Lead singer here is Layne Staley, such a unique voice who sadly battled demons of drug addiction and passed away in 2002. Jerry and the band chose to carry on the AIC legacy and William joined the band years later to keep those sweet sweet Cantrell harmonies alive.
Layne Staley with the pink hair, original lead singer, Jerry Cantrell backup vocals. William Duvall current lead singer. Many say this is as close to someone singing at his own funeral as you’ll get. Their harmonizing is second to none and Layne’s voice was SO powerful!
The "Friends don't let friends get friends hair cuts" is a friendly jab at Metallica who, at the time, had been getting some criticism for "selling out" after cutting their hair short. He wrote in on there because they happened to be sitting in the front row of this performance. It's pretty wild to think that this show has Metallica sitting in the crowd watching Alice in Chains.
One of my concert going buddies grew up in Seattle during this time. He was at Moore concert. The opening bands were Temple of the Dog and some new band called Mookie Blaylock. My buddy didn't like Mookie Blaylock, thought they weren't that good. It was one of their first concerts and one of first times playing together. Not long after, they changed their name to Pearl Jam.
I don’t say this lightly, I believe that Jerry and Layne’s harmonizing is on the same level as Lennon and McCartney, or The Eagles. It honestly feels like their voices were made for each other, and something magical happened every time they brought those beautiful voices together. Edit: as far as other recommendations from this band, there are a ton. I know countless comments will suggest Rooster or Nutshell, or the live performance of Love Hate Love at the Moore (and those are all fantastic as well), but I have to list some of my favorite songs of theirs. Grind, Heaven Beside You, Again, Them Bones, and so many more. They don’t have a bad song.
I don't know that there's a live version to react to considering the wide amalgamation of frontmen that was "Alice Mudgarden," but Right Turn has been a favorite since the first time I heard it (and it was a really cool idea to get all those "Seattle sound" musicians together, really feels like an encapsulation of a unique time and place)
This performance still hits so hard all these years later. I'm not sure if it's because it was one of Layne's last performances or if it's cause of him a and Jerry's voices together. Still brings a tear to the eye.
at 2:53 when Jerry is smiling back to someone (Mike Inez on bass), it is because Layne was hurting bad (heroin) during this and Mike didn't think Layne could belt it out still. Jerry was like...that's my boy, he still has it
Just dropping another vote for Love Hate Love (Live at the Moore), if you wish to see the more aggressive, dark part of AIC, and Nutshell from the same MTV Unplugged, if you want to follow up on the sadness and melodic beauty of this one.
Layne stayley (the pink hair) has one of the most hauntingly beautiful voices ever on here but he can also belt out too! “Love hate love” live at the Moore really showcases his voice!
Their performance of Rooster in this same session is legendary. Hell, the whole session is. Layne is greatly missed. After you hear a few more of their songs, I highly recommend checking out their song Black Gives Way To Blue, it's from their 2009 album with their new singer William Duvall. It's a heartbreaking song.
This is like watching someone sing at their own funeral, as has been said before. Just like Kurt Cobain with all of his candles and star gazer lily's. Not to mention, Jerry had food poisoning and they had not played live together in forever. Absolutely beautiful
"Friends don't let friends get haircuts" Was a joke aimed at Metallica who was sitting in the front row who had just cut theirs before the Load album release. What's haunting is how you can still almost hear Layne in more recent Alice songs because they harmonized so well. Suggestions? EVERYTHING they're amazing.
This band is so iconic I used to listen to them ALL the time!! Layne Staley has such a unique voice and sad that he battled with drug addiction. RIP Layne Staley
Every time I see Layne perform it's emotional. I'm conflicted: the performances are so great but knowing what he's going through is so sad! Same thing for Kurt, Chester, Chris, Dolores. Their angst is what made them such great vocalists. Tormented artists all!
You should definitely try reacting to "Love, hate, love", live at the Moore. By the way, that's Layne Staley on the lead vocals here. Sadly passed away due to drug addiction.
I actually watched this live on MTV back in the day when this first came out after work back then...it was perfect timing...same thing happened for me with the KISS unplugged concert...will never forget
This song is a love song from guitarist Jerry Cantrell to the love of his life Courtney Clarke. Early pressings listed this as the 12th track on the Dirt album. Later pressings listed this as the 4th track on the Dirt album supposedly to fit better with the band’s desire to have the album loosely tell a story from song to song. On the Unplugged album it's the 5th track. Songwriter and guitarist Jerry Cantrell said of the song in the Music Bank box set liner notes, “Down in a Hole’s in my top three, personally. It’s to my long-time love. It’s the reality of my life, the path I’ve chosen and in a weird way it kind of foretold where we are right now. It’s hard for us to both understand…that this life is not conducive to much success with long-term relationships." Once Layne got his voice where he wanted it, it stayed there with little effort. He was always better live than studio version. Layne's vocal range can run rings around any other grunge singer in my opinion. Layne could sing the phone book and never hit a wrong note. Even at the end of his life, with no teeth and a lisp, his voice, wit and humor were all still there. Layne's voice and vocal range was so powerful he did NOT need auto tune or pro-tools until he lost his teeth and had a lisp around 1998, and even then he still killed the vocals. Barrett Martin (who played with Layne in Mad Season) said that when he stood to the side of the stage, he could hear the sound of Layne's vocal resonance come out of Layne's body LOUDER than it did coming out of the speakers, Layne's voice was that powerful. Layne's story is more tragic and haunting because you can actually watch and hear him deteriorate over the 12 year span: from the mild use of drugs in 1990 all the way through 1996 when he was deep into a heroin addiction to dropping to 90 pounds by 1998 to 86 pounds when he died in 2002. Layne was so much more than his drug addiction. He was able to come up with lyrics and harmonies off the top of his head. He knew enough to know that Jerry Cantrell was playing with the wrong people and gave him contact info for Sean Kinney and Mike Starr. He wrote the lyrics for the songs he sang on Mad Season's Above album and drew the cover art for that album. Layne was a genius in his own right. He still was able to figure things out in a snap off the top of his head. Layne just had his demons. With MTV Unplugged, when Layne finally gave the Okay to do it. They were supposed to rehearse in Seattle but NO one showed up. Sean, Mike