Geffen

Guns N' Roses' Greatest Hits may bear all the hallmarks of a hastily assembled compilation, but it does offer all the band's biggest hits, "Welcome to the Jungle," "Sweet Child O' Mine," "Patience," "Paradise City," "Don't Cry," "You Could Be Mine," "November Rain," and "Live and Let Die" among them. While there are certainly several noteworthy tracks missing -- charting singles like "Nightrain" and "Estranged," and album tracks like "It's So Easy," "Mr. Brownstone," and "Used to Love Her," for instance -- for listeners who want a collection containing the group's biggest hits on one disc, Greatest Hits will serve their needs nicely. © Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

If In Utero is a suicide note, MTV Unplugged in New York is a message from beyond the grave, a summation of Kurt Cobain's talents and pain so fascinating, it's hard to listen to repeatedly. Is it the choice of material or the spare surroundings that make it so effective? Well, it's certainly a combination of both, how the version of the Vaselines' "Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam" or the three covers of Meat Puppets II songs mean as much as "All Apologies" or "Something in the Way." This, in many senses, isn't just an abnormal Nirvana record, capturing them in their sincerest desire to be R.E.M. circa Automatic for the People, it's the Nirvana record that nobody, especially Kurt, wanted revealed. It's a nakedly emotional record, unintentionally so, as the subtext means more than the main themes of how Nirvana wanted to prove its worth and diversity, showcasing the depth of their songwriting. As it turns out, it accomplishes its goals rather too well; this is a band, and songwriter, on the verge of discovering a new sound and style. Then, there's the subtexts, as Kurt's hurt and suicidal impulses bubble to the surface even as he's trying to suppress them. Few records are as unblinkingly bare and naked as this, especially albums recorded by their peers. No other band could have offered covers of David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold the World" and the folk standard "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" on the same record, turning in chilling performances of both -- performances that reveal as much as their original songs. © Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

Download not available

Download not available

Download not available

Download not available

A year before his major-label debut, XO, was released, it seemed unlikely that Elliott Smith would even be on a major, let alone having his record be one of the more anticipated releases of 1998. He had certainly earned a great deal of critical respect with his low-key, acoustic indie records and was emerging as a respected songwriter, but he hadn't made much of an impression outside of journalists, record collectors, and indie rockers. An Oscar nomination can change things, however. "Miss Misery," one of Smith's elegantly elegiac songs for Gus Van Sant's Good Will Hunting, unexpectedly earned an Academy Award nomination, and he was immediately thrust into the spotlight. He was reluctant to embrace instant celebrity, yet he didn't refuse a contract with DreamWorks, and he didn't shy away from turning XO into a glorious fruition of his talents. Smith's songs remain intensely introspective, yet the lush, Beatlesque production provides a terrifically charming counterpoint. His sweetly dark melodies are vividly brought to life with the detailed arrangements, and they sell Smith's tormented songs -- it's easy to get caught up in the tunes and the sound of the record, then realize later what the songs are actually about. That's a sign of a good craftsman, and XO proves that not only can Elliott Smith craft a song, but he knows how to make an alluring pop record as well. © Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

"...it has guile and bite and a sense of itself, and doesn't seem, unlike records by other Hot New American Bands, hung up in the slightest about how a record by a Hot New American Band should sound, just how a record by That Dog should sound...." © TiVo

It's said that the pre-Nevermind Kurt Cobain liked to tell people he intended to be a rock star, but a look at what happened later suggests either stardom was a great deal different than he expected, or that he really didn't imagine he was ever going to become multi-platinum-level rich and famous. If Nevermind wasn't exactly the sound of a happy man, it also had a vitality and brio that were replaced by a haunted, spectral undertow on In Utero and MTV Unplugged in New York. Given how people love to make a great deal of Cobain's fondness for the Beatles, Nirvana's Live at the Paramount could be said to be his corollary to John Lennon's performance in the movie A Hard Day's Night, both of which captured the artists at a moment where success was a pleasure, just before it became a burden. Live at the Paramount was recorded at a hometown show in Seattle on Halloween 1991, about five weeks after Nevermind had been released and just a few days before the album unexpectedly crashed into the Top 40 of the album charts. Playing a packed house as they suddenly went from grunge underdogs to the kings of the hill, Nirvana sound tight, confident, and powerful in these recordings, tearing through the bulk of both Nevermind and Bleach with the agility of a sprinter hitting their stride. Cobain's vocals and guitar work are on point, spontaneous, and in the moment but landing their marks with vigor, while Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl nail the rhythms with a gleeful lack of mercy. While the set gets off to a subdued start with a cover of the Vaselines' "Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam," the second tune, "Aneurysm," finds the band shifting into fourth gear, and while the pace ebbs and flows, they maintain a tight focus throughout and play the sort of show that earned them their reputation as they toured behind the comparatively muddy and scattershot Bleach. Live at the Paramount may not feature the best recorded Nirvana gig -- Live at Reading has the edge -- but there is a fire and a noisy joy in this set that they would very rarely achieve again. This captures Nirvana as a kick-ass rock band on a great night, not as the unexpected Voices of a Troubled Generation that they were forced to become. And that makes a very, very big difference. © Mark Deming /TiVo