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Nirvana's Defining Moment Tcraze84
Nirvana, as you all may know, have been one of the defining bands of all time; and in my humble opinion - even though my tastes in music may have shifted over the years, remain THE single greatest band ever. Forget The Beatles, The Stones, in fact, forget them all - in my mind there is no question that Nirvana conquered all during their all-too-brief time together, and still are opening musical eyes, so to speak, even today. Early Nirvana, and indeed, the domineering view on the band is that Nirvana were just a Seattle Grunge band. Well, ok - not just a Seattle Grunge band, THE Seattle Grunge band! But more involved fans, and those who have brushed up on their history a fair bit, will know that there is so very much more to the three-piece legends than just being lumbered under the label "Alternative". As, in effect, they turned "alternative" into mainstream and undoubtedly paved the day for today's rock bands - not just some, but ALL of them. And, put simply, "Unplugged", after the greatly revered (but heavier-sounding) "Nevermind" IS Nirvana's defining album - and defining moment. Without doubt the most celebrated "MTV Unplugged" album of them all, as somebody aptly called it, "Unplugged" is an almost twisted foray into the world of acoustic. But is it a mickey-take? No - each song is taken seriously and in no way are the band laughing at critics who labelled them as one thing, before trying to be another. The sheer beauty of the "Unplugged" series is just that. To (successfully) do a live set such as this for someone like MTV you simply have to have talent - in abundance. For the doubters, Nirvana, without doubt, prove they have what it takes to cut it, not only as the greatest rock band of all time, but also as something a bit more mellow, more accessible. You won't find any dominating, harsh guitar riffs on this album - the band even venture in playing the accordian and even using a cello to further enhance the sound. You may, understandably ask, well..how many mellow tracks have Nirvana made? Indeed the answer is simple - not many! But that is part of the legend of "Unplugged" - classic harder-sounding songs like "Pennyroyal Tea" and "Come As You Are" are effortlessly crafted into acoustic masterpieces - you would be forgiven for thinking this is how songs like that were originally done - in fact, they may sound even better. Listening to this album is a strange experience in some ways. Partway through songs you really do expect the "breakdown" as it were to occur, and start jumping around, playing air guitar and thrashing your head frantically to the harsh guitar riffs and screaming vocals. But it never, ever happens - the album strolls along at a leisurely pace, in fact, giving you time to fully enjoy the music, and realise just what an exceptional singing voice Kurt Cobain did actually have. Songs like the classic set-opener "About A Girl", "Come As You Are", "All Apologies" and "Polly" (all new acoustic versions) will appeal to even the most novice of Nirvana fan, whereby religious songs such as "Jesus Don't Want Me For A Sunbeam" and the other covers (from bands such as the Meatpuppets - "Lake Of Fire") will confuse and impress immensely at the same time. A rollercoaster ride of emotion, sympathy and doubt, Nirvana "Unplugged" will undoubtedly be one of the finest quality albums you may ever purchase, even though it is completely different from what you expect. Kurt Cobain's, and indeed the groups last album, recorded only four months before his tragic suicide, is a classic - and thankfully, is already being treated like one; adding to the now "myth" of Nirvana. A masterpiece, and the defining moment of the greatest band ever.
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