and Jerry would show up at different times but Layne would be MIA or Layne would show up for one or two songs and then leave. When they finally got to New York, Sean and Mike had an argument with Jerry because they thought with Layne's condition and addiction, he wouldn't be able to hit the high notes. Jerry was the ONLY ONE who was confident that Layne could do it. When you watch DOWN IN A HOLE Unplugged, and Layne hits that high note, you see Jerry look over at Sean and Mike with this "I TOLD YOU SO!" smirk. Layne did it again on ROOSTER Unplugged and Jerry did that same smirk. The Unplugged show in 1996 is so heartbreaking to watch because Layne was deep in his heroin addiction (and yes, I know he was doing other drugs on top of Heroin). His liver was damaged and he knew it. He was just high enough to do the show to fight off withdrawal symptoms and he didn't get dope sick. He was such a ghost of himself during Unplugged. (Of course, Jerry had food poisoning) All Jerry saw when he looked over at Layne was his best friend was going to die soon due to the path Layne had chosen for his life. That show was filmed in April, 1996, premiered in May 1996. They did four shows with KISS in June-July 1996, after which Layne survived an overdose and became a recluse. After that, it was a six-year-long slow suicide. MTV (and the music industry) has more or less blackballed Layne (and yet, they laud over Kurt Cobain every April 5th, because Kurt was the "face of grunge", meanwhile Layne gets a "by the way"). The Grammys went so far as to invite Jerry, Mike and Sean to the Grammy show in 2003 and then refused to put Layne's picture up in the memorial of the musicians who died in 2002. (Or they "forgot" to) which pissed Jerry, Mike and Sean off and they walked out on the show. The friendship between Jerry and Layne was unbreakable. Jerry NEVER once thought of replacing Layne as the singer while Layne was still alive. He always wanted Layne to sing whenever he had AIC do something. If there were ever cosmic soulmates ... Layne and Jerry would be it. (And by that I mean, they were Sympatico with each other. The way they sang together was a perfect pitch where two voices make one. What you hear and see between Jerry and Layne was a genuine friendship. They looked after each other. When one had problems with a song, the other picked up the slack. They were a team. Jerry was doing a solo concert in Charlotte, NC when he heard that Layne was found two weeks after he died and Jerry was trying to get through the concert and crying. He did shows between the time he found out about Layne until Layne's funeral because if he had taken a break then, he didn't think he'd want to continue anything later after the mourning period. Alice In Chains was a band, but they were also a family. They had internal issues just like any family. When Layne died, it was like losing a loved one, a family member, you don't think of the fights you had with the person who died. You defend their memory. There is a reason Jerry wrote NO EXCUSES about Layne and the line "You, my friend, I will defend / And if we change, well, I'll love you anyway." "Whatever dramas are going on in my life, I always find that place inside my head where I see myself as the cleanest, tallest, strongest, wisest person that I can be." -- Layne Staley "My bad habits aren't my title. My strengths and my talent are my title." -- Layne Staley "When I tried drugs they were fucking great, and they worked for me for years, and now they're turning against me - and now I'm walking through hell and this sucks. I wrote about drugs, and I didn't think I was being unsafe or careless by writing about them. I didn't want my fans to think heroin was cool. But then I've had fans come up to me and give me the thumbs up, telling me they're high. That's exactly what I didn't want to happen." -- Layne Staley "My grandmother and mother were such huge losses, but I got Layne, the guys, and I got this.” - Jerry Cantrell, Kerrang! (December 1, 2018) “Jerry really loved Layne [Staley]. They had a bond I haven't seen before,” Jerry’s former manager Bill Siddons, April 19, 2002 (the day Layne was found two weeks after he died).
I love watching people find out about Alice In Chains for the first time. If you want beautiful, haunting lyrics and amazing vocals, you have found the right band. No one holds a candle to Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell. RIP Layne. Nobody sounds like you man.
Just found this channel, and glad to see you've discovered my favorite band! I agree with other commenters who mentioned "Love Hate Love" live performance as a song you definitely need to do at some point. If you're looking for deep cuts, I've always loved "So Close" and "I Can't Remember" among others. If you want some stuff that sounds like absolutely nothing else, then definitely "Would" or "I Stay Away" or "Grind" are must listens. I look forward to checking out more of your vids!
If I had to reccomend another Alice in Chains song I'd recommended listening to Love Hate Love live from 1990, Laynes voice and performance there is amazing! Junkhead, and Rain when I die are also great songs that show how good of a vocalist he was.
For more co-lead singing with Layne, check him out with Mark Lannegan in Mad Season. The song featuring them both is Long Gone Day. The official video is a live performance. For more Layne and Jerry harmonizing together, check out the song Brother from the same unplugged performance.
If you want to hear more of a more upbeat side of Alice In Chains, check out "Man In The Box" or "Them Bones". If you want a little bit of both, there is "Rooster" that starts off slow but builds up, or my personal favorite "Would". For live versions, can't go wrong with any of the "Live at the Moore" performances.
Great reaction! Nutshell, Sludge factory, Rooster, Love hate Love live at the moore (for Laynes best vocals) are all also great songs by Alice in Chains!!
I saw Layne in a three piece suit at the start of their set on Lollapolooza in 93 and it was like 95 degrees that day! Needless to say he took the jacket tie vest and shirt off after playing Would the first song to start the show! Very charismatic singer and great stage presence! His voice very unique and an unbelievable range! RIP Layne!
Around 9:30 in your video your hands make a shadow on your chest that moves. At some points the shadow looks like a heart, which is an interesting addition as you talk about the qualities of this heart wrenching (and beautiful) song.
Great reaction! William Duvall is the current singer. Layne Staley who was the one in this video passed away of a drug overdose in 2002. Layne truly has one of the greatest voices of all time. I recommend some of their heavier stuff like Man In The Box (Live at The Moore 1990) please!
Should really hear “mad season- I don’t know anything”, it was really close to the end of his career, almost entirely destroyed by drugs, but managed to produce some of the best vocals in the genre!
You are beautiful and Alice in Chains is one of my favorite bands. 10/10 video. Love seeing people discover great music and enjoy it. Best wishes to you!
layne litterally had no teeth in that. he was so deep in addiction. you can see him looking to his bro jerry for motivation and acceptance during the whole show.
