Reviews (page 4 of 15)
When folks think of the greatest live albums of all time, the list is short - and Nirvana's unplugged is at the top. In one hour long live set, Nirvana vaulted to the zeitgeist of 90s, fueled by a punk aesthetic packaged in a lackadaisy grunge band. The genius of the record though is in the acoustic and slower pace which shows Nirvana's depth as a band. The playing is wonderful, and perhaps the best segments are the interactions of Kurt and the crowd. An all-star record, showcasing just how much impact Nirvana had on the world of music
Peak 90s acoustic grunge
I’ve always liked this one. Listening to it again at my age brings back memories but also a depth I think I missed when I was younger. We were all kids then.
Haven’t listened to this for ages but it’s lost none of its power or poignancy. One of the all time great vocal performances. He was right not to encore after ‘where did you sleep last night’. How can you follow that!!?
I love how the band talks Sweet guitar and excellent vocals. Not a perfect album but I'll round the 4.5 to a 5 Favorites: Polly, Jesus Doesn't Want Me For A Sunbeam, About a Girl
LOVE THIS ALBUM. never listened to it fully through before!! but so many wonderful ones! listened to jesus doesn’t want me for a sunbeam and plateau for the first time and loved everything overall!!
Best unplugged album. Easy 5
Ezt az albumot min. 100x hallottam. Még kazin is megvolt. Tökéletes lenne a pennyroyal tea nélkül, de az instant skip. Azért a vergődésért egy nagy saller járna. Amugy szuper.
8/20/25. Classic for me, own the vinyl! Haunting yet beautiful, and Nirvana figured out a new sound that worked with their normally aggressive sound.
This shows that they were more than loud music and sad lyrics
Doesn't sound bad for being live
probably the best unplugged and live album ever recorded. its legacy has long out lasted the show it was made on.
One of my favorite albums of all time..
finally, a live album that has absolutely earned its place on this list. i'd actually never listened to this before. intimate, warm, special.
incredible album, and one of the most quintessential live albums for this list. this is a dramatic recontextualization of nirvana's hard and heavy grunge music in an intimate, semi-acoustic setting. the raw emotion on some of these tracks is incredible. you can just feel it through the record. the covers are also interesting and help make this album what it is. absolutely stellar, easy five stars. favorites: all of them except maybe oh me and lake of fire
this tickles my teen spirit
This is a must listen, it shows the musicianship and quality of Nirvana and in particular Kurt’s vulnerability as a singer. I love the chatter in between tracks too. These unplugged sessions are all great and it’s tough to say which is the best…but this is certainly one of the greatest live performances captured on tape
When this came out, it meant everything. I remember skipping school so I could program the vcr to make sure it wouldn’t go unrecorded. Given the timing of the release, this was, for me, basically Cobain’s funeral. It is a performance tinged with brilliance and sadness. All of the cover songs are the real winners here, gutsy choices for one of the biggest bands in the world to not play some of their biggest hits. But who can complain with gems like Oh Me and Lake of Fire. This album is brilliant the best of the Unplugged series, and the best live album. Ever.
Sadly, the one record Kurt Cobain wasn't alive to listen before he died, you can notice his struggle and pain in a few of the songs, it's raw, it's powerful and sweet at the same time. Unapologetically him and made the concert and recording as good as it is. Recommended always.
This deserves a five just for the cover of Man Who Sold The World. Simply superb.
Possibly greatest live album ever
I just watched this like 3 days ago I don’t wanna again. Very good, I like the banter, the meat puppets are cool, it feels looks and sounds like a funeral, I love nirvana, shout out the cello player, yep. That lake of fire cover is insane, that man who sold the world cover is more insane, that Jesus don’t want me for a sunbeam cover is crazy. Where did you sleep last night cover is unfathomable. Just so good at making covers their own. Originals are all tight, mixing is textbook, banter again is important. I think that what makes this for me against my normal hate of live albums is all the covers and the mixing. Great recordings that come across as originals.
Maybe the most famous live concert released. Nirvana give us something different than just playing through their songs but acoustically. Two of the biggest highlights on this are the Bowie cover and the Lead Belly one. The Lead Belly one is probably my favorite song on this whole record, it's so good. There are times when Kurt's vocals really struggle, some see that as a positive, but I'm not sure. Sometimes he sounds too close to that Puddle of Mudd singer. Overall though this is a great live album and definitely essential listening, not just for Nirvana fans but really anyone. Deserves it's spot on the list. I have to give this a 5/5
Nice memories back to Grunge. A very special masterpiece.
Best live album of all time
Legendary album that deserves its many flowers. Like any Nirvana project there's no misses in the tracklist, and it's doubly-so impressive for being one of the most iconic one-take live albums ever recorded. Love Kurt's raw intensity in his voice and delivery, Grohl's iconic drumwork, and Novoselic with one of the few acoustic bass performances that actually works. Really can't sing this one enough praises. Favourite tracks: Where Did You Sleep Last Night, Come As You Are, The Man Who Sold The World
BEST SONGS: - The Man Who Sold The World - Come As You Are - Jesus Doesn´t Want Me For a Sunbeam - All Apologies - Where Did You Sleep Last Night
Definitely one of my top albums from this decade, possibly all time for me. Every song is good whether a cover or a Nirvana original. Most of the Nirvana originals actually hit harder for me in this presentation than the original release album versions. Hard to pick favorites here, every song is worth consideration. Of the covers Jesus Doesn’t Want Me For A Sunbeam and Man Who Sold The World really stand out.
dude. Dude. DUDE!!! i dont think i need to say that '94 is when music peaked but here i say it once again. i mean my favourite live album is still stop making sense but this is so peak. literally the best live album in every normie's sense anyway. and also this is my last nirvana album out of the 1001 and i was watching the video for this. tbh i laughed when kurt claimed that he doesn't have a gun. i am sorry. and i am today years old when i found out that krist can play the accordion. which is an equally hilarious fact due to his height and the compactness of the instrument which makes it really tiny looking. but i would favour john linnell and weird al over him at any time. but unlike linnell, who is 5'10 and might be a giant, krist is indeed a giant. *its pretty hard to describe it but you can see the hilarious scene at 10:39 of this upload:* https://youtu.be/pOTkCgkxqyg?t=639 but anyway i don't think i need to add more commentary but kurt's vocal on this is just so unreal. i mean i like his dynamic control and everything else. music truly peaked in '94. 5/5
One of the most well known live albums ever. The guitar is crispy, the vocals have a raw edge. Would listen on repeat
I grew up with the music in this album, and even when I ended up a bit tired of it I still like it a lot.
40/1001 Nirvana - MTV Unplugged in New York Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ I mean, what else is there to say about this album? It's got to be one of the best live albums out there. You get to see a completely different side to the band and Cobain. As a kid, I was obsessed with Nirvana but was never allowed to play them in the car until I purchased this. Whilst I think my parents probably tolerated it, it was my soundtrack to summer holidays in France. A truly special album.
Obviously...
Wow a great and quiet grunge record.
Brings me back to 1992-1993, listening to this (and watching it) with my then girlfriend (now wife) in Hamilton Ontario. Great songs, great performance and gave proof to the musicianship of Nirvana.
So vulnerable and sad and intimate. The beauty is in the imperfections. It is a rare moment of authenticity brought to you by the world's least likely source - MTV.
This basically defined my childhood and kicked off a full-blown MTV obsession. Also? It totally justified my choice to play the cello.... finally, broody was cool.
Nevermind is a 5/5 album for me, but I've listened to this one a lot more. I love the choice of covers, and how relaxed Kurt seems throughout. It makes it all the more powerful when he lets rip on Where Did You Sleep Last Night - a performance that never fails to give me goosebumps.
This was such an influential album! And one of the best live albums of all time! I think everyone had the poster to this album lol but it was just so good! And also it's nirvana and you can't go wrong with Nirvana
Just amazing that Kurt could do just as well in a minimalistic setup without distortion. The covers including Meat Puppets are insanely good. Tons of repeat listening value. 4.6
Probably one of the best live albums of all time.
I've always thought this was Nirvana's best work. The intimacy, the arrangements, the set list are perfect. Shame KC couldn't hold on, get better, and move in a direction he would have found fulfilling.
biased rating
One of my favorite albums! Sounds so crisp, mixed beautifully. The Man Who Sold The World is iconic. It's hard not to giggle at all of Kurt's quips.
