ALICE IN CHAINS- Jar of Flies

If you have ever created any type of list in your life, you know how agonizing it is to choose a number one. Although I by no means claim to have listened to all, or even most of the millions of albums that have been made, I have certainly listened too many. Yet none of them have the lasting appeal, the emotion, the mood inducement, and the flow of Jar of Flies. Indeed, Jar of Flies was the first EP of all time to debut at number 1 on the Billboard US Album chart. At a time when the main point of Billboard charts wasn't humoring people with good musical tastes, this was quite a big deal. All of this said, Jar of Flies comes just a hair short of #1, falling a bit short of the unsurpassable, devastating Dirt.

There's really no shame in finishing second to the most brillant artistic statement ever made, Not only has this album secured four spots in my all time top 30, but it is incredible cohesive. There aren't many albums I can listen to, top to bottom, given my short attention span. Also, as you people will notice on further reviews, I am not that much into lyrics (I'm more into sound and mood), but the lyrics on this album are really top notch. Highlights of the album are the first four songs. "No Excuses" is one of the most incredible songs of all time, with its stringy acoustic guitars, memorable, hollow drumming, and self deprecating theme. "I Stay Away" wasn’t a favorite until quite recently, but it is an intense classic with verses accompanied by rich strings, and a chorus that is accentuated by some of the heaviest guitars found on the album. "Nutshell" is simultaneously one of the most relaxing and depressing songs that I have ever heard. It has some of the best acoustic guitar playing known to man. "Rotten Apple" is a very underrated song with a killer bass guitar and a wonderfully forlorn mood.

The mid tier songs are "Don’t Follow" and "Whale and Wasp." "Don’t Follow" is a deceptively upbeat sounding song which is actually crushingly depressing. It features Jerry on lead vocals singing about Layne’s drug addiction. "Whale and Wasp" is a surprising instrumental for the band, which works terrifically on the album. Its wailing, painful guitars progress to a surprisingly hopeful ending, showing that even a 30 minute 49 second long cloud has at least a little bit of silver lining. "Swing on This" is the lone mistake on the album; it completely breaks the mood of the album and is horrifically annoying after repeated listens. It is a return to earth, for an album that spends its first 25+ minutes up in the clouds. As I will do on subsequent album reviews, I will also rate each individual song, while giving an Overall Album Score.

1. Rotten Apple - 9.7

2. Nutshell - 9.9

3. I Stay Away - 9.7

4. No Excuses - 10

5. Whale and Wasp - 7.9

6. Don't Follow - 8.7

7. Swing on this - 3.8

Overall Score – 10- Proves that it is possible to follow one masterpiece with another.

Updated: 06/30/08