MTV Unplugged in New York: Nirvana

For those listeners who couldn't get past the sonic assault of Nirvana's grunge, this album made abundantly clear how brilliant a band they could be. In these sparer arrangements, Kurt Cobain's songwriting took center stage. And what brilliant songwriting it is. Stripped of its guitar attack, the nihilistic "On a Plain," becomes less guarded and more chilling, while "Come As You Are" gains the heart the original arrangement buried. The interplay of Cobain's guitar, Dave Grohl's subdued drumming, and Krist Novoselic's fragile bass lines, revealed musical communication the envy of any great jazz combo. But what makes this album so fearfully fascinating is what it revealed. Few albums are as naked and raw as this. Cobain's raspy voice uncovered layer upon layer of pain. Both on his own songs and well- chosen covers--including a version of David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold the World" that surpasses the original--Cobain exposed a tortured soul trying to find release in front of a crowd.