An all time wonderful performance
This is a five star album. I listened to it all the time upon its initial release. Nirvana spoke to me in a way few other bands could, which I felt as soon as I heard “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Being someone who has dealt with depression and isolation, I understood his lyrics. What I love about this specific album, beside the awesome performance, is that Cobain and the band didn’t give a fuck about pleasing MTV with a hits driven show. It was a perfect example of who they were.
10/10
Gooddddd
The best unplugged album of all time
Perfect album, perfect time capsule of 1994.
The best Nirvana album of them all. Showed that a band with an edge can be more than distortion and feedback.
Great album. Better the more you read about it. Best performance: Where Did You Sleep Last Night?
Great live album, really, this was the last dance, and they went out with a big one, such a banger setlist of lesser known/cover songs that really put into perspective where the band's evolution and stardom had led them to, pure and unfiltered introspection, emotion and passion, the last burst of nirvana's short-spanned flame is forever pictured in this stripped back concert, that manages to sound bigger and more layered than it ever should have the right to, this concert shouldn't have gone as well as it did, and as we now know, the reasons it did, were the signs of the sudden end for the spark that made nirvana special in the first place.
10/10. Easy. I was like.. 5-6 years old when this came out. Just even seeing this gave me chills
Kurt Cobain was still amplified, so giving unplugged a 1/5 for historic accuracy. Jk, this album is one of the best live albums ever made and this is coming from the kid who in high school hated Nirvana because they killed Heavy Metal, maaan.
The unplugged format really expresses the personality of the artist, and this album probably symbolic of the series. Where did you sleep last night the perfect ending track
I very typically hate live albums I feel they take away from what they created in the studio, but this album feels so different, it feels alive, maybe because it is still setup to be recorded really well for TV? It feels like a time machine and transporting to a time when Nirvana where the biggest band on the planet and grunge was king, all of the versions of the song are interesting, varied yet fir into the theme of the album it's an amazing set list. I just could not find myself not awarding this full marks.
Surely one of the greatest live albums ever! On repeated listens, some of the chatter and audience sounds gets a little old, but that’s a minor drawback. The performance is so, so strong. Maybe best of all, I appreciate the band’s focus on its deeper cuts. Highly recommended.
Heard this for the first time maybe 2 months ago, but decided to relisten. Wow I think this easily stacks up with their studio albums, especially as quite a lot of it is covers and non-nirvana songs, which keep it interesting, and definitely add different vocal styles. The softer instrumentations work so well for their songs, like the brush drums, even though quite a lot of the songs they played are the more quiet ones, as I guess you couldn't do a song like scentless apprentice or something in this. I think the cello works so well, and I think the version of something in the way on here is better than the original, as well as quite a few others I think. Favourite songs: all Overall around 9/10
They were meant to be an acoustic band
Masterpiece, shows a relaxed and social Kurt Cobain showcasing his delicate vocal skills. Includes a gut wrenching All Apologies and a declaration of freedom on About A Girl. Long live cardigans!
I was waiting for this one
Varies between interesting to GREAT. Fantastic sound. Best thing MTV ever did. FSs: Man who sold the world, Come as you are, Dumb. But first place, “Where did you sleep last night?”
Um dos melhores acústicos MTV já gravados!
Kurt's voice is amazing here. You can almost smell the alcohol he drank
a special moment in time
1. About a Girl (Live) - 9 Phenomenal opening track. The guitars sound so incredibly good on this track and the vocals are absolutely on point. Absolutely the definitely of what grunge/alternative rock is. The guitar's sound change on the bridge adds even more to it. Just incredible. 2. Come As You Are (Live) - 10 Just a superb track. Guitars sound so dirty, so incredible on this track. Cobain's vocals really delivery the song as the masterpiece as it is. Drum line does so well to lead the vocals into each line of the chorus. Just all around an all time classic on an all time great live performance. 3. Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam (Live) - 6 The verses do so well to highlight Cobain's amazing vocals but he is absolutely drowned out in the choruses. Instrumentally it's good but it sounds too much like a Renaissance piece the sound Nirvana are really known for. 4. The Man Who Sold the World (Live) - 10 Just an incredibly well written piece of music. The guitar is an incredible sound that I could listen to on repeat for hours at a time. 5. Pennyroyal Tea (Live) - 7 Cobain makes this song sound better than it lyrically is but it's a greatly enjoyable song either way. Guitar doesn't overpower him thankfully and it comes and goes from heavy to light all throughout, but not randomly to the point where the track just feels like a collection of randomness without purpose. 6. Dumb (Live) - 10 Just a phenomenal track. Short but with that great sound that the previous album has already provided. Excellent track to get lost in while doing a deep listen to the album. 7. Polly (Live) - 9 Very dark song with the imagery provided but sung superbly and with a great sound on the guitars on it, particularly the bass. 8. On a Plain (Live) - 10 Another brilliant track. Much like with Polly, there are very structured and timed pauses between in line of the lyrics but within those pauses, the guitar and drums are given a real chance to shine before the lyrics guide the song through. Absolutely excellent track. 9. Something in the Way (Live) - 9 Much slower song from Nirvana but still masterfully played and written. Lyrically it's a smidge too repetitive but it still sounds absolutely brilliant with how well the pace is maintained and amplified by the drums. 10. Plateau (Live) - 8 Complete tone change for the album and while it is not bad and the lyrics paint a wonderful metaphor, the song seems to lose itself a little bit around 2-2&1/2 minutes in. Very melodic but almost with a country undertone that doesn't really feel like it belongs on the album. 11. Oh Me (Live) - 10 Really great slow paced song that you could listen to on repeat many many times over. 12. Lake of Fire (Live) - 8 Chorus is great but the verse makes this feel like it could be a country track misplaced on the album. The sound of the guitar would be the only thing that makes it ensure it's not. The metaphor between the demons in the Lake of Fire and the 4th of July is outstanding. 13. All Apologies (Live) - 10 Very good track. A return to the classic Nirvana sound that opened the album. The fade into the repeated final line of lyrics is done so excellently it drives home the point of the meaning behind the entire song. 14. Where Did You Sleep Last Night (Live) - 10 Stunning ending to the album. The vocals and instrumentals are brilliantly written and they build in intensity for the whole track. You then get dumped into a quiet bridge that makes you wonder if the song will fade out or if you will get the crescendo you've been building to. The track does not disappoint and eventually delivers it to you, exceeding expectations of what it could be that you've been building for the whole first part of the track before coming back down to close. Best song on the album. Average Rating: 9.0 Adjusted to a 5-Point Scale: 4.5 Rounded Up: 5 stars
One of the greatest live albums of all time, up there with AiC/PJ Unplugged and other greats like Folsom.
Tough to say anything that hasn't already been said. The capstone project of Nirvana, one of the greatest/most iconic live albums ever. It's like the live album version of Joy Division's Closer. Don't know what else you could want from a live album. It provides an alternate take to their songs along with a great selection of covers. Most live album versions of songs are great because they are juiced up and full of more energy than their studio counterparts, while this album kind of operates in the reverse. 14th perfect album, 719 albums in. Rating: 5.0
one of the greatest bands and one of their best albums. loved hearing them “live”
A final beautiful gift from the band, reveals the talent behind the apparent mayhem. Wonderful tributes to artists who influenced them, a pure emotion evident in Cobain’s voice that also shows his ability to craft a vocal line. One of the best live albums ever.
Great album
I am not a connoseur of 90s Grunge. I sure as shit don't like it as much as some other people. That being said, this album is perfect for what it is. Not becuase of its production. Not becuase of its setlist. Not because of the story. As a matter of fact, its perfect because none of these things are perfect. It is a raw, messy, and acoustic live set of a band that is counterculture to the norm of music. Someone described this as the "funeral of rock". These words ring true I guess, but I feel a resurgance in the world of music today, 30 years later. This presentation stands the test of time and speaks to the point of music itself. I must rate it a 9/10 and don't see that changing in the future.
