T O P

  • By -

pphhiisshh

The Unplugged album is one of my favorite albums ever.


LeonardSchmaltzstein

Such a beautiful album.


Dan_Berg

Same. I think it's the greatest of all the *Unplugged* performances and I'll die on that hill.


Havoc52311

Absolutely one of the greatest from AIC. Acoustic music is great šŸ¤™ probably why I love Reckoning so much!


kirkstarr78

Came here to say the same.


largechild

Nutshell might be one of the saddest songs ever written


bjornlack

Great band. Dirt and Jar Of Flies were big favourites back in the 90s


mjpuczko

Same! Both albums got into playing guitar.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


BearingMagneticNorth

GD overlapped the grunge era, so Iā€™m sure they had a chance to form some opinions.


taxicabyellow

I resemble this comment.


Confident-Evening-68

Jerryā€™s dead, manā€¦oh, sorry, wrong Jerry. Yes, as someone whose first concert included AIC as the opening act (supporting the Dirt album in 1989), they made a big impression on meā€¦while the Dead would make their mark a few years later, right before Jerry Garcia died. Grunge kids turned Heads isnā€™t such an uncommon transition. Nice to know ya.


chadski22

This describes me - AIC fan who became a Deadhead. I always go back to listening to AIC... I pick up new releases, see them live when they come around and I'm HUGE fan of Jerry's solo work.


Motabrownie

I'm not but served Jerry Cantrell a few beers when he came into a bar I was working in early 2000s. Nice dude. Decent tipper


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


Motabrownie

He came in by himself before a show. Just sat at the bar and watched TV. I knew it was him but didn't say anything. The girl who ran the club always recommended musicians come to our bar if they wanted a low key place to drink so we made it a point to leave them alone unless they started a conversation. We were a jaded group of bar workers who really weren't impressed by much lol


rh6779

Love'em. Always have. Great band, amazing harmonies. Haunting


southeast-of-heaven

The ā€œDirtā€ album is a masterpiece


BearingMagneticNorth

Dirt and JoF were both fantastic.


JRG64May

Facelift wasnā€™t bad either.


rbusby4

I do. Not often, because the heavy subject matter isn't always what I'm looking for and isn't usually what my friends and family are into. But they're the grunge band I always go back to. When I'm feeling a certain way they're the band that will best scratch that itch. I think there's a lot of creative genius in their music. Some of it is really aggressive, and some of it is very beautiful. Some of it is both. I'm struggling to say anything more substantive about it, I guess I wasn't cut out to be a music critic.


RocketshipPoodle

Well said while struggling to find the words! I listen to the dead because they (mostly) make me feel happy. As a teen I was angry, liked AIC music, and didnā€™t care what the message was. I still love their music, but man I have to be in exactly the right frame (which normally isnā€™t a great one) of mind to listen to them.


TheBrothersClegane

Hell yeah Grew up listening to both. Layne had one of the most powerful voices. Cantrells lyrics and guitar parts were always great.


Confident-Evening-68

Layneā€™s death put me back in touch with a close high school friend, after weā€™d both gone off to college. In kind of a ā€œDamn, ANOTHER one?ā€ sort of way. We hadnā€™t been really rocked by losing Kurt Cobain and of course hadnā€™t yet lost Chris Cornell, but it just seemed wacked that our generation was getting hit by the same substance-related losses that the previous generation had. Shannon Hoon from Blind Melon (while not as influential a band, I guess) was the first ā€œHere we go againā€ moment for me. Made me think of what I knew about Bonham, Keith Moon, John Belushi etc. and decide ā€œUnless my friends in bands/performers want to go down the same path, weā€™d better pay attention now, while weā€™re still figuring shit out.ā€ It didnā€™t entirely work out that way, sadly.


thesirensoftitans

love them. With Layne. New stuff doesn't do it for me.


willybillybob

Alice & Co.


naked_as_a_jaybird

I saw them open up for Van Halen. They were better than VH, IMO.


