Seems Nirvana got to play a bunch more songs than Pearl Jam did...
I'm partial to PJ's performance because it was the first Unplugged I watched. If memory serves, it was kind of a "new" thing when PJ did it.
By the time Nirvana did it, it was in its third season (?)... can't be too sure about that... but it had been around for a while...
I thought both were pretty solid.
6/27/98 - East Troy, WI
6/29/06 - Milwaukee, WI
9/25/11 - Vancouver, BC
11/4/12 - (Eddie Vedder) Phoenix, AZ
11/1/13 - New Orleans, LA
11/19/13 - Phoenix, AZ
11/21/13 - San Diego, CA
10/12/14 - Austin, TX
10/22/14 - Denver, CO
8/22/16 - Chicago, IL (Wrigley 2)
Both are great performances. I love PJ's more because of how raw and "innocent" it is. They're just there to kick ass and have fun. Nirvana's is much more subdued and emotional (moreso looking back on it and knowing what we now know). It's a testament to them that they were able to pull it off, but I just find PJ's much more fun to watch.
Bright eyed kid: "Wow Typo Man, you're the best!"
Typo Man: "Thanks kidz, but remembir, stay in skool!"
Both are great performances. I love PJ's more because of how raw and "innocent" it is. They're just there to kick ass and have fun. Nirvana's is much more subdued and emotional (moreso looking back on it and knowing what we now know). It's a testament to them that they were able to pull it off, but I just find PJ's much more fun to watch.
I agree. Also think both bands were in much different places at the times it took place.
...got a mind full of questions and a teacher in my soul...
The electric charge of emotion and feel an realness in PJ's is what does it for me.
Every song that aired was like it was the last song they were ever going to do, the rawness and power of Eddie's voice during this was simply outstanding.
The band as a whole, the energy that was in this performance, was like having pent up animals in a small cage. They unleashed it in the music. It was real, it was felt, it was an overwhelming of beauty and pain that hit you in your core. You weren't sure where you were going to be taken to next, whether from verse to chorus, song to song, even though you had heard these songs many times over, it felt like new and renewed, despair and hope. It was a journey where you just held on and ate up everything that was thrown at you and you felt spent, drained, exhilarated and tired after the 30 minutes was over... for me anyways...I couldnt believe I felt that watching it on TV.
I don't think any other band that did Unplugged captured it as they did. There were other great performances, but none that had this vulnerability, powerfully, incredibly emotive rawness that made it somewhat magical in my eyes and ears.
It was the first unplugged that I had seen too, and it was soon transferred to a tape which was listened to over and over and over and over again.
The range of emotions it poured out of me, into me, all over me, was something I hadn't really ever experienced at that level before. I was a big fan previously, was listening to Ten almost religiously at this point, but this Unplugged is what cemented my relationship with the music took it to another level, and made it unbreakable.
being that this is what got me into the band...pearl jam, duh... as far as the others mentioned, i would give a.i.c. #2 then nirvana at #3...the alice/nirvana performances are kind of depressing because both layne & kurt were nearing the end. pj's is a band taking off.....don't get me wrong i love all 3, and am still pissed soundgarden didn't do one. imagine that: a BIG 4 (seatlle) unplugged !!!
"It's best to live in grace before you're forced to." EV- 10/09/2014
Who would you rather have quarterback your team in a pick up game, Dave Grohl or Dave A.?
Hmmm... I dunno... Dave Grohl has major stamina... But Dave A. is fulla rage...
6/27/98 - East Troy, WI
6/29/06 - Milwaukee, WI
9/25/11 - Vancouver, BC
11/4/12 - (Eddie Vedder) Phoenix, AZ
11/1/13 - New Orleans, LA
11/19/13 - Phoenix, AZ
11/21/13 - San Diego, CA
10/12/14 - Austin, TX
10/22/14 - Denver, CO
8/22/16 - Chicago, IL (Wrigley 2)
Question should be Alice in Chains or anyone. That unplugged sounds so crisp. After that Nirvana but they did get 5 more songs. It would have been interesting to see PJ play 5 more, mainly covers.
