Alice in Chains (album)

Alice in Chains (informally referred to as the Dog Album, Dog Record, or Tripod) is the third studio album by the American rock band Alice in Chains. It was released in vinyl formats on October 31, 1995, through Columbia Records, and in other formats on November 7. It served as the follow-up to the group's commercial breakthrough Dirt (1992), and it was their last to feature their original lead vocalist Layne Staley, who died in 2002.

Alice in Chains had not played live for a year and a half due to Staley's addiction issues. During the hiatus, Staley joined the supergroup Mad Season and recorded the album Above (1995), leaving the future of Alice in Chains in question. Staley's growing heroin addiction led to rumors of his death. Shortly after the release of Above, Alice in Chains began work on their third album, with the intention of putting an end to the speculation surrounding the band.

Recorded at Seattle's Bad Animals Studio with Toby Wright from April through August 1995, the album's songs focus on heavy emotional content and subject matter such as drug addiction, depression, spirituality, broken relationships, and the internal tensions within the band that were being fueled by Staley's substance abuse. The album's music relies less on heavy metal riffs and more on melody and texturally varied arrangements, some integrating the acoustic moods of their EPs, while others introduced late 1960s and early 1970s rock influences.

Alice in Chains was released during the decline of the grunge era. The band remained largely unable to tour for the album due to Staley's addiction, performing live only on televised events and opening for Kiss. Nevertheless, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and stayed on the chart for nearly a year. The tracks "Grind", "Heaven Beside You", and "Again" were released as singles. "Grind" and "Again" were nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance. The album was certified double platinum by the RIAA and has sold over three million copies worldwide. The album was the band's last for almost 14 years; Staley died from a drug overdose in 2002, which caused the band to dissolve. The band eventually emerged with Black Gives Way to Blue in 2009 with new co-vocalist William DuVall.

Background

Alice in Chains was the band's first full-length album to feature bassist Mike Inez (pictured 2019).

Alice in Chains released their second and breakthrough album, Dirt in September 1992. It entered the top ten of the Billboard 200 in its first week of release.<ref name="ConsequenceDirt30">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="DelcoDirt30">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="BBDirt25">Template:Cite magazine</ref> During the supporting tour, bassist Mike Starr was fired due to addiction problems,Template:Sfn and was replaced by Ozzy Osbourne's live bassist Mike Inez.<ref name="ConsequenceDirt30" /> Following the end of that tour, the band decided to take a break from their heavier recordings with Jar of Flies, a largely acoustic extended play.<ref name="GuitarWorld99">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Upon its release in January 1994, Jar of Flies bested DirtTemplate:'s peak on the charts, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200.Template:Sfn

After the release of Jar of Flies, Staley entered rehab for heroin addiction, and drummer Sean Kinney struggled with alcoholism.<ref name="To Hell and Back">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The band had been scheduled to join Metallica's Shit Hits the Sheds Tour during mid-1994,<ref name="10ThingsDirt">Template:Cite web</ref> including a stop at Woodstock '94,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> but while in rehearsal for the tour, Staley arrived to a practice session high.<ref name="To Hell and Back"/> Kinney refused to perform with Staley in his condition, and the band eventually decided to cancel all their scheduled dates one day before the start of the tour.<ref name="To Hell and Back"/><ref name="RollingLayneDead">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The band's manager, Susan Silver, released an official statement that the group's live appearances for the foreseeable future had been cancelled due to health issues.Template:Sfn They were replaced by Candlebox on the tour.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> After the statement was released, the musicians stopped communicating with the press.<ref name="GoAskAlice">Template:Cite journal</ref> Multiple rumors sprang from the cancellation, including that the band had broken up and that Staley had died from AIDS.<ref name="To Hell and Back"/> Though never made official, the band effectively parted ways for the next six months.<ref name="10ThingsDirt" />

During the period of inactivity, each of Alice in Chains' members took part in side projects. Inez appeared on Slash's solo album It's Five O'Clock Somewhere. Kinney and the band's guitarist Jerry Cantrell each contributed songs to the Willie Nelson tribute album Twisted Willie; it was Cantrell's first experience working on material outside of Alice in Chains.<ref name="NewquistWhySmiling">Template:Cite journal</ref> Cantrell then decided to work on material intended for a solo album<ref name="To Hell and Back"/> with the working title Jerry's Kids.Template:Sfn Staley's direction, however, cast doubts over the future of the band when he joined what would become "grunge supergroup" Mad Season, a band founded by solo artist John Baker Saunders and Pearl Jam's Mike McCready. As the brainchild of McCready, who met Saunders at a Hazelden rehab clinic, the band was intended to be a project that united musicians recovering from addictions. After recruiting Screaming Trees' Barrett Martin, the three invited Staley to be their vocalist, hoping it would help him stay sober.Template:Sfn They recorded a studio album, Above,Template:Sfn and performed at local venues in Seattle, which included some Alice in Chains songs. Contradicting prior reports made about Staley's health, rumors spread that he had left Alice in Chains.Template:Sfn These reports irked Cantrell,<ref name="To Hell and Back" /> and he halted work on his solo album in favor of attempting to revive Alice in Chains.Template:Sfn

