Reviews (page 2 of 16)
“Gettin' the shakes now. Last call for drinks. Bar's closin' down. Sun's out. Where we goin' for breakfast? Don't wanna go far. Rough night. Tired, baby. Tired...” Carlito’s Way (1993)
(Solid 8/10) A very important record. It in a lot of ways signified the end of the Grunge-era. Grunge music would persist past this point, obviously and eventually turn into the mixed-blessing of Post-Grunge.. But with this performance and recording the former half of the 90's was coming to a close. Kurt sounds tired, he sounds done, and nothing moreso telling than the final two tracks on this record. "All Apologies" reads as a suicide note to his career and his fans, the final pieces of the song playing out on repeat as a sorrowful band plays on. "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" is a powerful cover of a Lead Belly blues classic where Kurt bares it all and lays it on the line with his most emotionally soul-rending wail on the final chorus.. and a meek "thank you" as it ends. I'm not the hugest Nirvana fan, but what their music represents for a lot of people is important, and even more so it helped pave the way for rock music and songwriting as a whole to progress away from the glitter and glam of the 80's into a more authentic and real place of inspiration. Popular music didn't need to be over-produced and mechanically orchestrated to be widely loved and accepted, all it needed was honesty and integrity and almost like a miracle Kurt, Dave and Krist proved that. This final recording is a funeral march for someone who hadn't yet passed. It's a collection of original songs and covers that feels like an artist's brain opening up and showing you the inner workings. It's a fascinating moment in music history for sure. All that to say, this record is certainly fantastic and definitely one of the greatest live recordings ever possibly. I wish some of the song choices were a little better, personally "On a Plain" and "Polly" I could do without. I don't think the former works for this kind of setting and "Polly" is very disturbing as a song, and it's never been my favorite Nirvana track as a whole anyway. That being said, the covers are all amazing. Like the aforementioned Lead Belly song, but also David Bowie's "Man Who Sold The World" was claimed by Cobain on this night. Talk about a haunting rendition of an already dour track. Meat Puppet's "Lake of Fire" sounds like an original Delta Blues dirge the way Kurt performs it, and his strained voice fits perfectly for this one. The guitar picking is also superb. Yeah it's a great album. It's really good. An essential piece of music not just for the 90's, but for alternative and rock and for the counterculture of the youth. It's almost the gateway drug for every teen who enters their angst phase. It does stick with you though. Thanks for the tunes Kurt.
Interesting listening to this one. It's getting so many 5s, I assume because of nostalgia. I've never heard any of these songs so I don't get the hype at all! I've heard comparable acoustic performances at my high school's art night.
legendary live album 💥jesus don't want me for a sunbeam 💥the man who sold the world 💥lake of fire 💥where did you sleep last night
Very autumnal
MTV Unplugged in New York by Nirvana is obviously a huge cultural classic, but honestly? It was just okay for me. I really liked the opener "About a Girl" with Kurt's raw, desperate vocals, and their cover of "The Man Who Sold the World" is an absolute masterpiece. But a lot of the slower, acoustic tracks just didn't do much for me. I get why this live album is such a big deal, but overall it wasn't anything mind-blowing.
Great performance, I think of a lot of these as the definitive versions even though this was a special unplugged event, like a lot of them better than originals
I've not actually listened to this one end-to-end before, though I'm very familiar with it from a conceptual standpoint and from having heard several tracks before. It's definitely as good as people say. If I had to pick a favorite track it's gotta be Where Did You Sleep Last Night because I just love this take on an already powerfully mournful song.
Probably the only reason I know MTV unplugged existed. Fantastic setlist showing how talented Nirvana really was. The ability to cover songs and improve upon them while maintaining their original soul is not easy to come by. Will always be down to listen to this
Like probably everyone else, I listened to this SO MUCH when it came out, a year after Cobain's death. Every little guitar string squeak, every drum fill, every little bit of mic feedback, all the banter- I can hear it before it happens. Re-evaluating Nirvana and Kurt himself is a surreal experience at this distance with the constant intrusion of sense memory, but also a delight. I'm especially interested in Kurt's vocals- those of us who never saw Nirvana in person never heard them this raw, this unmasked. And they sound great. Strange that this acoustic set was the epilogue to their run, but also weirdly appropriate and wildly successful not just as a showcase for these musicians but also Kurt as an evangelist- a role he reveled in. This was my first exposure to 'The Man Who Sold the World', the Meat Puppets (whose next CD I dutifully purchased) and Leadbelly. As a hint at where Cobain's songwriting would go had his career continued, these influences are more than tantalizing.
meh
My favourite Nirvana
wow he can play on an acoustic guitar as well
A live album by Nirvana released in the same year as Cobain's death. Notably, it does not have "Smells Like Teen Spirit" but has 3 Meat Puppets covers(all from Meat Puppets II, which is also on this list). The choice to deliberately exclude their most popular songs(except for "Come As You Are") is a very interesting one that showcases their artistic ethos. I will note that their songs work surprisingly well as softer, acoustic versions, which is a testament to the songcraft of the band. I do respect the fact that Nirvana refused to sell out when they became popular, instead choosing to stay true to their artistic selves even in the face of money-hungry corporations. It makes for a pleasant acoustic album of well-chosen songs that is definitely worth listening to, especially if you're a fan of Nirvana. This album is the highest ranked album of 1994 globally. Other 1994 albums rated by me: Dookie(2/29)-4 Grace(3/29)-3 Dummy(4/29)-5 Illmatic(7/29)-5 Smash(10/29)-4 Ready to Die(11/29)-2 Live Through This(13/29)-4 Protection(15/29)-4 Talking Timbuktu(17/29)-3 Music for the Jilted Generation(19/29)-4 Dog Man Star(20/29)-3 Vauxhall and I(22/29)-2 Snivilisation(28/29)-3
very classic rock. personally Nirvanas best album.
Whoa I can understand him now
Not a big Nirvana fan and this didn't cange my mind, although the cover of Bowie's Man Who Saved The World is very good.
ich ha scho sehr viel vo dem ghört, ich glaub aber nume immer usschnitt ghört. es isch seeehr raw wie er singt und so. the man who sold the world isch seehr cool bis etz. aso finds de best bis etz. aber scho sehr nöch au und er redt immer als wärer voll im seich. i know er het sich nocher umbrocht. sehr emotional drum au?
When I got this assignment I was thinking that this probably would not positively impact my understanding or enjoyment of Nirvana, given its live acoustic nature. I was wrong. This is an enjoyable listen, and did shed some light on the band for me. I found that the acoustic format made it easier to discern the melodies and chord changes easier, rather than losing them in a loud/distorted sound. Likewise, the acoustic accompaniment was a nice foil for Kurt Cobain’s vocals, rather than losing them in harsh on harsh. Kudos to the band for not sticking to the “unplugged” format of acoustic versions of the hits. Their song choices were much more interesting because of that. Anti-kudos for popularizing the unplugged format so much that we would later have to suffer through Kiss and Meat Loaf unplugged. What hath God wrought?
I’m still pretty new to grunge and being a Nirvana fan, but honestly I liked this more than Nevermind and In Utero. Something about the stripped back production and the informal feeling of the live show makes Kurt’s voice more impactful
my soul is unplugged too
el mejor unplugged de todos los tiempos? el mejor unplugged de todos los tiempos.
What kind of live crap is this? Play some actual Nirvana songs. I'd have been so mad if I was at this gig.
