MTV Unplugged is more or less dead now, but it was once a stellar way to show the world’s top bands in a stripped down, intimate, acoustic instrument-only manner that fans may have never seen before. Nirvana’s set from 1993 and Pearl Jam’s 1992 sets are notably legendary. But grunge is pretty easy to break down into its essential parts, and some genres aren’t exactly easy to perform in the “unplugged” fashion. That’s why KISS’s 1995 MTV Unplugged episode was so shocking, mainly because it was so good. There were no costumes, no makeup, no pyrotechnics; just KISS in their purest form. As fans put it on YouTube, “Kiss’ finest hour.”
KISS was known for their music and theatrics in almost equal fashion. Their music could be defined as heavy metal; a genre that depends on electric guitars, distortion, and a few other elements that are rooted in technology. Just as well, KISS’s theatrics have also heavily depended on technology. When one thinks of pyrotechnics, they usually think of KISS.
When the idea of doing an Unplugged set started floating around, KISS was at a low point in their career. A number of artists, including Rod Stewart, managed to breathe some life into their careers by appearing on the MTV series, so it seemed like a good idea at the time.
But how did KISS pull off an unplugged set when their whole brand revolves around being very much plugged in? It all comes down to the fact that the band, as a whole, was just very talented and creative.
The band brought back OG members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss for the Unplugged set, a choice that was quite smart in retrospect. There were rumors that Criss’ drumming ability had declined in recent years. Even though fans of KISS were excited to see the original lineup together on stage, there was some trepidation.
Luckily, the set was incredible. Each member’s talent was on full display, sans makeup, and the nostalgia of it all was heavenly for fans of the rock legends. In fact, the set was so successful that the band decided to kick off a massively successful reunion tour shortly after the Unplugged episode and subsequent album was released. If anything, we can credit this Unplugged set with quite literally bringing KISS back to life for decades more.