MTV Unplugged In New York

I came into this project thinking I did not really like Nirvana - then gave nevermind 5 stars, but this makes me think I was kind or right . For a live album it’s good and the interesting comes across but I just find the striped down version of the songs are missing something

*That sounded good.* *Shut up.* It is common to accuse Kurt Cobain of not caring, and almost as common to accuse Cobain of actually, secretly caring an awful lot. On one hand, somebody who cared would have made more of an effort to Play the Hits here; of Nirvana's most famous songs as of the performance date, only "Come As You Are" makes an appearance, and even that feels a tiny bit perfunctory. Cobain doesn't even bother to introduce the songs from the then-new *In Utero* as being from "the new album" the way an even marginally more commercially-minded artist would. On the other hand, somebody who didn't care wouldn't put together such a perfectly paced and unfolding set as this - one that takes pains to highlight Cobain's indie heroes the Vaselines and the Meat Puppets as well as putting forth both the best Bowie cover ever and the best Lead Belly cover ever. The solution, as always, is that Cobain's selectivity in what - who - he cares about. He centers his influences as a way of decentering himself. He refuses to play "Lithium" and "Heart-Shaped Box" and the rest as a way of telling his followers to go away. He gives careful attention to the music he makes to make up for his own lack of self-care. Whatever else he is here, he is dead serious about making this show into his own funeral - right down to the surfeit of flowers onstage. I am trying hard not to romanticize the self-effacement on display here, which if I'm being honest is what drew me to Cobain as a self-hating teenager in the first place. I'm trying hard and I'm failing; the howl of "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" is sublime and overwhelming and *heavy* in all the best ways. Goddamnit.

As with In Utero, I’d checked out by the time this came out so heard it for the first time doing this list. Of course it’s good. And like all Unplugged recordings, it sounds great. The interaction between the band adds to it too.

Second album proposé après ‘In Utero’ que j’avais noté 4/5 (un tout petit peu moins réussi que ‘Nevermind’ qui est mon préféré du groupe). Ce live me déçoit beaucoup. Certes j’aime toujours les morceaux, mais en ‘unplugged’ ils perdent de mon point de vue toute leur énergie. Les reprises ne m’ont pas vraiment inspirées par ailleurs. Et j’ai fini par faire autre chose, le comble pour ce groupe dont j’adore les albums studio. Bref, aucune chance que je le réécoute ! =>2/5

Nirvana's MTV Unplugged is, admittedly, the weakest of their albums--but the work Kurt and Co. put into it is nothing short of what is to be expected. Not only does it host some of the best live versions out there, but it also holds the beauty of (at least in my opinion) one of the best covers of all time in the live version of Bowie's Man Who Sold the World. I really wish it could bring just that little inch of work more to the table, but I'm not complaining.

Älskar detta album och har alltid gjort. Inget mindre än en femma är bra nog, hade gärna satt ett högre betyg än så om det hade gått.

Одно время я довольно много слушал Nirvana, поэтому могу сказать, что отчасти я их фанат, но именно эту запись я целиком никогда не слушал, так что это было довольно увлекательно. Большинство песен, даже те, которые написаны не группой, я уже где-то слышал до этого. Это не тот максимум, который может дать эта группа, ближе к концу альбома песни становятся немного скучными, тем не менее акустическая Nirvana — это здорово. Думаю, что теперь стоит посмотреть и видеозапись этого концерта. Лучшая песня: The Man Who Sold The World

3.5 stars, alright - never really care for live performances

I liked their covers more than most of their original stuff on this album. They made some of the tracks work, but it was far from their best.

I wonder how many people made an “unplugged” joke when he offed himself? Live album with the cap of three stars

Nirvana at the their least interesting

Very much enjoyed, think it's a 4.5, probably bc I won't to much of it as singles gets a 4 but still really strong showing

Fantastic live performance with songs I generally love. The Vaselines cover is a current favorite. We have this album on vinyl.

Rather overrated covers and album. The covers don't seem to add much to the original songs, and they all kind of meld together by the end.

