Alice in Chains - Sap

 Incredible Harmonies!
Their shortest album, Alice in Chains's Sap also houses some of their most compelling harmonies. The true appeal of this band was always been the harmonization of Layne Staley's vocals, with those of Jerry Cantrell, which creates a very haunting vocal performance and conveys a sense of musical emotion better than most other acts I've heard. I believe this EP uses other vocalists in the harmonies, as well as the Layne/Jerry combo, and this is the strongest vocal performance on any AiC album. It's worth owning for the first two tracks alone! February 2, 2008

 The Weakest of the AIC Catalogue; But Still Terrific
After their debut album "Facelift," Alice in Chains decided to change their pace before releasing their masterpiece "Dirt." The result was "Sap" a 4-track accoustic album featuring three songs written by guitarist Jerry Cantrell and one song written by vocalist Layne Staley and Cantrell. The first two tracks "Brother" and "Got Me Wrong" are good, but worked better on the Unplugged show. My biggest complaint about the album is that Layne Staley's voice isn't really prominent. There are times where he sings in such a soft voice, it could be Cantrell singing. The highlight track on here is "Am I Inside" with lyrics by Staley, it's got one of the best lines he ever wrote: "Black is all I feel, so this is how it feels to be free." The chorus is the best part though, where Staley sings "Man's behind himself. Man's below himself. Man's behind himself. Am I inside myself?" It sounds a lot better when juxtaposed with music and it becomes one of those sets of lyrics that don't sound that good on paper, but sound awesome coming out of a microphone. The third track on the album "Right Turn" features Layne Staley, Jerry Cantrell, Chris Cornell, & Mark Arm (of Mudhoney) all singing (at one point, at the same time...Which is incredible); It's a great track, even though Cornell outsings all of them. The credits of the album list this track as being performed by Alice Mudgarden. After the 4-tracks are done, we're given a special bonus track with odd carnival music...It's interesting, but it's probably not going to be the track you download into your Ipod. "Sap" is probably the weakest of the Alice in Chains catalogue and it can't hold a candle to their other accoustic outing "Jar of Flies," but it is worth getting and did show (after the amazing "Facelift") exactly what they were capable of.

GRADE: A-

R.I.P.
LAYNE STALEY
1967-2002
September 15, 2007

 IS IT WORTH IT FOR JUST ONE SONG?
aN INEXPENSIVE AIC CD NEW, IT ONLY CONTAINS 4 SONGS. ONLY 1 OF WHICH MAKES THIS WORTH BUYING. COMPLETE YOUR COLLECTION, OR JUST CALL YOUR LOCAL RADIO AND REQUEST THE ONE SONG WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE HEARING IT.Sap August 9, 2007

 Short and sweet acoustic offering from AIC
This album is only 4 songs long, plus one hidden track (really goofy), but it boasts two of their best songs: "Brother" and "Got Me Wrong". These tracks showcase a lighter, acoustic side to AIC. "Right Turn" and "Am I Inside" are both great tunes, as well. If you are a fan, this is a must-have set. It was released between Facelift and Dirt, probably just to keep the fans happy. I enjoy it when bands try different approaches. This was a great addition to their discography. August 3, 2007

 AIC just isn't AIC without Layne
I love this CD. It shows that even heavy grungers can have a semi soft side. July 9, 2007

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