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Week 17:
Alice In Chains
Artist Introduction
Yup, you guys guessed right. Probably my favorite “grunge” band, Alice In Chains, is my next choice. Formed in 1987 in Seattle, Alice in Chains (AIC) early days consisted of Layne Staley (vocals), Jerry Cantrell (guitar, vocals), Sean Kinney (drums, percussion), and Mike Starr (bass). In 1993, Starr was replaced by Mike Inez, and after Staley’s death in 2002, William Duvall joined AIC in 2006. AIC played mostly in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest from 1987 to 1990, creating their own sound of “grunge” rock, alongside Pearl Jam and Nirvana. In 1990 they had a break-out single, Man In The Box, which put them on the map. From the early 1990’s, while creating other singles, MTV featured AIC music videos extensively, also helping them gain a larger audience. From 1991 to 1995, AIC, while releasing singles and EP’s, also put out 3 albums, and from all of these most of my selections were made. In 1996 AIC performed and recorded an MTV Unplugged show at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. From this unplugged show, AIC blew up, becoming huge throughout the music industry and gaining its biggest popularity. I can tell you, after I saw this unplugged show, and only knowing a little before about the band, I became hooked. From 1996 to 2002, while still doing shows and concerts they produced very little music, mostly due to Layne Staley’s overwhelming heroin addiction. During this period, different members of AIC recorded with other bands, mostly Mother Lovebone and Queensryche, and they also recorded solo albums. Layne Staley eventually died in 2002, and after several years, AIC reunited in 2006 with Duvall taking over lead vocals. AIC subsequently recorded and released more singles and albums, and has performed in concert since that time, but with the loss of Staley, they haven’t achieved the continued success as their early years. For my selections, I believe you’ll all know most of these songs. While AIC is a solid musical band, there’s no doubt that Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell are the stars. They share lead vocals and perform amazing harmonies on most tracks, and please, while listening, read along the lyrics. They’ll scare you (I’ll explain later). Enjoy ALICE IN CHAINS.
Dad Cascella
Most Popular
No Excuses
Another solid rock song, which Staley and Cantrell sing together most of the way. Nothing too difficult here, classic FM radio rock. This song was the first charted single for AIC to reach #1 on Billboards Album Rock Tracks. In these lyrics we get the first hint of Cantrell realizing Staleys drug addiction needs to be addressed. Subsequent lyrics will become much darker.
Man In The Box
The song that put AIC on the map. This is a simple grinding rock song, with few lyrics and a classic grunge sound. Cantrell on electric guitar using a voice box special effect to create the sound. Great riff, with Staleys La La’s imitating Cantrells guitar. And we get a small taste of Staley/Cantrell singing back to back and then harmonizing. This may be AIC’s most recognizable song.
Rooster
Slow spacey beginning, which then builds into a very solid rock anthem. Everything is edgy in this song. Staley’s singing, Cantrell’s guitar, and the lyrics all have the classic edgy grunge sound. Interestingly, this song was written by Cantrell as a tribute to his father who served two tours in Vietnam (nicknamed Rooster because he had a cocky attitude). Yes, the song drags a bit at over 6 minutes. But still classic. And of course this song will always have me remembering golfing in Hawaii with Lisa and the boys, with the boys attaching music to the golf cart, and all of us listening to the song surrounded on a tee box by roosters.
Personal Favorites
Nutshell
Soft, beautiful dark acoustic song about loneliness and death. Knowing the troubles with Staley and his demons, these are achingly heartbreaking lyrics. Simple but powerful guitar work by Cantrell. As much as any AIC lyrics, and there are only a few in this song, these are as dark and haunting as they get. “And yet I fight this battle all alone, No one to cry to, no place to call home”. And “And yet I find repeating in my head, If I can’t be my own, I’d feel better dead”.
Brother
Great acoustic guitar work by Cantrell on a song written for his brother, who Cantrell bullied in their youth, and is now making amends. This hauntingly beautiful song is both bluesy and sad, with Cantrell taking over lead vocal. At this point I should point out that Cantrell could easily be a lead singer in any rock band, he’s that good. Listening to studio version, Cantrell performs a really good soft electric guitar lead midway. And can you guess who that female voice is? Yup, that’s a young Annie Wilson doing background vocals. The unplugged version is masterful, with both Cantrell and Staley singing most of the song together.
