L’album MTV Unplugged in New York was released in November 1994. A few months before the release of what remains today as one of the outstanding albums of the 1990s, the group’s frontman, Kurt Cobain had killed himself with a bullet to the head, in his Seattle home at the age of 27. He had left a note by his side: “I no longer have the passion, so remember, better to burn suddenly than to be consumed slowly” quoting the song Hey Hey My
My, de Neil Young.
The other members of the group, Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, very distressed by the death of their friend, are then unable to sort through their recordings when the label asks them to bring together live tracks for a tribute album. They then decide to publish the entire recording of the show on a disc. MTV Unplugged which they had recorded in November 1993.
In 1993, Nirvana is one of the hottest bands at the moment. In just 3 years, they have become essential on the rock scene. But their last album In the Uterus, which was just released, was not doing so well and sales were disappointing. It was partly for this reason that the group agreed to participate in the TV show. The group moved onto a stage set up in the Sony Music studios in New York. The principle : play in “unplugged” version, that is to say unplugged, acoustic.
An intimate album, under certain conditions
Eric Clapton, or Pearl Jam have already played the game of this show. But Nirvana sets its conditions. They are the ones who decide the titles and the guests. They are also the ones who impose the decorations: a funeral atmosphere with white lilies, crystal chandelier and black candles, “as for a funeralKurt Cobain said. Cobain even insisted on plugging his acoustic guitar into his amp and effects pedals.
The group also wants the evening concert filmed in one take, unlike what had been done for the other artists. A recording in a tense atmosphere between Kurt Cobain and the production. Of the 14 songs they perform, 6 are covers, dont The man who sold the world, from David Bowie’s song, released in 1970. Cobain loved this song and Bowie’s album The man who sold the world was one of his favorite albums.
They also resume About a girl, song from their first album Bleach, released 3 years earlier. A song written by Kurt Cobain about a girl, his then girlfriend, Tracy Marander. It is this song which is chosen to open the concert. Their acoustic interpretation supplanted the album version Bleach.
The broadcast of the show on December 12, 1993 will be a hit and relaunch Nirvana’s album. It will become as cult as the concert images and will sell nearly 7 million copies, becoming the world’s best-selling posthumous album.
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