Kurt Cobain was famously obsessed with authenticity. The story goes that he returned a Lexus that Courtney Love bought because he felt it was too flashy. A part of me thinks this is super cool of him, but another thinks it betrays a sort of self-consciousness, a need to appear like he didn't really care about his appearance while actually caring quite a bit. A ton of ink has been spilled on this already. Thing is, in the end caring about authenticity to the point of occasional silliness might not be truly, you know, *authentic* authentic, but it's next door to authentic. Because at least he cared, which is more than one can say about a lot of people in the biz. The particular reason I was thinking about this was "Polly." On the original recording he comes in early on the verse near the end, "Polly says..." then waits and then comes in at the right time. Listening to that you think, oh cool, it's like he's in the room with me and he just did a mess up. But then he does it again on the live record? So was it a mess up in the original? Or is he trying to duplicate the moment, pretending he messed up the same part AGAIN? OR! Is this fake live version mess up some galaxy-brained commentary on everything I've just been talking about? It's possible! In the 90s authentic meant you didn't rehearse super hard. You rehearsed enough not to embarrass yourself, but you still kept it rough around the edges. Cause that was authentic. And if by chance you'd rehearsed too much, you faked it. You come in too early on "Polly." Still. I thought I'd heard this whole thing already but I don't think I had. The cover songs are the best but most of the Nirvana songs are pretty good too. Probably my favorite Nirvana album.
Great album. I think I heard it way too many times growing up in the 90s to actually love it though.
MTV Unplugged In New York - Nirvana (1994) Legendary. Special love for Polly. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 8/10 [This album was listened to and reviewed on October the 3rd, 2026.]
Me impressiona até hoje como o caos que acompanhou a banda desde o início casou tão bem com esse modelo da MTV. Um dos melhores acústicos da MTV, se não o melhor! Eu amo Bowie, mas "the man who sold The world" foi feita para o Kurt e isso nem tem discussão. Sempre quis um cardigan parecido com o do Kurt. A depressão eu já tenho.
Listened to before, all time classic, fallen off a bit, with age comes wisdom 3/5.
If one album could define Gen X this is it. It’s a great record. Everyone loved it. It was MTV. It was unplugged. It was Nirvana. Kurt Cobain had just died when it came out. All these years later, it still holds up.
Excellent album. Apple Music says that it is among rock's great live albums, which seems right. Cobain was a great songwriter, excellent guitarist, charismatic performer, and effective singer (not a great voice, but -- well suited to his material). I've never warmed to Nirvana, and I think it's the grunge factor that is at the heart of it. They have a number of songs that go along nicely -- taut, propulsive, rhythmically dynamic -- and then, get Loud. It's the loud part I don't like. Which is of course the whole point, and where the grunge factor is felt. (Dumb is my favorite of their songs, which I think correlates directly with this dynamic.) I feel a bit like Ned Flanders at Marge's dinner party: when Marge throws out the question, Has anyone seen the new Woody Allen film?, Ned pipes up, I like his movies, but I can't stand that nervous fella who's always in 'em. That's me and the Grunginess of Grunge. This album works for me, because the Loud is kept under wraps, which makes me wonder whether that is a feature of bug for true fans. In any case, you have w a well recorded set, excited and appreciative audience, great performances ... it's good. Cobain's patter is at times charming and on the whole adds to the experience, though his vocal fry has always been irritating to me, going back 30 years to when I first heard this. Highly successful album.
This brought back a lot of memories. It's strange to listen to such a vulnerable Kurt Cobain and think how desperately young he sounds here. There was so much untapped potential there.
Great production and great mucisianship. Not the biggest nirvana fan but this is a very good album
The eternal struggle of wanting to type up a gushing essay about an album you love vs. wanting to just vomit out some stupid bullshit like: Fuck yeah, I love "The Meat Puppets"
I f*cking loved this. Immortal.
6. septembar 2026. 13.36h self depricating king best: come as you are, the man who sold the world, something in the way
Love it! Great album!
This was ubiquitous in the 90s, and I'm not a huge Nirvana fan but this was really great.
Decent album I guess. Not a big Nirvana fan so it’s hard for me to rate this.
I'm not much of a grunge or Nirvana fan but I enjoyed this. I think it has everything to do with being mostly acoustic and less grunge-y as a result.
This album, along with Alice In Chains's MTV Unplugged, justifies the existence of the Unplugged series, and it's why it's been so bitterweet to know it has come to an end (not only the series but also the TV channel). What is great from this album are how the covers integrate naturally in the album. I was so moved by the last cover, 'Where Did You Sleep Last Night?', originally recorded by Lead Belly, that I needed to put my thoughs in order around it, so I included it in an article about pauses in songs: https://medium.com/@lucaslafranconi/great-music-pauses-that-will-make-you-happy-c35fee309d6b?sharedUserId=lucaslafranconi 'This is the most organic, felt, broken-hearted, and vivid pause I could found in a song. The stop, the sigh, the broken grasp of Kurt’s voice, makes not only my brain to gasp, but my heart to stop with his voice, and makes me want to thank him to sing just like he did, giving me a tear every time I hear it.' Fun fact: This song was not meant to be the last one! Originally, they had planned to come back out for an encore. But after that scream, it was impossible to end it any higher. It was a musical orgasm. A glimpse into Nirvana.
Great songs, love the unplug version.
С удовольствием переслушал. Вспомнил, как некоторые не любят эту запись.
Probably the most famous live album of all time. Quite possibly the best live album of all time.
Understandably, this is often hailed as one of the best live albums ever made, it'sa great one indeed. Why 3 Meat Puppets covers, though?
Very good live album by nirvana i miss the MTV unplugged times
Zunächst mal: Natürlich ist die Platte ein Meisterwerk und verdient die Höchstwertung und bedicht durch ihre intime Atmosphäre und den hohen Anteil an wirklich tollen Cover-Versionen. Wenn ich meckern müsste: Nirvana werden immer dafür abgefeiert, dass hier große Hits wie "Smells Like Teen Spirit" ausgespart werden und sie damit ja ach so edgy sind und sich gegen Fan-Erwartungen stellen. Dabei hat es sich die Band nur einfach gemacht und Songs gepickt, bei denen schon im Original die Distortion nach unten geregelt wurde. Deshalb sind bei Songs wie "About a Girl", "Dumb" und "Polly" keine Überraschungen im Soundbild zu erwarten (zumal noch nicht mal eine "echte" Akustikgitarre verwendet wurde), wogegen ich die Versionen von "Pennyroyal Tea" und "On a Plain" deutlich spannender finde, weil sie stärker vom Original abweichen. Aber sei's drum: Gerade die Cover machen das Ganze hier besonders hörenswert. "The Man Who Sold the World" und "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" sind für mich auch die definitiven Versionen dieser Songs. Das ist schon eine beachtliche Leistung. Daher verdiente 5 Sterne.
Legendäres Ding natürlich, auch wenn es nicht ganz für die volle Punktzahl reicht.
Das größte Livealbum aller Zeiten… hm, kann ich nicht so ganz sehen. Abzug gibts für die übertrieben provozierten oder gemischten Applause - ganz in MTV unplugged Manier. Aber es ist ein starkes Stück und es hat seine Sterne verdient. Aber bestes? Neee
Es ist schon gut, aber ich als nicht so riesiger Nirvana und Grunge Fan finde es leider für mich persönlich zu eintönig. Steinigt mich.
I mean, it's a classic live album for a reason. I don't really have anything to say beyond that. Some albums are just boringly perfect
4.3/5
A great listen, and I chuckled a good bit at Kurt's comments inbetween songs
one of my all time favs and prob best live album recorded
i get the nirvana hype 8.9/10
Decent. Never really listened to them before.
Nothing that I expected from a "Grung" band and what I thought I knew about Nirvana. From reading comments it seems, on this unplugged, live album, this was a change from other albums. It was hard for me to catch the lyrics, but the music and tone was easy listening.
