Nirvana
Unplugged In New York
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Nirvana
Unplugged In New York
Geffen, 1994
RiYL: Gomez, The Meat Puppets, The Vaselines, R.E.M. |
But for that one December night in New York City, he was happy. They were happy. You can hear it in his voice, in their playing, in the way he reverently rolled out some of his favorite songs to cover, in the joy they found within their own songs that night.
With many of the Unplugged's songs ubiquitous on the radio in the years after Cobain's death, it's hard to remember what a shock it was to see Nirvana on MTV's show that had up to that point been the domain of more sedate performers. (Remember, probably the two most famous shows prior to this were 10,000 Maniacs and an aging Eric Clapton, not exactly barn burners.)
But Cobain didn't want to be perceived as limited to the world of slash-and-burn grunge. He had publicly expressed wishes to sound more like R.E.M. So this was his chance, and he had a plan. Nirvana would only play its most tuneful songs on the program, placing them side-by-side with great covers that few remembered. The result was the exact transformation Cobain sought.
Anyone who had missed the band's brilliance on their last two albums couldn't possibly deny their greatness now. Unfortunately, he wasn't around long enough to follow up on this removal of stereotype. But the generation inspired by Cobain took note of his message: Mere angst does not a great artist make. Nirvana's songs are classics even when taken out of their original context.
Stripped of electricity, Cobain's themes shone through his music all the more brilliantly. "About A Girl"'s debt to the Beatles was clear as day. "Dumb" and "All Apologies" were rendered in an even greater beauty. "Pennyroyal Tea" was sublime. Three songs with the Meat Puppets belied Cobain's playfulness. (And once again, his genius. Who else could have listened to Meat Puppets II and known just how great those songs were?)
But once again, Cobain saved his best for last. A cover of Leadbelly's "In The Pines," titled "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" here, was the show's indisputable highlight. With a dread sense of foreboding, Cobain turned the tale of love and betrayal into an epiphany. Building, repeating musically and lyrically until the cathartic last verse was delivered with Cobain's trademark blood-curdling howl, it is classic Nirvana: Balls out, caution to wind, heart on the sleeve, and amazing.
PATRICK KASTNER | Affectionately known as Cousin Patty (yes, it's a "Throw Momma From The Train" reference), Patrick Kastner is a designer for the Columbus Post-Dispatch.