![]() Shows ventured from the obvious (10,000 Maniacs, R.E.M., Neil Young) to the abstract (LL Cool J, Yo! MTV Raps), yet the common themes were establishment and song recognition. After the show began to pick up a fanbase, artists started releasing these performances as albums or EPs. The original idea of MTV’s Unplugged series was to have established electric rock acts play their `hits’ acoustically. It’s impossible to deny the fact that Cobain’s death directly influenced sales, but it’s also impossible to deny that this performance is quite possibly the best Nirvana performance ever given, despite of, or even because of its flaws, and easily the best Unplugged show ever aired. Because this was essentially Cobain’s last mass public performance, the album version of unplugged was a huge success. The events surrounding and including Nirvana’s Unplugged performance weigh heavily in this drama, mainly due to the fact that Cobain died a mere five months after recording. ![]() As we near the twentieth anniversary of Bleach, one has to wonder if this so-called `mystery’ will either hit a wall or be ever-expanding like the plot of some Pynchonian novel. Yet, the more time that goes by, the more that people seem to give more credence to conspiracy theories, fabrications and conjecture about the death of Kurt Cobain. In other words, there’s been a lot of water under the Ship Canal Bridge. No other band could have offered covers of David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold the World" and the folk standard "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" on the same record, turning in chilling performances of both - performances that reveal as much as their original songs.It’s been fourteen years since Nirvana taped their infamous MTV Unplugged performance and thirteen years since the CD of that performance was originally released. Few records are as unblinkingly bare and naked as this, especially albums recorded by their peers. ![]() Then, there's the subtexts, as Kurt's hurt and suicidal impulses bubble to the surface even as he's trying to suppress them. As it turns out, it accomplishes its goals rather too well this is a band, and songwriter, on the verge of discovering a new sound and style. It's a nakedly emotional record, unintentionally so, as the subtext means more than the main themes of how Nirvana wanted to prove its worth and diversity, showcasing the depth of their songwriting. ![]() circa Automatic for the People, it's the Nirvana record that nobody, especially Kurt, wanted revealed. Is it the choice of material or the spare surroundings that make it so effective? Well, it's certainly a combination of both, how the version of the Vaselines' "Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam" or the three covers of Meat Puppets II songs mean as much as "All Apologies" or "Something in the Way." This, in many senses, isn't just an abnormal Nirvana record, capturing them in their sincerest desire to be R.E.M. If In Utero is a suicide note, MTV Unplugged in New York is a message from beyond the grave, a summation of Kurt Cobain's talents and pain so fascinating, it's hard to listen to repeatedly.
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