The term 'unplugged' is subject to inflation. In the past it stood for pure acoustic versions of songs, nowadays the term is taken less strictly. Also on the Unplugged CD of soul singer Alicia Keys the necessary (bass) guitars and keyboards are supplied with electricity, but that should not spoil the fun. After all, few other contemporary singers have such a high-quality (and self-written) oeuvre
… as Alicia Keys. Some of these stripped-down performances, for example the passionately sung If I Ain't Got You, are even preferable to the studio versions. In addition, fans are treated to a single new song (Unbreakable), the jazzy Streets Of New York and some covers such as the Motown classic Every Little Bit Hurts (Gladys Knight, Brenda Holloway) and Wild Horses by The Rolling Stones, where she receives assistance from Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine. Alicia Keys knows how to live up to the quality of her studio albums live with amazing ease. (MS)more
