Heavy artists or bands of which you prefer their acoustic output more

For me it's Alice in Chains. I've been listening to a lot of their catalog recently, and I find myself engaging in more repeat listens to the acoustic songs. Their Unplugged performance is criminally underrated, IMHO. Especially when compared to Nirvana's. I've read that Layne was in pretty rough shape around that time, but one would never know it from listening to that performance. Sounds like he was on top of his game to me.

 

I can't think of one. I do believe Deep Purple would excel at Unplugged. Nonetheless, I admire their integrity for not going there. Another lifelong favorite band YES did try it for their 35th anniversary collection, and even though it was solid/fun, it couldn't come close to the electric material, obviously.

 

Ulver

 

Opeth...maybe.

 

The Young Gods. I have no interest in their usual stuff, but Knock On Wood was a wonderful surprise.

I think they class as 'heavy', don't they?

 

Agreed that Knock on Wood was a very pleasant outing. And, yeah, I'd say they qualify as "heavy". They're one of my absolute favorite bands. You don't enjoy their electric stuff?

 

John McLaughlin - I much prefer his acoustic work on albums like My Goal's Beyond and with the ensemble Shakti, to the heavily distorted guitar featured on the album Devotion and with the Mahavishnu Orchestra.

 

I used to hear some of it in the late 80s and none of it grabbed me. I filed them away with Swans as a band I would never enjoy. Is there a YG electric album that you'd recommend?

 

Reading your post made me think about AIC's output and I'm thinking their acoustic stuff is better. I do like a lot of their heavy stuff but find it to be inconsistent.

 

Guns n' Roses...definitely!

 

Not exactly "heavy", but there are times when the softer or acoustic Velvet Underground stuff hits the spot a little more than the likes of "Sister Ray".

 

Yeah, quite a few, actually, but I'd definitely recommend their last album, Everybody Knows as a good and a fairly accessible album. Their first few are very grating and are, definitely, an acquired taste, but TV Sky, Only Heaven and Super Ready/Fragmente are all good, IMO.

 

I enjoy the acoustic Black Label Society stuff quite a bit.

 

Nine Inch Nails isn't quite as silly, so I'll say them.

 

The XM Radio station, The Coffee House features singer/songwriter music. Much of what's played is actually songs that were hits that most of you would know well, but played in an acoustic style. Many well known songs from the 80s get played regularly and sound quite good stripped of the 80s production.

Scott

 

Green Carnation's "Acoustic Verses" is quite good if you give it a listen

 

This.

 

I haven't heard an acoustic version of a 'hard" band that I prefer over their usual sound. That said, I'll check out some of the ones mentioned here.

 

Ice Cream Man.Van Halen.

 

It is hard to say if I like it more however I think that Led Zeppelin made some absolutely killer acoustic music throughout their run

 

Zep. I love side two of Led Zep III.

 

Wishbone Ash.

 

Agreed, I love their acoustic stuff. Mabye not more than their heavy stuff, but certainly just as much. I feel the same way about Neil Young's music.

 

Hot Tuna

 

Trapeze is a band that I like the mellower stuff more than the heavier stuff...