This is an album that I listen to regularly. It showcases the talents of Kurt Cobain. It also showcases the musicianship of the band. I really enjoyed the unplugged versions of most of the bands that MTV had on the show and this is no exception. I also have this one on vinyl so it’s very enjoyable to listen to.
Amazing live album! Requires 1 beer in hand! Cool unc energy!
Auch dieses Album musste ich mehrmals höre, um Zugang zu finden. Tolles musikalisches Vermächtnis eines Lauten mit leisen, harmonischen Tönen.
Maybe one of the best live albums of all time. Amazing to have Nirvana, in the peaks of their success, play on the stage branded by the corporate greed of the thing they hated, and play a setlist of b sides and cover songs. Peak Nirvana and help solidify their iconic status in my mind.
Live albums aren’t usually my favourite, but this one is an absolute classic! I really appreciate the reminder to listen to this album more frequently!
Great album. First Nirvana album I ever owned. Every time I listen to it, it just sounds fresh and unique. Kurt's voice just plays so well with the acoustic guitar. Love this.
Amazing album, no notes.
The amount of live albums I've had to listen to so far on this list is really annoying. That being said, I love this particular live album and have listened to it thousands of times. I was 21 when it came out and it really takes me back to a really great time in my life. The funny thing is I think the Meat Puppets songs are the standouts here. 4.5/5 #85
it's very good Will I listen to again: 100%
A must
Unbelievable live album, being able to make these heavy grunge songs sound quite beautiful on an acoustic guitar. 10/10 perfect. Best Tracks ->Come As You Are ->Man Who Sold the World ->Something in the Way ->Where Did You Sleep Last Night?
The best unplugged album. My favorite versions of some of these songs. So much expression in Kurt’s voice. I like most of their covers better than the originals too.
5 - great, obviously
a classic for a reason
A chilling and unforgettable goodbye. Still how I first think of their live performance, which is a weird reality. I never saw them live in person and must have listened to this record 100 times.
Certainly in my top five albums of all time
Amazing. But it’s right up my alley of music taste so I could be biased
Great album
Listened to this when Batman came out lol I still like this album more than anything else nirvana put out 9/10
maybe im just biased bc its nirvana but 11/10
This album is responsible for literally changing my "direction" with music. This album is responsible for me picking up a guitar. This album changed my life, in 1994. It's my "wake up and drive" album over early, long road trips. What’s wild is they unplugged and still hit harder than bands at full blast. These song versions feel lived-in, like the songs got older and sadder, but more beautiful. It's magical. I've spun this album 1001 times, and I'll spin it 1001 more. Spins: All Day Playlist Additions: - Album
Unexpectedly better than I thought it would be for an unplugged album. Doing lesser known songs and covers was a great direction.
Nirvana. Não curto. Porem as musicas sao excelentes. Eles sao incríveis!
Only one dud on this album for me, the rest are absolute bangers. I always forget how much I love Nirvana - nothing like a little punk to start my morning.
MTV unplugged series is awesome, Nirvana's showcase is no exception. Hard to find a song to dislike on this album. It is darn near perfect!
Outstanding.
Another album that everyone knows of. Maybe you haven’t listened to it so I’m telling you to listen to it. It’s raw and perfect in its own imperfect assembly. A generation grew up to this album and we are still awesome to this day. Choice cut: Man Who Sold the World
Misschien is het een stukje nostalgie naar mijn muzikale ontdekkingsreis tijdens mijn tienerjaren waar dit album een belangrijke rol in speelde. Wat een weergaloos kwetsbare plaat. Nirvana op z'n best. Paar jaar podium-ervaring maar Kurt Cobain zingt echt met volle emotie de nummers en het publiek is muisstil. Raakte mij nu weer. En in plaats van bas, gitaar en drums worden de nummers akoestisch gespeeld en soms aangekleed met strijkers (zoals in Dumb). Ronduit prachtig. Cobain zou niet veel later zichzelf door de kop schieten met een shotgun, wat deze show natuurlijk nog veel meer lading geeft. 9/10 Highlights Polly Something in the Way Where Did You Sleep Last Night?
Sindssygt live album, det bedste fra Nirvana
I know this is a pretty revered live album, but I've never actually listened to it all the way through. This is part of the "MTV Unplugged" TV series, which has given us plenty of personal & live/acoustic performances of various artists since the 90s. What makes this particular one unique is the fact that this performance is not technically fully acoustic (some electric amplification, whoop-de-whoop) and the group opted to play more of their lesser known material and throw in some covers too (Bowie, Meat Puppets, Vaselines to name a few). The entire 14 song performance was also apparently filmed in one take, which is mighty impressive in itself. You probably won't find a cleaner live recording out there and to be honest, I think a few of the tracks on this live set surpass their original recordings.
My absolute favorite band from ages 12-19 and the first band that I truly became obsessed with. In typical Nirvana fashion, they railed against MTV's play-the-hits-but-acoustic formula and avoid playing almost any of the canonized hits, with exception of “Come As You Are", and instead, including covers of their influences. This was my introduction to the Meat Puppets, the Vaselines, David Bowie, and Lead Belly. Cobain's willingness to share his favorites really struck me, and now it's fair to say that his music taste has greatly influenced my own. This is a snapshot of the band at the peak of their powers. Released months after Kurt Cobain's untimely passing, the stripped down format and elegant staging makes this performance feel like a wake, giving fans an opportunity to mourn. Easiest 5-star I've given so far.
One of the best live albums ever. Haunting
Unplugged in New York is the only album I have ever heard that has made me question if I even have any business listening to it. I wasn't expecting that. The music is great, let's get that out of the way. No surprise there. It's Nirvana at their very best which is essentially as good as music got in the 1990s. I personally like Oasis better, but Nirvana is the far better band - Nirvana is just a lot less fun to listen to especially this album and this might change as I get older and experience more of life and more of the world but as a 23-year-old girl who is somewhat privileged & somewhat sheltered - I don't often play Nirvana and Unplugged in New York reminds me as to why. It's just too much. It's ugly and beautiful, it's as pure as any record that I have ever heard, it's harsh & soft as rain, it makes you happy to be human, but it also reveals just how fucking dangerous it is & how much you have to dumb everything down to fully enjoy the experience at least in my opinion. It makes me feel and think too much. It floors me and lifts me at the same time. Kurt Cobain died at 27 just four years older than I'm right now but his voice sounds as old as sin and if you didn't know better you would think that he somehow lived several lifetimes in those 27 years. Someday Nirvana will be the soundtrack to my life and that scares the shit out of me and excites me in endless ways, some good, some bad. Some day.
100/5 stars. My favorite Nirvana album.
not perfect at all but very iconic
One of the best
I said about another live album that they should only be included in this list if it really captures something spectacular. This album is absolutely that. Even if you don't like Nirvana, this has to be one of the greatest live albums of all time. I know there was a whole slew of the MTV Unplugged shows, but this is by far the best. I think what you see from this record is that everyone in Nirvana were actually very good musicians and I don't think the majority of people would think of them that way. And normally I wouldn't praise an album on this list for having so many covers but in this case it really makes it better. Not that the originals are bad or that they couldn't have achieved the same thing had they just stuck to Nirvana songs, but the choices of covers they made were perfect. I mean holy hell Where Did You Sleep Last Night is one of the greatest recordings ever. Covering Bowie is always a bold move. And I love that they left in a lot of the banter between songs, it makes it feel like a super honest and real record. I mean, really, you can't say enough good things about this album. 5/5
Unplugged In New York - Nirvana favourites: Man Who Sold the World, On a Plain, Lake of Fire, Where Did You Sleep Last Night least favourite: None
Flawless. How can you not love it? Such a wonderfully considered session, not just Nirvana's greatest hits but the songs that would play best to the room. Meat Puppets, Man Who Sold the World, so many moments in one set. For a band that was so influential to have one of the biggest unplugged moments of all time is truly iconic.
What are they tuning, a harp?
Well this has placed me in a bit of a quandary. I have previously been vocal about my displeasure of live albums being in this list however this is such a great album I may have to make an exception here. I’m not sure what it is but maybe it’s because it doesn’t feel like your usual live album and all the songs feel like they have extra meaning played in the way they are. You can hear Kurt’s vocals and actually how good a singer he was when the songs are stripped back in this way. You can ‘feel’ the songs in a different way. I mean how can it not get 5 stars, it’s such a great listen.
