I spent a rainy Friday thinking to myself - If I were a part of the Alice In Chain's management "camp", what would I promote?
One of my ideas would be releasing a new compilation album focusing on the "acoustic" sound of AIC (and easier to digest for those who only know a little about the band and don't "get into" the heavier sounding stuff).
And then wrote 500 words of "liner notes" to walk you through the journey.
Yes, I am a dork; enjoy.
2-3. SAP - Ok, so I started off this playlist to feel the dark pain that is AIC at the full haunting power it has the potential to be. But a few years earlier, they did this between albums with the EP Sap.
Songs here would take years to achieve their eventual potential, because you’ll notice Layne Staley's vocals are here on "Brother". That’s because he was (if ya didn’t already know) many times throughout this band’s career - “deep in throes” of heroin addiction.
I don't know the specifics nor should I assume, but a large part of this bands narrative has to do with drugs. Maybe he was just busy that day.
These songs are good, but without Layne here in what I'll say as "fully commited to them", Jerry’s “baby boy” vocals do not do the songs the justice they deserve. More to come, keep listening after “Brother” and “Got Me Wrong”, we will meet them again. Layne is phsically present on the latter, but the vocals just don't "hit right" until you hear them again in 1996.
4-5. We’re back to Jar of Flies. The next 2 songs off this album shine, with the obvious “No Excuses” being one of the band’s biggest hit songs and is just perfect. This album is a jar of lighting.
6. “Heaven Beside You” – The last time they will create this acoustic sound in a studio with Layne. Here they clearly included an acoustic song on the heels of the success of “No Excuses” and would do so on future studio releases in the same way.
7-10. AIC Unplugged. I should just make you run through the entire album but for the sake that this is a “compilation” and I want to limit it to 13 tracks max, you get the 4 that really stand out. Yes, I know "Would" was a huge hit.
You need to experience the pain of these guys walking out to “Nutshell” – the band hadn’t played together in years, Layne is essentially on the road to dying young, it’s also one of the last times they’ll ever play together, it’s also magic and the hands-down best MTV Unplugged album.
Listen to the two tracks from earlier (yes, we will listen to them here, with Layne in full force, to hear how GREAT the songs are with him as the final piece).
“Got Me Wrong” is a dud until you here Layne here really transform the way he sings it with his adjusted harmonies.
11-12. Resurrection: The next 2 songs are off the first 2 albums after Layne’s death and feature the similar harmony vocals of William Duvall - yes this band replaced Layne and have released 3 totally fantastic albums, and that will be a post in the future.
These albums, and this band, are awesome and these songs continue the formula created on albums like Jar of Flies and Alice in Chains.
13. I end here with “Don’t Follow” - sounds a little country and plays with the two vocalists’ strengths perfectly. Jerry is singing a lot more now on this album, and well.
A preview of his future solo career (at the time). And a good ending, back to the Jar of Flies sound that this playlist is all about.
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