2/100 Records in 2023 Challenge
Haunting and Beautiful Grunge: Nirvana’s 1993 MTV Unplugged In New York Show Rocks Through The Decades
Nirvana covered David Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold The World”
After my 12-year-old sassed me for reviewing Nirvana’s “most commercial album” first, I got curious. Several of the folks who I respect in music writing recommended listening to Nirvana's MTV Unplugged In New York, 1993.
It did not disappoint. I’ve been listening to it on repeat since my first listen. The performance elements sound so strong to my admittedly untrained ear. The ensemble sounds tight to me, with all the instruments coming in precisely at the right time.
Cobain’s guitar playing even registers with unmusical me. The strumming sounds strong and true.
The sadness that emanates from Cobain complements his sarcastic sense of humor and his ability to see the silliness of the world in which we live.
In short, I see how Cobain was fascinating to many of my peers and why he felt life was, well, maybe overwhelming?
Listening to Nirvana, now in my 40s, feels like entering a time machine to my adolescence.
