Reviews (page 2 of 15)
A classic; I watched this special when it aired and it was absolutely formative to my musical tastes.
My glorious youth!!!
The only band that understood the assignment when it came to Unplugged. As essential as any of their studio albums.
Unplugged was huge in the 90's - started by Paul McCartney and ended here - I mean, who was going to be able to top this? Nirvana's raw power is still felt even during this funereal like renditions of their own tunes and their personal favourites. I still get chills from that last sigh that Cobain gives before the last line of the last song that he ever sang on record. He sounds like he's finally made some decision and the weight of being who he was is something that will soon be in the past. Best Tracks: About a Girl; The Man Who Sold The World; Where Did You Sleep Last night?
The gold standard for live acoustic albums and probably my favorite Nirvana album. The cover of ‘Lake of Fire’ is awesome. RIP Kurt.
Loving this. Some covers. Some nirvana. All great. Last track "Where did you sleep last night" was Kurt Cobain's last recorded song before his suicide.
Wow what a great performance. I’m not the biggest Nirvana fan in the world, but this feels like such a slice of time. And the unplugged venue really showcases Cobain’s vocal strengths. This is probably the second best version of Man Who Sold the World. But it’s close.
One of the best MTV Unpluggeds ever. Nice memories from back in the day. Plus, for some reason 1001 Albums Generator threw me two Nirvana albums in a row, which is never a bad thing.
Excellent album. Great to hear a different side of the band and a very upfront and real portrayal of unique covers.
I like this album. The live aspect wasn't too intrusive. Contained some of Nirvanas best hits.
Just a classic. Interesting this threw up one I've played a thousand times for my first one, but glad it did! Graham
Pretty Frickin great. I like the little Meatpuppets suite at the end. This album really demonstrates the strength of Kurt Cobain's songwriting I think.
I was working at the record store and someone ran in to breathlessly tell us Kurt was dead. I called my friend Jerry and his response was "Box set." (ouch). We sold a shitload of this album when this came out, which was very predictable given both its timing and the generally tamer sound. I felt like they anticipated the attention they would be getting for this performance and deliberately used their 15 minutes of fame to shine a light on tragically underappreciated Meat Puppets and The Vaselines, which was very cool of them. Plus a great cover of The Man Who Sold The World.
Brilliant choice of songs. Nirvana understood the assignment!
The best plugged-in unplugged album of all time. I mean honestly, Kurt Cobain's vocals carry this entire performance. The raw anguish seeps out of every pore as he pours himself into the microphone. +1 star for the enormous effect this album had on society and culture.
I’m pretty casual on Nirvana but it’s common knowledge that Cobain’s voice was a defining piece of musical history and will probably never cease to inspire anyone who decides to put their lips to a microphone within the rock genre. The way Kurt’s vocals are used on this acoustic (and final) outing is as such a smart and undeniable centerpiece that gave entirely new context to songs that are now considered classics but at the time were all fairly deep cuts. It was described as the band’s way to show fans who they were via an almost mixtape-esque presentation, and it works!
Possibly the best thing Nirvana recorded.
Good album. Prefer their "plugged" versions of the songs.
Quality songwriting and great choice of covers. For a band so loud and shouty it's good to see them in this setting.
Revisiting past favorites and revising established classics, can't go wrong with this performance.
Classic have on vinyl. Stand out tracks: -Where did you sleep last night -The man who sold the world -Polly -Something in the way -Plateau
So as a rock guy, I am fairly familiar with the “Nirvana Unplugged” album, though have never run it all-the-way through… Was actually surprised to find that it was on the 1,001 list, as I didn’t think “live” albums were a part of it… Appears it made it because there were some covers on it, doesn’t really change that criteria for me and I would not have included it, but c’est la vie… #1 – I like the arrangements, and am glad that they used a little amplification as that was part of the secret sauce of the album – so a big plus there… #2 – After a while however, several of the songs started to sound the same the longer the album went on… Especially noticeable from “Something In The Way” (Track 9) through the Meat Puppets covers (Tracks 10, 11, 12)… #3 – As for the covers, didn’t really care for The Vaseline’s “Jesus Doesn’t Want Me For A Sunbeam” – but here are the rest – “Man Who Sold The World” – Bowie – 5-stars out of 7… “Plateau” – Meat Puppets – 4-stars out of 7… “Oh Me” – Meat Puppets – 1-star out of 7… “Lake Of Fire” – Meat Puppets – 5-stars out of 7… “Where Did You Sleep Last Night” – Lead Belly – 5-stars out of 7… #4 – Kurt’s frailty really comes through, and if I had been a band member back then, I would have been VERY concerned about his mental state and overall health, as you can tell that he’s pretty distant at best… Kind of sad that what really made this album popular, was the fact that it was released later in 1994 after Kurt’s death that spring… #5 – The best Nivana songs IMO were – “Come As You Are” – 6-stars out of 7… “Dumb” – 4-stars out of 7… “On A Plain” – 4-stars out of 7… “All Apologies” – 5-stars out of 7… The rest were just filler as far as I’m concerned… Glad I listened to the album in it’s entirety, and that I did it during the month of the 30th Anniversary of Kurt’s death… Given the historic nature of what it captured, plus the fact that there were a number of arrangements that I really enjoyed, “Nirvana Unplugged” clocks in at a solid 4 for me…
the songwriting is impeccable and this performance just lets that shine
There are few live albums that really cut through and this is one. It's a gentle and brilliant run across their catalogue and covers that just kind of works.
- Some enjoyable songs, although Cobain's voice can be a bit grating at times - I definitely prefer the acoustic rendition of their songs
There is so much lore around this record and the live performance. I do feel like the lore is larger than what this album actually is. It is pretty good, there are some strong moments; Where Did You Sleep Last Night, The Man Who Sold The World, and Something In The Way are my favorites. But the remainder of the songs are somewhat repetitive and boring at times.
Too polite, though his voice is as strong as it ever was and the covers are generous to the originals, dutiful, stronger in this context than most of the originals. Falls short for me, but that has at least a little to do with my prejudices of the time lingering on: Nirvana were a band I liked, but I preferred their antecedents, the weirdos. I’ll save the reassessment for when the other two turn up.
This album was never all that appealing to me, couldn't really understand why everybody fawned over it so much -- part of the appeal to Nirvana, to me, was the noise, the feedback, distortion, Dave Grohl abusing his drum kit. It says something that my favorite song on this is actually a Meat Puppets song. That being said, it is also a fine listen, but nothing spectacular.
Got the unplugged ball rolling. Love how raw and unedited it is. Will probably never voluntarily listen to it again.
2/5. If you like Cobain and co., I'm sure you'll love this. For anyone who isn't already attached at the hip to grunge's Romeo, I really don't think you'll find this album special. The playing is competent. Some of Cobain's signing is great and expressive. Some of the riffs smart and catchy. The mixing is pleasantly raw. But that doesn't change the fact that so many of the songs here are lifeless and uninspired. A touch of the personal here: I understand loving music for the poetry or realness of it. Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Elliott Smith, and others fit that for me. Those artists can be musically uninteresting at times, but the sincerity and thought put into the lyrics can win me over. I presume that's what Cobain does for people.
We get it kurt died
Not much going for this. A live set on a TV show. No great shakes. But an event happens and it gets elevated to some crazy status the performance does not merit. The unplugged moniker is simply for the franchise, it is merely the band pared down. Some songs work most do not.
Dette er et prima eksempel på at noen ganger er det viktigste å være kul. Har aldri forstått denne plata, og gjør det ikke nå heller.
MTV unplugged also, Perle der Hochkultur die uns auch 25 Jahre später noch Meisterwerke wie Marius Müller Westernhagens Greatest Fails präsentiert, neu arrangiert und mit grotesk prätentiösem Wagenrad auf dem Kopf. Um den Hals hätte ich auch gut gefunden, als Analogie zu dem dicken Nagel den dieses „Konzert“ hier in Kurt Cobains Sarg geschlagen hat. Die Seuche der massenfabrizierten sogenannten Authentizität brach Anfang der 90er über die Welt, und „MTV Unplugged“ war der erste große Fieberschub. Gar nichts war da handgemacht und weniger noch von Herzen, das war und ist fucking Marketing, Kerzenschein aus Halogen und Verstärker im Souffleusenkasten. Konsequent nur, dass es ab da immer schneller immer weiter abwärts ging. MTV Real World, RTL Big Brother, die DFB National MANNSCHAFT powered by Coca Cola, Michael Wendler, Marc Zuckerberg und Donald Trump. Es. Ist. Nicht. Auszuhalten. Suizid wegen Kein Bock mehr auf all die Phonies, Speichellecker und Arschgeigen turned Grungeionistas. So sitzt Kurt nun da in diesem Sony-Studio, depressiv, auf Entzug und dann auch noch Ärger wegen Meat Puppets. Singt seine Lieder und klagt sie, schön, dringlich, unheimlich sogar und zeigt dieser ganzen Welt, was er von ihr hält: nichts. Sie tut ihm weh, er hält es nicht mehr aus, und Schuld sind die ganzen Wixer von MTV und von Sony. Die ihm hier diese vorgezogene Begräbnisfeier hingestellt haben, garniert mit weißen Lilien und schwarzen Kerzen auf dass sich die Platte achtfach Platin verkaufe; mit irgendwelchen Claqueuren im „Publikum“ deren hohle Ergriffenheit ja selbst auf Platte kaum auszuhalten ist. Die Idee, einer dreckigen Punkband aus Sellout-Gründen die Verzerrer wegzunehmen ist keinen Deut besser als eine Metalband die sich für Wagner hält und ein Symphonieorchester auf die Bühne holt. Und kann natürlich auch keinen Zehntelpunkt mehr bekommen, egal wie beeindruckend die Band das tatsächlich umsetzt. Here‘s to you, Reality Bites.
