![]() News & Reviews Music Reviews Index New This Week The History of Unplugged Sex Pistols Dave Alvin Steve Wynn
The Black Crowes Kevin Salem Linda Thompson
|
||||||||||||
![]() Music Reviews | ||||||||||||
Alice in Chains: MTV Unplugged Columbia
Since their 1990 debut album, Facelift, Alice in Chains has honed its static, lurching vibe into a mysterious blare capable of evoking varying shades of black. Perhaps that's why the band's dark tales work well in an acoustic setting. Stripped down, singer Layne Staley and guitarist Jerry Cantrell make a haunting musical team, with Staley's quavering vocals floating over Cantrell's melancholy licks. Tracks like the rousing "Would?," the emotionally raw "Angry Chair," and the gloomy mantra
"Rooster" play this formula up effectively. Not that this Unplugged will rival Nirvana's, which is the obvious comparison--A.I.C. doesn't have the instrumental chops, the songwriting panache, or the humor to reach the next level, and Staley's voice isn't nearly as powerful unplugged as it is in the studio. But they do well by staying within their abilities here, never
|
||||||||||||
Music Reviews Archive Index | ||||||||||||
Send your comments to Mr. Showbiz
|