Alice In Chains "Man In The Box" REACTION & ANALYSIS by Vocal Coach / Opera Singer
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ย. 2021
- For over a year you've been begging for me to review Layne Staley's vocals from Alice In Chains, and it just hasn't gotten to my list. And so my patrons answered. Voting this to the top on our July poll, I finally shifted Alice In Chains onto my recording schedule and get to see what so many of you have been screaming about for so long!
Join professional opera singer Elizabeth Zharoff, as she listens to Alice In Chains for the first time, performing "Man In The Box”.
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Performed by Alice In Chains - Words and Music by Alice In Chains
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I definitely recommend watching the original video without interruptions. Here's the link: • Alice In Chains - Man ...
Show Alice In Chains some love: / @aliceinchains
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Elizabeth Zharoff is an international opera singer and voice coach, with 3 degrees in voice, opera, and music production. She's performed in 18 languages throughout major venues in Europe, America, and Asia. Currently based somewhere between Los Angeles and Tucson, Arizona, Elizabeth spends her days researching voice, singing, teaching, writing music, and recording TONS. She also plays Diablo and Dungeons & Dragons.
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I would be interested to know if you have ever performed with Maggie Renee. She is also an Opera singer and is currently attending Juliard. She does reactions videos also.
I'm sad and little bit disapointed.. You didn"t talk about the "talk box" used in that song. It's a guitar effect (the sound goes in a pipe and come out trhough your mouth.) but you didn't noticed it 😥
@@michaelromeo9567
Unless a person knows or seen them use it they may not realize it was being used.
I would love to see you do a snead occonnor song troy...but great song here for sure
@@michaelromeo9567 it's a vocoder, Jerry play with in live
So I’m sitting at the bar and this guy with pink hair is next to me grabbing some beers, this is in Bonn Germany 1993. We chatted for about 10 minutes with the Screaming Trees on stage behind us, was a real cool guy. About 30 minutes pass and these lights behind a white curtain come on, the shadows of the band are showing through, the sheet drops and there’s that guy I was chatting with jumping up and down singing, I didn’t have a clue it was Layne Staley I was talking to. That was one of the most memorable times of my life, and I still get tears welling up in my eyes when I hear him sing, beautiful voice, the world lost a truly great vocalist when we lost him.
I love hearing stories of his down-to-earth sweetness. Thank you for sharing.
Are you German or were you stationed over their at the time?
Não consigo explicar, o que deve ter sido, não palavras, ainda nem que ficou com essa memórias pra o resto da sua vida e da minha,que falta e que saudades
@@monicajean37 I was stationed at Spangdahlem AFB
@@frodo6058 Thank you for your service...what an amazing moment you had with Layne!
Definitely check out "Rooster" at some point. It's a really deep and powerful performance.
In high school, my best friend recited the lyrics to "Rooster" in front of our Language Arts class for his final project in the poetry portion of class.
He said he wrote it for his dad, who was a chopper gunner in Nam.
Nailed it. Got an A+. Thats the only A I ever saw that dumbass get.
No goddam it wecalway hear the same 3 songs starting from this song then rooster then heaven beside you or nutshell
Kirk keeps saying this is his favorite song. Let's see how many upvotes this gets and I'll put it on my list!
Letsss gooo
Or love, hate, love. There is a great live recording that is available
Did you know the chorus of this song is one of the hardest things to ever replicate. How long and straight he keeps that note is insane. Layne was an amazing singer and one of the most talented
I’ve been singing in a band for YEARS and I’ve covered this song over hundreds of times and every time it get a little closer but I never get fully to his voice I consider myself to sound similar but absolutely no where the exact same
@@gwarguy7812there's any video to enjoy that closeness?
I've been trying desperately and I'm closer each day myself. I'll never be Layne but goddamn it if I won't shoot for the stars to hit the moon
This is accurate
@@emperomassinencambio...9941 I’m sure there is some but you’d have to search for it. It’s very hard but not impossible
Layne and Jerry were musical twin flames. Jerry knew immediately when he heard Layne’s voice how special he was. No one could have crafted the songs and harmonize so perfectly with Layne. Everything Jerry did on his end really showcased Layne’s incredible talent.
Well put.
Amen
Perfectly on point
Super facts
Jerry at a certain point stated that Layne was "his voice"... so incredible to think the chemistry between the two... and do not be mistaken, Jerry is a very good singer himself as well
"I know I haven’t got much of a voice, but Layne has one hell of a voice.” - Kurt Cobain
Layne is favorite. But this is why Kurt was cool. He knew talent.and recognized it.in Layne while being an absolute genius in his own way.
I've never heard that quote wow
From what I've read Kurt and Layne never got.a chance to be particularly close. I think they played a/some show together in Brazil at least once for sure. Layne also gave Kurt a ride home once.during which Layne said Kurt beamed about his daughter. Like two ships passing in the night.
So if I can recreate the things you’re talking about when I sing along technique wise, does this mean I have natural talent? I don’t think about all these things when I sing, I just sing it. Don’t get me wrong, I sound nothing like Layne in tone, but technique I just am able to do.
@@hardluck7893 me too, but that is not what it is about. He was able to outsing loud of electric guitars on a stage and he could sing like that all night long, i dont think we would be able to do that
I am literally screaming in my basement ("NO the best part is COMING!!") as she pauses the video two times right as Layne is about to let it go "FEEEEED MY EYES".
Lol, right?
