Staind - MTV Unplugged (2002)

MTV have been producing 'unplugged' specials for many years now with some big name artists such as Kiss, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Eric Clapton, R.E.M., Live, Bryan Adams - the list is endless - but sadly they are yet to release the majority of these on DVD. There have been a few, Bryan Adams, Alice in Chains, Bjork, Shakira and even Lauryn Hill have hit the shelves, and now it is the turn of Staind. Although they only have three albums to their credit thus far and a fourth due for release later in 2003, Staind have established a large following in a very short time. Their first album Tormented was produced in 1996 by the band themselves and sold simply by word of mouth. Their big break came in 1997 when they were scheduled to support Limp Bizkit and 20 minutes before they were to play the lead singer from Limp Bizkit, Fred Durst, approached Staind front man Aaron Lewis. He had a copy of Staind’s CD in his hand and wasn’t happy. Fred thought Staind were Satan worshippers due to the nature of the cover art. Limp Bizkit even tried to get Staind kicked off the bill. Of course they are not Satan worshippers and after Fred saw their show, his attitude changed dramatically, stating they were the best band he had heard in two years. Phone numbers were exchanged and after a while the band completed some new songs and gave these to Fred to listen to, he loved them. After playing another gig with Limp Bizkit, Fred set up a meeting with Flip Records and in 1998 Staind signed their first record contract.
Their second album Dysfunction was released in 1999 and clocked up reasonable sales, but it was their third album, Break the Cycle in 2001, which shot the band to prominence. Their international hit It’s Been Awhile received extensive airplay and charted around the world. They are primarily a heavy band, but they do produce some terrific ballads and this enthusiasm to play acoustically made the recording of the MTV session a natural choice.
Staind – MTV Unplugged was recorded at the MTV studios July 16, 2001 in front of an adoring and intimate audience. The band sound terrific and although their music is primarily heavy, it does transcend well to acoustic. The voice of Aaron Lewis is shown for what it really is here, with no interference from loud guitars. His soothing voice goes from a soft level to loud with ease, showing his versatility. I must admit he sounds better to me when singing the louder notes, but many will prefer his softer singing.

Artists: Staind
- Aaron Lewis: Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
- Mike Mushok: Guitar
- Johnny April: Bass, Backing Vocals
- Jon Wysocki: Drums
- Terry Balsamo (guest)


Tracklist:
01. Home
02. Me
03. Pressure
04. Excess Bagage
05. Suffer
06. Waste
07. Epiphany
08. It's Been a While
09. Can't Believe
10. Fade
11. Outside

Extra:
- Original Videos For Mudshovel, Fade, Outside, And Epiphany
- Behind The Scenes Footage From The "fade" Video Shoot
- Unplugged Interview
- Discography
- Lyrics In English
- Web Links


Features:
- Interactive Menu
- Direct Scene Access