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.
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
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.
Quite possibly the best live album of all time.
Personal favorite. Always a good listen
Still as brilliant as as when it came out
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.
5/5 best mtv unplugged oat
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!
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!
for evening nostalgia, favorites: dumb jesus doesnt want me for a sunbeam
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.
Some people just get it don't they. Cultural flavour, energy, ability. Generational live moment
Geen ander cijfer mogelijk
peak album
Remember when MTV used to do cool stuff? I do, and this was one of them!
I’ve already listened to this. Goated
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.
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.
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.
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.
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*
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
Best live rock album of all time.
4.6 2x best live album?
Easiest 5 Stars I've given.
Classic. I’ve heard every song a million times but still a classic
Massive! Enjoy some of these versions versus the studio versions more
The covers are my favorite part of this album, which is astounding given how good the renditions of their original songs are. One of my favorite things about music (and one of my key motivations behind undertaking this listening project in the first place) is discovering the influences behind my favorite artists. Kurt Cobain (and the rest of the band) present such a rich tapestry of the musicians and genres that have inspired them across this set. The genuine appreciation for artists ranging from Bowie to American folk musicians to their own contemporaries is balanced by an artistry that still manages to make each track their own.
This tonally perfect blend of original material and covers makes for an indispensable addition to their catalog. Leaves you sadly wondering what the band could grown into as they further matured.
Solid album. So many classic songs I've heard a bunch of times over the years. Love the acoustic vibe too. Great listen. (5)
There is a lot to say about this one for a ton of reasons. Being one of the most popular live records? Being the most popular live recording from the 1990's that I know of? Being the record that I learned to read guitar tabs with? Being when it was, and one of the last times we all got to see kurt? The music? This is definitely one of those really special ones where everything lines up right. I think to me, this is the idea of a perfect ten album. All around everything has this magic to it that you can't really get elsewhere. It's got ups and downs, but at the end of the day even the tracks I don't like like Pennyroyal Tea belong on this album. I'm glad they're there and they are definitely good. Favorite Song: Where did you sleep last night Least Favorite Song: Pennyroyal Tea Album rating 10/10 Familiarity: 8/10 Would I listen to again: Absolutely. I've listened to this one a whole lot, will listen again, it's kind of a give in at this point, heh.
It’s hard to have grown up in the Pacific Northwest in the 90s and not have heard of Nirvana. At the time they were active, most of the music I was hearing was country, of all things (please note: Neither of my parents listens to country anymore. They both quit when they divorced almost three decades ago. As I understand it, they didn’t *start* until after they were married. I don’t know what to make of that.) so this band came and went without my having been familiar with their music; my entire exposure consisted of Weird Al’s “Smells Like Nirvana” and that told me what they sounded like I guess? And then, of course, Kurt Cobain’s death was all over the news. I’ve heard more of their music on the radio more recently, but never really put the effort into, like… digging in. I’m not sure this album really helps with that, but I can absolutely appreciate what I’m hearing. And I appreciate it a lot. It’s hard to judge an acoustic live album when I’m not especially familiar with the band’s studio sound on a lot of these songs. I mean, leaving aside the Grateful Dead where you’re arguably doing it wrong if you’re not listening to live, you’re getting something vastly different from the norm. Even so, the musical talent on display here is anything but hidden. The sound I expect from what I’ve heard of Nirvana previously is here, stripped down to its essence, and the set, with its mix of Nirvana originals (but not their big hits for the most part) and covers, lets the band show its range. It’s a fascinating way get my first exposure to many of these songs, and makes me wish I’d encountered this album far sooner in my life. Now, all that said, I find myself kind of wishing I was watching this concert rather than just listening; I’m forced to imagine what the band members are talking about when they banter between the songs. Alas, I’m only listening. Still, this is absolutely an album that’s going in my list of all-timers. I can see myself listening to this one more than a few times just on its own. … And I was mostly done writing all this out and then “Where Did You Sleep Last Night” came on. Cobain belting out on the second half? That cinched it. No wonder that was the closing song, I’m imagining that even with three cups of tea, that did something to his throat akin to what “Twist and Shout” did to John Lennon at the end of recording *Please Please Me*. Brilliant way to close the set. 10/10, easy.
Perfect. No notes.
The covers are incredible. I can’t help but think about the decade of grungy butt-rock Nirvana inspired. This stuff feels so genuine
Easiest 5 stars I’ve given so far, I can’t pick any flaws with this album, probably one of my favourite live album.
Stunning album - Kurt’s vocals are just too good in this
The bits and pieces of mythology about Nirvana's Unplugged have almost, *almost* eclipsed the album itself at this point. And, admittedly, there's a lot of mythology there. Between the fact that the performance almost never happened, the 6 covers (all of which have eclipsed the originals in popularity, honestly to a kind of obnoxious extent), and weird little things like how Cobain was offered Lead Belly's guitar (in exchange for US Dollars) prior to the performance, or little pieces of now bafflingly iconic, ultra casual stage banter. It feels like you can know everything about this performance without actually listening to the damn thing. But please listen to it, because it is very, very good. Stripping Nirvana's sound down to a skeleton very transparently reveals the band to be a vehicle for Cobain as a singer-songwriter. And even though most people kind of knew this prior, it is thrust directly into the spotlight here. It also reveals how Cobain may have the shakiest, most fragile voice of anyone who has ever scored a pop ultra-hit, and I mean this as a good thing. The pain and deep sadness that's pretty much ever-present in Nirvana's music is unignorable here. It's the kind of thing that can make the band's whole discography feel different. I'd mention that all the songs here are fantastic, but you know that, it's a selection of Nirvana's quieter songs, and they all translate beautifully into acoustic arrangements. I'd like to make specific mention of Something In The Way, a very sad song made even sadder. And All Apologies and Pennyroyal Tea are also incredible, but *honestly* everything here is incredible. I'd like to take a minute to discuss the covers as well, because they are really important to Unplugged's DNA, and delve pretty deep into the Nirvana's (and Cobain's) influences. Jesus Doesn't Want Me For A Sunbeam (by The Vaselines) is a great, kind of cynical twist on a Christian hymn, but not *quite* as legendary as the other covers here. The Man Who Sold The World (by David Bowie) is considered by many to be the definitive rendition of the song, and while I'm not sure I agree, it is an incredible, iconic cover, that really brings something new out of the song. The trio of Plateau, Oh Me, and Lake Of Fire, all by Meat Puppets, all from their second album (just titled II, really great album, go listen to it) is a kind of odd aside in the track list, but they manage to make total sense in the broader context of this album with their raw songwriting and striking lyrics. And lastly, Where Did You Sleep Last Night (also called In The Pines, by Lead Belly) is a hell of a finale here. Cobain Brings his own, unmistakable intensity to an undeniably classic blues song, and honestly, I think this performance did a lot to put Lead Belly in the eyes of the modern listener too, which is really cool. The whole of Unplugged is one of the best live albums ever, and it brings something heart wrenching and brutally honest out of some very familiar Nirvana songs. Unplugged is an undeniably iconic performance and deserves to be celebrated to this day.
One of the few live albums that actually deserves to be on this list. Not only does is it an excellent recording with great sound engineering but familiar songs really do get transformed in this stripped down set.
