Nirvana always gets credit for their unplugged performance, which I will say is terrific, but for me, Alice in Chains is the premiere Unplugged performance. Even with Layne at his supposed weakest, he still gave what many consider to be one of the best and strongest Unplugged performances of all time. Their performance of "Nutshell" is absolutely haunting!
Nutshell and No Excuses sounded better there than on Jar of Flies. I absolutely love Nirvana’s Unplugged performance, but Alice in Chains took it to a different level.
I'm with you on nutshell unplugged. What a simple, short worded,yet cuts right to the bone song. And I don't mean "simple" as an insult. They could've easily added other sounds or another verse to beef it up but didn't. IMO, it's a masterpiece in its simplest form. I'm very prejudiced when it comes to that song.
This one was my all time favorite Unplugged show because it was so raw and deep and you can see how deep down the drug hole layne was in and he poured his heart out in his singing
Yep, puts you in a box. Makes you feel things your body and mind can't tolerate but it still ravages you. Killed all my friends family and favorite artists. When will it end man?
At his worst; teeth rotted out, malnourished, fiending for heroin, Layne was eons better than damn near any lead singer on the market in 2022. Without a question, the single greatest Unplugged session of the series.
The way Jerry speaks about it becoming clear that AiC was nearing its true end and also the fact that an addict has to want to help themselves first is a pretty harrowing thing to hear if you try to imagine how the others must've felt at that time. They all knew Layne was a dead man walking, hell, Layne knew it best, the lyrics on much of Tripod read like a farewell letter. Hopefully he is at peace now, he never lost his spark and ripped the stage every night despite the chaos around him.
I can remember watching it live on MTV that night, I felt really bad for the whole band but especially for Layne, you could see he was just wasted. Really sad 😔 favorite for me besides nutshell I always loved to here them play would.
I was blown away the first time I saw the full show on DVD. Absolutely legendary and probably the most heartfelt performance I’ve ever seen from a rock band period. All those songs got me through some really dark times as well. It was pure art. No gimmicks. Alice at their full potential. It’s so emotional that sometimes it’s hard to watch the whole thing. All of them are so talented.
I'm so mad at myself for not going to their show in Kansas city last month. Would have been my first time. I hope they come back. I know they're getting old
Oh don't you worrie brother...Jerry has so much left give and alot of music left in him and he's nowhere near ready end Alice just yet...in fact I believe the best in the Duvall era has yet to come so don't worry about missing your opportunity...they will come back around. Jerry loves Kansas city... there is a good bit of history he has with that city. Peace and love Long Live Layne and Alice!!! 🖤🤲💙
they still kill it live. duvall is absolutely incredible, great vocalist and its so nice to have another skilled guitarist playing live. saw them in ac 5 years ago, camden last month and going to their show at pnc in a few weeks
We've seen this story 1000 times in one shape or another but it's always something I'll watch . AIC was a favorite then an they killed unplugged. Dirt best album of that era . Rip Layne an Starr.
You can see the horrible pain in Layne's face and eyes. It's so heart breaking seeing a person suffer like that. His demons got the best of him but he left us with masterpiece after masterpiece. I will always be thankful for Layne's music cause it got me through my darkest days. Rest in peace Layne and Mike. ALICE IN CHAINS WILL LIVE ON FOREVER
My first AIC album, all the way back from 2003!!! I love how they included heavier stuff like "Sludge Factory." And hearing those basslines with flatwound/tapewound strings really adds resonance that was unheard in the original studio recordings. And supposedly, Layne was borderline in withdrawals cuz he took just enough of his stuff to keep him from being sick. What an amazing voice and frontman!!!! Rest well Layne and Mike, and others!!!!
Hey man! Nice to see how popular you have gotten! I remember back before you changed your pfp. Cool to see your content and video style has remained mostly the same!
Also watch the Gibson interview with Jerry Cantrell. A full history in his own words. He is without a doubt the most solid and talented player and writer to ever come out of Seattle.
8:03 Yes, a song that truly "shreds" shreds acoustically. It's why I desperately want to hear acoustic versions of Nile songs, and why I consider Mozart fucking metal.
