MTV Unplugged in New York
A quiet Nirvana record still has plenty of bite. MTV Unplugged in New York removes much of the distortion, but it leaves Kurt Cobain's voice exposed enough to make even familiar melodies feel unstable. The smaller arrangements reveal another kind of strength in these songs.
About a Girl opens with very little ceremony. Its compact tune fits the setting so naturally that the acoustic treatment hardly feels like a change of clothes. Come As You Are keeps the recognisable guitar figure and an uneasy atmosphere without forcing the band into a miniature version of its electric show. Dave Grohl's restrained playing helps the songs move while leaving space around the singing.
The covers give the performance its unusual shape. The Man Who Sold the World preserves the strange poise of David Bowie's song, with Cobain sounding intent rather than theatrical. The three Meat Puppets selections loosen the set further. Plateau has an appealingly crooked melody, while Lake of Fire makes a rough vocal sound entirely at home in a setting this spare. These choices tell you more about Nirvana than another run through the biggest singles would have done.
Cello adds warmth without making the music comfortable. Dumb and Something in the Way benefit from that extra depth, and All Apologies becomes more patient and reflective when its melody is allowed to circle. There are small imperfections in the playing and singing, but a perfectly smooth performance would lose some of this record's tension. The musicians sound alert to one another rather than locked inside a polished arrangement.
Where Did You Sleep Last Night closes the album with an intensity that needs no loud guitar entrance. Cobain's strained final passage is startling because the whole performance has earned that release. The record asks for attention, and its low-key pacing will not suit every occasion. But its power comes from the songs, the selection and the care of the playing. It stands as a complete live album, with its own musical identity.
