Mana MTV Unplugged CD

MTV UNPLUGGED was nominated for the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Performance.
The popular Latin rock band Maná turned off their amps for a special appearance on MTV Unplugged, and this DVD release features the group's acoustic show, along with a few extras for fans. The images have been transferred as shot at full-frame, and the audio has been mastered in Dolby Digital Stereo. The group's performance is in Spanish, with no subtitles. The disc features additional behind-the-scenes footage, as well as two additional numbers that were trimmed from the initial broadcast of the show, "Un Lobo Por Tu Amor" and "Me Vale." ~ Mark Deming
The unplugged trend of the 1990s could be quite revealing. If a band used amplification to mask its deficiencies, going acoustic could easily expose them. But when artists who had a lot going for them -- everyone from Aerosmith and Bruce Springsteen to L.L. Cool J -- went unplugged, they had a lot of strong material to rely on and triumphed in an acoustic or electro-acoustic environment. Stripped of the arena rock amplification it was known for, Maná generally sounds decent on this live-in-a-studio recording for MTV Unplugged. Much of the material is commercial, middle-of-the-road pop/rock fare; ballads like "Vivir Sin Aire" and "Cachito" are enjoyable, though not earth shattering. Nonetheless, the Mexican rock en Español band can be challenging at times. "Cuando Los Angeles Lloran" is a poignant ode to Chico Mendez, a South American environmentalist/activist who was murdered because of his fight to save the Amazon, while "Ana" describes the desperation of a pregnant 15-year-old who is afraid to tell her parents and gets no support from the boy who impregnated her. Equally sobering is the reggae-influenced "Falta Amor," an account of a homeless child. For the most part, however, Unplugged is the work of a band that is content to be decent when it's quite capable of being compelling. ~ Alex Henderson
From the triumphant opening of the first tune and ensuing applause, it's clear that this is one of the finer UNPLUGGED sets to be found. Mexico's own Mana bring their stirring brand of pop-rock to MTV's stage with grace and a healthy dose of fun. A lush string section amplifies the drama of it all, rendering classics like "Vivir Sin Aire" and "No Ha Parado" grand and spirited.
Frontman Fher's Sting-esque voice shimmers as he leads the band through their celebrated songs of love, hope and justice, with group harmonies that merit comparison to the seamlessness of Crosby, Stills & Nash. Among the more solemn moments is a cover of Ruben Blades' "Desapariciones," referring to the "disappeared" victims of Latin America's various authoritarian regimes. Fher's and Vallins' guitar playing is fluid and colorful throughout.