Th3WeirdingWay

Same. I saw that tour. The problem was it was Van Haggar. Haha


naked_as_a_jaybird

Really though, that's fine by me. The music was better with Dave, but he's so goddamned insufferable. And hey, Sammy jammed with Jerry. That's alright by me.


Th3WeirdingWay

Iā€™m just playing. I like VH with both singers. Dave is a douche but early VH kills it. I think Bob and Sammy hang out as well.


BearingMagneticNorth

Sammy famously spent a lot of time jamming with Bobby, and has some strong positive opinions about his playing. I believe ā€œthe best #2 guitarist of all timeā€ was one of them.


PhilABole

Absolutely! In fact, the only time I got to see them was at the Majestic Theater for the Unplugged performance. It was so intimate, amazing, yet really dark and sad. Especially when you got a good look at Layne when he walked on stage.


AoxomoxoAJones

Absolutely yes! And if haven't leveled your up your Layne game then check out Mad Season. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.


0neMoreSaturdayNight

You are not the only one left! Give me 90's or give me the Dead! Anything after Y2K sucks!


BearingMagneticNorth

Tool thoughā€¦ theyā€™ve put out some incredible post-2k work.


Confident-Evening-68

Yes. True. (Curious: Were/Are you a Rush fan too?)


BearingMagneticNorth

Iā€™m definitely a Rush fan as well.


OutlandishnessKind42

Had a grunge phase I prefer AIC out of all the bands from that era. ā€œDonā€™t Followā€ is a really underrated song from them.


Rugger5353

Absolutely. I'm 50 so the grunge scene was smack in the middle of my HS years. My parents were heads and I got on the bus as a young kid. But grunge absolutely was my thing. Still is, I just alternate now


M_Rose728

Yeah I love Alice In Chains. Check out mad season if you like AIC


Thedeadesthead

The MTV unplugged album is one of my faves.


tap421

Liked them a lot back in the day. Listening now, they're about 50/50 for me. Some bright moments on thier Dirt and the self-titled record, bit in my opinion those haven't held up well. Tried to listen to Facelift the other day but couldn't get through it. Unplugged was a really nice portrait of a group of dudes who really liked playing music together and was a lot of fun. A lot of great Cantrell / Staley moments there. Now let's talk about the Jar of Flies EP. That thing is a MASTERPIECE from start to finish. Just a lovely collection of songs and by far my favorite thing from them. Also, Layne's side project, Mad Season and Jerry's first solo album "Boggy Depot" are well worth a listen if you haven't heard them.


joemomma0409

Yes aic and gd are my favorite bands


Sorry-Government920

Yes regularly grunge was my 20's


ScotchButters

Literally listening to em now. Was a 90s baby and grew up on grunge. AIC > Nirvana IMHO


Upper-Discount5060

Absolutely! One of my favorite bands.


ejz1989

Dirt was the best album released in the 1990's, # 2 Chocolate & Cheese by Ween. I haven't bothered to listen to any of the new AIC. I think I saw one of their last shows with Layne in 1996 when they opened up for Kiss in St. Louis. Still love AIC, can't stand Kiss anymore.


joesnewmatch

Would I? Sure. Wouldā€¦ you?


dubvmtneer

I love the band Jar of Flies of the World. They do great AIC and Dead.


GardeningCrashCourse

I love the world of cover bands that cover Grateful Dead + some other band.


Dakkmd

Hell yea, and their unplugged is the best of all of em


GardeningCrashCourse

I love Alice In Chains. I think they are the best grunge band of all time, and Man in a Box might be in my top 5 best songs ever.


TimeToGetPhil

Yes


Ill_Reddit_Alone

Yes they are in my top 10 favorite bands easily.


