Unplugged (Alice in Chains album)

Infobox Album |
Name = Unplugged
Type = Live Album
Artist = Alice in Chains


Released = July 30, 1996
Recorded = April 10, 1996 on "MTV Unplugged"
Genre = Grunge
Length = 71:26
Label = Columbia
Producer = Alice in Chains, Alex Coletti, Toby Wright, Audrey Morrissey
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|2.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=Aaangtq8znu4a link]
* "Rolling Stone" Rating|3|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/aliceinchains/albums/album/284050/review/5944811/unplugged link]
Last album = "Alice in Chains"
(1995)
This album = "Unplugged"
(1996)
Next album = ""
(1999)Infobox music DVD
Name = Unplugged
Type = live
Artist = Alice in Chains


Background = darkturquoise
Released = July 30, 1996
Recorded = April 10, 1996
Genre = Grunge
Length = 71:26
Label = Columbia
Producer =
Director =
Last DVD = "The Nona Tapes"
(1995)
This DVD = "Live Facelift"
(1996)
Next DVD = ""
(1999)

"Unplugged" is a live album and DVD by Alice in Chains. It was recorded at the Brooklyn Academy of Music's Majestic Theatre as part of the "MTV Unplugged" series of concerts and contains live, acoustic versions of the band's songs. The show first aired on MTV on May 28, 1996. The performance was Alice in Chains' first concert in two and a half years, as well as one of the band's final appearances with Layne Staley. In addition to the CD, a full length DVD of the concert was also released.

The songs "Angry Chair," "Frogs," and "Killer Is Me" were cut from the original MTV broadcast but are included on both the CD and DVD releases.

It is often hailed as one of the most memorable editions of "MTV Unplugged", with a reputation comparable to the famous editions featuring Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, and Pearl Jam.

Mike Inez's bass has the phrase "Friends Don't Let Friends Get "Friends" Haircuts" which the members of the band Metallica, whose members had recently cut their hair prior to the release of "Load", thought was directed at them (all four then-members of Metallica were present for the show). The line was in fact just a "Friends" reference and the relation with Metallica's new haircuts was coincidental. Inez and drummer Sean Kinney did pay tribute to the band, however, playing the intro to Metallica's hit song "Enter Sandman" just before breaking in "Sludge Factory" (this can be heard on the CD and the DVD).

The album was re-released as a CD/DVD package on September 18, 2007. [ [http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=78493 ALICE IN CHAINS: 'MTV Unplugged' Re-Release To Include Unaired Footage] ]

Track listing

#"Nutshell" (Cantrell/Inez/Kinney/Staley) – 4:58
#"Brother" (Cantrell) – 5:27
#"No Excuses" (Cantrell) – 4:57
#"Sludge Factory" (Cantrell/Kinney/Staley) – 4:36
#"Down in a Hole" (Cantrell) – 5:46
#"Angry Chair" (Staley) – 4:36 *
#"Rooster" (Cantrell) – 6:41
#"Got Me Wrong" (Cantrell) – 4:59
#"Heaven Beside You" (Cantrell/Inez) – 5:38
#"Would?" (Cantrell) – 3:43
#"Frogs" (Cantrell/Inez/Kinney/Staley) – 7:30 *
#"Over Now" (Cantrell/Kinney) – 7:12
#"Killer Is Me" (Cantrell) – 5:23 *

*The DVD release shows another take of "Sludge Factory", in which Layne Staley mixes up the lyrics and the song breaks down. They then go into the "formal" take which was used on the CD.
*Songs with an asterisk represent footage not shown on the original broadcast, and are on the re-release.

Personnel

*Layne Staley - Guitar, Vocals
*Jerry Cantrell - Guitar, Vocals
*Mike Inez - Bass, Guitar
*Sean Kinney - Drums
*Scott Olson - Bass, Guitar
*Alice in Chains - Producer
*Jon Bates - Engineer, Assistant Engineer
*Alex Coletti - Producer
*John Harris - Engineer
*Rich Lamb - Engineer, Assistant Engineer
*Stephen Marcussen - Mastering
*Toby Wright - Producer, Engineer, Mixing
*John Seymour - Mixing, Mixing Assistant
*Brian Kingman - Engineer, Assistant Engineer
*Don C. Tyler - Digital Editing, Editing
*Mary Maurer - Art Direction
*Doug Erb - Design
*Danny Clinch - Photography
*John Bleich - Assistant Engineer, Mixing
*Joe Perota - Director
*Audrey Morris - Producer

Chart positions

Album

ingles

References