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Rating: 2007, five long years have passed since Layne Staley's death... Heroin had decided to take another hero from the '90s away from us, after Kurt Cobain and Jeff Buckley (though for different reasons!) left us "orphaned" and without points of reference. Layne had long been tormented by the specter of addiction, so much so that "Dirt" became almost a concept on the subject..
1999, one of Alice In Chains'best of albums is released, "Nothing Safe"; fans hope, in vain, for a new beginning because after the self-titled 1995 album, the band hadn't entered the studio again: the last releases were the "MTV Unplugged" (1996), with a thin, tormented Layne wearing sunglasses, yet still able to enchant with his distinctive voice, and a promising solo debut for Cantrell, "Boggy Depot" (1998).
Almost twenty years have passed, and here we are looking back nostalgically at the days of "Facelift," when the night before recording, the band slept outside the studio on their instrument cases for fear of hateful theft... One of the bands most opposed by the purists of what was defined as "grunge," accused of being too far from punk and too focused on financial gain, shows, in reality, an enviable artistic and thematic consistency, as well as rare technical prowess among Seattle bands, winning them legions of fans devoted to the word of the fallen angel Layne.
The collection spans all the albums released, offering very well-known hits alternated with demos and live tracks: "We Die Young" is made grittier than the "metallic" album version and the live of "Rooster", recorded in 1996, carries a melodramatic and powerful charge that makes the excellent "Dirt" version pale in comparison, and "Got Me Wrong", taken from the famous acoustic live with Layne's and Jerry's voices chasing and supporting each other. The only true unreleased track is "Get Born Again", hypnotic and massive, but lacking the incisiveness that characterizes other band gems. To the fans' delight, the splendid "Down In A Hole" is included, a ballad of undeniable melody and lyricism "dedicated" to the increasingly evident plunge into the clutches of drugs, the monumental "Man In The Box", a black-Sabbath-like ride with a dual-vocal chorus of great melodic impact where the high note on the word "Jesus Christ" moves and makes the heart leap, and the famed "Would?", perhaps their most known composition thanks to the extremely catchy chorus. The ironmaiden-esque solo of "Them Bones", historical first track of "Dirt", strikes like a slash and accompanies the hypnotic, compelling, and delightful "Angry Chair". Then appear "Grind", "Again" and "What The Hell Have I", but the true core of the work is represented by the initial tracks that allow us to grasp something of the band's soul and also enable latecomers to appreciate the beauty of the impact between Cantrell's guitar and Layne's warrior voice. Missing is the beautiful "Heaven Beside You," which alone would have been worth the purchase, but the album is undoubtedly recommendable and almost essential for anyone who does not own at least "Dirt".
Layne, how much we miss you too...
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
03 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
04 Them Bones (02:29)
I believe, them bones are me
Some say, we're born into the grave
I feel so alone, gon' end up a
Big ole pile a them bones
Dust rise, right on over my time
Empty, fossil of the new scene
I feel so alone, gon' end up a
Big ole pile a them bones
Toll due, bad dream come true
I lie, dead gone under red sky
I feel so alone, gon' end up a
Big ole pile a them -
I feel so alone, gon' end up a
Big ole pile a them -
I feel so alone, gon' end up a
Big ole pile a them bones
06 Angry Chair (04:46)
Sitting on an angry chair
Angry walls that steal the air
Stomach hurts and I don't care
What do I see across the way, hey
See myself molded in clay, oh
Stares at me, yeah I'm afraid, hey
Changing the shape of his face, aw yeah
Candles red I have a pair
Shadows dancing everywhere
Burning on the angry chair
Little boy made a mistake, hey
Pink cloud has now turned to gray, oh
All that I want is to play, hey
Get on your knees, time to pray, boy
I don't mind, yeah
I don't mind, I-I-I
I don't mind, yeah
I don't mind, I-I-I
Lost my mind, yeah
But I don't mind, I-I-I
Can't find it anywhere
I don't mind
Corporate prison, we stay, hey
I'm a dull boy, work all day, oh
So I'm strung out anyway, hey
Loneliness is not a phase
Field of pain is where I graze
Serenity is far away
Saw my reflection and cried, hey
So little hope that I died, oh
Feed me your lies, open wide, hey
Weight of my heart, not the size, oh
I don't mind, yeah
I don't mind, I-I-I
I don't mind, yeah
I don't mind, I-I-I
Lost my mind, yeah
But I don't mind, I-I-I
Can't find it anywhere
I don't mind, I-I-I
Pink cloud has now turned to gray
All that I want is to play
Get on your knees time to pray, boy
07 Down in a Hole (05:37)
Bury me softly in this womb
I give this part of me for you
Sand rains down and here I sit
Holding rare flowers
In a tomb... in bloom
Down in a hole and
I don't know if I can be saved
See my heart I decorate it like a grave
You don't understand who they
Thought I was supposed to be
Look at me now a man
Who won't let himself be
Down in a hole, feelin' so small
Down in a hole, losin' my soul
I'd like to fly
But my wings have been so denied
Down in a hole and they've put all
The stones in their place
I've eaten the sun so my tongue
Has been burned of the taste
I have been guilty
Of kicking myself in the teeth
I will speak no more
of my feelings beneath
Down in a hole, feelin' so small
Down in a hole, losin' my soul
I'd like to fly
But my wings have been so denied
Bury me softly in this womb
Oh I want to be inside of you
I give this part of me for you
Oh I want to be inside of you
Sand rains down and here I sit
Holding rare flowers
(Oh I want to be inside of you)
In a tomb...in bloom
Oh I want to be inside...
