In front of an eager audience, Nirvana, in what was likely their most famous show, played none of their hit songs and instead opted for a subdued yet spirited concert.

Released after Kurt Cobain's apparent suicide in 1994, MTV Unplugged in New York can't help but raise questions about what was happening at the time in the mind of Nirvana’s songwriter and lead singer. Those questions will continue to be asked, and will remain unanswered, but it's hard to sit still and think solely about the merit of Unplugged without thinking of the larger implications.

It is this larger framework in which one should consider Unplugged, a terrific live album that finds Nirvana putting aside its electric thrashers and adopting a softer tone for the MTV special which has, over the years, boasted real legends like Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton, and many other, untalented acts.

Overview of Nirvana Unplugged

Nirvana sounds like they are really doing something new here. Unplugged features 6 covers among its 14 songs, including a version of "The Man Who Sold the World" that rivals (in fact, bests) David Bowie's original, 3 covers from the Meat Puppets' 1984 cow-punk classic Meat Puppets II, and a Leadbelly cover.

This was a chance for the band to showcase their diverse range of influences, and they did well: a rock icon in Bowie, a little-known band from Arizona in the Meat Puppets, and a folk and blues man in Leadbelly. The other cover is a catchy version of a song by another virtually-unknown band: Scotland’s brilliant The Vaselines and their song “Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam” (the song recorded by the Vaselines is actually titled “Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam”).

It is on these covers where Cobain and company seem most at ease, navigating the music with energy and delivering the lyrics with force, especially the Dylan-worthy Meat Puppets song "Lake of Fire." Their originals include versions of "Something in the Way" and "All Apologies" that are also very good, and "About a Girl" (from their debut album, 1989's Bleach) gets a spotlight as the lead track.

Analysis of Unplugged Album

But it is not the quality of these songs so much as their coherent subtext that makes this album so great. "The Man Who Sold the World" is from one of Bowie's earliest albums, and its meaning implies someone who has not yet figured out who he is. Is this what Nirvana was going through? The band's first 2 albums were fractured pieces of reactionary poetry: Nevermind was a reaction to youth culture, and In Utero was a reaction to pop culture. What would Unplugged have been a reaction to?

Arguably, it is the Meat Puppets covers where Nirvana is best. Each of these 3 consecutive tracks is refreshing and sounds unlike anything you've heard lyrically. "Plateau," "Oh Me," and "Lake of Fire" are fused with good humor, clever wordplay, and consciousness, and are a great match for the finger-plucking treatment they're given.

"Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" is not only the perfect closer, it is close to being the best song on the album. As Cobain's vocals become more resigned, he sings "My girl, my girl, don't lie to me/ Tell me where did you sleep last night?/ In the pines, in the pines/ Where the sun don't ever shine/ I'd shiver the whole night through." The climax of the song finds Cobain screaming his words, howling for that sympathetic listener to understand the violence of his affliction, of his blues.

More than anything else, what Unplugged does for the music fan is reveal an alternate side to Nirvana, proving that, even stripped of its grungy sound, they still possessed an edge to them that most bands couldn't touch. As always, it is Cobain's voice that holds the record together. And Unplugged is a great record, whether you're a fan of Nirvana or not.

Rating: 5 out of 5