As soon as she said ohh , I like the riff. That told me she hadnt heard the song before, and honey you just wait till the good part. that look on her face
She does that on before all the good parts 🤯
Hahahaha i did the same lol
Same (I wasn't screaming in your basement but yeah, I felt like here it comes...he's about to show his power house rang...ah c'mon) . The 3rd times the charm.🎸✌️
The dude wasn't just the voice of pain, he WAS pain. As melodramatic as that sounds, anyone who grew up in Seattle in the late 80s and early 90s (like me) knows very well that he was constantly battling himself. Dude just fed all his hate for himself and his addiction through his voice. Completely effortless power. Much like Chris Cornell.
Chester from Linkin Park as well
I don’t think effortless. Layne seemed 100% passion and that takes effort when performing.
He was a junkie who happened to be a very talented singer. I don't know why people insist on mythologizing drug addiction. Sad
@@jeffersonparsons5519tell me you’ve never met an addict without telling me
@@jeffersonparsons5519lack of empathy is gross.
Layne TOLD US in his lyrics that he would die of his addiction. It is both sad and beautiful to see such things play out. To know someone is sick. But to be able to really feel their sickness in the music and know that it is real. Almost like watching a horror movie.
That’s what makes the song “Wake Up” so fucking sad and haunting. He sure as fuck didn’t WANT to die from his addiction. I had serious substance abuse problems too, but if I was him with the fame and connection he had… zero chance in hell I would’ve survived. Zero.
On a similar note, The Rev told us all how he planned to die. Many claim his overdose was accidental, but he literally overdosed with a Brompton Cocktail.
And he died days after giving M Shadows the demo track for Fiction.
Definitely. Listening to the Dirt album is like reading the diary of an addict.
We die young
I can listen to Down in a Hole only once in a while. Watching the Unplugged version was like someone sing at his own funeral. The hurt was visceral. 😢 RIP Layne.
“I really liked the harmonies”.
Welcome to Alice In Chains.
After all they weren't the first to do Harmonies.They were probably the best at Harmonies in the 90's and other things, like she points out, turning a 2 syllable word Jesus into a 8 syllable word. Etc.
I play then on bass they influenced my music, helped my playing asking as many bands did at that time. They were awesome and I know all Alice in Chains music. Welcome to the Grung movement
Thought the exact same thing, scrolled down to the comments to find it. Surely somebody said it.
The harmonies in AIC songs often seem to crisscross, whether or not they actually do. They are sometimes atonal but still in harmony… eerie, amazing, powerful. One of the things that set them on top of the heap, in my opinion.
AIC is all about the harmonies.. beautiful ones
Lane's voice is like a thousand souls crying out in pain.
Or an angel being bathed in a demon's blood.
Great description. It's like a bottomless pit of angush.
His voice is like trying to eat pudim with a straw
His voice is like me waking up in the morning before noon
I love all these descriptions!
The MTV Unplugged, I will never fathom how someone whose frame was so hunched over, who’s mood was so somber could sound so effortlessly beautiful and pitch perfect. He was not of this world. ❤
Layne shot up heroin right before going on stage at MTV unplugged. He was so high yet channelled his pain into one of the most incredible and saddest vocal performances ever seen.
I'm late to the party, but Elizabeth I hope you have taken the time to listen to the Unplugged album. It was the first time I had ever heard them, and I was blown away. The electric versions are a little too busy to really let the vocals shine, and the acoustic guitar really shows off the arrangements.
I have it on dvd. One of my favorite things.
I was a kid in the 90s, and every time I heard this song on the radio it blew me away. From that awesome intro to Layne's massive vocals during the chorus. To this day Alice in Chains remains my favorite band of all time, and to me this song defines the entire decade of the 90s.
I just commented on that. I was a kid and remember very vividly listening to that on the radio. I didn't know exactly what it was but it was totally blown away!
Facelift came out right about the time I made E5 the first time. I remember walking all around FT Carson listening to it on one of the first Discmans not wanting to go home and argue with my wife that day. I think i drank 4 bottles of vodka that day. Fun times. Musically anyway. Got to see Clash of the Titans when they were touring with Anthrax, Slayer and Megadeth
As several other people have mentioned, "Love, Hate, Love - Live at the Moore" is a great next step into seeing Layne's power and control on display. I would also recommend "Down in a Hole - Unplugged" as a way to see the softer side of his vocals with a greater emphasis on the harmonies with Jerry Cantrell.
This 100%
Yes, Love, Hate, Love at The Moore is amazing. The whole show is apex AIC.
Yes. Sean knows exactly what he's talking about. Love hate love at the Moore, and unplugged down in a hole are the best things on TH-cam. Half of the views are from me personally. 😂
Definitely the MTV Unplugged Down in a Hole. It's a difficult/personal one, but definitely a good track for your vocal and lyrical breakdowns.
Only person I’ve seen say it’s off key. I don’t know what you’re hearing but that performance is far from off key in my opinion and everyone else’s. It’s way better than the studio version
“Down in a hole” shows how well layne and jerry sang together
This, but the live unplugged concert 👌
Yes! My favorite of their songs
Got me wrong imo was their best harmony, especially live when both their faces are side by side during the harmonies.
Sounded amazing even with the vocally diminished yet more seasoned Layne.
