AMG Review of MTV Unplugged

Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music Guide

When it was recorded, nobody knew that MTV Unplugged would be 10,000 Maniacs' last album with Natalie Merchant. As it stands, it's a quiet, gentle way for her to bow out, offering no new revelations but several solid versions of the group's signature songs (mainly concentrating on Our Time in Eden) and a cover of Patti Smith's "Because the Night." It's nothing new, but for fans it's a graceful way to say goodbye.