Live and acoustic. Ehhh, it loses the magic of that powerful drum and oh so fun guitar. Plus Kurt Cobain's voice gets old after a while. The songs sounded very similar.
its good
Fak yes
An iconic live performance
I ain't making past 27😭
Where did you sleep last night это бомба
I've heard this album a few times so I decided to watch the video as I listened. Some notes I took: 1. Dave Grohl's drumming is incredible. The timing is unreal. 2. The setlist is good. It's a varied mix of obscure and popular songs. It's almost an "intro to Nirvana" session and it's accessible. The covers are fantastic and arguably better than the originals ("Jesus Don't Want Me for a Sunbeam" and damn near "The Man Who Sold The World") 3. It seems like many of the songs were built around Kurt's musical shortcomings rather than despite them. Kurt was not an amazing guitarist or a singer. Having said that, these guys are definitely musicians, which sets them worlds apart from the likes of The Sex Pistols. 4. The cello adds so much to all this. ("Dumb" "Something in the Way") 5. Krist's sneaky basslines are way more complex and thoughtful than they seem at first. ("Come As You Are") 6. Yes, guys. "Pennyroyal Tea" tuned half a step down to A minor key and no accompaniment was the correct decision. 7. Is it a good live album? Yes. It captures the more human moments of a band making decisions together and bantering between each song. You can sense the nerves at the start of the session as they barrel through each song. About halfway through, there's a noticeable shift as Kurt talks a bit more, breathes between each song, and the band relaxes. By the end of the main performance, they seem to be having fun and just playing music they like, having already proved whatever they had set out to prove. Also The Meat Puppets! This was like a HUGE cherry on top of the sundae. 8. I had forgotten how short some of these songs are. They are structured simply but they never wear out their welcome. I was never crazy about Nirvana. I never owned a Nirvana album or a t-shirt or whatever during the band's height and I probably couldn't have named more than a few songs of theirs even back then. I never listen to them now. It seemed to me at the time that many people liked Nirvana simply because they were popular. They were just everywhere at the time. Despite never being a fan, I liked this album. It deserves to be on this list but I probably won't return to it again. It's just too hard to watch/listen to this without thinking about how it all ended. It's a bit like looking at an unfinished painting and you can't help but wondering how it would have turned out if things had been different. Oh well.
3.5/5 great way to start off my journey through this list! nirvana was a big part of my teenage days, listening to their albums on repeat to fuel my angst. i’ve been reflecting on my gratitude to have indulged in nirvana so deeply when i was a teenager because i believe it’s designed for the depressed adolescent mind. i’ve been thinking that i’ve outgrown the band altogether because it doesn’t align with my current state of mind as an adult. however, mtv unplugged might have been just what i needed to change my mind on that point. as the only album in the discography that i haven’t really listened to yet, it was nice to finally circle back and give it a listen. i know almost all of these songs by heart but havnt heard them so stripped down and raw. i love how true to the originals these renditions are. it’s all so tender and pure. this is definitely the nirvana that fits best into this time of my life and i’m grateful.
Not much to be said here, brilliant
This album is legendary. This doesn't make it that great of an album for me. I was never a fan of Nirvana, outside of 2-3 songs by them that I always liked. This live album has many of their well known songs, but I found them mostly boring. Sure, there are standout tracks that are good, but all in all, it was a mediocre experience. The acoustic arrangements were done ok, but whenever Kurt's strained screaming voice showed, it was bordering on unlistenable. It's a very middle of the road album for me. Not my thing, but a voice of a generation nontheless. 3/5
4.5
Liked this more that I expected to.
Some good cover songs. I liked Nirvana but was never a huge fan, surprised about the various one star reviews, not sure why people would hate them
Sick listen as always, the man who sold the world and Where did you sleep last night are still some of my favorite nirvana tracks to listen to.
Not sure if I'm a grunge fan. All of the tracks sound the same. At least in this particular set. The repetitive melodies are not my fave. That being said, Cobain clearly was a gifted singer and musician.
Awesome
#81 Incredible live album. They made great choices for the setlist, especially the lesser-known covers. It makes me wonder what direction their music may have gone after this; Cobain wanted to evolve from the pure hard-rock sound Nirvana was known for, and this set shows they could absolutely shred an acoustic set in an intimate setting. I recommend watching the video recording of the performance for the complete experience. Highlights: The Man Who Sold The World, Something In The Way, Lake Of Fire, Where Did You Sleep Last Night, Come As You Are.
I don't rate the vocals as a live set and it makes it a challenging listen
Kurt's little intermissions are great, love the setup and the lack of electric but nothing particularly striking about for me
This live album is hailed for eschewing the hits in favor of covers and lesser-known tracks, and that does give us an excellent version of "About a Girl" and a great Bowie cover. But it also leads to quite a few lackluster songs. "Polly" and "Something in the Way" are minor songs in Nirvana's catalog that mostly sound like their studio versions. "On a Plain" is a deep album cut that's sapped of any power it had. "All Apologies" and "Dumb" also don't sound that different from their studio versions, but they're the best songs included so they're at least positive additions. The covers are mostly good, especially the Meat Puppets ones, though only "Oh, Me" improves on the original. The closer is a nice climax and provides some liveliness that the rest of the album lacks. In the end though this feels inessential next to their studio work since it doesn't drastically improve on any of it.
Dope
Mind blowing
why it gotta be live and lame ones
Not Usually a Nirvana fan, but the somber and intimate nature of this record really hits home, especially in the context of Kurt's death 5 months after this recording. "The Man Who Sold the World" by David Bowie, is a song i already loved, and this cover is a stand-out. Fun fact, Kurt's cardigan he wore for this performance sold for $334,000, the most expensive sweater ever sold
Defintley all lyrical songs. lo-ke makes me confused on what nirvana was going thru at the time. fav probably jesus doesnt want me as a sunbeam. buncha random topics too or i just dont know ball
I am a Live version HATER, especially if the crowdwork and applause is lengthy and loud. And unfortunately the vocalist has a pretty unique style that made every song sound the same. I AM ON SOME HATERADE TODAY. It's still a 4 though. I like the unplugged/acoustic. Favorite Song: Come As You Are Close 2nd- Something In The Way
*1994. *This is a classic for good reason. The sound quality is fantastic, it's intimate but full, the hits are all here, and it's just such a vibe. *Kurt always sounds like a sad sack (which I'm a sucker for), but this of course hits a little harder, as it was recorded just 5 months before his passing. RATING - 8.5/10
Great and nostalgic
Classic
no lo habia escuchado antes solamente los hits porque la guitarra se escucha tan a la izquierda en Jesus doesnt want me to for a sunbeam? El chabon avisa que la iba a cagar. Indefectiblemente se equivoca en el solo. Pero saca una version iconica. on a plain something in the way me sorprendio Plateau solida actuacion en general me sorprendio la fuerza del grito en el final/ avasallador kurt muy solido sabiendo que tenia quilombos
Love this album so much. Always in the rotation.
there was two songs on it that i already knew and liked but otherwise it just sounded like he was singing through taking a shit the entire time, and then his voice just gave out at the end
1) The Man Who Sold The World 2) Jesus Doesn't Want Me For A Sunbeam 3) All Apologies Least Favourite: Lake Of Fire
yay im excited. i already know i love a bunch of these. ok ya the whole thing is perfect. im jealous of everyone who got to see this live.
I really want to like this because it has such an iconic status. I can only assume that there is some nostalgia factor coming into this. The music itself, and the performances, are totally fine but they are about as musically interesting as I'd expect from a local band in a bar. Obviously I'm on an island here, they didn't get big on accident! Whatever is so amazing to everyone here though is passing me by.
One of my most listened albums ever.
Holds up surprisingly well, and in fact, almost more enjoyable now listening to this verse when it came out (of which I have fond memories of).
all timer
A deservingly iconic album full of some amazing performances on all parts and some of the best covers of all time.