KISS Unplugged - I Still Love You
th-cam.com/video/Q94QkRRQKG4/w-d-xo.html
KISS Unplugged - I Still Love You
th-cam.com/video/Q94QkRRQKG4/w-d-xo.html
LOVE this sweet lady and her appreciation of grunge & metal! I’m so in awe of her knowledge and breakdown of Layne’s vocals as well as others. Her giddiness makes me smile and I look forward to watching her every morning while drinking my coffee. ❤️🙏🔥🤘
She’s given me so much better appreciation of many bands and singers especially.
Man in the Box was one of the first if not the first “grunge” songs to get radio and MTV play, and really defines the grunge sound for me. And Layne’s vocals were so powerful…and they were just as inspiring live. True talent.
The thing to understand about this song is that when it came out, it hit people in the ears like a bomb. NOTHING was like it, nothing. It was shocking and amazing and stunning. I could not hear it enough.
I remember when it was release, such a powerful voice. I still can’t get enough of it.
Right! That's what was so amazing about that time. Grunge in general was totally new.
I still can't hear it enough today, because literally NOBODY has been able to replicate this same style of music, vocals, and lyrics. AIC was truly unique and gifted as fuck. I miss Layne SOOOOO freaking much, but like he said over and over again in his music, we're all dead already anyway....and he was 100% right. We're all just walking corpses...
My then gf catered their record release party for “Facelift”. Since I’d worked a couple double shifts in a row and had to open the restaurant she told me that she didn’t want me working the party(I’d not heard them yet so had no idea). She said they were “nice guys, but you wouldn’t like their music”.
The next day I heard them on KZOK and was blown away. And quite PO’d that I hadn’t been at the release party….
I bought This album and 10 at the same time. That was a good day.
“Would?” Is a really good display of Layne Staley’s powerful vocals especially the third chorus where he holds the note longer.. amazing
Yes, would have been a better song for her to dissect.
Rooster better for vocals imo
One of my favourite songs after roughly 60 years of listening.
@@philipwilson3430 how’d you figure that?
I was thinking Would too. Although Rooster would show a different style. Would has a lot of those stops she was talking about.
Theres a few parts on their unplugged set with MTV where layne would stop singing and its just cantrell doing the backing vocals, but this was done on purpose. Cantrell in the early days was super nervous about singing, and layne kept pushing him to do it because he knew he liked it. So you started getting more songs with cantrell singing lead and he would do this frequently during live shows to kind of catch cantrell off guard and let the cameras pan to him singing. Just a super cool dude.
Layne was truly one of a kind. His voice and talent will be forever unmatched. And he was such a good dude to those around him. He is the reason Jerry began singing more. Jerry at first was very nervous about singing, but Layne would continuously encourage him to utilize his voice more, and over time, you would hear Jerry singing more and more. He even eventually released some solo albums, and to think that may not have happened had Layne not kept encouraging him, so I think that says a lot about the kind of person Layne was. It's just so sad he lived his life in so much pain, and fought for as long as he could, but in the end, he sadly couldn't overcome his demons. The music world lost a true great when he passed. And he was only 34.
"Understanding this grunge thing"....having grown up in the Seattle area in the '90's, one of the biggest things I recall was that Grunge was basically a rebuke of the over abundance of "Hair Bands" w/ their speed solos, each album required to have some kind of metal ballad. People were tired of these excesses which followed a formula (it's what the record execs looked for to promote), Grunge brought music back to a more grounded musical expression reflecting on real life feelings of anger, hurt and isolation, the opposite of the 'party all the time', chicks and rock and roll, excesses of the Hair band era
That is probably the single best description of grunge I have ever heard!
Well said
100% right! you cant party all the time when you are depressed about life lol
Passed on the whole grunge thing. Stuck to the heavier side of metal such as thrash through this whole decade, but yeah good description.
well said. In addition to rebuking the big hair bands of the 80's....
that time and place was a rebuke of the 80's "greed is good" "yuppie" mentality. Hence the long, shaggy hair and the tattered flannel shirts.
“Would” , “Rooster”, Down in Hole and nutshell are musts.
My favorite is Dont follow
Yeah, the Unplugged version of Would? is a great one to review. I'd love Elizabeth to check that one out!
I was about to name these exact same 3.
Unplugged Nutshell is absolutely haunting.
Another commenter wrote that it was like "seeing a man sing his own eulogy"
Dirt is such a heavy, eerie, melodic album 🤟
Spit was a dub, we all know what the real word he was singing was.
Who else is listening to this today? Definitely left us too soon. Layne, you may be gone, but you left us with so much. RIP ❤
Truth with a message that times now need just as much as back then.
Layne Staley's magic was the fact that his vocals were so remarkably powerful and yet so incredibly vulnerable at the same exact time. No one else could ever do it.
well I TRY ! lol th-cam.com/video/quIlrnkdzC8/w-d-xo.html
That 's the best description of what I've always loved so much about Layne's vocals. He was hugely gifted & we were so lucky having him represent how generation x felt in 1992....
Chris Cornell comes to mind
Chino Moreno's vocals imo also invoke the concept of powerful & vulnerable congruently .
Jeff Buckley could
"Nutshell" for MTV Unplugged. One of the most gut wrenching and emotional performances I have ever seen.
This!!!!
What about the studio version? Why the live version?
@@tylurmackinnon6217 just the emotion in the MTV unplugged is unmatched. Both incredible nonetheless.