Production

Early recording and label issues

When Cantrell began thinking about releasing a solo album in 1994, he tried jamming with several drummers, among them Josh Sinder of Tad and Norman Scott of Gruntruck.<ref name="NewquistWhySmiling"/> Cantrell and Scott recorded demos at Cantrell's in-home studio where they wrote and recorded three songs.Template:Sfn After Cantrell's home sessions, he reunited with Inez and headed to Bear Creek Studios in Woodinville, Washington, bringing along Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart alongside producer Toby Wright. The strategy behind these moves was that Kinney and Staley, who were still disillusioned with Alice in Chains, would find out about the sessions and change their minds about playing together again. Wright recalled that Cantrell was prepared for Kinney and Staley to turn the offer down, at which point he would pivot back to using the material for a solo album, despite his reluctance to do so.Template:Sfn

The recording sessions at Bear Creek were short and unproductive; the group spent $10,000 for a week's worth of time in the studio but was unable to record anything other than the croaking of frogs in a nearby pond. However, the reunion plan was successful; Kinney and Staley agreed to participate in the creation of a new Alice in Chains album.Template:Sfn By January 1995, Kinney had rejoined Cantrell and Inez to work on new material; in May, Staley was invited to return to the band in the recording studio.<ref name="To Hell and Back"/> Staley told Rolling Stone that the group ultimately reunited because they "felt like we were betraying each other" during the pursuit of side projects.<ref name="To Hell and Back"/> Meanwhile, Sony Music—the owners of the band's label, Columbia Records—considered replacing Staley. Columbia also had Mad Season under contract; Sony weighed the merits of Staley's condition and whether it would be better for him to focus on working with Mad Season. When it became known that McCready was returning to Pearl Jam, the possibility of replacing his role in Mad Season and preserving the project was also considered. Ultimately, Sony executives ultimately decided keeping Mad Season active was not worth the financial risk and let Staley focus on Alice in Chains.<ref name="HarperHP">Template:Cite journal</ref>

Following the sessions at Bear Creek, Wright was brought back as producer for what would become the new Alice in Chains album. The band's A&R manager, Nick Terzo, who had once offered Wright a job with Alice in Chains as a sound engineer, was not pleased with the musicians' decision. Terzo considered Wright more of a technician than a producer. He also believed that a producer was obliged to find a compromise between the band and the label, whereas Wright fully supported the band's creative independence; this led to his selection for the production job.Template:Sfn The band also barred Silver from entering the studio. Wright was the only intermediary between the band and the management, and it was through him she learned of progress on the album. Although Wright emphasized that the idea of distancing from management belonged to the musicians,Template:Sfn he did not oppose because he wanted to isolate the band from their personal problems in favor of focusing on the music.Template:Sfn

Despite the commercial success of the group's previous works, Cantrell considered making music that would make the band's fans happy to be the main goal. Staley added that the band also wanted to create something the band themselves would also enjoy, rather than appealing to commercial trends.Template:Sfn Ultimately, the band was given full creative control, initially without a specific deadline or budget. When Wright met Ienner in New York before the studio session began, Columbia president Don Ienner was skeptical about the project and was sure that Wright would not be successful or productive; Wright recalled "sitting in Donnie Ienner's office in New York before we started the record and him telling me, 'Good luck,' because he didn't think I'd be able to get a record out of them."Template:Sfn

Creative process

Vocalist Layne Staley's drug addiction intensified during the making of Alice in Chains.

Work on Alice in Chains began at Bad Animals Studio about a month after the March 1995 release of Mad Season's Above. The band chose the studio because of its size and proximity to Staley's home.Template:Sfn When work began, the musicians did not have any finished songs, though Cantrell had several ideas to work with from his home demo sessions.<ref name="To Hell and Back"/> The band then gave the demo tapes to Staley so he could write lyrics.<ref name="To Hell and Back"/> Since no material was completed, the band decided to simply jam together until finding something that would work as they had done on Jar of Flies, instead of spending time on pre-production.Template:Sfn Most often, jams began with Cantrell and Kinney, as the two had the greatest musical chemistry developed between them.<ref name="GoAskAlice" /> Instrumental parts were recorded during live sessions with the whole band; first, the structure of the song was outlined, and then – after 15–20 performances, memorizing their parts – the musicians recorded the best takes.Template:Sfn Wright largely relied on his own intuition when deciding when a take was good enough; some were worth leaving the first take, while others took many attempts, sometimes to the point of postponing the recording until the next day. A song could still undergo significant changes after Wright's initial approval; new sections could be added or old ones removed, which usually happened when fine-tuning vocal harmonies in the recordings. Staley would write lyrics to those finished recordings that he liked and skip the others.Template:Sfn

Instead of a 12-hour standard workday, Wright established a work schedule which accommodated the band members whenever the group was comfortable in order to maximize creative efforts.Template:Sfn Staley's addiction often led him to be late or absent for recording and rehearsal sessions,Template:Sfn so Wright's assistant Sam Hofstedt was given a pager to notify him when Staley was available to work, regardless of time of day. On one occasion, Wright summoned Hofstedt to the studio at 1:00 a.m. after Staley had arrived.Template:Sfn If Staley had previously tried to hide his drug use from those around him, it became less subtle during the recording of the album. Hofstedt recalled, "It seemed apparent to me he was using, because when you go to lock yourself in the bathroom for a while, it's not because you really like the bathroom."Template:Sfn Staley was seen openly using drugs only once, though it served a purpose in recording a song (which became "God Am").Template:Sfn The question of stopping work on the album was raised numerous times, but Wright held on, sometimes organizing breaks of several days so that all of the participants in the project could rest and get emotional release from the situation.Template:Sfn

