Was going through a divorce, and had heard PJ and Nirvana just as the grunge movement was breaking. Went out for a NYE celebration, and a cover band played a couple of AnC songs off the Facelift album, this being one of them. Fell in love with the group. The album Dirt was very cathartic for the situation I was in, and the album is a masterpiece in my opinion.
I was 20 when I first heard this song. Hard to explain how this music captured the late 80’s early 90’s. 13 years later I was diagnosed with manic depression. Now I understand. It is awesome seeing young people understanding the significance of this music.
I remember the first time I heard this...the first few guitar licks transitioned me from hair bands to grunge.! Still love both genres...Layne's voice with Jerry's harmonies...
as always you are extremely perceptive. my man Layne Staley eventually did so much heroin that he shut his body down...didn't OD...just destroyed himself. Much of his lyrics are about that march toward death...one of my very favorite bands...hard, chilling the very best "grunge" band of that era...do MORE of their 90s stuff
Jerry Cantrell was playing through a Wah Wah pedal, an electronic effect that creates that distinctive "wave" sound you referenced. It is controlled with one's foot while playing.
I always interpreted this song to be about Laynes battle with Heroin in which he succumbed to (RIP Layne Staley). He's trapped by the drug and he wants to be saved from it. He reaches out to Jesus but another voice, the Devil or should I say The Addiction and/or Heroin keeps telling him to deny his maker as it continues to enslave him and makes him feel trapped in a Box! And buried in his own shit! A sad song but then again, so is most of AIC songs.
When you say "reverb" I believe you are referring to the "wah wah" pedal on their guitar. It sounds the way the name implies, adding a "wah wah", humanistic bend and sweeping filter to each note.
@@jonathanlocke6404 The talk box was used to harmonize with the wordless refrain. But Shon has referred to the "wah wah" effect in other songs as "reverb", so I wanted him to understand the difference.
You’re right about the lyrics on the chorus being real heavy lines. When some radio stations heard them, they wouldn’t play the song. Layne wrote those lines.
Great reaction, dude, to a great song. One of the more likeable hosts of RVCs. And you are right on about the guitar sound. There is something unique about it. The entire song is unique. Staley's vocals are incredible. The guitar solo crushes it. An instant rock classic.
I was in a funk for weeks after his passing. He had such a kind soul, and was very personable on camera. He knew how to ham it up for some laughs. I've got a painting of him on my living room wall.
“The Other Guy” was Jerry Cantrell. Originally, he did even want to sing in the band. Being he had stage fright. He just wanted to write the songs, and play guitar. But Layne said No. Your voice is too good to just play guitar. You gotta help me sing. Sometimes, we need that one friend who believes in us, more than we believe in ourselves.
You getting into a badass genre of music here Shon. AIC, Nirvana, stone temple pilots .. can't go wrong. Very sad what happened to Layne but just like our boy Juice wrld... addiction is a bitch. Good on you for having such an open mind in music! As usual your personality is the best bro ❤
Hey Shon. The"wavy sound" comes from a guitar wah pedal. My guess is it's a vintage Vox classic wah. There's so many guitar pedals available these days but back then (or when I discovered them in 1999) that really got me, too. Sick riff, amazing song. Great reaction.
Guitar effect throughout the the song is called a Wah Pedal aka Cry Baby or Whammy Pedal. Looks like a Big gas pedal you rock back n forth with your foot as you play the notes on the guitar to achieve a funky .. cry baby effect.
That sound you're referring to on the guitar is a wah pedal. Got one a couple months back and have been learning this song lately.. that shit is so much fun lmao. I almost never have it off
As a very religious person, the Christ line was always so awesome to me.. so many rock songs and bands talk about it like it’s a cult or were these super bad people so it was cool to have a song where they were that big and he goes “if you try to deny your maker you’ll be wasted” Love this band, best grunge band for sure! Cantrell was doing a talk box, wa pedal, backing vocals, guitar solo all at the same time!
There are two messages within the song.. one is about how calves are treated when being raised for veal,(the little igloos that they live in) and the other one is more political.. about censorship.... The box being the television or big media... The song almost didn't make the album because of the controversial nature.. wasn't something the public was really ready for.. get pushed really hard for it to be on the album, and I'm glad they did because it's one of their greatest songs.