100%
Love what you just said I think we are a ton of AIC fans trying to ask this chick who are you to dissect this song
Layne always had an incredible talent for singing with that distorted rasp like Kurt Cobain. His ability to move in and out of that distortion with ease was truly a gift.
Cobain isn’t even close when comparing
“Sitting nails” was the description at the time of this style. I think it was coined about Kurt Cobain.
Spitting
If you’ve read the book by De Sola, the producers and engineers mention that they layered his voice often. Two, sometimes three layers and he’d do it in a few takes. The guy was a generational talent. He and Cantrell’s voices fit together so great. It all really shines through in their unplugged set. Cantrell is a criminally underrated riff lord as well. Just an all around great band.
The way Layne attacks that chorus after the guitar solo always gives me chills. He always had another gear to kick into when a song needed a punch.
It's my favorite moment of any AIC song.
EYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!
Alice in Chains with layney was Dark , Mysterious , Pure energy , And will grab you forever . Rip my brother
This was so awesome to watch. Seeing someone so technically knowledgeable watch/listen to one of my favorite all-time songs; one that makes me weep every time I hear it, was a joy. I love how you reacted to how it made you feel. I love your videos. It’s making me feel like I know some of my favorite musicians a little better.
Layne is a legend. There wasn't anything he couldn't do and was an amazing front man. Many people referred to Layne and Jerry as the Allman brothers of metal.
I love Alice In Chains but I can't help but cringe a little whenever someone puts Alice In Chains in the same sentence as metal.
Why the Allman Brothers? I’ve never heard that. When I think of Layne and Jerry’s vocals I think of Lennon and McCartney. They just go together perfectly.
@@skyline2601 What do you mean? They're technically metal, just lumped in into grunge thanks to journalists
@@bretviola6871 kinda reminds me of the Wilson sisters, of Heart.
@skyline2601 honestly, listen to the demo of We Die Young.... the label made them tone it down and the demo of this song has enough "grit" to fully be considered "metal"
"Down in a Hole" from their unplugged set is a must. A song both beautiful and utterly devastating. Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell do some of their best harmonies.
I had never been a fan of Unplugged back in the day, so I actually only saw that performance recently due to reaction videos.
It is the best version.
Nearly any other performance of this song is unacceptable, imo
One of my fav songs , and considering laynes condition.
It still shines so much
Not many rockstars that have gone down that path, can remain that good. Goes to show
This right here is the only acceptable way to listen to Down in a hole!
I heard someone say it best when they were talking about that song. They said it sounded like a guy singing at his own funeral. Which didn't hit me when I first herd them say it than boom I was like wow!
Layne had some super strange harmonies, part of what made his vocals so etherial and epic.
Yep, standard harmonies are usually up/down a third or a fifth, these guys use a lot of fourths. It sounds weird and eerie, but also complements the drop-D tuning.
@@watkinssixtyfive7788 Yes alot of 4ths and 7ths, not what we are used to. I think his voice lent itself to harmonies, his nasal voice mixes well in those harmonies.... People that aren't musical just say THAT VOICE SOUNDS HUGE, rather than notice or say THAT IS A CRAZY HARMONY. They don't even recognize it is more than one voice.
@@watkinssixtyfive7788 They didn’t use drop D, they used half step down tuning and occasionally drop C# tuning. Here it’s just half step down. Jerry even calls half step down, standard “AiC tuning”.
@@tylerdavis3 I stand corrected, it was just a generalization
I've been a fan of AIC and Layne Staley since the early 1990's but I never really thought about how he drags out or re-carries the vowels in his singing. Until now! Thanks for bringing something new to my attention that I never really thought about before with a band I've listened to for over 20 years. R.I.P. to Layne. Another fantastic musician gone too soon. Thank you to TCV for adding a new light to what he did as a singer.
Even up until his final performance in 1996. He was so weak and frail. Barely moved a muscle, he was in so much pain. His voice never once lost it's power. He was as much a powerhouse vocalist in his last show, as he was in the first. Such an amazing, powerful singer, and he'll always be missed. RIP Layne, your voice got me through the 80's and 90's!
Real fkn talk bro 💯💯💯💯💯💯
@Drew Mad season. he also recorded 2 last songs for The Vault around then too.
@Drew Mad Season is amazing.
Facts, brother. Layne looked so used up during the MTV Unplugged sessions, but that is some of the most memorable performances that you didn't have to be there for. His lungs and larynx might've been the only part not breaking down at that point.
His voice still gets me through a lot of days. Love Alice in chains 4 life
2019 Layne Staley's mother was interviewed. She described Layne Staley's vocal sound perfectly. She stated his vocals sound like razor blades muffled with marsh mellows. His voice hooks you.
prefect description!
I always thought he sung and looked like a billy goat ! I mean that in the best way...
Love seeing people react to this song who haven't heard it before when Layne hits the chorus with that power
I used to party with Alice In Chains (Seattle had a very tight music scene and everyone knew everyone), back when they were a glam band. Layne was one of the nicest guys ever.
Alice in chains has always been my favorite grunge band, but I've heard that layne was a hateful asshole lol but idk never met him
"Would," "Down In A Hole," "Rooster," and "No Excuses," are all classics.
@SCP FOUNDATION and nutshell
them bones is a favorite of mine.
Angry chair is underrated
Add I Stay Away to that list. So many bangers though hard to list em all.
Down in a Hole is a masterpiece of the depths, but I have a special fondness for No Excuses for reflecting on the wistful depths with a flying groove
Layne ‘s voice is so missed. You need to hear his side project Mad Season “River of Deceit”
That song is so freaking good!!
