They're more than just a beat-keeper, but merely add to the smooth guitars sections pulled off by Cantrell. Same can be said about "Brother" and "No Excuses", except the drums are a huge part of the composition of these tracks. Jerry Cantrell's ability to create magic on the stage is pretty outstanding with these tracks, with "Nutshell" being smoother sounding than ever. The softer tracks of course couldn't be better, mostly taken from the EPs. Perhaps the fact that there was probably so much heroin coursing through his veins at the time enhanced his ability to sound down and depressed, in turn adding more emotion to the songs. On the topic of vocals, Layne Staley actually sounds great for how he physically was at this time. But amazingly, they actually pull this one off! The guitars being softer gave room for the vocals to show through a little more, and same can be said for similar tracks, "Down In A Hole" being another perfect example. "Angry Chair" is one of the greatest Alice In Chains songs ever written, and the reason why it's so great is because of how harsh, angry, and depressed it is. Going into this for the first time, I'll admit that I was skeptical due to the fact that I was unsure how some of these heavier tracks were gonna sound unplugged. With MTV Unplugged, both pieces are present, and while I probably would have picked more tracks off of Jar Of Flies and cut away a few others, it's a great way to spend an hour or so of your time.
Lane alice in chains unplugged would how to#
Acoustic guitars have the ability to produce a much more beautiful sound than electric guitars, seeing that it's the correct track selection, and the artist knows how to do it right. If you are a fan of Alice in Chains and haven't heard this record, you are doing a disservice to your ears.īefore I even dive into this, let me make one statement. Actually, the songs I normally didn't like on their studio albums I really enjoy here. This was after their "final" album, so there is also a level of intrigue to see how the band sounds and performs. Staley sounds fantastic for the state he was in and almost everything else sounds album quality. This is a great performance by a super talented band. The band messes with different approaches to their songs for the unplugged performance and they are arguably better than their studio albums.
There isn't much to say about this record. Staley definitely has his fuck ups throughout the set, but you can easily forgive it. The subject matter just fits with a performance like this. I'd argue that songs like "Down in a Hole" and "Frogs" sound way better here than on the album. He was so fucking talented that he could run circles around most modern day vocalists of the genre that rely on computers to make them sound great, all while completely blitzed. The music starts and you can tell he snaps back into the great singer he is. He is completely out of it and it's very noticeable. For the circumstances, Staley sounds immaculate. His singing is pretty hit or miss, along with Staley's, but it's completely understandable as it was some time since the band performed.
At times Cantrell can sound fantastic and other times he's a bit iffy. However, the vocals have a much different feel. Overall, the music is flawless, if not better than some of the albums. Also, Sean Kinney sounds exactly the same here as he does on the albums, which is pretty insane. That bass intro to "Would?" sounds way cooler here than it does on "Dirt". The bass from Mike Inez brings in that heaviness that is missing with the electric guitars. The acoustic guitar by Cantrell is excellent and brings a raw feel to these already emotional songs. The instrumentals are basically flawless throughout the entire run time. Songs like: "Over Now", "Heaven Beside You", "Rooster", "No Excuses", and "Got Me Wrong" sound almost cd quality. Instead, they come out with this insane performance that only gets better as the album progresses. I would wonder how it was even possible with Staley's state of consciousness and the fact that the band was basically over with their self titled record a year before. I could only imagine being a fan of these guys in the 90s and hearing that an unplugged performance was coming. This unplugged performance is one of the best live albums I own. If there was one band that needed a live album, it would be Alice in Chains.
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