This song's origins start with a lunch the band had with some A&R woman who was a vegan (no animal byproducts of ANY kind), who proceeded to tell them how animals were penned up in small crates and killed for steak, etc. So, Layne wrote Man in the Box from the perspective of a penned up calf. It was loosely based around Layne's idea of media censorship. Sean Kinney (the drummer) said it was about veal. LOL. The version you chose was Live at the Moore filmed on December 22, 1990. The concert became Live Facelift that was released in 1991 on a very rare VHS that costs 75.00 last I checked. The VHS included MAN IN THE BOX, REAL THING, LOVE HATE LOVE (which is UNTOUCHABLE PERFECTION played live by a rock band), SEA OF SORROW, BLEED THE FREAK all live from The Moore 1990, as well as official videos for WE DIE YOUNG, MAN IN THE BOX, and SEA OF SORROW. Layne met Jerry Cantrell ONE TIME, found out he had no family in the area, he had little money left and Layne (drunkenly) offered Jerry a place to live, money, food, clothes, guitars and gear he needed, Layne set Jerry up with a life that could NOT fail unless Jerry let it happen. He set him up with a band when he gave Jerry the number to Sean Kinney's girlfriend and found out that the girlfriend was Mike Starr's sister. He encouraged Jerry to sing more because after all they were Jerry's lyrics, Jerry should sing them. I'm sure Jerry would have made it on his own without Layne, but it would have been the long scenic route to get there. Jerry wrote Rooster about his father's experiences in Vietnam and when Jerry saw his dad in the audience at one of their shows, Jerry asked Layne (and the guys) to play Rooster and they did. It was the first time Jerry's dad heard Jerry's music and knew that his son understood him through that song. It brought Jerry and his dad closer together. And Layne had a vital part in that reunion. (Meanwhile Layne's own biological father was an opportunist who showed back up in Layne's life AFTER Layne got famous and had money and did drugs with Layne.) Phil Staley was NOT the father Layne expected when he came back into his life. Layne had tried rehab 13 times, but he could never completely give it up. He tried quitting cold turkey on two of the last attempts at rehab, but that didn't work either. Mad Season is made up of Mike McCready of Pearl Jam, Barrett Martin of Screaming Trees and John Baker Saunders and they all went through rehab. They all got together and dragged Layne out of his condo, got him excited about doing ABOVE album, thinking if he was creative he wouldn't want the drugs, and for the length of time it took to do that, Layne was excited about the project, but it didn't curb his drug habit. Layne wrote the lyrics to the songs he sang on the ABOVE album and he drew the cover art for the album. Layne was an amazing singer. Very few singers sound better live than they do in a studio version. Layne was one of the few. From what I’ve read and researched, heroin is the worst drug to be addicted to. You don’t want to do anything other than be there and nodding out. The fact that he agreed to do the KISS shows and performed them like he did shows the strength he had. From what I read, when you have the level of addiction Layne had, it is incredibly difficult to function at the intensity of performing a stage show in front of an audience as well as he did. He could have stayed home and stayed high, but Jerry wanted to do the shows. Somewhere, somehow Layne found the strength to do those shows despite what his addiction wanted him to do even though he survived an overdose after the last KISS show in Kansas City, Missouri, became a recluse, and the addiction got him in the end. Mike Starr was the last one to see him on April 4, 2002, for all anyone knows and what I took from that was that while Layne was telling Mike that he (Layne) was sick, he still tried to get Mike to give up his own prescription drug habit. After that, no one noticed he had died because he never answered the phone nor opened the door. It took inactivity over the span of two weeks for his ACCOUNTANT to notice something was wrong and called Susan Silver who called Layne's mother to alert her to the situation who then called 911. He died on April 5, 2002, but his body wasn't discovered until April 19, 2002. And to pour salt in the wound, MTV (and the music industry) has more or less blackballed Layne (and yet, they laud over Kurt Cobain every April 5th, because Kurt was the "face of grunge", meanwhile Layne gets a "by the way"). The Grammys went so far as to invite Jerry, Mike and Sean to the Grammy show in 2003 and then refused to put Layne's picture up in the memorial of the musicians who died in 2002. (Or they "forgot" to) which pissed Jerry, Mike and Sean off and they walked out on the show. At the age of 34 (when he died), he looked more like an 80-year-old man. He knew he screwed up, between the drugs and his own depression and then his former fiancee dying, Layne just couldn't find a way to dig himself out of his own mess and at the end with his teeth problems and organs failing on him, he gave up trying. He lost sight of who his true friends were and who was using him. He was never going to give up the drugs. Instead, he tried to attain the same high he felt the first time he did drugs and could never achieve it. Layne's story is more tragic and haunting because you can actually watch and hear him deteriorate over the 12 year span: from the mild use of drugs in 