this direction had he lived into his 30s or 40s. The whole thing captures a band at the peak of their powers before Kurt's decline really set in. It's a stunning achievement.
About A Girl - 8/10 Come As You Are - 10/10 Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam - 10/10 The Man Who Sold The World - 9/10 Pennyroyal Tea - 10/10 Dumb - 9/10 Polly - 9/10 On A Plain - 9/10 Something in the Way - 8/10 Plateau - 8/10 Oh, Me - 10/10 Lake of Fire - 9/10 All Apologies - 10/10 Where Did You Sleep Last Night? - 10/10
5 "This is off our first record. Most people don't own it." This was destined to be a 5 for me the second it came up on this list. For me, this is Nirvana's finest hour and the album of theirs I return to the most. The band was given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform a set on MTV Unplugged, then refused to play their hits, opting instead to play deeper cuts and covers... and just fucking killed it. They even used their time on-stage to share the spotlight and promote lesser-known band Meat Puppets, and the album benefits so much from it. I have a hard time imagining this album would be as highly praised if they had just stuck to the hits like MTV wanted, but Nirvana went out and performed the show they wanted to perform, and the result is a piece of musical history. All of the songs on this album sound amazing live, and Kurt sounds just as raw and real as he does on the studio albums (if not moreso). All of the originals complement the studio recordings nicely, and in some instances even outperform them by miles (looking at you About a Girl and Pennyroyal Tea). The highlights have to be the covers though, which Nirvana truly made their own and have even become the definitive versions of the songs for many (myself included)... and to do that with a David fucking Bowie song?? What other artist could do that?? Their cover of Where Did You Sleep Last Night though has to be one of the greatest closers to an album I've ever heard, and I will never not get goosebumps when the music cuts out and Kurt screams out the final verse like he thought it was the last show of his lifetime (the actual would be four months later). I could go on much longer about this album, but I'll wrap this up by saying, for me, this is truly a once-in-a-lifetime album from a once-in-a-lifetime band. While not my favorite record of all-time, I'm not sure there are going to be a ton of records on this list that beat it. Favorite songs: Yes
What is there to say about this album that hasn’t been said? It’s a 10/10 iconic live album that stands up with the greats. A good handful of these songs are the definitive versions like About A Girl. I don’t care for Lake of Fire but that about all I don’t like.
The more I listen to modern unplugged music the more I Ievel up and appreciate this genuine of pure live masterpiece of an album.
This one was an instant 5 for me. Sure we can talk about how it's strange that one of their best known albums is a live album that is probably the antithesis of what Nirvana was live, but it doesn't matter. The album is beautiful and haunting. It includes some of my favorite versions of their original songs (Pennyroyal Tea for sure) and the covers are all great. This might be my favorite live album of all time.
I had this on tape in my first car. I have no idea how many times I listened to this on road trips or on the way to college. This is the first unplugged I remember being more then the some of its parts. More than an excuse for some famous band to play a greatest hits show. I loved all the weird covers and deep cuts they chose to play instead. This is a great album.
Excellent. Nirvana playing fantastic acoustic versions of their non-hits and indie covers was nothing I expected at the time. Vaselines “…Sunbeam” and Meat Puppets “Lake of Fire” are standouts.
Unplugged was a great series and I remember the buildup of this show and wasn't actually sure what to expect. I mean Nirvana acoustic? Needless to say I was blown away by this performance then and I think even more so now. Being a fan at time I knew they had talent but I didn't realize how much until this album. The arrangement, the song selection and Kurt's emotions pouring into the songs, I still get goosebumps listening to Where Did You Sleep Last Night.
An excellent summation of the band, their catalog, and sound while still excelling in a different package.
12/11 Smooth, less aggressive versions of a lot of their records and renditions of other's as well. Like the crowd reactions and band comments, adds to the vibes. Standout Tracks: About A Girl, The Man Who Sold The World, Dumb, Polly
Finally, something worth listening to. Brings a layer of maturity to their songs, and some expertly chosen covers - this might ultimately be what they become best remembered for.
Surprisingly good sound quality for a live album. Reading up on Cobain's death makes this album significantly sadder. 'Where Did You Sleep Last Night', 'Come As You Are' are bangers.
It's strange but I think my favorite songs on this album were the covers of other songs. Really fun album!
These stripped down, acoustic versions of their songs really shows off how fundamentally good a vocalist and songwriter Kurt was. I find it amusing that this is "unplugged" but he still sometimes plays with distortion with his acoustic amp. This Aussie gives it 4 jars of vegemite out of 5.
Familiarity: 1/10 Notes: Although I've never personally endeavored to listen to a Nirvana Album, or maybe even a Nirvana song, yet I found myself humming and recognizing around half of the tracklist including covers. A rock classic, this band will always find a way to live on. Real Rating: 7/10
Oh Kurt. Reminds me of listening to this a lot as a teenager. Some of the songs are not as enjoyable in this setting, but there are some moments of brilliance.