Også et av mine core memory album! For meg 10/10. masse gode minner til hele albumet
Fantastic live album. Nirvana's songs and Cobain's voice work really well striped down even enhancing some of the songs. I like On a Plain, but I consider it average in terms of Nirvana, but this rendition absolutely blew me away. I didn't particularly care for the Meat Puppets covers towards the end, but they weren't bad just not as good as the rest of the album. It is really hard for me to pick a favorite version of The Man Who Sold the World since I love Bowie so much, but Nirvana's interpretation deserves the hype it gets. Ironically yesterday I got a Bowie album. Favorite Track - The Man Who Sold the World Least Favorite Track - Plateau ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What an album
Read your review and fair enough but different feelings for me Low 5 on this one, hearing the songwriting stripped back with the emphasis in Kurt’s voice and the bare bones of the songs frequently shows itself to be very worthwhile. The Bowie cover is one of my favourite covers ever and the Meat Puppets section is well done with two of them along for the ride and a welcome addition. I’m not big into my pop culture lore, but for those who are i’m sure thus albums reaches legendary status. For me it’s a unique live album that offers another view of a generational band.
Back in the 90s I was unaware of Kurt Cobain's mental health struggles until he died. Listening to this is like staring down the shotgun barrel. What great songs and sounds stopped down. I loved this then and was happy anytime I caught it on the MTV rotation. This version of In the Pines (ie, Where Did You Sleep Last Night) is one of the greatest I've heard (and I did a lot of folk fests back in the day)!
MTV unplugged albums are my one and only exception to the "no live albums". This is the best (and my favourite) of all MTV unplugged recordings, and perhaps one of the best live recordings ever. Nirvana hit a home run on this one. I realise it's so much more poignant having been released posthumously, but regardless of its sombre, haunting atmosphere it was still recorded before. Timely release, but expertly delivered by Nirvana.
(7/7) incredible
Oh man, I guess an argument could be made that some of these songs already are on the list between in utero and nevermind, but they do interesting things with the arrangements, have great cover selection (this was my intro to bowie, way back when), and a mini meatpuppets concert slyly and well worked in. All very cool, and there's a lot of pain in that leadbelly/bluegrass cover. You should definitely listen to this album before you die.
One of the best acoustic albums ever, certainly the best “Unplugged” album. Kurt & Co. waste no time on banter but get right into it. The tracks they selected are excellent for this setting — spare or unadorned, driving and dark songs — and thank god they didn’t cram “Teen Spirit” in there. And the final song is the one that cements the album in the top tier. “…Where Did You Sleep Last Night” has an eerie, deathly edge that builds and builds all the way. And when Kurt erupts into a raw, unearthly shriek on the last verses, his voice cracking and falling at the end, it sounds like an omen of doom. I shiver every time I hear it. Five months later he was dead.
depois de ouvir os 3 albuns do nirvana posso dizer que eles foram sim influentes e bonzudos mesmo. falta realmente uma banda que una todas as tribos assim como foi o norvana.
Well, I am not generally a fan of live albums, but THIS ONE gets a 5. I mean I gave the Van Morrison live, double album a 4! A 4. So… I play this. I do. I play it as an album. Even though it’s a live album. Because…. You know… because. Even though Kurt is high AF. This session was AWESOME. 5 Boolean: TRUE, so True
It almost feels like cheating rating this album on the 1001 albums project. It's essentially a greatest hits album. All the tracks are from the MTV Unplugged episode performed by Nirvana in 1993, a few months before Kurt Cobain's death. Grunge is particularly poingent when played on accoustic instruments (Alice In Chains and Pearl Jam also had really great Unplugged performances), and Nirvana's episode is arguably the best espisode MTV Unplugged ever aired.
Might be my Favourite album of them
Wow I've heard "The Man Who Sold the World" so many times on the radio and I never knew it was a cover of a David Bowie song. In fact so many of these were played on the radio back in the day. Cobain's really got a hauntingly beautiful voice.
I expected to not care for this so much. I don't have Nirvana nostalgia but do hear all their hits on the radio and enjoy them but rarely see them out. This Unplugged version was great. Enjoyed watching the videos of them, too.
vinyl day! a haunting live album
Fantastic live performance
love the art
Top tier album on this list. Timeless, breathtaking, eye opening, and a different side to one of the most influential bands of the 20th century
I ADORE THIS ALBUM WITH MY ENTIRE HEART. Kurt Cobain is truly a mastermind, he’s so talented. Fav song is ‘Where Did You Sleep Last Night’.
Listened to it before. Dont really like Nirvana all that much but this was just fabulous
Classic!
What are they tuning, a harp?
Legendary set. Almost perfect.
Generational
The acoustic/minimalist vibe works so well here. It's like this weird alternate Nirvana. The Man Who Sold The World is my favorite.
A real Me classic
Not a huge grunge fan but I did grow up during the era so I’m well aware of Nirvana. Plateau and Where did you sleep last night were standouts for me Happy listening all!
Copying from Letterboxd: Watched the unedited version, from the 2007 DVD release. Cobain lighting up a dart between every other song is a great visual gag, and then when you see Grohl noodling with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth... that's what it's all about. Knew the album very well, but never actually watched the concert. Spectacular, obviously. The greats - The Man Who Sold the World, Come As You Are, All Apologies - are clearly great, but Plateau might be my favourite thing here.
One of the best albums of the unplugged genre.
😮💨😮💨😮💨
I will first say that I pulled this album on my final day as a 27 year-old. I found this to be rather amusing. It was a perfect way to celebrate this day. As of tomorrow I will be officially out of any danger to join the club. This album is really important to me. It was the soundtrack of my high school years more than a decade ago. I know it by heart. This time I re-listened to it and sort of reminisced about various moments and It feels like a lifetime ago and yet I stay hopeful. That being said the album is brilliant. It is a contender for the best Nirvana performance and as it goes out you can see Kurt Cobain slowly entering a flow state with the peak arriving during the final song. The way he channels his voice to unleash a plethora of emotions on to the listener is phenomenal. The final chorus of "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" is, to me, one of the greatest musical moments captured on camera. There’s a split second where Kurt’s facial expression changes entirely after the sigh, right before ending both the song and one of the most iconic live performances ever recorded. The album is filled with highlights, but besides that performance, I absolutely love "Lake of Fire", "Pennyroyal Tea", and "Something in the Way". This time around, I listened carefully to "Oh Me", and for the first time it truly spoke to me. I believe the whole thing is beyond excellent, and I’m glad it exists.
I do not typically like live albums, but this is definitely an exception. A stellar performance, first of all, with new covers and musical guests make this a cut above the rest. Honestly, live albums rarely can replace the quality of the original studio recordings, so where this album shines is in the amount of covers that can stand on their own. The Meat Puppets section is my favorite. Fav tracks: Jesus Doesn’t Want Me For A Sunbeam, The Man Who Sold The World, Plateau, Lake Of Fire
A release that couldn't have been any better than it is. Even outside the timing of the release, it's just perfect
Taas mennään liven pariin ja näitä on tullut vähän parjailtua. Sinänsä tässä kun on lyöty sähköt poikki tuvasta, niin se sitten tarjoo mahikset joko onnistua tai munaamaan tuotannon tulkitsemisen suhteen. Kyl mää oon tätä kovasti kuunnellut, mutta ehkä inasen huvittavaa on se, että parhaiten toimii Meat Puppetsin kanssa vedetyt kyseisen pändin biisit. Samoten Vaseliinien ja Bouwin lainat plus tietty levyn päätöskierrätys on ehottomasti sellasia, että tulkinta on eniten reilassa. Kyl täs nyt vitku pahasti kutittelee ja kai sen voi tirvasta, vaikka olosuhteet nyt on mitä on, mut kuitenkin se tapa jolla biisit soi uudella tapaa erilaisessa ympäristössä on säväröivää ja kurDtin tulkintakin on paikoitellen RIIPIVÄÄ. Sit toki aiemmin mainittu plussa noista lainoista ja niiden tekemisistä omanlaisikseen. Vaseliinin ja puppetin saamat rojaltitilitykset ja mainostila varmaan kans ilostutti asianosasia.
This is a great record. It showed the quiet emotion of a band. It was always there in the music. I think it’s easy to dislike Nirvana because they became overplayed but hearing the hurt in the vocals on these songs. It showed Jurt was more than just a loud screaming singer. The covers are the highlight here but I also think songs like something in the way feel creepier. Pennyroyal Tea is highlighted. Kurt curated a great acoustic performance
so good i have on cd
Todas las chicas estamos familiarizada con este disco y con su video en youtube
An amazing album. A great selection of songs and some wonderful covers.
Quel beau cadeau de fête!! Le meilleur 'album' de Nirvana à mon sens, c'est comme une intégration de toutes les phases, Bleach et le côté raw, Nevermind et le super-stardom quasiment pop, et In Utero le gros fuck you la production léchée et concentrons nous sur la musique. J'adore particulièrement la fin de l'album (All apologies et Where did you sleep last night), on voit comment Cobain aurait pu tourner un excellent musicien blues/folk. Autant je suis ébahi par son talent brut, autant ça me rend triste à chaque fois de constater ça. SVP écoutez le footage video si c'est pas déjà fait, juste l'audio c'est pas l'expérience totale.