Layne Staley's voice is made out of pure unadulterated pain. Other songs I'd recommend are Rooster, Love Hate Love, Would?, and Man in the Box. Really, just listen to the entire Dirt album!
A lot of AIC fans never really gave William Duvall a chance. I still see comments after 15 years of how "He can never replace Layne!" Blah blah blah. If they had of paid attention they would know he's not a bloody replacement. He's a member of the band and has in his own right done a great job as Guitar player and Vocalist. However, That does not and will not ever take away from Layne. They've written so many songs about Layne since his passing as well that are great songs and memorials to Layne. One such song to check out would be "Voices" off their album The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here.
@@jaytoorecklezz ya Layne was the man, shame his career was so short, missed out on a lot of greatness. Jerry is unquestionably my favorite musician of all time and likely will remain that for as long as I’m alive, his AIC work is awesome and his solo work is also fantastic and crazy underrated, degradation trip vol1&2 is an absolute masterpiece, one of the best double albums of all time for me
Lead singer is Layne Stanley (pink hair) and Jerry Chantrell is the other. This was basiclly Lanye's farewell concert. He's high and almost didnt performed for the unplugged concert. But managed to pull it off. Thats why hes not moving around, dancing, swaying...i dont know what was expected from your thoughts but he was basiclly saying goodbye. He passed away shortly after this. The other songs and albums are great, but this concert was the end for him. Jerry stills performs as Alice In Chains to this day Great reaction
This is when Layne was so close to checking out, and finally succumbing to his addiction that it truly is magnificent that he could sound so good in that condition. If you want to see him at his best watch the video of Alice and Chains live at the Moore where he sings "Love, Hate, Love." So powerful. Loved these guys back in the day. Thx
Layne was so talented. Gone way too soon...Favourites Song from this Session: Would, Nutshell,Rooster and this one...Can recommend, to watch the whole show. Same goes for the Nirvana and pearl jam unplugged...Thanks for the reaction :)
AIC has kind of this sound, they have harder stuff that was pretty much on the edge of metal for the grunge era, but they also have beautiful Ballads. Can recommend you "Nutshell", beautiful ballad that i allways hear from time to time. They really master the harmonies that you rarely see so good, like System of a down. As the more rocky songs i recommend "Man in the Box"(nice screams from Layne and one of the best WahWah Solos for guitar), "Would"(the song everybody knows from them), "Rooster", "Them Bones"
This song is even more haunting when you realize that he was deeply “down in a hole” in the throws of heroin addiction at this time & ended up dying several years later.
My favorite song, beautiful reactions and thanx for the review ♥ I have to say i shed a few tears listnening to the song here now, but its so special with the Layne&Jerry combo vocals and the bass and all🤟 I feel what he sings, and not many vocalist hits me like he did‼ As i can see further down below, the other song i recommend is Love, Hate, Love! Damn what a vocal voice skill he had, with his body movement bending forward or backwards to get the right sound out of his body! Though he does stand very still to get those sounds out, and the result is just ......without words to describe❗On the top of his screams in this song particularly is raw ‼ Also need to say that i miss Scott Weiland from STP & Velvet Revolver RIP. Love the song "Fall to Pieces"💯 Cheers and be good, spread positive vibes and take care everyone. Peace & one love!
The "Friends don't let Friends" note on the bass was to Metallica who showed up for the taping with their brand new short haircuts for the Load LP. They dabble in different sounds, and that's a taste of what it's like.
Good reaction. As others have already corrected you about the singers. This was one of their first performances in a long while at the time. Layne had been struggling with drugs for some time. They only played a few more shows before Layne became a recluse. He died about 5-6 years later of an overdose. Other songs that are great to react to, Would? (the video and unplugged are both great in their own right), Man In The Box, Love Hate Love (live at the Moore), Nutshell (unplugged).
This performance is just outstanding. Laney is sorely missed. Also, you have such an amazing vibe and such energy. I instantly became a fan. Also eyes so big and smile so bright. You're hauntingly beautiful!
Funny story: the band Metallica showed up for this MTV unplugged concert in NYC with their new, shorter haircuts. Mike, the guitarist, thought it would be funny to write, “friends don’t let other friends get haircuts”, on his guitar. They all had a good laugh about it!
He wasn't under the weather... He was high af.. they even had to restart the first song cause Layne forgot the lyrics😅... But that show is one of the reasons someone should invent a time machine... This Is just amazing🔥
His guitar says "friends don't let friends get "Friends" haircuts. It was a light-hearted jab at metallica who were sitting in the front row sporting their new short hairstyles that some said made them look like the cast of "Friends"
Layne Staley (lead vocals) was the original singer of Alice In Chains... seen here in this 1995 'MTV Unplugged' performance. Jerry Cantrell (guitar & vocals) is the main songwriter... Layne had the bluesy, rough vocal... while Jerry Had the softer, cleaner voice... and their harmonizing together was a trademark of Alice In Chains' sound. Initially, Layne was the lead singer w/ Jerry doing backing vocals on their debut album 'Facelift' in 1990... but Layne encouraged Jerry to sing lead on certain songs... the acoustic ballad 'Brother' from 1991 was a perfect example of Jerry Cantrell on lead vocals. 'Down in a hole' was a ballad on their 1992 album 'Dirt'... Alice In Chains had the slower, heavy riffs of early Black Sabbath, and also the harmonizing and atmosphere of Pink Floyd... They were not just a heavy rock or grunge rock band... they had acoustic ballads in their catalog. Heavier songs like - 'Man in the box' ... 'Bleed the freak' ... were balanced by acoustic tracks like 'Got me wrong'... 'No excuses'... The original Alice In Chains featured Layne Staley, Jerry Cantrell, Mike Starr (bass) and Sean Kinney (drums)... they were one of the most influential bands of the 90's... A number of bands like Days of the New, Godsmack, and Staind tried to copy their sound but did not come close. Unfortunately, heroin addiction had affected both Staley and Starr by 1991... Their 2nd album 'Dirt' was a largely harrowing account of the landscape of heroin addiction (Songs like 'Them bones'... 'Sickman' ... 'Angry chair'... 'Would?') In 1993, Mike Starr was fired for his addiction issues, and Mike Inez (bass) replaced him and recorded a semi-acoustic EP 'Jar of Flies' that went to #1 on the US charts in 1994... Sadly, Layne's addiction ended Alice In Chains' touring plans that year. They finished a self-titled album in 1995 that went to #1 as well and did the MTV 'Unplugged' set that was released in 1996.... Songs included ballads like 'Over now' ... 'Heaven beside you' ... w/ the rock tracks like - 'Grind' ... 'Again'... 🔥🔥🤘🤘 Alice In Chains played their final 4 shows w/ Layne, opening for Kiss in the summer of '96... They were only able to complete 2 songs ('Get born again' and 'Died') that were released in 1999 as part of an Alice In Chains boxed set 'Music Bank'. In 2002, Layne Staley was found dead from an apparent OD... Years later, former bassist Mike Starr died in 2011 from pill addiction. In 2006, Alice In Chains finally announced a reunion w/ Jerry, Sean Kinney & Mike Inez... lead singer William DuVall was enlisted to do Layne's vocals live in concert... They band finally released new music in 2009 w/ DuVall on vocals (the album 'Black gives way to blue) and have continued to record and tour.