I like this better than anything they recorded in a studio.
My favorite way to listen to Nirvana. Fantastic. I sure do miss MTV Unplugged.
It's such a staple in 90s music history.
These days, MTV Unplugged is an old relic of Gen X's eternal quest for "authenticity," whatever that meant at the time. Essentially, the philosophy for this series was that bands could prove their chops by playing undistorted, acoustic sets of their biggest hits. Nirvana's set is far and away one of the best of the bunch, and while there were some genuinely good ones, like Pearl Jam's, Alice in Chains,' Unplugged definitely had more misses than hits (let's try not to remember Korn's set, or even Kiss'...) Nevertheless, Nirvana's acoustic set here reveal something very interesting about Cobain's songwriting: the shocking harmonic complexity hidden just under the surface of the Pixies-worship guitar crush. Seriously, the details of Nirvana songs become so much more apparent when they're played on something other than distorted guitars. I think this album was a necessity to uncover what would otherwise remain hidden for much longer. Cobain's own performance is a career-defining one as his shockingly fragile voice crackles and struggles to soften against the barren instrumentals. It's a powerful contrast that makes him feel almost separate from the rest of the band, as well as the occasional string section that pops in here and there. It's never more apparent than the closer, a cover of Lead Belly's "Where Did You Sleep Last Night." Here, Cobain starts off in a mid-register that seems most appropriate for this old blues tune before he starts screeching and cracking over the still-morose blues riffing. In a way, this was very much his final farewell to live music: Cobain would be found dead not 5 months after it was recorded, and it wouldn't be released until 7 months after that. An important live document to be sure and a solid release on its own, featuring excellent covers of bands like Meat Puppets and the Vaselines, as well as most of their biggest hits. A must-listen to get the understanding of Nirvana's impact on alternative music, and the magnetic persona that created the mythical Kurt Cobain we read about today. Key Tracks: About a Girl, Jesus Don't Want Me for a Sunbeam, All Apologies, Where Did You Sleep Last Night
Surely one of the all-time great live albums, probably the only one I know with massive singles that got huge radio play in their own right. Kickstarted my own deep dive into the Meat Puppets and their freaky brand of alt-country which is so clearly an influence on Cobain’s writing but never really translated to the rest of grunge and post-grunge (much as his emotionality and rejection of traditional masculinity did not translate). A fascinating document featuring decidedly uncommercial selections (roughly half of this is made up of covers!) and the only look we got at a softer Nirvana sound that Kurt had reportedly wanted to explore on their forthcoming third album, never to be. Fantastic.
I avoided this album for a long time because I just thought grunge and unplugged didn't work. I was wrong. Very emotive
не сильно нравится что я слышал мне больше понравилось что произошло а именно выступление на мтв которое стало таким популярным гранж под акустику, прикольно да, есть хиты есть то что понравилось 3.9
Awesome live album!
great
Already owned and loved for many, many years. I am a big Nirvana fan, stretching back to the early 90s. This is just an incredible listen that has totally stood the rest of time. Stripped of the screaming and feedback, this highlights what a superb songwriter Kurt was. These songs completely hold up on their own. I would easily put it as my favourite of the three Nirvana live albums I own (Reading and Wishing being the others). The relaxed banter between the band is very enjoyable as well. You could quibble the fact that 6/14 tracks are covers but they are all enjoyable listens. Favourite tracks. Dumb and Where did you sleep last night
It transcends the standard "acoustic concert" format. It didn't just showcase Nirvana’s versatility beyond the grunge label; it captured a legendary artist at his most intimate, haunting, and unforgettable
It was ok. A bit dull for a live album. I think if I had been there I might have nodded off. Couldn't call it bad though
They're good at what they do. It's tight and clean, ironically. Nirvana has some good songs, but the best was Man Who Sold the World, so... It's just I've never got the overblown hype with this, and besides, it's meant to be watched. It's too slow and boring for a live album. I think you need to be solidly generation X and part of that whole MTV thing. I'm a little too young. It's decent obviously, but eh, it's not the 5 that people blowing smoke up his arse give it.
Favourite Track: The Man Who Sold The World
A classic from beginning to end.
just not for me
Iconic album, great acoustic renditions, surprising covers, but it lacks a bit of consistency for me to rate it higher.
Pète sa mère
no debate greatest unplugged of all time
One of the best of all time!
This is Nirvana at some of their best. It's just missing some of the raw anger of In Utero.
Love this album!! One of my absolute favorites!! So many good songs and watching him perform them live is even better!!
The sound quality and clarity struck me as better and more enjoyable than their studio albums, and I can't tell why. Before one of the songs, he said "I guarantee you I will screw this song up". Just drives home that angsty depressed bleh message that the rest of the album conveys. Nirvana definitely has a distinct style. Every song they played that they said was written by someone else still has the same Nirvana whine sound to me. Both vocally and guitarily. And of course, they have the distinct shitty 90s rock band trope of repeating the same line over and over until I want to turn the track off.
There once was a band named Nirvana, Whose music sucks worse than Montana (sorry Mike), With MTV Unplugged, They were the worst, I judged, I plugged my AirPods with a banana.
Nirvana works really well as an acoustic band. I think it helps to have the context of the original album recordings, though. The contrast between the two really hits. Terrific sound quality.
what
This was a legendary moment in their career and for music. One can only wonder if Kurt had lived what kind of music he would have made and what would have become of Nirvana.
not a big fan of live albums, but this was pretty good. Not something that I would purchase, but I did enjoy listening to it
The essence of Cobain.....looking back on their releases, they stand the test of time even if Nevermind is mind crushingly compressed...this one is light shining through a gap in the gloom....
Great album for the city 2 surf
I do really really love this album
Was chill, nothing crazy. Live albums are always interesting but didn't know any of the songs so can't really say how it is compared to the studio versions
Alright? Nothing super special but also nothing really bad
Fantastic album. Nirvana was always supposed to be done live.
Bien.
So far this challenge has just given me artists I like 🙏 Love how raw this is a lot of my faves delivered in an authentic way- so sad I’ll never be able to see Nirvana live
didnt know you could make some of these songs sound even better, but raw KC vocals say otherwise
The finest Unplugged album ever recorded ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
First ever Nirvana album, honestly they kinda feel overrated.
1.5/5 no me suelen gustar los unplugged
some all timers not gonna lie! but also a fair amount of stuff that's just not for me
Never been a huge nirvana fan Best songs on this are meat puppets covers
Icónico.
Solid grunge, but live. This concert is one of the iconic ones I guess.
Two Nirvana albums in two weeks, this is a treat for me. I have the DVD version, so I watched that instead of just listening to the audio. The songs are haunting and beautiful in their acoustic capacity, and the mix of original and cover songs works well and made this performance as notorious as it still is. My favorite songs have always been the three Meat Puppets covers, but listening to this as a whole again confirms to me that this is a five star, no skips album.
Ovi sigurno ne znaju ko je Midž Uri
sto nema 0.5 za ocene
Amazing, some great covers in here
a bit too depressing
It was fine.
This was an enjoyable listen. The second half was great and I especially liked oh me, lake of fire, and where did you sleep last night. Come as you are has such a unique riff that it is instantly recognisable in any format live or otherwise. I liked the chiller pace, even though the songs aren't chill at all.
5/5 I had a lot of fun revisiting this classic from the days when MTV was still (somewhat) about music. I watched the live version for this review and it did not disappoint. The banter, musicianship, and perspective of Nirvana scratches a certain itch for me (as it does for many others, I know). It took me a while to come around to this album when I was younger but I remember really enjoying this then and it was just as wonderful revisiting it for this listen. The soundscapes feel so full and rich with Smear lending himself to complement Cobain on guitar. Grohl and Novoselic play their parts perfectly for this stripped down compilation. The whole package comes together to complement the loose, off key delivery of Cobain. Love it or hate it, the popularity of this album ( and this band) is undeniable.
