Neil Young: Unplugged (Reprise).
DIVESTED of gadgetry and the power of a megawatt PA system on MTV Unplugged, an artist either delivers the goods or is exposed as a sham.
Hardly a wonder then that Neil Young, with decades of acoustic experience, should produce what is arguably the best Unplugged yet.
What is most impressive is he makes it all seem so effortless. Through material ranging from Buffalo Springfield's Mr Soul to cuts from last year's milestone Harvest Moon, Young eases through a typically ethereal set with classic elegance.
And while other heavyweights have relied on revamping hits (however brilliantly) for their Unplugged, Young casually offers up his more obscure material as confidently as the better known, never resorting to the safety of Cinnamon Girl or Southern Man.
A case in point: the album's opening track, The Old Laughing Lady, is from his first solo release, 1969's Neil Young. This song still sounds as fresh as the material on Harvest Moon.