Alice in Chains - Greatest Hits Review

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full review

Tracklist:
1. Man In The Box
2. Them Bones
3. Rooster
4. Angry Chair
5. Would?
6. No Excuses
7. I Stay Away
8. Grind
9. Heaven Beside You
10. Again

Ranking: #125 for 2001

user rating

3.8
excellent

Chart.

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On 1 Lists

4.0
excellent

Chris Baranowski USER (38 Reviews)

2005-01-16 | 25 comments | 3,817 views

1 of 2 thought this review was well written

Artist: Alice In Chains
Album: Greatest Hits
Label: Columbia
Genre: Grunge/Rock/Metal

Layne Staley- Vocals/Guitar
Sean Kinney- Drums
Jerry Cantrell- Vocals/Guitar
Mike Starr- Bass (Tracks 1-5)
Mike Inez- Bass (Tracks 6-10)

Review:
A couple years back, I picked up the Spiderman Soundtrack. My favorite song on the soundtrack was a catchy, crunching tune named “She Was My Girl" by Jerry Cantrell. I was in love with the song, and eventually I bought his second full-length. When my dad noticed my interest in Cantrell, he mentioned that he had sung and played guitar in the band Alice In Chains. I had heard their name thrown around a couple of times, my older brother had the Unplugged CD and my cousins were huge fans. I listened to some AiC CD’s, Dirt in particular, and was impressed. It wasn’t as heavy as Cantrell’s solo material, but it was powerful. When Christmas came around, I asked for Dirt and though my parents couldn’t find a copy, they managed to pick up Greatest Hits. I was content, as I got to hear the best tracks from each AiC CD. The CD blasts ten tracks in 45 minutes, with plenty of variety. Though purists may give their own viewpoints on which tracks are the best, Greatest Hits compiles catchy tunes, both heavy and soft that will give you a small taste of each AiC album. This greatest hits does it’s job well.

Man In The Box (4:46)- What to say about this lovely track. One of AiC’s most famous tracks, it’s an excellent way to start the album. The first sounds you hear are warbled, distorted guitar and loud drums. Soon the distinct, somewhat famous and often copied vocals of Layne Staley fill your ears as he sings incoherently backed by an identical guitar line. The verse starts with the lines, “I’m the man in the box. Living in my shit!" The pre-chorus begins with descending guitar and Cantrell’s monotone, backing vocals. The chorus is full of mighty yells, vocal trade offs and impressive bass. What better to complete this song than a groovy, mighty solo from Cantrell. The song ends abruptly and the next track begins. 5/5

Them Bones (2:29)- “Them Bones" starts right away with a crunching metal riff that no doubt paved the way for many metal/hard rock acts. Cantrell gives a couple might yells and the verse begins. Long, strained dual vocal lines are backed by a slow version of the intro riff. The chorus is a catchy progression with Cantrell’s morbid, hopeless lines of “I feel so alone, gonna’ end up a big ol’ pile of them bones." The song features one of the CDs best slows as Cantrell just goes all out with speed. Cantrell repeats the chorus a few more times and then the song dies. Short and sweet. 5/5

Rooster (6:14)- The first time I listened to this song, I despised it. The slow moving pace and weird guitar effects just annoyed me. I skipped it almost every time I listened to the CD. But recently I gave it another try and I loved it. Entwining groovy bass oriented lines, effects caked guitars and soft vocals make this song an interesting listen. Cantrell sings of his father’s experiences in Vietnam. Though it starts out slow, it picks up in the chorus and makes for a very epic song. The song ends with the same chorus of “oohs" as the intro. 5/5

Angry Chair (4:47)- “Angry Chair" starts with Kinney’s rhythmic drumming and soon Starr’s produces a bass line that is sure to stick in your head. Cantrell’s eerie, echoing vocals come in giving the song a sinister mood. At about 1:35, the chorus gets a bit more upbeat, soon Cantrell shreds another impressive solo, and Starr’s bass line comes back in. The song ends with some feedback and the same catchy drum beat. 4/5

