I recall reading an interview with Layne a couple of months before he died. In it, he admitted that he couldn’t kick heroin, and that he was at the point where he was shitting himself, losing his teeth, and felt the end was near. He recommended that nobody ever start doing H.
Hearing “Check my Brain” for the first time was my closest experience with feeling like there was a ghost in the room.
The new guy is dead on.
AIC’s music was a lot darker and seemed to mean more than the stuff Pearl Jam and STP put out. For me, Pearl Jams’ guitars “jangled” too much. I was never a Neil Young fan and he was definitely an inspiration for PJ. Not my thing.
STP’s stuff was poppy, but really good. Driving guitars and Scotts’ voice was totally unique, but “Core” was their best, the rest was all post commercial fluff.
And Soundgarden… Cornell could wail man, and the rest of the musicians were almost too good for them to be considered grunge. I still like them a lot…
But man, AIC’s stuff hit me right in the chest man. Dirt, Jar of Flies, even the self titled album with tracks like “Grind” and “Again” are big-time, all-time favorites.
So when I read that there was a new singer, I figured they were going in a new direction vocally.
But nope, they took their time and found a dead ringer, and I’m not quite sure how I feel about it. I’m very happy that Jerry is still there, keeping the creative aspects of the band the same.
Would you guys much rather Alice in Chains sound totally different or be flat broke?
I’m still pissed that Bon Scott was replaced, but what can you do.
[quote]WolBarret wrote:
Would you guys much rather Alice in Chains sound totally different or be flat broke?
I’m still pissed that Bon Scott was replaced, but what can you do.[/quote]
I didn’t know black guys liked those bands.
Wait… your avatar.
Never mind.
every genre has good and shitty music.
AIC was one of my favorite bands, going way back to when I was in college in the early 90’s. I will admit to picking up some of Cantrell’s solo stuff, and it was okay, but you could tell that he was the reason behind a lot of the ‘softer’ AIC stuff after listening.
When I heard that they had a new singer, I admit I was upset. In some sick way I liked that they never got to the point where they start ‘selling out’, or ‘going downhill’, or ‘sucking’ or whatever term means that their core audience doesn’t like them anymore. Still, after hearing the single, I picked up the new album, and while in some instances it does sound a bit like Layne, I don’t consider an AIC album, but do consider it a damn good album nonetheless.
S
Interesting thread. I was a huge fan of all the bands listed. Although Nirvana was the highest followed by AIC. I liked Pearl Jam too but for some reason they came on alot earlier in my life. They kind of started it all and weren’t dark then the other took over.
River or Deceit was a good one too. I saw STP after Scott got clean but it reminded alot of flies in vasoline (if that is the correct name).
[quote]Iron Dwarf wrote:
I didn’t know black guys liked those bands.
[/quote]
Why,yes…some do. AIC,Soundgarden,etc doesn’t even scratch the surface of my musical tastes.
[quote]Big_Boss wrote:
[quote]Iron Dwarf wrote:
I didn’t know black guys liked those bands.
[/quote]
Why,yes…some do. AIC,Soundgarden,etc doesn’t even scratch the surface of my musical tastes. [/quote]
Hey BB
I’m sorry, I should have put some sarcasm marks on that statement. I was just teasing Wol… because it’s fun.
I DO know some black guys like hard rock. Hell, in my opinion Chuck Berry should have been the King of Rock & Roll since he really had more to do with its creation than Elvis did.
Fast forward to Bad Brains, Living Colour, Lenny Kravitz, etc. If it rocks, it rocks.
[quote]Iron Dwarf wrote:
[quote]Big_Boss wrote:
[quote]Iron Dwarf wrote:
I didn’t know black guys liked those bands.
[/quote]
Why,yes…some do. AIC,Soundgarden,etc doesn’t even scratch the surface of my musical tastes. [/quote]
Hey BB
I’m sorry, I should have put some sarcasm marks on that statement. I was just teasing Wol… because it’s fun.