Bad Animals was equipped with the latest equipment, including a Solid State Logic G-Series mixing console. The recording process used 48 channels, so Wright had to plan their distribution carefully, reserving space for instruments before any other work on a song began. Sometimes, in order to save money, it was necessary to use the same track for several instruments, such as an acoustic guitar and a guitar solo; Inez called these "George Martin effects". The mixing was carried out with little participation of the band, who held full faith in Wright and only approved the final result.Template:Sfn Almost everything else that happened in the studio was recorded, including conversations between the musicians while working, which allowed them to experiment with and take note of various combinations of guitars, amplifiers, and settings and later choose the best result.<ref name="resnicoff">Template:Cite journal</ref> Hofstedt estimated that over 70 rolls of magnetic tape were used with this approach, remarking years later that the budget for the tape cost roughly an entire modern album production budget.Template:Sfn

Instruments

Wright's first focus was on the drums. Sean Kinney made a point of not using a metronome during the recordings, which made the songs more "living and breathing"; the tempo could fluctuate slightly but noticeably in different parts of the songs, following changes in dynamics.Template:Sfn Kinney wrote all the drum parts except for "Again", which was written by Scott in the demo sessions with Cantrell. Cantrell asked Kinney to replicate Scott's part, which forced Kinney to change his approach.Template:Sfn

Most of Cantrell's guitar recordings used three tracks: left and right for rhythm guitar and one in the center for the lead part. By contrast, Dirt typically used six to eight guitar tracks, but Cantrell deliberately reduced their number to achieve a more natural sound.<ref name="NewquistWhySmiling"/> He initially played the lead part on his main G&L guitar using a Bogner Fish amplifier, then followed by playing it back on another guitar with a different amplifier, where additional effects and nuances could be added.<ref name="GoAskAlice" /><ref name="NewquistWhySmiling"/>

Although most of the instruments were re-recorded at Bad Animals, some parts were taken from demo versions. For example, Wright insisted on using the very first take of the guitar solo for "Grind" – dating back to Cantrell's home studio sessions. Cantrell objected, long considering it unfinished and not ready. He tried to re-record it but eventually gave in to Wright's persuasion, and the solo was added to the final mix directly from Cantrell's ADAT tape recorder.<ref name="GoAskAlice" /><ref name="NewquistWhySmiling"/> Also remaining unchanged was the drum part for "Over Now", taken from a demo version of the song recorded at London Bridge Studios; the song's origins dated back well before the creation of Alice in Chains.<ref name="NewquistWhySmiling"/>

Vocals

Recording Staley's vocals proved difficult. He experimented with different intonation styles and tried out several polyphonic arrangements. He preferred to sing alone in the control room using a handheld microphone. Only after Staley had decided on his approach would he allow staff to enter the room to track his vocals.Template:Sfn His parts were usually recorded in one or two takes. The microphone most often used for recording vocals was a Soundelux U95, which was slightly modified by Wright.Template:Sfn An exception was Staley's distorted voice on "Grind", which used a 1932 Turner Crystal microphone that Wright bought at a pawn shop for ten dollars.Template:Sfn

The signature vocal harmonies that had become a feature of Alice in Chains' previous work were present in more abundance throughout the songs. As before, the vocalists were often not present during the tracking of each other's parts and performed their parts separately, only listening to the finished result. Wright compared Staley and Cantrell to John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and admitted that although he often criticized Alice in Chains' live performances, when it came to lyrics and melodies, he had nothing to complain about.Template:Sfn

When it became apparent that Staley's addictions were slowing the vocal recording, Ienner and Sony vice president Michele Anthony decided to intervene. They called Staley one morning, congratulated him on the RIAA gold certification of Mad Season's Above, and issued him an ultimatum: finish the recording in the next nine days.Template:Sfn Wright was issued his own ultimatum: if Staley was not present at the studio each of those days, Columbia would halt production of the album. Though he responded emotionally when Wright gave him the news, Staley complied,Template:Sfn and the album was finished in August 1995.<ref name="To Hell and Back"/>

Completion of recording

While at Bad Animals between April and August 1995, the band wrote over 25 songs.<ref name="resnicoff" /> Twelve were selected for the final tracklist with a total duration of 65 minutes.Template:Sfn Alongside "Grind", "Again" also originated from Cantrell's home demo sessions.<ref name="GoAskAlice"/> Several instrumental compositions did not make the cut; they were sent to Columbia and Wright believes they may still be in the label's possession, unused in Cantrell's future solo projects.Template:Sfn Wright was pleased with the final recordings,Template:Sfn and the tracks were sent to be mixed at Electric Lady Studios in New York.<ref name="MillerMetalEdge" /> The producer singled out "Shame In You", "Heaven Beside You", "Grind", and "God Am", the latter of which he recommended to be released as a single. He believed that the band had released a landmark album that would not disappoint listeners.Template:Sfn Cantrell said of the experience, "It was often depressing, and getting it done felt like pulling hair out, but it was the fucking coolest thing, and I'm glad to have gone through it. I will cherish the memory forever", while Staley added, "I'll cherish it forever, too, just because this one I can remember doing".<ref name="To Hell and Back" />

