The 2nd Half of Nirvana's Unplugged In New York
Before Wednesday’s new HOOKUP ON MUSIC, dig into the back side of one of the best of MTV’s Unplugged.
8. On A Plain: Kurt Cobain expressed regret with the Nevermind recording, telling Flipside, “That song came out way too clean. I’m not happy with the way that came out at all. It should have been a lot rawer; we play it a lot better live I think.” On the unplugged version, rawer is achieved to great satisfaction. “I’m On A Plain/I Can’t Complain being repeated with a strong acoustic background. Kurt’s vocals are strong throughout the MTV Unplugged session.
9. Something In The Way: You like Nirvana at their most raw. This version is even bleaker than the one that appears on the band’s Nevermind album. Pat Smear adding a second guitar and Lori Goldston on Cello make this another must to hear live in the acoustic format. A song that showcases that a band doesn’t always have to take their emotions to the loudest level.
10. Plateau (Meat Puppets Cover): Always a big fan of the opening guitar riff on the MTV Unplugged cover of the first of three Meat Puppet’s tracks. One might think why would a band want to add three covers of any band to it’s album. Meat Puppet’s members Chris and Curt join the band on all three covers adding to the lure of the Meat Puppets II album tracks.
11. Oh Me (Meat Puppets Cover): One of the more obscure tracks off of MTV Unplugged in New York. This track showcases almost a country flair that grooves along throughout the whole track. Song should get more spins than it gains.
12. Lake Of Fire (Meat Puppets Cover): A song that is one of the many classics that done this Unplugged set. Released as a single in Australia, which received decent airplay. Out of all three Meat Puppet track’s, Fire might have the most lasting impression on the record. Being able to jam with two of the songs creators doesn’t hurt the magic much either. Dave Grohl’s drumming is amazing on this one!
13. All Apologies: One of Nirvana’s key tracks to the set. Released as a music video by MTV and played on repeat, the song couldn’t be missed. As time has passed I probably play this song more now than back when it was released. It has lyrics that stick with you if you happen to be going through something. Kurt Cobain speak the lyrics into a true reality. Another version of a Nirvana songs raw power not needing to be turned up to eleven.
14. Where Did You Sleep Last Night?: Talk about a key way to end the set. Taken from an original composition entitled In the Pines and originally recorded by LeadBelly. About the track, Poet Allen Ginsberg stated that the final chorus was”unearthly, like a werewolf, unbelievable.” That’s very high praise. An impressive way to showcase all the talents of the band to end the album.
Which song on the back half of Unplugged In New York is your favorite? As we dig through more albums, we’ll uncover the magic in ending an album on a literal high note.