Well I guess I am going to break all of my rules on ratings for this one as it is a live album, featuring versions of already released songs, and cover versions! But come on, it’s Nirvana, and it’s superb! A lot of the praise for this album comes because of the timing of the performance and its later release around the death of Kurt. It highlights his superb songwriting talent, guitar performance and haunting vocals that spotlight a fragility which seems very poignant following his death. Perhaps the genius of this album is the selection of songs that work so well in this format. In particular About A Girl and Something In The Way are perfect and all of the covers especially Jesus and the excellent Man Who Sold The World. In criticism, I remember at the time that it seemed a bit of a sell out sucking up to MTV, and a couple of the tracks don’t work. I would also suggest that Mark Lanegan’s version of Where Did You Sleep is better.
One of my favourite albums of all time, and better than all their studio albums. There’s just something about the fact Kurt spent most of his time, especially live, kinda trying to trash and distort (albeit in an enjoyable way) his songs, that just makes this effort almost more shocking in a way. Here he is suddenly showing the simple, stripped back beauty of his songs, while also hugely improving and elevating quite a random bunch of covers. The feeling in his vocals in ‘Where did you sleep’ are like a prefect crescendo at the end. History suggests the opposite but I like to feel he seemed like he enjoyed himself doing this show.
Absolutely the album to listen to when introducing someone to the Grunge Era, and in hindsight made all the more special due to well...ya know. Love this start to finish. Going into my heavy rotation for sure. 5/5
A true classic
I love so many of the songs they did for this, and the fact they didn't need to do Teen Spirit and still had an outstanding set. Pennyroyal Tea is hauntingly beautiful, and ending with that Where Did You Sleep Last Night performance.... *chef's kiss*
One of the greatest live albums ever.
et's be real: MTV Unplugged is a gimmick -- not a bad gimmick per se, but one with limited mileage. yeah, it's an interesting experiment to take a song dependent on studio magic and electric necromancy and take it in a more casual context, especially for people who are just starting out on guitar, but i've seen enough episodes of the Tiny Desk Concerts to realize that for every band that works great in an intimate live setting, there's a band that just doesn't translate well without all the stuff that makes them them. i don't wanna litigate Korn's MTVU anymore (partially cause i think it sounds kinda fun) but something like, oh, The Scorpions' MTVU feels like it forgets a lot of the reasons people enjoy these bands. "Rock You Like A Hurricane" is great because it's an over the top rock song, and outside of that context, it just becomes too cornball for its own good. Nirvana, on the other hand, got their money's worth from the Unplugged treatment, taking the gimmick and turning it into real ass art. not only does their style of grunge dovetail pretty well into being stripped back, but the intimacy of the performance feels at home with the dark, brooding lyrics of both the original non-hit songs and the handful of covers Kurt lugs along with him. it could be a studio in Hell's Kitchen, but it could also be a living room with a bunch of friends lined up on your couch. something feels magical about this miserable psychedelia, all festooned with dead flowers and candles. i think it's something to treasure, especially if you're not in the mood for aggression -- just bitter pain.
Legendary
I like how the bass sounds. It drives the whole rhythm well and fits the theme, while being relatively simple.
Last vestiges of the golden age of rock. Favorite track: man who sold the world other picks: about a girl, come as you are, on a plain, where did you sleep last night
An easy 5 stars. At the time, It felt special and intimate to have predominately electric acts strip down to acoustic sets. This particular show made a big impact and set a whole vibe for a while. There is a reason it makes all the top 10 best live album lists. The covers in this set are also immaculate, serving to freshen up Bowie for a new generation, and revitalizing the Meat Puppets who remained under rated then and now.
A haunting masterpiece that is a timetable towards the end.
What else can I say?
A truly classic modern rock album, RIP Kurt
Yess! 90-tallet og ungdomstid! Beste live album ever?
This album represents such an iconic moment in music history - and with good reason. I can still remember the first time I heard The Man Who Sold the World. I hadn't known it's not actually a Nirvana song (could have fooled me, since it's such an iconic cover, I'm no longer able to listen to the original). I also hadn't known Nirvana's music beyond Smells Like Teen Spirit. But something changed my brain chemistry that day and opened me up to grunge and alternative rock of the 90s. And I never looked back. It's still one of my top favourite genres, if not my favourite. So, in many ways I owe a lot to this album and to this iconic performance by Nirvana, which is reflected in my rating of this album.
This has always been one of my favorite albums.
5/5
Definitely one of the best Unplugged albums ever. A great mix of hits and interesting covers
6/5 Huhhuh! Kaksi täydellisyyttä hipovaa lättyä peräkkäin. Tätä taltiointia on tullut katseltua ysäriltä lähtien tasaisesti ja kuunneltua albumia C-kasetilta, MiniDisciltä, CD:ltä (yhä hyllyssä), MP3:na ja suoratoistopalveluista. Kaikki biisit täyttä rautaa.
Jälleen helppo 5 ⭐️ Nirvanan hienoin albumi vaikka paljon cover biisejä onkin moni. Tätä levyä on kulutettu ja fiilistelty runsaasti. Erityismaininta levyn viimeiselle kappaleelle (where did you sleep last night), jossa tulkinta tulee kyllä niin suoraan sydämestä ja tunteella.
Superb
One of the best albums of all time IMO
Fantastic!!
Raw, intimate and emotional. A truly amazing live album.
Classic. Love the B sides and covers.
Awesome taping. Favorite Nirvana album easily
let's rock. i love how so much of this clearly isn't even unplugged
Amazing album. Gem of all the MTV Unplugged albums IMO
Love this album, such a 90s cozy vibe.
Ugh, I'm such a fan of live albums. I hadn't ever heard this one. I think this locked in as my top Nirvana album. The little bits of life and personality in between tracks. Removing the excess noise with stripped down arrangements really let all the pieces breathe but I don't really feel like anything is lost. In fact somehow the songs feel more substantial. Really like the covers. Yeah really enjoyed this.
Every year i dedicate a whole day to just watch this performance and cry and watch more Nirvana lives and cry a bit more and so on the best mtv unplugged performance of alllllllll time!!!!!!!
Easiest 5 so far
Beautifully broken.
where did you sleep last night?
An amazing album- so many hits back to back. So much emotions. Nirvana really did change the game on what rock music was going to be at the time. Not without flaws- Cobain's voice is strained and there are some missed chords. But the flaws just add yo yhe charm of the live recording. Overall- definitely in the 4 to 5 range, and I think it deserves the upgrade.
What a joy this performance was to watch. I listened to the album version provided, as well as the full show as it appeared on MTV. About A Girl is my favorite Nirvana song of all time, so I thought going into it I would absolutely be looking at that as my favorite song of this album/performance. That is until I heard Where Did You Sleep Last Night. I had chills throughout the entirety of it and had to watch it again and again. The crowd seemed equally as enraptured by that performance as I, pausing for a minute before erupting into applause. All the other songs were also phenomenal, and I would listen to any of them on repeat any day of the week. A truly exceptional album and RIP to the legend that is Kurt Cobain.
I got into this list to listen to music that I am unfamiliar with in the hopes that I will become a more well rounded person. So far 27 albums in I have been exposed to new to me music and have enjoyed the majority of the new albums. This album is as familiar to me as maybe any album that could conceivably be on the list. I was an enormous Nirvana fan as a teenager and this was unavoidable in 1993/ 1994. I have not listened to much Nirvana in the past 5 or 10 years. I do from time to time listen to Nevermind and In Utero, but usually just my favorite tracks from those albums, however the reason that those are the songs I go back to are because of MTV Unplugged in New York. This is a 10/10 album for me and is in my top 10 or top 20 albums of all time. I know that Nirvana gets overrated and underrated at the same time and that old people (people my age) get really touchy about their sacred cows unless they are the ones making the critiques but the truth is the truth and this album is unfuckwithable.
Glæsileg liveplata. Frábært lagaval og gæsahúð á köflum.
The studio tracks are great but this unplugged version adds a new layer of rawness to them
I mean...
masterpiece🙄
An all time classic album for a reason. So much incredible work on here a few songs that don’t fully do it for me but everything comes together so well. I probably won’t have many 5s but this is a 5 for sure.
