The Unplugged series of concerts broadcast on MTV were a huge success in the mid nineties and helped revive interest in recordings of live music.
It’s particularly interesting to see the back to basics emphasis on the song rather than the noise and flash that can surround a rock band in concert.
For some acts, the Unplugged recordings may provide the definitive live recordings (I’m thinking about you Rod Stewart) but for other acts, the performance may be enthralling but not typical. Nirvana Unplugged in New York is generally recognised as an exceptional album but is it one that Nirvana fans will turn to regularly?
Other bands swapped their electric guitars for acoustic instruments but weren’t featured in the MTV Unplugged series. These are included here as well as they don’t fit well into the artists normal categories.
Acoustic Live is an interesting and charming album from Nils Lofgren in 1997 as he follow on in the Unplugged tradition that became popular in the 1990s.
It was actually recorded at The Barns Of Wolftrap, Vienna in Virginia on January 18th, 1997.
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Kiss Unplugged is a brave move – an acoustic live album by heavy rockers Kiss, recorded in 1995.
It must have been scary to unplug the electric guitars and let people focus on the quality of the songs but Kiss Unplugged works remarkably well.
MTV Unplugged in New York is a recording of the Nirvana acoustic gig in recorded in November 1993 for the MTV Unplugged television series.
It was recorded less than 5 months before the suicide of Nirvana main man Kurt Cobain and released in November 1994, the first Nirvana album after his death.
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