Agree with basically all of this.
Alice In Chains Album Ranking from Worst to Best
#1: Jar Of Flies (1994)
I have a lot of opinions on this page (clearly😂) but I want to make it clear that all these thoughts I have are genuinely how I feel. Nothing about what I do is “rage bait” or disingenuous (at least I hope it doesn’t come off that way). That being said…
Not only is this my favorite AIC album (YES I’m calling it an album, sue me!😂), I think this is one of the greatest collections of music EVER MADE! Any genre, any artist, any song. This should be something that’s held up with the absolute PINNACLES of music as a whole! When you look up the phrase “hauntingly beautiful”, this is what should come up next to it! It’s been said multiple times by me that Alice In Chains were the BEST at turning something bleak and making it beautiful. Well, this is the BEST example of that! These songs, the way they sound, the way they can make someone feel…this is what people mean when they say music can be therapeutic. These songs can relate to you. These songs can inspire you. These songs can help you reflect and change and grow. No matter how black your darkest days are. And to think, the band only created this because the GODDAMN rent was due…😂
The opener ‘Rotten Apples’ has such a hypnotic melody that it’s almost forcing you to listen to it all the way through. But your mind is telling you it’s okay. ‘Nutshell’ is literally one of the greatest songs ever written. Either the studio version or the even more haunting “Unplugged” version. Everyone has found themselves in a place where they can relate to this song. Almost brings tears to my eyes whenever I hear it. But then ‘I Stay Away’ has such an uplifting quality to it that it’s almost pulling you up from the depths the previous song brought you to. Thanks to the orchestral strings woven into the song. ‘No Excuses’ keeps you upright after you’ve been pulled. Telling you that everything will be alright. ‘Whale and Wasp’ is such a haunting little interlude with Cantrell’s guitar almost calling out to you from the deepest ocean. I really love ‘Don’t Follow’ as well. The lyrics are so soft, yet so powerful. Then the drastic tone shift in ‘Swing On This’ tells you that what you’re experiencing isn’t the end…and you need to come home.
Sorry…I’m just very passionate about this record. It helped me at some of the lowest points of my life and this is really the first time I’m able to express these thoughts. If this isn’t your #1…that’s okay. We all consume and absorb music differently. We all have certain albums and songs that connect with us on much deeper levels. And none of us should be ashamed of what they might be. For me, this is one of those special albums. And the main reason why Alice In Chains is a band I’ll always cherish very dearly for the rest of my days…