Unplugged: The Complete 1991 and 2001 Sessions is a 2014 live album from alternative rock band
R.E.M., released initially on vinyl recordings through
Rhino Records for
Record Store Day, and later made available on compact disc and digitally. The album is composed of two performances that the band made on the U.S. television show MTV Unplugged. Among the album's 33 tracks are 11 performances which were not aired on either broadcast.[1] To promote the album,
Mike Mills signed copies at independent record store Bull Moose in
Scarborough, Maine.[2] Video of the concerts was released later that year on REMTV.[3]
According to the review aggregator
Metacritic, Unplugged: The Complete 1991 and 2001 Sessions received "generally favorable reviews" based on a
weighted average score of 73 out of 100 from 10 critic scores.[4] Andrzej Lukowski of
Drowned in Sound gave the album a positive review, commenting that R.E.M. was "a great live band, and the acoustic format is a fine showcase for Stipe's remarkable voice" and "1991 and 2001 complement each other well, as contrasting mood pieces".[8]Rolling Stone's
Will Hermes gave the album four out of five stars remarking, "No band but
Nirvana made more breathtakingly transformative use of MTV Unplugged than R.E.M."[10] Mike Diver of Clash considers the album inessential in R.E.M.'s catalogue but still welcome and a "fan-pleasing release".[7] Similarly,
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of
Allmusic calls this release a "treat for hardcore R.E.M. fans" and contrasts the
baroque pop of the 2001 set with the
folk rock of the 1991 performance.[5] Alternately, American Songwriter's Lynne Margolis considers the album an important document of R.E.M.'s history writing, "By stripping their work to its most elemental form, this collection expresses their artistry in a truly definitive way."[6]
Sales
The album debuted at number 21 on the
Billboard 200 in late May 2014 after having its wide-scale release on compact disc and digital download.[11] It also peaked at number 27 on the
Italian Albums Chart.[12]