Alice in Chains sound is a bit different from this one. In this one, The lead singer was Layney, and he was really ill due to drugs and a recent cold (someone correct me if I'm wrong). Both this one and Nutshell from the same session are much sadder when you read about him. For a more classic sound, with healthy Layney, "Man in the Box" and "Would?" are both really really good. For a more recent one, with William, "Stone" and "Check my Brain" are the first ones that come to mind. Also, if possible, I would like to suggest another "unplugged" song, by another band/singer: "Fresno - Diga, parte 2 | Studio62" Fresno is a brazilian rock band, but in the Studio62 version, it is only the lead singer and his guitar. It is a very impressive performance. There are a few translations available on the internet, any of them would suffice. A bit of a story, the title of the song means "Say, part 2". In "Say, part 1", the song is a story about the lead singer and his then girlfriend, about how much you love and miss someone when you are apart. In "Say, part 2", the tone shifts considerably, considering the singer wrote the song after discovering that his girlfriend was cheating on him. Thank you!
layne staley, what a masterful, super dope voice i've ever heard on the grunge scene, there can never be anyone like him, shame we lost him so young,, RIP brother,..
Jerry and Layne were so good together. It's my understanding that Jerry didn't think he could sing but Layne saw it differently and convinced Jerry to sing with him. They believed in each other. Also if you listen to earlier performances you can see and hear the difference in Layne. As freaking awesome as the MTV performance was, his earlier performances before the drug addiction truly took hold of him, were even better. He's sorely missed.
Still my #1 favorite band of all time. This is a powerful introduction their music, being one of the best power ballads in their catalogue. And yes, Layne had an incredibly unique voice, very singular. I know there are later vocalists who were inspired and influenced by him, and thus have a touch of his style and sound in their singing. But his own voice simply can’t be duplicated.
It’s a much different side of the group, but Alice In Chains - Love Hate Love live at the Moore is a great video. It really shows off Layne’s vocal ability back when he was in his prime (before the drugs started to take their toll).
Lead singer here is Layne Staley, such a unique voice who sadly battled demons of drug addiction and passed away in 2002. Jerry and the band chose to carry on the AIC legacy and William joined the band years later to keep those sweet sweet Cantrell harmonies alive.
I still remember the day I heard Layne had died. It felt like being punched in the gut.
I’ve only see AiC with William, but over the years he tries to sing like Staley. I wished he just kept to his own style as Staley can’t be replaced.
When I heard he had passed, I knew we had lost one of the great ones... fuck drugs!
@@robertyates7242 same applies to Chris Cornell too!
@@shiahalud Was anyone surprised. He'd been killing himself for years.
Layne Staley with the pink hair, original lead singer, Jerry Cantrell backup vocals. William Duvall current lead singer. Many say this is as close to someone singing at his own funeral as you’ll get. Their harmonizing is second to none and Layne’s voice was SO powerful!
MTV Unplugged was one big ass funeral dirge
The "Friends don't let friends get friends hair cuts" is a friendly jab at Metallica who, at the time, had been getting some criticism for "selling out" after cutting their hair short. He wrote in on there because they happened to be sitting in the front row of this performance. It's pretty wild to think that this show has Metallica sitting in the crowd watching Alice in Chains.
What he said 😁
And “friends haircuts” at the end is a reference to the show Friends which was the most popular thing on TV at the time.
@@wheatthicks For years I didn't get why that second "friends" was written there until one day it just clicked like "DUH" 🤣
Greatness knows greatness
@@seanlucas4674 Unfortunately James Hetfield also publicly mocked Layne Staley’s addiction despite being an alcoholic himself.
Layne had one of the most unique voices and was a tortured soul. RIP
Love Hate Love live at The Moore is truly amazing.
Here for it! 🤘😎🤘
All for this one!
8 million likes
Classic
i been commenting this but she hasnt yet :(
Alice In Chains - Love, Hate, Love - Live at the Moore is my favorite. Layne's voice is mind-blowing.
yeah we need that one… classic 🔥
Bleed the Freak is better imo
Yes do this song live...
@@snozbaries7652 not even close
One of my concert going buddies grew up in Seattle during this time. He was at Moore concert. The opening bands were Temple of the Dog and some new band called Mookie Blaylock. My buddy didn't like Mookie Blaylock, thought they weren't that good. It was one of their first concerts and one of first times playing together. Not long after, they changed their name to Pearl Jam.
This entire performance is just truly amazing. I really wish MTV was actually still about music and did this with rock bands still.
I still get tears and goosebumps when I watch this performance, just sooo good and haunting
Same, every time.
yep same as me
I don’t say this lightly, I believe that Jerry and Layne’s harmonizing is on the same level as Lennon and McCartney, or The Eagles. It honestly feels like their voices were made for each other, and something magical happened every time they brought those beautiful voices together.
Edit: as far as other recommendations from this band, there are a ton. I know countless comments will suggest Rooster or Nutshell, or the live performance of Love Hate Love at the Moore (and those are all fantastic as well), but I have to list some of my favorite songs of theirs. Grind, Heaven Beside You, Again, Them Bones, and so many more. They don’t have a bad song.
You are so right, they don't have one bad song, it's amazing.