Melhor performance ao vivo do Nirvana. (Não era muito difícil pra eles ter uma performance ao vivo, considerando que a maioria das performances dele ao vivo era uma bosta)
Best Nirvana album, IMHO... such great renditions of classic songs, and love hearing them this way. Highlights: -Come as You Are -The Man Who Sold The World -All Apologies -Where Did You Sleep Last Night
One of the few live albums I like. Cobain at his best. 8/10 1. About a Girl 2. Where Did You Sleep Last Night 3. All Apologies
Neben den B-Sides („Incesticide“) meine liebste Nirvana Aufnahme. Die Essenz der Song schlägt durch, ihre Schönheit vorgetragen, traurig ausgestellt, tolle Aufnahme. Ist das vielleicht schon der leise Urknall, der Beginn von quiet is the new loud ? „The man who sold the world“ jagt mir immer noch einen Gänsehautschauer ein. 3.9
ich mag es trotzdem. die uncut aufzeichnung ist ein exzentelles dokument von kaputtheit.
Es un album increible, tanto que gente a ajena al genero igualmente lo disfrutan. Todo una hazaña del Kurt Cobain. Tiene covers increibles.
Feels a little too much like Nirvana proving they know more than 3 chords.... they were a lesser band when they weren't raging but still a really enjoyable listen
Have never been a fan of Nirvana, only ever heard their ‘big’ songs, this live album was an excellent intro to them. 4/5
very nice album with some classics. not a fan of the live recording version but still very good music
The album that showed another side of the noisy grunge band, and did so extremely well. Particular hits like Smells Like Teen Spirit, Heart-Shaped Box, and Lithium can't be found here because they simply wouldn't work in this "unplugged" setting. Instead, a more carefully-selected setlist is used to great success for a more tender and intimate album. Overall, it's just incredible. You have everything there is to love about Cobain et al. with a whole new vibe that sounds just as good as when they're being loud and large. A must-listen.
One of my favorite Nirvana albums. I'm not generally a fan of live albums, but this one is so good
One of my favourite bands from my early teenage years and synonymous with the 90s as a whole. Bleach is still for me Nirvana’s best work, everyone knows Nevermind had the songs that made them famous, however Unplugged is perhaps the album that most people associate with this band. Those people are, of course, dickheads, but nonetheless this is still without doubt a great album and deserving of a place on any list of albums to hear before you die (Perhaps prophetically Kurt recorded it just months before he himself died in a tragic accident with a shotgun). Yes you could argue that they played it a bit safe with the set list - choosing to pad it out with covers rather than rework their own catalogue into acoustic numbers. I mean should the fact that 42% of this album is covers detract from its overall esteem? No, not when they are executed so brilliantly. Indeed the album really catches fire from Plateau onwards, 4 of those last 5 songs are covers which begs the question, could Nirvana have established themselves as the greatest covers band of all time had they not wasted their time on vanity projects such as In Utero? We will never know. What I do know is 27 years on this still gives me goosebumps and really is quite brilliant. But I can’t pretend there are not sections of this album that drag and as such I can’t quite bring myself to give it full marks, as much as I wanted to. 4/5
I have mixed feelings about live albums being on this list (probably unjustly) but this album really is just really really good. Stripped down, a more approachable kind of angst, solid all the way through.
Many of the Nirvana classics. Good mixing for a live album. Reminded me of how much I miss live shows!
My favorite versions of "Come as You Are" and "All Apologies" are on this album. Overall, this is a solid live album, especially considering that Nirvana played the whole show on acoustic instruments. Even the selection of tracks shows that the band was trying to do something different but representative of their style of music.
-"Come As You Are," "Lake of Fire," "Where Did You Sleep Last Night," and "Plateau" stood out -Not as good as I thought it would be, I kind of expected more energy out of the setlist, like "School" or "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Good live album with some decent covers. Nirvana is overrated, but this is a classic performance.
Lo tuve en CD, me lo compró mi papá en la feria del libro hace mil años <3. Para mí esta es la versión definitiva de The man who sold the world. En esta ocasión vi la grabación por youtube, es bastante triste ver el estado de Kurt, y la atmosfera funeraria. Pero bueno, las versiones son buenisimas para mí.
Nearly lived up to their hype with this acoustic set. Good set, but still vastly overrated
One of my favourite bands from my early teenage years and synonymous with the 90s as a whole. Bleach is still for me Nirvana’s best work, everyone knows Nevermind had the songs that made them famous, however Unplugged is perhaps the album that most people associate with this band. Those people are, of course, dickheads, but nonetheless this is still without doubt a great album and deserving of a place on any list of albums to hear before you die (Perhaps prophetically Kurt recorded it just months before he himself died in a tragic accident with a shotgun). Should the fact that 42% of this album is covers detract from its overall esteem? No, not when they are executed so brilliantly. Indeed the album really catches fire from Plateau onwards and 4 of those last 5 songs are covers. 27 years on this still gives me goosebumps and really is quite brilliant. But I can’t pretend there are not sections of this album that drag and as such I can’t quite bring myself to give it full marks, as much as I wanted to.