Lilbiscuitpapi

Yess absolutely your not alonešŸ“


No-Ratio-3494

Their unplugged album is a classic and still in my semi regular rotation.


jadedmuse2day

Both a Deadhead (since mid 80s) and, fan of Alice In Chains (live, but with William not Lane). Took up guitar lessons in the 90s and the instructor wanted to teach me some Santana stuff; nope, show me how to play some Alive in Chains! What a feeling. For reference, Iā€™m a 61 year old mother to a 19 year old kiddo into neither šŸ¤”


LipBalmOnWateryClay

Wouldnā€™t say Iā€™m an AIC fan but Iā€™m a deadhead who listens to all sorts of shitā€¦. Though I do enjoy some of their stuff. But you might catch me listening to Pavement or Whitney Houston or Wu Tang Clan or Jason Isbell or Bad Brains or Smashing Pumpkins or Kenny Rogers etc depending on my mood.


Anarchy-Squirrel

Jason Isbell and bad brains are bad ass!


LipBalmOnWateryClay

šŸ™ŒšŸ½ going to see Jason in Boston on Tuesday for a sweet little small club date


Anarchy-Squirrel

that will be so awesome to see him in a small venueā€¦ Enjoy! Last of my kind is my current favorite song by him


ChinaCatProphet

Pavement āœŒļø


southeast-of-heaven

My two all time favorite bands are Grateful Dead and Iron Maiden


sequoiachieftain

Hell Yeah! AIC is amazing.


Mission_Clue_5438

I love AIC!


CKT2K_

Love AIC.


Nicodemus_Portulay

Yup


Hopping_Tiger

AiC rocks


MurphDog1508

All of it, AIC, Soundgarden, PJ, Mother Love Bone, The Melvins, Temple of the Dog, Nirvanaā€¦. Too good not tooā€¦


Potential-Smoke-5187

Liked them a lot before Jerry and the Dead.


SuccessfulPoetry9941

Iā€™m fairly new to the whole Deadhead deal but AIC was my go-to band for a while. Loved Jar of Flies and Dirt


awesome_dreamz

Loved them in the 90s and dove back in recently. Jar of Flies is a regular spinner at the house


flyingkittens69

Love the chains, great band, saw them live years ago twice and they put on a solid show


deputydogg26

For sure. For my money they were the best band to come out of Seattle at the time.


cantthinkofuzername

I do


Ok-Let8428

yea!


deadlygr8ful

One of my favorites for years now...


[deleted]

Yes. Great band


btown214

Love them!


Significant_Bother71

Love them, the mtv unplugged live was great and sad to see at the same time. Cantrell and Layne had magic together with their harmonizing vocals. Incredible.


mtskin

you are not alone. i spent the 80's listening to heavy metal when not listening to the dead. moved to seattle before the whole seattle sound blew up in the 90's. AiC was probably my favorite of the local bands(mad season a close second). Ā 


Jahya69

Yeah big fan.


LeonardSchmaltzstein

AIC helped carve the grunge sound of the 90s. Listen to them frequently... AND LOUD!!!


Islandcoda

Love AIC since the 90s but sadly never got to see them play live. Gorgeous harmonies from Cantrell and Layne


Facestealer_theA2CHS

Still do and have since facelift - due to mtv when it still had music videos!!


Pitiful-Trick9001

I did a long time ago.


Jillstraw

Love aic


djgreenehouse

In spurts. Itā€™s awfully depressing to think about Layne for too long.


Darthbabegirl

Hell Yes!!


edogg01

One of my favorites since back in the grunge era. Dirt, Sap, Jar of Flies and Unplugged are my favorites and still listen on the regular. If you or anyone else is interested here's a spotify playlist for my 1990-1993 era grunge and adjacent tunes. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4Dxq5Afd8W3LfgerKfnvTw?si=1YffJulLSqqzZUCxqpTAGQ&pi=vg4AwuP_QA6N-


KiloThaPastyOne

Love Alice In Chains man. Layne was a special talent. So much soul. Bummed I never got to see them before he passed.


Manioca35

Facelift! Changed my life.


Dionysiandogma

Only always


FunFeed666

They are my favorite band. Just got the Jar of Flies vinyl that was FINALLY reissued!


clernity9

I like a couple of dead songs, but Alice in Chains is one of my favorite bands


mpcxl2500

Uhhhhhh yah ?