I don't know that there's a live version to react to considering the wide amalgamation of frontmen that was "Alice Mudgarden," but Right Turn has been a favorite since the first time I heard it (and it was a really cool idea to get all those "Seattle sound" musicians together, really feels like an encapsulation of a unique time and place)
I couldn't agree more!!!
@ninja_tony Lane and Jerry are second to none!!
Two of my all time favorites, Eagles & AIC
My heart fills with joy seeing more people fall in love with AIC! We love you Layne.
This performance still hits so hard all these years later. I'm not sure if it's because it was one of Layne's last performances or if it's cause of him a and Jerry's voices together. Still brings a tear to the eye.
at 2:53 when Jerry is smiling back to someone (Mike Inez on bass), it is because Layne was hurting bad (heroin) during this and Mike didn't think Layne could belt it out still. Jerry was like...that's my boy, he still has it
Just dropping another vote for Love Hate Love (Live at the Moore), if you wish to see the more aggressive, dark part of AIC, and Nutshell from the same MTV Unplugged, if you want to follow up on the sadness and melodic beauty of this one.
Dude.. one of there most iconic performances… that .. Bleed the freak… hell , I guess they all are lol
That's probably the best vocal performance of the singer, far from being my favorite song though.
Bleed the Freak, together with Rain When I Die, is definitely in my top AIC songs for sure.
Layne stayley (the pink hair) has one of the most hauntingly beautiful voices ever on here but he can also belt out too! “Love hate love” live at the Moore really showcases his voice!
Actually you had 0 chance! Lol. That was funny. Love your channel ❤
Their performance of Rooster in this same session is legendary. Hell, the whole session is. Layne is greatly missed. After you hear a few more of their songs, I highly recommend checking out their song Black Gives Way To Blue, it's from their 2009 album with their new singer William Duvall. It's a heartbreaking song.
This is like watching someone sing at their own funeral, as has been said before. Just like Kurt Cobain with all of his candles and star gazer lily's. Not to mention, Jerry had food poisoning and they had not played live together in forever. Absolutely beautiful
When Jerry turns and smiles here it's saying "Yeah, he's still got it" and that is Layne 02:40
"Friends don't let friends get haircuts" Was a joke aimed at Metallica who was sitting in the front row who had just cut theirs before the Load album release. What's haunting is how you can still almost hear Layne in more recent Alice songs because they harmonized so well. Suggestions? EVERYTHING they're amazing.
Friends don't let Friends get Friends haircuts
You missed the 3rd friends in the sentence which refers to friends the tv show and the haircuts on the show.
This band is so iconic I used to listen to them ALL the time!! Layne Staley has such a unique voice and sad that he battled with drug addiction. RIP Layne Staley
Hands down this is my favorite album of all time.
That's what that live album is like. It's wonderful. Their studio albums are more grungy, but that live performance is iconic for a reason.
Every time I see Layne perform it's emotional. I'm conflicted: the performances are so great but knowing what he's going through is so sad! Same thing for Kurt, Chester, Chris, Dolores. Their angst is what made them such great vocalists. Tormented artists all!
You should definitely try reacting to "Love, hate, love", live at the Moore. By the way, that's Layne Staley on the lead vocals here. Sadly passed away due to drug addiction.
Their track Confusion will blow your mind, the voice and the lyrics are exceptional
I actually watched this live on MTV back in the day when this first came out after work back then...it was perfect timing...same thing happened for me with the KISS unplugged concert...will never forget
This entire performance was God tier, Brother is my personal fav from the live show.
i also like Brother a lot
This song is a love song from guitarist Jerry Cantrell to the love of his life Courtney Clarke. Early pressings listed this as the 12th track on the Dirt album. Later pressings listed this as the 4th track on the Dirt album supposedly to fit better with the band’s desire to have the album loosely tell a story from song to song. On the Unplugged album it's the 5th track.
Songwriter and guitarist Jerry Cantrell said of the song in the Music Bank box set liner notes, “Down in a Hole’s in my top three, personally. It’s to my long-time love. It’s the reality of my life, the path I’ve chosen and in a weird way it kind of foretold where we are right now. It’s hard for us to both understand…that this life is not conducive to much success with long-term relationships."
Once Layne got his voice where he wanted it, it stayed there with little effort. He was always better live than studio version. Layne's vocal range can run rings around any other grunge singer in my opinion. Layne could sing the phone book and never hit a wrong note. Even at the end of his life, with no teeth and a lisp, his voice, wit and humor were all still there. Layne's voice and vocal range was so powerful he did NOT need auto tune or pro-tools until he lost his teeth and had a lisp around 1998, and even then he still killed the vocals.
Barrett Martin (who played with Layne in Mad Season) said that when he stood to the side of the stage, he could hear the sound of Layne's vocal resonance come out of Layne's body LOUDER than it did coming out of the speakers, Layne's voice was that powerful.
Layne's story is more tragic and haunting because you can actually watch and hear him deteriorate over the 12 year span: from the mild use of drugs in 1990 all the way through 1996 when he was deep into a heroin addiction to dropping to 90 pounds by 1998 to 86 pounds when he died in 2002.
Layne was so much more than his drug addiction. He was able to come up with lyrics and harmonies off the top of his head. He knew enough to know that Jerry Cantrell was playing with the wrong people and gave him contact info for Sean Kinney and Mike Starr. He wrote the lyrics for the songs he sang on Mad Season's Above album and drew the cover art for that album. Layne was a genius in his own right. He still was able to figure things out in a snap off the top of his head. Layne just had his demons.
With MTV Unplugged, when Layne finally gave the Okay to do it. They were supposed to rehearse in Seattle but NO one showed up. Sean, Mike and Jerry would show up at different times but Layne would be MIA or Layne would show up for one or two songs and then leave. When they finally got to New York, Sean and Mike had an argument with Jerry because they thought with Layne's condition and addiction, he wouldn't be able to hit the high notes. Jerry was the ONLY ONE who was confident that Layne could do it. When you watch DOWN IN A HOLE Unplugged, and Layne hits that high note, you see Jerry look over at Sean and Mike with this "I TOLD YOU SO!" smirk. Layne did it again on ROOSTER Unplugged and Jerry did that same smirk.