"Would" is so much more powerful. But, To really experience Staley's Talent outside of a recording studio where they can tweak vocals Love hat love live at The Moore is mind blowing.
YES. BEST.
Definitely some Mad Season. I was thinking it would be interesting to see her reaction to Long Gone Days.
“Wake up” on that album hits ya in the feels. layne’s voice cuts through you like a razor. Damn I miss his voice!
This was a truly wonderful reaction. Perhaps my favourite from your vast library. Thank you!
Thanks! I’ve learned so much about vocals and music from your videos. You are a natural teacher who knows her subject so well.
Thank you so much, Ken!
Fun fact layne would get grumpy if he was asked to record part of a song again. This led to him being one of the greatest live performers of all time in my opinion. This song live is even better than the recording
Agreed, and that's why I think the unplugged show is still one of the best performances in Rock and Roll history.
When the mix is correctly done at the console, live is almost always superior to studio.
I love Layne, it's so heartbreaking he couldn't overcome his demons. I have shed tears listening to AIC just thinking of it.
Even to this day, fans old and new listening to Layne's voice and learning about him. His passing has broken so many hearts and there is still a yearning for him that if only things were different. That man will always be loved. One thing we can agree with, he isn't suffering anymore.
You are not alone in your grieving. He truly had the voice of an angel.
The demon you speak of was the loss of the love of his life, who passed away in 1996 I understand after the unplugged from MTV. Sadly, he never recovered from that blow.
I read up on that a bit. A Friend of theirs said she never used heroin before she met him, so I guess he felt responsible for her death.
I’m with ya
You have THE MOST expressive facial impressions. It's really fun watching you be excited for what you're hearing.
I love Elizabeth's reaction to the music and sound. When she doesn't know exactly how to react, is the best. ❤❤ Love all your videos
Jerry Cantrell is equally as crucial to their sound as Layne was. He runs his guitar through a talk box during the verses as well as providing the backing vocals.
Lots of intense vocal harmonies between the two over the years. "Got Me Wrong" for instance.
Is the talk box how they get the “aaHhhAaahhHaaahhH”s?
Comment on point!!!
I would say he is essential because of his songwriting skills.
Those two together were pure magic but Layne was absolutely the front man for a reason. His vocals were absolutely amazing.
“Rain when I die” is a great vocal performance by Layne Staley
damn dude, I haven't thought of that song in forever. Down the rabbit hole I go....
Absolutely love that song!!!
@@somejoshthing you mean, Down In A Hole
@@Adrian101882 i adore that one as well. Man, imma have to go throw on the whole album, it was amazing.
th-cam.com/video/1x6IULst9r4/w-d-xo.html City and Colour - "Rain When I Die" by Alice In Chains, GREAT COVER!!!!!!
Layne's voice was powerful and incredibly deep, take a look on the unplugged live version of this song...was a monster of voice and talent
One of the best songs ever made. All four amazing musicians.
Am I the only one that feels weird hearing someone talk about 90's Grunge in an historical aspect?
No
Probably people who are older... grunge happened before I was born muhahahaha
Yeah I’m with you man. Feels like it was maybe 5 years ago to me. Must be getting long in the tooth
Thing is, grunge was such a powerful, Valid facet of rock, carried a decade, rescued us from LA Glam. It was back in time, but stands the test where glam metal not so much...
I was an 80's baby, 90's kid. Grunge changed everything and developed bands like Deftones, Korn, and Tool which were major bands that got me through a lot of tough times. AIC, Nirvana, STP, and Soundgarden were the saviors of rock along with Pearl Jam.
Laynes voice was like no other. So very soulful and unique.
A healthy Layne was a "fucking MONSTER"
I love your videos so much. Your understanding of music and how these guys feel is so accurate(from what I know) coming from a choral perspective is very fun for these types of songs and find myself doing the same thing bc of my choral experience. You remind me a lot of of my old teacher. Anyways thank you for making the things you do, please don't stop
Harmony from Alice In Chains is probably best showcased in the track Heaven Beside You, either album or Unplugged version. I love your channel. My vocal coach and I worked on this song last week, we stepped up to I think B4 almost reaching C5 on the chorus. I’ve been practicing it around the house with my dogs as an audience. It’s challenging but it’s getting easier and easier.
Layne has one of the most iconic voices ever. Haunting voice and a haunted life, unfortunately. To me, Layne's voice and the unusual harmonies is a hallmark of Alice in Chains. I think visceral is a great word for his band in general. I highly recommend "Would," "Them Bones," and "Rooster."
Should listen to Layne when he was in Mad Season. Amazing.
@@charreed8727 I was about to say the same, Mad Season; River of Deceit
All mad season songs are priceless
Yeah, those are some of my favorites Jessie Girl. Those are but a few of many. I am often frustrated that some don't get the genius of Alice in Chains..
Nutshell I think was Layne’s best with Alice in Chains. And like someone else said here, yes river of deceit by mad season was one of his best.
Down In A Hole is one of their greatest songs. It's gut wrenching agony, despair, and longing all in a beautifully crafted and performed composition.
Agreed, one of my favorite AIC songs by far
When she mentioned AIC's harmonization, Down in a Hole was the first song that came to mind. It's also quite dynamic, vocally.
Angry chair as well!!!