Perfection.
Amazing sound, production. My favourite version of Where did you sleep last night. Pleasure to listen to this album.
total classic. easy 5 stars
I love this album and already have it.
Man, what a classic. The thing that sticks out to me the most is Kurt's voice. He had such a signature twang that I don't think I've ever heard before. It really set the tone for the entire grunge movement. I love how fucked up and beautiful it is. Which is the ethos of grunge I most admire.
One of my all time favourite albums. Excellent mix of originals and brilliant cover choices.
This album is just great. I remember wondering how Nirvana would sound acoustic, as my buddy put it, "Aren't they the angry dudes that scream a lot?" It was wild to see people listening to this album and realize this is their only Nirvana album. I knew of a few people that learned of Bowie from this. A lot learned of the Meat Puppets from it. Listening to it now brings back so many memories. It holds up so well thirty years later, every song has feeling behind it. You can tell the band enjoyed doing the covers. Hearing songs that are usually fast and loud being stripped down like this is fun. It does help to know the songs beforehand but it is not needed, you can enjoy it with no knowledge of the band beforehand. This is one of my favorites from this era.
Wonderful Unplugged
One of my favorite albums
Awesome.
Top quality.
Fan fucking tastic
Very cheap raw sounding live versions, laid-back, conversational and intimate - rare for Kurt to be this vulnerable and exposed. Guitar out of tune and sloppily played. Vocals raspy and sloppy too. These would usually be negative aspects in a performance but here they work, both musically and reinforcing Kurt and the band's IDGAF identity. Love how the crowd is just quietly listening to the music. Iconic 9/10
Iconic and historical album. not all the hits but probably one of the best live albums just because of the recording quality. I can't say I'm a huge Nirvana fan but I do acknowledge the impact they had which is why this is a real must listen, just for historical purposes. I like it
Wow, this album is a lot better than I remember it being. Back in the day this album and show were one of those pop culture things that seemed to always be around. Going in I thought I might be bored with it being overplayed, but that was not the case. This album is amazing. A wonderful time capsule.
What can I say? It’s fantastic.
01) About a Girl - 10,0 02) Come as You Are - 10,0 03) Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam - 8,0 04) The Man Who Sold the World - 10,0 05) Pennyroyal Tea - 9,0 06) Dumb - 9,0 07) Polly - 10,0 08) On a Plain - 9,0 09) Something in the Way - 10,0 10) Plateau - 9,0 11) Oh Me - 9,0 12) Lake of Fire - 9,0 13) All Apologies - 10,0 14) Where Did You Sleep Last Night - 8,5 TOTAL: 9,32 (93/100) Current ranking: 22/510
This was one of my first CDs so already very familiar with the album. It's nice to go back to it though it was a whole different media world at the time. I do wonder what it would have been like if Kurt were still around, but I feel like this world would have chewed him up and spit him out in some other way.
All-time classic. Perfect mix of covers and deep cuts. Incredible atmosphere. Truly one of the best records of the 90's. This is the record that moved them from grunge-era novelty to all-time rock stardom.
Highschool memories <3 not really objectve but great album
Loved the acoustic vibe of it
No fucking need to listen jfc the last time I was cried it was to watching the end of where did you sleep last night. The eyes, the gig context, the relative truthfulness of the gig compared to the emotional absence of Kurt in live gigs. I’d be hard pressed to find a live performance more meaningful than this. As an album I’d rate it lower, so I guess only 5 stars.
Big fan of this album. Raw talent
Kid rock. Nuff said.
Raw, honest, incredible. I grew up on this album. I can't even put into words what this album means to me.
Very difficult to listen to this album with "fresh" ears since i've heard this album probably over 100 times. However, it was still a delightful album to revisit. It's fun to hear the banter of the band between songs. I think it was also a great idea for Nirvana to do a bunch of covers instead of trying mush their songs into an acoustic version. Can't miss with this and i loved the album.
Everything about this album is perfect. Starting off, I usually hate live albums, but this one is magic. I loved hearing the band's more "stripped down" performances and they all sounded incredible. The audience wasn't obnoxious or heckling the band so much that it took away from the album as something to listen to. And it's just... Nirvana at their best. I absolutely loved this one.
Wow, what a performance. Didn't really like any full Nirvana album before, too grunge for my tastes. But this is a simple masterpiece. There's not a song I would consider skipping - and that "where did you sleep last night" performance! Wow. An entirely unexpected 5* for me. Reminds me of why I'm following this list - trying albums I otherwise wouldn't!
I love Nirvana! I didn't realize how much until yesterday. It just doesn't feel dated, it doesn't get old and stale, it feels more profound now than ever, and it wears like my favorite button fly jeans. While I typically am less fond of live performance albums, this is a huge exception. They are on point, sound amazing, and the crowd adds to the essence. I'm always drawn in by his voice, soothing and fierce, quiet and raging,...beautiful.
A classic of its day. Exploring covers and tracks from their 1st and 2nd albums.
Best Nirvana album. Fight me.
Amazing
3/1001 This album is quintessential 90s alternative/grunge/rock. Kurt is in a zone where is vocals are near mesmerizing. The band in acoustic elevates the band and showcases the talent of Nirvana. The covers on this album are so good and timeless and the acoustic versions of classic Nirvana tracks are fantastic. MTV unplugged was an amazing series with so many great artists doing classic shows, but Nirvana’s is the best of them all.
Good shit
Perhaps the greatest live album of all time.
This is special
The cultural significance and impact of this performance in particular is mind boggling
This album sums up all of my early adolescent angst! I had it on constant repeat when it came out, and still today it is an awesome album! Not a single bad track on this album❤
Perfect show, perfect album, one of my absolute favorites. Known it by heart since I was a child
5 stars for production quality + execution of concept. Not my favourite tracks listed but still great
Putain, 1994. Trente ans déjà. Ça vous file un coup de vieux… À l'époque, Nirvana, c'était la bande-son d'une génération qui avait troqué les épaulettes des années 80 contre des chemises de bûcheron élimées et une bonne grosse dose d'angoisse existentielle. Le Grunge était partout, un raz-de-marée de guitares saturées, de cris écorchés et de jeans troués. Et puis, au milieu de tout ce boucan, de cette sainte trinité "loud-quiet-loud", débarque ce truc. Un Unplugged. Sur MTV. Faut se remettre dans le contexte. Les sessions Unplugged de MTV, c'était devenu une institution, un passage obligé un peu marketing pour montrer que, hey, sous les amplis Marshall, on sait aussi grattouiller trois accords à la sèche. On avait eu des trucs sympas, des trucs anecdotiques, des trucs chiants comme la pluie. Mais Nirvana ? Les rois du larsen, les princes du chaos sonique, en acoustique ? Sur le papier, ça sentait le coup foireux, la concession, voire la trahison pour les plus intégristes. On s'attendait à une version au rabais de "Smells Like Teen Spirit", jouée au coin du feu pour faire plaisir à la chaîne musicale qui dictait sa loi au monde entier. On ne pouvait pas être plus à côté de la plaque. Ce disque n'est pas un album. C'est un testament. Une messe de requiem avant l'heure, enregistrée le 18 novembre 1993, quelques mois à peine avant que le rideau ne tombe définitivement sur Kurt Cobain. Et bon sang, tout y est. Tout ce qui rendait cet homme si fascinant et si tragique est condensé dans ces quatorze pistes. Dès les premières secondes, l'ambiance est posée. Pas de public en folie, pas de cris hystériques. Un silence quasi religieux. Le décor, on le connaît : des bougies, des fleurs de lys, une atmosphère de veillée funèbre. Cobain, emmitouflé dans son fameux gilet vert, a l'air d'un fantôme. Il est là, mais déjà un peu ailleurs. Fragile, à vif, la voix chargée d'une mélancolie si palpable qu'elle en devient presque inconfortable. On n'écoute pas un frontman au sommet de sa gloire. On écoute un homme qui se met à nu, qui laisse entrevoir la fêlure béante qui le consume de l'intérieur. Et le choix des morceaux, bordel ! C'est là tout le génie du truc. Oubliez le best-of facile. Cobain prend tout le monde à contre-pied. Le mec te balance des reprises que 99% de son public ne connaît ni d'Ève ni d'Adam. Les Vaselines ("Jesus Doesn't Want Me For A Sunbeam"), Bowie ("The Man Who Sold The World", qu'il s'approprie avec une telle intensité qu'une génération entière a cru que c'était une chanson de Nirvana), et surtout, ces trois titres des Meat Puppets, joués avec les frères Kirkwood sur scène. C'était ça, le doigt d'honneur ultime au système : utiliser la plus grosse vitrine musicale du monde pour faire découvrir des artistes underground qu'il vénérait. C'était un acte de purisme, d'une sincérité désarmante. Chaque morceau est une lente agonie, une beauté triste à en crever. L'intimité est totale. On entend Cobain discuter, se planter, plaisanter nerveusement. On sent la tension, la concentration. Les guitares acoustiques, la basse sobre de Krist Novoselic, la batterie aux balais d'un Dave Grohl incroyablement sobre et précis, le violoncelle de Lori Goldston... tout concourt à créer un écrin pour cette voix. Une voix qui ne crie plus, mais qui gémit, qui murmure, qui se brise. Et puis il y a ce final. Apocalyptique. La reprise de Leadbelly, "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?". C'est plus une chanson, c'est un exorcisme. Le regard hanté de Cobain, ce cri final qui semble venir des tréfonds de son âme, ce silence de mort qui suit... On a beau l'avoir écouté cent fois, ça vous glace le sang à chaque putain de passage. À sa sortie en novembre 1994, sept mois après le drame, l'album a pris une tout autre dimension. Ce n'était plus un simple concert acoustique, c'était un adieu. Une pierre tombale musicale d'une beauté insoutenable. On n'écoutait plus un concert, on assistait à une veillée. Chaque note, chaque silence, chaque inflexion de voix était teintée par la tragédie. Trente ans plus tard, "MTV Unplugged In New York" n'a pas pris une ride. Pourquoi ? Parce qu'il est au-delà des modes, au-delà du son "grunge". Il est universel. C'est l'un des plus grands albums live de tous les temps, précisément parce qu'il ne cherche jamais à être "live" au sens spectaculaire du terme. C'est une confession, une séance de spiritisme, le témoignage brut d'un talent immense au bord du gouffre. Un chef-d'oeuvre absolu, poignant, essentiel. Un disque qui ne se contente pas de s'écouter. Il se vit. Et il vous hante. Pour toujours. Facile, 5 sur 5. Et si je pouvais, je mettrais 6.