Would? (3:28)- After a short bass intro, the echoing guitars and impressive drums of “Would?" make the song come alive. I remember hearing this song as a kid and I was never able to figure out who it was. The song had always intrigued and frankly, frightened me. It’s somber, chilling mood and depressing lyrics of heroin addiction and overdose make for one scary experience. The chorus is little lighter as Cantrell’s shouts fill your ears. The solo is short, but nonetheless eerie. The song ends with Cantrell’s yells of “If I would, could you?" 5/5

No Excuses (4:16)- “No Excuses" starts with a catchy, upbeat acoustic guitar line and a very nifty, descending bass line. Staley and Cantrell’s voices blend into one melodic line as they mix with the guitar line. The chorus is very powerful, as Cantrell busts a nifty, electric lead part. And of course, the song wouldn’t be complete with an impressive Cantrell solo. The lyrics are a bit cryptic too. “It's okay, had a bad day. Hands are bruised from breaking rocks all day," Staley and Cantrell sing in the second verse. A nice song, a welcome break from the hard rock beatdowns and spooky moods of the previous tracks. 4/5

I Stay Away (4:14)- Another acoustic track, “I Stay Away" is a mighty blend of guitar, weaving bass, violin and rhythmic drumming. The intro guitar work is very impressive. The chorus is weird blend of guitar, vocals and bass, almost reminiscent of “Man In The Box." A simple song, the high point is the bridge as violin and guitar form breathtaking harmonies and Staley gives a rousing shout of “I stay away." Cantrell follows up with another short solo. The song ends with a couple more shouts of “I stay away." 4/5

Grind (4:45)- “Grind" whisks us back to the crunching metal that started off the CD. The song is based off one simple riff and a couple of nice fills. Cantrell sings the first part of the lyric and Staley’s distorted voice enters and finishes it off. The chorus has some interesting guitar work as Staley and Cantrell sing, “Let the sun never blind your eyes. Let me sleep so my teeth won't grind. Hear a sound from a voice inside." I think the song is talking about a will to live. Cantrell completes the song with a speedy solo. The song’s repetitive riffs and weird vocals will undoubtedly start to nag you, but it’s a good song nonetheless. 3.5/5

Heaven Beside You (5:29)- An incredibly catchy guitar riff starts this song off and soon bass and guitar blend into one beautiful mix. Cantrell’s deep voice sings the verse and he is accompanied by Staley for the catchy chorus of “Like the coldest winter chill, heaven beside you, hell within. Like the coldest winter chill, heaven beside you, hell within. Like the coldest winter chill, put heaven beside you, hell within. And you think you have it still, heaven inside you." The post-chorus has an eerie progression going as Cantrell whispers the lines, “So there's problems in your life, that's fucked up, and I'm not blind." Let’s not forget the impressive solo and you have one rocking song. “Heaven Beside You" is one of my favorite tracks. 5/5

Again (4:05)- “Again" has a very awesome metal riff that will get your head nodding. The lyrics are slow moving, but the song speeds up during the chorus as Staley sings with his nasal voice, “You’ve made a fool of me again and again and again." The bridge is pretty nifty as Cantrell and Staley give a quick “ooh" and a quick riff begins to play. Not the most innovative of songs, but still a rocking one that will get you jumping. 4.5/5

Alice In Chains paved the way for so many present day nu-metal and rock acts with their unique combo of grunge, rock and metal. Bands like Puddle of Mudd, Deftones and Hoobastank wouldn’t be around if AiC hadn’t set so many precedents. And what better way for a nu-metal fan to get to his roots than a greatest hits collection of the band that contributed so much. Greatest Hits is a CD that offers the best of Alice In Chains and can be enjoyed by any fan of rock or grunge. For more listening, check out Jerry Cantrell’s solo efforts and Layne’s grunge super-group Mad Season.

Suggested Tracks: “Man In The Box," “Them Bones," “Rooster," “Heaven Beside You," “Again," “Would?"

Score: 4 out of 5

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