Seconded, and I highly recommend the unplugged version as I feel like Layne Staley’s state at the time adds a whole new element to the songs meaning
Totally the unplugged version is the best - more raw more heartfelt more betterer
Layne is one of the best vocalists ever in my opinion. Just started listening to AIC more and his voice just hooks you in and never lets you go man. RIP
Love your reactions,makes me hear music that I've heard all my life new again
I miss Layne's voice. I hate that he died alone. :( These guys shaped my teens and twenties, along with Stone Temple Pilots and Soundgarden.
Stone Temple Pilots is one of the most underrated bands of all time.
Every single person I have ever played STP near, no matter what their favorite music is, liked their smooth sound.
They are like a rock band for everyone, yet not enough people know about them. They are SOOOO damn smooth.
Same
@@dialecticalmonist3405 same, and I think tiny music is one of their most underrated albums
@@Brainwarts99 Core will forever be my favorite. Tiny Music wasn't bad either, though.
Same here.
The lyrics: "Buried in my pit" and "Shove my nose in spit" are both the cleaned up versions for MTV & VH1.
They are actually supposed to be: "Buried in my shit" and "Shove my nose in shit" and this is the way they are on the album.
yeah the pit and spit parts are so cringe
@@orion46n27 yeah, and like whose spit is the dog's nose being shoved in???
@@insawid lol :)
When these censored edits first appeared in the 90's for the MTV videos, I was like lol.. you can't just change lyrics like that... and here we are, 30 years later, and most people think these are the actual lyrics. And I agree with Orion, this whole petty censorship BS is entirely cringe.
@@m2svirtual384 The Doors on the Ed Sullivan show. 'Instead of "higher", can you say, girl we couldn't get much better"? >_
"Down In A Hole" from their MTV Unplugged is an absolute must. "Nutshell" as well. AIC's Unplugged was probably the most haunting performance of all time.
I cried. Desperately wish Layne and Mike could have driven back those demons.
😭😭
Absolutely agree with either of those, the whole unplugged set was amazing. Sludge Factory would be another of my picks from that performance. RIP Layne and Mike
Agreed. The melancholy oozes from that performance, and it’s oddly cathartic when I am feeling really bad.
@@metallikat05 I know exactly what you mean, funny how that works
That entire show is just an emotional rollercoaster
LOL Lord knows I thought this woman was going to cry from the image in the thumbnail!!! And I'd expect nothing less Layne has made me cry numerous times in the past! I LOVE LOVE LOVE him.
Layne was a voice that the world needed wish he was still with us today.
"Down in a Hole" is their best display of Layne and Jerry's melody. "Love, Hate, Love" is Layne's epic display of range and control (live version, so you can visually see it).
Agree totally
For sure
Agree as well....
came here to say this
love hate love is amazing
"It sounds so distraught." Yeah I think that's a fair assessment of every Alice in Chains song.
Ikr? AiC songs were not made for happily bopping around. It's a dark vibe coming from a dark place. I mean, the "Dirt" album is pretty much all addiction, anger, sadness, and death. AND an amazing album, start to finish. Drugs giveth, and drugs taketh away.
Or grunge in general, really.
All these things. Rugged song
@@Thessik73 True, although I think a lot of grunge was more nihilistic or apathetic than distraught. In addition to being a huge pendulum swing away from "party time" hair bands, grunge was a whole-ass smorgasbord of depression, anger, anxiety, irony, and detachment.
I saw AIC twice. The first time they were just about boo'ed off stage. The second time was one of the best shows I've ever been to.
I really enjoy your break downs if these songs. Good job!
In case nobody has mentioned it, the "nasal" bit is a combination of Staley's vocals and the guitar running though a "talk box" which is a speaker that is run through a plastic tube into the players mouth.
^ THIS!!
You da man, beat me to it
Exactly
@@zachosborne6577 me 2 lol
Yup!
I kept thinking, "Can't wait for you to hit that chorus..." And as other have said, "Love, Hate, Love" is just a stupid-good performance (the 3rd act is a barn-burner). And "Rooster" (about Jerry Cantrell's dad) will give you goosebumps, hundy-p...
YES, Love Hate Love (live at the Moore) and Rooster
@@theatheistattitude Rooster is a brilliantly constructed song, so different to mainstream pop constructions, complex verse structure yet still melodic, harmonic and "sing-alongable".
One of the engineers working for Alice in Chains during the time of this records release said Layne's voice was so powerful, you could hear it coming out of his chest more than the monitors in the studio.
In that opening part, Staley's vocals are doubled by Jerry Cantrell using a talkbox with his guitar. That gives it that weird wah warble throughout.
this
Golden Throat talk box
The function of the talk box is amazing. For anyone who doesn’t know how they work, check it out.
In essence, it goes between your amp and your speaker cabinet. When you turn it on, the sound goes straight from the amp into the tube then into your mouth.
You shape the actual sounds in your mouth as the energy resonates. Then the sound returns out of your mouth and into the mic & out the PA system.
I used one in a song, and it was an awesome toy to play with. 👍👍👍
I think Jim Dunlop brought out the first talkbox/wah pedal & I think Boss made one as well. Bon Jovi Living on a Prayer was an epic song ! Joe Perry from Aerosmith used one as well.
@@matthewmckenzie8508 Thanks for mentioning the wah. When people talk about this song and the guitar, people always mention the talkbox, but few ever mention the wah.