Would?
Another very recognizable FM radio song, featuring heavy bass. This is a straight-out great rock song, with simple lyrics but very solid vocals. A shorter song, it features common lyrical lines by AIC, about judging other people’s personal demons. “So I made a big mistake, Try to see it once my way”. And the sound is about as grungy and grunge gets.
Unique Songs
Heaven Beside You
Simple, solid rock song. It features a cool guitar and rhythm to open, which lasts pretty much throughout, and softer singing by Cantrell. So how is it unique for AIC? Believe it or not, this is as close to a love song that this band plays. It’s Cantrell singing about a lost love. Heaven is beside and inside this woman. “Do what you wanna do, go out and seek your truth, when I’m down and blue, rather it be me than you”. Not too much darkness in this one.
Don't Follow
To me, lyrically, this may be the most powerful song AIC performs. Soft, slow song featuring harmonica through many parts, including a harmonica lead (that’s different). The two parts of this song is basically a conversation. First half is Cantrell singing, telling Staley that Staley’s life is too self-destructive and Cantrell will not follow that road and wants seperation. At the 2:30 mark there’s a dramatic change, with great singing by Staley. He tells Cantrell don’t follow Staley’s path, and asks to be taken to the other side. Staley knows he will die, and nothing can be done to stop it. Last line “Say goodbye, Don’t follow”. Incredibly sad.
Check My Brain
Yup, that’s definitely the AIC sound. Deep bass and cool guitar work, and Cantrell’s harmonizing is classic AIC. So what’s different? Firstly, the song has upbeat lyrics, very rare for this band, enjoying the California sun. But most uniquely, that’s not Layne Staley singing lead, it’s William Duvall, his replacement and a Lenny Kravitz look-alike. It’s a good song, but I still can’t believe Duvall sounds so much like Layne Staley.
Conclusions
So that’s it for ALICE IN CHAINS. Yup, I concentrated on the Staley years, but that’s when they did their best work, and that’s the AIC music I mostly listen to. If you get a chance, watch the Unplugged performance at B.A.M., truly was a great concert. I didn’t mention the rest of the band, because again, while they are accomplished musicians, ALICE IN CHAINS was STALEY/CANTRELL. The band does rock hard in some of these selections, and they have a really cool sound. With Staley’s unique vocals harmonizing with Cantrell’s rock voice, these two are, for me, near the top of any two rock bandmates together singing. Maybe The Edge and Bono come close. I’d love to discuss this in group. And their music was different from other grunge bands, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundgarden, to name a few, that came out during those years. I always knew AIC as dark and mysterious, and I knew about Staley’s personal demons, but after this listen, I had no idea just how dark they were. If you read the lyrics during this listen I think you get the picture. Scary, weren’t they? Cobain and Weiland, we all knew it was coming. Not so much with Chester and Cornell. But Staley knew his demons would kill him, and his lyrics were incredibly realistic and sad, and his closest bandmate, Cantrell, along with Staley, knew there was nothing that could be done. To me, ALICE IN CHAINS, is a great rock band and I’ll give them a 9.0
Cascella Family Reviews
Vin Cascella
This is going to be another glowing review of one of my favorite bands. Debatably the greatest grunge band of all time, I regularly change my mind between AIC, Nirvana, and Pearl Jam (all three are fantastic in their own unique ways). Going into this I know most of these songs very well so I’m looking forward to the couple that I’m not particularly familiar with.
No Excuses: Iconic song off of an iconic album. I’m sure this will be mentioned over and over throughout this review but the harmonies of Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell are quite possibly the greatest or at least most recognizable in all of Rock. After a cool little drum intro we get right into the layered harmony of the two. I do like that this song has slightly more instrumentals than what I normally think of when I think of AIC. Normally its the voice and overall depressing sound that resonates with me and this band but the instrumentals are great in this song. Guitar rips during the chorus and even has a little solo while the drums are also pretty unique.
Man in the Box: What I would consider to be their most famous song, and for good reason. This is what I think of when Alice in Chains is mentioned. Huge sludgy instrumentals with somehow even bigger vocals. Outside of the effects on the guitar and voice in the beginning Staley’s voice is wild in this song. On occasion I’ll see someone singing this song at karaoke on the interwebs and if they sound half as good as Staley does then they are the best vocalist in the room. When I say sludgy sound I’m referring to the extremely distorted instrumentals at a slower tempo. It literally feels like this song is stuck in the mud (could use a Mudshovel). Ohhh little thing I just noticed. The harmonies in the chorus on the back half where Cantrell sings a refrain after Staley stops singing. I can’t think of anything that sounds like that before them and literally every rock band of the early 2000s does that and still does today. Looking at you Linkin Park (just caught in the undertow, caught in the undertow). More solid guitar, cool little solo.
Rooster: I didn’t realize that Cantrell is listed as the lead and rhythm guitarist of the band. I’m assuming that they have a touring musician with them. The arrangement of the first verse is a masterclass of the genre. Not a whole lot going on but you can feel the pressure cooker. Then of course Staley’s voice is ridiculous in the chorus. Again slow tempo, slower than anything else amongst their grunge peers. The last verse also has some cool instrumentals, little drum rolls get added into the slow guitar and bass. Everyone talks about Nirvana as the biggest band of grunge but I think AiC had a bigger influence on today’s music.
Nutshell: Possibly the best song of this era. Top 5 for sure. You got Black and Alive by Pearl Jam, Lithium and Dumb by Nirvana (not counting Smells Like Teen Spirit, I said “best” not most influential or popular). Actually it’s top 3 and only has to compete with Pearl Jam. This is everything that grunge is cracked up to be. Brutally depressing song. When I rag on Post-Grunge and “Butt Rock” its because of songs like this. Don’t even bother to try to imitate, they perfected it and we should learn something new. Only because we just talked about it last week. Outside and Epiphany are great songs but barely even fall into the massive shadow cast by this song.
Brother: Oh look, another major influence on all my childhood bands. This is what Godsmack wishes they sounded like. Voodoo is a great song and it just rides the coattails of songs like this. This song is so much less approachable than anything on this selection and I’m all about it. I’ve said it a few times but in the mega-influential genre of Grunge they have their own unique sound. Oh look at that, it isn’t Jerry Cantrell on those backing vocals it’s Ann Wilson! No wonder dad chose this song.
Would?: Oh look! Mudshovel bass line but better! It’s a great song, better than all the other songs except Nutshell but since it;s the sixth song on the selection I am getting a little sound fatigue. Fortunately I love the sound but I would say that this song fits the AiC sound just like some of the previous songs. I like the outro, it reminds of some Tool/Metallica stop and goes.
Heaven Beside You: A little different on the instrumentals while still being familiar to the band. If you weren’t positive it was AiC for the first minute the chorus quickly reminds you that this is still Alice In Chains. More slow tempo doom and gloom with cool little distorted guitar interludes. Although they are a Seattle based band I always envision their music coming out of the desert, I don’t know why I just do. Feels like a rattlesnake sound would always fit into their music. And once again, simple devastating lyrics. Never realized how….useful Cantrell is on lead guitar. Like he’s never really doing a ton but the little things he does during the choruses and breaks compliment the songs so well. Like he’s just soloing in the background of these later choruses and it’s not intrusive, just great stuff.
Don’t Follow: A little more country but still as depressing as ever. Harmonica is cool because it’s not a flute. Just wanted to note that AiC is one of the biggest reasons why all of my favorite childhood bands exist. See below except from their “Influence” section of their wiki. I also submit this excerpt as evidence to my claims from last week’s review about the genre of Post-Grunge.
Overall this song is fine, fits their catalogue while being a little different. Not my favorite but by no means a bad song.
Check My Brain: Fun fact, I can play this song on guitar. One fret on one string just strummed over and over and bent into the sound. I love that they nail the big sound of AiC right off the bat with this song. I remember when this was released and thought it was wild that they found such a good vocal match to the band, then I realized it was a young black guy with an afro and that was even crazier. I think this is a solid return song for the band on a solid album (Your Decision is a great song). I’m sure they get this constantly but it’s just impossible to fully replace Staley. His voice and influence are just too incredible but hey if the band is happy then I’m happy.
Reading about Staley is retching. Dude had a tough go of it and never could seem to fight off his demons. One of the more depressing reads I’ve had in recent memory. Like we’ve said with other artists, I’m sure the alcohol and drugs played a major factor in the art but damn is his tale rough. I could see this music not being for everyone but I think it's incredible. Although AiC is still active, the influence they were able to create from just four albums over five years is truly tremendous. AiC is going to get a top score from me but I’m not sure how high to go. If it was just their first three albums they would be a 9.5. It’s iconic, groundbreaking music that influenced so much of the music I listen to today. If it was the band’s entire catalogue it drops down into the 8s, some of their newer stuff is a bit meh, or just doesn't capture that lightning in a bottle. But since we are grading on the 9 songs presented I think I can go somewhere in between. Okay,okay here we go... Based on my subjective objective opinion these 9 songs are better than Paramore but not as good as Muse...Context is wild here. Following Staind and reading up on the bands history and legacy I’m riding extremely high on AiC. Follow up with me in a couple weeks and see if I change my mind. 9.2/10
Dad Cascella
Alice In Chains has been a massive band throughout my life. They are from my favorite genre of music (grunge), and they are one of the best at the genre. I’m very excited for this familiar but awesome listen, so here we go.
No Excuses – Oh man, sucha familiar and awesome sound right off the rip, setting the mood perfectly. Layne’s unique voice and dubbed vocals is right up my alley. The chorus is relatively edgy and heavy. Musically, it’s simple but tight, which is what all the best bands of this genre have mastered. Great start!
Man in the Box – Probably the first song I had ever heard from this band. Cool heavy guitar intro, followed by the distinct vocals that coincide with the guitar work. I loved it when I was young, but this song has died out for me over the years. It probably comes with popularity and radio plays, and just knowing the band more in depth that it slips a bit, but still a good classic grunge song.
Rooster – Yup, I love the slow pacing with the bass and electric guitar throughout. Vocally, it’s impressive, and the lyrics are solid across the board. I’m not sure why I thought his song was about drugs. I guess I just assumed The Rooster was a drug that was trying to get them, but Layne was letting us know that it wasn’t gunna get him. It is a rather long song, but I have no problem with it in this scenario. Probably because it’s great rock n roll. I’m ready for my brother to say this is a classic “Layne is not a good singer, but his voice fits this band perfectly,” and for the first time ever, I agree entirely. Similar to Kurt with Nirvana. Layne ain’t winning any singing competitions, but what better sound for this type of music.
Nutshell – A soft intro, some beautiful instrumentation, and some amazing sad lyrics. This is a fantastic song. I don’t know much about this band as far as members besides Layne (and Duval), but there’s some vocal elements that add another layer to this music. Great stuff!
Brother – Hmmmm, the first song I am not sure if I will know or not. Some humming along with the guitar to start, it seems very unfamiliar to me. Oh wow, he sounds like Kurt. This seems softer classic rock to me, straying away from grunge a little bit. That’s backed up by the guitar solo towards the back half of the song. I’m not sure I love it. Yeah, I find it kind of boring, nothing too special here at all.
Would? – Back to our normal program here, this may be my favorite Alice song. Heavy deep bass, tribal sounding drums, iconic guitar sound, and a kick-ass chorus. The transitions are so silky smooth. I do wanna make a different type of point here. I can see how someone would not care for any of this at all. They have their own sound, and if it’s not for you, you’re going to hate them. I just happen to love this style of music so it works perfectly for me, but I can’t imagine any rap, pop, or hip-hop fans enjoying this at all. It’s so specific, but they’re so damn good at it.
Heaven Beside You – To follow up on my last point, they have a distinct sound, but all of their music is original and does not feel repetitive, which is a massive complaint about a lot of bands in this group. I too agree being repetitive is a problem, but somehow Alice makes different sounding music while still being exactly them. I can’t give a band a much bigger compliment than that. This is another really good song, feels a bit like Stone Temple Pilots to me, who I also love. Many layers as the song continues to progress throughout. Bridges, transitions, hard rock n roll, classic chorus, a nice bridge. Yeah yeah yeah, loving it.
Don’t Follow – Only the second song on the list I do not know, and it’s off to a nice soft start. Offfff ‘say goodbye, don’t follow,’ wow. Incredibly strong lyrics for a guy who knew he was going to die. These lyrics are very deep, and a clear look into the reality Layne knew he had carved out for himself. “And it hurts to care I’m going down.” Sheesh, you are allowed to work on yourself bud and get better. The back half of this song is very bluesy. Fantastic song, but really really sad.
Check My Brain – A modern version of AIC. I like the current lead a lot, but in this song in particular, it feels like he is trying to imitate Layne. This feels forced and unnatural. The lyrics are not as good, the song is not as smooth. I finally found a way to critique this band, but it took me all the way to the end
Overall Review: Alice lived up to the hype that I had in my head about them, and maybe even exceeded them. They’re an all-time great rock band, and top 3 grunge band ever (you can argue number 1 I’m sure). I really enjoyed the emotion in their music. I said it earlier, but for a band who’s so distinctly grunge, each individual song has their own twist and style that prevents them from sounding the same over and over. This is difficult for me to rate, because it’s so up my alley and I’m sure I have some bias, but that doesn’t mean they’re not awesome. My only small criticisms are that they’re not a sound that’s for everyone (that’s really a compliment anyway (that’s like being in a job interview and saying my biggest weakness is that I work too hard)), and that as they got older and added Duval, they stuck to the same formula and played it safe (which also makes sense). Mega bomb score incoming…. 8.8, let’s go Dad!
Mom Cascella
I definitely know Alice In Chains, and I’ve always liked them. Many of these are on my playlist already. Here we go:
NO EXCUSES- I know this one. Really like the rhythm of this song. And I love the little guitar lead in the middle. Love how Staley and Cantrell harmonize. Good solid rock song to start.
MAN IN THE BOX- I also know this one. A little heavier. I absolutely love the start and the guitar wah wah sound. Definitely more edgy. And I like the two voices in one song.
ROOSTER- 3 for 3. Like the slow intro leading and building into a really cool rock song. I read that Cantrell wrote this song as a tribute to his dad’s service in Vietnam. And his dad actually appears in the video for this song. Remember Hawaii?? Golf, Roosters, Music, and Margarita’s before 9 a.m. !!!!
NUTSHELL- 4 for 4, and this one may be my favorite Alice song. It’s a very slow, very sad acoustic song. And I love the electric guitar that plays throughout is so good. And this may be Layne’s best singing, I really like it.
BROTHER- Yup, I’m 5 for 5. Listened to both studio version, with Annie Wilson, and the acoustic version. I have to say, I love ya Annie, but the acoustic version with just Staley and Cantrell singing i think is better. Soft song, another great one.
WOULD- 6 for 6. I remember this song from a small clip of the band from the movie “Singles” (watch this cool movie based around the Seattle grunge sound, also featuring Vedder and Stone and Jeff from Pearl Jam). Alice doing straight out rock is really cool. Another great song.
HEAVEN BESIDE YOU- I can’t believe I’m 7 for 7 knowing these songs. Good song with really good harmonies. And again I like the solo singing a lot. I find myself singing and humming to this one.
DON’T FOLLOW- 8 for 8. Really like the slow beginning and beautiful sound. And I like the harmonica playing. It’s such a sad song, and the music actually matches the very sad lyrics. And Cantrell singing first, then Staley answering with his own singing really works for me. But this songs lyrics kill me!! “Take me home” and “Say goodbye, Don’t follow”. Ouch!!
CHECK MY BRAIN- 8 for 9,(not bad), I didn’t know this one. Starts with ok distorted sound, but when it kicks in, you can tell this is Alice In Chains. I read that it was recorded after Staley died, but the new singer sounds a lot like Staley. And his harmonies with Cantrell are really good. A more upbeat song, I thought it was good.
This was a great listen for me, but truly sad. Reading the lyrics hurt, Staley just couldn’t help himself and it breaks my heart. As I’ve said in the past, I really don’t know a lot about guitars, or bass, or drumming. But what I do know is that I know what I like. I really enjoyed this grunge rock (Mom love grunge, bring on Pearl Jam). Alice in Chains rocks, but they also have great soft acoustic music. I loved their harmonizing, really great. Thanks for the listen. I’m going with an 8.4
Uncle Vin Cascella