Alice in Chains is the self-titled third studio album by the American grunge band Alice in Chains. Released on November 7, 1995, it was the follow-up to the highly successful Dirt. It marks the band's last studio album to feature vocalist Layne Staley, who died of a drug overdose seven years later. Alice in Chains would not release another studio album until Black Gives Way To Blue fourteen years later in 2009.
Background and recording
After the release of Jar of Flies, vocalist Layne Staley entered rehab for heroin addiction.[1] The band was scheduled to tour during the summer of 1994 with Metallica and Suicidal Tendencies, but while in rehearsal for the tour, Staley began using heroin again.[1] Staley's condition prompted the other band members to cancel all scheduled dates one day before the start of the tour, putting the band on hiatus.[2] While Alice in Chains was on hiatus, Staley joined the "grunge supergroup" Mad Season while guitarist Jerry Cantrell worked on material originally intended for a solo album.[1] In January 1995, Cantrell, bassist Mike Inez, and drummer Sean Kinney began jamming on Cantrell's material. In the spring of 1995, Staley was invited back to join the band.[1] Staley said that "we started to split apart and went different ways, and we felt like we were betraying each other."[1]
In April 1995, Alice in Chains entered Bad Animals Studio in Seattle with producer Toby Wright, who had previously worked with Corrosion of Conformity and Slayer.[3] Few of the songs on the album had been written before the sessions began, so Cantrell's material was used as a starting point.[1] The band would then give the demo tapes to Staley so he could write lyrics.[1] The album was finished in August 1995. Cantrell said, "It was often depressing, and getting it done felt like pulling hair out, but it was the fucking coolest thing, and I'm glad to have gone through it. I will cherish the memory forever," while Staley added, "I'll cherish it forever, too, just because this one I can remember doing."[1] While in the studio, an inferior version of the song "Grind" was leaked to radio, and received major airplay.[4] On October 6, 1995, the band released the studio version of the song to radio via satellite uplink. The mockumentary, The Nona Tapes, features interview footage regarding the album.
Music and lyrics
Cantrell, in an interview around the release of the album, said, "Our music's kind of about taking something ugly and making it beautiful."[1] At almost 65 minutes long, it is Alice in Chains' longest studio album, and includes their longest song "Frogs", clocking in at 8 minutes and 18 seconds. With the exceptions of "Grind", "Heaven Beside You", and "Over Now", the lyrics are all written by Staley, making this album his greatest lyrical contribution to the band's catalog. Staley said, "I just wrote down whatever was on my mind...so a lot of the lyrics are really loose. If you asked me to sing the lyrics to probably any one of them right now, I couldn't do it. I'm not sure what they are because they're still that fresh."[1] Staley added, "For a long time I let problems and sour relationships rule over me instead of letting the water roll off my back...I thought it was cool that I could write such dark, depressing music. But then instead of being therapeutic, it was starting to drag on and keep hurting. This time I just felt, 'Fuck it. I can write good music, and if I feel easy and I feel like laughing, I can laugh.' There's no huge, deep message in any of the songs. It was just what was going on in my head right then. We had good times, and we had bad times. We recorded a few months of being human."[1]
Of the album's four singles, "Grind", "Again", "Over Now", and "Heaven Beside You", three feature Cantrell on lead vocals. Cantrell also wrote the lyrics for the songs for which he sang lead vocals. Regarding "Grind", Cantrell said it was written at "pretty much at the height of publicity about canceled tours, heroin, amputations, everything, thus it was another 'FUCK YOU for saying something about my life' song."[1] "Heaven Beside You" was written by Cantrell after the break-up of his girlfriend of seven years.[1] He described the song as "Another attempt to reconcile the fact that my life and paths are tearing me apart from the person I love."[5] Commenting on "Over Now", Cantrell said of the song: "A lot of deep shit in there, a big epic number. Plus you can get away with a hugely long tune near the end of a record."[5] "Brush Away", "Head Creeps", "Shame In You", "So Close", and "Nothin' Song" have never been played live in concert by the band.
