Even Kurt’s closest allies seem wary of him. He later told the producers to make sure it was edited in because, “My manager tells me I need to smile more.” It’s a rare glimpse of humor from an agitated and prickly soul. At the end of the first song Kurt looks at the camera and gives a gnarly forced smile. Watching the video of the performance only heightens the effect. It’s not an album you put on twice in one day, and listening to it through can be a draining experience. While intimacy was an intended part of the concept (Clapton’s delicate “Tears In Heaven” was given a second life by his Unplugged rendition), parts of the Nirvana set at Sony’s Hells Kitchen studio feel so personal it’s awkward. Of course, this isn’t how Cobain approached the opportunity, choosing to play six obscure covers (three with relatively unknown act the Meat Puppets, who joined Nirvana on stage) and only one real hit, “Come As You Are.” He requested the set be dressed as a funeral with Stargazer Lilies and candles, and willfully ignored the crowd's frustrated shouts for requests: “You want me to play ‘In Bloom’ acoustically?!” Old, established acts like Springsteen and Clapton used it as chance to have some fun reworking old favorites and make some money without having to write new songs. Acoustic guitars hadn’t been as popular since the folky early ‘60s. The stripped-down MTV franchise was a big success at the start of the ‘90s. That sure doesn’t sound like an acoustic guitar.Octopuses Do Something Really Strange to Their Genes Ed Yong
This makes sense when you listen to “The Man Who Sold the World. … know that Kurt Cobain wasn’t exactly “unplugged.” His guitar was plugged in to an amp disguised as a monitor wedge.
… think a version of “In Bloom” wouldn’t have been the worst thing in the world. … know the band was determined to make it feel different than other unplugged performances and recorded their show in one take. … think the version of “All Apologies” is amazing. The album’s version of “All Apologies” sits right there with “Smells Like Teen Spirit” as one of the band’s most recognizable songs and, hey, we even know who the Meats Puppets are now.īut what else do we know* about the album? And what else do we think about the album? It won a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album in 1996. It’s been the band’s most successful release following Kurt Cobain’s death, having been certified platinum five times since 1997. Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged in New York has endured, though. There’s no “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “In Bloom” or even “Heart-Shaped Box.” Instead there’s “Dumb,” “Polly,” “Something in the Way” and “All Apologies,” in addition to covers like David Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold the World,” an old traditional in “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?” and a trio of Meat Puppets tunes. Of the 14 songs that appear on the album, only one, “Come As You Are,” was one of the band’s most famous. It’s also not a traditional live album in that it sidesteps convention - it sidesteps the band’s hits in favor of more obscure songs, a slate of covers that few people had ever heard of and a guest appearance by a band (Meat Puppets) that weren’t exactly household names. When we think of Nirvana, we should think of Nevermind, of “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” about the initial weirdness followed by willing acceptance of In Utero.īut we don’t. For starters, it’s a live album, and unless you’re KISS and/or Peter Frampton, a live album never trumps one of your studio albums when it comes to both relevancy and longevity. By all accounts, Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged in New York shouldn’t be as popular as it is.
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