Première fois que j’écoute ça! Assez incroyable. Quelle grande voix ce Kurt, juste assez ecorchée. Bien aimé le cover de Bowie ainsi que Pennyroyal tea. Prochaine étape: voir le video!
This is #day651 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… this is my third and final record by Nirvana, and oh me, what a way to cross out this band from the list. Even though I think I prefer Alice in Chains' MTV Unplugged, Nirvana's performance is special in its own right. There's something else between the lines and in the air. The strange, fragile sense of finality, if you will. In a punk rock Nirvana-style, there's, of course, this big "fuck you" to TV rules, with half the setlist being songs by other and/or lesser-known bands and artists. "The Man Who Sold the World" has to be one of the most iconic cover versions out there, the kind that makes you feel like it had always been a Nirvana song. Last, but not least, that screamed verse at the end of "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" I'm only wondering what would have been next. This is a 5 out of 5. Looking forward to #day652.
No necesito escuchar este disco para recordar que es de lo mejor que se produjo en los unpluggeds o los 90s.
My favorite live album of the project so far. So raw and vulnerable. Loved the new arrangements and song selection.
In my top 20 listened to albums of all time
One of my favorite albums growing up. Love how they introduced us to new music and didn't just wear out their hits. Lake of Fire and Where Did You Sleep Last Night stood out. 5/5
Shiver for me. I played this CD 💿 to the point of utter destruction. Shout out to Sony discman for giving little me so much joy. Six of the 14 songs on this album are covers and we, of a certain age, owe a huge debt of gratitude to Kurt Cobain for educating us about The Vaselines, David Bowie, Meat Puppets, and of course Leadbelly. Bonus if you watched this on TV and "the look" changed your fucking brain chemistry.
About a Girl - 5/5 Come as You Are - 5/5 Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam - 4/5 The Man Who Sold the World - 5/5 Pennyroyal Tea - 4/5 Dumb - 5/5 Polly - 5/5 On a Plain - 4/5 Something in the Way - 5/5 Plateau - 4/5 Oh Me - 4/5 Lake of Fire - 5/5 All Apologies - 5/5 Where Did You Sleep Last Night - 5/5 Average score: 4.7/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ one of the rare instances i listen to a live album and come away loving the live performance of their best tracks just as much as the original recordings. i've avoided listening to this because historically, i haven't cared for live albums. boy have i been missing out all these years i don't really know what's so different this time around to make me enjoy it so much. maybe the acoustic nature made for a more intimate performance than it was. the minimal cheering and hollering from the audience was much appreciated, it aired on the side of respectful and demure rather than obnoxious (like most live concerts nowadays). honestly, maybe it's also the fact that they're Nirvana and they were just that fucking awesome of performers. either way, i thoroughly enjoyed this gem of a live album.
5 stars, no notes
This is so perfect as a coda to Nirvana's run as a band; the comparison I saw somewhere to Nirvana playing Kurt's funeral has always stuck with me. I always wonder what the legacy/reception of this album would be if Nirvana had gone on to have a longer career, but in the words of Kanye West: I guess we'll never know.
ahhh le secondaire all over agaaaaaain
Great album!
Nirvana era uma das maiores bandas do mundo quando gravou esse Unplugged e o resultado é estupendo! Redefiniu o gênero. QoA Adonis New.
Este concierto lo considero mágico, hay algo diferente en lo que escuchamos con Nirvana antes sus canciones son más melódicas más armoniosas y a pesar de qué hay muchos errores o el sonido no es tan pulido, todo termina de encajar y miramos a un Kurt Cobain bastante sensible, bastante talentoso, que ni él mismo se cree, y es un concierto donde no están grunge , si no es como más tipo blues, realmente es bastante nostálgico el pensar que haya sido una de sus últimas presentaciones. Además, cabe resaltar el buen trabajo que hace el bajista para que las melodías realmente se escuchen bastante sensibles y hermosas.
Simply one of the best musical recordings ever. Sometimes I forget how the tone of certain songs shift when played acoustically. It’s like the pain is amplified through being in such a raw, unfiltered, unedited format, the emotions are just so much more potent. Kurt’s voice, while very raspy and rough, is one of beauty, perfectly depicting the sound of grief and pain. There are so many elements that contribute to why this recording is as iconic as it is. I truly can’t praise this recording enough.
I had this album on cassette back in 1996. Not an official cassette release, but one I recorded from my best friends CD onto a blank tape. Still holds up as one of their best.
This is nothing short of a classic. I listened to this on repeat during my youth. The haunting performances were made even more visceral after the months afterwards. A great collection of covers and originals, including a collaboration with Meat Puppets. Definitely must listen material.
We had some "every home should have one" albums in the olden days. I'd put this in the modern "every home should have one" category.
Its Big album
For the music I'd give a four. There are, as with Nirvana in general, some tracks I truly like, some I dont. The five star rating eventually comes due to what this album represents for music history. What MTV was then, and how they went against it. And the honesty and intimacy, simply wow!
Znaš da je nešto posebno kad je bendu najbolji album uživo i akustika. +epski Balkan momenat kad Kristo opali po harmonici.
Nirvana unplugged's quietly intimate setting captures the band's authenticity. Admirably, Nirvana avoid the familiar traps of other unplugged guests by playing a curated set of covers rather than an over-polished series of rock hits on acoustic guitars. The result is a set that feels curated with genuine artistic intent rather than commercial obligation. And they pull it off brilliantly; their features and song choice make this live album one of their best, and one of the best live albums of all time. Cobain's screeching vocals on blues standard "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" is a particular highlight. Through unplugged, Nirvana prove once again that they are no mere grunge act, but deeply versatile and emotionally sincere.
I'll bet the MTV execs were fellating one another with how lucky they got here. Not just Nirvana's (arguably) best album, but they get to slap their name on the front of it?? Man Who Sold The World goes up there with Johnny Cash's Hurt and Hendrix's All Along the Watchtower in the pantheon of "songs that belong to the cover artist now". And it might not even be the best track on the album. They're not all bangers, believe me, but it comes together in such a chill vibe. It's acoustic lightning in a bottle. They even got Dave Grohl to chill the fuck out, come on man.
This will probably be the only album here I’ve already listened to fully beforehand… I got lucky today
I wonder if this show is one of the reasons that Nirvana is such an iconic band. A lot of their studio albums are too rough for most people. But this performance showed what they sound like when you strip everything down. Even the mistakes make it feel more personal.
Classic time piece, last ever release after Kurt’s death. So many interesting stories and anecdotes about how this recording came about….
This is a great live performance! I loved reading about how they played this straight through in one take like a real concert unlike other unplugged sessions. The choice of songs are really exquisite as well. In this format, hearing these songs played in these mellower versions really lets the songs shine highlighting the great songwriting by all involved. Even though Kurt was a drug addict going through withdrawl and nervousness this recording does show the great talent that he had with his songwriting and singing. Unfortunately it means that we’re once again left wondering what could have been and the tragic fates of addiction issues.
Absolutely incredible
This is the perfect 301 Nirvana course once you've done your homework with Nevermind & In Utero because you get a more intimate perspective of the music and you can very clearly hear how the band members communicate with each other - both in between the songs but also while they play. We really lost something special when we lost MTV Unplugged but hey this will have to do. Highlights: On A Plain, Pennyroyal Tea
Ethereal.
Peak
Incredible. Have never truly listened to it back to back - knew it to be iconic. Now that I am no longer a teenager and the 'hype' of Nirvana from my youth is not just teenage dirt bag. I got to see the true band listening to this album and it blew me away. Artists.
One of the most popular and iconic live performances of all time from one of the most popular and iconic bands of all time, featuring everything but their biggest hits at the time (besides come as you are) with an acoustic style added, along with covers of artists who shaped Kurt Cobain's sound, spanning from Meat Puppets, the Vaselines, Lead Belly, and most notably David Bowie with the cover of The Man Who Sold The World,
Was great to hear the classics in a live setting. I rated this a four at first, having the perspective of what was to come brings this up to a five easily. There's a reason it's one of the classics.
One of my favorite albums, very raw and emotional, it puts me in a very emotional state. I've been listening to it for many years and it always hits. The stripped-down, acoustic sound makes everything feel more intimate, like there’s nothing between you and the emotion being expressed. Kurt Cobain’s voice carries a kind of fragile intensity that makes every song feel heavier, almost like a confession rather than a performance. The whole album feels haunting and deeply human, and even after so many listens, it never loses that impact it’s the kind of record you don’t just hear, you feel.
5/5 no notes
Невероятно чистый альбом. Если убрать крики толпы, то можно подумать, что это новый альбом группы. И как не странно, каждая песня в акустической версии звучит прекрасно. Определённо лучший концертный альбом за все время.