I'm not the biggest fan of Nirvana but I've heard little of their music, so I'll try to be fair. With "About a Girl", I can already hear a sort of proto-Foo Fighters sound taking shape. I have to wonder if Nirvana would have eventually produced an album like The Color And Shape if Kurt Cobain hadn't died. This album doesn't really change my opinion of Nirvana's music - They have a sound I'm just not interested in - but the artistry and pure human emotion on display is really telling. You can feel the strain on Kurt during the performance and just how much of his soul is going into his music. It's compelling, even to me. And the cover of The Man Who Sold The World may be my favorite ever.
so far very good, definitely a solid 4. The main singer adds a lot to the beats, his voice is super unique oh shit that's kurt cobain I can completely understand if someone said Nirvana was their favorite band, they're great Back half is definitely slower than the first half, probably would have helped to be more upbeat
Top quality 1st of 1001. Heard it before but looking forward to a re-visit. I remember Kurt's acoustic sounding phenomenal and his voice being note for note on the money with even more emotion than the studio recorded versions.
Just incredible, highlights the talent of Nirvana. No fillers, no duff tracks, just one great song after another. Arguably their finest album. Actual score 4.5
Cobain and the band prove that the strength of their songs are deep in the songs, not dependent on the particulars of recording. The opener has a good amount of harmonic weirdness that comes through extra-clear as presented. But to balance the weirdness, this is one of the more intimate live performances I've heard captured. There's evident theater, but it's the kind between friends and not the above-you variety more common to rock bands. MTV in the title puts a slightly uncanny spin on sincerity, but doesn't hurt the music.
Wow. I haven’t pulled this one out in awhile. Love this album. 2 of my favorite covers ever, one of them of a song in my top ten (The Man Who Sold The World) I don’t know if it’s with the weight of knowing the end of his story that makes me want to read so much into this performance, but Cobain’s comes across rough, almost broken in places. It’s an intimate performance, at a time when we were longing for intimate performances. Even after his death, it feels like we are still right there in that MTV unplugged audience. Very few live albums invoke those feelings. Hell, very few studio albums manage to stir up any feelings. Not the best album ever, but makes this bitter genX FEEL something, and that ain’t nothing.
Nice acoustic covers. Cobain has a style all his own that you have to like, or not (7/10) FT: Where Did You Sleep Last Night, All Apologies
I was ten when Kurt Cobain died, and I didn't see what all the hubbub was about. Why were people crying about the death of someone they didn't even know. All these years later, I have more of an understanding of why his music was so loved. They'll never be my favourite band, but I can at least appreciate them for completely changing the face of rock radio away from the garbage that gained popularity in the 80's. Also, props to them for not playing Smells Like Teen Spirit.
I’ve always found Nirvana to be extremely overplayed in the radio world (and this album is guilty of that too). As I get older I appreciate them more though. There are some great songs contained within here. Fave tracks: “Lake of Fire””Pennyroyal Tea” “Dumb”
Nirvana's and Clapton's unplugged albums are the only two unplugged albums that should not be in a trash pile. The "Let's do an unplugged album" strategy got to be so excessive and such an obvious money grab. The "blame" for this lies squarely with Clapton since he made an amazing unplugged album that deservingly sold a shitload of copies but unfortunately started the trend. MTV was quite happy to enable all the others to jump on the bandwagon. Nirvana's unplugged album allowed a very different take on their songs. Also, when you have such good lyrics, it's nice to be able to decipher them. Pennyroyal tea might have my favourite Nirvana lyrics: "Give me a Leonard Cohen afterworld, so I can sigh eternally." I suppose it shouldn't be a great shock that Kurt liked Bowie but who would have guessed they would cover The Man Who Sold The World? This song is one example of another aspect of this album that makes it stand out from all the bandwagon jumpers on - that being the big "Fuck you" to MTV by not playing their big hits and having the Meat Puppets be their special guests. The final part that is special is that this album feels like Kurt's swan song. I think they were on tour when they did this recording and continued to tour afterwards but the accessibility of this concert footage made it feel like the last concert. RIP
I recorded this show on VHS and rewatched it so often, the magnetic media started to wear down. It is entirely impossible for me to disconnect this album from the experience of finally having access to my favorite band, for an entire show. The memory is made all the more poigniant by it's proximity to Kurt's suicide, where this entire show took on an entirely different palor and tone. Attempting to detach myself from my deep connection to the moment in time, the album itself is still legitimately great music. The pop relatability of the band's music, including their covers, is made plain in every track. Kurts vocals are remarkably stable and smooth, save for when he's growling out a chorus. Throughout it all, there is a tenderness and an intimacy that is common through the early days of the unplugged performances, and for which this album established the watermark. Really, the only reason I don't listen to this album much at this point, is because it hurts a little too much to listen to. Then again, it is better to have loved and lost, than it is to have never loved at all.