AIC: A+
Nirvana: A
PJ: A-
Chicago 6/29/98, Alpine Valley(EV) 6/13/99, Alpine Valley 10/08/00, Chicago 10/09/00, Phoenix 10/20/00, Orlando 4/12/03, Tampa 4/13/03, San Diego 6/05/03, Vegas 6/06/03, Phoenix 6/07/03, Chicago 6/18/03, Alpine Valley 6/21/03, Orlando 10/08/04, D.C. 10/11/04, Chicago 5/16/06, Chicago 5/17/06, LA 7/12/08, Chicago 8/23/09, Chicago 8/24/09, LA 10/07/09, San Diego 10/09/09 (Front Row Center, Finally), Phoenix(EV) 11/4/11, Wrigley 7/19/13, Phoenix 11/19/13, Denver 10/22/14, Wrigley 8/20/16, Wrigley 8/22/16
Question should be Alice in Chains or anyone. That unplugged sounds so crisp. After that Nirvana but they did get 5 more songs. It would have been interesting to see PJ play 5 more, mainly covers.
AIC: A+
Nirvana: A
PJ: A-
Even more so, what five other PJ songs would you have wanted to hear is a great question...
Question should be Alice in Chains or anyone. That unplugged sounds so crisp. After that Nirvana but they did get 5 more songs. It would have been interesting to see PJ play 5 more, mainly covers.
AIC: A+
Nirvana: A
PJ: A-
But it's not like MTV told Pearl Jam they could only perform nine songs at the recording (MTV would have still just edited down to whatever they wanted, like they did with both the original broadcasts of the Pearl Jam and Nirvana sessions), that's just where Pearl Jam was as a band, and what they felt comfortable with. I think both bands maxed out what they were capable of at the time, they were just in completely different places. Pearl Jam was very much still discovering who they were and had yet to REALLY start to tap into their subtly dramatic, moody side. If you don't believe me, go listen to their Bridge School performance from only seven or so months later, which in my opinion destroys the MTV performance as it comes at a time where they were starting to realize this other side to their music.
Despite that I love the meat puppets second album, I vote AIC
ha ha. thats what i was going to come on and say... be diplomatic and say Alice in Chains.
Glasgow cathouse-1992-2-23, San diego sports arena-1995-11-06 & 07, Glasgow secc-2000-06-03, Tampa st petes times forum-2003-04-13, London O2 arena-2009-08-18, Belfast odyssey arena-2010-06-23.Leeds 2014 - 07-08
Comments
seriously... you ask this on a PJ board?
Pearl Jam...A-
I'm partial to PJ's performance because it was the first Unplugged I watched. If memory serves, it was kind of a "new" thing when PJ did it.
By the time Nirvana did it, it was in its third season (?)... can't be too sure about that... but it had been around for a while...
I thought both were pretty solid.
6/29/06 - Milwaukee, WI
9/25/11 - Vancouver, BC
11/4/12 - (Eddie Vedder) Phoenix, AZ
11/1/13 - New Orleans, LA
11/19/13 - Phoenix, AZ
11/21/13 - San Diego, CA
10/12/14 - Austin, TX
10/22/14 - Denver, CO
8/22/16 - Chicago, IL (Wrigley 2)
Typo Man: "Thanks kidz, but remembir, stay in skool!"
Mansfield 08 1
Boston 2010
Montreal 2011
EV Prov 11
Worcester 1 13
Worcester 2 13
Hartford 13
Boston 16 - 1
Boston 16 - 2
Boston 18 - 1
Boston 18 -2
<img src="http://i740.photobucket.com/albums/xx46/tremors25/thrillafixterorange.gif" align="left">
<img src="http://i740.photobucket.com/albums/xx46/tremors25/thrillafixterblack.gif" align="left">
<img src="http://i740.photobucket.com/albums/xx46/tremors25/thrillafixterwhite.gif" align="left
<img src="http://i740.photobucket.com/albums/xx46/tremors25/thefixerthrilla1.gif" align="left">
2. Neil Young
3. Alice In Chains
4. pearl Jam
I agree. Also think both bands were in much different places at the times it took place.