The Unplugged show in 1996 is so heartbreaking to watch because Layne was deep in his heroin addiction (and yes, I know he was doing other drugs on top of Heroin). His liver was damaged and he knew it. He was just high enough to do the show to fight off withdrawal symptoms and he didn't get dope sick. He was such a ghost of himself during Unplugged. (Of course, Jerry had food poisoning) All Jerry saw when he looked over at Layne was his best friend was going to die soon due to the path Layne had chosen for his life. That show was filmed in April, 1996, premiered in May 1996. They did four shows with KISS in June-July 1996, after which Layne survived an overdose and became a recluse. After that, it was a six-year-long slow suicide.
MTV (and the music industry) has more or less blackballed Layne (and yet, they laud over Kurt Cobain every April 5th, because Kurt was the "face of grunge", meanwhile Layne gets a "by the way"). The Grammys went so far as to invite Jerry, Mike and Sean to the Grammy show in 2003 and then refused to put Layne's picture up in the memorial of the musicians who died in 2002. (Or they "forgot" to) which pissed Jerry, Mike and Sean off and they walked out on the show.
The friendship between Jerry and Layne was unbreakable. Jerry NEVER once thought of replacing Layne as the singer while Layne was still alive. He always wanted Layne to sing whenever he had AIC do something. If there were ever cosmic soulmates ... Layne and Jerry would be it. (And by that I mean, they were Sympatico with each other. The way they sang together was a perfect pitch where two voices make one. What you hear and see between Jerry and Layne was a genuine friendship. They looked after each other. When one had problems with a song, the other picked up the slack. They were a team.
Jerry was doing a solo concert in Charlotte, NC when he heard that Layne was found two weeks after he died and Jerry was trying to get through the concert and crying. He did shows between the time he found out about Layne until Layne's funeral because if he had taken a break then, he didn't think he'd want to continue anything later after the mourning period.
Alice In Chains was a band, but they were also a family. They had internal issues just like any family. When Layne died, it was like losing a loved one, a family member, you don't think of the fights you had with the person who died. You defend their memory. There is a reason Jerry wrote NO EXCUSES about Layne and the line "You, my friend, I will defend / And if we change, well, I'll love you anyway."
"Whatever dramas are going on in my life, I always find that place inside my head where I see myself as the cleanest, tallest, strongest, wisest person that I can be." -- Layne Staley
"My bad habits aren't my title. My strengths and my talent are my title." -- Layne Staley
"When I tried drugs they were fucking great, and they worked for me for years, and now they're turning against me - and now I'm walking through hell and this sucks. I wrote about drugs, and I didn't think I was being unsafe or careless by writing about them. I didn't want my fans to think heroin was cool. But then I've had fans come up to me and give me the thumbs up, telling me they're high. That's exactly what I didn't want to happen." -- Layne Staley
"My grandmother and mother were such huge losses, but I got Layne, the guys, and I got this.” - Jerry Cantrell, Kerrang! (December 1, 2018)
“Jerry really loved Layne [Staley]. They had a bond I haven't seen before,” Jerry’s former manager Bill Siddons, April 19, 2002 (the day Layne was found two weeks after he died).
I love watching people find out about Alice In Chains for the first time. If you want beautiful, haunting lyrics and amazing vocals, you have found the right band. No one holds a candle to Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell. RIP Layne. Nobody sounds like you man.
Just found this channel, and glad to see you've discovered my favorite band! I agree with other commenters who mentioned "Love Hate Love" live performance as a song you definitely need to do at some point. If you're looking for deep cuts, I've always loved "So Close" and "I Can't Remember" among others. If you want some stuff that sounds like absolutely nothing else, then definitely "Would" or "I Stay Away" or "Grind" are must listens. I look forward to checking out more of your vids!
'Heaven beside You' from this session is an amazing song especially if you like their harmonies
If I had to reccomend another Alice in Chains song I'd recommended listening to Love Hate Love live from 1990, Laynes voice and performance there is amazing! Junkhead, and Rain when I die are also great songs that show how good of a vocalist he was.
Bleed the freak is another great from that show. Isolated vocal part was my fav!
Alice in Chains ⛓️ have alot of GREAT SONGS 🎵
One of the best live performances in music ever. This entire performance is just magical.
Nutshell is another beautiful track from that show, one of the best unplugged hands down.
You're adorkable 🫶🏻
For more co-lead singing with Layne, check him out with Mark Lannegan in Mad Season. The song featuring them both is Long Gone Day. The official video is a live performance.
For more Layne and Jerry harmonizing together, check out the song Brother from the same unplugged performance.
If you want to hear more of a more upbeat side of Alice In Chains, check out "Man In The Box" or "Them Bones". If you want a little bit of both, there is "Rooster" that starts off slow but builds up, or my personal favorite "Would". For live versions, can't go wrong with any of the "Live at the Moore" performances.
Them Bones!
Layne has one of those voices that will live on forever, as it should.
Great reaction! Nutshell, Sludge factory, Rooster, Love hate Love live at the moore (for Laynes best vocals) are all also great songs by Alice in Chains!!
There must have been some magic in the room that night. Everything off this entire performance is brilliant.
I saw Layne in a three piece suit at the start of their set on Lollapolooza in 93 and it was like 95 degrees that day! Needless to say he took the jacket tie vest and shirt off after playing Would the first song to start the show! Very charismatic singer and great stage presence! His voice very unique and an unbelievable range! RIP Layne!
Around 9:30 in your video your hands make a shadow on your chest that moves. At some points the shadow looks like a heart, which is an interesting addition as you talk about the qualities of this heart wrenching (and beautiful) song.
Great reaction! William Duvall is the current singer. Layne Staley who was the one in this video passed away of a drug overdose in 2002. Layne truly has one of the greatest voices of all time.
I recommend some of their heavier stuff like Man In The Box (Live at The Moore 1990) please!
Should really hear “mad season- I don’t know anything”, it was really close to the end of his career, almost entirely destroyed by drugs, but managed to produce some of the best vocals in the genre!
Great reaction to my favorite group! Thanks for recognizing this amazing talent!
You are beautiful and Alice in Chains is one of my favorite bands. 10/10 video. Love seeing people discover great music and enjoy it. Best wishes to you!
layne litterally had no teeth in that. he was so deep in addiction. you can see him looking to his bro jerry for motivation and acceptance during the whole show.
Layne Staley's voice is made out of pure unadulterated pain. Other songs I'd recommend are Rooster, Love Hate Love, Would?, and Man in the Box. Really, just listen to the entire Dirt album!
Man in a Box is another hard hitter.......great reaction BTW. Gained a new subscriber here
Omg I laughed so hard there with the names. Great review
Man in the Box LIVE AT the Moore is that growling gravel intensity you are looking for
you're reallllllly gonna like aic based of your first reaction. they were awesome live for sure.
makes me cry every damn time because you know he means every fucking word
Lanes voice still reaches beyond the grave
A lot of AIC fans never really gave William Duvall a chance. I still see comments after 15 years of how "He can never replace Layne!" Blah blah blah. If they had of paid attention they would know he's not a bloody replacement. He's a member of the band and has in his own right done a great job as Guitar player and Vocalist. However, That does not and will not ever take away from Layne. They've written so many songs about Layne since his passing as well that are great songs and memorials to Layne. One such song to check out would be "Voices" off their album The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here.
Fuck yes I can’t wait for this, Jerry Layne duo was GOAT, truly magical. Best unplugged of all time imo, RIP Layne and long live AIC
fr, Layne was imo the best vocalist to ever live and Jerry’s a big reason i started guitar
@@jaytoorecklezz ya Layne was the man, shame his career was so short, missed out on a lot of greatness. Jerry is unquestionably my favorite musician of all time and likely will remain that for as long as I’m alive, his AIC work is awesome and his solo work is also fantastic and crazy underrated, degradation trip vol1&2 is an absolute masterpiece, one of the best double albums of all time for me
Lead singer is Layne Stanley (pink hair) and Jerry Chantrell is the other.
This was basiclly Lanye's farewell concert. He's high and almost didnt performed for the unplugged concert. But managed to pull it off. Thats why hes not moving around, dancing, swaying...i dont know what was expected from your thoughts but he was basiclly saying goodbye. He passed away shortly after this. The other songs and albums are great, but this concert was the end for him. Jerry stills performs as Alice In Chains to this day
Great reaction
RIP Layne, Miss that voice dearly
This is when Layne was so close to checking out, and finally succumbing to his addiction that it truly is magnificent that he could sound so good in that condition. If you want to see him at his best watch the video of Alice and Chains live at the Moore where he sings "Love, Hate, Love." So powerful. Loved these guys back in the day. Thx
Nutshell from this unplugged session is haunting
Welcome to Alice in Chains! Staley was a powerhouse and apparently urged Jerry Cantrell to put more emphasis on singing.
Layne was so talented. Gone way too soon...Favourites Song from this Session: Would, Nutshell,Rooster and this one...Can recommend, to watch the whole show. Same goes for the Nirvana and pearl jam unplugged...Thanks for the reaction :)
Layne Staley was the lead singer. One of the saddest stories of that era of music. He is a legend.
AIC has kind of this sound, they have harder stuff that was pretty much on the edge of metal for the grunge era, but they also have beautiful Ballads. Can recommend you "Nutshell", beautiful ballad that i allways hear from time to time. They really master the harmonies that you rarely see so good, like System of a down.
As the more rocky songs i recommend "Man in the Box"(nice screams from Layne and one of the best WahWah Solos for guitar), "Would"(the song everybody knows from them), "Rooster", "Them Bones"
Good to hear Jerry's voice recognized. Plugged in they are very hard, but the voice still carries the listener.
"I will speak no more of my feelings beneath" makes me cry every time I i hear it, knowing the eventual demise of Layne
Any Alice In Chains Song honestly even the newer stuff with the new singer is amazing.
This song is even more haunting when you realize that he was deeply “down in a hole” in the throws of heroin addiction at this time & ended up dying several years later.
I love the look jerry gives the band and smiles. Killin IT ! 😊❤😊 I TOTALLY DIDNT KNOW METALLICA WAS SITTING FRONT ROW!!!! 😂
My favorite song, beautiful reactions and thanx for the review ♥ I have to say i shed a few tears listnening to the song here now, but its so special with the Layne&Jerry combo vocals and the bass and all🤟 I feel what he sings, and not many vocalist hits me like he did‼
As i can see further down below, the other song i recommend is Love, Hate, Love! Damn what a vocal voice skill he had, with his body movement bending forward or backwards to get the right sound out of his body! Though he does stand very still to get those sounds out, and the result is just ......without words to describe❗On the top of his screams in this song particularly is raw ‼ Also need to say that i miss Scott Weiland from STP & Velvet Revolver RIP. Love the song "Fall to Pieces"💯 Cheers and be good, spread positive vibes and take care everyone. Peace & one love!
The "Friends don't let Friends" note on the bass was to Metallica who showed up for the taping with their brand new short haircuts for the Load LP. They dabble in different sounds, and that's a taste of what it's like.
Good reaction. As others have already corrected you about the singers. This was one of their first performances in a long while at the time. Layne had been struggling with drugs for some time. They only played a few more shows before Layne became a recluse. He died about 5-6 years later of an overdose.
Other songs that are great to react to, Would? (the video and unplugged are both great in their own right), Man In The Box, Love Hate Love (live at the Moore), Nutshell (unplugged).
This performance is just outstanding. Laney is sorely missed. Also, you have such an amazing vibe and such energy. I instantly became a fan. Also eyes so big and smile so bright. You're hauntingly beautiful!
I love when Layne looks over at Jerry and let's him take lead
Funny story: the band Metallica showed up for this MTV unplugged concert in NYC with their new, shorter haircuts. Mike, the guitarist, thought it would be funny to write, “friends don’t let other friends get haircuts”, on his guitar. They all had a good laugh about it!
Loved your reaction! Please do more of them! I suggest Alice in chains - Rooster (MTV unplugged)
A defeated man playing one last show knowing that it would serve as his funeral.
Mike Inez's Bass says "FRIENDS DON'T LET FRIENDS, GIVE FRIENDS HAIRCUTS" 😂
Co-sign Love Hate Love and Bleed The Freak live at the Moore. Must watch. And definitely more MTV unplugged performances.
He wasn't under the weather... He was high af.. they even had to restart the first song cause Layne forgot the lyrics😅... But that show is one of the reasons someone should invent a time machine... This Is just amazing🔥
A comment on another video said "this is as close to seeing someone sing at their own funeral as it gets."