Composition

Music

Template:Listen The album combines the musical styles of both Dirt and Jar of Flies with both heavy compositions played in lowered guitar tunings and acoustic approaches combining melodic harmonies with dissonant guitar riffs.<ref name="loudwire-anny">Template:Cite web</ref> The dark and depressive nature of the music also remained unchanged. Jerry Cantrell admitted in an interview with Rolling Stone around the release of the album that "our music's kind of about taking something ugly and making it beautiful".<ref name="To Hell and Back"/> Despite the genre-blending, Cantrell claimed the album retained the band's heavy metal roots, while incorporating blues, rock and roll, and even punk rock.<ref name="GoAskAlice" /> Critics have also described the album as grunge,<ref name="billboardrev">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="sputnik">Template:Cite web</ref> hard rock,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> sludge metal<ref name="sputnik" /> or doom metal.<ref name="sputnik" />

While heavy guitar sounds continued to be a hallmark of the band's sound,<ref name="flyingfingers">Template:Cite journal</ref> Rolling Stone noted influences from Cream, Crosby, Stills and Nash, and the Allman Brothers Band on the record's calmer songs and ballads, suggesting the "hazier, more otherworldly aesthetic" may have been the result of "sleepless nights and controlled substances."<ref name="RS" /> By contrast, the Los Angeles Times described most of the album as frequently shifting between "teeth-gnashing metal, bluesy acoustic songs and pop-friendly, chorus-heavy tunes".<ref name="latimesrev">Template:Cite web</ref> Much of the music was co-written by Cantrell and one or both of Inez and Kinney during rehearsals in the studio. There were three exceptions: the two songs from Cantrell's home sessions, "Grind" and "Again", were written alone,<ref name="liner notes" /> and Staley wrote "Head Creeps".<ref name="NewquistWhySmiling"/>

The album's guitar sound is more natural than on previous albums; Cantrell used fewer tracks and effects and significantly shortened and simplified his solos, which were often improvised in the studio rather than written in advance. Guitarists who influenced his playing on the album include Brian May, Lindsey Buckingham, Jimi Hendrix, Tony Iommi, Jimmy Page, Robin Trower, Davey Johnstone, and David Gilmour.<ref name="GoAskAlice" /> Most of the songs were recorded in drop D, except for three songs which used an open tuning: "Shame In You", "Nothin' Song", and "Over Now". The approach, which Cantrell had never used before, was conceived after a guitar he had loaned a friend was returned to him tuned that way.<ref name="NewquistWhySmiling"/><ref name="resnicoff" />Template:Efn

Staley's vocal style on Alice in Chains differed significantly from the band's previous albums, using effects liberally. For instance, he employed a pitch shifter alongside several layers of vocals on "Sludge Factory", and distortion on "Head Creeps" added a distinctive buzzing sound to his voice, reminiscent of a beehive. According to Ground Control, "syllables are spat regularly, some letters are almost hissed through... he sounds almost feral and it's more eerie and surreal."<ref name="GCdiscog">Template:Cite web</ref> Cantrell sang lead vocals on three songs: "Grind", "Heaven Beside You", and "Over Now", all of which he also wrote lyrics to.<ref name="loudwire">Template:Cite web</ref> He originally did not wish to contribute lead vocals as much as he did, but Staley and the others insisted he sing on these tracks.<ref name="RipStrongly">Template:Cite journal</ref>

Lyrics

Alice in Chains became known for lyrical themes such as drug addiction, despair, social alienation, isolation and loneliness.<ref name="allmusic" /><ref name="NYT" /> The lyrics for Alice in Chains revisit these themes, but the earlier and introspective tone is replaced by a bitter and more vindictive attitude; Jon Pareles of the New York Times framed the lyrics envisioning "most of the outside world as gossiping, two-faced persecutors", likening it to Michael Jackson's HIStory (1995).<ref name="NYT" /> Although the lyricist at times displayed the band's conventional themes, occasionally even admitting his guilt, such as in "Shame in You", most often he was angry at those around him, blaming his friends, loved ones, and the media for his troubles. On "Grind", Cantrell wrote that he wished "to hear the sound of a body breaking when I knock you down", while Staley denounces rumors spread by the media as "lackeys' loose talk for fact" on "Head Creeps".<ref name="NYT" />

Cantrell wrote the lyrics for the tracks he sang lead vocals.<ref name="loudwire" /> "Grind" was written as a response to rumors involving Staley's death and the band's breakup.Template:Sfn Cantrell thus summarized it as a "'Fuck you for saying something about my life' song."<ref name="Music Bank liners">Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> "Heaven Beside You" was written after the end of Cantrell's seven-year relationship with his girlfriend.<ref name="To Hell and Back"/> On the liner notes of Alice in Chains' Music Bank box set, Cantrell described the song as an attempt to come to terms with the fact that his personal life caused the two to split; he added, "All the things I write about her are a way for me to maybe speak to her, express things I could never express."<ref name="Music Bank liners"/> "Over Now" deals with the complexities of the band's personal relationships.<ref name="RipStrongly" /> The chorus asks the question and addresses the band members: "Could you stand right here, look me straight in the eye and say that it's over now?" According to Cantrell, when he asked the band members, they could not ultimately break up.<ref name="Request">Template:Cite journal</ref>

