In Concert/MTV Plugged
A 1992 concert video and live album by Bruce Springsteen, recorded for MTV's Unplugged but played mostly amplified.
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In Concert/MTV Plugged, a live album and concert video from Bruce Springsteen, came out of his 1992 appearance on MTV's Unplugged series. Recorded at Warner Hollywood Studios in Los Angeles on September 22, 1992, it aired on MTV on November 11, 1992, preceded by a one-hour documentary.
Springsteen began with a solo acoustic performance of the unreleased "Red Headed Woman" before switching to amplified instruments with his hired band, breaking the Unplugged format. This led to the title MTV Plugged, sometimes written as XXPlugged after the cover art. The album earned a Gold certification in the US.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red Headed Woman (previously unreleased) | 2:51 |
| 2 | Better Days | 4:27 |
| 3 | Atlantic City | 5:38 |
| 4 | Darkness on the Edge of Town | 4:40 |
| 5 | Man's Job | 5:43 |
| 6 | Human Touch | 7:30 |
| 7 | Lucky Town | 5:08 |
| 8 | I Wish I Were Blind | 5:14 |
| 9 | Thunder Road | 5:28 |
| 10 | Light of Day (from the soundtrack to the film Light of Day – originally performed by Joan Jett & Michael J. Fox) | 8:17 |
| 11 | If I Should Fall Behind | 4:45 |
| 12 | Living Proof | 6:05 |
| 13 | My Beautiful Reward | 5:58 |
Track listing from the source article.
Album
The album had a moderate reception. "With E Street ringers focusing on Bruce's 'solo' material...," said Entertainment Weekly, "Well, we won't go there." The songs played on the show were relatively intense renditions, as highlighted by Springsteen's vocals and much of the instrumental accompaniment. The sombre, folk-oriented "Atlantic City" was played in a rock setting, with a rhythm intro on electric guitar as well as Springsteen's solos on the outro.
Springsteen played outro solos on most of the rock songs, including "Lucky Town". The album reached number 4 in a seven-week run on the UK chart. In 1997, five years after the concert was recorded, the album was rereleased in the US and appeared for the first time on the US charts, peaking at number 189 on the Billboard 200. The recording of "Thunder Road" from the concert was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance.
Video
A VHS and Laserdisc release of the show preceded any audio release, coming on December 15, 1992, and running 120 minutes. More songs were present here than on the later audio incarnation and on what actually aired on MTV. On November 9, 2004, a DVD reissuing of this performance was released. The video includes bonus songs not included in the MTV show: "Living Proof", "If I Should Fall Behind", and "Roll of the Dice" (DVD only).
Frequently Asked Questions
When was In Concert/MTV Plugged released?
In Concert/MTV Plugged was released on April 12, 1993.
Which label released In Concert/MTV Plugged?
In Concert/MTV Plugged was released by Columbia.
Who produced In Concert/MTV Plugged?
In Concert/MTV Plugged was produced by Bruce Springsteen and Jon Landau.
How long is In Concert/MTV Plugged?
In Concert/MTV Plugged runs 71:38.
More in Columbia Records Video Albums
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: In Concert/MTV Plugged (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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