The first live album I have received on this list, and a fantastic one at that. This concert is one I was familiar with and had seen footage of before, but I had never taken the time to listen to the entire performance. Nirvana is obviously beloved and could do no wrong back in the early 90's, but I feel that this outing helped elevate them to that legend status they have today since it is SO good. It says a lot when a band can prove themselves through the Unplugged concept. While they are mainly known for heavy guitars and screaming in their album tracks, they carry this performance with subdued, emotional vocals and tight instrumentals that create a very intimate and special listening experience. I feel this material would be more appealing to a broader audience than their other music in that it has a little something for everyone. While the renditions of songs from their older albums are great (maybe some not as strong as the original recorded versions), the covers are what stand out here the most. The Man Who Sold the World is fantastic and is definitely the most well known cover due to it originally being a Bowie track, but I really enjoyed the stretch of Meat Puppets covers (especially Plateau), and the track Where Did You Sleep Last Night could not be a better closer. The fact that these covers were included gives a great look into Kurt Cobain's inspirations that fueled his creativity, and the intense performances on them makes it sad that we didn't get more music from him after this. While I don't have much negative to say, I will admit that I have to knock this one down a bit just for the fact that it is a live performance rather than an album. I evaluate a setlist/show different than I would a track listing, and I find it much more impressive to compile new, unknown songs in a cohesive manner rather than combining proven hits and covers. As an experience, I would give it a 4.5, but as an album that appears on this list, I give it a little lower. 4/5.
listened to it a million times. Great vocals and the classic 'professional amateurs' vibe.
Should live albums be included on a 1001 album list? I am not sure, but certainly some of these live albums are pretty iconic, like this one - I suppose everyone knows it. It is excellent in many ways (the originals, the perfect covers, the production etc). But it also becomes a little bit boring too at some point - not sure if this is because the songs are so well known, or because it does not rock (pick a Violent Femmes (acoustic) record and you know what I mean).
less exiting than i thought, but ... but .... can i say it? .... yes i can .... it´s a classic ;) A classic unplugged album that is
Coraz blizej polowy listy, wiec czesciej niz rzadziej zesoly sie powtarzaja, tak jest takze i dzisiaj z zywym krazkiem od Nirvany, ktory jest drugim ich pojawiemien sie na liscie jak do tej pory i jesli mnie zmysly popularnej muzyki nie myla, bedzie ostatnim, bo w mainstreamie nirvana, to glownie nevermind i wlasnie ten wystep w MTV unplugged, nagrany w listopadzie 93, a wydany prawie rowno rok pozniej, jako pierwsza plyta juz po Cobainie, jest to chyba jeden z najbardziej charakterystycznych nagran unpluggowych, studio ubrane jak na pogrzeb z bialymi kwiatami, swiecami, kolejnym charakterystycznym elementem jest pan Cobain, dla ktorego to nagranie bylo swoistym pogrzebem, patrzac z perspektywy czasu, jak przystalo na format unplugged zespol sobie gra przez godzine, albo raczej nagrywa godzinny material, bo to jednak telewizja i przerwy moga sobie robic, ale w tym wypadku byla to nieprzerwana godzina, ktorej efektem bylo 14 trakow, z ktorych 6 to covery, w tym the man who sold the world bowiego, kolejnym rzucajacym sie w oczy jest zamykajacy nagranie where did you sleep last night, ktory jest interpretacja folkowej kompozycji Leada Belliego, jesli chodzi o covery, to ostatnim krory wyjatkowo mi spasowal byl jesus doesnt want me for a sunbeam, orginalnie od The Vaselines, reszta coverow to kawalki od meat puppets, ktorych dwoch czlonkow bralo udzial w tym nagraniu, jesli chodzi o nirvanowe kawalki, to nie ma tutaj zbyt wielu topowych bangerow z ktorych znanych jest zespol, moze poza come as you are czy on a plain, nagranie otwiera jedyny utwor z debitanckiego bleacha, z neverminda znalazly sie 4 kawalki, natomiast z utero 3, ktore brzmia inaczej niz ich albumowe odpowiedniki, cala plyta przypomina mi bardziej folka niz grunda, zwlaszcza za sprawa wolanego wystepu Cobaina, ktory brzmi dla mnie prawie jak Neil Young na tonights the night, mam na mysli jak slychac artyste w tym co spiewa, to i moze bardziej akustyczne podejscie do kompozycji i ciekawe dodatkowe instrumentale jak akordeon Novoselica z trzeciego traku nadaja plycie folkowego lub przynajmniej akustyczno rokowego klimatu, o ile tak mozna powiedziec o grungu, plyta brzmi jakby siedzialo sie w tym studio, traki sa polaczone krotkimi przerywnikami co bedzie grane nastepne no i reakcjami publiki, jakos nigdy nie bylem fanem nirvany, ale dobrze sie sluchalo tego lajwa, calkiem inaczej niz neverminda, ciekawe w jaka strone muzycznie by poszli, gdyby Kurt sie nie kopyrtnal, na plejke dodam raczej cos z coverow zeby nie duplikowac trakow, wiec trak jezusowy i czleka co sprzedal swiat
The best thing about this album is that Nirvana used their set to showcase the Meat Puppets, The Vaselines, David Bowie and Lead Belly. Another stand out about this album is it's accessibility. I remember at the time it was released on CD, a person who never would have listened to songs off Bleach commenting to me what an amazing song writer Kurt Cobain was. To be honest, I found watching the Video of this performance to be a bit boring. The pauses between songs drag and the show is visually too subdued. Thankfully on the record the gaps are edited out and you don't have to watch a disinterested Cobain and instead concentrate on the music
This album really highlights the strength of Nirvana’s songs. They hold up under a light acoustic setting just as well as with squalls of guitar and pounding drums. I forgot how they gave the Meat Puppets a huge boost by playing three of their songs from the II album.
