Cobain's Last Stand

Whether you're a fan of the "alternative" genre or have even heard of "grunge," you've most likely heard of Nirvana: a band that created a genre, dabbled in others, and ultimately crushed under the weight of its own existence.\nThe first album to be released after the death of founder, Kurt Cobain, MTV Unplugged in New York featured the first live taste of the band that had become so popular in such a short time. The bare-bones quality of Unplugged actually makes it a more impressive album. The only official single to come from the album, "About A Girl," was written some six years prior to this release and offers a love song, rare in Nirvana's catalog. "I'm standing in your line/I do, hope you have the time/I do, pick a number too/I do, keep a date with you." On "Polly" Cobain brings to life a true story of a girl who was raped and tortured. He uses the rapist's perspective to illustrate the story. The girl escapes by convincing the captor to let her go, "She asked me to untie her/A chase would be nice for a few." On a cover of David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold the World," the lyrics spotlight a conversation between a man and his former self. Perhaps the band heard the word, "sellout" being whispered.\nFour members of Nirvana are featured on the record including Pat Smear who had just joined the band recently. Bassist Krist Novoselic even plays some accordion on the band's rendition of The Vaselines' "Jesus Doesn't Want Me For A Sunbeam." Simple strumming, basic drums, funky baselines, are all mainstays in the music of Nirvana. But what makes their music transcend the basic and ordinary? Is it the crooning vocals of Cobain? The depressing lyrics about destruction? The shroud of mystery surrounding the band's demise and Cobain's suicide? Whatever the case, all critics agree that this is an exceptional album featuring Nirvana performing those "bare-bones" songs live and completely nailing them.