Without being some sentimental "greatest hits" or covers album, Nirvana Unplugged achieved what so few such performances can: revealing the melody that's almost completely obscured by the fuzzed-out originals. The cover of Bowie's "The Man Who Sold The World" and the Raincoat's "Jesus Doesn't Want Me For A Sunflower" are particularly good.
A classic of modern music, defined a whole era and I feel this was the pinnacle of their career. Simple but very moving
bother, and unusual, and melanchoholic. The definition of the unpluged.
I can’t possibly have a subjective take on that album since it’s one of the first albums that made me love music the way I love it today. Outside the fact that it’s a beautiful and touching album that showed everybody that Kurt’s songs remained strong without the distortion covering them, it also introduced me to bands like The Vaselines and The Meat Puppets. Kurt was really passionate about music and this live album is the best testament he could leave us with
This album is very special to me. It really introduced me to Nirvana, to Kurt Cobain's voice and unique and passionate performance. I listened to it hundreds of times when I was a teenager. It was a great bridge between my musical world and what my mother listened to; it was universal. We listened to it together in the car or at home; everyone enjoyed it. This album both hurts and heals the soul. 5 stars.
Incredible live performance. What a treat it must have been to see live. It's not perfect, but it's raw and powerful. Also Pearl jam sucks.
Absolute classic
I was 11 years old when this came out. I still remember watching it on MTV and rushing to get the album. Even though I’m far from the biggest Nirvana fan, this album is almost perfect. It's stripped-down and haunting, it shows a raw, vulnerable side of the band that’s hard to forget. It’s a defining moment from the ‘90s that still holds up today.
I have listened to this album many times over the years, and I have all of the tracks in regular rotation in my daily playlist. It's quite good and still sounds great even after all these years and hundreds of listens. I normally detest live recordings, but Kurt's voice is just so perfect here and the candid coffeehouse feel of this is just so warm and snuggly. The music is great, and I love the acoustic (processed and electrified though it may be) is heavenly. Five stars, easily.
This is the definitive unplugged album. Even stripped down, this is an incredibly heavy album. Just listen to "Where did You Sleep Last Night." They took the covers and made them their own, sometimes elevating them beyond the source material (ie The Man Who Sold The World). I am thankful this introduced me to the Meat Puppets. It takes a lot for an unplugged album to become an essential part of a band's discography. But here we are. WHERE DO BAD FOLKS GO WHEN THEY DIE?! 10/10
Not sure why a love album is here, not a studio album.
Loved this album. Many of the original songs adapted surprisingly well to the more laid-back acoustic style. The covers were usually grittier and a nice twist on the originals. For a live album, the sound quality was impressive. Favorite songs were: Man who sold the world Dumb Plateau I’d give it a 10, but since it’s a mix of songs from different albums, it doesn’t feel like a completely standalone work 9/10
"I started being really proud of the fact that I was gay even though I wasn't." - Kurt Cobain
One of the easiest 5s so far. Beyond amazing.
An amazing live event that showed that Nirvana had depth. Its most telling point is the last track, where Cobain gives a performance inspired by both greatness and true despair.
Hell of a good album, one of the best. 5/5
Hell yeah
I remember watching this concert when it aired on MTV. I got this album for Christmas the year it came out. I remember spending an entire summer listening to this album on repeat and playing Donkey Kong Country. This album hit me right when my musical tastes were forming, and has been incredibly influential in what I listen to today. Nirvana also introduced me to other artists through their covers I had never heard of. Playing pool in my grandparent's basement all summer with my friends listening to this, Pearl Jam's vs. and Ten, Alice in Chains, Smashing Pumpkins, and Aerosmith is another important memory of mine. My grandfather was a guitar player who loved country and bluegrass music, and it was great that his tastes and mine overlapped on this album. I remember listening to it several times on tape with him on a drive from Tennessee to Georgia. This has always been an album I could turn to when I wasn't sure what I wanted to listen to, it was one of bring with me when I could only bring a few, and one that was always with me on road trips. I listened to it several times driving my first car across the country to get to another duty station when I was in the army. In fact, just last year, my wife and I sat in a hotel room looking out at Canada from Port Angeles Washington on another road trip. On that road trip, my wife and I stopped in Aberdeen and saw Kurt's old house and his memorial on the banks of the muddy Wishkah. I am so grateful for this album, Nirvana, and their friends who came together to make one of the most revisited pieces of art in my life. I can't say enough about this album. It is a part of me. This is the easiest 5 star rating so far.
Still a great performance.
What a great album and set! It was nice to see these guys do an acoustic live set. The best part of this, in my opinion, are the covers they chose. They were perfect. They did this in one take, too, I believe. Mistakes and all. This was such an amazing time in music. I love when I play Bowie's version of The Man Who Sold the World at trivia, people come up and ask me who is covering the Nirvana song, even though Kurt says "That was a David Bowie song." People are funny. I'm giving this a 5. Hard to pick a favorite. Probably Where Did You Sleep Last Night.
When this came out, I felt it was a boring show; it had none of the energy and antics of Pearl Jam's Unplugged, for instance. And when 6/14 songs are cover songs, it doesn't make for a great live show in the moment for fans who love your catalogue but don't hear their favorites in order to make room for songs they didn't want. But in time, that is exactly what I've grown to love about this album. Though there are countless great Unplugged performances available which capture a well-performed concert, Nirvana's Unplugged set feels like a new, complete album. Those 'unknown' songs and variations on familiar ones make this an essential album in their discography, going beyond a simple live performance. And what I found boring before is now relaxed and calming. And for all the punk rock ethos, the musicianship and Kurt's singing are executed perfectly. Though generally I find Nirvana to be overrated, this album evinces why they are mentioned in conversations about the greatest bands of all time.