больше года не слышал этот лайв, пока мне не попался он тут. не знаю как комментировать, в отличие от "In Utero" мне нечего сказать про альбом. просто крутой лайв, один из тех, который можно слушать постоянно

God, theyre dull.

fire

One of my favorite ever

Good okey but not great. The best songs are covers that i prefer the originals compared to these versions

I've never been drawn to grunge, I've never really listened to Nirvana before, outside of knowing the more famous songs. I was pretty disappointed, this did very little for me. I didn't enjoy Kurt's singing, the music felt very dreary to me. I know I'm in the minority here but I just didn't like it. I went back and listened to part of the album again, it was less boring to me the second time, saving it from 1 star, but still not something I'll be coming back to.

Legendary

⭐⭐⭐+ Jag kan uppfatta det här albumet som lite överskattat. Det finns riktigt bra spår här men det är en del fillers också. Plus att de jag gillar tycker jag är bättre i studieversionen. Kommer nog lyssna på det igen men är inte så säker på att det blir hela albumet så det blir en stark 3a. Bäst är Come as you are, Polly, Something in the way, Where did you sleep tonight

That was legendary

Alright, I understand why this is the only MTV Unplugged performance anyone seems to talk about anymore.

Very good acoustic live set by them. I find it gets a little overhyped and over rated fir obvious reasons. Man Who Spld The World is a highlight

They sound so good.

GOAT 🐐

This is a historic piece of music that everyone in the world probably knows and loves very much. It was also a production with no small amount of drama surrounding it. With artefacts like this one, I am always apprehensive: the history surrounding it is so great, you can lose the music behind the fog of the numberless of readings that have emerged in the years since the work's emergence. The genius of Cobain's songwriting has always eluded me and it did here again. Perhaps to his credit, the offerings are diverse covers with a few original Nirvana numbers mixed in. This is not really what I'd call "unplugged," since it sounds like clean electric guitars with electric bass and minimalist percussion. (Then again, this is 90's era acoustic pickups we're talking about, so I would be prepared to be wrong in my judgment.) But the boys sound pretty darn good under these circumstances and for once, I felt the gravitas that Nirvana possessed firsthand. I confess the aughties grunge era is a dark era in rock music in my view, and I tend to put Nirvana at the center of that black hole, but this was a pleasant surprise. Kurt and friends push the boundary of what one can achieve with a cover song, giving the songs new life, remaining additive rather than derivative. The original numbers, too, never sounded better.

It's hard to pinpoint just exactly what makes this album great. It's the sound of the hugest band in the world at that time taking a huge swing for the fences and nailing it. It's revelatory in how many more shades to Nirvana it shows, and it's heartbreaking in how it points to what might have been.

No sabia que iban a haber unpluggeds, y por lo que vi este es histórico. La verdad no lo conocía, gran descubrimiento. Estaba escuchandolo con los parlantes de mi oficina y mi jefe paso por al lado y dijo "este es el unplugged de nirvana, historico"

Not exactly a hot take but best live album ever? Only downside is the fact there’s 3 Meat Puppets songs. Not bad, decent covers, but 3 in a row? Yes I know the Meat Puppets backed them up, but you’ve got limited time guys! Anyway, the last song alone probably makes this an automatic 5 stars, but the rest of it is so damn good, I have no hesitation giving this full marks.

Well it's Nirvana. What else do I need to say. Felt like I was teleported on a submarine with a psycho medic and a few raptors in the ballast... btw why is there a hole in my room ah yes it's new engi's toy.. If 5 stars is 'absolutely amazing, one of my favorites of all time' then this is 4. Solid, but not Five Magics solo yet.

A solid collection of songs. I am not a big live album guy, and especially not an acoustic-only live album, but I still enjoyed this.

Refreshing after the last album

The vocals are raw and everyone loves them, but frankly I think this is a deeply underwhelming album and if things hadn't panned out like they did it wouldn't be remembered so fondly.

iconic performance

an incredible recording that deserves all the praise. the only track I could take or leave is "Pennyroyal Tea" which is one of my least favorite Nirvana songs in the first place. the rest is outstanding. Kurdt delivers haunting vocals, the band shows massive restraint, and they take the opportunity to showcase their influences and bring out Meat Puppets for some of their songs. I haven't really listened to any of the other MTV Unplugged sessions of other acts, but this one feels like it must be hard to beat. I can't help but sing along to all the songs, and it makes you wonder what else Cobain could have evolved into had we not lost him too early.

