Nirvana

MTV Unplugged in New York [live]

A perfect ending

Review Score:

(10/10)
Many people were surprised by the release of Nirvana's beautiful "Unplugged" sessions, because it became apparent, perhaps for the first time, how good this band really was. Kurt Cobain showed the true passion with which he sang, and he showed he was not only able to scream through pain.

The songs here speak volumes, as this was the last recording made before Cobain killed himself in 1994. There is the beauty of "All Apologies", the irony of "Come As You Are" and "Jesus Don't Want Me for a Sunbeam" and the great covers of the Meat Puppets songs "Lake of Fire" and "Plateau". But the two best songs here are also covers. The unbelievable tenderness of "Oh Me" and the fiery passion of "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" make this album something that is begging to be heard. It was as though Cobain already knew this was the end, singing the final song of the set with as much intensity as he had created over his entire career, his voice cracking and him needing to take extended breaths just to keep up with himself. It is this final song, a cover from Ledbelly, that Cobain says his goodbye to the world, looking up at the audience with his bright blue eyes, us seeing his immense pain one more time, before he screamed out "My girl, my girl, tell me where did you sleep last night?" Watching and hearing this for the first time, I realized that I was seeing an important moment in rock history, and this hold true today, perhaps even moreso because of the way his life ended shortly thereafter.

"Unplugged in New York" is an absolute must for Nirvana fans, and even those who are not. This album shows a new side to the band, one that can be soft, as well as being hard as usual.

More Reviews: