ALICE IN CHAINS

BACKDROP:
Back in ’90, ’91, somewhere around there, a fledgling new music genre that would become known as grunge burst out of the Pacific Northwest to change the musical landscape forever. Alice In Chains was part of the Seattle Four (AIC, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Nirvana), though if there was justice in the world, it would’ve been the Seattle Six (Mudhoney, Screaming Trees). Actually, I don’t know if either of those terms have been coined, but if not, I’m trademarking them.



FACELIFT:
One of the cornerstones of alternative music and also a turning point in metal. This is the point the two truly converge. Not AIC’s best effort but perhaps their purest. The band rocks with power and fury. “Sea of Sorrow,” “Man In The Box,” “We Die Young,” hell, the entire album is a headbanger’s delight. The talent is clearly on display here. The pieces are already in place, and AIC could (and would) only build upon it from here.



SAP:
Out of all the 90s bands secretly (or not so secretly) trying to claim the throne of Led Zeppelin, Alice In Chains were the true heirs, and this EP proves it. Moving from the heavy rock of FACELIFT and into a calmer, acoustic-tinged sound, the band is comfortable and confident. No awkward experimentation here. I think out of all of AIC’s releases, this one makes me miss Layne Staley the most. The way his voice sounds so powerful yet so vulnerable. Jokey hidden track aside, the EP’s short length is its best asset. This feels like an intimate set, like watching your favorite band play at the local record store.



DIRT:
A milestone and a high school favorite. But seventeen-odd years later (and they were some pretty odd years, let me tell you), DIRT stands as somewhat of a mixed bag. While the band takes some strides forward, they also take some strides backwards. PRO: Jerry Cantrell’s vocals have gotten stronger. CON: Layne Staley’s voice has gotten weaker. PRO: The riffs have gotten grittier and meatier. CON: The production and mix is somewhat muddled. PRO: Individually, each track is killer. CON: The song order just doesn’t feel right. At track three, the sludgy “Rain When I Die” kills the momentum built by opening rockers “Them Bones” and “Dam That River.” And yes, the 1-2 punch of “Angry Chair” and “Would?” make a great closer. But at the same time, I can’t help but wonder if the album might not be better served if they were placed elsewhere. Okay, so time may have revealed the (kind of nitpicky) weaknesses of the album. But the album does contain “Angry Chair” and “Would?” Is that not enough?



JAR OF FLIES:
Continuing the pattern of following dick-flopping rock with mellow introspection. Sort of like Neil Young. Though “I Stay Away” is a rockin’ rocker. Really, this isn’t that much different from DIRT. Not much to say about this one. Continued progression from the band as they stretch out some more. If anything, the shorter run time is a bit of a detriment. Whereas SAP was perfect at EP length, JAR OF FLIES feels like it should’ve been fleshed out with a few more songs.



ALICE IN CHAINS:
I listened to this incessantly in high school, though most people seemed to hate it. Looking back at it now, through the prism of 14 years without the rose-colored glasses of nostalgia, yeah, my love for it has diminished somewhat. Their darkest yet weakest effort, both the result of Layne Staley’s crippling heroin addiction. His voice is completely gone, propped up by layers of effects. It’s a shame, really, because the songs are better than people are willing to give credit for. Okay, the songs do have a tendency to drag on quite a bit, but keep in mind, this is a sludge album (the track “Sludge Factory” should tip you off). These songs are not meant to be succinct. Check out the riffs on “Grind” and “Again” and tell me your face is not melted. And the lyrics are at their most confessional, given extra weight and poignancy by Staley’s death. Unfortunately, this is the sound of a band—and a man in particular—self-destructing, and that’s not always a good thing. If we had the Layne Staley from SAP on “Shame In You” or the Staley from DIRT on “Nothing Song,” we’d have bonafide masterpieces. And that’s why this album is a failure: not because of what the songs are but because of what they could’ve been. A band as talented as AIC deserves a better swan song.



MUSIC BANK:
Box sets are generally good way to cash in on the gullible hardcore fan. Enticing us with those rare, previously unreleased tracks and, in some cases, wicked cool box art, those evil record companies manage to get us to shell out cash for stuff we mostly already own. The ideal market for a box set is a peculiar one: someone into the band enough to want more than what a greatest hits album can offer yet not into the band enough to buy all the actual albums. That’s what makes MUSIC BANK so frustrating. The demos and outtakes are great. The alternate takes are generally better than the officially released takes. But these are too few and far between. If you own the five studio releases, you already own 80% of what’s on here. There’s other headscratchers. Like why did they go with a remix of “Again” that dilutes the original’s strengths. And why did they place new track “Get Born Again” at the beginning of what is a more or less chronological set? For that matter, why is “Get Born Again” listed as taken from NOTHING SAFE: BEST OF THE BOX when that release is a sampler of MUSIC BANK? As for the multimedia fourth disc, I remember it containing a game that wasn’t very good. But I can’t verify that as my new computer won’t allow me to play it. Damn you, Vista!






FINAL THOUGHTS:
I think we all know how this one ends. If not, Wikipedia it. The rest of the group has recently reformed under the Alice In Chains moniker, which seems disrespectful, especially since it’s obviously being used for name recognition. In all fairness, the new guy might be an awesome singer, but without Layne Staley, it’s not really AIC, is it? Then again, AC/DC managed just fine after Bon Scott died.