The rest of the lyrics were written by Staley,<ref name="liner notes" /> and were inspired by "whatever was on [his] mind".<ref name="To Hell and Back" /> Suffering from writers block, Staley wrote the lyrics while in studio. He described the process to Rolling Stone his as "record[ing] a few months of being human."<ref name="To Hell and Back"/> He admitted that if he had been asked to sing the new songs, he would not have been able to do so because he did not remember his own lyrics.<ref name="To Hell and Back" /> His lyrical themes sometimes illustrated despair and thoughts of death from his addiction;<ref name="UCRevolve">Template:Cite web</ref> other songs touch on themes of fame obsession and relationships.<ref name="Request" />

In "Brush Away", Staley ponders whether the band and their work were being taken seriously or if they were considered a joke or fad,<ref name="Request" /> while "God Am" asks a higher power why it was passively watching cruelty and heartlessness.<ref name="RS" /> "Sludge Factory" was written about the ultimatum call Staley and Wright received from Ienner and Anthony. The two told Staley and Wright they had nine days to finish the record because they had spent excessive time recording, which Staley references directly.Template:Sfn "Nothin' Song", which was written in the latter part of the recording phase,Template:Sfn comprised the first thoughts that came to Staley's mind. This included the line "Sam, throw away your cake", addressing Hofstedt. While the band was in the studio working on the album, Hofstedt's birthday passed, and he was given a cake in the shape of a naked woman. The cake was never finished and lay partially eaten for at least a month.Template:Sfn "Again" and "Frogs" both recount the betrayal of a friend.<ref name="CircusBark" />

Reflecting on the album in a 2018 interview with Noisey, Cantrell said:

Packaging

Work on the artwork for Alice in Chains began immediately after the recording of the album was completed.<ref name="MH96">Template:Cite journal</ref> The concept was conceived by Kinney; the front cover features a three-legged dog, similar to one that chased him in his childhood when he was working as a paperboy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The back features a photograph of sideshow performer Frank Lentini, who had three legs, playing a lute.<ref name="liner notes">Template:Cite AV media notes</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The shot of Lentini was taken from an exhibition of Ripley's Believe It or Not!.<ref name="MillerMetalEdge">Template:Cite journal</ref> The number three was symbolic of multiple things to the band: it was the band's first full-length studio album in three years after Dirt and represented rumors of Staley's death, thereby being only three remaining band members.<ref name="WhoTFisAlice">Template:Cite journal</ref> In the words of Ground Control, "signs that something is just not right appear everywhere both on and in Alice in Chains;" they go on to detail how the album's booklet demonstrates with "images of ghastly, contorted fairies with no flesh on their arms, sinister, personified bottles swimming through black oceans, cartoons of mutant animals standing on trial, [and] synthetic limbs" among other unsettling images.<ref name="GCdiscog" />

The band's photographer, Rocky Schenck, cast three-legged dogs for cover art. Staley and Cantrell were unsatisfied with the result and ended up choosing a fax with the image of a three-legged dog instead.Template:Sfn Staley and Cantrell thought the faxed image looked grittier and thus more appropriate.<ref name="dog">Template:Cite podcast Note: the excerpt of the main video in the link is a collection of footage and audio from several other sources; the timestamp refers to the mark in Mohr's interview, labeled "first video" in the link.</ref> The photo of the dog shot by Schenck was finally used on the 1999 box set Music Bank.Template:Sfn Another three-legged dog named Sunshine appeared in the music video for "Grind";<ref name="Pinfield120">Template:Cite episode</ref> contrary to rumor,<ref name="CircusBark">Template:Cite journal</ref> none of the dogs used for the photoshoot, music video, or album cover belonged to Cantrell.<ref name="dog" /><ref name="Pinfield120" />

Kinney suggested the album title Tripod, referencing a dog that had chased him as a child when he was a paperboy. The other band members did not like the name, and decided to go with a self-title.<ref name="CircusBark" /><ref name="MH96" /> It gained the nickname Tripod anyway, as well as Dog Album or Dog Record.Template:Sfn

The band's Japanese distributor was not receptive to the artistic meaning behind the cover art and objected to its release, believing the band was mocking injured animals.<ref name="MH96" /> When Alice in Chains was finally released in Japan, the art for the album had been replaced with a blank, white cover with the dark blue text "Alice In Chains" appearing inside of a dark blue border in the bottom-right corner.<ref name="WhoTFisAlice" /> Two remixes of "Again", created by Praga Khan and Olivier Adams of Lords of Acid, were originally created for the purpose of populating the B-sides to the album's European singles.<ref name="Music Bank liners" /> Subtitled the "Tattoo of Pain Mix" and "Jungle Mix", respectively, the two appear as bonus tracks on the Japanese version of the album.<ref name="liner notes JP">Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>

Release

"Grind" was released as the first single from the album on October 6, 1995.<ref name="timeline" /> It was chosen for its heaviness, perceived musical appeal, and its lyrics, which urged the band not to be written off despite press reports relating to their turmoil.<ref name="RipStrongly" /> A bootlegged, unfinished version of the song had already leaked, and the song was released earlier than planned to combat the spread of the bootleg.<ref name="timeline" /> The song peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart (later called Mainstream Rock Tracks)<ref name="mainstreamrock" /> and number 18 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.<ref name="modernrock">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