Jamais ete fan de nirvana, peut etre parce que je ny etais pas a ce moment. Cest quand meme de bon albums et celui ci est propablement mon preferee. 4.25
Well obvs this is legendary but I wonder to get the full effect you need to visual as well. I did really enjoy it - but its meant to be amazing and I didn't feel moved or amazed. Loved the Bowie cover!
In many ways, I used to regard this as the perfect album: a sophisticated wrapper around Nirvana's music that allowed me to access said music much more often and in a much more relaxed manner than The Real Thing®. And in many ways, I still do. ...Yet I have to reserve a tiny bit of a star, because it just seems as if this music, which I would listen to over and over again and again during its first decade upon this earth, just doesn't "do it" to me anymore. At least not to the extent it used to. I do miss that feeling of being lifted by The Man Who Sold the World...
Nirvana at its most subdued, stripped down and cool - albeit for MTV. Great live set of crackers and covers, tinged with historic Cobain-related sadness.
MTV Unplugged in New York captures an interesting and unique performance in Nirvana's career, with acoustic instruments and a series of covers that fitted the band's repertoire very well. "The Man Who Sold the World", originally by David Bowie, is the album highlight, and gave new light to one of the best songs written by the english musician. The trio of Meat Puppets covers are also very interesting, especially in the way Kurt Cobain's voice sounds in those. Songs like "Come as You Are" and "All Apologies" are very well arranged for this album, as well, and shows a band evolving - a evolution that was cut short, unfortunetely.
Ah, I don't think I saved my original thoughts so they didn't autopopulate. Basically, while I don't think this is Nirvana's best album there were parts I really liked and Grunge as a whole does suit my tastes quite well (sometimes).
Huge response to this album, elevating the profile of Nirvana and cementing their reputation as grunge innovators Classic
Well, that was enjoyable. Still not a fan, in general, but I like this album - probably because it was acoustic versions of their usual. But added, nevertheless.
An awesome unplugged grunge show only to be rivaled by Alice In Chains. Loved the covers they did.
Pretty great album. Lots of spirit and the unplugged versions wer an interesting change of pace, I still prefer the electrified version of their hits though
Un petit attachement sentimental à cet album. Je le répète souvent, mais habituellement je n’aime pas les albums live. Ici on comprends que c’était un événement unique qui revisite les pièces déjà connues d’une autre façon. Le choix des chansons en plus de l’ajout de reprises est bien fait. Ce n’est pas un enregistrement parfait, il y a plusieurs feedbacks et la voix de Kurt en arrache par moment, mais ce dernier point ne parait pas trop pour les habitués et ceux qui aiment ce timbre, comme moi. Ça reste donc un classique qu’il faut effectivement avoir entendu.
Come As You Are is heightened by it being acoustic. The Man Who Sold The World takes on a whole new meaning when Kurt sings it. Something In The Way is a good cut. Never knew Lake Of Fire was a cover, specifically this version coming from a live album.
Great album, enjoyable for the hits arranged for an acoustic session as well as some new gems (to me) like the Bowie cover. There were some strong nostalgia vibes here though; listening to it today outside of the 90's MTV Unplugged mania of the time it's a little less vital. Still good, but not sure I'll be going back to it a lot or anything.
A really fragile thing, genuinely a good listen. Would get an extra 1/2 star for having The Vaselines if half stars were allowed in this hellscape dictatorship.
There's some really fine moments on this - it just suffers from being too much of the same sound. The green cardigan look is a classic which I tried to replicate as a Darwin teenager, not advisable in 33 degrees.
I listened to this a lot during the early days of my first proper adult relationship. It took me back to some really lovely memories. Thank you MTV unplugged, this is a great recording.
A look into the absolute rawness and absolute genius of Nirvana. This set contains songs that are so unbelievably vulnerable, and filled with so much passion - particularly for an acoustic set (even if the guitar was run through an amp). Their covers are just as good - if not better than their originals in this set, who can look past their cover of Bowie's The Man Who Sold The World. This performance will go down as one of the greatest live sets of all time, especially as to how soon after this performance we lost Kurt. Best: The Man Who Sold The World Worst: Oh Me 4.5 Stars
A different side of the band, they put their hearts into reconstructing these songs in an interesting way and highlighting the music they wanted to, rather than just their hits.
Brilliant! 4.5/5 Standouts: About a Girl, Come as You Are, Dumb, Polly, Something in the Way, All Apologies, The Man Who Sold the World, All three Meat Puppet Songs (especially Oh Me), Where did you Sleep Last Night. And all the rest are above average too! I am so glad this album exists.... RIP Kurt.
Lovely album to listen to for a Monday morning. Personal highlights are The Man Who Sold the World and Where did you sleep last night
It's sad listening to this album knowing what happens just a short few months. What a beautiful look into their world and his love for different music.
