Discovered by a major label and quickly accorded fast-track priority, Mariah Carey was already a platinum pop Cinderella by the time of this 1992 music video project. Her career's exclusive reliance on meticulously groomed studio recordings and equally polished video clips invited critical skepticism, if not scorn, however, making this concert debut on camera a risky career move. As it happened, it was also a triumphant one: coming on the heels of her manicured albums, the girlish charm and heart-stopping vocal pyrotechnics displayed on Unplugged confirmed Carey's talents, while also delivering the freshest music she'd made up to that point.

Modifying the series's original acoustic format, Carey's special reinforces her octave-leaping vocal prowess with a crack (and frequently very plugged-in) band, a string section, and a muscular vocal chorus. But the star herself is clearly live, not Memorex, as she vaults from her husky lower register to those signature, stratospheric head tones that would normally be possible only through judicious application of helium. Earlier hits, including "Emotions," "Vision of Love," and "Make It Happen," come across more like heartfelt (if somewhat routine) personal testaments than the technical showcases they seem on record, where every on-a-dime vocal swoop, leap, or pirouette can suggest a deliberate obstacle placed there to demonstrate Carey's chops.

When she tucks into Michael Jackson's "I'll Be There," however, there's little room left for quibbling. Carey's lush, melismatic delivery blossoms in this richer emotional soil, and her duet partner, Trey Lorenz (who would go on to a successful solo career, catapulted by this performance), matches her in fervor. Even Carey's detractors can be humbled by this track, while her fans will relish the whole program, augmented on home video with three contemporaneous video clips. --Sam Sutherland