headlessparrot's Full Review: Unplugged in New York by Nirvana (USA)
I wrote in one of my earlier reviews that In Utero is the masterpiece of Nirvana’s body of work (although there’s really not a lot to choose from). Well, after going back and listening to MTV: Unplugged In New York, I may have to admit that I was in fact wrong. Nirvana’s live acoustic set is an album of near unrivaled emotion, but still has all of the standard catchy pop trappings of the Nirvana that all children of the 90s knew and loved (I bet every single 14 to 18 year old teenager on Earth could recite the track listing of the band’s sophomore effort). There is a rawness to each chord, each pounding of the drum kit, and each screech of Kurt Cobain’s all-but-shot voice.
The MTV Unplugged sessions were in fact Kurt Cobain’s attempts to regain credibility that had once been lost. He wanted to be known as more than just a pop songwriter. He wanted to be respected as an artist and a musician. Despite the fact he played the entire set with a guitar he found in a pawn shop, I think he achieved the goal beautifully. Some of the most angry, passionate songs have been transferred to the acoustic guitar without missing a beat. Every song still has the power it did before - maybe even more. With Pat Smear playing backup guitars, Krist Novoselic adding accordion (in addition to his role as bassist), and Curt and Cris Kirkwood (of the Meat Puppets) contributing cello and back-up guitar respectively, there is a full, rich sound achieved that is unmatched by anything else in the Nirvana catalogue. Feedback is replaced by classical instruments, and the thundering drums are replaced by a more passive and peaceful light tapping in the background.
There really aren’t enough good things I can say about this album. No longer does Kurt Cobain hide his emotions behind a wall of sound. Here, his soul is bared for all to see. In retrospect, it becomes clear just how tortured inside Kurt was. It’s almost fitting that the album wasn’t released until after his suicide in 1994 - in a way, it serves almost as an epilogue to one of the brightest stars to come along in years. It is, however, a little odd the way Kurt can be near tears at one seconds, and then be laughing along with Dave and Krist the next. Who knows? Kurt Cobain, I suppose, was also one of the most complicated stars to come along in years. It’s so sad to see such a tremendous talent go just because of his own inner turmoil.
The record begins with a quiet applause before Kurt & Co. break into About A Girl, from the group’s first album. The song follows a simple rhythm structure, with the quiet guitars and drums most audible in the mix. Unlike the rest of the disc, here Kurt is singing with a raspy, hard-edged voice - something that works really well despite the emotional meaning of the track. 9.5 out of 10
Come As You Are is the next song, taken from Nevermind, and unlike the rest of the album, the song still remains very similar to it’s original sound and structure. While I’d say that it isn’t quite as good as the studio version, it seems to have far more emotion in it. Kurt goes from singing to seemingly pleading to the audience, his voice cracking yet still remaining oddly beautiful. 9 out of 10
Track three is the first of many covers; Jesus Don’t Want Me For A Sunbeam, a song originally written and performed by one of Kurt’s punk heroes: The Vaselines. This is easily one of the top two songs on the album, an extremely touching song featuring a wide assortment of musical instruments. Krist Novoselic makes his appearance with the accordion, and it takes over the song, adding an almost hypnotic element to it. Not only a great song, but a touching one: it’s amazing the way Kurt can bare his soul through material that isn’t even his own. 11 out of 10
The Man Who Sold The World is track three, an interesting choice of a single for the album. It definitely isn’t the finest track on the disc, but hell, they could have pretty much taken anything and used it as a single. The Man Who Sold The World is a cover of a David Bowie song (something I actually didn’t know for five plus years). The accordion is out, but the cello remains in, providing a melody for the haunting lyrics of the song. Cobain shows his musical roots by covering this track - you have to give respect to a “punk” (I refuse to use the word grunge) artist for covering a guy like David Bowie. Better yet, you have to respect him for how well he did actually performing the track. 9 out of 10