Dit is geen album maar gwn een optreden. Daarnaast vind ik nirvana zwaar overrated.

Not a great option for this band to jump onto the 'unplugged' craze. In particular, Cobain's vocals do not suit the gentler, stripped-back acoustic guitar vibe.

I’m sure those at the gig really enjoyed it, but this did little to change my opinion of Nirvana Out grunge music in general.

One of the best albums and live performances ever

Tops: Jesus doesn’t want me for a sunbeam ; The man who saved the world

algum trem no caminho

The best thing about this album are the tremendous cover versions. The unplugged versions of their original songs are lacking any sort of bite. This is an ep not an lp

Memorabel

Haven't listened to this in a while. One of my favourites.

If I listen to Nirvana I want Nirvana not covers. Just me. 3.00

The covers are the best tracks here. Lead Belly, Bowie, Meat Puppets. The Nirvana song choices are interesting and ‘chef’s kiss.’ Kurt does read as a super depressing guy in this, but without hindsight, could anyone have guessed how authentic that depression was?

One of the most famous and best live albums, Imho. Always a good listening experience. Favourites: About A Girl, All Apologies, Lake Of Fire, The Man Who Sold The World.

I remember really liking this at some point but I had a really hard time continuing to listen to this.

I listened to it.

8/10 - Great album and culturally significant. Highest I can do is a 4 for a compilation/live/greatest hits album.

This deserves all the plaudits it has received. They sound great live and playing with softer instrumentation. 8/10

Just amazing performance by one of the greatest. Classic 5

My parents were obsessed with this album. Most of what I would consider their music doesn't resonate with me but this one really does. Great sound, the gravely vocals paired with the acoustic sound amazing. Better than the original Nirvana albums but a long short IMO. "Dumb" is sad and evocative. Songs like "Polly" that garner shock value by being suggestive of abusing women are distasteful to me. There are tons of examples in 1001 albums and across popular music. I think in this world we should really be interrogating why songs like this get made and are "popular". I think "Polly" is a good song but I question what content like this says about and does to our culture. In the wake of Jeffery Epstein, I think we should all be interrogating who is served by "cool" media that references abusing young women. Overall, a great album- would listen again and again

라이브 버전이라 안들었다.

Wild set list, played more songs by other artists than themselves. Kurt was definitely an odd one

high 3

Not a fan of live albums, but I do not mind the unplugged ones, so this was good.

One of the best live albums exists on the planet Earth, love it so much, lisetened 1 million times before, listeted to 3 times now and going to listen more and more

Переслушано, наверное, сотни раз. Отличный альбом как по содержанию, так и по мастерингу.

This is not a bad album but it's very far from being representative of Nirvana's work. This is just a acoustic rendition of their songs. The arrangements and covers are great but this is not really Nirvana. This is for people who are afraid of their distortion and abrasiveness.

so good, so raw, so rock

I like the album even tho I am not a big fan of live album... For sure not my favorite Nirvana album 3/5

meh

Meh

Ok

Nirvana - MTV Unplugged In New York (1994) I played the CD tonight on my hi fi. Forgotten how good this is. . Probably haven’t heard this for over 25 years but it’s so familiar. An easy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

One of my favorite albums of all time. So glad to see its on the site's top 20. If you look at other MTV Unplugged shows, the bands mostly played a normal set but with acoustic instruments. Nirvana however only played 1 of their hit (Come as you are, the single for "All Apologies" was released a bit after this, and "abouth a girl" wasnt popular before this album) and chose songs and covers that would fit well acousticaly instead of playing "Smell like teens spirits" and shit. Smart choice. Their cover of Bowie's "The man who sold the world" is often considered one the greatest cover of all time and better than the original. I 100% agree with this take. It even became bigger than the original. In fact most people I know think its a Nirvana song lmao. Kurt Cobain's voice sounds amazing during the whole performance. Especially on "Where did you sleep last night", . What an hauting song. I find most of the acoustic renditions of their own songs to be better on this album than on their original releases. "All Apologies" obviously, one of my favorite songs of all time, sounds amazing here. Also "Something in the way", "Dumb" and ofc "Abouth a girl". The cello and little bits of electric guitar are the cherry on top. Its simply one of the greatest live albums of all time. Unfuckable with. 10/10. perfect. Rip Kurt, we all loved you/5

