Live

Alice In Chains | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 5, 2000)
• Original Release Date: December 5, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000053EZV
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #43,918 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Live offering; wish there were more songs, June 27, 2003

By 

Barb Caffrey "writer-for-hire" (In a Midwest State (of mind), USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Live (Audio CD)

Don't get me wrong. Alice in Chains "Live" is a great album. But I wish there were more songs on it.

There are fourteen, so it's well worth the price; I certainly didn't get cheated. But AIC had so many great songs, more than enough for two such albums. Wonder if Columbia will try to put out another album sooner or later?

The album starts off with "Bleed the Freak," from the album Facelift. Very good rendition; showed Layne Staley in top, energetic form and showcased the emotional power of AIC to perfection.

Next was "Queen of the Rodeo," a sort of updated version of Johnny Cash's "A Boy Named Sue" for the 90s and beyond. Staley's "Queen" is more than a bit confused; his idea of fighting is to "scratch and bite," he wears nylons and makeup because his mother didn't know how to raise a boy, but . . . don't think he's a woman just because he's a transvestite, as Staley growls, "Last night I met your mother . . . I hope you understand, 'cause she did!" (profanity omitted because I don't want to get the review banned)

Very funny song. Showed AIC's humorous side to perfection.

Many other great songs are here, including "Angry Chair, "Man in the Box," "Love, Hate, Love," "Rooster," and "Would?" "Man in the Box" is done at a slightly faster tempo, with Staley ever-so-slightly emphasizing different words in the delivery. Cantrell harmonized with Staley flawlessly, once again adding a different dimension than just about any other rock band could claim. Staley effortlessly hit the high notes in this song, something that was more troublesome later in his career; in a way, it encapsulates the message even more firmly, putting this song into historical perspective.

Simply put; as every other reviewer has touched on, Staley had a drug problem. Died from them. Even here, he knew it, and wasn't happy about it; "Man in the Box" is a lamentation about his own situation, people in similar situations, and also points out the danger of trying to put _everyone_ in the same box. The sarcasm evident in this song often goes unnoticed; too bad, because Staley, Cantrell and the others were smart men, and very artistic. Hopefully one of these years the rock community will wake up to it, and they'll get voted into the Rock Hall of Fame, or something.

(Granted, too late for Staley. But better than nothing for the rest of 'em.)

My personal favorite, though, is "A Little Bitter." This, like "Get Born Again" from "Nothing Safe," would have been great to hear in a studio performance, on a new album. Staley's raw, tortured voice works very well here, showing a man who's more than a bit upset with how his life has went. From the instrumental intro, which almost seems to be crying, "Remember me! Remember me!" to Staley's haunting, evocative vocals about how his mind "shouts out for rest," and how he wonders if his life is a test sent from the Almighty, and asks aloud, "Oh, Lord, is this a test? Was it fun creating me? My God's a little sick . . . ", it's a superlative song about a tremendously unhappy man, reaching out to others who also were unhappy, trying to show *them* the way while he couldn't find his own.

To me, that encapsulates Staley's life. I read the Rolling Stone interview he did; seems to me that songs like this, "Don't Follow" from "Jar of Flies," and many others, were Staley's way of saying, "I'm messed up and I know it. Please do not do this; find another way, for this does not work."

Because Staley was able to articulate his pain, and the rest of AIC was able to help him give it beauty, meaning and purpose, he may have done more than just be a great rock singer. He might have given many people the idea that there were more people than usually believed that were depressed, and helped them realize they were not abnormal.

If so, Staley's death in 2002 is even more of a shame and a waste, because he had great gifts. Even more so than seen here.

Rest in peace, Layne Staley.

Oh, and for the rest of you, buy this album. It's definitely well worth the price, gives the idea of what a live AIC concert was like, and is a well-balanced collection.

If only Columbia will put out another album from the vault, preferably with Cantrell, Kinney and Inez's input, I'll be satisfied.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This album is AWESOME!, December 12, 2000

By 

"curmudgeon76" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Live (Audio CD)

Has Alice in Chains broken up? The official word is "no", but releases from the band are DEFINETLY few and far between. Although the Music Bank Box Set and the Nothing Safe disc both contained live tracks, it's excellent to finally have an official live Alice CD to listen to.

I first heard about this album on the radio, and happened to be in a local Newbury Comics store and saw it on the shelf. Being an AIC fan I instantly grabbed it, got it home and through it in my cd player.

This CD is fabulous -- it captures all of the agression, depression, power and fury of Alice in Chains' music and their live performances, stuffs it all down and crams it onto a five inch disc.

The tracks are all great, and there's a good variety on the cd --spanning there 13 year career. This is an essential recording and a must-own for any Alice in Chains fan.

My only complaint with this is that it should've been two CDs. Well, perhaps that's an unfair complaint, but with such a long career there's a hell of a lot more great material than what's on here.

Perhaps Alice in Chains and their record label, Columbia, will follow the example of Jimi Hendrix's label, "Experience Hendrix" and continue to release live and rare cds in the future. We can only hope.

And if anyone from the band happens to stumble upon this and read it, we're all still hoping and praying for another studio album from you guys. ;-)

~ CuRmuDgeoN

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Memories Of An Awesome Band, December 8, 2000

By 

Bill Sulkey (Ottawa, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Live (Audio CD)

Sometimes forgotten by the rock mainstream, Alice In Chains is Seattle's red-headed stepchild. With so much of the focus on Nirvana and Pearl Jam, AIC quietly recorded some of the best music of the ninety's. Layne Staley's awesome voice, along with Jerry Cantrell's great guitar and backing vocals led the way. This CD is a pretty good example of how they were not only a great studio band, but an awesome live act. It is a good blend of the more well known AIC songs mixed with classics known more to hardcore AIC fans. My only complaint is the ommission of two of my personal favorites, "It Aint Like That", and "Heaven Beside You" Of course this is only my opinion, and you probably don't give a damn, but I would've liked them included. That's not a reason to pass this one up though. Not perfect, but close enough for hungry Alice In Chains fans. Peace