This album shows both the strength and weakness of Nirvana. Weakness, not about their musicianship, but in general because they were obviously lacking strong original material for the whole gig, and therefore included several covers. Strength, because the covers they included actually is given their own edge, in becomes relevant. Their version of the man who sold the Earth is epic. Bonus as well is the joint forces with the Meat Puppets. Not a bad album
The show on MTV probably had a huge impact at the time, introducing watchers to the Meat Puppets, Bowie, and Lead Belly. I wish the Meat Puppets would've got more mileage out of it.
I know I'm in huge minority, but was never a big Nirvana fan. However, this album was very good and definitely would not turn off when/if came on. Song #2 sounded a lot like Killing Jokes song, Eighties. Favorites, All apologies, where did you sleep last night and Lake of fire. Songs that surprised me and enjoyed, Jesus doesn't want me for a sunbeam and Plateau. Overall, very good album and fully understand the historical significance of this album and this band. 4.5 out of 5. The .5 is for Dave Grohl being part of the band.
*MTV Unplugged* was OK, and I recognised a lot of songs from in music shops and stuff. I'm not a huge fan of live albums in general though, excluding a few exceptional artists, and the songs didn't really feel that they "added" anything to the studio versions, except getting to hear the covers
I'm trying to get over my annoyance that this wasn't, in fact, an unplugged performance, and look at the music objectively, but it's hard. At the end of the day, they're still mumbly Nirvana songs, or covers done in the mumbly Nirvana way. This album was treated with kid gloves when it came out because Kurt Cobain had just died, and I don't understand why people still think it's great now. Best track: Dumb
1-1-21 I would have liked to hear more of their actual hits being played acoustically rather than so many cover songs.
The unplugged version of Come As You Are is... lowkey better than the original. Bass is very present and I enjoy that. I really think Kurt Cobain just kind of sounds constipated when he sings and it's not for me. Buuuut I think Nirvana is objectively good so I'm gonna give this one a fat three stars.
On the whole, I definitely liked it better than the majority of the rest of Nirvana’s stuff. Still didn’t care too much for it, but much more palatable. Favorite track(s): “Dumb”
Getting Beatles vibes right off the bat. Not my cup of tea overall, but enjoyable for the pop culture significance/aspect.
I'm not a fan of Nirvana and really wanted to not like this. However, I enjoyed it a lot more than any of their studio recorded music that I've listened to. I was somehow less gloomy and less dirgy. 3/5.
I’d forgotten how good they were. Enjoyed listening to it. Not quite a ****, but almost !
Pretty decent live. I never got it Nirvana as much as I wanted to. But can still appreciate their influence on the grunge scene
Unplugged was such a big 90s thing. Pretty cool there was a major cable network effort to strip down popular music and expose the underlying songwriting and poetry. It's almost taken for granted now with so many youtube outlets (NPR Tiny Desk). I don't think Aerosmith was pulling out the acoustic bass and delivering a sparing rendition of Dream On in the 70s, although that would've been a treat. I've never been a Nirvana guy. I wanted to be a Nirvana guy, especially when I first moved to the NW at age 13 and literally everyone else was a Nirvana person. When I was 5 I had a terrible temper and would punch holes in my bedroom walls. I think I got a lot of inner demons out early. Maybe I would've loved Nirvana back then and really scared the hell out of my parents. In the mid 90s Nirvana anger and outward apathy didn't connect. I liked Pearl Jam's tunes and underlying sense for triumph. Still do. I'm a softie. Give Nirvana the unplugged treatment and it hits different. The vocals come through more honest less ironic. The fragile sound invites sympathy. The live room feels more communal. The Man Who Sold the World guitar solo is absolutely perfect. But I can't do 14 straight tracks of it or else I'll start punching the walls of my mental bedroom. B+
Not even their greatest hits live. If anything it made me want to revisit their back catalogue.
I'm not a big Nirvana fan, but I know this album is meant to be a classic. And it was pretty good. Not my most favourite album that I've listened to, but it was definitely not bad. The standout songs for me were Something In The Way and Jesus Doesn't Want Me For A Sunbeam.
Questo disco va valutato come un live, i pezzi sono ovviamente belli però come performance non mi è arrivata completamente. Avevo aspettative più alte.
I find it pretty boring. This is the first album that i listened of Nirvana, and i was left dissapointed.
Very few live records really work for me, but this one does admirably. I don't have this huge love for Nirvana, but an Unplugged album can be legit.
For a while now, it has been trendy to wax poetic over how wonderful this record is. It's not all that. There is nothing to be gained from listening to the acoustic versions of studio cuts About A Girl, Come As You Are, Pennyroyal Tea, Dumb, Polly, On A Plain, etc. No new depths are plumbed, nothing interesting is revealed about the songs. The value of MTV Unplugged In New York is in the covers, most of which are fantastic and rightfully celebrated. They are a showcase for Kurt Cobain's interpretive skills and savvy, which are impressive. Who knew? On Jesus Doesn't Want Me For A Sunbeam, he resists melodrama, almost like a grunge James Taylor, with a deceptively deadpan performance. For his next trick, he improves on Bowie--no small feat--cutting to the heart of the lyrics with tightly coiled restraint. Cobain blows the Meat Puppets out of the water with his interpretations of a trio of tunes from Meat Puppets II, revealing nuances of meaning and melody that were barely there before. But the biggest revelation is Leadbelly's Where Did You Sleep Last Night, where Cobain unleashes a climactic howl of anguish that chills me to the bone every time I think about it, let alone hear it. Although I prefer the music on Mark Lanegan's version, Kurt's vocal is definitive. Kurt's covers are so amazing here, I wish he hadn't bothered with originals. That album would have been a 4.5 at least.
