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Unplugged
12/09/1997 3:00 AM, Yahoo! Music
Mike Lipton
With nine albums, two dozen hit singles and record sales of more than 50 million copies worldwide, Canadian born, London-based arena rocker Bryan Adams had little to gain and everything to lose by presenting himself and his songs in a more "intimate" (i.e. vulnerable) setting. Yet, recorded in front of an audience of 400, Adams not only emerges unscathed but reveals a depth to his music that wasn't always readily apparent. While production-wise it's a step down from his arena shows, when it comes to the (copyrighted) term "Unplugged," everything is relative. Running through a baker's dozen of his biggest hits as well as some brand-new material, Adams kicks off most of the tunes with an acoustic guitar but has ample help in the form of his band and a 16-piece orchestra. While tracks like "Summer Of '69" and "Cuts Like A Knife" are simply tamer versions of the full-blown hits, both his reworking of "I'm Ready" (with Davy Spillane adding tin whistle) and a soaring take on "Fits Ya Good" are standouts. Other nods to the medium are guitarist Keith Scott's national steel intro to a bluesy medley of "If Ya Wanna Be Bad--Ya Gotta Be Good" and "Let's Make A Night To Remember" and the toe-tapping acoustic-based country spin on "I Think About You."
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