I always forget how good this is, especially for a live album.
God album, favourite part was always when Kurt explained it was a Bowie song, but new one is when Kurt (on the rehearsal tells Ian to alter the sound, yes I am a child of the 70's called Ian
Love this from front to back. One of my favourite albums of all time.
It took me awhile to come around to this album in my youth. There was the initial disappointment of "they didn't play the hits," of course, but even after I got past that, I felt like ... if I was in the mood for Nirvana I wasn't really in the mood for THIS. Despite that, it was the only acoustic album that I owned. So I put it on a lot as background music. And that's the niche that it occupied in my head for many years. Maturity eventually showed me the error of my assessment and, listening to it today, I can definitely appreciate it for the gem that it is. Even the Meat Puppets section, which seemed so weird at the time, comes across as a stroke of brilliance now. It's a welcome break from the somberness of the rest of the performance, and it fits in perfectly.
I remember watching this on MTV the first time and, even then, knowing it was an amazing show. It has aged perhaps better than anything else MTV did. So many amazing arrangements of so many great songs. And the covers. Dang. Just a brilliant album.
This is a rare album where I hear the premise and I think, "this is a terrible idea," and I'm totally wrong. His voice is a lot better than most people thought, including me - this is a one take record. They picked the right songs of theirs to play, and pick some really interesting covers. Where Did You Sleep Last Night is the heart of the record. What an incredible version.
This was an easy one. I don't especially like the idea of unplugged performances, especially when the band is so fantastic when plugged in. But man, this is great. I've already cited All Apologies as one of my all-time favorites, and the version here is maybe the best, ramping up the song's sense of guilt and longing to a pitch that's almost unbearable, especially when you think about where Kurt was and where he would be going. Where Did You Sleep Last Night is amazing too. Other favorites: About a Girl and Come As You Are. But it's all great.
5/5 - Era-defining live album. You've heard it dozens of times. It's great.
Killer. Surprisingly intimate and the songs work surprisingly well for an acoustic set.
Ok fine, you caught me. This is an incredible live album. Nirvana is grunge; loud, electric, and powerful. The fact that they still bring powerful without the rest. His way is so rough and unique. Where Did You Sleep Last Night has been on my favorite songs list for 20 years.
If you’d asked me if I liked Nirvana, I would have said no. But this album, it’s different. The stripped down, un-produced music with Kurt speaking between songs, sounding like a person, it was really really good. The cover of “where did you sleep last night” was magnificent, which led me down a whole Leadbelly listening trip. Do I like nirvana now? Still probably not, but I did really enjoy this album. By the end, I found myself mourning a man I didn’t know
Не, ну это кайфово
Ну тут вообще вопросов нет, возможно самый известный лайв в истории. Тут сказались и культовость группы, и необычный для них формат, который при этом был великолепно исполнен, и тот факт, что это оказалось последним выступлением группы. С удовольствием переслушал и убедился, что этот концерт вообще не надоедает. Хотелось бы конечно и пересмотреть, на видео прям бросается в глаза, насколько они простые ребята. Как Курт свободно шутит с аудиторией. Даже как они одеты, особенно смешно со свитера Дэйва. Ну и эти свечки, просто кайф. Ну и сами песни именно в этом исполнении ушли в народ. Про кавер на Боуи я уже ранее вспоминал как один из примеров, когда оригинал просто забывается из-за того, насколько успешен кавер. Каверы на The Vaselines и Meat Puppets, которые повлияли на Нирвану и в целом на альтернативный рок, помогли этим группам получить внимание и признание от более широкой аудитории. В Guitar Hero есть песня About A Girl, и они взяли не студийную версию, а именно исполнение с этого концерта, что вообще-то было нестандартно для формата такой игры. Тоже показатель. Ну и крик Кобейна в конце финальной песни концерта, зная, что он с собой сделает через несколько месяцев, добавляет дополнительный мрачный слой к этому исполнению. Легендарная запись и абсолютно по делу.
любимая unplugged запись, люблю и переслушиваю, все в ней хорошо, достойна 4.5
One of the greatest albums of all time. The emotion in Cobain's voice....
This was too enormous when it debuted. The Unplugged show was usually pretty interesting, but this was a sensation. Easily their best record. They were on the verge of something new here. 5/5
all around great recording, miss the albums' production though
Rad guitar, some solid playlist worthy songs. Middle of album got a bit slow, but not much to complain about, great album.
All of these songs are so good at their core that even when you take the grunge palate away from them they hold up. In some cases they shine even more.
One of the best live records of all time imo. This really shows off how good Kurt Cobain was in his craft. The band is really tight as well and knows how to serve the songs. This is my favourite Nirvana record above, Nevermind, In Utero and Bleach etc.
slightly scared to admit this is the first time i’ve listened to nirvana on purpose and i loved it. beautiful and haunting and full of talent. listening to it gave me chills, which isn’t the usual nirvana reaction. i think in this format i could appreciate the songwriting and cohesion of the band, but i doubt i’d feel as emotionally invested on a regular nirvana record.
Exceptionally good. Cobain’s voice hits hard on this record. Bonus: as a teen, this was my first encounter with Bowie’s Man Who Sold the World.
A live album that breaks all the rules. Everything feels intimate and close, like they're just playing right in front of you, just for you. Yeah, the crowd is there, but they're out on the sides. Kurt is playing FOR YOU. It's beautiful. The songs feel so warm and personal. My Rating: 5/5
Best nirvana album, one of the best live albums of all time, the last bit of where did you sleep last night is crazy
one of my fav albums of all time it was such a treat to listen to it again :) my fav is dumb
maraviilosooooo
Truly one of the greatest all-time albums. I think it is my favorite Nirvana album. For someone who didn't live through the phenomenon, it's the easiest way to understand the lavish devotion to Kurt as an icon (whether he wanted that, or obviously didn't). The little interludes and the bare production to me show the warmth and humanity of Nirvana as the genre's standard-bearer.
I love that Dave Grohl chirps at Kurt so much...these Unplugged performances do feel like someone singing at their own funeral though.
Let's put it clear: one of the best or simply the best life recordings ever. The climate, atmosphere, the audience and a few talented musicians with their great songs. What else would you need? Oh yes, one thing: I wish I could have been there...
🩵
Just a perfect live album, may be the greatest live album ever.
MTV Unplugged. An interesting program, for sure. The idea was simple. Get some popular music artist to perform pared-down versions of their songs for an hour and air it on MTV. It's a neat idea that resulted in a variety of performances. Some of these shows are among the most iconic and acclaimed TV performances in music history... others are the Lauryn Hill performance. But of all the MTV Unplugged shows out there, one stands on top of the pyramid as the pinnacle of what the program was set to do. That show, of course, is the Nirvana performance. Nirvana needs no introduction, obviously. I've talked about them twice already for the Nevermind and In Utero reviews. By late 1993, Nirvana had become the most popular band of the time, and getting Nirvana on Unplugged was a huge win for MTV. I could talk about more business stuff, but that's not really my wheelhouse at all. No, my wheelhouse is in regards to whether the music that I'm listening to is good, and boy is this music good. Yeah, I'm not going to stall any longer. This thing is fucking spectacular. A lot of Unplugged performances are just kinda "normal performance from the band/artist but with acoustic guitars instead of electric guitars." Nirvana could've just played the big hits with very little change in style and execution, but that's not what they wanted to do. MTV Unplugged in New York is widely seen as Nirvana's grand closing statement of sorts, with this being the first major release to come after Kurt Cobain's death in 1994. This is the kind of show that MTV Unplugged was made for. I think the setlist choices are pretty excellent. The song choices feel quite natural. As far as Nirvana originals go, there's a good selection of more somber tracks that feel right at home in the more intimate setting of a show like this. "About a Girl" is a great opener, I've always thought that "Pennyroyal Tea" is super underrated, and "Something in the Way" might be even better here than on Nevermind. But then you have the covers. Honestly, the covers are what make this live album so great to me. "The Man Who Sold the World" is one of the few instances of someone doing a Bowie song better than Bowie did. The Meat Puppets section near the end of the album is really nice and I love that Nirvana chose these guys to come up on stage and help with the performance. And of course, "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" makes for the perfect end to the performance. It's honestly a little haunting hearing Kurt's screams near the end knowing Nirvana's story nowadays. Uhh, what else? Oh, the sound of the album! I think the band adapted to the Unplugged style very well. Kurt's sounding better for the music than ever, even if his physical and mental conditions were rather low. I really like Dave Grohl's soft drumming on this thing. It just sounds nice. Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear do their backing band stuff pretty well and I really love the addition of Lori Goldston on cello for some of the songs. The sound mixing on the recordings is pretty great. I don't really think I need to say much more. It's Nirvana's Unplugged show, alright? This is, without a doubt, one of the best live album experiences of all time. Is it definitively THE best? No. Not quite. Hell, it might not even be the best Unplugged show from a grunge band. Have you heard anything from the Alice in Chains show? But, there's no denying the impact of this one right here. It's excellent. 5/5.