Have probably listened to this more than thier studio albums over the years. It's a nice record and it has the feel of the band enjoying themselves. A few standout cover tracks are the highlight for me.
Never understood the fuss about Nirvana. Some fairly good songs on this album (by the way, describing it as "unplugged" is stretching it somewhat. "A bit quieter" would be a better description) but all of them have exactly the same structure, so it all sounds very samey.
I think Nirvana was a very good band, but I also think they were incredibly overrated. (Yes, it is possible to think both those things at the same time.) Maybe if they had stuck around for more than 3 albums they could have earned their way among the all-time greats, but alas they did not. This album is a good, solid album. The acoustic sound goes well with Kurt's voice and with some of the songs chosen for this. Highlights are the David Bowie cover The Man Who Sold the World and the closer Where Did You Sleep Last Night. 3 stars.
For the first time, I think, I listened to this while trying to separate it from the contrast with their studio records and take it as itself. The performance itself is just okay, pretty ragged at times (and I'm not just talking about the IDGAF of grunge in general; the guy's in bad shape). I suspect the knowledge of Cobain's fate shortly after this colors all interpretation and I'm no different. There are some brilliant ones in here. (All Apologies, Lake of Fire, WDYSLN). But I disagree with the "greatest live albums of all time" designation.
I like the less grungy sound as an acoustic outfit, but it highlights the fact that there isn’t a lot of range in the song-writing – the phrasing in Polly, Dumb and On a Plain sounds very familiar. The contrast of the more rootsy Meat Puppets numbers is nice and the version of Man Who Sold the World is great.
Nirvana ei oo koskaan ollut suurin suosikki, mut tää oli kyl ihan jeba. Bowie-cover upea.
Livelevyt on useimmiten aika meh, tässä nyt oli kai vissiin jotain spessu covereita mitä ei oo julkastu muualla. Ihan jees, vähän ehkä liian mies ja kitara meininki mun makuun.
Excellent live album with great musicianship, but it's strongest as a showcase of Kurt Cobain's deep love for music.
I have never really listened to Nirvana, and this being the full first album I’ve listened to from them felt somewhat repetitive and slow. I still enjoyed it enough to be able to give more of their music a chance.
Nice live album by Nirvana. One of the few live ones that are enjoyable. Helps that this is more an acoustic event. Either way the songs are good and the covers are what make this album it’s own. 7.4/10
Very overrated. I guess the roughness is what makes it so great. The way you can hear Cobains insecurity I guess. It's pretty sad. "I'm definitely gonna mess this up" Followed by "That sounded good" and someone saying "Shut up" wtf Well I'm not the biggest fan of grunge either. 3
Gives hope to all of us bums with out-of-tune acoustic guitars! Listenable, if not quite as remarkable as legend has it. Both 'The Man Who Sold the World' and especially 'Where Did You Sleep Last Night' crackle with menace and verve, but there are a few moments here that fade into the background. Still, a cool record of an undoubtedly landmark moment. Acoustic and semi-acoustic shows by full bands are quite the norm now, in big part due to the Unplugged series.
I really liked Nevermind and back in the day, I was a very big fan of Nirvana. But this is not very good Nirvana. At the time there was some kind of coolness about not wanting to be doing the thing that you were doing, especially if what you were doing was something that a lot of people liked. Listening to this now - there are a few tracks that are really strong performances but man... a lot of it is also a drag. I don't need to hear every one of these tracks. Kurt didn't want to do this. And I don't want to listen to it.
Ik heb 'm nu niet eens gedraaid, en dat heb ik eigenlijk al 15 jaar niet meer gedaan. Echt véél te vaak gehoord en is me zelfs een beetje gaat tegenstaan. Essentieel onderdeel van het Nirvana oeuvre, maar ik skip 'm. 3 sterren voor de vorm.
I've said my piece about live albums being on this list. Would I have loved to be at this show? Yes. But, it's still a performance of songs that were part of other albums. I disagree with it being on the list in principle. Which is too bad, because it's actually my favorite Nirvana "album" out of all of them. I'd give it a 4, but - again - under protest.
For the first time, I think, I listened to this while trying to separate it from the context, the contrast with their studio records, and take it standing alone. The performance itself is just okay, pretty ragged at times (and I'm not just talking about the IDGAF of grunge in general; the guy's in bad shape). I suspect the knowledge of Cobain's fate, coming shortly after this show and before it was released, colors all interpretation and I'm no different. There are some brilliant ones in here. (All Apologies, Lake of Fire, WDYSLN). It’s mostly great. But I disagree with the "greatest live albums of all time" designation. {prior rate}
I think I’m not super keen on Nirvana. Definitely familiar with and feel fine about several songs, but overall they’re just not my jam (or ham, as I first typed 😜). 🤷♀️
Nirvana é definitivamente uma banda histórica mas esse álbum não é o melhor nem o mais bem produzido deles
"Where Did You Sleep Last Night" was really raw. The whole album was very raw in general. Not bad but not something I can see myself listening to a lot.
