Neil Young: Unplugged

In the 90s MTV took a chance on an idea. Let's have rock bands play in front of a small audience unplugged. The show began in November 1989 and featured Squeeze, Syd Straw and Elliot Easton. MTV followed that show up with a 13 episode season that included the likes of Elton John, Aerosmith, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. The rest is history, as the series has continued in some variation to this day and has produced some of the biggest selling albums of all time, including the biggest selling live album of all time by Eric Clapton.

Because of MTV Unplugged's success, just about every major artist or band wanted to make an appearance. This was especially true for those looking to restart their career or kickstart a career that had been lagging. Neil Young appeared on the show in February 1993, performing two shows for the network. Allegedly, he was not happy with the first show so he came back the next night for the next show and gave a performance that was considered to be much better than the first. This album represents that performance.

Track List
1. The Old Laughing Lady
2. Mr. Soul
3. World On A String
4. Pocahontas
5. Stringman
6. Like A Hurricane
7. The Needle And The Damage Done
8. Helpless
9. Harvest Moon
10. Transformer Man
11. Unknown Legend
12. Look Out For My Love
13. Long May You Run
14. From Hank To Hendrix

Neil Young Unplugged never did well commercially. This is partially due to the fact that it was not heavily promoted. This may have been due to Neil's dissatisfaction with the performance. The album has yet to be officially released in the U.S. on vinyl. Most copies were made available in Europe, as was this 1993 release.

Overall, the sound quality is good. Granted, sound quality is easier to achieve on an acoustic recording than one that is filled with a range of instruments and sounds. Neil's voice is center stage, as it should be. However, the his voice is not projecting clear and strong as one would expect. The same is true for the harmonica and guitar that he plays. Both sound a little distant for such an intimate engagement. There is really no point where it feels like Neil is in the room with you. This is very different from Eric Clapton's Unplugged recording.

Is it worth an investment? Yes, but you'll likely need to go to Discogs to get it. It is primarily worth an investment because the sound is good and the show is much better than he would probably admit. The sound could have been better, but it is not bad. Besides that, fans know that there is always something special about a live show by Neil Young.💰


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