Seth - 5/5 Logan - 5/5

Sometimes, for me at least, the explosiveness and abrasiveness of grunge gets a bit too much, but I still want to hear these guys play, so I turn to MTV Unplugged. The songs get a new treatment, removing the noise, leaving only the spine of the whole thing. I guess the saying is right, "Silence speaks volumes". The emotion some of these songs carried on their studio versions is big. Here, they're even bigger. Songs like Come As You Are, Pennyroyal Tea and All Apologies all got a deafening and somber aura around it. Oh, and don't forget about the covers. All of them get a new outfit and become the definitive edition, outshining the originals. The good thing about it is that Kurt gave them second wind (alongside the albums that made their way on his list of favorite albums). Stupidly good, all around

Classic.

good listen

This album and video was released in 1994, seven months after Kurt Cobain's death so it was a very big deal. This is definitely an album young people should check out. A big reason for this album being so good is that, being unplugged with less distortion, it shows how good Cobain and the band were. They weren't just a punk rock band. They play well technically and Cobain's singing was incredible. Hearing/watching the end of Where Did You Sleep Last Night for the first time is unforgettable.

ok, I know I usually complain about live albums on this list, but this one is perfect.

Nice to be able to hear the unfiltered vocals of Kurt Cobain but still not a big fan of Nirvana

This unplugged session was recorded just months before Kurt Cobain’s death. Although it got overplayed in the ‘90s and I’ve heard it countless times, you have to admit that it’s a solid farewell album for Nirvana. It veers away from their grunge sound but still captures the band’s essence, serving as a memorable closing chapter for them. And I have to mention that their cover of David Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold the World” is probably one of the best renditions any artist has ever done of a Bowie song.

Amazing acoustic record- the covers are where they really shine. But there is not a weak track amongst this bunch. Easy listening grunge??? It totally works, though. The 90s' response to the famed "Elvis comeback special" that defined the Vietnam era. Love the accordion and cello that spruce up the arrangements on some of these tracks. The Meat Puppets covers sound 10 years ahead of time- I'm convinced Cobain would have done alt country had he not passed. Of their records, this is the most Cobain-ish and signaled to me that he was headed for a solo career soon after in a world where his health improved. "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" is the iconic track from this album, though. Powerful and almost scary how emotive his vocals are.

!!! Reverence at an all time high after a month in Seattle and gearing up to head back this week. // This destroyed me. His voice! These songs! Blown the fuck away. I’m interested in listening to how these songs were recorded when not stripped down. Wowowow my love for this is a bit wild since I historically struggle with a live album. My Kurt Cobain deep dive (after a far too recent Courtney deep dive) primed me for devastation in the best way. Imagine a world where we had a demo of his next album recorded with Michael Stipe? Too much to bear. // Update: Ending my night watching the unplugged performance and fucking hell I get it. This man’s charisma! His face! His eyes! His EYES. The tilt of his head! The angle of his knees! The crack in his voice! Filmed in a single take! Can’t fathom being a fan at the time of his death, especially in Washington. Or being a psychologist there at the time (a frankly tragic and representative depiction of WA’s mental health and substance abuse treatment infrastructure I fear). What a fucking loss. Ugh this is one where I’m like “is reincarnation real? Can we time travel and try to save him?” Or at least show him his lasting impact à la the Van Gogh episode of Doctor who. Except ugh he’d probably hate that. Okay get a grip, Shar. “Give me a Leonard Cohen afterworld So I can sigh eternally” omg💀 (Wait, Kurt said listening to Leonard was therapy but also sometimes made things worse, which is so so fair, and Leonard said he thought maybe if they chatted, he could have helped via Zen Buddhism😭) // Update; it’s been less than 3 weeks since this fateful day, and I have since traveled to Kurt’s hometown and had a guided tour of a new exhibit there (note my trip to Seattle was pre-established💀), visited the memorial park where his ashes were scattered, bought three books and read one, watched montage of heck, basked at the photos at KEXP, have listened to little else, and have rewatched the unplugged countless times. Help.

