In Concert/MTV Plugged - Album

Album

The album had a lukewarm reception; Entertainment Weekly would later refer to "In Concert/MTV Plugged, which, with E Street ringers focusing on Bruce's 'solo' material ... well, we won't go there." The numbers played on the show were relatively intense renditions, as highlighted by Springsteen's vocals and much of the instrumental accompaniment. The sombre, folk-oriented "Atlantic City" was played in a rock band setting, with a rhythm intro played on electric guitar as well as Springsteen's solos on the outro section. The show also, in a few ways, served to showcase Bruce Springsteen's soloing, as he played outro solos on most of the rock numbers, including the song "Lucky Town". Along with the applause from the audience, the common beloved chant of "Bruuuuce..." can be heard with some of the songs. The album was not immediately released in the United States, and when it was released in 1997, it reached number 189 on the album charts — which remains the worst such position of any album in his entire career — failing to achieve gold record status. This may be largely due to its being his only album with a delayed American release. It was more popular in the United Kingdom, where it reached number 4 on the album charts.