If you like unplugged, Nirvana sound great here.
I am not a fan of "live" versions of albums, so this was already on an uphill battle. It wasn't bad, and I enjoyed the tracks "Come as You Are", "Dumb," and "Lake of Fire." But overall, I don't think I would listen to this again or give it another chance.
This is for fans only I think. For my ears it is quite dull and overrated. Nothing to write home about.
Лучшая песня объективно - от Боуи, лучшая песня от них - Dumb. Много хитов, но все очень незамысловато.
Heard the songs on this album more times than I care to remember. An overrated band but this was actually interesting. I did enjoy the different takes, the unplugged the acoustic versions of some of their most overplayed songs.
My love of Nirvana (and the kickass The Man Who Sold The World cover) slightly outweighs my hatred of crowd noise on live recordings.
100
This is the first time I hear a album by Nirvana. I got to admit Kurt Cobain has pretty nice vocals. But it's more then that. I feel like their music has that little joy mixed in their sadness.
Again I'm not a big Nirvana fan but can't deny the display of talent and creativity and ability to generate new sounds out of old ones. Don't really understand why the Meat Puppets needed to be there.
10
Fucking classic
Unfortunately I really have no idea why that many people love nirvana, the music sounds spiritually weak and lame.
What an authentic and captivating performance! I enjoyed the stripped-back performances of songs like All Apologies, Dumb and Pennyroyal Tea. The album felt intimate in a way and the talent really showed. Rating this a 3.5 but rounding it up to a 4 because I enjoyed it more than In Utero. Favorite tracks: The Man Who Sold the World Dumb All Apologies About a Girl
"That sounded good" "Shut up" 1001 Albums Generator 314 (7/27/2026) The MTV Unplugged series features an interesting gamut of artists from old heads like Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, and Neil Young, to contemporary artists to the time, like Nirvana and Alice In Chains performing songs "unplugged", making these artist re-contextualize their often hard, rocking songs into a softer palette. The most famous of these is undoubtedly Nirvana's 1994 offering, recorded in November of 1993, just months before Kurt Cobain would commit suicide. The album was then released after his death and naturally is quite haunting. The album features a mix of originals and covers, and the covers are some of the best songs here. The choice for originals is largely their quietest songs, which was a smart choice. I don't think Tourette's could have been transformed into an acoustic rock tune. It's also worth mentioning that the album that preceded MTV Unplugged was Nirvana's noisiest, In Utero, so the whiplash from that album to what is by definition their least aggressive makes for a very interesting contrast. It may be my favorite Nirvana album. 4.5/5, rounded down to 4. Favs: The Man Who Sold The World Something In The Way Lake Of Fire Least Fav: Pennyroyal Tea
Yea of course this one went so hard. Saved a lot of songs to my liked songs list. The audience presence was pretty cool I don’t think I’d ever heard a nirvana lie album. The raw sound felt particularly real and intimate.
I mean cmon. I love it. Pennyroyal Tea was gorgeous. Something in the way was hauntingly beautiful. Plateau was a standout to me as well. Kobain’s voice is so unique. I read that he deliberately kept songs in their original key so he had to strain his voice instead of changing the key to one more suitable for his vocal range. What a legend. Oh me is a steady banger. This is one of those albums that I can see myself encountering one song randomly and then needing to listen to the whole thing. It’s a fupping masterpiece
4 for the music and the extra one for the culture.
A perfect expression of Nirvana’s music. The originals are laid bare and raw, and the covers truly shine here. No skip, perennial relisten, perfection.
DGC DGC-24727 (US) vinyl rip: This is better than their "plugged" stuff. I could listen to this beginning to end multiple times a year. I love how intimate this feels with the banter included. Very immersive. The covers are better. Favorite track is "Oh Me."
Outstanding
I knew very little about Nirvana before listening to this. Watching the performance rather than just hearing it made a huge difference. Kurt Cobain's voice was the standout—powerful, emotional and surprisingly versatile. My favourite songs were 'Come As You Are', 'Where Did You Sleep Last Night', 'All Apologies', 'About a Girl' and 'Pennyroyal Tea'. Not every track clicked with me, but the atmosphere of the performance and Kurt's vocals made this an album I'll definitely revisit.
Pretty familiar with this, was one of the first cds I ever bought over 30 years ago. It's great, showcasing Nirvana's skills, and expanding their sound. Well Nirvana and the Meat Puppets. 4.5 rounded down Heard before? Yes Owned: Yes, 97/364 (26%) Will I get: Already
4.4/5 - Pretty damn good. Nice to have playing in the background anywhere, although, not something I would listen to in my own time.
Great choice of songs, the recorded nature of it makes it intimate.
For me this is Nirvana. This was my sister's favorite Nirvana album and one that got the most play in her tape deck driving around the suburbs with me in the passenger seat. I still love The Man Who Sold the World and the cascade of Dumb, Polly, On a Plain, and Something in The Way really sends me. I'm not one of those people that think Cobain was some sort of godsend legend, but I dig what he (and the rest of the musicians) put together here. Would listen to again happily.
I never "got" Nirvana. They had some good songs, for sure, but I did not comprehend how they could be such an extraordinary, genre-changing international success. This show didn't do anything to change that for me; other than "All Apologies" (a song I always liked), my favorite songs in this performance were the three Meat Puppets covers. It's a good performance, and Cobain was clearly a passionate singer, but it doesn't blow my mind.
Me gustó mucho más q el anterior
This record is an absolute classic, one of the best MTV unplugged of all time. The band's songs and the covers sound beautiful with the acoustic arrangements. I think this represents perfectly the band's talent
I’m torn. On one hand, the live versions of their songs are just worse than the studio versions. The covers, though, really make this thing worth it. I guess they will have to battle in a duel.
This was cool. I don't listen to Nirvana like that so a live set doesn't do that much for me. My best bet would be to revisit this after having listened to them a bit. Edit: listened more closely and it got worse lol they can't really play in time and Cobain can't really sing and some of the songs sound the same. This floats closer to 2.5 than 3.
I'd rather listen to In Utero or Nevermind. But this is a neat live album to be sure and caps the end of an era for MTV. I will say, this rendition of Lake of Fire sounds really good.
Kjennskap: 20% Positiv overraskelse. Hadde kjennskap til mange av sangene fra før av. Kult med mer nedpå og akustiske versjoner av sangene. Likte også coverne av andre artister.
Good reminder that I truly only like a few Nirvana songs. Trying to do this challenge 'the right way' but there are definitely a couple songs that I would otherwise have skipped because the vocals were too grating.
A definite classic unplugged session
This was my absolute favorite Nirvana album in high school. I swore by this record more than any of the studio collections, as to me it showcased a man at his most vulnerable, his most fragile and brittle. It's been a very long time since I've listened to this and I wondered how it would hold up to me after so many years. Well, it was still a wonderful listen, but I don't think I have an idyllic view of it the way that I used to. It still stands out as a portrayal of a band and a singer who are desperate to do something creative and unique after the bastardization of their image and beliefs by pop culture at large, and it's refreshing to hear Kurt's voice cracking and fucking up on the guitar as he plays. I do think some of these songs become different beasts altogether in their acoustic renditions, and some of them are just "here's the same song but acoustic". The covers they chose to perform were great picks and fit right alongside their original work. Maybe not their magnum opus, but a great entry in the discography.
It's interesting to hear the songs in an acoustic setting. Melodically and lyrically they hold up very well in this format, which is a million miles from the wall of chainsaws vibe they normally went to. Pity he did a head-ectomy on himself. He could have done some really cool stuff.