On October 31, Alice in Chains was formally released on vinyl;<ref name="timeline" /> CD and cassette copies were available on November 6 in the United Kingdom,<ref name="KerrangReview">Template:Cite magazine</ref> and the following day elsewhere.<ref name="timeline">Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Efn The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, moving 189,000 copies in its first week;<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> it stayed on the chart for 46 weeks.<ref name="chart">Template:Cite magazine</ref> It has since been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), signifying shipments of two million copies.<ref name="RIAA"/> In January 1996, Cantrell claimed that the band would tour in support of the album,<ref name="GoAskAlice" /> but the members later opted not to tour, adding to the rumors of Staley's drug abuse.<ref name="RollingLayneDead"/><ref name="Malice in Chains">Template:Cite magazine</ref> When asked about the frustration of not touring to support the record, Cantrell provided some insight into how Staley's addictions led to repercussive tensions within the band: "We rode the good times together and we stuck together through the hard times. We never stabbed each other in the back and spilled our guts and do that kind of bullshit that you see happen a lot."<ref name="PM-DTrip">Template:Cite web</ref>

"Heaven Beside You" was released as the album's second single on January 29, 1996.<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> "Heaven Beside You" peaked at number 52 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart, at that time becoming Alice in Chains' second-highest charting domestic single after "No Excuses".<ref name="radiosongs">Template:Cite magazine</ref> "Heaven Beside You" also peaked at number three on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart<ref name="mainstreamrock">Template:Cite magazine</ref> and at number six on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.<ref name="modernrock" /> "Heaven Beside You" was quickly followed by "Again", which by mid-February had already been added to rock radio;<ref name="AgainR&R">Template:Cite magazine</ref> it peaked at number eight on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.<ref name="mainstreamrock" /> It also peaked at number 36 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.<ref name="modernrock" />

Promotion

The Nona Tapes

Template:Main To help promote the album, Columbia asked the band to create an electronic press kit. Normally, the band would talk about themselves and their work, but the group instead chose to create a mockumentary in the style of Spinal Tap, titled The Nona Tapes.<ref name="nona tapes">Template:Cite web</ref> Directed by Schenck, the project fictionalized how the band members spent their free time when they were not working. Cantrell portrayed two characters: as himself, he was shown shoveling manure at a horse stable, but for most of the project, he was disguised as a female journalist, Nona Weissbaum. Weissbaum's character takes a car ride around Seattle, interviewing the other three members of Alice in Chains. Kinney performed as Bozo the Clown and was later filmed drinking at a bar in-costume. Inez was portrayed as a member of the band against his will, and his family held at ransom by the rest of the band; however, when he supposedly read in a magazine that his band had split, he started running a hot dog stand in downtown Seattle. Staley was shown digging through a dumpster; his interview responses were overdubbed with different responses than were recorded. The editing was Staley's idea.Template:Sfn

Schenck considered the work one of the best experiences of all those he had with the band. Creating The Nona Tapes also convinced Schenck that the musicians could have also been good actors had they wished to be and mentioned it to several directors he knew.Template:Sfn The band had previously appeared in film scenes, including a cameo on Cameron Crowe's 1992 production Singles;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Cantrell would go on to make a cameo appearance on Crowe's Jerry Maguire in 1996,Template:Sfn but aside from that, the band members were never seriously interested.Template:Sfn

Conversely, Columbia did not like The Nona Tapes at first and considered it a waste of money. However, Columbia decided to sell it after the project became a cult hit, despite the band's objection. The video was released on VHS in December 1995.<ref name="nona tapes"/>

Press relations and Rolling Stone controversy

After pulling out of the Shit Hits the Sheds tour in 1994, the musicians refused to give any interviews,<ref name="RipStrongly" /> even during the recording of the album.<ref name="MH96" /> Despite the rumors surrounding the band as a result, Cantrell later explained that the new album was supposed to provide answers to all the questions that had been asked in the meantime. However, as the album proved to be successful on American charts, the band became more optimistic and cautiously began to respond to the press.<ref name="MH96" /> Usually, it was Cantrell who would offer insight on journalists' questions.<ref name="HitparaderTop10">Template:Cite journal</ref> Despite fervent press interest and persistent rumors, the musicians kept their patience in addressing their absence and the gossip that followed. The band wanted to sound sincere and honest while maintaining modesty and avoiding the pathos of rock stars.<ref name="MillerMetalEdge" /><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Among the publications interested in the return of Alice in Chains was Rolling Stone. Jon Wiederhorn was commissioned to write a feature article about the band. In late 1995, Wiederhorn flew to Seattle, where he spent several days with the musicians, collecting material for the article. Wiederhorn talked to the entire band and to each of the members individually. In a conversation with Staley, he drew attention to the injection marks on his left arm; the vocalist admitted that he had never solved his drug problem. Work on the article continued during the Christmas holidays. In parallel, a representative of the magazine held a photo shoot with the musicians.Template:Sfn

The article appeared in the February 1996 issue of Rolling Stone and, with the exception of mentioning the marks on Staley's arms, did not contain any controversial facts. However, the cover of the issue drew the band negative attention. The editing team had decided to put a photo of Staley on it, naming the cover story "The Needle & The Damage Done". The title was a reference to the song of the same name by Neil Young about heroin addiction. Staley was offended that the magazine did not keep its promise to publish an article about the whole band, rather than focusing on him and his personal issues. He was framed as the only drug addict in the group, although his bandmates had dealt with substance problems. Wiederhorn defended his part in the article's creation, explaining that the decision for the cover and the tabloid-style headline was made in another department without his participation. He also claimed that the article was heavily edited, where most of his coverage of Inez and Kinney were reduced to sparse mentions. He did, however, admit to bringing up Staley's drug use, stating that to ignore it would not be an honest depiction of the band: "I had an obligation to write about what the band was motivated by, what the band was dealing with, what some of the demons were."Template:Sfn

