The Head Scratcher's 20 Favourite Alice in Chains Songs
To celebrate the release of Alice in Chains' latest album Rainier Fog I've picked my 20 favourite AIC songs. Listen along with the playlist here.
20. Real Thing - Facelift
A great song with a cool intro that reminds me of something straight out of From Dusk Till Dawn. It then explodes into a massive heavy fucker of a rock song. You'll get whiplash listening to this.
19. Got Me Wrong - SAP
With an acoustic verse and bending guitar hero solos this a more mainstream friendly AIC. It keeps its heavy side with the rumbling bass below that acoustic guitar and with it's dense overdriven chorus.
18. Down in a Hole - Dirt
An initially acoustic song with haunting pained vocals and a guitar riff that tears at your heart strings. The distortion kicks in soon enough though and whilst it has a much more plodding pace the depth of the music and the layering of the vocals keeps things interesting.
17. Sea of Sorrow - Facelift
From the moment this song starts it lives up to the word sorrow used in its title. It's quite slow and moody but builds pace leading into the chorus which is just a joy to sing along to. "I live tomorrow, you will not follow, as you wallow, in a sea of sorrow".
16. Dam That River - Dirt
A crushingly heavy song chugging along at the perfect pace. The instrumentation in the chorus is just the verse but even heavier. If it ain't broke...
15. Frogs - Alice in Chains
I am not a big fan of Alice in Chains' self titled album. There are only a few songs I think are good and the rest I don't rate. Frogs is one of the few I do like and I guess that's because it's a bit of an oddity. It has a really weird verse vocal with a dirty bass groove and sludgy, grimy guitar licks. Long and slow but it will take you on a journey if you let it.
14. Put You Down - Facelift
A much more upbeat rock and roll song than I'm used to with AIC but it absolutely rules. Put you Down has a real radio friendly chorus but still has those signature gritty, grimy guitar tones and gravelly vocals.
13. Angry Chair - Dirt
A massive doom-laden, paranoid song full of dread. It's heavy and uncomfortable but still has a musically uplifting chorus which provides a chink of light in an otherwise pitch black composition.
12. Would? - Dirt
Driven by that iconic growling bass line which rumbles into its huge chorus, this song speaks for itself.
11. Heaven Beside You - Alice in Chains
The acoustic riff that repeats through the intro and verses of Heaven Beside You with that massive bending note is a joy to listen to. It's a very laid back song and never really gets past a moderate walking pace but if you want something to put on and chill out to then there aren't many better in the AIC back catalogue.
10. Dirt - Dirt
That opening groove is so infectious that you wish it would just go on for ever. This is a real doom style track and everything from the guitars to the drums to the vocals is covered in a layer of filth entirely appropriate to the name.
9. Bleed the Freak - Facelift
There's a real emotion to Jerry Cantrell's guitar tone. It's sorrowful, disdainful, painfull and fucking magnificent. Layne Staley's vocals are harsh, strained, heartwrenching and infectious. A proper rager.
8. Junkhead - Dirt
A mallet to the face intro "YEEEAAAH", evil as fuck riffs and a huge soaring chorus, "What's my drug of choice? Well, what have you got?".
7. We Die Young - Facelift
We Die Young opens with a crushing grinding sandpaper riff that you can really bounce around to. The vocals are gritty, gravelly and biting but with a brilliantly hooky chorus that is fantastic to sing along to.
6. Man in the Box - Facelift
Man in the Box has chunky riffs and a wonderful wailing intro vocal running parallel to the lead guitar which eventually burst into an absolutely massive chorus. Listen out for the cheeky use of a talk box in the background.
5. Them Bones - Dirt
Them Bones immediately splits your head open with a cleaver. Super heavy riffs, pained screams and those out of tune but actually in tune harmonies that only Alice in Chains can do. Massive song this.
4. Rooster - Dirt
This is the first AIC song I ever heard, which I imagine is true for many, and it's one of their best and most iconic. That opening baseline, the howling vocals, that momentary heart tearing lead guitar lick. Incredible intro. The verse is dark, ethereal, brooding and you can't help but join in. All this leads to a massive blunt force object chorus. Magnificent.
3. Nutshell - Jar of Flies
One of the most emotional and affecting songs I've ever heard. The music throughout this song is so painful and Layne Staley's voice so full of honesty. Despite its dark nature I always feel fresh and in someway purged after listening to this.
2. I Stay Away - Jar of Flies
I Stay Away is an absolutely beautiful song. It's expansive, acoustic and atmospheric featuring light strings and somewhat hopeful vibes in the intro but the chorus is a real dirty and grimy affair with flashes of heavily distorted guitar. The big moment is the roar of "I staaay awaaaay" that dominates the later stages of the song. A huge contender for their best song.
1. Rain When I Die - Dirt
I love everything about this song. That weird out of tune bass line, the wailing, droning, overdriven guitars, those chainsaw riffs, the vocal harmonies and THAT chorus which gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. This is not just my favourite Alice in Chains song, it's one of my favourite ever songs by any band. 6 minutes and 1 second of absolute perfection.
I hope you liked my list and please don't pay too much attention to the order as they're all great songs. Let me know your favourite AIC songs in the comments below. Are there any glaring omissions you think I've made? I realise there are no entries from their more recent comeback albums but that’s because I've not really been into them. Rainier Fog is definitely my favourite of those releases but it still doesn't feature any tracks that I can see becoming true classics for me. By all means tell my why I’m wrong in the comments.
Peace.