Tres Mts. Gramercy Theatre 3/26/11
*formerly manutd3581
Every song that aired was like it was the last song they were ever going to do, the rawness and power of Eddie's voice during this was simply outstanding.
The band as a whole, the energy that was in this performance, was like having pent up animals in a small cage. They unleashed it in the music. It was real, it was felt, it was an overwhelming of beauty and pain that hit you in your core. You weren't sure where you were going to be taken to next, whether from verse to chorus, song to song, even though you had heard these songs many times over, it felt like new and renewed, despair and hope. It was a journey where you just held on and ate up everything that was thrown at you and you felt spent, drained, exhilarated and tired after the 30 minutes was over... for me anyways...I couldnt believe I felt that watching it on TV.
I don't think any other band that did Unplugged captured it as they did. There were other great performances, but none that had this vulnerability, powerfully, incredibly emotive rawness that made it somewhat magical in my eyes and ears.
It was the first unplugged that I had seen too, and it was soon transferred to a tape which was listened to over and over and over and over again.
The range of emotions it poured out of me, into me, all over me, was something I hadn't really ever experienced at that level before. I was a big fan previously, was listening to Ten almost religiously at this point, but this Unplugged is what cemented my relationship with the music took it to another level, and made it unbreakable.
Anyways...thats just me
This answer works for me
DEGENERATE FUK
This place is dead
"THERE ARE NO CLIQUES, ONLY THOSE WHO DON'T JOIN THE FUN" - Empty circa 2015
"Kfsbho&$thncds" - F Me In the Brain - circa 2015
i think alice in chains unplugged is far better that nirvana up also
"what a long, strange trip it's been"
Hmmm... I dunno... Dave Grohl has major stamina... But Dave A. is fulla rage...
6/29/06 - Milwaukee, WI
9/25/11 - Vancouver, BC
11/4/12 - (Eddie Vedder) Phoenix, AZ
11/1/13 - New Orleans, LA
11/19/13 - Phoenix, AZ
11/21/13 - San Diego, CA
10/12/14 - Austin, TX
10/22/14 - Denver, CO
8/22/16 - Chicago, IL (Wrigley 2)
I bet Dave A. is a gunslinger like old #4.
Agreed.
Just because we all love Pearl Jam doesn't mean we can't admit to the fact that Nirvana's Unplugged performance was the best in the series.
2011: East Troy, WI (9/3-9/4)
2012: Missoula, MT (09/30) - San Francisco, CA (10/03)
2013: Chicago, Ill (07/19) - Los Angeles (11/23 - 11/24) - Oakland (11/26) - Portland (11/29) - Spokane (11/30) - Seattle (12/06)
AIC: A+
Nirvana: A
PJ: A-
Agreed.
"...I changed by not changing at all..."
Even more so, what five other PJ songs would you have wanted to hear is a great question...
But it's not like MTV told Pearl Jam they could only perform nine songs at the recording (MTV would have still just edited down to whatever they wanted, like they did with both the original broadcasts of the Pearl Jam and Nirvana sessions), that's just where Pearl Jam was as a band, and what they felt comfortable with. I think both bands maxed out what they were capable of at the time, they were just in completely different places. Pearl Jam was very much still discovering who they were and had yet to REALLY start to tap into their subtly dramatic, moody side. If you don't believe me, go listen to their Bridge School performance from only seven or so months later, which in my opinion destroys the MTV performance as it comes at a time where they were starting to realize this other side to their music.
ha ha. thats what i was going to come on and say... be diplomatic and say Alice in Chains.