Alice in Chains - Unplugged

 A Disappointment
Really a disappointment. Alice in Chains' harmonies have always been what made them so compelling, and those aren't as strong in this live set as on their studio albums. February 2, 2008

 Excellent Transition
Alice In Chains showcased throughout their career that they could master a slow brooding ballad, most particularly through the outstanding acoustic EP "Jar of Flies". This MTV Unplugged session culminates this ability, with the band converting even their most visceral of rockers into moving acoustic gems.

Of course the set list includes a number of expected re-runs, such as the beautiful works from "Jar of Flies" ("Nutshell", and "No Excuses") and the slower, more ballad orientated works from their LP's ("Down In A Hole", "Rooster", "Heaven Beside You" and "Frogs"). All of these are expectedly excellent as the songs lend themselves to such a makeover, and AIC delve effortlessly into them. "Brother" and "Got Me Wrong" from the EP "Sap" again lend themselves perfectly, and both are album highlights for me. Where I had scepticism for this album was with the heavier songs, such as "Would?", "Angry Chair" and most notably the monolithic dirge of "Sludge Factory". To my upmost pleasure the band work these songs very nicely, converting the main heavy riffs into glorious acoustic passages, adding delicate touches and all being encompassed by the sheer power and raw energy of Layne Staley's voice. "Sludge Factory" is especially good, with the acoustic guitars emphasising the contrasts between the thundering main riff and the gentle chorus picking.

This is a must have album for any fan of AIC as it showcases such an intense and overwhelming performance. It should also appeal to those who enjoy AIC's acoustic and slower works over their heavier outputs (a friend of mine listens to this and "Jar of Flies", but never their more classically grunge LP's). Honest, uncomplicated and moving acoustic music - this is highly recommended.
December 3, 2007

 So they can do acoustic, too! Great companion to Jar of Flies
One of Layne Staley's very last recordings. Like Nirvana and Eric Clapton's "Unplugged" albums, this is done mostly acoustic. It's a bit redundant, though: "Brother", "No Excuses", "Nutshell" and "Got Me Wrong" had already been recorded acoustically beforehand, as had most of "Heaven Beside You". And while I'm whining, "Sludge Factory" and "Frogs" were never good songs in the first place - neither gets much better here. And an unobtrusive-to-annoying keyboard is constantly found in the background. However, I do think this version of "No Excuses" is especially strong, mostly because of Cantrell's acoustic solo - he plays another winner on "Angry Chair". And it is interesting to hear some of the group's heaviest hits ("Down in a Hole"; "Rooster"; "Angry Chair"; "Would?"; "Over Now") reworked as acoustic songs - "Down in a Hole" especially comes off a stunner in that setting, reworked to sound hypnotic rather than abrasive. On the other hand, "Heaven Beside You" loses much of its personality without the electric guitar solo, though it's near impossible to screw that song up. So this is a tough call: the songs are all good, but no match for their studio cousins (other than "No Excuses", which beats the original senseless - a tall order, I'll add). Plus, the fact is that Jar of Flies is a much better example of the group's acoustic persona. And the songs are pretty much run-throughs of the studio versions, only without the heavy guitars. So I give it four stars, because of the fact that virtually every one of these songs can be heard in a superior form on the group's various studio albums. However, collectors may find this of interest, as it adds a pretty good previously unreleased track (the trancelike "Killer is Me"). Besides, the songs are for the most part are still awesome. It's a lot like Neil Young's famous live album Rust Never Sleeps, simply because that album also was for the most part a bunch of run-throughs of the original studio songs, But what good run-throughs! November 22, 2007

 Alice In Chains' timeless unplugged performance
MTV Unplugged (1996.), an Alice In Chains concert DVD

Alice In Chains' relatively short career (in terms of album releases) was a fantastically productive one. For me, they were much more than just a metal band or indeed a band that was pulled under the `grunge' moniker. Their three album releases and two EPs displayed both the bands ability as a heavy metal outfit but also one who added lots of acoustics and atmospherics to their music. Following the band's self-titled and final album release in 1995, they remained pretty low-key and out of the public eye. Then, a year later came along a concert to be remembered down as Alice In Chains took their turn to do an MTV unplugged set.

Theres something very unique about Alice In Chains' performance on this CD/DVD. The concert conveys so much. There's excellent musicianship and great chemistry between the band and there is also Layne Staley's performance, a voice sounding so tortured yet powerful. The band's performance is inspirational, yet there is an underlying feeling of tragedy and uncertainty to it. Layne Staley is clearly high on drugs during the performance, an addiction which would sadly lead to his unfortunate death in 2002. His performance is excellent, give or take the amusing moment where he forgets the lyrics during `Sludge Factory' but as many have said it is a tragic thing to see, especially now as we know how much more Layne would deteriorate in the following five years. The atmosphere is perfect on this concert DVD; a slightly gloomy but candle-lit setting and a great audience who are all clearly relishing this timeless gig. The band play a killer 13 song set that acts as a great snapshot of their overall career. There's a good mix of the acoustic stuff as seen on `Jar Of Flies' but there is also plenty of the heavier stuff masterfully set to an acoustic set. Theres sadly no tracks from Facelift (an acoustic take on `Man In The Box' would have been interesting) but it doesn't detract from the overall set.

The emotive and powerful `Nutshell' makes an excellent opener and follow ups `Brother' and `No Excuses' fully display AIC's acoustic set ability to the full. `Sludge Factory', a track that sounds heavy and warped on the original album release is an concert highlight. It always amazes me how good this song sounds acoustically. True, the band cut the song to 4 minutes as the weird outro to the song would be too difficult to carry out on an acoustic. The meat of the song sounds great however and just as crunching acoustically as it does on electric. Cantrell's chorus guitar melody sounds especially awesome. `Down In A Hole' and `Angry Chair' both translate brilliantly into this set a lead us up to the band's definitive `Rooster' which is a purely heart wrenching and powerful song. `Got Me Wrong' keeps that uncertain AIC musical feel to the music before another one of their semi-acoustic classics `Heaven Beside You' adds more great melody to the performance. `Would?', always a powerful yet ambiguous song keeps the band in full flow; the bass sounds great here. `Frogs' and `Over Now' are two atmospheric follow ups that do the album versions true justice live. `Frogs' is a chilling listen as usual. `The Killer Is Me' is a classic way for AIC to finish in true off-kilter, warped and unnerving fashion.

The MTV Unplugged DVD for Alice In Chains captures the band as their true selves, giving a timeless performance. This is a concert of pure emotion, atmosphere and heartache with many classic Alice In Chains songs to hear. It is also a sad yet fitting finale for Layne Staley. He is clearly in a bad state by the stage of this concert but it doesn't stop him giving one of his great performances and one which will be remembered for many years to come. This DVD (I recommend the DVD version over the CD for all of you who are viewing the CD product page) is a must for any AIC fan or anyone who appreciates grunge in general. This is one of the great concert DVD's, highly recommended!

R.I.P. Layne Staley

MY RATING: 9/10 September 7, 2007

 Acoustic versions of their best songs.
I own both the cd and the dvd of this live set. This was the first live performance in years for the band, and it was a smash hit.

They perform most of their hits, as well as a few choice favorites, and a new song that they wrote shortly before the concert, "Killer Is Me".

For fans of their acoustic albums, I would recommend this. It really brings them down to earth a bit and is a more intimate recording. It is recorded very well. I am normally not a fan of any live albums, but I make an exception for AIC, because they were one band that sounded simply incredible live. August 3, 2007

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