I DO know some black guys like hard rock. Hell, in my opinion Chuck Berry should have been the King of Rock & Roll since he really had more to do with its creation than Elvis did.
Fast forward to Bad Brains, Living Colour, Lenny Kravitz, etc. If it rocks, it rocks.
[/quote]
No apology needed…lol. I’m just so used to people that are in “awe” that a black person listens to rock,metal,etc. Pretty pathetic considering the history of rock…and it’s biggest influences.
Sadly,most of that comes from other black people. Sorry if I’m not into music about smelly legs and candy(Laffy Taffy).
I’m a big AIC fan, but I can’t get into the new album. Maybe I need to give it a few good listens more, but the songs don’t seem to have any good hooks to them, and there’s a bit too much Cantrell on vocals when I feel they should be trying to really display the new frontman’s chops.
[quote]Iron Dwarf wrote:
As a fan since their first album release, I was very unhappy that they picked up a new singer after Layne’s death and actually sang Layne’s songs in concert! Stayley was a fucking mess, and it’s HIS pain in those tracks. It’s disingenuous for anyone else to sing them. [/quote]
I agree with this and I disagree with this at the same time. Most of Alice in Chains lyrics were also written by Jerry. Hell most of the Dirt album was either written solely or calibrated with Jerry. The song that made them famous in my opinion, “Down in a Hole” was written by Jerry Cantrell. I think that if Jerry finds it acceptable for a new lead singer to sing his pain as well, then by all be it.
I on the other hand don’t like the idea of AiC continuing, since a big part of that band died because he was fucking stupid and shut himself away from people. When I listen to Layne, I actually believe and know for a fact that he felt like this, you can actually feel his emotions, especially in Nutshell. This new guy, can’t copy that.
I wish they would of done what Led Zeppelin did when Bonham died. You can’t replace a legend.
Out of Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and Alice in Chains [since those four are the most discussed when it comes to grunge] I probably know the least about AIC. All I have is a greatest hits album I downloaded [which i like], but this thread has influenced me to do some more listening.
Grunge is probably the last great, big, movement in rock history. I’m not saying there aren’t great new bands, there are still a few great new ones every year. It’s just that rock’s audience has fragmented to the point where there probably won’t be any mega popular bands to come out of the next decade, let alone big aesthetic movements a la grunge. Hell, how many super popular bands have we had in the second half of this decade? And every band that seems unique or great is either an old group, a supergroup, a retro group, or a band that plays to another niche audience [most indie bands, most new metal too I would assume]. In a way that alternative mindset sort of helped make sure there wouldn’t be any big game changing bands- that and rock canon. The 90s just kind of feel like rock’s last important decade. Although maybe technological changes, hip hop, and just plain old time had a bigger effect on that. <–This is probably not very relevant to the thread.
Anyone else a fan of their MTV Unplugged CD? I thought it was fantastic.
[quote]El Conquistador wrote:
Anyone else a fan of their MTV Unplugged CD? I thought it was fantastic.[/quote]
One of my favorite all time CD’s. Truly a heartfelt performance on there.
S
[quote]El Conquistador wrote:
Anyone else a fan of their MTV Unplugged CD? I thought it was fantastic.[/quote]
I am.
I find it bullshit that they didn’t get the same kind of attention that Nirvana got.
[quote]Iron Dwarf wrote:
[quote]WolBarret wrote:
Would you guys much rather Alice in Chains sound totally different or be flat broke?
I’m still pissed that Bon Scott was replaced, but what can you do.[/quote]
I didn’t know black guys liked those bands.
Wait… your avatar.
Never mind.[/quote]
That isn’t me. Damn you! Now I have to change avatars.
I loved Jar of Flies.
On a related note… anyone else hear the rumor of the Soundgarden reunion tour, summer 2010?
I wouldn’t doubt it. There’s a website I used to check out often called melodicrock.com that usually has all the behind-the-scenes info and rumors in the rock/metal world. Maybe its got something on the Soundgarden rumor…