Layne's voice ALWAYS gives me goosebumps. Doesnt matter what genre he's singing. He is so missed.. :'(
For real
It's been so long. 😔 😢
...Benji would always serve his laws in sh!t lol
17:20 yeah it's intense.
I'm actually tearing up listening to this video
Layne,s voice was absolutely incredible.
Layne was a great singer. He was so powerful, evocative, yet melodic. He passed way too young, RIP.
This lady's expressions are epic..says it all
Layne Staley and Chris Cornell were the best grunge vocalists. Change my mind
Yep. Cantrell is right with 'em though, although not technically a lead vocalist..
Difficult to disagree although Vedder on Ten is phenomenal as well. Lucky these were my HS years.
@@thenextgreat8652 I put Vedder behind Weiland, who's behind the other 3 mentioned above. I put Cobain last. Although I might put Vedder above Cantrell.
The Big Four from Seattle at the time all had good frontmen, but Chris and Layne are definitely the best! RIP Chris, Layne & Kurt
Eddie vedder and Kurt Cobain too
Changed your mind
I think “Them Bones” is a very good example of Layne and Jerry harmonies
Dam that river too
"Would" is another good one too
R O T T E N A P P L E
junkhead
Definitely. Also Bleed the Freak, We Die Young, and Angry Chair
God I wish he was still with us. Such a genius.
😢That very song turned my world upside down the first time I heard it on the radio in the early 90s. I was just a kid and I thought "THAT, is something special!" I didnt know exactly what it was but I knew definitely I loved it. Its been over 35 years after that and my love for great music kept going through all the decades. Him and Cris Cornell were just such powerhouses!
"I like the emotion here, it's so distraught". You're only peeking through a crack in the door at the depths of emotions that you'll find in AiC's music
Welcome to the world of Layne Staley. This song is just the tip of the iceberg of his vocal abilities
I'm new into Alice in Chains, man. Apart from Nutshell and the amazing Man in the box, what're AIC hits? I know they have a lot of albums. I need some guidance haha.
Greetings!
@@charliemurillo4321 personally I think rooster is a really good song
@@charliemurillo4321 sea of sorrow, confusion, would?, down in a hole, bleed the freak, I know somethin, rooster, junkhead, don’t follow, head creeps, the list goes on and on
✨⭐️💖💫LAYNE STALEY💫💖⭐️✨
I was only 8 in 94 when my cousin passed at 16. He was a HUGE grunge fan. Him and my sister(who’s 9yrs older) had me listening to everything but Alice In Chains was their favorite. Rest In peace Layne and Ashley
His healthy voice distortion was probably one of the few "healthy" things of his sadly short life..
God i wish he could have beat his demons, him and a few others of the era.
@@amberowens2453 RIP Chris, Scott, Kurt and Layne.
@@amberowens2453 unfortunately their demons are what made them great a lot of the time
That's why I kind of hate all the unplugged requests. His voice was weakening and his singing capabilities were deteriorating, as was he.
Don't get me wrong, it was really good and just bare honesty, but it wasn't when he was at his best and not a great representation of his overall vocal abilities.
But I'm sure the next AIC video will be from unplugged anyway.
@@insufferablethrashelitist9305 while I agree with what you said, the unplugged stuff just cements his legendary voice cause he was weak and gone by then and he still put that great of a performance on for everyone.
Layne Staley is the sole reason I fell in love with music. There is nobody else who can make you feel emotion through voice like he can. AMAZING
Lol
Haha!
when she stopped that last time before the chorus, I was like "oh shit....here it comes"
I was a teenager when this album came out and it was mind blowing, i feel very grateful to be alive in this time.
Well well well, finally Layne! But I suggest you Love, Hate, Love, an absolutely stunning performance!
And it needs to be live at The Moore. Anything done from Layne needs to be live in my opinion 🤘🏽
I actually don't like this as a song choice for her reaction. There are many better options. Especially live
@@JustInOutDoors78 I think it's the emotional impact that gets people. It's pretty bare song from a production standpoint, so the thing that sticks is the pain. "I live for you, but, I'm not alive..."
@@LordNelsonkm I agree. I'm not trying to knock the song at all. I just think there are better songs, both lyrically and in regard to composition, for a reaction. I love this, and almost every other, AiC song.
Love Hate Love isn’t my favorite song either but from a vocal standpoint which that is her game, she’s a vocal coach, I think it makes since to see one of Layne’s best vocal performances in my opinion. I mean she’s a vocal coach and that’s what she’s reacting to so picking the better or best songs musically doesn’t really make more sense than picking one of Layne’s best live vocal performances does it? I could be wrong though 😂 I mean Love Hate Love doesn’t even make my top ten Alice songs but it gets my vote purely from Layne’s vocal performance alone especially when it comes to a vocal coach reaction 🤘🏽
The lyric is actually "I'm the dog who gets beat. Shove my nose in shit!" In essence, a part of his anguish is that he is punished harshly for his mistakes he knew he was making but had no choice to make them, like a dog who shit in the house that is housebroken.
@Nathan Baker
I always thought that the majority of this song was about television news casters who are always getting blamed for shit happening that they're reporting on that they have no control over.
Yunno?
Like "hey don't shoot me, I'm only the messenger.
I don't make the news, I just report it."
Like "you beat me like you might beat a dog, for crapping on your floor because you forgot to take me outside when I needed to go.
I don't have a voice so I can't speak up and remind you I need to go out so I don't crap on your floor.
