#Dvd nirvana mtv unplugged series#

While the muckety-mucks were scratching their heads and simmering in the control room, Cobain, Nirvana and the brothers Kirkwood then went on to play some of the most interesting three songs of the night, вЂњPlateau,вЂќ вЂњOh, MeвЂќ and вЂњLake of FireвЂќ from the PuppetsвЂ™ second LP back in 1984. They then teased the audience and MTV brass by saying they had `special guests.вЂ™ In watching the interviews on the DVD, IвЂ™m sure they were all hoping for Eddie Vedder or even members of Sonic Youth (as Lee Ranaldo was apparently in attendance), but instead Nirvana brought out the Meat Puppets, an SST band from the вЂ™80s. вЂњThe Man Who Sold the WorldвЂќ practically introduced a new generation to David Bowie at a time when he was sinking into irrelevance (itвЂ™s true, even though it pains me to write it). The first appears in a Vaselines cover of вЂњJesus DoesnвЂ™t Want Me For a Sunbeam,вЂќ a song that vaulted the Vaselines out of obscurity and into the indie limelight. вЂњAll Apologies,вЂќ due to be released as a single a mere month later, was the penultimate song performed, and is often played in place of the studio version.Д«ut the real highlights of the performance, show and DVD are the covers. Songs such as вЂњSomething in the Way,вЂќ вЂњAbout a GirlвЂќ and especially the solo performed вЂњPennyroyal TeaвЂќ took on new life and meaning in this atmosphere. So, the band meticulously chose their setlist for the night, picking and choosing slower, more funereal songs to go along with the stargazer lilies and candles surrounding the stage. Grohl was the metal fan Cobain liked Queen. The feedback laden shows and over the top screaming was all fodder for angry male youth, but CobainвЂ™s influences, as stated in numerous magazines, were far from that mark. This was, for me as a fan, what I had been waiting to see. The MTV execs were in a tizzy.Д«ut, as is usually the problem with execs, they couldnвЂ™t see the artistry. At the time, only one of the songs performed had been a single, вЂњCome As You Are,вЂќ and they played that second. Just over half of the songs in their performance were actually theirs, meaning nearly half were covers. They turned in their setlist and didnвЂ™t discuss it. Nirvana changed things up without really notifying the MTV team. For instance, youвЂ™d probably see a Modest Mouse Unplugged show today with songs like вЂњFloat OnвЂќ and вЂњDashboard,вЂќ but you wouldnвЂ™t see a Jesu Unplugged, not that it would even work. Shows ventured from the obvious (10,000 Maniacs, R.E.M., Neil Young) to the abstract (LL Cool J, Yo! MTV Raps), yet the common themes were establishment and song recognition. After the show began to pick up a fanbase, artists started releasing these performances as albums or EPs.

#Dvd nirvana mtv unplugged series#

The original idea of MTVвЂ™s Unplugged series was to have established electric rock acts play their `hitsвЂ™ acoustically. ItвЂ™s impossible to deny the fact that CobainвЂ™s death directly influenced sales, but itвЂ™s also impossible to deny that this performance is quite possibly the best Nirvana performance ever given, despite of, or even because of its flaws, and easily the best Unplugged show ever aired. Because this was essentially CobainвЂ™s last mass public performance, the album version of unplugged was a huge success. The events surrounding and including NirvanaвЂ™s Unplugged performance weigh heavily in this drama, mainly due to the fact that Cobain died a mere five months after recording. As we near the twentieth anniversary of Bleach, one has to wonder if this so-called `mysteryвЂ™ will either hit a wall or be ever-expanding like the plot of some Pynchonian novel. Yet, the more time that goes by, the more that people seem to give more credence to conspiracy theories, fabrications and conjecture about the death of Kurt Cobain. In other words, thereвЂ™s been a lot of water under the Ship Canal Bridge. ItвЂ™s been fourteen years since Nirvana taped their infamous MTV Unplugged performance and thirteen years since the CD of that performance was originally released.