Pennroyal Tea is track five, performed by only Kurt and his guitar. No bass, no drums, no nothing. This is just a pure performance, and one of the better examples of Kurt’s lyrical strength and the power of his voice. It is an extremely moving track, especially with the way he moves from a quiet raspy singing voice to the louder chorus. Excellent use of dynamics. Once again, though, it does lack a little bit of the punch that the electric version had - but this is more than made up for by the power of Kurt’s performance and emotion. 9 out of 10
Dumb, the song about conformity, is the next track. It’s no surprise the band chose to perform it, because the originally was very acoustic itself. There’s no real surprise with the performance of it - a very straightforward reading of one of the band’s lesser-appreciated classics. The vocals are haunting, and the lyrics have always stuck with me to this day. I can honestly recite the entire song word-for-word if someone were to want me to in tribute to Cartman’s performance of Come Sail Away, I may just have to some day). 10 out of 10
Polly, the next track is the third version available of the song (the other two, as any Nirvana fan would know, appear on Nevermind and Incesticide, the latter being the ‘New Wave’ version of the song). As any Nirvana-aficionado would know, the song is about rape (Polly wants a cracker/Think I should get off her first) after Kurt heard a story of an abduction on the news. The song is slowed down just a tad and fully “acousticized.” Yet again, it is just Kurt, singing his heart out alone, with the sole exception of a cello in the background playing the melody ever so quietly. 10 out of 10
On A Plain and Something In The Way (tracks 8 and 9 respectively) are both taken from Nevermind and are both very good renditions of some of Nirvana’s better songs. The entire band rejoins the party here, and the songs both sound vastly different than their counterparts. Something In The Way is particularly chilling, with the band quietly plodding along as Kurt sings in his contemplative, dark, depressed voice. 9.5 out of 10 for both
Plateau, Oh Me, and Lake Of Fire are the three Meat Puppets songs on the disc (it only makes sense, because two members of the band are there, after all). The first and last, are especially powerful, wit Kurt employing his cynical, sarcastic vocals to almost spit out the words - some of which are extremely memorable:
Where do bad folks go when they die
Don’t go to Heaven where the Angels fly
Go to a lake of fire and fry
See them again ‘til the Fourth Of July
or
Nothing on top but a bucket and a mop
And an illustrated book about birds
Very powerful songs, especially with the quiet instruments in the background, making sure not to interfere with the vocals. 11 out of 10 for all three
All Apologies sounds almost like it could have been the end of the CD, but it isn’t. Still, the song is performed very well - once again it is similar to the original because the original did have an element of acoustic guitar in it. A straightforward but emotional reading of one of those songs that everyone knows (and yes, I’d like to thank the band for not caving in and playing the hits). 10 out of 10
The disc, which slowly reaches a crescendo as it nears the end, closes out with a bam. Where Did You Sleep Last Night is the final track - a cover song that seems to just describe Kurt’s life and death perfectly. No holds are barred here, as Kurt literally wails away on his guitar with an enormous amount of passion. You can almost feel the guy’s pain as the song moves along, his once quiet voice slowly becoming louder before it begins to crack as he reaches a near-manic shriek and than he suddenly starts to sing loudly, almost sobbing as each word leaves his mouth. You can almost imagine this song being a therapy session for the guy. The song is haunting and dark, yet somehow emotionally uplifting at the same time (maybe it’s the realization that you’re not in the same boat as this guy). It’s a good thing that this is the last track, because I don’t think anything could top it. Where Did You Sleep Last Night gets my first ever 12 out 10 rating. Yes, it is that good.
When you step back and listen to Nirvana: Unplugged In New York, the tragic fate of Kurt Cobain seems to come a little more into focus. These session reveal a man who is both emotionally and mentally drained; exhausted almost. There is everything from heartbreak to death in a single gasp from the mouth of Kurt. While being disturbing, it is also extremely humbling at the same time.
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