Lauryn Hill - MTV Unplugged No. 2.0

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Music reviews of MTV Unplugged No. 2.0

Music Review: Flawed, but Phenomenal, Wouldn't Change A Thing
Rating: 4 Stars

Lauryn Hill's Unplugged 2.0 is flawed, but phenomenal. Somehow its imperfection is what makes it such a stand out album. I almost gave the album 5 stars myself, because Lauryn deserves so much credit for the courage she has shown in her career path, but since this is just a review of the album and not the artist, I had to hold back.

First of all, this is a live album. A lot of what applies to a studio album, just does not apply to a live performance album. Most of the negative things critics have to say about Unplugged 2.0 are related to the fact that the songs are unpolished, that there is limited musical accompaniment, Lauryn's voice cracks from time to time as she struggles to stay in key, the long monologues, sophomoric guitar playing etc. These factors do make the album somewhat hard to listen to at points, and if this were a studio album, she would be guilty of unforgivealbe sins. A live album is a singular performance. 2.0 captures the essence of the artist's performing: her intensity, her passion, her humor, her introspection. The MTV unplugged series has always featured artists doing very intimate sets in which they explained the background behind the songs (although they were usually giving the stories behind their hits and not new material as Lauryn does). So anyone that is disappointed in this album is probably not letting go of the fact that they were waiting for another Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, another big super-produced studio album with lush instrumentation. But judge this album independently on its own merits, and you are treated to a very brave performance by a woman baring her soul. Some say this album is too preachy, but Lauryn has always been a social critic. What I like about this album is that she has turned the criticism inward and is talking more about saving her own soul rather than someone else's. In that sense, I believe she has become less dogmatic than the Lauryn Hill who did morality songs like Doo Wop (That Thing).

So what makes this album so good? It is an intimate portrait of the life of a sensitive and honest human being in western culture. The album is sometimes enigmatic and Lauryn apologizes offering that perhaps her songs will speak directly to the hearts of men. Somehow this apology is accepted because the listener finds himself being aware of something going on inside even if everything isn't easy to grasp mentally. I mean Lauryn is pulling from Platonic philosophy and Rastafarian theology so its only natural that we would get lost from time to time as we try to keep up with her blistering pace. But the whole time, she finds a way to stay accessible like no other album in the urban genre of music has been in a long time.

Songs like "Gotta Find Peace of Mind" find Lauryn breaking down in tears as she relates the story of how we can all suffer through insecurity and shame, but live through it and learn a better way to exist. It's a song of triumph as hope and faith win out over doubt and fear. Her tears at the end of the song are triumphant tears.

Other songs, such as "Rebel (I Find It Hard To Say)" burn with such an intense passion and strike us on so many levels. Written with the shooting death of Amadou Diallo in mind the song on the surface is a commentary on the violence still haunting the communities of minorities in this country. But the song goes deeper and reveals that the album is about what lurks in everyone's heart that creates a place where the Diallo shooting can occur.

And Lauryn is still knows how to write a beautiful love song. Songs like "Just Like The Water" and "I Just Want You Around" or so touching and so beautiful that I find it strange that so many people want to focus on the guitar playing or the hoarse voice. Sure, Lauryn is no Jimi Hendrix or Patti LaBelle, but she isn't trying to be. The guitar and voice are not supposed to take center stage here. Anyone who refuses to get beyond that is probably just to narrow-minded to appreciate an album like this. We all fell in love with Lauryn years ago because she was an artist, giving us honest heart-felt expression. It seems strange that as she grows in her ability to be honest and sincere in her music, that she is getting attacked for it. Integrity ought to be a good thing but its rarely praised in our culture or in our art.

Some of the songs do drag on a bit as Lauryn tries earnestly to cover so much ground. I sometimes find myself getting lost as I listen to songs like "Adam Live in Theory" and "Oh Jeruselum", but perhaps this "flaw" works out to be a plus. With so much lyrical content, I am still listening to these songs like I just opened the CD and its been three months since I bought it.

I will say this. The first few listens of 2.0 found me spellbound. I listened to the discs from beginning to end over and over again getting caught up in the emotional peaks and valleys of the performance. But the heart of the album is still in the songs so after having heard the interludes over and over again, I am focused on the songs. I actually, burned a copy of the CD with just the songs and they all just barely fit on one 80 minute CD.

Description of MTV Unplugged No. 2.0

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