Alice in Chains - MTV Unplugged (1996)

Easily my favorite Unplugged performances by ones of my favorite bands. It's not there best release but, if you enjoy the slower songs it is definitely for you. My dad had the album back in the day, I've been listening to them forever and it's especially sad to hear one of Layne's last stuff with the band. It was even more depressing watching the actual show and he looked like he'd been on a drug binge. A cool tale from the show is Mike Inez had something written on his guitar saying friends don't let friends get haircuts because Metallica had cut there hair and were in attendance. I noticed on the CD version they edited out when Layne messes up on the lyrics to "Sludge Factory". One of the biggest disadvantages from the televising show was that it didn't feature "Killer is Me" one of my favorites they did that night. That song had been featured in any album, I always wondered if that was a song that didn't make the self entitled album for whatever reason. It could be a song they wrote after that album since Inez wasn't playing bass because Scott Olsen was playing bass on that song so I'm unsure of the origin of that great track. A like all Alice in Chains, if you've never heard it you must have lived under a rock. Songs to check out "Over Now", "Killer is Me" and "Nutshell".

1. "Nutshell" – 4:58
2. "Brother" – 5:27
3. "No Excuses" – 4:57
4. "Sludge Factory" – 4:36
5. "Down in a Hole" – 5:46
6. "Angry Chair" – 4:36
7. "Rooster" – 6:41
8. "Got Me Wrong" – 4:59
9. "Heaven Beside You" – 5:38
10. "Would?" – 3:43
11. "Frogs" – 7:30
12. "Over Now" – 7:12
13. "Killer Is Me" – 5:23

Alice in Chains - Facelift (1990)

A defining of genre arose with the release of Alice in Chains first record Facelift. Many bands try to duplicate them and none could. They're one of those bands that just have it. I'll always believe in them as one of the most underrated bands even though they can sell a million each album. They had the best duet of all time in Cantrell and Staley and they wrote better music than anyone in the entire decade overall. They were incorrectly labeled grunge which you're an idiot to believe that because that's like saying Led Zeppelin is a heavy metal band. My point is many people only know "Man in the Box", if they gave a chance and listened to any other track on the album they would know that this band is probably a lot better than you thought. I've been listening to them my whole life, they don't write fillers they write all possible number one singles. That lineup Kinney-Cantrell-Inez/Starr with Staley is mindblowing. Layne Staley deserves to be one of the most recognized legendary deceased rock stars such as John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley and Kurt Cobain. In my opinion he influenced me more than all those combined and many more. I know all of us Alice fans miss you and think about you every time one of your songs is on the radio or stereo.This album kicks ass and if you think Alice in Chains is stopping anytime soon your sadly mistaken because there new frontman William Duvall is a more than worthy replacement. Layne's voice lives on...Songs to check "Sea of Sorrow", "We Die Young" and "It Ain't Like That".



1. "We Die Young" 2:32
2. "Man in the Box" 4:46
3. "Sea of Sorrow" 5:49
4. "Bleed the Freak" 4:01
5. "I Can't Remember" 3:42
6. "Love, Hate, Love" 6:26
7. "It Ain't Like That" 4:37
8. "Sunshine" 4:44
9. "Put You Down" 3:16
10. "Confusion" 5:44
11. "I Know Somethin' ('Bout You)" 4:22
12. "Real Thing" 4:03

Jerry Cantrell - Degradation Trip (2002)

The second solo album of Jerry Cantrell was released just a little more than two months after Layne Staley of Alice in Chains died of a heroin overdose. Unlike the first solo record, this one is much harder and features a constant lineup that consists of drummer from Faith No More Mike Bordin and now Metallica bassist Rob Trujillo. The album took so long to put together that he had lost his long time label with Columbia. He had to finance the stuido time and at the sametime rebound to another label as heads of major record companies may like your music but, the numbers need to be comparable and profitable to a degree of major pop stars for them to get the outcome they want. As the tour came along, Bordin and Trujillo couldn't make it for the tour and actually Comes With the Fall the band opening up for him would play in his band despite his band switching to play with Ozzy. Ironically, years later William Duvall the frontman for Comes With the Fall would be fronting the new Alice in Chains as lead singer. This would set the once deceased Alice in Chains to revive one of the most influental rock bands of all time. Songs to check out "Anger Rising", "She Was My Girl" and "Angel Eyes".