5/10 I love Nirvana but I don't care for live performances. The Man Who Sold The World cover was dope though so bonus points for that.

This is one of those things that exists as proof that MTV once did great things. An absolutely amazing performance by one of the most important bands of the 90's.

One of those albums that everyone has listened to. Really good mix of their songs and covers.

Really good, especially the last track when Cobain reaches into his upper register. If I was a 90s kid or more into grunge as a subculture, I'd probably have the emotional context that would push this to a 5.

The whole album has a wonderful mellowness through the 14 tracks, with the sparser instrumentation arrangement on each allowing you to hear every bit of what is there very clearly (the solos are all fantastic). From start to finish it is incredibly atmospheric, which is also my largest issue with it, where a lot of the songs can sort of fade into the background. From my very limited experience with Nirvana, the whole album is very characteristic of the sound I've associated with them despite consisting of many covers. For me, though nice, this album was nothing special, but I could see my enjoyment differing were I listening at a different moment.

This is such a great album with a great mix of Nirvana tracks and really well thought out covers. Makes you think how Nirvana could have evolved and matured if Kurt had lived.

I like live if it is performed differently, so this acoustic approach is good. Some interesting choice of songs, but overall decent

I love many of the songs on this record, but struggle with the idea of it as a preconceived album. For me it’s a one off album sidebar by one of rock’s more important bands, and a reminder that Cobain’s songs translate well into quieter arrangements. But not more than that. 3.5

I miss those MTV Unplugged series. So great. Nirvana is probably the top dog for this series as well. Considering it's essentially a greatest hits performed live, of course it has tons of great songs. They also performed it near flawlessly. Gonna add Come as you are, Plateau, and Lake of Fire to the list. I'm not the biggest Nirvana fan, but because of the format, I'm bumping this to a 5. everybody should have this in their collection.

Probably the only live album, and the only set of covers, I can really appreciate being on this list. They do really great renditions of their own songs and it's an interesting selection of covers. The set is a work of art deserving of its place on the list.

The best unplugged I’ve heard and it’s not close. Like the inclusion of 3 meat puppets songs and band members. The cover of where did you sleep last night is gut wrenching and haunting.

Sorpresivamente muy bueno 4.2

No hay mucho que decir acá. Cancion fav: Where Did You Sleep Last Night Lo volvería a escuchar? sí

Yeah, I know, Kurt Cobaine is an icon, he was suicidal, and you can tell. This is sad, but not my business. I listen to the music. Particularly on this record you can hear Nirvana's limitation as band, especially Kurt's as a singer.

One of the everlasting classic works of rock. There is no need to say anything more.

Talk about putting emotion and pain into ones voice, this might be one of the most fierce attempts when it comes to it. I think even more than on their studio albums this live album caught the raspyness rawness and every perfection and equally important imperfection of Kurt Cobains voice perfectly. The decision to choose the covers they did and don't change keys even though it's out of Kurts controlled range was nothing but genius. Increases everything I said before even more. This album shows how versatile Nirvana was or could have been because many of those accoustic renditions sound better or as good as the actual studio versions. This includes the David Bowie cover which is an achievement itself. Also great of them to give respect to Mr. Hudson Ledbetter aka Leadbelly as their favourite performer. I could go on and on about what I like about this record, Novoselic contributing more than solid bass playing, Grohl is Grohl, the guest musicians are great I can't think of anything negative I could mention. Simply one of the best live albums in existence. 4,8/5

This album stands out in so many ways. Kurt's voice is the stand out star like never before. Big riffs and generational vocals translate perfectly in an acoustic environment. Pat and Dave play their parts perfectly,and Krist is always grooving. A perfect outing.

What else is there to say? A perfect album from start to finish.

Such a great album. Amazing they pulled off such a great acoustic concert.

Nirvana was never my cup of tea, still isn’t but I appreciate is a widely known band and respectable band with a big trajectory, so I guess we all have different tastes! I discovered I know most of the songs in the album though.

Uno dei migliori unplugged di sempre