Kurt Cobain would have turned 57 years old today if he were still with us, and while it continues to be a huge bummer that he is no longer here, we’ll always have the vast treasure trove of great music and performances he left us from back in the day. Chief among them is his legendary MTV Unplugged performance, which was recorded less than five months before his untimely death in April 1994.
Part of the reason it has become so iconic over the years is that it feels like a funeral in many respects. The flowers, and the stripped-down/solemn tone of the proceedings, it all accentuate the deep emotional weight and vulnerability that Kurt palpably conveys here. The entire thing is beautifully haunting, no doubt, but for this writer, it’s the cover songs that have always stood out the most for whatever reason. Practically every cover delivered here has ultimately gone on to overshadow the original, which is a testament to the power of Kurt’s performance.
His cover of “The Man Who Sold the World” by David Bowie is probably the most infamous in that respect, but personally, have always particularly enjoyed the subtlety of the (3) Meat Puppets covers, performed alongside the Kirkwood brothers. The back-to-back combo of “Plateau” and “Oh Me” are divine, and the finale of “Lake of Fire” (seen below), is the icing on the (Meat Puppets) cake. R.I.P. Kurt, and long live the Meat Puppets.