1990 all the way through 1996 when he was deep into a heroin addiction to dropping to 90 pounds by 1998 to 86 pounds when he died in 2002. Layne wrote songs that gave a normal person insight into the mind and journey of an addict. The pain and depression he endured to write the most brutally honest lyrics a musician could write concerning his feelings on his own addiction and the emotional and physical strength he had to perform those songs live when all he wanted to do was curl away and lose himself in the drug haze I can’t imagine what it was like for him. He was hounded by the press about his addiction. He was ridiculed for his addiction. The music industry blackballed him for his addiction. The Grammys forgot about him when he died. As far as MTV and Rolling Stone were concerned he’s just another addicted singer. They don’t want to acknowledge his contributions to music. Layne Staley deserved better than what he received from the people around him who he thought mattered. He wrote about things with maturity and knowledge well beyond his years. He didn’t deserve to be turned into tabloid cannon fodder by the press. Layne was so much more than his drug addiction. He was able to come up with lyrics and harmonies off the top of his head. He stacked his own vocals. He knew enough to know that Jerry Cantrell was playing with the wrong people and gave him contact info for Sean Kinney and Mike Starr. He wrote the lyrics for the songs he sang on Mad Season's Above album and drew the cover art for that album. Layne was a genius in his own right. He still was able to figure things out in a snap off the top of his head. Layne just had his demons. Layne's whole situation from his drug addiction, to how he died, to how he was found only weighing 86 pounds and the drug paraphernalia, etc is tragic and haunts me when I think about it (and I didn't even know the guy personally). "Whatever dramas are going on in my life, I always find that place inside my head where I see myself as the cleanest, tallest, strongest, wisest person that I can be." -- Layne Staley "My bad habits aren't my title. My strengths and my talent are my title." -- Layne Staley "When I tried drugs they were fucking great, and they worked for me for years, and now they're turning against me- and now I'm walking through hell and this sucks. I wrote about drugs, and I didn't think I was being unsafe or careless by writing about them. I didn't want my fans to think heroin was cool. But then I've had fans come up to me and give me the thumbs up, telling me they're high. That's exactly what I didn't want to happen." -- Layne Staley
Hey Shon, I recently discovered your channel and love the way you react to music. You pick up on themes a lot of similar content creators miss and put it in a way that makes it easy for people to enjoy. With that said, could you please do René by Residente? It's a spanish song, but has subtitles in the music, a powerful piece about the artist's life.
If you want to hear a hauntingly beautiful Alice in Chains song, check out 'Down in a Hole' from the Unplugged album. Gives me all the feels 100% of the time
Buttons??? That is very interesting. I like hearing about what some people call "irrational" fears, which I would never define it that way. Most people have them, myself included. We're the only one that can understand that feeling too. Some people just don't get it, but I and many others do. Great reaction, as always.
Dude. What you hearing and liking about the guitar is called a wa-wa pedal that u work with foot while playing to give that sound. I'm a guitar master. Love yo vids
This was track 2 on the album which was their first. Between this and the opener, And We Die Young, these guys had one of the best intros ever. People were wide eyed. You should do track one as well.
the band actually said that this song was about media manipulation and lies, which is quite interesting cuz the lyrics seem so fucking strong and quite depressing
Layne should have took the advice of his own song and not denied his maker. It was reported when he was found he was so decomposed he was unrecognizable. Real talk time to come to Jesus my friend. Hey Shon I challenge you to do a song called The Fury by AD. Love your reactions as always.
didn't like them at first when i saw this video around 90 or 91 when it came out but i watched it over and over when it was on i changed my mind seeing it again and again lol.
Hey Shon, i hope you will consider listening to a song by Velvet Underground called Slither. same type of music as this. the lead singer of the band used to be lead singer for Stone Temple Pilots.
Layne always sounded better live I recommend you Love hate Love live at the moore, there Layen is at his best shape before drugs and it’s so powerful. RIP Layne you are so missed …
The Lead Vocalist/Lyricist named Lane Staley is obviously mocking Jesus Christ and saying "deny your Maker!"..... well, he met his Maker,, and his body is in a box now, and has been for 15 years now,, GOD WILL NOT BE MOCKED!!! ...the rest of the band is still living, but, Lane Staley is dead,,,,,,, ... (...."GOD IS NOT BE MOCKED!!!" Galatian Chapter 6, verse 7)
The song is about media censorship. RIP Layne Staley 💔
DUDE you got the message right off the bat! Layne was a supreme vocalist !
Layne was such a brilliant vocalist
The fucking best..
Love, Hate, Love Live @ The Moore is an absolute must to truly appreciate just how powerful of a voice Layne Staley had.
YES!!!
