“Nirvana…
MTV Unplugged in New York [DGC, 1994]
Not only did Kurt Cobain transcend alt-rock by rocking so hard, he transcended alt-rock by feeling so deep. On this accidental testament, intended merely to altify the MTV mindset by showcasing the Meat Puppets and covering the Vaselines, Cobain outsensitives Lou Barlow and Eddie Vedder in passing. His secret is sincerity, boring though that may be–he cares less than Barlow without boasting a bit about it, tries harder than Vedder without busting a gut about it. The vocal performance he evokes is John Lennon’s on Plastic Ono Band. And he did it in one take. A” – Robert Christgau
This is one of his best.
You know he means every word because he always does: there is no hint of camp follower in this or any of his other reviews. This is what he does…and he clearly takes it very seriously.
‘Part One’ was a throw-away; the tone displaying his opinion as much as the words.
This is NOT a throw-away.
He gives his opinion, as always, very distinctly. He’s an authentic, and even though I often disagree strongly with his opinions, it’s comforting to know that he HAS them, that they are FELT.
The tone displays his opinion as much as the words, because this (IMPO) is genuine. Authentic. He didn’t insert random words from a thesaurus to make it look smarter, he didn’t suck up to popular opinion; he displayed his “feeling” towards the music, as much he feels the music itself displays feeling.
This is as raw (in a verbose way) and genuine as Cobain was, and to me it is as fitting a tribute to the man as any I’ve ever seen.
Grade: A