Mtv Unplugged [EP, Live]

Mariah Carey | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 2, 1992)
• Original Release Date: June 2, 1992
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: EP, Live
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000028P8
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MiniDisc  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #163,591 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

MARIAH CAREY MTV Unplugged (1992 US 7-track CD single including Emotions Someday and Make It Happen picture sleeve CK52758)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Closest We've Gotten to 'Lo-Fi' Mariah, September 3, 2005

By 

Rudy Palma "The Writing Fiend" (NJ) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Mtv Unplugged (Audio CD)

Well, maybe not lo-fi, but this is definitely stripped down to the most basic sound that we have heard Ms. Carey in her career. Not that we can blame her, though; a singer/songwriter she may be, penning all her original tunes, but she is definitely more obvious a pop chanteuse with a sprawling vocal range that has always benefited from the well-produced, glossy sheen of her albums.

However, due to the fact that her vocals are just as strong in this live setting and that the arrangments are bare bones, save for the soulful backup singers (who only make her sound better), and allow her all the proper space to be at the forefront, "Unplugged" serves as a fine document of Carey's raw talent. Many uneducated individuals who still dismiss her as all style and no substance still clearly need to give this disc a listen.

She first kicks off with the title track from her then most recent release, 1991's "Emotions," which is very similar in arrangement to the C&C Club Mix edit, known better as the "Special Motion Edit" of the song that appears as the final track on the impressive "Make It Happen" CD Remix Maxi Single. She then charges into "If It's Over," also from "Emotions" which is extremely more impressive live. Her vocals are far more impassioned; and the live setting allows the song a lot more room to breathe.

"Someday" comes next, which takes itself a lot less seriously than the #1 hit studio version from her eponymous 1990 debut LP. Still, Carey sounds wonderful, and the backup singers only add to this festive mix. Then comes her first single, "Vision of Love," which Carey humorously introduces as "my first single...ever" and laughs. She blows the song away, and establishes the first recorded time of dragging out the final notes of her career-making song, which she now infamously does every time she sings it.

The semi-autobiographical "Make It Happen" is swashbuckling fun and Carey sings with the kind of passion indicative of a true sense of coming full circle. This version also outshines the impressive but overproduced LP version very easily.

Then comes "I'll Be There" featuring her long-time friend and musical confidant Trey Lorenz. Soon to be one of the biggest hits of her career, when it was casually launched to radio around the time "Unplugged" aired, it originally was not at all intended to become a single. Not only did it soon become necessary to release the track as an official single, which would go on to hit #1 easily, but the success of the track is the only reason that cleared the way for the special to get pressed on CD. You can thank Carey and Lorenz for their spine-tinglingly spectacular performance of the song, which will surely still be heard on radio for generations to come.

The disc closes with "Can't Let Go," which is presented by Carey as an encore she was completely unsure of as to whether it would be performed or not. An understated, low-key reading of the 1991 #2 hit, the performance is not quite on par with the extremely high standard set by the rest of the disc, but is nevertheless a fine closing number to the performance, which is still unfortunately only available on VHS, not DVD. Hopefully the only increasing success of her latest album, "The Emancipation of Mimi" will clear the way for all of Carey's old home videos to be re-released on DVD. *

All in all, "Unplugged" is a novelty item in Carey's catalogue that is truly remarkable. It completely and utterly justifies why she shot to such an incredible height of fame at so young an age in her still only-budding career. Nothing but sheer, pure talent is showcased, while the release also reminds the listener, all these years later, just how far Carey has come in revitalizing her music in the time since then. Indeed, this is what she evolved from, and what an interesting story it is that began.

* This has occurred in the intervening years since this review was first written.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars She can sing, she really can sing...., January 10, 2005

By 

JimJrz - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mtv Unplugged (Audio CD)

This Mariah's 3rd album, a live album so the public can see that she is really the one singing in her albums and to justify why until that moment she hasn't had a national tour, she hits every can on known note and the public respond very weel to them.
The album has only 7 songs: 2 from the Album Mariah Carey, 4 from her Emotions album and 1 extra, a cover from the Jackson 5 hit, I'll be there which she sinhs with her back up singer Troy Lorenz.

1. Emotions.- Great vocal, sounds great live. 10/10
2. If it's over.- Not a single but one of her favorite songs, great voice. 9/10
3. Someday.- Great use of her back up vocals, the rap sound very nice, very fun song. 10/10
4. Vision of love.- Her trade mark song, she demostrates here the power of her voice, she reaches very high notes and the song sounds incredible. 10/10
5. Make it happen.- Her latter single up to that date, lot of back up vocals. 9/10
6. I'll be there.- The "new song" in this set, a remake from the Jackson 5 song, this one sounds so good, her voice has a melancholic tone that I really like, perfect. 10/10
7. Can't let go.- Nice ballad, nice performance. 9/10

Boy, she can really sing....

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply Amazing - Highly Recommended, January 1, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Mtv Unplugged (Audio CD)

This, her debut album Mariah Carey, and Emotions are the best Mariah albums. This one is so amazing in particular. None of the songs are bad and she sings her heart out on them all. I could put this album on repeat and listen to it for hours. If you're wondering if you should buy it - do. It's an amazing album and really beings the best out of her and her voice. She isn't as glossy sounding as she is on her albums, but in a good way. You can hear the rawness of her voice and the soul in her voice much more and she lets go and sings passionately & sounds like she's having a lot of fun.

Emotions - So great. She started out the song with a different intro, then went into the song as it is on the album. She hits the high notes perfectly, silencing the critics. The audience goes crazy. She did an amazing job singing this song live.

If It's Over - Perfection. I personally love this one better than the album version. It's sung amazingly and with a lot of emotion. You can tell this song meant a lot to her. Singing it live brought the best out of it.

Someday - This live version is fun & she lets her backup singers sing right out front a bit more. She sounds like she's having the time of her life and the high note at the end is not forced sounding like the album version. This version isn't as aggressive as the studio version; it's more fun and carefree.

Vision Of Love - Her voice sounded a bit tired here, but she sang it amazingly. I prefer the album version though & I've heard her sing this song better live at different performances. Still great though.

Make It Happen - So much better than the album version. She took a boring, poppy song and made it a bit jazzy and upbeat. Vocally it's great and outshines the original version from the album hands down.

I'll Be There - Trey Lorenz joins her and they cover the Jackson's hit. It's pretty and sung well. Trey has a great voice too. No wonder it went to #1.

Can't Let Go - Her backup singers start singing it after the show was ending and Mariah seems surprised. She giggles and tells the audience that she is going to sing it for them because she is so happy that they made her feel at home and she wants to thank them. This one shows the emotion that the album version lacked and is more raw and less poppy. It's vocally better in my opinion. It's sweet, because in a way she was letting the audience know she 'Can't Let Go' of them because it was nearing the end of the MTV Unpligged performance. The end of the song has her thanking the audience for coming and telling them she loves them.