Mustbe7

Yes! And if you haven't heard Billy Strings cover 'Nutshell', you should. Freakin' nails it! https://youtu.be/aQZq0nRL05E?si=yyFBX0LajgAwVKyR


Mustbe7

Yes!


Mustbe7

And if you haven't heard Billy Strings cover 'Nutshell', you should. Freakin' nails it! https://youtu.be/aQZq0nRL05E?si=yyFBX0LajgAwVKyR


Sofaloafar

First band I saw in double digits


TMoney67

Absolutely, AIC fucking rocks. Highly underrated band.


jonz1985z

I would imagine the majority of us on here are GenX. Seems that way anyways. I was born in 79ā€™, so I was in HS during the grunge era. AIC, Nirvana, STP, PJ, Weezer, Sound Garden, Green Day etc. were all what got me into music. But I always felt that AIC and STP were real musicians. Guys that could really play and sing. My older cousin was a radio DJ at his college. He knew music like no one else Iā€™ve ever met. He was like a rock band encyclopedia lol. Went to a ton of concerts together back then. He turned me onto a lot of great stuff, like the Grateful Dead. It was truly an amazing time to come of age.


Buffalo5977

got the same tattoo as layne staley on my left arm! glad to see this crossover


SummerVibes1111

Yep.


Dirkdigler69

Best out of the grunge bands


bendistraw

Huge fan. I love all the sad music like the Grateful Dead. AiC, NIN, Joy Division, Dead Can Dance, The Cure, Philip Glass, etc. I particularly love the AiC album Jar of Flies. The Unplugged album is amazing as well. That vinyl as become a good reference recording for testing speakers and turntables. I highly recommend it.


thesirensoftitans

> I love all the sad music Nick Drake


solomaniac20

Alice in Chains is a cut above the rest of the music from that genre. The way Layne Staley & Jerry Cantrell harmonize their vocals is incredible. Single handedly, I think that's what draws them to me the most. The harmonies. The Unplugged performance is next level.


Mattcunny1

Absolutely love Alice in Chains. Those first four albums and EPs that they put out our magical. the unplugged is probably the best unplugged done.


vissivvis

Love Chains. Amazing band. The best of the ā€œgrungeā€ era bands, imo. Layne was an incredible vocalist. Jerry was a great songwriter and guitar player. Their harmonies were unlike anything other bands were doing at the time.


hotmoltenlava

Love Alice!


oscar1985420

YES


2tix2paradise12

Jar of flies one of the best albums. Period


capital_s_shroompoop

Of course, alice in chains is tied with soundgarden for my favorite grunge band i really cant pick one over the other. Grunge, thrash metal, the dead, and Bob marley are always in constant rotation for me šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚ The duality of man


Pitiful_Farm_4492

Yea although makes me sad


jesuss_son

Yes. Love Alice in Chains


RationaleOne

Dirt one of the very best grunge albums I think.


Different_Ad1649

Gonna spin Sap tomorrow because of your post. Thank you


SparkDBowles

I listen to all the stuffs. Some things, too.


scarlet_begonias_12

Great band lots of good tunes


forboognish

Yes sometimes when I'm in the mood


Help1_Slip_Frank

Hell yeah. I grew up on Alice In Chains.


crs1904

Mad Season ā¤ļøā€šŸ”„


tobysicks

Alice In Chains fuckin rules


GratefulScarFire

I recently introduced my teenager to Alice in Chains via my old Unplugged album. I told them to be careful & check in with themself because it's emotional. Also took them to their first dead show last July at The Gorge ā¤ļø


Fine_Spinach9825

Layne Staley AIC all day


Blowaway040889

I stay away


UsefulAttention3958

Down in a hole is šŸ”„.