Love Soundgarden, but when I try to picture a Soundgarden unplugged, it just doesn't seem like it would work that well. Even with a song like "Black Hole Sun", the heavy bridge part, the way it hangs in the air, seems like an integral part of the song. "Fell on Black Days" and "Head Down" would work, but I can't think of enough other good candidates for a full set.
@@forcetheedges the way every other big grunge band made it work, I doubt Soundgarden couldn’t have. There’s songs in each of the other unplugged’s that I assumed wouldn’t have sounded good but the genius of each band made it work.
Honestly, I'm grateful that both this album and Mad Season Above exist (both live and the studio version). Layne Staley gave an insurmountable performance in these two albums despite his declining health with addiction. It's subjective, but I firmly believe he's one of, if not the GREATEST vocalist ever; his octave, vibrato, and power were otherworldly! He deserves far more recognition and consideration for his raw talent.
That's the best Unplugged of all time. It actually produced the best versions of those songs ever heard. As troubled as it seemed it came across quite rehearsed, nearly flawless imho
I always get so sad when I see or think of Layne. He was such an amazing talent and to think he just flushed it all away just breaks my heart. RIP man... You are truly missed!
In a way I feel kind of bad watching/listening to AiC's "Unplugged" show. Even though he survived another 6 years, it still feels like watching and listening to Layne dying. That said, even at his worst, Layne sounded fantastic. You can't say that about a whole lot of musicians.
The whole unplugged set was just fkng tremendously legendary my favorite unplugged set from all bands that done it even over nirvana not saying that I didn’t like all of the other bands that have done it just AIC was my favorite
Poor Layne. He needed someone willing to walk through the fire to keep him here. He definitely had people that loved him all the way. Don't get me wrong. He had hit bottom but he didn't have anyone willing to jump down in the shit and pull him up out of it. 3 weeks. Three. Weeks. That's how long he was in that room rotting. I'm an addict and have pushed people away. I am very good at it. Thing is I have a couple of people that are really good at not being pushed. He didn't have that. Fuck man. I mean when life gets going its hard. It's real hard. And when you got someone like me that makes your soul heavy because we are so self destructive it's too easy to just walk away and let things go their natural way. If you don't have that person or 2 willing to tear their own heart out to put it in you then you end up in a hole. Poor Layne. None of that is saying he didn't have people willing to suffer for him. People did that for him for years. He just needed it a little longer. Layne needed real help. It's ok now though. No more pain. No more bone deep aches. No more of that for him. He suffered but now he's ok. Miss you Layne.
I never liked AIC Unplugged. Watching Layne croak his way through those songs tore my heart out; It's when I knew for sure he was going to die. RIP, man. I choose to remember you as the powerhouse motherfucker you were.
seen a live performance where my man was going through it. I’m talking breaking down on stage and getting on both knees and just talking non sense as in making noises. He also had a moment where he just laid down for a solid three minutes. I hated seeing him like that and there so much that happened in his life to why he had fallen to such a crutch. I don’t think he was a great influence. Don’t get me a wrong; a god on the mic. I couldn’t listen to anybody singing Alice In Chains other than Jerry alone or with the full Og band. Layne had a gift and who knows when we’ll get another voice like that and even if we do it’s not gonna be the same. Man such a shame that he left us early but I’m forever grateful for the music he wrote. My favorite song is again and head creeps. Layne wrote both and if you just read the lyrics our boy needed help. He just wasn’t accepting it from anyone and in all interviews of AIC the band explained that he denied everything. The addiction and the help. I can ramble on and on but it won’t mean a thing because I didn’t know and neither did any of you. Not like a friend at least. Closest person he had though was mark lanegan and he explained the reasons of why he lost his battle to the addiction. Idk I just miss the music and miss the nostalgic feeling of going through the albums and finding a new song I’ve never heard before. RIP to a kind and a legend. GET BORN AGAIN
![KISS - Rock And Roll All Nite [DRUMLESS]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Mr4feetfpiI/mqdefault.jpg)
Favourite song from the performance?
Nutshell or Down in a Hole for me
Down in a hole.
Would?
@@rnrtruestories nutshell fo sho
Nutshell
Nirvana always gets credit for their unplugged performance, which I will say is terrific, but for me, Alice in Chains is the premiere Unplugged performance. Even with Layne at his supposed weakest, he still gave what many consider to be one of the best and strongest Unplugged performances of all time. Their performance of "Nutshell" is absolutely haunting!
