1. Only When I Sleep

2. What Can I Do

3. Radio

4. Toss The Feathers

5. Runaway

6. Forgiven Not Forgotten

7. At Your Side

8. Little Wing

9. No Frontiers

10. Queen Of Hollywood

11. Old Town

12. Lough Erin Shore

13. So Young

14. Everybody Hurts

 

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The Corrs sound comfortably at home on this orchestrally enhanced acoustic gig, recorded at Ardmore Studios outside Dublin in early October 1999. With only two studio albums to their credit, it may seem a bit early to go for an Unplugged rerun, but the inclusion of two new Corrs-penned songs and a trio of previously unheard covers, in addition to the live greatest hits, means there's something fresh to enjoy. An unplugged session also establishes clearly that the Corrs, in danger of being perceived as pop puppets, are a real band who play and sing beautifully and can deliver the goods live. Encouragingly, the two new songs, "Radio" and "At Your Side," are well up to the usual Corrs standard, while much of the already familiar material benefits from tasty arrangements--"What Can I Do" in particular works better than the dance-remix hit version.

Proof of Perfection

Some bands work studio magic to bring their songs to life. Others do it the old-fashioned way, writing their own material and playing their own instruments. These Irish rockers are of the latter category, and they prove it on this brilliant recording of their MTV "Unplugged" session.

The album opens with an almost haunting acoustic rendition of their "Talk On Corners" hit 'Only When I Sleep'. Backed by a Dublin orchestra and Andrea Corr's powerful vocals, the band shatters all rumors that they are nothing but mere studio magic.

Performing live, especially with an orchestra, means that some songs will have to be re-worked -- and they are, but not necessarily for the worse. In the tounge-in-cheek ballad 'What Can I Do', they manage to combine both versions - the original and Tin Tin Out Remix - to create a beautiful sound backed by gentle orchestral strings. 'Forgiven Not Forgotten' sounds even more mystical in its acoustic state, and the jig 'Toss the Feathers' sounds more Irish than ever with Caroline Corr's rhythmic bodhran driving it forward.

The album is full of great material, including previously unrecorded songs that the group has been performing live for years, including a gently touching cover of REM's 'Everybody Hurts' and an amazing duet between sisters Sharon and Caroline to Jimmy McCarthy's 'No Frontiers'. Not many bands can place such delicate ballads in the hands, or, rather, voices, of their backup singers, but the sisters do the song justice with some of the most beautiful harmonies I've ever heard.

Also featured on this record are two new hits - the jovial 'At Your Side' and the melancholy yet enticing acoustical 'Radio'. While the former is a testament to loyalty, the latter is both dark and uplifting at the same time.

What makes "Unplugged" different from other Corrs' albums? For starters, it has a distinctively Irish feel to it. Without a lot of percussion, Caroline's bodhran, Andrea's tin whistle, and Sharon's violin effortlessly shine through, creating a bit of a rough edge to such brilliant tracks as 'Little Wing' and 'Runaway'. The acoustic-ness of it is immediately appealing, giving it a relaxed, mellow effect. And, best of all, it was recorded live -- without overlapping tracks and re-takes, proving once and for all that the Corrs are just as amazing outside the studio as they are inside of it.