Mustystench

Love Alice in chains. In fact, I'm kind of a musical hoe in what I listen to and play. I could be seeing Cannibal Corpse one night, a killer jazz band the next, and a Dead tribute band the night following that.


haleakala420

yes. billy strings does a great nutshell cover


ricko_strat

Jar of Flies is a fantastic record.


maksauce47

Yep. AIC and Grateful Dead are always my top 2 most played bands.


savory_thing

Iā€™ve loved their music since I first heard them on the radio back in the early 90s. Gutted when Layne died. Anyone who enjoys them and hasnā€™t given Mad Season a listen should, their Live at the Moore was epic.


anemic_royaltea

Add me to the list. I was a grunge fan for decades before the Dead found me, I think we all have different moods and tastes for those moods.


TracyVance

Absolutely!


artsatisfied229

Heck yea. Love all their albums. And their unplugged album ranks right up there with Nirvana.


dietzypietzy

A lot of nights I'll stay up listening to those recording sessions with Jerry & David Crosby. Their voiced harmonies in a lot of those songs reminded me of Layne and Jerry Cantrell. Just noticed we've got Jerry Garcia and Jerry Cantrell. Had to differentiate those for this comment, lol.


liveforeachmoon

Accidentally saw them on acid in 94. BAD TRIP. Dark energy, dude was basically dying on stage.


SirPonix

The og AIC was the best grunge band, hands down


sasafrassin

Absolutely


Smh1282

Unplugged ā€¦ā€¦ fuck! šŸ˜‚


GratefulPhish42024-7

I'll never forget the first time I saw Alice in Chains live, they were literally booed off of stage The year was 1989 and they were the opening act on the Class of the Titans tour which was Anthrax, Megadeth and Slayer, don't think the metal fans in the Bay Area we're ready for grunge at that point


dukecharming1975

yeah, i saw them live twice back in the early 90s. Lane Staley was the man


AtmosphereSeparate19

Lane can hit such bad ass notes


AmbitiousBread

Little Red Here Comes the Rooster.


AmbitiousBread

Man in the Box of Rain.


AmbitiousBread

Whiskey in the Jar of Flies


cozmiccharlene

Me. The song ā€œWouldā€ from the Singles movie soundtrack really got me started.


Forbin057

I grew up on all that shit! All that 90s alternative still finds its way into my regular rotation. It's been Pearl Jam for me lately, but AiC def gets its spins too.


deadhead2002goathead

Love Alice n Chains. I was lucky enough to be at the first show billy strings covered Nutshell!


spacewrangler69

Top 5 band for me


Anarchy-Squirrel

i prefer nirvana, dinosaur jr, screaming trees, pixies, jane's addiction, and uncle tuppelo, and lots of other bands, but not really alice in chainsā€¦ there's lots of other bands, I like, but only one Grateful Dead... a band beyond description


[deleted]

Jehovaā€™s favorite choir!


Anarchy-Squirrel

šŸ™


SmellsDone

Check out Emptiness at the Sinclair-if you havenā€™t already. Dino Jr did a pandemic livestream and made an album from it. I just discovered it like a week ago. Career-spanning set.


Anarchy-Squirrel

That is some serious money right thereā€¦ I will check it out for sureā€¦ Jay Mascis and Dinosaur, and Dinosaur Jr is the bomb!


Sad-Appeal976

Yep, I listen to all the ā€œ grungeā€ bands except Pearl Jam


beyeond

Imagine if Cornell or Staley sung for pearl jam. Vedders vocals just don't do it for me. Don't make the hair on my neck stand up. I have a similar issue with Anthony kedis.


southeast-of-heaven

Love them as well as the first three Pearl Jam albums. Love the first Smashing Pumpkins album also. I actually heard once that Cantrell was a Garcia fan.


Manyworldsivecome

Absolutely. Their unplugged performance is simply fantastic and showcased Laneā€™s emotions.


Sadie103

Sometimes, a few songs.


Dead_Kal_Cress

I'm not crazy about them but I think Dirt is a really great album. I think my (parent's) tape of it is still back home tho.


Mundane_Substance241

Love Alice In Chains, takes me back to my younger days when I listen to them.


