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Rating:
Instinctive.
This is the first adjective that comes to mind when I think of Facelift, the debut album by Alice In Chains, released in 1990. Jerry Cantrell's guitar and Layne Staley's voice, which in my opinion is at its peak here, strike and leave the listener stunned like a punch to the nose.
The album opens with the legendary distorted riff of "We Die Young," which contrary to what one might think, is not a prophetic vision of Layne: it was composed and written by Jerry Cantrell at the sight of a child drug dealer. Another standout track is "Man In The Box" with that jackhammer guitar and a chorus sung by a Layne in a state of total grace, a song with corrosive and lacerating strength. "Sea Of Sorrow" is more elaborate and less destructive, a bit more melodic, while still being an anthem with impressive force. The slow intro of "Bleed The Freak" is brilliant, causing a dip in tension before the sarcastic and fiery outburst of Jerry & Layne. A stall phase with the slow and tormented "I Can't Remember," but the level rises steeply with the dark and desperate "Love, Hate, Love," six intense minutes that truly give you chills, with a truly superhuman Layne Staley. "It Ain't Like That" is a more classic grunge metal piece, followed by the fantastic semi-unknown gem called "Sunshine," which mixes more metal parts with even funky/semi-rapped sections, leading to a wonderful, very melodic, almost liberating chorus. "Put You Down" is a piece that's really not very AIC: a nice hard rock that despite its atypical nature does not look out of place at all, on the contrary, it turns out to be a pleasant surprise. "Confusion" is perhaps the least immediate track on the album, alternating sweet parts with more tormented ones but doesn't hit as the previous ones do. Truly stunning, however, are the last ones. "I Know Somethin 'Bout You" stands out for its beautiful singing that is almost bluesy at times and the truly intoxicating riff, while "Real Thing" is a magnificently pissed-off chant, with Layne as the absolute protagonist, leading to a rhythmic, catchy, and engaging chorus.
This album represents the less sick and sometimes ironic side of Alice In Chains, an essential record to own at all costs.
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
01 We Die Young (02:32)
Scary's on the wall
Scary's on his way
Watch where you spit
I'd advise you wait until it's over
Then you got hit
And you shoulda known better
And we die young
Faster we run
Down, down, down you're rollin'
Watch the blood float in the muddy sewer
Take another hit
And bury your brother
[CHORUS]
Scary's on the wall
Scary's on his way
Another alley trip
Bullet seeks the place to bend you over
Then you got hit
And you shoulda known better
Faster we run
and we die young
02 Man in the Box (04:46)
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, oh
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, oh
I'm the man in the box
Buried in my shit
Won't you come and save me, save me
Feed my eyes, can you sew them shut?
Jesus Christ, deny your maker
He who tries, will be wasted
Feed my eyes now you've sewn them shut
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, oh
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, oh
I'm the dog who gets beat
Shove my nose in shit
Won't you come and save me, save me
Feed my eyes, can you sew them shut?
Jesus Christ, deny your maker
He who tries, will be wasted
Feed my eyes now you've sewn them shut
Feed my eyes, can you sew them shut?
Jesus Christ, deny your maker
He who tries, will be wasted
Feed my eyes now you've sewn them shut
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, oh
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, oh
03 Sea of Sorrow (05:49)
Mind, of destructive taste
I chose... To stroll amongst the waste
That was your heart
Lost in the dark
Call off the chase
Walls of thought, strong and high
As my castle, crumbles with time...
I think of you
Oh, yes I do
Such a crime
You opened fire... And your mark was true
You opened fire... Aim my smilin' skull at you
You opened fire...
I live tomorrow, you I'll not follow
As you wallow, in a sea of sorrow
Lines cut across my face
Why you laugh at my disgrace
I'll never know
How far to go
To reach that place
You opened fire... And your mark was true
You opened fire... Aim my smilin' skull at you
You opened fire...