Nutshell and No Excuses sounded better there than on Jar of Flies. I absolutely love Nirvana’s Unplugged performance, but Alice in Chains took it to a different level.
Absolutely, AiC gave the best unplugged show ever💗
@@TheStepmonkey I had not seen a band nail their songs so well. literally could have been an in studio album. It was the best unplugged by any band.
Totally agree! Those are my two favorite unplugged concerts, both were excellent, but Alice in Chains performance was legendary.
it's Alice in chains or blind melon
Nutshell from the Unplugged album will still get me teary eyed, and give me goosebumps to this day. Such a hauntingly beautiful song.
That's me with "Don't Follow" on "Jar of Flies."
I'm with you on nutshell unplugged. What a simple, short worded,yet cuts right to the bone song. And I don't mean "simple" as an insult. They could've easily added other sounds or another verse to beef it up but didn't. IMO, it's a masterpiece in its simplest form. I'm very prejudiced when it comes to that song.
The entrance by Layne is epic. He just walks out sits down and immediately starts belting out the first lyrics 🤘
chilling.
@@myfavoritebigbootylatina6980 irrelevant to the current topic… are you an Alex Stein fan by chance? 😂
Even at his worst Layne could absolutely tear it up
At his worst, he was unable to go on stage 😪
💯 😁😎🤘🤘
@@bobbyblair6862 😭😭😭😭😪
Same with Scott Weiland
@@brandvilla6592 💗🤘
Layne was such in bad shape but sang like an angel, that performance chokes me up every time.
That entire Unplugged session was a spiritual moment in musical history.
Yes it was....very....
Oh yes. Definitely transcending and spiritual. I am so happy I picked up a copy of Facelift back in 1990. Been in love ever since.
Gay
Absolutely
Yep, it's a really special recording
This is my favorite album by any artist. Just hearing the sound of death knocking in Layne's voice is hauntingly beautiful.
Still one of my all time favorite albums. Jerry's backing vocals really made that performance come alive.
Frogs gives me chills to this day. That song made me get sober
Congrats
hopefully you are still sober
@@akadkins69 yes, going on 3 years. Everytime I feel like I'm about to relapse, I put on dirt by AIC AND FIGHT THROUGH
@@SynIMPFML666 congratulations to you! i hope you continue your success
whats your story with addic? if you dont mind sharing
Best Unplugged session and even better with the outtakes.
RIP Layne. We miss you 💜
🖤ALWAYS🖤
This one was my all time favorite Unplugged show because it was so raw and deep and you can see how deep down the drug hole layne was in and he poured his heart out in his singing
Everything about that concert was amazing. One of the greatest voices in rock history belonged to Layne.
I literally can’t get enough of these Aic videos you make. Idk what else you can cover, but keep ‘em rolling out if you got more content👍
Thanks
Sameee
Absolutely, anything and everything with these guys, ESP Layne Staley of course 🙏🙏👍👍
@@TheStepmonkey You wrote "Sammy". You repeat the "A" or "M". Never repeat the silent vowel, it changes the word. Still, most everyone does though...
I keep Up Sticking With Nirvanas Music and Alice in Chainses Music 🤟👍
Rest in Peace Layne. Your music will always live on
In April of 1991 I was in rehab with Layne he was an amazing human being 💚💛🧡💜💙
Hands down the best of the Unplugged era. 👏👏
Agreed
After nirvana
@@mirkomedjed9845 yah Nah
@@mirkomedjed9845 nope. Alice In Chains was the best unplugged ever
Stp takes it in my opinion
Layne is one of the GOATs, so sad what happened to him. There's nothing worse than the withdrawals from that stuff. Nothing
Yep, puts you in a box. Makes you feel things your body and mind can't tolerate but it still ravages you. Killed all my friends family and favorite artists. When will it end man?
An iconic performance, the vibe and soulfulness is amazing
God, this brings tears to my eyes. Such a great band whose original existence was too short. A one-of-a-kind. 😥 R.I.P. Layne
At his worst; teeth rotted out, malnourished, fiending for heroin, Layne was eons better than damn near any lead singer on the market in 2022. Without a question, the single greatest Unplugged session of the series.
Respect.