I've written before about how much Nirvana meant to me when I was a kid. I started getting into them when I was around 11. I guess at that age everything feels so intense because everything is new. I certainly wasn't the only kid of my generation to love Nirvana, but at the time, when I crawled down that rabbit hole of my first parasocial celebrity relationship, I only had my friend, Susan, there with me. My ardor for this band felt unique to me, a special world within my own psyche I could retreat to. Then Kurt died. I was 12. That emotionally devastating experience encapsulated what it was like to be a teenager in the 90s as much as anything else could. After Kurt’s death, I didn't really listen to Nirvana that much. Sometimes their songs would come on the radio and I would turn it off. It was too heavy. So even the prospect of listening to this album now made my heart sink a little. I skipped ahead on the list a bit to listen to some other albums instead. I didn't feel in the mood to be transported back to my adolescence. But then I thought, fuck it. Let's rip the Band-Aid off. And hey, instead of just listening to the album, let's watch the concert footage on YouTube. In for a penny, in for a pound. And that way I can hear the songs interspersed with ads, which I'm sure we can all agree is what Kurt would have wanted! As much as MTV started to suck in the mid-to-late-90s, the Unplugged series is one great thing they achieved. And Nirvana Unplugged is, for my money, the best concert to result from that format. The stripped down (if not 100% unplugged) instrumentation let us see these songs in a new light. A lot of them really took on a lush new dimension with the addition of the cello. We got to hear a variety of Nirvana material interspersed with some of Kurt's favorite influences. And while Kurt wasn't technically flawless here (sometimes he was flat or would hit a wrong chord), the rawness added so much. It still hurts a little to listen. But damn if it isn't beautiful.
What a great stripped down album after all the rawness and fury of the previous ones. This is definitely a nostalgia album for me. The album really showcased a different side of the band.
great album, where did you sleep last night is such a great way to sign off on an album such as this
Best nirvana album
An album to feel general nostalgia or just to sing PENNYROYAL TEA or POLLY, or WHERE DID YOU SLEEP LAST NIGHT whilst doing very mundane, domesticated activities.
As classic as classic gets
probably the best live album ever made
A perfect live album really, quality is amazing, performance is amazing, highlights was pretty much the entire album, I actually prefer most of the acoustic versions here than the studio ones. The covers as well were awesome especially the man who sold the world and lead belly.
One of my all time favorites
finally some live albums. I adore live albums... I'd like more live albums. Live albums rock!
Oh yeah
One of the greatest live rock performances ever captured, and to have it happen when these guys were at their peak right just a few months before it would all come to a tragic end gives it some extra weight.
Iconische set van een iconische band.
One of my favorite live an unplugged albums of all time. A totally different side of Nirvana that showed off their abilities without the grunge loudness.
Didn’t know what to expect but was impressed with them and some of their covers
Normally I'm not a big live album kind of guy. This was spectacular. It still kind of astounds me that Nirvana sounded so good on this considering how big and loud so much of their sound was. But they sound so, so good and much more personal on this. It really lets Cobain's voice shine and sounds much closer and more intimate than they do on any of their other albums. Loved that it wasn't just a greatest hits album but they did mostly deep cuts and covers, it works so well for them. They sound incredible and it really serves to highlight how much more they could've evolved if Cobain hadn't died. RIP Kurt.
oh I remember this well. no one knew what to expect from their performance & how that would translate to the Unplugged stage....and this was amazing. great choice of doing some of their lesser known tracks & covers. love the stripped down sound. makes Kurt's death just a few months later so tragic
The best unplugged record. The Meat Puppets covers are among the best covers ever. And the versions of about a girl and something in the way are also marvellous.
Pure Jem
fascinating record. So different from their usual sound but still fantastic. Shows their songwriting strengths
Hot
Wow
It's 1994 and I'm 16. Kurt Cobain had died a few months ago, and this comes out as probably the last thing Nirvana will release. After the initial shock of it being acoustic, we spend ages playing the simple chords of about a girl, and playing around with the phasing. I don't think we knew the history of where did you sleep last night or even knew much about David Bowie, but we love the covers as much as the Nirvana songs Thirty years later, it's still great, and the emotion in this album, the sadness .of Kurt Cobains death, and never knowing what else could have been still hits hard.
Perfect...Just Perfect.
the only 5* live album? quite possibly
Unbelievable
one of the best ever
This is such a good album. Despite being a loud rock band and this album being mostly acoustic and includes many covers, it still captures their essence very well. This has been in my rotation for years and it will continue to be.
I've heard this album so much it's hard to listen to more but it's a classic.
One of the absolute best live albums/recordings by Nirvana and possibly of all time.
Eines der besten Alben ever.
Most of the time, live albums on this list annoy me. They feel a little like cheating, in that, the artist gets to choose songs that they already know are hits. While there are some definite Nirvana classics on the set list, bigger bangers could have been chosen. Kurt made this list out of songs that he personally enjoyed to play—not crowd favorites (notice the omission of “Smells Like Teen Spirit”). What’s interesting is that all the songs that are by Nirvana feel like they’re being covered. They aren’t played as they were recorded. It’s a completely original performance of each song so it doesn’t feel like cheating like other live albums do. The actual covers are also fantastic. Obviously, the Bowie cover is incredible, as well as the three Meat Puppets tracks. “Jesus Don’t Want Me for a Sunbeam” is such a specific song to choose, but it works so well. What I really enjoy most, though, is the finale by Leadbelly. What a strange song to end with, my favorite on the album. He just did whatever he wanted and he fucking killed it. 5/5
Nirvana was just a moment. Music that came once upon a time. And this live album promised there would be more to come. Until it couldn’t.
Heard it before god knows how many times. For nostalgic reasons Nirvana has a very calming effect on me. Make them play acoustic and now it's extreme calmness to me. I love everything about this album. Surprisingly the songs I like the most on this album are the Meat Puppets covers, they just work so well. 5/5
10/10
Not heard most of this before. Wow, really beautiful throughout. Usurps Bjork as my fav MTV Unplugged.
I was determined not to listen to this as I don’t like the idea of live and compilation albums on this list, but then succumbed to it in the knowledge that I’ve always really liked this set. It’s a classic of the genre.
Amazing album beginning to end
Iconic. Dripping with personality. Kurt delivers a ripping vocal performance that sounds like it hurts sometimes. There’s something so magical about hearing such intimate and personal versions of these very loud electric songs. Not even mentioning The Man Who Sold the World and Where Did You Sleep Last Night which are so ubiquitous from this set that they spawned countless covers of his covers. We probably owe NPR Tiny Desk to this album. 100% must listen.
I must have listened to this like 3 times in a row. Cobain delivers the Nirvana songs in such a way that they’re still very raw and gritty much like the originals, and easily talked the covers to a Nirvana-esque direction. And the whole thing is one take! I think they easily could have become just as famous had all their music been like this from the get-go. Just a shame half of them are covers.
Classic album that I've listened to dozens of times. The video version is worth a watch, as well. Nirvana is obviously known for grunge and heavy guitar riffs but this version, as with all "MTV Unplugged" versions of albums, peels all of that back so that you can appreciate the brilliance of the song writing without all of the distortion and volume (though I'm a fan of those things, as well). Easy 5/5.
I love this album. This would be one of my desert island albums! Not only is it nostalgic (its very nostalgic particularly for me at around 16 in the late 90s when my highschool sweetheart wanted to BE Kurt Cobain including his not-so-sweet end) but its also a huge marker in my music taste journey. This album is still on high rotation nearly 30 years on since I first heard it. It was great to listen to this on repeat and rewatch the MTV video on youtube - I'm so happy it landed on a weekend! Fave track is Man Who Sold the World (Sorry Bowie, this cover is better than the original, it's a hill I'll die on)
10/10
5/5 virkelig godt album super intimt og så er det acoustic rock/grunge. Totalt god live oplevelse
Just an amazing listen, you can hear the emptiness in Kurt's voice.
A legendary concert and probably one of the best live albums ever created. Absolute masterpiece throughout
Great tunes, iconic performer, epic performance. Supplemented with some superb covers.
What’s to say really?
