What Are You Listening To?

[Thraak]

One of the most hauntingly beautiful records of all time. Written casually in the studio without the intention of even releasing it, the boys were so impressed with the material that it was promptly recorded and released as a 7 track mini album/EP.

To add the surprise, when released the album immediately hit No.1 on the Billboard US charts (which Alice In Chains had never previously achieved) and for a long time was the only ever EP to make the top of the charts.

Music on this EP is very different to that of AIC's more heavier releases and shows another more intimate, bluesy side to Jerry Cantrell's playing, certainly the side which I prefer although I am a fan of all their releases.

Several of the tracks from this album were later played at AIC's legendary concert for MTV Unplugged series 2 years later. 'Nutshell' became the opening track of the night during which each band member came on stage individually during the intro to an extremely lucky and enthusiastic audience of only approx 200 people. Also, 'No Excuses' which was a No.1 hit from the record, was featured at the concert to great applause.

If you haven't heard this album before I urge you to get it, regardless if your a fan of metal, blues, jazz...whatever. This album breaks the boundaries between those genres and showed for the first time that a metal band could change their style in a dignified way and achieve both artistic and commercial success as a result of that whilst retaining their integrity at all times. Not many bands can do that IMO, especially metal bands but it did inspire one I can think of later on around 10 years later when Pain Of Salvation (another metal band) recorded an album of acoustic reworkings of all their heavy material up until that date and to great avail!

This is a beautiful album and one for every collection.
[video=youtube;krzitE3Wl00]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krzitE3Wl00[/video]