Amen brother! A-fckuing-men!
That's a reach
They just don’t make em like layne anymore
He hadn’t lost any teeth. People always blame H. He was also a crak addict. That’s what led to his demise, you can live a long time on dope.
i cryed every time seeing layne staley in that shape. rip layne staley.
Their unplugged session was actually awesome! 👍😎 I actually remember seeing this segment on TH-cam a few years ago. Good upload!
The way Jerry speaks about it becoming clear that AiC was nearing its true end and also the fact that an addict has to want to help themselves first is a pretty harrowing thing to hear if you try to imagine how the others must've felt at that time. They all knew Layne was a dead man walking, hell, Layne knew it best, the lyrics on much of Tripod read like a farewell letter.
Hopefully he is at peace now, he never lost his spark and ripped the stage every night despite the chaos around him.
Even a shell of his former self he could still mesmerise you with his voice
One of the best Unpluggeds ever! Its definitely bittersweet bc you could see Layne was not in a good shape.
The best!!!
I think it's the best unplugged concert. Just in front of Nirvana.
I think it's the best unplugged concert. Just in front of Nirvana.
Yet you couldn't show enough respect to spell his name properly.
Layne* not Laney. Laney Stanley would be a terrible stage name lol
I have recenlty discovered AIC and I have just been blown away by their MTV Unplugged performance. RIP Layne.
I can remember watching it live on MTV that night, I felt really bad for the whole band but especially for Layne, you could see he was just wasted. Really sad 😔 favorite for me besides nutshell I always loved to here them play would.
I never get tired of A.I.C. vids on here! 🤟
The AIC Unplugged special may very well be my favorite Unplugged ever (yes, even more than Nirvana).
Good video. Thumb up. I've got this on DVD/CD. One of my favorite 'Live Albums' & most favorite MTV Unplugged set.
I was blown away the first time I saw the full show on DVD. Absolutely legendary and probably the most heartfelt performance I’ve ever seen from a rock band period. All those songs got me through some really dark times as well. It was pure art. No gimmicks. Alice at their full potential. It’s so emotional that sometimes it’s hard to watch the whole thing. All of them are so talented.
I used to listen to this at night as I fell asleep
Same here. Nice to meet ya.
I still do lol
I threw it on right after this video haha
I was at AICs 2nd acoustic set in Milwaukee at the Rave 2007.
Mad respect for William.
Shut up
My all-time favorite band, singer(s) and guitarist. Ever since the first ten seconds of Facelift! What a gift, thank you!
I'm so mad at myself for not going to their show in Kansas city last month. Would have been my first time. I hope they come back. I know they're getting old
You'll have time...they still had pretty big hits after Layne's death,and Cantrell seems pretty happy to keep touring all these years.
Oh don't you worrie brother...Jerry has so much left give and alot of music left in him and he's nowhere near ready end Alice just yet...in fact I believe the best in the Duvall era has yet to come so don't worry about missing your opportunity...they will come back around. Jerry loves Kansas city... there is a good bit of history he has with that city. Peace and love Long Live Layne and Alice!!! 🖤🤲💙
@@nylontusk1289 ya dude. Will definitely try to see them next year
Due to that mindset, I bought a VIP package for the current tour for end of this month. Went all out on it too!!!
they still kill it live. duvall is absolutely incredible, great vocalist and its so nice to have another skilled guitarist playing live. saw them in ac 5 years ago, camden last month and going to their show at pnc in a few weeks
I love how much you love AIC. It makes these videos more significant
We've seen this story 1000 times in one shape or another but it's always something I'll watch . AIC was a favorite then an they killed unplugged. Dirt best album of that era . Rip Layne an Starr.
You can see the horrible pain in Layne's face and eyes. It's so heart breaking seeing a person suffer like that. His demons got the best of him but he left us with masterpiece after masterpiece. I will always be thankful for Layne's music cause it got me through my darkest days. Rest in peace Layne and Mike. ALICE IN CHAINS WILL LIVE ON FOREVER
“Layne had to hide his scars and years of drug abuse, and jerry had a belly ache”
AIC has to be the band you've covered most on this channel
As it should be.
