This album is possibly the most iconic example of the MTV Unplugged series that strips everything out to display the true talent of the band with no frills, no effects, nothing but some mics and an intimate acoustic set and nowhere to hide. Some of my earliest music memories are from MTV in its glory days of the late 90’s, but I was too young to understand how awesome MTV Unplugged really was.

I don’t know why it’s easier to appreciate the “classical” musicianship of rock bands when they’re playing acoustic sets, but I’ve always found it true. In 2024 it’s even more refreshing to explore acoustic performances or arrangements of popular songs - it’s probably unfair, but sometimes with all the intense computer-aided production of modern music it’s hard to imagine some of today’s artists succeeding in an MTV Unplugged setting. I’m not saying it’s true, I’m just saying the complicated labyrinth of processing that a lot of modern digitalized music goes through makes it harder and harder to picture some artists with a simple guitar singing their songs. And that doesn’t mean artists who still can’t perform their songs acoustically are necessarily less talented, but still - something traditional is being lost, and that can be sad, depending on your age.

To me, it would be sad if society is losing its appreciation of acoustic music, although it’s not for the reason many might think (“because musicians are less talented today”, which is a bullshit take). The reason I miss acoustic sets being massively popular is simply because they have a deeper level of relatability to me. I’ve held and played an acoustic guitar, so it’s easy for me to relate to a few people on a stage doing the same thing. It’s almost like a self-insert fantasy story, where you can picture yourself as the main character. The music is broken down to a digestible level without losing its meaning and artistic core, and that’s a beautiful thing. I don’t think musicians need to prove their talent by doing an acoustic set - that’s only a subset of musical talent, and isn’t the only way to show it off despite what old heads might think - but man, would I love to see someone mega-poppy like Chappell Roan absolutely shredding an acoustic set and letting a bunch of old people see her talent in a way they can understand.

In Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged set (performed in 1993, with the album released in 1994), the most impressive part to me is how controlled Kurt Cobain’s voice is, despite the emotional nature of the music and his penchant for raucous screaming when backed by electrified instruments. Who would have thought the spearheads of rock would sound so darn good singing folksy versions of their songs? Some of these versions of Nirvana songs have become as iconic as the originals for me. “About A Girl,” “Dumb,” “Lake Of Fire”, “Oh Me” (the last 2 are Meat Puppets covers, but still) - all of these songs are represented by the acoustic versions first and foremost to me. That was probably the first way I heard them as a kid, and they’ve stuck that way in my head.

The songs kind of meander a little at the end, but this was a concert first and foremost - the energy flows differently than an album, and it’s cool to hear the crowd and band interacting as the set goes on. The album is focused on Cobain by default, but that’s not exactly a problem. It’s a fantastic snapshot of a talented band showing their range, and it’s both fascinating and tragic to think what musical directions the band might have explored if Cobain hadn’t passed.

From the roundup Jamwise #47 - Best Albums of 1994, pt. 2.