I live tomorrow, you I'll not follow
As you wallow in a sea of sorrow
08 Sunshine (04:44)
Am I too contagious
Full of sick desire
Am I that I promise
Burning corpsed pyre
Then some dude came down to touch the Mother
Mother touched, and dude ain't here no more
Suck it one more time
Am I your reflection
Melting mirror smile
Am I worth the value
Do my love defile
Then some dude came down to touch the Mother
Mother touched and dude ain't here no more
Ain't no day the sun don't crack
Try brand some name across my back so you care?
Find someone to tell you
[CHORUS]
Sunshine... Sweet love my labor
Don't mind... I don't care no more
Memory, set me free, yeah
I don't care no more
Mother please, come for me
Can you face the question?
Is my soul entire?
Sunshine... Sweet love my labor
Don't mind... I don't care no more
[CHORUS]
10 Confusion (05:44)
There's no time to give at all
I cause you grief and blow my hatred
Further in your mind
You reach, I run, you fall
On skinned knees you crawl
[CHORUS]
I want to set you free, recognize my disease
Love, sex, pain, confusion, suffering
You're there crying, I feel not a thing
Drilling my way deeper in your head
Sinking, draining, drowning, bleeding, dead
So you sit and think of love
I wait, hate all the more, I fall
On skinned knees I crawl
[CHORUS]
Now there's time to give it all
I put my fears behind again
On skinned knees we'll crawl
[CHORUS]
11 I Know Somethin (Bout You) (04:21)
Why can't I take it all OK?
I like to dig and fuck around with your day
I'm gonna tell your mama
Yeh I'm gonna blackball your name
Ain't now way you'll go without me
Every chance I'll make you pay
On your face, in my space, I tell you I know
Somethin' 'bout you, I know somethin' 'bout you
In my space, on your face, I tell you I know somethin'
'Bout you, I know somethin'
Why can't I put your words away
I'd like to have more of you in my veins
I'm gonna tell your papa
Yeh I'm gonna try and ball your babe
Your gold key don't fit my crapper
Ain't got no shit today
On your face, in my space, I tell you I know
Somethin' 'bout you, I know somethin' 'bout you
In my space, on your face, I tell you I know somethin'
'Bout you, I know somethin'
On your face, in my space, I tell you I know
Somethin' 'bout you, I know somethin' 'bout you
In my space, on your face, I tell you I know somethin'
'Bout you, I know somethin'
I'm gonna tell your mama
Yeh I'm gonna blackball your name
Ain't no way you'll go without me
Every chance I'll make you pay
On your face, in my space, I tell you I know
Somethin' 'bout you, I know somethin' 'bout you
In my space, on your face, I tell you I know somethin'
'Bout you, I know somethin'
On your face, in my space, I tell you I know
Somethin' 'bout you, I know somethin' 'bout you
In my space, on your face, I tell you I know somethin'
'Bout you, I know somethin'
12 Real Thing (04:03)
I messed around as a little boy
I grew up, made the blade my new toy
Friends said boy with what you screwin' around I said
Don't concern yourselves and just
Gimme another blast
Yeah
[CHORUS]
Under the hill, with just a few notches on my belt
Take it away, don't want no more
Even if you say just one more
I won't leave you alone
I grew up, went into rehab
You know the doctors never did me no good
They said son you're gonna be a new man
I said thank you very much and
Can I borrow fifty bucks?
[CHORUS]
'Cause I'm goin' down the steps on a white lne
Goin' down the steps on a white line
Goin' down the steps on a white line
Straight to nowhere
[REPEAT]
I messed around as a big boy
I grew up and made the blade my new toy
Friends said boy with what you screwin' around I said
Oh my god and here we go again
Yeah yea'
[CHORUS]
'Cause I'm goin' down the steps on a white line
Goin' down the steps on a white line
Goin' down the steps on a white line
Straight to nowhere
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Other reviews
By cliffburton86
"For me, the true masterpiece of the band, without taking anything away from the splendid 'Dirt'."
"The riffs, slow, hard, and incisive, are supported for almost the entire record, distorting the tormented melodies."