I come back to this album like once a year and always find myself humming something from it for a week after. It’s probably my favorite live album there’s just such a nice quality and I love that all of the in-between chatter is kept in, it feels intimate and makes for a wonderful cover-to-cover listen. Not a single skip here for me. Honestly the run of Meat Puppets covers in this are the highlight, the actual Nirvana songs are cherries on top. If you listen to nothing else, check out Plateau, Oh Me, and Lake of Fire on this thing.
5/5 only 2 mtv unplugged albums hold this title n it ain’t sto sorry to say
All the better for not just doing a greatest hits and instead zoning in on Meat Puppets 2. Hopefully that David Bowie gets an album on here too
Been going back to this for years. Raw and enjoyable while giving the best versions of already great songs.
Plateau - Live
If it were possible for me to give this album 6 stars I would. It’s a true must listen for anyone who considers themselves a fan of music.
david geffen should have bought leadbelly's guitar for kurt. also inviting the meat puppets to this is the best thing that has happened probably ever.
Huge nirvana fan, not my favorite album tho but still ez 5
This is the album that gets the hype for the ultimate Unplugged performance. And it is pretty damn good. It's neat to hear Kurt interact with the crowd, even minimally. Pennyroyal Tea is an especially emotional and poetic song that Kurt performs by himself. And other favorite tracks of mine include Lake of Fire and Something In The Way. This whole album feels bittersweet (knowing what would happen not too long after) and is very well performed. It's a great example of the Unplugged format.
When I was 10 my family took me to a house party quinceañera and I was bored and one of the only kids. I found and stayed watching tv and as I channel surfed, there was this channel called MTV that played this unplugged for hours. Kurt Cobain died that week. Never been a fan even though I blasted Nevermind in my late teens, but I do love this album. Timeless, perfect, nostalgic, melancholic, strangely humorous. I know all the songs by heart and look forward to listen to this with my daughter as she grows up.
Had this on CD and enjoyed it immensely. Cobain was a legendary talent. Loved the cover of Bowie's The Man Who Sold the World.
Beautiful renditions of Nirvana classics with some adorable and hilarious banter between songs. Kurt’s voice is the star. What’s not to love?
MTV Unplugged was amazing and this was peak. The rawness and vulnerability in Kurt’s performance is unmatched. This was a 5* for me when it came out and I’ve only loved it more on re-listens since. 5/5
The pinnacle of MTV's "Unplugged" series and fitting swan song for Nirvana.
Incredible album. One of the best live albums I’ve ever heard. Amazing set.
Loved it
Is it a good album? Indisputably. But is it one of the best live albums of all time? No, because for me, it doesn't capture their energy.
a raw and incredibly vulnerable portrait of an artist at the peak of his powers
Maybe not the best album on here, but likely the easiest 5-star review for me. Gut punch after gut punch. Weird but very apt coincidence that I get this 2 days after Live Through This.
I genuinely don't even know where to begin with this one. First off, I'll start by just saying that this is a 5. I have rolled so many 5 star albums where I love ~4 songs the most, and picking a favorite is difficult. For this live performance, every single song is a banger. Like, genuinely every single song is outstanding here. This is the first of 3 Nirvana albums I have rolled, and it's very likely going to be the first of 3 5 star albums as well. Ultimately, I'm going to pick the closer, "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" as my favorite, because the context makes it even more interesting. Shortly after this performance, he'd be dead. Murdered?? Probably, but that's a story for a different time. I'm also going to pick that one because to my knowledge, you can only find it on this album. That gives the other classic Nirvana songs a slightly better shot at being picked later as my favorite. I mean seriously, picking a favorite is so tough because I've heard these songs so much, and they truly never get old. As a fun little anecdote, let me tell you how dumb I was as a kid. My parents would only listen to Pearl Jam when I was a kid, which unsurprisingly is my all time favorite band because of it. At some point, I heard that they had a rivalry with Nirvana, so I forced myself into thinking Nirvana sucks and is overrated. As I got older and realized how freaking stupid that was, I VERY quickly came to find out just how good this band was. They don't just deliver here, they amaze spectacularly with every song. Another aspect that's really great about this album is just how truly FUNNY and human it is. Kurt talking about someone tuning a harp, how he'll surely mess up part of a Bowie song, and then remarks at the end "I didn't mess it up, but I might mess this next one up" is just so cool. God damn I wish I could have met that guy. He may truly have died being one of the coolest people in history. His stage performance and presence is LEGENDARY here. I could talk for hours about why and what I love about each individual song from this performance, but it's all been said before. So I'll leave this review a bit shorter than usual, otherwise I risk writing a novel. Just know that on the list of albums joining the 5 star club, this is a 6 star instead. God it's good, truly one of the best albums I've rolled so far and a majority of the site agrees.
About a girl - 5 Come as you are - 5 Jesus don't want me for a sunbeam - 4 The man who sold the world - 5 Pennyroyal tea - 4 Dumb - 4 Polly - 4 On a plain - 4 Something in the way - 5 Plateau - 4 Oh me - 4 Lake of fire - 5 All apologies - 5 Where did you sleep last night - 5
I'm quite familiar with this album. Surprisingly, it wasn't in my library. I've remedied that so that I can listen to it start to finish for today. It's just great.
El album realmente me gusto mucho, las letras son muy profundas, sentí que es intimo, mas suave, pero al mismo tiempo muy emocional. La voz de kurt se siente impresionante y a la vez vulnerable.
The Man Who Sold the World... classic cover.
Gold
ilk şarkı gayet güzeldi ilk defa nirvana dinliyorum gönül isterdi ki ilk albümünden basliyim ama site bana bunu önerdi bakalım nasıl devam edecek suan 2.sarki başladı ikonik sakri come as you are Mevlana ne demiş come as you are şuan son şarkıya geçiyorum baya güzel bir Live albümü bide bu benim ilk Live albüm dinleyisim gercekten çok güzeldi şuan son şarkıda bitti gerçekten çok güzeldi nirvananin diğer albümlerini de kesinlikle dinliyecegim
Everything about this just feels like a perfect storm.
i increasingly feel that a lot of what is interesting about nirvana is gestured at, but not rly captured by, a lot of the cliches and legends that surround them. the strikingly beautiful set of the unplugged concert, with the lilies and candles, became this sort of funereal symbol of the band's unexpected end...theres definitely a lot of power to that imagery, but much like in utero i dont tend to prefer to think of this as a self-conscious swan song. viewed outside retroactively imposed meaning, the choice of decoration illustrates what was unique ab nirvana at their peak of popularity...this is not the stage of a glossy rock band, but its also definitely not the stage of a more "authentic" diy punk band. its just defiant and emotional and, if i may be so bold, Androgynous...a fairly under-appreciated quality of their mystique. what's rly cool ab nirvana as this big legendary popular band is how they used their popularity to force public attention on things they thought were worthwhile, with the confidence of a band who's authentic idiosyncrasies had unexpectedly taken the world by storm without any degrading bargaining with their identity or impulses...and their ultimate flex (well, perhaps besides getting record deals for the melvins and daniel johnston) was turning a bunch of deep cuts and covers into this huge Canon Event for pop culture. idk, its hard not to feel good ab the whole thing...a comforting moment where art broke capital over its knee, kind of revealing the inherent absurdity of the whole setup. this is still an emotionally demanding set for all the obvious reasons, but i dont think it should just be cast in shades of gray, yk?
Nothing will ever replace the feeling of hearing Kurt sing Bowie
this was really cool. a live album! curious about that choice making the list.
The goat of concert/live albums, this is truly special and is led by its strong and popular on its own covers.
If you know raw, you know this. Nirvana's Unplugged is definitional when it comes to rawness that's true to life, which means that it's not only not put on, but that it takes some time getting used to. B/c that's the only way raw is able to get going: unhurried, unpolished, unplugged. Nothing raw ought to be immediately relatable, even if there's a spark keeping you engaged & present. That is, it SHOULD be too deep for comfort, but once you plunge, you'd be happy you did. Nirvana's never an easy listen for me, & it remains unexplained how popular they are, especially w/ this record. I often have to tune out in order to tune back in, to take a break so I can invest again, as I'd be wont to do w/ Beethoven, Billie Holiday, Ray Charles, or anyone so 'raw.'