Television performances

Although the band did not tour to support the album, they were offered several individual appearances, including for MTV Unplugged, which they declined several times before accepting.<ref name="guitar school">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The program featured bands performing concerts open to the public with entirely acoustic setlists that were taped by MTV.Template:Sfn The show took place on April 10, 1996, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music's Majestic Theater.Template:Sfn Ienner, Anthony, and the members of Metallica were among those in attendance. The performance aired on MTV on May 28, and Wright was brought back to edit the live album associated with the concert.Template:Sfn

Unplugged was released on July 17, 1996, and debuted at number three on the Billboard 200.Template:Sfn It was the band's first live performance since they co-headlined the Lollapalooza tour in mid-1993,<ref name="10ThingsDirt" /> their only concert in promotion of Alice in Chains where they were the main event, and their last headlining show with Staley.Template:Sfn

In the meanwhile of the Unplugged performance and its television debut, the band made appearances on other television programs. On April 20, the band was a guest on Saturday Night Special, where they performed an electric version of "Again" for the first time. The band was introduced by actor Max Perlich,<ref name="SNS">Template:Cite episode</ref> who had appeared in the band's music video for "No Excuses".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On May 10, the band was the musical guest on the Late Show with David Letterman, where they performed a medley of "Again" and "We Die Young".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Opening for Kiss and aftermath

In what would be their final live performances during their original run, the band took an opening slot on a classic lineup reunion tour for Kiss.Template:Sfn Titled the Alive/Worldwide Tour,<ref name="RSKissAnnounce">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Alice in Chains' opening slot was originally held by Stone Temple Pilots, but their vocalist, Scott Weiland, had drug issues of his own to address. The slot was instead awarded to Alice in Chains when Weiland entered rehabilitation.<ref name="RSflashback" /> Cantrell and Kinney were excited at the opportunity, but Staley refused the invitation multiple times before being persuaded to join the trek.Template:Sfn The tour began on June 28, 1996, in Detroit, at Tiger Stadium.<ref name="RSflashback">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Alex Coletti, who had produced the band's Unplugged performance, and Billy Corgan, frontman of the Smashing Pumpkins, were both in attendance at the Detroit show and praised their performance.Template:Sfn However, Kerrang! reported that Staley appeared physically unhealthy from the first show of the run.<ref name="KerrangHearts">Template:Cite journal</ref>

The band played four shows in total for the tour, making stops in Louisville and St. Louis, before a final stop in Kansas City on July 3.<ref name="RSflashback" /> Silver, sitting backstage, had speculated with the band's tour manager that it would be the band's final live performance.Template:Sfn During the performance, Kinney stood from his drum set and began to sing Kiss's "Beth", which in its original form had also been sung by the band's drummer, Peter Criss. The crowd was divided, with Kinney receiving both cheers and boos in equal measure; Kinney addressed that he was not wearing the proper makeup and jokingly told off the audience before the band moved into their next song.Template:Sfn The Kansas City show would, in fact, be Staley's final live performance. After the show, Staley overdosed and was rushed to a Kansas City hospital.<ref name="RSflashback" /> Although the band's appearance on the tour was brief, they ended up being part of the most commercially successful tour of 1996, which grossed $43.6 million by the end of the year.<ref name="RSKissAnnounce" />

The group's only further activity with Staley was when they recorded two new songs, "Get Born Again" and "Died", in 1998.Template:Sfn After that, Staley rarely left his condominium in Seattle. It was there where he died on April 5, 2002, from another drug overdose.<ref name="RSflashback" /> The band would not emerge until 2005, at first to play a benefit show.<ref name="Benefit concert">Template:Cite news</ref> When the band decided a few months later that they wished to tour again,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the band brought in Comes With the Fall vocalist William DuVall as Staley's successor in 2006.Template:Sfn DuVall had been in the audience at the Louisville show during their tour with Kiss nearly a decade prior,Template:Sfn and it took nearly 14 years for the band to follow up Alice in Chains with Black Gives Way to Blue in 2009.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Reception

Alice in Chains was recognized by some for being a musical progression for the band, with certain critics specifically noting a breakaway from the grunge label that had been assigned to the group.<ref name=RS/><ref name=NYT/> In contrast to their previous albums, Jon Pareles remarked in his review for The New York Times that Alice in Chains distanced itself from the raw distortions associated with grunge, instead sounding "cleanly delineated and meticulously layered".<ref name="NYT">Template:Cite news</ref> Jon Wiederhorn of Rolling Stone highlighted heavy influence from Jar of Flies, and praised the lyrical honesty throughout the album. Noting that the songs "achieve a startling, staggering and palpable impact", he concluded that the album was a "musical rebirth" for the band.<ref name=RS/>

