Product Description

Asked to perform on MTV UNPLUGGED, Bruce Springsteen, typically intractable, started out with an unreleased solo acoustic ditty, announced that the unplugged portion of the show was over and called out a full electric band to play the restof the set. This isn't the E Street Band, but the session band he assembled to tour after releasing HUMAN TOUCH and LUCKY TOWN in 1992. The set is heavy with songs from those albums--vaguely optimistic tunes about love, babies, and the light of day that waits just around the bend even through the darkest night.
Diehard Springsteen fans will no doubt be put off by the lack of E Streeters, but as compensation they get the first appearance on an album of Springsteen performing "Light Of Day", which he wrote for Joan Jett, and that unreleased opening number, the surprisingly saucy "Red Headed Woman". There are also overhauled versions of the E Street classics "Darkness on The Edge Of Town" and "Thunder Road".

Track Listing

1. Red Headed Woman
2. Better Days
3. Atlantic City
4. Darkness On The Edge Of Town
5. Man's Job
6. Human Touch
7. Lucky Town
8. I Wish I Were Blind
9. Thunder Road
10. Light Of Day
11. If I Should Fall Behind
12. Living Proof
13. My Beautiful Reward

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5910 in Music
• Released on: 1997-09-08
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Live

Customer Reviews

A nice little concert album
I can't help but wonder why MTV allowed Bruce Springsteen to play aregular electric "club date" instead of actually playing unplugged. Thereare hours of live Springsteen available, but only a few acoustic songs,and it would have been a lot more interesting to hear him recast some ofhis songs in an acoustic format.
On "MTV (Un)plugged", Springsteen opens with an acoustic solo performance,the dirty but good-natured "Red Headed Woman", after which he completelyabandons the unplugged format, playing a regular (if slightly subdued)electric concert featuring mainly songs from his then-current albums"Human Touch" and "Lucky Town". And while it's a shame that he took theeasy way and played a predictable electric set instead of an acousticshow, this is actually a really good little concert album.
This is from Springsteen's non-E Street Band period, but the mostimmediately recognizable part of his "sound", keyboardist Roy Bittan, isonboard, and the five-piece band plays well, although without a whole lotof personality.
The track list includes a couple of old war horses("Thunder Road", "Atlantic City", "Darkness On The Edge Of Town"), but thevast majority of these thirteen songs are from the 90s, and Springsteenfortunately plays almost all the best songs from "Human Touch" and "LuckyTown", most of which actually sound better in this live setting than onthe original studio recordings.
The pleasant trifle "Man's Job", which features harmony vocals by 70s soulcrooner Bobby King, is really good, as is a slightly subdued by quitemoving version of "I Wish I Were Blind".
"Human Touch" is better in theoriginal rendition, but "Lucky Town" really benefits from the tough livearrangements and a great lead vocal by Springsteen. And the band lays downan extremely hard-rocking 8-minute version of "Light Of Day", a low-keyBob Dylan-like "Should I Fall Behind", and a nice, swinging "BetterDays".
A folkish "Thunder Road" is disappointing compared to the definitiveversion on "Live 1975-1985", but "Atlantic City" and "Darkness On The EdgeOf Town" in particular are good.
The final couple of songs are minor ones, but "MTV (Un)Plugged" generallyholds up very well, and while it is not really a necessary purchase forcasual Springsteen fans, it is a nice collection of small pleasures. Ihave had it since it came out, and I continue to play it now andthen.
3 3/4 stars.

Really good stuff!
This album is by no means Brucies best work, it doesn't have the fantastic E Street band performing or Bruce does not do most of what you would call his "greatist hits", but there is a really good feel to the album the whole way through.

Atlantic City, Better Days, I wish I were Blind and Lucky Town are all fantastic, top marks, there are a few timid tracks though, Mans Job and Red Headed Woman are a bit naff, but the rest if really good.

If you just got into Bruce Springsteen buy Live in New York or the Live Box set, however if you already have those, this is also a really good cd to add to the collection.

Shows what classic songs are hidden on Human Touch and LT
I think this is my favorite Bruce live album as it is in front of a small audience and really captures the magic of Bruce live without being drowned out by the stadium crowd. Songs which don't really jump out at you on the Studio albums Human Touch and Lucky Town turn into materpieces when performed live. My favorite is "I Wish I were Blind" which is a touching heartfelt country rock ballad, which builds up to some great guitar solos at the finish, and inspired Dolly Parton to cover it! Newer material is showcased, and the album does not rely on established Bruce classics like the Live in New York City album did. A new song starts the set, "Red Headed Woman" which is not available anywhere else and is a fun, country, tongue in cheek ballad. The fun atmosphere is felt throughout the live set, and there are a few full band rocking performances of old classics like "Atlantic City". The sound is difference without the E-Street Band, but this allows Bruce's voice to be the centrepiece, rather than the sometimes overwhelming 5 guitars and drumkit of the E-Street Band (excellent though they are!).