I love Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Stone Temple Pilots unplugged. But Alice In Chains unplugged was the best of all
My first AIC album, all the way back from 2003!!! I love how they included heavier stuff like "Sludge Factory." And hearing those basslines with flatwound/tapewound strings really adds resonance that was unheard in the original studio recordings. And supposedly, Layne was borderline in withdrawals cuz he took just enough of his stuff to keep him from being sick. What an amazing voice and frontman!!!!
Rest well Layne and Mike, and others!!!!
Hey man! Nice to see how popular you have gotten! I remember back before you changed your pfp. Cool to see your content and video style has remained mostly the same!
Also watch the Gibson interview with Jerry Cantrell. A full history in his own words. He is without a doubt the most solid and talented player and writer to ever come out of Seattle.
That Gibson interview was amazing. Jerry is very talented and very cordial at the same time. I'd love to hang out with him for an afternoon!
8:03 Yes, a song that truly "shreds" shreds acoustically. It's why I desperately want to hear acoustic versions of Nile songs, and why I consider Mozart fucking metal.
Him doing this gig and getting through it is one of the greatest musical Performances of all time
This was easily the best of the unplugged performances. I can't even think of a second place
4:39 concern and awe in Jerry Cantrells face there, it's a heartbreaking still
It was most definitely, on the front of Mike's bass 😎. AIC fan for life.
From almost disaster to a masterpiece. Still wish to this day we could’ve gotten a Soundgarden unplugged
Love Soundgarden, but when I try to picture a Soundgarden unplugged, it just doesn't seem like it would work that well. Even with a song like "Black Hole Sun", the heavy bridge part, the way it hangs in the air, seems like an integral part of the song. "Fell on Black Days" and "Head Down" would work, but I can't think of enough other good candidates for a full set.
Chris did an acoustic version of like a stone and fell on black days for sure. Check em out if you haven't heard.
@@forcetheedges the way every other big grunge band made it work, I doubt Soundgarden couldn’t have. There’s songs in each of the other unplugged’s that I assumed wouldn’t have sounded good but the genius of each band made it work.
Seasons... 🙂
Technically, they did, just not MTV Unplugged
Love ur AiC videos💗 please do more🙏
One of the best shows they ever did and one of the best moments of the movement
So Sad. That he couldn't help himself out of the hell that is dope!! RIP Layne
So Sad that No one could help him!! And he passed away Alone.
Jason Ross from Seven Mary 3 was there...
He told me Layne was having issues and Jerry was getting frustrated. It took a dozen takes
RIP Layne!
Thanks for this, another channel did this last week and left out soooooo much. 🤘AIC
They opened for Kiss in Detroit and killed it RIPLayne!
Surprised Jerry even talks to anyone from Metallica after Metallica made fun of Layne on stage.
I bought the AIC Unplugged CD in 1996 and i thought it was the 2nd-best Unplugged album. 26 years later I still think the same.
I love all your alice in chains videos,
Thanks
Honestly, I'm grateful that both this album and Mad Season Above exist (both live and the studio version). Layne Staley gave an insurmountable performance in these two albums despite his declining health with addiction. It's subjective, but I firmly believe he's one of, if not the GREATEST vocalist ever; his octave, vibrato, and power were otherworldly! He deserves far more recognition and consideration for his raw talent.
That's the best Unplugged of all time. It actually produced the best versions of those songs ever heard. As troubled as it seemed it came across quite rehearsed, nearly flawless imho
I always get so sad when I see or think of Layne. He was such an amazing talent and to think he just flushed it all away just breaks my heart. RIP man... You are truly missed!
on january 7 1994 they played an acoustic show unannounced in LA and got booed off 😢their next show was over 2 years later at the MTV unplugged
Hands down the best unplugged album.
Alice might be the only band to go no.1 as an album and not even tour to gain hype
I suspect Jerry did a lot more drugs than he lets on; when he says he was feeling rough "by my own hand," I don't think he's talking about a hot dog.
He drank a lot
RIP Layne 🙏
Definately the best MTV Unplugged ever. Lane had just enough to show off his amazing singing, so impressive.
In a way I feel kind of bad watching/listening to AiC's "Unplugged" show. Even though he survived another 6 years, it still feels like watching and listening to Layne dying. That said, even at his worst, Layne sounded fantastic. You can't say that about a whole lot of musicians.