1. "Psychotic Break" 4:09
2. "Bargain Basement Howard Hughes" 5:38
3. "Anger Rising" 6:14
4. "Angel Eyes" 4:44
5. "Solitude" 4:00
6. "Mother's Spinning in Her Grave (Glass Dick Jones)" 3:53
7. "Hellbound" 6:46
8. "Give It a Name" 4:01
9. "Castaway" 4:59
10. "She Was My Girl" 3:59
11. "Chemical Tribe" 6:35
12. "Spiderbite" 6:38
13. "Locked On" 5:37
14. "Gone" 5:08

Alice in Chains - Jar of Flies (1994)

The second based acoustic record of Alice in Chains' Jar of Flies became the first EP to reach number one. It's also the first album bassist Mike Inez was a part of. I love the story behind the album, guitarist Jerry Cantrell had to do a experiment in school when he was younger and it involved two jars of flies. One jar was given a lot more food and the other jar was underfed. The one that was being overfed died of overpopulation while the second jar the flies survived all year. There's a deep message for you to discover when listening to this masterpiece. Songs to check out "No Excuses", "I Stay Away" and "Rotten Apple".

1. "Rotten Apple" 6:58
2. "Nutshell" 4:19
3. "I Stay Away" 4:14
4. "No Excuses" 4:15
5. "Whale & Wasp" [instrumental] 2:37
6. "Don't Follow" 4:22
7. "Swing on This" 4:04

Alice in Chains - Alice in Chains (1995)

I'll try not to be too bias as this is one of my favorite albums of all time. I don't care what anyone says about this release but, it's very underrated even though it debuted at #1. To me Alice in Chains self entitled never got the credit that it deserved. When I see them live I never hear people screaming for "God Am" like I would be hoping for and usually the crowd is wanting hits like "Man in the Box" and "Them Bones". This is as classic as Dirt and Facelift. I'm not sure if a lot of people know this but, this was pretty much suppose to be intended as a Jerry Cantrell solo record because the band at the time took a hiatus and Layne was struggling with heroin big time. Eventually everybody came back together and finished the record even though they knew Alice couldn't tour anymore and the longevity of the band seemed uneasy because of circumstances within the band. Songs to check out are "Again", "Heaven Beside You" and "Sludge Factory".

1. "Grind" 4:45
2. "Brush Away" 3:22
3. "Sludge Factory" 7:12
4. "Heaven Beside You" 5:27
5. "Head Creeps" 6:29
6. "Again" 4:05
7. "Shame in You" 5:35
8. "God Am" 4:08
9. "So Close" 2:45
10. "Nothin' Song" 5:40
11. "Frogs" 8:18
12. "Over Now" 7:03

Jerry Cantrell - Boggy Depot (1998)

After the dismantle of Alice in Chains, Jerry Cantrell decided to do a solo album. When I bought this many years later in 2010 at a record store I was only familiar with the singles to be honest even though I'm a huge Alice in Chains fan. In 11th grade I even did Jerry Cantrell's "My Song" for my music project although I was on the verge of fainting in front of the whole class in what had to be the most embarrassing moment in my life. Anyways, I was intrigued when I heard there was material on the record that didn't make it on the self entitled Alice in Chains album that made it on the solo record. It could be referred to as the real follow up to the self entitled Alice in Chains because if you read the credits both Kinney and Inez are credited. Ultimately, I can't really complain about anything from the record as it's solid but not Alice in Chains good despite some are worthy on being on one such as "Dickeye", "My Song" and "Between".
1. "Dickeye" 5:07
2. "Cut You In" 3:23
3. "My Song" 4:07
4. "Settling Down" 6:12
5. "Breaks My Back" 7:07
6. "Jesus Hands" 5:37
7. "Devil by His Side" 4:50
8. "Keep the Light on" 4:49
9. "Satisfy" 3:35
10. "Hurt a Long Time" 5:41
11. "Between" 3:37
12. "Cold Piece" 8:29