Alicia Keys — Unplugged

The talented Ms. Keys breathes some life into the rotting corpse of MTV Unplugged, bringing back everything that made the series fun in the first place. You won't catch her sitting on a stool in a sweater, strumming away, but the freshness is here and so too is the musician's joy at getting back to basics with a small, doting audience. Keys may unplug, but she refuses to quiet down, surrounding her voice and piano with a lively sound — a full band, horn section, string quartet, back-up singers and guest MCs all help out. Only a "Wild Horses" duet with Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine can bring this party screeching to a halt.

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