Conversely, BillboardTemplate:'s Paul Verna wrote that the album returns to the band's already well-known grunge sound and would thus be a hit with the band's core fans. However, he still acknowledged the band's more acoustic arrangements present on the album, likening them to Jar of Flies and R.E.M.<ref name="billboardrev" /> People enthusiastically praised Staley and Cantrell's performances and wrote that the "eerily compelling" music would fit well in a horror film, especially one by Wes Craven or Clive Barker.<ref name="PeoplePicks">Template:Cite web</ref> Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune opined that "acoustic guitars, buried spoken vocals, a mix that ranges from stripped-down clarity to white noise chaos, and the band's sneaky way with a melody mark Alice in Chains as its most accomplished record," noting that the callbacks to Jar of Flies enhanced the finished product.<ref name="ChiTrib">Template:Cite news</ref> The Toronto SunTemplate:'s Peter Howell likewise praised the mix of styles, hailing the effort as "a most welcome recovery" from the band's personal turmoil.<ref name="TorontoSun">Template:Cite magazine</ref> J.D. Considine remarked for The Baltimore Sun that the album used "some of the crunchiest guitar and heaviest riffs Alice in Chains has ever used but that it does so without really sounding like a metal album", while also praising Staley's distinctive performances on "God Am", "Sludge Factory", and "Again".<ref name="Baltimore">Template:Cite magazine</ref> John C. Wooten enthusiastically praised the album in The Charlotte Observer, stating that both the aggressive and calmer offerings on the album surpassed those of Dirt.<ref name="CharObs" />

A recurring observation among reviewers was disappointment that the material was not used to its full potential, given the time and money invested in the project. AllMusic's Steve Huey wrote that Alice in Chains was the band's best-produced record, placing "Grind", "Brush Away", "Heaven Beside You", and "Over Now" among the band's strongest tracks. However he felt "[the album] should have turned out better than it did", mentioning that parts were "undercrafted" and "forgettable".<ref name="allmusic" /> Kerrang! reviewer Jason Arnopp felt similarly; he praised the first half of the album, particularly "Brush Away", "Heaven Beside You" and "Head Creeps", but ultimately said that the "brave, non-conformist album" was not what fans were hoping to hear.<ref name="KerrangReview" /> Metal HammerTemplate:'s Andy Stout wrote that the album was not a bad one, but that it was "certainly guilty of being an indifferent one"; he was strongly complimentary of the "star-spangled guitar and 60s hippie chic" of "Grind" and the noticeable Black Sabbath inspiration evident on "Sludge Factory". He also acknowledged merit in "Head Creeps", "Shame In You", and "Again", but wrote that the rest of the album "is inconsequential and bland; messy, disjointed, and shot-through with self-loathing."<ref name="MetalHammerRev">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The Boston GlobeTemplate:'s Paul Robicheau was the most appreciative of Cantrell's songwriting and performance, but was less impressed by some of Staley's contributions.<ref name="BosGlobe">Template:Cite news</ref>

Other music critics found the record's sound dated or uninteresting. Entertainment WeeklyTemplate:'s Nisid Hajari dismissed the album as "a sludgy stew of cookie-cutter riffs and self-indulgent, introspective noodling rock", but highlighted "Head Creeps" as a standout track.<ref name="EWeekly" /> Writing for the Los Angeles Times, Cheo H. Coker described the album as formulaic but praised "Heaven Beside You" as a high point and lamented that the band did not take more risks during production.<ref name="latimesrev" /> In Spin, Gina Arnold noted how grunge had become tiresome in mainstream media in the wake of punk rock bands such as the Offspring and that the album failed to make itself stand out from the group's previous efforts.<ref name="SpinRev" /> John Griffin was likewise unimpressed in his review for the Montreal Gazette, panning "rerun nightmare grunge chords" and a "tired gothy vision".<ref name="MonGazette">Template:Cite news</ref> Writing for Select, Roy Wilkinson deemed the album a poor imitation of Black Sabbath and disparaged the lyrics as "the kind of banally pompous ire that makes a tabloid-hounded Michael Hutchence seem witheringly articulate."<ref name="select">Template:Cite journal</ref>

Award nominations

Year	Ceremony	Award	Result	Template:Abbr
1996	Grammy Awards	Best Hard Rock Performance ("Grind")	rowspan="3" Template:Nom	<ref name="Grammy96">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
	MTV Video Music Awards	Best Hard Rock Video ("Again")	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1997	Grammy Awards	Best Hard Rock Performance ("Again")	<ref name="GrammyHope">Template:Cite web Note: this source uses the years each song was announced for nomination, not the year the awards were respectively presented.</ref>

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.<ref name="liner notes" />

Alice in Chains

• Layne Staley – lead vocals, rhythm guitar on "Head Creeps"
• Jerry Cantrell – guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Grind", "Heaven Beside You", and "Over Now"
• Mike Inez – bass
• Sean Kinney – drums

Production

• Produced by Toby Wright and Alice in Chains
• Recorded by Toby Wright and Tom Nellen, assisted by Sam Hofstedt
• Mixed by Toby Wright, assisted by John Seymour
• Mastered by Stephen Marcussen
• Studio coordinator – Kevan Wilkins
• Audio technicians – Darrell Peters, Walter Gemienhardt
• Artwork guide – Sean Kinney
• Art direction – Mary Maurer
• Design – Doug Erb
• Photography – Rocky Schenck, Rob Bloch
• Management – Susan Silver

Charts

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Weekly chart performance for Alice in Chains

Chart (1995–1996)	Peak Position

References

Sources

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Further reading

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