Revisiting Unplugged Albums

Back in the early nineties, “unplugged” albums seemingly took over both MTV and the radio at the same time. For some bands, the new trend was nothing more than an opportunity to market old material as if it were new. There was no need to come up with new songs as the format consisted mainly of recording stripped down versions of earlier hits. With just about everyone jumping on the bandwagon, audiences soon tired of what often amounted to a bevy of uninspired live recordings. Yet among these dregs there are still to be found a few quintessential unplugged albums. Over the next few posts, I’m going to write about my unplugged picks – the gems I think make a nice addition to any guitarist’s library.

Paul McCartney Unplugged – The Official Bootleg (Live On MTV Unplugged) – 1991

Paul McCartney’s solo career has had both its highs and lows. His “official bootleg” stands out musically as a real high point. The MTV performance was recorded in January of 1991 and was released as an album the same year. This was back before it was the norm to go on MTV Unplugged for the sake of putting out an album. The Official Bootleg was originally released in a limited edition and it charted in both the U.S. and U.K..

It stands out as a solid unplugged release because it gets a few important things right. Rather than simply relying on faithful sounding acoustic versions, it offers up interpretations of songs that might have otherwise been forgotten. The set includes a few songs McCartney had never performed live, including Beatles songs Here, There and Everywhere, And I Love Her and That Would Be Something from his first solo album. There are also a few well chosen cover songs such as Ain’t No Sunshine and Good Rockin’ Tonight, which tell us a lot about the artist by their very selection.

By not editing out the stage chatter and audience interaction, we are left with a warm atmosphere that captures the intimacy that the unplugged format is all about. Some stand out tracks are Every Night, And I Love Her and Blackbird.

Allmusic.com calls Paul McCartney Unplugged “one of the most enjoyable records in McCartney’s catalog.”