alice in chains c/d

that they were ***metal** and not ***grunge***, like it was profound somehow.

Grunge was never a real genre, discuss.

s/t album has a LOT of Jerry singing lead, often for entire songs, which I'm not really about. he has a decent voice but it's rather vanilla so I usually preferred it when they used him more sparingly, i.e. like on the intro verse to "Would?"

Yeah I haven't heard a lot of praise for the s/t but it's the least thing in the Layne era I haven't heard and I love "Heaven Beside You" (on the subject of great harmonies)

s/t's highlights were "Brush Away", "Sludge Factory", "Frogs" (possibly the weirdest song they ever recorded not counting the bonus track on Sap), "God Am", "Head Creeps", "Grind"

Mostly unmemorable songs on the s/t. Granted I didn't listen to it as much as Dirt, but today I wouldn't have the first clue what Shame in You or Nothin Song sound like.

that nothin song sticks to your mouth like peanut butter on the brain...odelay-eeeeeee

I like "Shame in You", decent Layne harmonies.

Grunge was never a real genre, discuss.

― chap, Thursday, January 14, 2021 8:03 AM (five minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

Next thing I know you're gonna say electronica wasn't legit.

You know what doesn't get enough love? The Mad Season album. It's pretty great imo.

Speaking of Mad Season, one of my favourite bits of Layne singing is his verse on this, at around 1.50. Chills.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJKvE3tMIPs

yeah i love "Shame In You". One of the great grunge ballads. Reminds me of... shit what were they called? Brent or Brad or something? Mixed grunge and soul together, think it was a collab between one of Pearl Jam and antoher dude...

Whoa! Brad! I haven't thought of that in nearly thirty years!

Brad are great - most things Shawn Smith was involved in a great (Pigeonhed, Satchel, Twilight Singers) his solo stuff.

I like the AiC Unplugged album. It's way too long but the highlights are, uh, high.

Yeah the studio versions of the songs are all superior imo & afaicr.

― chap, Thursday, January 14, 2021 6:39 AM (fifty-three minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

i do not agree

My last post (typed in a break from online teaching) is utter garbage! Basically, Shawn Smith is the king. That is all.

And aye, Unplugged is great. I love the version of Frog.

the opening “AH!” on them bones is the best and scariest start to an album ever

Tangent, but I swear Bandcamp had a metric ton of Shawn Smith content - demos, albums, live stuff, etc. - and it's not up now. So much content, I didn't know where to start, and thought I'd check it before asking for suggestions here.

Shawn's a favorite of mine, too. Wish I'd seen a lot more shows of his. The one at Seattle's Showbox lounge I caught was wonderful and intimate.

I liked the song Battleflag by Pigeonhed

There's a Lo-Fidelty Allstars version of that, which is great.

I like that version too

the Pigeonhed version is in a first ep season of the Sopranos. makes it a time capsule episode really

I saw Shawn Smith in a little pub near here, about six months before he died. I got a bear hug off him at the end. Amazing gig.

Wrapped In My Memory is in an episode too right? S5 maybe.

shawn smith is a legend in my mind just for his contributions to the first twilight singers record and having a band with my name

Brad’s Shame still holds up

(I still haven’t heard any of the later albums)

unplugged brother > sap ep brother

unplugged brother > sap ep brother

― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson)

Hard disagree, if only for Jerry's gorgeous tone in the studio solo.

the strengths of unplugged are the vocals and the “mood” imo. and layne’s hair. the guitar solos do sound sorta weak, like Jerry and the other guy are trying to play acoustics as electrics.. and yeah xp laynes harmonies on the chorus of “brother” > Ann Wilson’s, sacrilege as that seems.

I actually love the story of Jerry’s dad hearing Rooster for the first time at an AiC show. this toughass cowboy crying and waving his hat when it was over, v touching <3

Did anybody else have the Jar of Flies ENHANCED CD ROM

You know what doesn't get enough love? The Mad Season album. It's pretty great imo.

Abso-fucking-lutely. That was a vibe that didn't get explored enough and I really wish they'd have managed a second album. The deluxe edition from 2013 is fantastic, I sued to have the Live at the Moore on VHS back in the day.

I was a listened to tons of grunge back in the day, but never listened to Mad Season. Listening now and it's really good and has a unique vibe.

The chorus of I'm Above really reminds me of the titular lines in Still of the Night by Whitesnake.

God, I need to proofread my posts.

For me Mad Season has a v specific “heroin” vibe, I find it hard to listen to unless I’m in the right mood

might be just a me thing tho

def not a stick on at any time kind of album yah

AiC are kinda like that for me too tho.

They are not my favorite "grunge" band (Soundgarden4eva), but they might be the most grunge of all 90s bands.

i wanted to do a grunge poll

Sign me the f up!

Yeah, this might be the ultimate "grunge" album. It just sounds like ... grunge. This or Screaming Tree's "Sweet Oblivion," maybe.

I was listening to "Badmotorfinger" the other night, and it's like the ultimate prog-metal album that isn't quite prog or metal. I think the key to Alice in Chains (or Screaming Trees, for that matter) are those vocals. Cornell is the best singer of the entire bunch, but it's that low, guttural Layne/Vedder/Lanegan wail that kind of defines grunge for me.

Totally agreed (and lol, because I went Mad Season > Dirt > Sweet Oblivion tonight). Soundgarden always my favorite grunge band, but AiC and Screaming Trees have such distinctive vocals.

i would participate in a grunge poll!

Strangely I was in the middle of listening to dirt yesterday and felt a sudden urge to hear “outshined”. Good god, Cornell’s verse vocals there. “SOOO DOWN”

with aic for sure it’s the vocals but also really solid songwriting, really nice melodic touches and cool middle eights and things

I have somehow never listened to Mad Season and always mixed them up with Temple of the Dog!

Tracks or albums poll? Or both?

Tracks, I would say, but I would do either. Maybe tracks with an album top-10 side poll?

Cornell is just a monster. Staley has distinctive vocals, but it's also the treatment. They're double-tracked a lot, correct?

Tracks would be the main poll but would prob do albums too

I'd be in for a grunge poll, albeit I suspect I don't know grunge as well as I think I do.

Which bands would be eligible in a grunge poll? Seattle only, or would it extent to eg Smashing Pumpkins?