I don't have this... why? Maybe because of the hype at the time, maybe the whooping from the American audience? Anyway, it's a piece of history, so it should be on my shelves really. ... that whooping though 😖 Heard before ✅️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ✅️ ★★★★☆(7/10) Total reviewed : 387 Already owned : 85 Purchased : 21 To buy : 3 Nope : 278
A huge change of direction. An atmospheric live recording mainly acoustic. A brave and enjoyable recording.
I mean, it's Nirvana. Singing often sounds like a mouthful of stones was used to create a bit of a mumble. I did think All Apologies was awesome. 3/5
A live album and Kurt Cobain singing? Yeah, no.
Amazing album.
least objectionable Nirvana album
Ita just some other nirvana songs live in one album
Where did you sleep last night was nuts
it was good, but I feel like its not my style. like nirvana is def talented but I found myself bored while listening like I can't jam out to ts. 3.6/5
Loved it. Stripped down, vulnerable, interesting set list.
Hard rock 🤘 Humour je précise
It's been 10 years since I've listened to this. And it's got better with age. 5/5 what a brilliant selection of covers. Reinventing the meat puppets and doing Bowie in a truly iconic and unique manner.
Yes an excellent album great song selection for this live album. Too bad Kurt passed before it's release.
RATING: 10/10 HIGHLIGHT: Oh Me LOWLIGHT: Polly
6/10 Basicon, es bueno pero no me encanto
Nice listen with a much more intimate version of the band that is very enjoyable. Love Kurt’s voice
Rest in piss, whiny bitch
Really enjoyable. No bad songs, plenty of bangers. Great album
Sorry Nirvana, but I just don’t have the ear. I appreciate the music but find myself getting bored.
Raw and authentic. RIH Kurt
One of the best live albums of all times
Happy to have the chance to listen to this favorite any time. Nice hearing it the day after the Meatpuppets album was up.
Listened to the acoustic version, so not a bad.
Good, but not great. Same repetitive hum drum from one song to another.
Um clássico da minha juventude.
One of the greatest live albums of all time. This record is so intimate and authentic and raw. All Apologies, knowing what happens just after the recording of this album, is just so emotional and pure. You hear Cobain’s pain. Also just a phenomenal set list of stripped down songs… each one of which is perfection. This is a special recording.
Easiest 5
Top 5 of all time.
i only liked "the man who sold the world". it's not theirs and i don't even like bowie that much.
MEH
Yet another live album! And while I usually prefer studio albums due to them being more polished and "complete", a good live album certainly proves a band's ability to perform their music outside of the comfort of a studio. This alpplies to this album too, especially since it's unplugged. The music sounds not as unobtrusive as it does on the studio records, as there are no heavily distorted guitars, and everything justs seems lighter. But at the same time, Kurt Cobain sings (almost) the same way - powerful, yet sometimes reluctant and more reserved - giving this performance it's own power. I enjoyed listening to this record and hearing some songs I know in a slightly different way (them covering David Bowie kind of surprised me, didn't know that Cobain liked him).
Obviously this album is incredible. I kinda grew up on it and the versions from this performance. It's peak grunge and captures an era.
This was a huge deal of an album when it came out... yet, I was listening to 'In Utero'.
Masterpieces like this really do change how I think about the music I do and don’t like When I first heard the pitch for this album, I thought it was stupid. “Yeah, let’s take the core element of Nirvana’s sound and reduce it to an acoustic guitar.” Turns out though, it really does let everything the band has going for it come to light. The self deprecating banter that Cobain and his bandmates have between songs makes this “legendary” band feel human, mortal even. You get a great feel for Cobain, Novoselic, and Grohl’s technical ability as well; it’s a lot harder to play quiet and subdued compared to high volume high octane. The track selection is genius too, leading with About a Girl and Come as You Are makes you think at first that it’s gonna be all their classic hits, but the sprinkling of covers is really well done. Jesus Doesn’t Want Me for a Sunbeam is great, just goes to show that they have lots of range. The undisputed best song on this one is their version of The Man Who Sold the World, just insane how much emotion and thought they put into a song that isn’t even theirs. This version blows David Bowie’s version out of the water, it isn’t even close. You know how hard it is to take a song from an artist as talented as Bowie and just play it better? The rest of the album is great too, Lake of Fire I really enjoyed, and although I liked the Nevermind version better, Something in the Way fit really well on this one. Really not a whole lot I disliked about this one. Cobain’s vocals are a bit of a tougher sell in a lower energy setting like this, and sometimes it just doesn’t sound great, though I think that adds to the live ambiance a lot. Not really a complaint but can you really call this one unplugged when they absolutely do use electric instruments on this one quite a bit? As someone who missed Nirvana by about a generation, I can totally see how these guys became so damn popular. Would imagine this album would hit hard emotionally coming fresh off Cobain’s suicide. As someone who really doesn’t like folky acoustic music, this one really does turn some of my views on their head. Why do I like this version of About a Girl more than the classic from Bleach? It’s in a league of its own and is an easy 5 star album; not quite as good as Nevermind but hard to argue this isn’t one of the greatest live albums, if not just albums in general, of all time
white man guitar yes it is very good. there is a real emotion to the way he sings.
A lot I knew here and a lot I didn't... For starters, it was Nirvana's first live album. I didn't know or I forgot it was released AFTER Cobain's death, which partly explains the charting and the sales. The other thing that explains the charting and the sales is just how good this album is. Supposedly recorded in one take in 1994 in NYC, no small feat. I'm gonna start this review by saying I wasn't the world's biggest Nirvana fan. They exploded on the scene with Nevermind, but I can't say I ever found it that great. More success than it deserved, I thought. Album starts with About A Girl, great version and great opener -- both for a concert or an album. Come As You Are and All Apologies excellent Nirvana tracks. But they pulled off The Man Who Sold The World by David Bowie and a couple Meat Puppets songs really well. They were touring with Meat Puppets at the time. For me, Where Did You Sleep Last Night was an outstanding and practically perfect closer. Not only was I still deeply into Delta Blues at the time, but this version was intense and evocative and beautiful. I didn't think about it before listening, but this was such a good album I'm giving it 5 stars. Just over 6 months after this was recorded, Cobain would take his own life.
I mean, yeah, it's not ACTUALLY unplugged, I get it. That's a problem, sure. Okay. But, effects and amp aside, the songs really DO sound different with an acoustic guitar. There's something about that slight change that compliments Cobain's voice at the time. It's a definite vibe. Haters like to say that this only hit #1 because Cobain was recently deceased and people were seeing the band through rose colored glasses. I disagree... but only in part. I think this album hit #1 because it felt like a worthy and fitting capstone to the band's legacy. It feels darker and more somber than previous releases. There's a seriousness here that's unique for Nirvana It feels like the end and, with the death of Cobain, it was. THAT is why it was so huge, I think. So, yeah, it's big because Cobain bit the dust. But not because of some misplaced sense of "he's gone and now I think he's a genius!" It's big because it feels like a fitting goodbye. And it still feels like that, all these years later.
Quite possibly the best live album of all time.
I think many point to this as one of the best live albums of all time, but really it’s just for my generation the most influential. I grew up with tracks from this playing the radio every single day, but never listened all the way through. In short, it’s good most of the time, great a select few times. God I love that Lead Belly cover though.
Personal favorite. Always a good listen
Is this really a show stopping top album of all time? Nevermind should be, and is, on this list but this?
kinda just sucks.
Still as brilliant as as when it came out
Grunge at its finest, raw and unfiltered. Hearing the ramblings in between songs is great, you really feel like you’re in a room next door listening to them.