Release and reception
Although not as successful as Dirt, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, and has since been certified double platinum, despite lack of support through touring.[6] The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart for the week ending November 25, 1995. It then fell completely out of the Top 10 the following week. The band opted not to tour in support of Alice in Chains, adding to the rumors of drug abuse.[2][7] When asked about the frustration of not touring to support the record, Cantrell provided some insight into how Staley's addictions led to repercussive tensions within the band: "Very frustrating, but we stuck it out. We rode the good times together, and we stuck together through the hard times. We never stabbed each other in the back and spilled our guts and do that kind of bullshit that you see happen a lot."[8]
It was noted for being a break away from the externally applied grunge label affixed to the group.[9][10] Rolling Stone described the album as a "musical rebirth,"[9] and The New York Times remarked that in contrast to the raw distortions associated with grunge, Alice in Chains' sound was "cleanly delineated and meticulously layered."[10] Jon Wiederhorn of Rolling Stone called the album "liberating and enlightening, the songs achieve a startling, staggering and palpable impact."[9]
Alice in Chains included the singles "Grind", "Heaven Beside You", and "Again", all of which had accompanying music videos. "Grind" and "Again" were nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1996 and 1997, respectively.[11][12] The music video for "Again" was nominated for Best Hard Rock Video at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards.[13]
Packaging
The album is also known as Tripod, due in part to the album's cover art featuring a three-legged dog, and the back cover art featuring a three-legged man, Frank Lentini. The compact disc was initially available in two versions: one with a transparent purple jewel case with a translucent yellow-green "spine" and the other with the color scheme reversed. The purple jewel case is now out of print. The cassette edition features a transparent purple cassette.
Track listing
| Writer(s) |
| 1. |
"Grind" |
Jerry Cantrell |
4:45 |
| 2. |
"Brush Away" |
Layne Staley, Cantrell, Mike Inez, Sean Kinney |
3:22 |
| 3. |
"Sludge Factory" |
Staley, Cantrell, Kinney |
7:12 |
| 4. |
"Heaven Beside You" |
Cantrell, Inez |
5:27 |
| 5. |
"Head Creeps" |
Staley |
6:29 |
| 6. |
"Again" |
Staley, Cantrell |
4:05 |
| 7. |
"Shame In You" |
Staley, Cantrell, Inez, Kinney |
5:35 |
| 8. |
"God Am" |
Staley, Cantrell, Inez, Kinney |
4:08 |
| 9. |
"So Close" |
Staley, Cantrell, Kinney |
2:45 |
| 10. |
"Nothin' Song" |
Staley, Cantrell, Kinney |
5:40 |
| 11. |
"Frogs" |
Staley, Cantrell, Inez, Kinney |
8:18 |
| 12. |
"Over Now" |
Cantrell, Kinney |
7:03 |
| 13. |
"Again (Tattoo of Pain Mix)[*]" |
Staley, Cantrell |
4:01 |
| 14. |
"Again (Jungle Mix)[*] (also known as Club Mix)" |
Staley, Cantrell |
4:01 |
^ * Japanese CD Bonus Track
Personnel
- Layne Staley – vocals, rhythm guitar
- Jerry Cantrell – lead guitar, vocals
- Mike Inez – bass
- Sean Kinney – drums, artwork
- Stephen Marcussen – mastering
- Toby Wright – producer, engineer, mixing
- Tom Nellen – engineer
- John Seymour – mixing assistant
- Rocky Schenck – photography
- Mary Maurer – art direction
- Doug Erb – design, cover design
Chart positions
Album
Singles
| Single |
Chart (1995) |
Position |
| "Grind" |
US Mainstream Rock Tracks |
7 |
| US Modern Rock Tracks |
18 |
| Single |
Chart (1996) |
Position |
| "Heaven Beside You" |
US Mainstream Rock Tracks |
3 |
| US Modern Rock Tracks |
6 |
| "Again" |
US Mainstream Rock Tracks |
8 |
| US Modern Rock Tracks |
36 |
References
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