I unfortunately have an aversion to live albums - I'm here for the music not for the applause and talking introductions. It's a shame because I love Nirvana but I feel like live albums like this don't hit quite the same. *** I've changed my mind *** I decided to watch the recordings of the songs on YouTube and the added visual element made a whole lot of a difference and really captured how special a moment in time that was. I think I just originally found difficulty enjoying it because I was comparing the songs to the normal recorded ones I hear more often that are a lot better quality! Also I actually LOVE their rendition of Plateau it just clicks something in my brain when he sings high like that.
MTV has committed countless crimes against our society and this recording alone is almost enough to make up for it. When I was in 5th grade my brother got a new stereo for his birthday, so I inherited his old CD boombox. I only had a few CDs laying around my bedroom, whatever my brothers weren't listening to at the time. This album was one of the first "repeat listens" of my life. I would listen to this maybe 3 or 4 times in a row almost every day for months on end. I had heard some Nirvana songs on the radio, but this was the first time I heard any of their lesser known songs -- every single song instantly hooked me in. A lot has been said about how this performance showed "another side" of Nirvana, or how they revealed a different kind of depth underneath the trashy noisiness of their studio albums. I think Kurt was a more complete and thoughtful artist than even his devotees gave him credit for, and he struggled to reveal the depth of his aesthetic taste without being tacky. If anything, this Unplugged performance allowed him to do just that and made a direct link between Kurt's songwriting and the blues tradition. It also gave him space to show off the immense control he had over his voice -- it is truly shocking to hear how he was able to channel such a wild, noisy, passionate singing voice into this instrument that was so widely admired. Even though Nirvana are perennially loved by teens and adolescents, I find more to love as I get older. This performance hits me right in the center of my heart and I expect I'll listen to it for the rest of my life.
I love this album
I love this album.
how are live versions sometimes better than studio ones
Never a fan of Nirvana. But I have to admit not only about the quality of the album, but also its historical importance. It definitely set the baseline for any unplugged/acoustic work after it. 9/10
Great music, chill vibes, probably Nirvana's best performance.
Felt more personal than the studio versions, plus having a cover of one of bowies songs is always a good bonus
I own(ed) this
I believe in the holy trinity of grunge MTV Unplugged albums. In the name of Nirvana, Alice In Chains and Pearl Jam, Amen!
No bad tracks. I don’t feel funereal vibes, I just remember it from the time as a great live performance by a great band. No need to get maudlin about it.
slushal sum go dostatuchno nqa nujda pak
Супер, но чутка поэнергичнее бы
This is a hard one for me because it is firmly between a 4 and a 5 for me. I don't know that it is as iconic as Nevermind and In Utero. But also maybe it is MORE iconic than both. So many covers--but covered with such care and revealing of KC's innerlife. There is also some really lovely playing on the record. So, five it is, I guess!
i like nirvana. really good live album. polly live hits difffrent same as something in the way. id say between 9.5/10 to a 10/10
Excellent, classic album
Honest first impression: a strong 4. Although there are some repeating melodies, every track has a very nice arrangement - guitars are amazing. And this makes the album sound diverse and themed at the same time. Probably the best live album ever. I wasn’t able to tell it was a live album. So +0.5 star for this reason. And also after I read a bit more of the band, I can appreciate this album a lot better. Definitely a five.
Honestly, I don’t know where to begin with this. I think I will just have to try and get down all of my thoughts about this and hope it’s coherent and gets the point across. This album is probably the most raw showcase of emotions ever recorded. For those who listen to this album in its entirety, we are treated to Kurt, a really great guitar player, trading in his pedals and going acoustic. He isn’t flashy in his playing, but when you hear how well his voice matches to the somber chords he plays, it all comes together. If you’ve never seen the video recording, I recommend you give it a watch. Kurt wears baggy clothes that hang off his body. Despite smiling at the crowd, you see how gaunt he is and how much it seems like he’s holding back his emotions. During songs, he closes his eyes and you see him almost transported away from the stage, almost like he believes he’s able to get away from it all. Kurt is probably one of the most famous members of the infamous ‘27 club’. This was one of their last live shows, and one of the last recordings of Kurt playing live music before he took his life three months later. This whole performance puts forward his pain, his suffering, and his lifetime of emotional distress. This is album is art. It’s pain. It’s suffering through the music and trying to put on a happy face. It’s so beautiful and haunting, especially as we know what’s right around the corner for Cobain. This album is an all time great.
One of the greatest live performances of all time, RIP Kurt Cobain. There are no notes, it’s a five every day of the week. There are plenty of moments where you can understand just how influential and iconic Nirvana were, and it shows just how talented they were to have an acoustic performance be so highly regarded. Now to go watch the video of this album.
This is the first time that I have ever really understood the Nirvana hype. It was really interesting listening to this as a live "greatest hits" album. I put that in quotes since "Smells Like Teen Spirit" wasn't on there, but it feels like they really curated the set list for an acoustic setting. I really enjoyed this and ended the album wanting more. This is another 9/10 album for me, but I'm rounding up this time.
The one where Kurt covers Lead Belly. A great live album, and the final chapter for Nirvana. Hard to be objective given that I’ve listened to this album so many times. Their own material is great (the superior versions of Pennyroyal Tea and All Apologies) but the covers are exceptional. The Vaselines, Bowie, Meat Puppets and Lead Belly songs all get five star renditions.
I’m not normally fan of live album on here, but this is one of a kind. Incredible performance. Brilliantly thought out covers alongside Nirvana classics reimagined for an acoustic show.
I personally feel Alice in Chains MTV unplugged is better, but this is still a solid 5 star album for me. It's my era and I love all of the big 4 grunge bands. 5 stars
I love this album. The choice to not do some of their biggest songs in favour of deep cuts and random covers such as Plateau and their expertly handled cover of Bowie's The Man Who Sold the World make this a very special and intimate look at one of the biggest bands of the 90s.
Not really into many live albums, but this is a great one. I want to give it a 4 or 4.5, but I think I have to go with 5 solely based on the last song, Where Did You Sleep Last Night. What a way to end a set and damn does he put all of himself into it.
Well that was awesome. Great songs, great covers, great set. Lived up to the rep.
Maravilloso muchos recuerdos
The quintessential zeitgeist moment of my generation. Incredible in respect to the fact that Nirvana essentially came to their largest popular audience to date to play several cover tunes and nary a song from their smash hit album Nevermind. The strange irony of their lives seemed to be that no matter what they did to eschew what people expected of them, they continued to gain in popularity. This is the irony that chewed away at Kurt, it seems. He hated fame and riches, and both kept coming to him seemingly no matter what he did to shun that pursuit. In this performance, Nirvana revealed a depth of artistry and influences from musicians people probably would not have expected them to revere.
Just an awesome way to experience a band. Listening to it years after the first listen, it's sorta funny how not good Kurt's voice is on some of these tracks. Regardless, tons of emotion and every cover shined. Highlights were "come as you are" "polly" "lake of fire" and "where did you sleep last night".
Old school rock fkn rocks🤟🤠
The benchmark for the TV series. Quite an event and a great record.
I like Nirvana a lot but am certainly not a fan. But this is clearly one of the all time great musical performances.
One of the great live albums of all-time, a remarkably intimate set, albeit not entirely acoustic, in which Nirvana reveals both their own musicality and some of their musical influences and inspirations, including David Bowie, Lead Belly, Meat Puppets, and Vaselines. An essential listen and absolute classic.
No.144 You know what, I knew this would be good, but it was so much better.
Raw and unfiltered , one of the all time great albums of all time.
When to listen: the world is against you. Love this album, great music great sound
Possibly one of if not the best live album of all time.
Wenn ich keine 5 Sterne gebe werde ich womöglich enterbt, aber The Man Who Sold The World allen ist schon genug für 5 Sterne.
This and Shakiras and Eric Claptons unplugged session are my favourite ones! In general that unplugged format was awesome!
The first live album I fell in love with as a kid. Perfection.
The best.
I listen to this and I oscillate continuously between reverence, sadness, loneliness, catharsis, joy, longing, and contentedness. What a perfect recording. Love the covers. Love the originals. And love my favorite Nirvana song in particular, About a Girl
Definitely five stars
5/5 no skips, even the songs they cut out of the version that aired.
I was never the biggest Nirvana fan. I think I was maybe 5 years too young to really get into them at their peak. But, I love this unplugged album. It feels real and raw, I like that it isn't perfect and I respect the band for not playing their biggest hits and just playing what they wanted. I didn't realize some of the songs were covers until many years later...those covers (especially Lake of Fire) are some of the best songs on the album.
I can't really think of many flawless live albums. This comes close, but I guess my only criticisms would be that there are one, or maybe two too many covers for my personal liking, and I find the starkness of Pennyroyal Tea to be unpleasant (although, perhaps also a great strength of this performance) - however it's an incredible document of a cultural moment.
