Description
Pearl Jam “MTV unplugged” vinyl record record album, signed on the cover in black marker by Eddie Vedder.
In new condition.
Sold with a Letter of Authenticity from independent third-party authenticator Beckett Authentication Services (BAS).
MTV Unplugged is a live album by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Originally recorded on March 16, 1992, for the MTV television series MTV Unplugged, it was released to the public on October 23, 2020. Initially given a limited release in November 2019 as part of Record Store Day on limited edition vinyl, it is the first time that the band’s MTV Unplugged performance has been released on both vinyl and CD.
For any trepidation that Pearl Jam’s youth and inexperience may have potentially produced in the MTV offices, one would only need to see their seemingly limitless energy, powerfully expressive musical abilities and charismatically emotive front-man commanded every stage on which they performed to have any fears put to rest. Although the acoustic setting of “Unplugged” would find them playing on rented instruments with no real rehearsal just a few short days after completing their grueling first-ever European tour, the band unquestionably rose to the challenge of harnessing their raw electric roar into a more nuanced acoustic approach. While “Unplugged” would require they play without the benefit of some of their signature sonic tools—guitar distortion, amp feedback, wah pedals—they successfully transformed a small slice of their song catalog and, according to Gallen, remained incredibly photogenic in the process.
At the time, both “Unplugged” and Pearl Jam were in relatively similar places in their career arcs—both were relatively new but equally on the brink of massive stardom and pop-cultural ubiquity. “Unplugged” was still finding its footing as being more than just a television show, having only released Paul McCartney’s episode as an album and still being months away from releasing the juggernaut Eric Clapton “Unplugged” album. Similarly, Pearl Jam had experienced some success with the release of their debut album Ten, but at the time of their “Unplugged” taping, had only released “Alive” as their sole single to radio. Because of this, some MTV executives considered having the young band appear on the show at such a crucial momentum-building time as somewhat of a risk.