The Unplugged series is pretty hit and miss and there’s probably more misses than hits. Nirvana’s performance was one of the best. Glowing through the shadow of Cobain’s death, it transcends the television broadcast and stands alone as a live recording. Cobain performs like he might be aware of his fate and legacy and the band delivers subtle and beautiful arrangements of selections from their catalog and incredible choices of covers of Vaselines, David Bowie, Leadbelly and Meat Puppets joined by the “brothers meat”. Cobain gives one of his best performances, Grohl plays with subtlety without losing power m, Novoselic is a solid melodic anchor (and pretty decent accordion player, while punk icon Pat Smear gives Cobain acoustic support. Every song is a killer especially the last spine chilling performance of Where Did You Sleep Last Night. It’s as superb as it is somber considering the incredible loss of an artist with so much potential.
A perfect album. An intimate and out-of-body experience that must be heard by the world.
YOUR FACE, TO FACE
5/5 best mtv unplugged oat
Is a wide spectrum of how good songs here are or aren’t.
I think this is the last in the series of "albums heard through my brothers bedroom wall". I probably heard this one the most out of all the Nirvana albums in my life, for a live album it hits so good. I thought I'd come away not liking this as much as I used to but I'm glad to say its kept its lustre. There is so much to like here, but I've always been partial to Lake of Fire and Man Who Sold The World. Kurt's voice works so good live, and Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic keep everything tight. A definite must-listen for fans of Nirvana or grunge fans in general.
The first Nirvana album I’ve heard where I actually got the appeal. Kurt sounds raw as fuck, the band is tight, the cello adds a nice element to the songs and the in between song banter feels intimate and in the moment. Plus it’s a live album that’s actually pretty enjoyable. What a surprise!
4/5
I don't really care for live music albums. It's like yay, give me worse sounding audio than the original. Plateau and Lake Of Fire being sung live was pretty amazing though.
Pretty damn good live album, I usually hate live albums just due to the audience taking away from the music but they were oddly respectful. Overall nirvana sounds great live and it was fun to hear this one in this style.
Normally live albums really drag on the score, but this one was high production value for the music. Full of Nirvana classics, interspersed with funny dialogue between the members, this is a really solid live album. Polly, Come as you Are, and several others here are Nirvana classics. Tough to not love a Nirvana album
Great live recording with a setlist of eclectic songs that showcase Cobain's outstanding vocal range, supported by delicate and interesting guitar work. The context and timing behind this album's release is relevant and adds some significance to the commentary between tracks and the overall success of the album.
(Almost) nothing good every came from MTV.
Onhan tää ny ikoninen veto. Muutaman biisin olinkin kuullut entuudestaan, mutta koko albumia/livevetoa en ollut kuullut.
not as good as Joni Mitchell’s Blue
Did not like it
I like the acoustic treatment of these songs, and the covers are incredibly well curated. Such a relic of its weird particular moment, and the moments that came soon after.
It’s hard not to listen to this through a veil of nostalgia and wistfulness. Somehow those feelings harmonize with the set Nirvana played that day. Kurt Cobain and the band make it all cohere.
This is up there with some of the best live albums of all time. Another album I am lucky enough to own on vinyl. There have been posthumous records released by Nirvana since the period of Unplugged, but nothing has matched the quality since.
I remember watching this when it first aired on MTV, and then a bunch of times afterwards when they re-ran it non-stop. I've heard this a bunch of times. I love Nirvana and I actually think I love this album and these versions of the songs better than some of the studio tracks. It's Kurt Cobain stripped down and you can really hear the emotion in the songs. And I really love the song selection and the fact that they only played a couple of their big hits along with some of their deeper cuts and covers. One of my favorites!
Back in the day when this came out I remember not really liking it as much because it was like, Nirvana for softies who couldn't handle the usual heavy grunge. The same reason I didn't like Alice in Chains' unplugged album. On retrospect, I probably listen to both these albums more than many of their studio albums, since older, slightly maturer me doesn't have heavy and hard as an absolute requisite. This album is a great mix of original Nirvana tracks from their previous albums along with a very well selected set of covers. Some of the covers are actually among the best tracks on this album, but perhaps that just me thinking that because this is the only album they are on. Like Alice in Chains' Unplugged, I remember this being like a gateway drug into grunge for many people. Solid 5/5 for cultural impact. Cobain shot himself just a few months later.
I don't like live albums, I don't like acoustic renditions, I like Nirvana well enough. This was a snoozefest. A shame.
So good all the way through. Nice to hear some songs that I hadn't heard before or hadn't heard in a long time.
Honestly I've listened to this whole album many times through because of my mom, but going through it again, I completely overlooked Oh Me. I love the way that the guitar has its moments, like it sings. Each song flows so well into the next. I have my favorites but overall the album is just something else.
dnf, jesus doesn't want for a sun beam gave me a good ol cackle and then I turned off the album lol
for evening nostalgia, favorites: dumb jesus doesnt want me for a sunbeam
This album has a fatal flaw, unfortunately. It sounds like complete ass. The guitars are the worst offenders- often out of tune, and recorded in a horrible, tinny way- like a beginning guitarist plugging into a shitty practice amp. Argh. Just- ass. I think this is one of those albums that people love not because it’s good, but because of what it represents. In this case, it’s a postcard from a funeral for someone who’s just about to die. It sounds like a suicide note. Which in many ways is the Nirvana legacy- no band in the history of rock music has ever benefited so much from checking out early. Kurt is frozen in time, forever the voice of his generation, never given the opportunity to make a truly awful record, or embarrassing cameos in insurance commercials. “Unplugged” is creepy, and arresting, and prescient. But is it any good? No. TWO STARS
4.5/5
What are the best unplugged album and there were many great ones. The meat puppets covers are classic and it’s capped off by the lead belly cover at the end.
Great originals and covers, showcasing Kurt as a lyricist and an even better performer, especially on Where Did You Sleep.
Come as you are
ze zijn echt goed live
zo een klassieker
Something in the wayyyy
Really cool record. Made me want to watch it, as I imagine I would appreciate it even more. Bowie cover is cool, Meat Puppets covers are cool. Favorite part of the album is just the moments of Kurt talking I think.
I was dreading another Nirvana album, but this was surprisingly tolerable. Didn't give me a headache either which is always nice
Some people just get it don't they. Cultural flavour, energy, ability. Generational live moment
Geen ander cijfer mogelijk
peak album
Man, that was good
I know a lot of people fell in love with them over this album, but I don't know if it really plays to their strengths like In Utero does. It was a good move for them, pointing to where they might have gone after this, but it's a little one note for me.
I think this album made people realize that Kurt Cobain’s songs had a lot more range and versatility than the aggressive treatment the band gave them initially suggested; witness the staggering range of covers of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” that have emerged, from country to jazz to piano ballad, in the years since. Unplugged is also notable for incorporating strings and its impeccable choice of semi-obscure songs to cover. This was my (and I suspect many others’) introduction to the Bowie track, and it’s a reminder that Meat Puppets II damn well better be on this list if there’s a God.
Dunno, not sure what this album says that Nirvana hadn't already said. It's a covers album at its core, so, question: Is it on the same plane as Johnny Cash's cover album?
This is os the version of "About a Girl" I hear in my mind when I think of that song. Bonus points for turning the spotlight on meat puppets and vaselines.
Remember when MTV used to do cool stuff? I do, and this was one of them!
Excellent Album. 4.7
I’ve already listened to this. Goated
6.26.26 A fantastic live album with great covers and great versions of their own songs. Favorite Song: Where Did You Sleep Last Night Rating: 4/5
An iconic live album that has a certain aura around it. Hard to put into words but it has the feel of something special. Lots of great covers and mildly subversive in its stylising, some great stripped back but not fully “unplugged” performances. Will be a repeat customer at some point.
