KISS
When you think of Kiss you think of high heels, makeup, and Gene Simmon's tongue. In 1995, however, the band performed on MTV's Unplugged with naked faces, manlier shoes, and...well...Gene still had his tongue. This marked the only time the original lineup performed publicly without their trademark makeup, and let me tell you, it most certainly does not take away from the raw talent exposed by its band members. Kiss was a band known for its electricity; not only in their live shows, but in the albums themselves, where huge riffs were often used to mask musical shortcomings. So when MTV invited the band to do their own live show on Unplugged, the doubt lingered.Could Kiss pull a sound like this off; an acoustic, refreshing, pure sound? Well, duh.
NIRVANA
Nirvana's MTV Unplugged performance is the most notorious. Recorded in late 1993, only a few months before lead singer Kurt Cobain's suicide, it set the bands frenetic grunge tunes in a new light. Many have suggested that this is the sound Cobain wanted to develop but, of course, we'll never find out. When Cobain asked the set designer for stargazer lilies, black candles,
and a crystal chandelier, it prompted the show's producer to ask him, "You mean, like a funeral?" To which Cobain replied, "Exactly. Like a funeral." And in many ways, it was just that.Watch as the music just flows out of Kurt without the slightest bit of effort in his face.
ALICE IN CHAINS
For MTV Unplugged in 1996, Alice In Chains gave their first performance in three years and one of their last concerts as an original group. Singer Layne Staley was visibly weak due to his addictions, but delivered a strong
performance that reworked the bands grunge anthems into surprisingly
delicate yet gloomy anthems. Fans claim it is one of the best and most
memorable MTV Unplugged sessions ever.
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