Alice in Chains Album: “Greatest Hits”

Why do I say this? Because Alice in chains never wrote a bad song. Instead of getting the "Greatest Hits CD" (which is the third "Greatest Hits" this band has come out with: "Music Bank" and "Nothing Safe" preceding it); go out and get "Dirt", "Jar of Flies/SAP", "Alice in Chains (Tripod)", and "Unplugged" instead. That's only four discs, and you'll get all the music that you're going to miss on this ten track CD.

This is obviously some sort of contractual obligation album. Since the band has no new material, they have to put out yet another Greatest Hits. Actually, if you want a really good Alice CD, which is virtually a greatest hits, just buy the "Unplugged" album. I hate to support Mtv, but it really is their best album. Honestly though, rather than buy this Greatest Hits, it'd be worth it to pick up "Dirt" and "Jar of Flies" instead. Those two CD's will give you six of these ten tracks. Also, check out Jerry Cantrell's solo stuff, it's really good!

Layne Staley (1967-2002)

Only The Good Die Young

Since their formation in the mid to late 1980s, Alice In Chains has slowly been carving their place into metal. From their angrier works of Facelift to the beauty of Jar Of Flies to the heavy riffs of their self titled album, the band has survived the trends and this album, Greatest Hits, is only a small testament to what the band has accomplished in the last 15 years or so.

Layne Staley (R.I.P.) takes lead vocals on most of the 10 songs, singing in his distinct style that a great deal of singers today have tried to imitate and make their own. Staley has the perfect voice for this band, going from wailing to a near growl. Harmonizing on vocals with Staley is Jerry Cantrell, who plays deep, dark, sludgy riffs and occasionally pulling off an incredible solo. The band's drum work has always been something interesting. Sean Kinney plays beats so perfect and so complimentary to the guitar, it's astounding. On the earlier songs, the bass is played by Mike Starr, whose low-end playing adds to the anger of the music. On the later releases, Mike Inez is present and he is a powerhouse when it comes to bass. He plays magnificently and adds a great touch to the songs.

Right from the start, this album hits hard with their first hit, Man In The Box. With its memorable guitar work and powerful vocals, this song has earned its proper place on this compilation. From their fan-proclaimed masterpiece Dirt comes Them Bones, Rooster, Angry Chair and Would?. Them Bones is a hard rocker with some loud, crunchy guitar and harmonic vocals. Rooster is a classic song in itself. Each instrument is played amazingly well and Layne Staley soars during the choruses. Angry Chair is another amazing song. The song ranges from being deep and hard to melodic and heavy. The guitar work is thick but the drumming is a standout here, with a strong and consistent beat backing the darkness of the song. Would? is a very strong song with excellent instrumentation but the lyrics stand out. Much like the rest of the song on Dirt, the lyrics are filled with personal references, mainly on the usage of drugs, and this song is no exception. From Jar Of Flies comes No Excuses and I Stay Away. No Excuses is an excellent song with some nice acoustic guitar work and excellent drumming. I Stay Away is another acoustic song but it strays toward the darker elements of Facelift and Dirt. Layne Staley sings the vocals with overwhelming anger and agony with an orchestration of strings to back up the guitar, bass and drums. This song is one of the most powerful song on the Jar Of Flies album. The final songs on the album, Grind, Heaven Beside You and Again, come from their self-titled album. Grind is a dark, sludgy tune with some deep guitar and pounding rhythm as well as some harmonious vocals on the choruses. Heaven Beside You is an absolutely amazing song. The guitar is perfect, the rhythm is powerful and Jerry Cantrell, who assumes most vocals here, croons the lyrics amazingly. Again is the final song on this compilation and is much like Grind except a bit faster and not as dark.

Alice In Chains have been a force to reckon with ever since they recorded and release their debut album. They have defied all trends and stuck to what they do best and their music has evolved over time. Unfortunately, we will never hear of the band entering the studio to record their follow-up. R.I.P. Layne Staley. This compilation is a nice deal maybe for beginners but the hardcore fans of AIC may want more. So, if you are just getting to the band, check this out but you long timers, stay away or you'll hurt yourself getting mad at buying this.

This might sound like a pretty ignorant review, because I'm going against all Amazon.com review protocol and reviewing a record I don't own, have never even heard, and probably never will, either. Sounds stupid, right? Wrong. While I've never listened to this album, I DO happen to be a gigantic Alice in Chains fan, owning every one of their albums EXCEPT this one, and I feel strongly opposed to this release. If I really wanted to, I could arrange a playlist of the songs in order on this Greatest Hits album, and burn it for myself. But that's just a waste. I already own Nothing Safe: The Best of the Box, and let me tell you, that is a collection far superior to this one. Here's why.

First of all, Nothing Safe has fifteen songs, including three or four rarities (two never previously released). Greatest Hits just has ten songs.

Secondly, Nothing Safe is better arranged and offers a wider range of songs than Greatest Hits. With the prior, you get the idea that Jerry Cantrell himself handpicked the songs and order they'd be arranged in, whereas with the former, it's simply a list of their ten most popular songs, in chronological order. Boring.

Finally, it's a waste of money to pay relatively the same price for an inferior product. Why not use your money on an album that has the exact same songs (it does...every single one of these is on Nothing Safe), PLUS five extra tracks? You'd be stupid not to, that's why.

Don't get me wrong. I love Alice in Chains! That's exactly why I'm writing this review. If you are a fan of the band, you probably have no need for this cd, but if you're new, do yourself a favor and buy Nothing Safe instead, if you're that desperate. If you're looking to further discover the band's material, I'd most strongly recommend Jar of Flies, Dirt, and their outstanding Unplugged LP. This band simply cannot be redeemed by a lame 'greatest hits' release such as this. Owe up and pay Lane, Jerry, Sean, Mike, and, uh, the other Mike their due respects and buy their other albums instead. You'll be so glad you did.

i love alice in chains this is the worst SACD i have ever heard. mixed terribly, the origonal disc sounds sooooooooo much better.

You'd figure with a previously released greatest hits album ("Nothing Safe: The Best of the Box") a box set ("Music Bank"), and a live album, Columbia/Sony Records would have milked grunge greats Alice in Chains for all they could. Well, this ten track "Greatest Hits" album proves otherwise, as nine of the ten tracks found here can be found on "Nothing Safe". This is yet another blatant cash in from Columbia/Sony, and fellow hardcore AIC fans would agree that a true AIC greatest hits should include masterpieces like "Sunshine", "Bleed the Freak", "Love, Hate, Love", "Rain When I Die", "Dirt", "Brother", "Nutshell", "Sludge Factory", and "Over Now" plus where are the other singles (this compilation is basically the songs that radio ate up) like "We Die Young", "Sea of Sorrow", "What the Hell Have I?", "Got Me Wrong", and "Get Born Again"? Newer fans to AIC are better off starting with "Facelift" or "Nothing Safe" and leaving this coaster on the table.