Still a brilliant album, seriously great to listen to
Absolutely brilliant, probably the best live album ever. I found it quite moving that it actually made me a bit emotional while listening. Truly unforgettable
Iconic
Perfect. Basically no skips. I’ll have to find this on vinyl
Excellent. This is what an unplugged album should be. Cobain's raw vocals, the use of strings, everything.
Love this
My God, they were soooo good.
Nothing needs to be said. This is a perfect album.
I have listened to this album so much when it came out - it's difficult to give an objective opinion on it (but since when do we need rationality in music). It's a 5 for me... I love it, and its legacy is huge (not just because Kurt Cobain died a tragic death). I see youngsters with Nirvana T-shirts on an almost daily basis. Nirvana originals have been completely reworked, I think we weren't expecting a grunge band to do this at the time. Add a few fantastic covers (Bowie, Leadbelly etc.) and you have a stonker of an album. A true classic.
Couldn't be anything else than a five. Sometimes horrible but truly iconic vocals, fantastic songs and some greater-than-the-original covers.
elite
Great live and acoustic performances by KC and co
Pretty great
Not sure if I will listen again, but amazing in every way.
Gorgeous album. 5/5
Classic. Loved how they mostly did lesser known songs and covers. Great selection with the Lead Belly, Bowie, and Meat Puppets. Tasteful inclusion of the cello and the subdued renderings of the songs, yet bursting with dark heavy emotions and tension. Looming over the album is of course what would happen to Kurt, and the unknown art we will never hear that he could have made. The way he sang Where Did You Sleep Last Night can haunt your soul, his voice.
Would give this six stars if I could
The best live album ever recorded? Probably.
classic, could use less shotguns
Don't need to listen to this again...but I will. An absolute classic that even (maybe especially) non-nirvana fans should give a listen. This is an album to fall in love with Kurt Covains voice
it’s an automatic 5/5 for me. Such a raw, beautiful set. заебумба.
So amazing that this was a live recording. Second only to Frampton Comes Alive.
This is by far one of the top 20 LPs of all time. As far as Unplugged sessions go, this is the gold standard. While not a huge fan or Nirvana, this is nothing short of perfect. Real Raw. Powerful and a testament of this bands music.
Confession time: I prefer the bowie version of the man who sold the world That doesn’t take away from this album though it’s brilliant a consistent stack of great nirvana, one weird memory was the first time I listened to it my bluetooth or Spotify idk was having problems by the time it got to plateau and that intro repeated again and again. After this I’m tempted to play the meat puppets album because 3 songs in a row from it are on here. And when going on about covers Jesus don’t want me for a sunbeam is great. I wish when people were doing covers they went more to the previously obscure like nirvana did, thats what makes it great. Then obviously you have the songs actually made by nirvana all the slower numbers fit like a glove, I really like pennyroyal tea and on a plain in general so any version of them would impress me. And about a girl and come as you are are both great to open it with. 5/5
Kurt is daddy Sad boi hourz 5/5
fantastic album, really good covers in this set. nirvana always did covers well. i love the raw emotion and rasp in kurt's voice
These are the definitive versions of these songs, in my opinion ... the covers (Bowie, the Meat Puppets, the Vaselines) and the originals. Like a lot of 90s kids, my parents didn't understand grunge. But they could grasp the musical genius of this album. This is the only Unplugged, as far as I can tell, too, that wasn't just a parade of the band's hits. "Come As You Are" was obviously a monster Nirvana track, but the fact that Kurt, Krist and Dave didn't do "Smells Like Teen Spirit" or "Heart-Shaped Box" is so quintessentially Nirvana. Also, who doesn't love some good accordion playing?
Listened to many times and one of my favourite bands. Love it!
I can't judge this objectively. Essential listening from my impressionable youth. Great versions of hits coupled with excellent covers, serving as a gateway to other artists. Frequently maudlin but also surprisingly upbeat. Instantly recognisable, iconic, timeless (I said I can't be objective) Five stars.
CLASSIC album, best Nirvana album, Top 50 all-time albums...
You could probably teach an entire college class solely on this album alone. Although this is still Nirvana at its core, it's almost if they were on the verge of a new era of sound. Of course, we all know in the aftermath just 4 months after the recording that we would never be blessed with that new sound with the death of Cobain. Nevertheless, this live album should be seen as an uncanny glimpse into the last moments of Nirvana and what could have been in another life.
Super solid live album, even more considering the (mostly) acoustic format - yeah, there are some guitar pedals and whatnot, but hey, wait… I can’t complain! Since I can’t use decimals I’ll round up, from 4.5 to 5, and I don’t care if anyone disagrees, much like they wouldn’t either. Highlights: `About A Girl`, `Dumb`, `Pennyroyal Tea`, `Something in The Way`, `Where Did You Sleep Last Night` Skippable: `Oh me` 1. About A Girl - Live - 3:38 very cool to see it included in the set, even more as the gig opener. I really like the vocal performance on this one. 2. Come As You Are - Live - 4:13 I never really liked this song much, it’s ok but overhyped imo. I kinda like the small imperfections of this live performance though, somehow it makes it more real/true to me. 3. Jesus Doesn't Want Me For A Sunbeam - Live - 4:37 I totally forgot this song existed/was played and even more that there’s an accordion being played (by Krist if I can trust my memory). the cello adds a bit of texture to the mix, although a bit distant in the mix. 4. The Man Who Sold The World - Live - 4:21 Gotta say I’m young enough to have heard this version before the original by Bowie, but I can’t ever say it’s better than the original. still a great rendition and even the mistakes add up to its raw nature, which is what make this whole performance remarkable to me. 5. Pennyroyal Tea - Live - 3:40 simultaneously haunting and provoking. not to repeat the same argument over and over again, but the raw, completely stripped down version of this song makes it much more powerful. the poignancy of those voice cracks really reveals that, even being the only one playing a song on the stage, at its very center there is only emptiness. 6. Dumb - Live - 2:52 really enjoy the dynamics on this one. cool bass tone, but the highlight on this one for me is definitely the cello, dramatic and intriguing. great song and great performance. 7. Polly - Live - 3:16 an iconic song with very disturbing lyrics that were intentionally vivid to point out this hideous horridness which is unfortunately a frequent issue all around the world. the fact that they played this song after “Dumb” weakens it though, mostly due to the similar riff/chord progression and thus musical repetitiveness. the track itself sounds good, but I think it would have been better if it was somewhere else in the setlist. 8. On A Plain - Live - 3:44 it is now time to make it unclear, what the hell am I trying to say? seriously though, cool riffs and vocals, but surely gotta say the bass line on this one was what grabbed my attention this time 9. Something In The Way - Live - 4:01 great version of an epic song, what else can be said? well, I’ll just highlight the cello again bc why not? 10. Plateau - Live - 3:38 It’s a bit off, but my music taste is often target as quite strange, so no surprise that I enjoy this one as well. realize now that I’ve never heard the original song before, gonna check it out after I finish listening this album for the second time since I begin writing this review. 11. Oh Me - Live - 3:26 this one might be the one I care the least about of the set. nothing wrong but also wouldn’t highlight it among the rest of the setlist. yet another song to check out the original version afterwards. 12. Lake Of Fire - Live - 2:55 really like the riff and the vibe. what impresses the most about the vocals on this song is that its key is clearly too high for Kurt to sing comfortably, but he manages to deliver it in a way that sound very fitting for the gig format and musical context. at this point I realize I will have to listen to the whole Meat Puppet’s album and probably get familiar with their discography. 13. All Apologies - Live - 4:23 oh yeah, I love the cello! and the vocal harmonies sound pretty cool as well. the drums on the original version sound huge and powerful, and I kinda miss that energy when I listen to this version, and maybe a bit of the chaotic distorted sounds that make the original so unique. the clear take on this one showcases a different perspective though, so instead of questioning it I guess I’ll just be glad for being able to listen to both. 14. Where Did You Sleep Last Night - Live - 5:06 the western vibe on this one is super cool, but what makes this track special for me is the harsh vocals on the last 2 minutes of the song, very aggressive, razor-sharp and intense vocals delivering a remarkable finale for a live performance that will be talked about for many years to come.
Only album of theirs that I even consider to listen too. In my teenage heyday I was in step, but as I grow older, the mood of rebellion has shifted. True craftsmanship in their form on this album. Unplugged doesn’t not get any better than this.