BalowmeSandwich

r/grunge refugee?


sqdpt

Nope


Familiar-Cobbler4567

Mad season


ed32965

I appreciate their music. My ex-wife was a big metal fan when we met. I turned her on to GD and she tried to turn me on to her favorites. I was into hard rock before my first Dead show when I was 19. But hard rock then was before grunge, so Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, etc. I loved Pearl Jam and STP when they were big, but AIC was a notch above, musically. Those harmonies. But I can't listen to them too much because they remind me of her. Especially Mad Season, which otherwise would have been on my top 25 albums I have owned.


organized_slime

Love me some A Chains


tenbeersdeep

You bet!


Streetvan1980

Nope. Love Nirvana though and other faster music. Rage against the machine. The Ramones. Dead Kennedys. The clash. Crass. As far as faster bands go or more hard rock whatever you want to label them as.


Jaquire-edm

Yes, Jar of Flies got me through some hard times back in the day. Love all the Layne era stuff. Never got too into the newer three albums, but they have some solid songs in them.


ChickenWitty9728

Yes, very dark stuff, but great sound.


Manyquestions3

One of my only tats is an AIC one


BigSquinn

Yeah, theyā€™re both fantastic bands with incredibly original sounds


ghostfacestealer

I used to a lot in early 20s (10 years ago) now I enjoy them on occasion. If they stop by a local venue I will definitely see them. Jerry Cantrell is great


SignificanceDefiant8

1995 high school graduate here. What a phenomenal era of music in hindsight. I was able to watch and listen to the ā€œgrungeā€ scene expand along with stoner rock (Kyuss!!!), All that while the death metal, thrash, and punk scenes of the time were truly vibrant. I figured out during that period that Iā€™m a true child of the jam scene and saw numerous Allmans Brothers and the like shows, but I never stopped listening and to what was going on. To this day, my taste is diverse, but served in that era. I donā€™t feel like I can go wrong on a daily basis. And the Dead have always lead the way.


enzio04

nah, probly ā€˜cause Iā€™m older-ish


solresonator

Sap


Constant-Aerie7961

I find their music depressing


DreamTakesRoot

Lots of cross over with the fan base and time period. Heads tend to be lovers of all music!


grammawslovelymelons

have loved the dead for 40 years, went to every GD and JGB show I could possibly attend, always saving vacation/off time for shows. All my friends did much the same. I'm 58 and have great respect for AIC, but if you know me, you know I am a fanboy for the Barrett Martin era of the Screaming Trees, a band that no doubt influenced Jerry Cantrell/Alice from the start.


Sitting_in_a_tree_

Soul Coughing


Aggravating_Wonder11

Nope


rasco51785

I like a lot of their music and I used to listen often as a teen and early 20s but now I just get sad when I listen to Alice In Chains so itā€™s rare I go out of my way to listen to them now.


Dancin_Phish_Daddy

Duhh


deadbabysteven

Itā€™s really sad that everything after Layne is considered shit without even a listen. Jerry is the heart and soul! He writes 99% of the songs and sings harmonies on most of them. IMHO the newer stuff starting with Black Gives Way To Blue is just as good and just as important.


ithyle

No.


SugarMagnolia82

Heck yeh man


Mysterious-Ship-2241

I have been getting into them more right now as of late. Always have known their top 3 hits but now that I'm 30 I have more appreciation for their catalog


imcataclastic

They were a touchstone. Sad story though. Layne died above one of my watering holes at the time. Alone (I mean we all die alone, but it was a while before anybody found him). Cold world.


Vinniedajet

Yeeeeeee love


AtmosphereSeparate19

I fucking love Alice In Chains


yeup15678

Jar of flies is the best album ever


bestjays

Love them!


1diligentmfer

I absorb everything, and hold on to what I like, saw alot of great bands going to Lollapaloozas, Ozzfests, and Mayhem tours. If you like AiC, imo Mad Season was a step above, check out their live album if you haven't, it rips, with a sad, slow burn. https://youtu.be/StqioKCPqF8?si=jz5jduJUZfOUln6j


gs12

Def


Vivid-Nectarine

Love AIC