Absolute banger album, by far my favorite yet
4.5 - I wish this were on a 10 point scale, but it's closer to a 5 than a 4. It's my third favorite Unplugged behind Pearl Jam and Alice In Chains.
I grew up rural and didn't get MTV, so I'd never even heard of unplugged until Tesla did it. And the next one I heard about was this one. I thought they were the only two unplugged concerts until for a large portion of my life. This one was so groundbreaking though, that it could even find its way into a rural Oregon farm community.
es ist MTV Unplugged in New York von Nirvana, was soll man da noch sagen?
Wonderful album! This was probably the 10th or so time I've listened to it, but it was even better than before. I started listening to Nirvana a couple years ago, and, while I really like the raw aggression and power, this unplugged version did a great job of showcasing Kurt's songwriting abilities and the musicality within their songs. Favourite tracks: About a Girl, The Man Who Sold the World, Pennyroyal Tea and Where Did You Sleep Last Night?
So many thoughts on this album, especially knowing the backstory and understanding when it was released. Was the first ever unplugged session on MTV which was "plugged", in that kurt cobain required the use of an amp for his acoustic guitar so that he could use a foot pedal in conjunction with his music MTV pissing off the band in many ways, such as begging them to play more singles (come as you are was the only at-the-time single played), preferring that they don't play as many covers (could you imagine a world without the man who sold the world, lake of fire, and where did you sleep covers?), and pushing cobain to perform an encore even though he told producers many times he didn't think he could give a better vocal performance than he did with where did you sleep last night The band being nervous in general about performing live with stripped back instruments, then performing the entire set/album in one take The bands request to include bouquets of stargazer lilies (often included at funerals), meant to signal a transitional period from a heavier grunge style to a more folksy, stripped back style. Adding everything together, nirvana produced one hell of a performance which would unknowingly be one of their last. Every second of it sounds perfect, even with all of its minor imperfections, and left me wanting so much more
Just the best of the best. I wouldn't be surprised if this was one of the highest rated albums on this list.
Love it. No notes!
Arguably the greatest live album of all time. Peak MTV and peak 90s music. Kurt got to show his real musical talent in a more laid-back, acoustic environment. All the songs are so good and the accompanying artists did so well too.
All-time classic. This is a different side of nirvana, and not orchestrated I. The typical fashion. They came well prepared for this onetime live event and it killed
9/10
Beautiful
This was incredible
Kurt Cobain pidió que decorasen el plató de MTV como si fuera un funeral, y los testigos de los ensayos y de la grabación coinciden en que el humor de Kurt en esas fechas distaba mucho de ser dicharachero. De hecho un día antes de grabar dijo que no iba a hacerlo, manteniendo el suspense casi hasta el momento de empezar. Pidió que conectaran su acústica a un amplificador, cosa que no era lo común en un “unplugged”, por lo inseguro que se sentía. ¿Premonición de algo? Seis meses después se quitó la vida. Sea como fuere, en este directo la banda, y Kurt en particular, muestran un sentido de la delicadeza y la intimidad poco esperado, que llega a momentos de rabiosa emoción en algunas ocasiones. Es una grabación que, por lo que las circunstancias envuelven, trasciende lo musical, y eso se siente a lo largo de su duración. La banda decidió no tocar gran parte de sus éxitos (exceptuando “Come As You Are”) y seleccionó canciones menores, alguna todavía no publicada todavía (“All Apologies”) y versiones de, entre otros, David Bowie. Al final, lo que salió de las entrañas quedó para la historia de la música.
It always feels like a sign of strong songwriting when a song sounds good with only acoustic instruments, and that applies here even if some tracks are just stripped-down electric versions. Cobain had that raw intensity that can sell almost any song, like he came alive in the music even when it was about being closest to the limits of existence. Yet this album demonstrates how that wasn't self-absorption but a need to connect, because nearly half the tunes are covers, tributes to songs that shaped him.
There's a whole chapter in the MTV oral history ("I Want My MTV" by Rob Tannenbaum and Craig Marks) that's worth reading to grasp Kurt's profound vision of this hour of music and what a thumb in the face it was to MTV's producers, who just wanted a night of Teen Spirit. I was, of course, the perfect age for this - 14 when it aired, 15 when it was released. I watched the first viewing, and then watched it over and over throughout the year as a way to mourn Kurt Cobain, the man who, more than anyone else, upended my musical taste and introduced me to the concept of music imprinting on your identity (my mom didn't want to write the family Christmas letter in 1994 and turned it over to then 15-year-old me; I dutifully laid out what each member of the family had been up to, and then spent the paragraph reserved for my own update processing my feelings about Kurt Cobain's suicide. That letter's become an endearing family heirloom.) I still listen to this through the lens of mourning Kurt. How could you not? The small talk between songs, the gentle sighs, the little lyric flubs here or there ("I'm anem-enny royal tea"). It's a relic of the man himself at his most real, or at least as close as we mortals could get. It contains so much of who he was: - A peek at the music that inspired him (I spent so much of my young musical education searching for the albums he'd mention in interviews, etc) - A forefronting of the Beatles-esque pop melodies that animated his punk-by-way-of-grunge sound and made it so accessible to the masses - The grunge aesthetic, arguably more coherent than the sound, as evidenced by the black candles, the cardigans, the stargazer lilies - So many great songs - His complete grasp of those songs ("Come As You Are" feels like a concession; otherwise, there are no hits to be found here, largely because they wouldn't work nearly as well in this setting) - Using their moment to showcase a whole second band (three Meat Puppets songs with the Meat Puppets!) - His sense of humor and natural charisma, and the warmth the bandmates seemed to have for each other, which neutralized some of the sensationalized rhetoric, especially between Kurt and Dave Grohl - His voice, filled with emotion, the not-so-secret sauce that made Nirvana's dumb lyrics so weighty and meaningful When he climbs outside of the limits of his register at the end of "Where Did You Sleep Last Night", I have the same experience every time. Kurt, why are you straining your voice so much? You don't have to do this to yourself. But also, thank you for giving us all of yourself. It got me through the worst years of my life. I still cannot write about Kurt without retreating to a 15-year-old version of myself. It still hurts a little remembering how much he meant to me. It still feels like knowing someone who understood all the bad stuff. And Unplugged in New York still feels like a balm. This recording is a miracle.
An absolute all time classic, one that I actually own.
No words needed 5 stars
I love this so much Nirvana is in my top 10 now. This is the original 2 dollar bill by the strokes and one of the best live concerts I’ve ever seen. The band doesn’t know what song where did you sleep last night and Kurt plays the progression for them twice so they know the changes it’s a perfect set up to the guy he was and the videography and stage are so intriguing I loved this compilation and every song was amazing and the cigarettes being lit. I wish smoking was like good for you. Anyways I will be thinking of nirvana for the rest of my life and the lessons that Kurt can teach us. The very very end he signs 3 things two for some fans who may be seat fillers but fan and one fan the final one that looks just like him and he searched him out clearly symbolism to how he saw himself and it’s beautiful 10/10 Choose life
This is absolutely the greatest live performance of my lifetime, and Kurt Cobain singing Where Did You Sleep Last Night is the rawest emotion you will ever hear in yours. 5.5 - Legendary
Awesome and everlasting
A haunting but also cozy live album. My dad had this one on a lot when I was a kid, the David Bowie cover being permanently ingrained in my memory. This was a great time. Makes me want to watch the DVD of the performance, which I haven't seen since I was a kid
Its covers, its acoustic versions of their existing songs, it’s somehow one of the most important cultural touchstones of the 90s, of alt rock, of rock in general. I didn’t forget how perfect it was, I just enjoyed listening to it again.
Awesome album, one of my favorite MTV Unplugged albums. I remember watching this on MTV when it came out
Fantastic first recommendation. Great album. Don’t love live, but probably why it’s a top album.
Best Song: Plateau I just put Plateau as my favorite song because today it is, tomorrow it may be something else from this album as there are no bad songs on here. It is kind of funny that a punk band who helped to usher in 90s grunge best album from their collection being an unplugged album (in my opinion). There is not a ton to say except it is a great album and should be on the rotation of anyone who likes music. 5/5.
Kurt raw and simple. What a talent, biggest and most beautiful aura of an unplugged ever.
Likes: choice of songs is perfect; while not truly unplugged, it is emotionally unvarnished and raw; very tight and focused sonically; Kurt’s vocals showcase the idiosyncrasies that define him Dislikes: Kurt’s vocals also show some weakness that remind you why producers often double tracked him - it usually works for the song, though Overall, a record that is greater than the sum of its parts. There are likely Unplugged sessions that sound better, are more hit-laden, or are more electrifying. But whether as a last statement of a dying man, or simply the biggest band in rock making a record that sonically at odds with their breakthrough album, it’s hard to imagine the Nirvana legacy without this album.
Loved it.