I never grew up with Nirvana so I can't say that I'm super familiar with their songs aside from the singles. I think their MTV Unplugged is a great way to get into their deeper cuts. Without knowing the context of this performance, it is a very good performance of cool covers and lesser known songs. Knowing this to be Cobain's last performance makes it a bit more haunting and elevates the song choices and visuals. Otherwise, I'm not gonna pretend that I feel sad listening to it, or that knowing the context changes the listening experience. It's powerful due to its circumstances, which is completely fine.
Underwhelming, lacking the excitement of their real albums, and it certainly didnt show off kerbain's vocal talents.
Truth is I've never enjoyed Kurt Cobain's vocals and am not particularly impressed with his lyrics most of the time. Considering that, I liked the moments of grace in some of the tracks here, like Jesus Don't Want Me For A Sunbeam where he sounds like a folksinger. In a way Nirvana is a victim of their own iconic status. I think I'd forgotten how interesting some of their compositions are (About A Girl, Pennyroyal Tea), and a live album is a good way to remember that. And hearing a famous band do covers of other people's famous songs is always kind of cool.
Too plugged for an album titled Unplugged. The songs are great but I've never liked how the guitars sound on this one. They're just... too crappy. Cobain's vocal at the end of Where Did You Sleep Last Night is so good though.
Ik ben geen fan van live registraties, maar de MTV unplugged series heeft toch wel wat leuke dingen voortgebracht. Ook deze registratie van Nirvana is goed om aan te horen. ***
Such a great album. Very familiar with it already, but always an enjoyable listen. Of all Nirvana’s albums, this is the one I return to most frequently.
Some cool covers on here but I get why people hate Kurt Cobain's voice after listening to unedited versions of his song.
Not big on Nirvana tbh but it's okay. The Man Who Sold The World is a cool cover and i don't mind a few of the songs.
Did not like this. Kurt is very mumbly, which may be endearing to some but not to me and the acoustic set losses some of the edge I normally associate with Nirvana
Not a massive Nirvana fan but appreciate the music and what they did for the industry. Enjoyed listening to this, I knew more songs than I thought I would, found a couple I think I’d add to playlists going forward.
Ok for background music, quite middle of the road and a lot of the songs sound the same
Why so many live albums? Why would I want the acoustic version of their songs? I do not think it improved the songs. I don't hate this album, but I don't need to listen to this version of the songs again.
Too many covers, Cobain sings live (not good), so I would say it's bullshit (2*) despite that I like Nevermind very much.
I get it Nirvana deeply impacted rock music and briefly lead the horde of flannel and boot wearing, distortion/overdrive guitar playing grunge bands. This sparsely produced live acoustic album sought to be an astounding awakening for the "I'm 14 and this is deep" audience by dialing down the heavy noise and highlighting Kurt Cobain's lyrical/melodic/vocal intimacy. Of course, it's deeply impacting, but this format always came across as a gimmicky shill. The genius of Nirvana is finding that intimacy as sweaty flannel boot guys are stage diving onto your face.
Equally enjoying as enjoyable. Kurt literally murders some songs with his nasally grunge whine. The conversation to acoustic takes out the fun and excitement of what make nirvana great. That said some nice turns great Bowie cover and sounded genuinely distressed in where did sleep last night. Overall bit of a miss for a great band.
Sì, ho capito, insistete con sti nirvana, non fanno cagare, ma dì che mi piacciono è impegnativa.
Prefer this to their studio / ‘plugged’ recordings. Nice version of Man Who. But find the angst of their own songs a bit hard to listen to. I guess you had to be there but they don’t really speak to me. Also not a fan of Cobain’s voice.
ok i like nirvana but this was just awful. at many songs his voice became completely unbearable and it just sounded so terrible. the songs just do not sound good this version. of course i was familiar with many songs by they sounded so different in a bad way
Usually love Unplugged for what it is, but I dunno what it was about this one that didn't excite me. I know Nirvana is a "thing" but Kurt's vocals sounded a little put-on and less genuine. Everything else was pretty average.
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.
not only was this a live album 🤢 but it was a bad one too. his voice was just irritable and painful to listen to. overall pretty disappointing. I really like the last track though, all the other songs lacked that passion and interest. boo
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.
I'm sure I will never get the appeal of this band. Really of Kurt Cobain. I never have come close to connecting with the jarring amelodic chord changes, the not-interesting and bad/sloppy guitar playing, and... the distractingly awful vocals. And that was for the studio-produced albums where you can polish up a turd so to speak, so having put it in an acoustic format.... ugh. The first few songs are fine in a "ehh..." kind of way then when Kurt Cobain starts wailing...I cannot. His voice makes me want to hurt myself. I remember watching this on MTV when it was first televised, trying even then to tap into something. In the "competition" during the birth of grunge (admittedly silly, all that) gimme Pearl Jam every damn time. I do not like. 2/10 1 star.
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