Down in a hole, feelin' so small
Down in a hole, losin' my soul
Down in a hole, feelin' so small
Down in a hole, outta control
I'd like to fly
But my wings have been so denied
09 Got Me Wrong (04:24)
Yeah, it goes away
All of this and more of nothing in my life
No colored clay
Individuality not safe
As of now I bet you got me wrong
So unsure you run from something strong
I can't let go
Threadbare tapestry unwinding slow
Feel a tortured brain
Show your belly like you want me to
As of now I bet you got me wrong
So unsure you run from something strong
I haven't felt like this in so long
Wrong, in a sense too far gone from love
That don't last forever
Somethings gotta turn out right
You sugar taste
Sweetness doesn't often touch my face
Stay if you please
You may not be here when I leave
As of now I bet you got me wrong
So unsure we run for something strong
I haven't felt like this in so long
Wrong, in a sense too far gone from love
Strong, I haven't felt like this in so long
Wrong, in a sense too far gone from love
That don't last forever
Somethings gotta turn out right
10 No Excuses (04:15)
It's all right
There comes a time
Got no patience
To search for peace of mind
Layin' low
Wanna take it slow
No more hiding
Or disguising truths I've sold
Everyday
Something hits me all so cold
Ya find me sittin' by myself
No excuses that I know
It's okay
Had a bad day
Hands are bruised from
Breakin' rocks all day
Drained and blue
I bleed for you
Ya think it's funny
Well you're drownin' in it too
Everyday
Something hits me all so cold
Find me sittin' by myself
No excuses that I know
Yeah, it's fine
Walk down the line
Leave our rain
A cold trade for warm sunshine
You my friend
I will defend
And if we change
Well I love you anyway
Everyday
Something hits me all so cold
Ya find me sittin' by myself
No excuses that I know
11 I Stay Away (04:14)
Yeah, hey yeah
I want to travel south this year
Won't prevent safe passage here
Why you act crazy, not an act maybe
So close a lady, shifty eyes shady
Yeah, hey yeah
Tears that soak a callous heart
Why you act frightened, I am enlightened
Your weakness builds me, so someday you'll see
I stay away!
Why you act crazy, not an act maybe
So close a lady, shifty eyes shady
I stay away!
I stay away!
I stay away!
I stay away!
12 What the Hell Have I (03:58)
The face before me flies
Laughs at me inside
Masks are made to hide the glow, shining eyes
Distance 'tween us grows, feeding lies
It's hard to start things over
You can feel the fire around us
All the time, yeah
Something I should say
It takes you every day
What you give is not alive, today
Your soul served on a plate, thrown away
It's hard to start things over
You can feel the fire around us
All the time, yeah
It's hard to start things over, oh yeah
You can feel the fire around us
All the time, yeah
It's hard to start things over, oh yeah
You can feel the fire around us
All the time, yeah
All the time
What the hell have I?
Little pride
13 Grind (04:46)
In the darkest hole, you'd be well advised
Not to plan my funeral before the body dies, yeah
Come the morning light, it's a see through show
What you may have heard and what you think you know, yeah
Let the sun never blind your eyes
Let me sleep so my teeth won't grind
Hear a sound from a voice inside
Sure to play a part, so you love the game
And in truth your lies become one and same, yeah
I could set you free, rather hear the sound
Of your body breaking as I take you down, yeah
Let the sun never blind your eyes
Let me sleep so my teeth won't grind
Hear a sound from a voice inside
In the darkest hole, you'd be well advised
Not to plan my funeral before the body dies, yeah
Let the sun never blind your eyes
Let me sleep so my teeth won't grind
Hear a sound from a voice inside
14 Again (04:06)
Hey, let them do it again, yeah
Hey, you said you were my friend
Hey, turn me upside down, Oh
Hey, feelin' so down
Hey, hey...hey...hey...
You made a fool of me again
Again
Hey, I know I made the same mistake, yeah
I, I won't do it again, no
Why, Why you slap me in the face, oww
I, I didn't say it was OK, no
No, No...
You violate a part of me again
Again
Ah, ooo
Whoo whoo, yeah
Hey, you had time to think it out, yeah
Hey, Your weak will won't help her heal her heart
Hey, I'll bet it really eats you up
Extending part of me again
Again
Ooo
Whoo whoo, yeah
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