AIC live, "Junkhead", is a must see. Simply a powerfull performance that showcased their talent in every way. It won't dissapoint.
I absolutely love this performance.
I'm 44.... I'm SO sorry you younger folks never got to experience when music was GOOD.... damn!!!!!!!
Heroin is a powerful drug...gets in your dreams....and your nightmares..sober for 20 years this year...this music was my life trac mark..
The gentleman with the pink hair is the original lead singer Layne Stayley who we sadly lost in 2002. Please listen to Sober from the band Tool.
When he died, l hummed this song, my band used to cover Junk Head.
Favorite song he ever did.him and jerry made a masterpiece they didn't even know would be so legendary.
His guitar says "friends don't let friends get "Friends" haircuts. It was a light-hearted jab at metallica who were sitting in the front row sporting their new short hairstyles that some said made them look like the cast of "Friends"
Layne Staley (lead vocals) was the original singer of Alice In Chains... seen here in this 1995 'MTV Unplugged' performance. Jerry Cantrell (guitar & vocals) is the main songwriter... Layne had the bluesy, rough vocal... while Jerry Had the softer, cleaner voice... and their harmonizing together was a trademark of Alice In Chains' sound.
Initially, Layne was the lead singer w/ Jerry doing backing vocals on their debut album 'Facelift' in 1990... but Layne encouraged Jerry to sing lead on certain songs... the acoustic ballad 'Brother' from 1991 was a perfect example of Jerry Cantrell on lead vocals.
'Down in a hole' was a ballad on their 1992 album 'Dirt'... Alice In Chains had the slower, heavy riffs of early Black Sabbath, and also the harmonizing and atmosphere of Pink Floyd... They were not just a heavy rock or grunge rock band... they had acoustic ballads in their catalog. Heavier songs like - 'Man in the box' ... 'Bleed the freak' ... were balanced by acoustic tracks like 'Got me wrong'... 'No excuses'...
The original Alice In Chains featured Layne Staley, Jerry Cantrell, Mike Starr (bass) and Sean Kinney (drums)... they were one of the most influential bands of the 90's... A number of bands like Days of the New, Godsmack, and Staind tried to copy their sound but did not come close.
Unfortunately, heroin addiction had affected both Staley and Starr by 1991... Their 2nd album 'Dirt' was a largely harrowing account of the landscape of heroin addiction (Songs like 'Them bones'... 'Sickman' ... 'Angry chair'... 'Would?')
In 1993, Mike Starr was fired for his addiction issues, and Mike Inez (bass) replaced him and recorded a semi-acoustic EP 'Jar of Flies' that went to #1 on the US charts in 1994... Sadly, Layne's addiction ended Alice In Chains' touring plans that year. They finished a self-titled album in 1995 that went to #1 as well and did the MTV 'Unplugged' set that was released in 1996.... Songs included ballads like 'Over now' ... 'Heaven beside you' ... w/ the rock tracks like - 'Grind' ... 'Again'... 🔥🔥🤘🤘
Alice In Chains played their final 4 shows w/ Layne, opening for Kiss in the summer of '96... They were only able to complete 2 songs ('Get born again' and 'Died') that were released in 1999 as part of an Alice In Chains boxed set 'Music Bank'.
In 2002, Layne Staley was found dead from an apparent OD... Years later, former bassist Mike Starr died in 2011 from pill addiction.
In 2006, Alice In Chains finally announced a reunion w/ Jerry, Sean Kinney & Mike Inez... lead singer William DuVall was enlisted to do Layne's vocals live in concert... They band finally released new music in 2009 w/ DuVall on vocals (the album 'Black gives way to blue) and have continued to record and tour.
Alice in Chains sound is a bit different from this one. In this one, The lead singer was Layney, and he was really ill due to drugs and a recent cold (someone correct me if I'm wrong). Both this one and Nutshell from the same session are much sadder when you read about him.
For a more classic sound, with healthy Layney, "Man in the Box" and "Would?" are both really really good.
For a more recent one, with William, "Stone" and "Check my Brain" are the first ones that come to mind.
Also, if possible, I would like to suggest another "unplugged" song, by another band/singer:
"Fresno - Diga, parte 2 | Studio62"
Fresno is a brazilian rock band, but in the Studio62 version, it is only the lead singer and his guitar. It is a very impressive performance. There are a few translations available on the internet, any of them would suffice.
A bit of a story, the title of the song means "Say, part 2". In "Say, part 1", the song is a story about the lead singer and his then girlfriend, about how much you love and miss someone when you are apart. In "Say, part 2", the tone shifts considerably, considering the singer wrote the song after discovering that his girlfriend was cheating on him.
Thank you!
layne staley, what a masterful, super dope voice i've ever heard on the grunge scene, there can never be anyone like him, shame we lost him so young,, RIP brother,..
Jerry and Layne were so good together. It's my understanding that Jerry didn't think he could sing but Layne saw it differently and convinced Jerry to sing with him. They believed in each other. Also if you listen to earlier performances you can see and hear the difference in Layne. As freaking awesome as the MTV performance was, his earlier performances before the drug addiction truly took hold of him, were even better. He's sorely missed.
Love Layne! So fortunate I got to see Alice In Chains before he passed. . And he even said that was one of there best performances .
Still my #1 favorite band of all time. This is a powerful introduction their music, being one of the best power ballads in their catalogue. And yes, Layne had an incredibly unique voice, very singular. I know there are later vocalists who were inspired and influenced by him, and thus have a touch of his style and sound in their singing. But his own voice simply can’t be duplicated.
Are you serious about the name?!? How dare you lol😂
Amazing reaction/ analysis!!
It’s a much different side of the group, but Alice In Chains - Love Hate Love live at the Moore is a great video. It really shows off Layne’s vocal ability back when he was in his prime (before the drugs started to take their toll).
Love hate love, love hate love...live is a must see
Heart breaking lyrics especially knowing what happened with Layne and Mike.
R.I.P. LAYNE STALEY
R.I.P. MIKE STARR
You are looking at a man deep in the throes of addiction. This is his last true gift to the world. Rest in peace, Layne Staley.
Her reaction was the same as me "what is this? why am I feeling something deep inside? what is going on?"