You've covered the making of *'Dirt' & 'Unplugged' by Alice In Chains.* Do all the albums!
Best ever live recording from any band!
The whole unplugged set was just fkng tremendously legendary my favorite unplugged set from all bands that done it even over nirvana not saying that I didn’t like all of the other bands that have done it just AIC was my favorite
Great video.
I watch this performance every time it gets played again. It hits the same every time.
Poor Layne. He needed someone willing to walk through the fire to keep him here. He definitely had people that loved him all the way. Don't get me wrong. He had hit bottom but he didn't have anyone willing to jump down in the shit and pull him up out of it.
3 weeks. Three. Weeks. That's how long he was in that room rotting. I'm an addict and have pushed people away. I am very good at it. Thing is I have a couple of people that are really good at not being pushed. He didn't have that. Fuck man. I mean when life gets going its hard. It's real hard. And when you got someone like me that makes your soul heavy because we are so self destructive it's too easy to just walk away and let things go their natural way. If you don't have that person or 2 willing to tear their own heart out to put it in you then you end up in a hole. Poor Layne.
None of that is saying he didn't have people willing to suffer for him. People did that for him for years. He just needed it a little longer. Layne needed real help.
It's ok now though. No more pain. No more bone deep aches. No more of that for him. He suffered but now he's ok. Miss you Layne.
💓
I love the background music you have for this video, is there a way I can find that track?
I’m sooooo glad that Alice caved to do an “Unplugged” session for MTV! Their’s will forever be my favorite ❤️
I never liked AIC Unplugged. Watching Layne croak his way through those songs tore my heart out; It's when I knew for sure he was going to die.
RIP, man. I choose to remember you as the powerhouse motherfucker you were.
Love aic plugged or unplugged
IMO the greatest live recording of all time.
I hope you are peace Layne. Rest easy.
Literally fell asleep to the Frogs performance last night
AIC and Nirvana...the only two Unplugged I can hear and see
Alice n chains unplugged performance was the best of that entire series. I hold it just above nirvana
Again, don't do drugs. Not even weed. Stick to coffee and get hooked on good things, like painting, music, working out, etc
Hash is the way
Weed > caffeine
Caffeine is way worse for you than weed
@@LoungeLizard_33 says who? You? Lmao thanks for the laugh bud
@@Marco-717 LOL okay man
6:00 watching Lars squirm is priceless!
I could listen to Jerry laugh for days..
This album has been making me cry since I was 14.
The drummer concept of not playing it right then everyone turns up the monitors is exactly what happened to Pearl Jam
the people that micced the unplugged sessions deserve a whole WING in the rock and roll hall of Fame
I was there for the taping of the show
Nirvana and Alice really set the benchmark for Unplugged. 2 singular frontmen that truly new how to emote
The best things are always on the verge of complete disaster
seen a live performance where my man was going through it. I’m talking breaking down on stage and getting on both knees and just talking non sense as in making noises. He also had a moment where he just laid down for a solid three minutes. I hated seeing him like that and there so much that happened in his life to why he had fallen to such a crutch.
I don’t think he was a great influence. Don’t get me a wrong; a god on the mic.
I couldn’t listen to anybody singing Alice In Chains other than Jerry alone or with the full Og band. Layne had a gift and who knows when we’ll get another voice like that and even if we do it’s not gonna be the same. Man such a shame that he left us early but I’m forever grateful for the music he wrote.
My favorite song is again and head creeps.
Layne wrote both and if you just read the lyrics our boy needed help. He just wasn’t accepting it from anyone and in all interviews of AIC the band explained that he denied everything. The addiction and the help.
I can ramble on and on but it won’t mean a thing because I didn’t know and neither did any of you. Not like a friend at least.
Closest person he had though was mark lanegan and he explained the reasons of why he lost his battle to the addiction. Idk I just miss the music and miss the nostalgic feeling of going through the albums and finding a new song I’ve never heard before.
RIP to a kind and a legend.
GET BORN AGAIN
Sad that Soundgarden never got an unplugged
Great work
Their unplugged was amazing. I’m glad they decided to do it
Great whites unplugged session was also one of the very best ! Mark Kendall and jack Russel absolutely nailed it !
I would say; After this performance, grunge was officially dead. As soon they walked of that stage grunge was dead