MTV Unplugged (Thirty Seconds to Mars EP)
| MTV Unplugged | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| EP and Live album by Thirty Seconds to Mars | ||||
| Released | August 19, 2011 | |||
| Recorded | May 13, 2011 | |||
| Venue | Sony Music Studios, New York City | |||
| Genre | Acoustic rock | |||
| Length |
20:41 (EP) 30:03 (Video) |
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| Label | ||||
| Thirty Seconds to Mars chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Alternative Addiction |   |
| AltSounds | 9.6/10 |
| Chemical | |
| Loudwire | |
| Entertainment Weekly | favorable |
MTV Unplugged is an extended play (EP) and live album by American rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars, released in the United States on August 19, 2011 by Virgin Records. It features an acoustic performance taped at Sony Music Studios in New York City on May 13 of that year for the television series MTV Unplugged. The show's purpose is to present name artists, and feature them stripped of studio equipment. The performance was accompanied by musicians from the Vitamin String Quartet, a gospel choir and included the contribution of the band's fans.
The extended play includes rearranged versions of three songs extracted from Thirty Seconds to Mars' third studio album, This Is War (2009), and a cover version of a song by U2. Upon release, MTV Unplugged received universal acclaim from music critics, many of whom complimented the band's musicianship and the album's production. Commercially, it debuted at number 76 on the Billboard 200 and experienced moderate success in some international markets.
Thirty Seconds to Mars recorded their performance on May 13, 2011 at Sony Music Studios in New York City. The show featured a number of musicians from the Vitamin String Quartet and back-up vocalists from The Late Show's Gospel Choir. It marked the first live performance by the former. The show was produced by Lee Rolontz, Jay Peterson and Leah Culton-Gonzales through the production company Original Media.
Thirty Seconds to Mars dedicated several days to rehearsals, in which they reworked and experimented with their musical repertoire. The band invited their fans to attend the rehearsal sessions to work on songs that needed background vocals.Jared Leto expressed his gratitude to the band's fans, termed as the Echelon, emphasizing their strong collaboration. During rehearsals, musicians from the Vitamin String Quartet were also involved, with Leto stating that they were "really open and collaborative, [...] fluid and in the moment and improvisational." Thirty Seconds to Mars explained the scrupulous process of deciding which songs to cover, considering tracks by artists as varied as Cyndi Lauper, Gheorghe Zamfir, Eminem, and Fleetwood Mac. The band stated that they also considered a song by Dolly Parton, before they decided on "Where the Streets Have No Name" by U2, which is reputed a special song for Jared and Shannon Leto.
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