re: Alice in Chains -> Nutshell (Unplugged)

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Just got off work and did some internetin' on the song.

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After Nutshell, Don't Follow is probably my second favorite AIC song. It is criminally underrated.

ETA: Echoing some sentiments from that article - years later, at the Unplugged show - during Nutshell - Staley delivers one of the "Ooooooh ooh!" lines, he looks down and you can see on his face an unspoken thought:

"I've tried, but I'm not going to make it." - that was the opening song and he finished the show - I know he died 6 years later (last seen by Mike Starr, who would also die from heroin overdose years later), but he looked like he was dying during the show. Really tragic - good art often comes from pain at this level (Van Gogh, Richard Pryor, etc.) - but it doesn't make it any less sad.

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I've read that Layne was in a state of complete isolation at the time of his death.

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I'm pretty sure that's true - Starr says he wanted to call Layne's mother or 911 - and Layne talked him out of it, but didn't want him to leave. The investigation is pretty clear that he died shortly after Starr left within a few hours, maybe a day or so.

(ETA: And Starr did fight heroin over the years, but I should correct my earlier statements - but Starr actually died from a prescription drug overdose - but I think his problems, as were Staley's, were primarily based on a powerful heroin addiction acquired at a fairly early age).

(Additional edit: Cobain and Staley's offical dates of death are April 5, 1994 and April 5, 2002, respectively, with Staley's body - he was 6'1" and was approximately 86 pounds at death - not discovered until April 19, 2002, 2 weeks later).

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After Nutshell, Don't Follow is probably my second favorite AIC song. It is criminally underrated.

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Criminally underrated? You've never been to my buddies house after a few beers. He breaks out his Taylor (doesn't have a Guild) and we WAIL.

I'm a total Pearl Jam homer but AIC is what's in my head when thinking of 1994 and PJ is not in my head.

AIC will always be one of my favorites and the funny thing is that I'm not really a huge fan of that particular genre.

This is awesome - No Excuses

I still have this on my phone and listen to it all the time. Have Nirvana's too.

AIC was a masterful band in it's prime. Every aspect of their music supports the dark, brooding lyrics in perfect timing. Those songs still have a lot of personal meaning to me to this day, though i've crossed over to the other side of addiction.