Then, as if that punishment wasn't enough?
You grab me by the scruff of my neck and shove my nose in my shit, to remind me that I'm not SUPPOSED to shit on the floor.
Which I already know, but, you feel like you have to punish me for your forgetfulness."
I'm not saying your explanation is wrong.
Just wasn't how I remember hearing it originally.
Your explanation sounds a bit more philosophically existential.
Much deeper and more profound than my original understanding of it.
Because obviously the Box is the television.
We don't have boxy CRT televisions anymore, thank goodness, but, way back in the mid-90s, very few people had flat screen televisions like we do now.
Cathode Ray Tube TVs were still the most prevalent TV model back then.
Anyway.
That's what I remembered them saying in rock magazine interviews back in the 90s.
I like your interpretation better, though.
@@toddvandell85 interesting. That’s one way to interpret it I guess. But that’s the great thing about song lyrics, often times they don’t apply to one particular thing and can be interpreted broadly. I always thought “I’m the man in the box” meant he was someone who was put in to a box, meaning the people around him had this idea of who he is and who he is supposed to be. When he acts differently than what people expect of him, they try to put him back in the box or try to bend him to their will. And when he makes mistakes (or at least what they consider a mistake) they gaslight him and make him question who he is.
We know the actual. But interesting lyric interpretation of it and probably accurate...
To me Man in the box meant me in my coffin. Like dead already, remembering the tragedy of my life. Won't you come and save me always feels almost sarcastic. Like so hopeless it's almost a joke. Almost.
He also says buried in my shit and not pit
Layne Staley's voice seems to belong to another world...amazing...And...Your analysis is amazing...You are amazing...thank you for the video
I love your Channel. I understand why you do it and by it, I mean pausing. But the amount of times I say god dammit in an episode of this is outrageous😂😂😂
ahhhh should have done a live version. Still happy you finally got to Layne, he's one of my all time favorite vocalists.
A lot of people have requested an unplugged version, but the patrons selected this specific song. They get 1 video request per month, so I have to abide!
Love your avatar 😅
@@TheCharismaticVoice you know who else abides? The Dude! Love this channel. 🦄
@@TheCharismaticVoice Yes, the unplugged concert is fantastic. Down in a Hole from that concert would be good if you want to hear the harmonies between Staley and Cantrell, or Nutshell if you just want more Layne and an awesome song to boot.
The unplugged is good but not a good first listen for Layne especially a live version. Unplugged was one of his last live performances and although still good the drugs had taken a toll on him already. If going for a live version something from 89-93 should be done before the unplugged in my opinion. My opinion ain’t worth anymore than anyone else’s but Layne was a force live before the end 93 when he started to go downhill quickly after that. His story is a sad one and a tremendous loss to music in general, so many people tried to copy him after but nobody can even come close really
When I was 13 years old my mom took away my Alice in Chains Facelift tape because of this song and video. 35 years later, I'm watching a vocal coach analyze the vocal chord structures of this very song. Weird.
Haha I was a closet rocker too! If mom found out I was listening to the devils music (clearly wasnt) I was toast
@@jlunn900 I was never a closet rocker. My rocking was always out in the open. I forced my parents to play led Zeppelin and Metallica tapes in the car on long trips. Loud. They even filmed my band playing talent shows when I was in 8th grade on the giant VHS camcorder. Still write music to this day. Lol sorry.. "closet rocker" kinda struck a nerve. Carry on..
@@jdd3786 🤣🤣
@Nikola Ilic cool mom
I remember jamming out this song ever since I first heard it in the early 90's
You have to be the cutest and most charismatic woman I've witnessed in two decades. You broke the mold! May you always be blessed an surrounded by love...
This is part of my top 10 I try my little tiny heart out to sing on karaoke nights. It feels amazing to belt out even if I will never have his sustained fry. It's hard not to get a personal emotional reaction every time. There is something truly honest behind grunge music as a whole. Great times begot by not so great experiences.
This is a censored version with the lyrics sanitized. :(
True .. Spit is certainly SHIT in the OL ...
She's using the video and they cleaned them to get the video played on TV which was how many of us discovered them. Had they not changed them, the song wouldn't have gotten the airplay that let us discover them.
@@jasonbailey9139 Someone might need to confirm but I remember a version of this that played on the radio where there was just silence instead of shit/spit.
@@Comrade.Question I was checking a lyric site that gave both the album and video. Pit and spit were both used to cover up the feces. They didn't mention anything about a radio version, so I'd assume it could have been omitted rather than changed for that. Didn't really listen to the radio stations that would have played it back in the day and never listen to the radio if I can help it.
@@Comrade.Question the radio edit just mutes the vocals depending on your location. I’ve lived in places where it’s censored and where it’s not.
Just like Pearl Jam’s “Jeremy.”
“What a harmless little fuck” is either played uncensored because it’s rather mumbled or it’s muted.
Lot of songs like that.
He’s synchronizing his voice with a wa effect on the guitar. Very cool
As somebody else already pointed above here. It's through a talk box
@@danballe its both
You should have commented on the version from Moore Theatre 1990. Layne was in peak form and some of the best vocals
I have ever heard!
I love how you react to these songs. I think most people don't realize how great the vocalists were in grunge and heavy metal. Once people go back and really listen they see there are great vocalists in all genres.
Not just vocalists, all members are kinda underrated. Lots of phenomenal guitarist, some insane drummers and all that fun stuff.