Any album that has the meat puppets on it gets my vote! Perfect harmony of style on this specific album. It's like the polite version of Nirvana. No maximalist grunge and distortion on show. It's a stripped back version of artistic delicacy! My only complaint which is minimal is the vocals are strained at times which possibly is part of the despair vibe or could argue a slight lacking in vocal ability at times but based on their typical style they are living up to and the fact it's a live album then I think it can be almost entirely forgiven as works. Very limited weak songs and even at worst those act as a perfectly reasonable transition, and the album never feels disconnected. Really enjoyed this and not sure I have ever actually listened to it despite being a fan.
I listened to this a few times through and enjoyed it. Nirvana have a low key, effortless sound. The choices of covers were great and the highlight of this live album. On the other hand, I didn't find the album particularly special. Nirvana have a certain mythos that has developed around them but listening to this album didn't feel like some sort of transcendent experience. I wonder whether this is an example of another good band that have been promoted to greatness purely because of a lack of competition at the time. They are a good band, but ultimately just another good rock band. Taking the music purely for what it is, I'm not sure they qualify for greatness. Tough to rate but I will be generous because it was an interesting listen and they covered the Meat Puppets.
I like Nirvana.
Pretty good for a live album! Probably the best I’ve heard. My reviews suck recently - I gotta get back on the horse.
I found Kurt Cobain's vocals distractingly annoying, it's almost Creed-level bad. I also don't understand the idea of unplugged if they're going to use electric guitars. That being said, a few moments broke through: the pipe-organ-sounding tones during "Jesus Doesn't Want Me...", the electric guitar during "The Man Who Sold The World", and I genuinely respect Cobain for doing something that clearly made him uncomfortable. The only song that really blew me away was Something In The Way, the violins in the background really made it haunting. I've never been wooed by the lyrics of a Nirvana song, but this one at least sounds great.
I guess I don't have an immediate, one-star rejection of all Nirvana. But that's an extremely low bar.
Much more raw, unfiltered, and powerful than I thought it would be. You can hear the emotions in Cobain's voice as he finishes up the performance. Honestly glad I listened to it.
Perhaps the best live album ever made. A truly intimate experience with the band performing songs from their heroes and delicate versions of what would otherwise be loud and fast. This rendition of the man who sold the world became the definitive version (including the slip-up on the guitar on the droning notes at the end) and who knew a parody on an old christian hymn would work? Nirvana's creative, musical and personal treasure on full display.
Ive heard this album as a kid and I remember loving it The symbolism is what makes it and maybe im just too much of a posh nerd to understand but I feel like this album is slightly overrated. Its good. Nirvana is great. But top 5 greatest live is kinda much. 49/100 aoty
I’ve always been perplexed with the playlist.
An absolutely unfuckwithable masterpiece that 100% stands the test of time. Kurt had so much more to give but at least he put us all onto the Meat Puppets here.
classic, second only to the pj unplugged set
Perfect. Wish there wasn’t so many covers, but hey, you know it’s still perfect.
I’m rather fascinated by how songs mutate and change as move through the zeitgeist or popular culture or the folk tradition. There’s a few songs on here that at time of conception were destined for a life far from a major label release or an MTV special. For a start could the band that made Bleach and then went on tour with Tad have dreamt 5 years later they’d be playing About A Girl? The Meat Puppets added Americana to Hardcore for their second indie album and three of those songs ended up here? The journey of Where Did You Sleep Last Night from Appalachian folk ballad via Leadbelly and Bill Monroe to Mark Lanegan and onto Kurt is well documented. What’s less well known is the songs life before it arrived on American shores. There’s a Manx Gaelic lullaby called Ushteg veg Ruy. With a suspiciously similar melody which goes … “Ushag veg ruy ny moanee doo, Ny moanee doo, ny moanee doo, Ushag veg ruy ny moanee doo, C'raad chaddil oo riyr 'syn oie?” Which translates into our colonial master’s tongue as… “Little Red bird, of the cold black ground Cold black ground, Cold black ground Little Red bird, of the cold black ground Where did you sleep last night.“ This is an extract of a poem/song I wrote that explains the myth that inspired the song … “The Lon Dhoo - the blackbird Use to live up the tops And the Usteg veg ruy- the golden plover dwelt on a plain But the Lon Dhoo grew tried of his lot So they agreed - temporarily- to swap But the Lon Dhoo so liked his new crib He reneged on the plover Forcing it to find cover In the cold dark hills And the Manx turned that into a lullaby” Which goes “I slept last night tween two leaves Between two leaves Between two leaves Like a baby tween two sheets Oh what a lovely sleep” The tune was first collected in 1882 but is likely to date from earlier. During that century many Manxies left the Island for opportunities in the New World and took Usteg Veg Ruy with them. But in the new environment it changed. One Mann’s lullaby is another’s murder ballad! But on the Island it’s sung by kindergarten school choirs. However when I was a little kid, before the Galaeg revival we sung songs in English. In fact we sung Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam. Although I did not feel much like a sunbeam. I guess the “old Christian song” was also sung across the Irish Sea in Scotland. And met with similar feelings. Because the Scottish indie band The Vaselines reinterpolated the song. The Vaselines were part of a great generation of Scottish indie music, they traded members with BMX Bandits, Soup Dragons, and Teenage Fanclub. I don’t remember there being much of a buzz around them on Radio 1 or the U.K. music press certainly not MTV but somehow it reached Seattle and Kurt loved them. Maybe he didn’t feel like a sunbeam either. That’s what’s so special about this album it’s a celebration of bands and music that was hundreds million miles away from the perma-grinning sprey tan frauds of the 80s. Bands that made music for a small audience, bands like Nirvana were supposed to be before the shock success of Nevermind. And put those songs on heavy rotation on MTV. So this is an album with a vast musical hinterland but it’s also one that looks to the future. A future we never got. This may be the last music Nirvana ever made but it hints at records they would have made had Kurt not died. And it’s not the fucking Foo Fighters. TLDR like Freddie and the Dreamers, I like it. Five Stars.
Absolutely seminal.
It's not unplugged, but it is majestic.
I think the beauty of this one is how it manages to he both radical and respectful to the format in equal measure. It has prupose and clarity, and musical excellence.
Hated the whole unplugged era.
It’s okay. I like hearing them chat about the songs, I’d have loved to have been there, but as an album it’s not my favorite. Maybe just my bias against this type of record :(
10/10 - *chefs kiss* Fav Tracks: like 12 of the 14 of them. Specifically..... Where Did YOu Sleep Last Night, Come As You Are, On A Plain, Plateau, All Apologies Fav Lyric: My girl, my girl, don't lie to me // Tell me where did you sleep last night? // In the pines, in the pines // Where the sun don't ever shine // I would shiver the whole night through Heard before? ---–- ✅ Saved a Song? ----- ✅ Saved Album? --–-- ✅ Will Listen Again? -- ✅ Album Cover -------*chefs kiss*
idk no thanks
Een van de beste live albums ooit
Dit was een van m'n eerste CDs back in de day en ik was obsessed. Nog steeds wel een beetje, eerlijk gezegd. Wat een opname dit. Vooral de covers shinen natuurlijk. 'Where Did You Sleep Last Night' en 'The Man Who Sold The World' zijn beide beter dan het origineel.
Ótimas canções, e uma das melhores performances ao vivo já gravadas. Uma voz angelical, todos os instrumentos soando magníficos, incluindo cortes mais fundos de seus discos, e covers performados em ótimo tom. Um absoluto clássico. Grunge e Acústico são como queijo e goiabada, elementos diferentes que na teoria nem parecem funcionar, mas que na prática se casam maravilhosamente. 5/5