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Alice in Chains: MTV Unplugged
Columbia

 
  File Under: Overachieving Seattle band trying to prove something
"Would?" (326K WAV)
RealAudio: 28.8 or 14.4
"Rooster" (330K WAV)
RealAudio: 28.8 or 14.4

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 61 overstepping the bounds of simplicity. Though the absence of a cover song or any other unusual performance is disappointing (there is one new song), the complete lack of fun reveals just as much about the band. They are a gloomy bunch, but at least we know what they sound like without all the feedback and distortion. -- Bob Gulla


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