Alice in Chains - Jar of Flies

While not their most definitive album (that honor belongs to 1992's Dirt), Jar of Flies represents an important step in Alice in Chains' recording career. Witness "I Stay Away," which is made up of equal portions of hummable guitar riffs and the spookier, scarier, more grinding elements that most fans associate with Alice in Chains. This song most clearly delineates the dichotomy that was a highlight of the band's sound--Jerry Cantrell's listenable tunes and often gorgeous arrangements (just listen to what he does with "Whale & Wasp"!) and Layne Staley's growling vocals, which are just the teeniest bit flat. The collection as a whole, brief as it is, has an elegance that's unusual for metal. --Genevieve Williams Amazon.com

 Great example of the band's versatility
As much as I love Alice in Chains's full-length albums, I think their EP releases are the best evidence of the band's versatility, talent, and soul. Case in point is the 1994 EP Jar of Flies. Coming after two unrelentingly heavy albums like Facelift and Dirt, a laid back, almost mellow collection of material is about the last thing you'd have expected from Alice in Chains, yet it never seemed out of character.

The disc starts off with a pair of very slow-paced songs that retain the gloom and atmosphere of Dirt, if not that album's fury. After that comes a pair of upbeat (for Alice in Chains anyway) singles - I Stay Away and No Excuses - which are among the band's all time best songs. Next is the soulful instrumental track Whale & Wasp, followed by the laid back, harmonica driven Don't Follow, which is one of my absolute favorite Alice in Chains songs. Closing track Swing on This is an odd one, sounding like a bizarre swinging version of Dirt's God Smack.

If you're an Alice in Chains fan, you have to own Jar of Flies. It's an important moment in the band's progression, and one of the better albums the 90's alternative rock scene had to offer.
May 10, 2008

 A Change From Grunge...Sort Of
Definitely one of my favorite albums of all time! I burned a nice ridge in this CD, listening to it to get me through some hard times while away in the Army, while grunge was still young, raw, and fresh.

Facelift had me hooked. Dirt had me wiggling. But Jar of Flies tore through my soul. Didn't sound like a grunge band, yet it unmistakably was. Being so strung out, Staley still managed to groan his way through the songs, with Cantrell supporting. Not saying it was bad at all, but every ear listening knew (though never admit) that something was going on. But really, we didn't care. Had some great songs, great melodies, excellent lyrics (some of the best writing in decades, surpassing the garbage that the radio boasts today as new "talent'), this album (along with Sap) were the most distant from what they'd produced before, a good change for music that came out around the time which all sounded the same after a while. Alice In Chains were one of the early ones.

It was probably best that Staley died when he did. Had they sobered up and pushed forward, and still be producing music (which I doubt; where's Smashing Pumpkins, or Soundgarden?), they'd probably have to recreate themselves again, just to branch out and remain fresh, different. For that is what the whole grunge movement was all about. April 24, 2008

 A Beautiful Darkness
Alice in Chains very unique sound just makes you want to keep listening it's as simple as that. It's a dark, dreary, beautifully sophisticated harmony that you remember for a long time. Jar of Flies is arguably Alice in Chains finest work as it is some of the most powerful and moving songwriting and crafting you'll ever hear. Layne Staley's vocals deliver a haunting message to the listener but also that there is hope at the end of the tunnel. Jerry Cantrell's guitar playing is at its finest on this record and his dual harmony vocals with Staley give Alice in Chains that unique vibe that has us gushing over this record 14 years after its release. Alice in Chains is one of the greatest bands of all time and this record is an exclamation point. March 10, 2008

 Great Songwriting!
One of the atmospherically and melodically varied releases from Alice in Chains, Jar of Flies is less of a hard rock effort than some of their other releases, but still shines as an excellent example of Jerry Cantrell's songwriting abilities and Layne Staley's haunting vocals. The album did produce two songs that got decent radio play, in "I Stay Away" and "No Excuses," but it's the lesser known tracks that really make the album, from the interweaving of darker, almost sinister passages with more soaring tones on "Whale and Wasp," to the outstanding vocal harmonies and use of harmonica on "Don't Follow." As always, Alice in Chains do something unique and interesting, which is what really made this band great to listen to. February 2, 2008

 CD
I love this Cd. It not hard rock, but instead it's ballads that send you into Nirvana. Only thing is that the CD is very short. Running time only like 30 minutes. With 7 songs. November 17, 2007

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