NO DOUBT! Layne had absolutely no clue how good he was. His natural vocal abilities were just out of control!!
Was going through a divorce, and had heard PJ and Nirvana just as the grunge movement was breaking. Went out for a NYE celebration, and a cover band played a couple of AnC songs off the Facelift album, this being one of them. Fell in love with the group. The album Dirt was very cathartic for the situation I was in, and the album is a masterpiece in my opinion.
I was 20 when I first heard this song. Hard to explain how this music captured the late 80’s early 90’s. 13 years later I was diagnosed with manic depression. Now I understand. It is awesome seeing young people understanding the significance of this music.
Absolutely 🎶♥️✝️
I remember the first time I heard this...the first few guitar licks transitioned me from hair bands to grunge.! Still love both genres...Layne's voice with Jerry's harmonies...
Man in the box = singer on the radio.
Layne Staley's voice is incredible and Jerry Cantrel's guitar and harmony is spot on 🎶♥️✝️
Grunge... I miss this era.
The music was so amazing!
as always you are extremely perceptive. my man Layne Staley eventually did so much heroin that he shut his body down...didn't OD...just destroyed himself. Much of his lyrics are about that march toward death...one of my very favorite bands...hard, chilling the very best "grunge" band of that era...do MORE of their 90s stuff
Yes! You hit my Fav band of ALL TIME! "Rooster", "Nutshell", "Love Hate Love {live at The Moore}" R.I.P.: Layne and Mike.
YES!!! to all of them
Jerry Cantrell was playing through a Wah Wah pedal, an electronic effect that creates that distinctive "wave" sound you referenced. It is controlled with one's foot while playing.
You nailed… I admire your reaction, your capacity to read in between the lines . Yes,the dispair is in every line and voice of Layne. 💔
Guitarist is using a "Wah Wah Pedal." It's a funky effect, goes from a bass to treble sound.
I always interpreted this song to be about Laynes battle with Heroin in which he succumbed to (RIP Layne Staley). He's trapped by the drug and he wants to be saved from it. He reaches out to Jesus but another voice, the Devil or should I say The Addiction and/or Heroin keeps telling him to deny his maker as it continues to enslave him and makes him feel trapped in a Box! And buried in his own shit! A sad song but then again, so is most of AIC songs.
I'm still trying to figure out why this HEAVILY EDITED VERSION still exists.
Buried in my pit! LOL.
Yeah, I tried singing along and it was like "wait, that isn't the lyric!!"
Heyyy this is a BANGER 🔥🔥🔥 LOVE U n Ur reaction Brooo ❤❤❤
Still have this CD and this IS my favorite track. His voice is strong and haunting at the same time.
When you say "reverb" I believe you are referring to the "wah wah" pedal on their guitar. It sounds the way the name implies, adding a "wah wah", humanistic bend and sweeping filter to each note.
I believe there is also some talk box in there...
@@jonathanlocke6404 The talk box was used to harmonize with the wordless refrain. But Shon has referred to the "wah wah" effect in other songs as "reverb", so I wanted him to understand the difference.
❤️ Layne is everything...hope you check out more.
I didn’t think I knew this song, but I do! I just didn’t know it was by Alice in Chains. Enjoyed your reaction as always.
You are one of best if not best making reaction videos, Shon.
You’re right about the lyrics on the chorus being real heavy lines. When some radio stations heard them, they wouldn’t play the song. Layne wrote those lines.
The sound effectjjjf on the guitar is called a "Wah-Wah Pedal"
The guitar is like wow-gaa-wow-wow wow-gaa-wow-wow. lol.
That guitar solo is tough. My kid made my buy him the Jerry Cantrell Wah Pedal. Then he wore that sucker out and I ran out and bought him another.
Good parenting 🤘🤘
Your reactions are always appreciated 🤘
Great interpretation of this song
Great ear, Shon. As usual
Layne, Jerry Cantrell & the band is 🔥. Always was & always will be on the playlist
Great reaction, dude, to a great song.
One of the more likeable hosts of RVCs. And you are right on about the guitar sound. There is something unique about it. The entire song is unique. Staley's vocals are incredible.
The guitar solo crushes it.
An instant rock classic.
You're so good at picking up on the meaning of lyrics as metaphors
Your onto it I think it's the media he's talking about!!!
Layne unfortunately is no longer with us 😢 RIP 🙏
I was in a funk for weeks after his passing. He had such a kind soul, and was very personable on camera. He knew how to ham it up for some laughs. I've got a painting of him on my living room wall.
Miss Layne....God rest his precious soul!
You rock!!! Addicted to your reactions!!❤❤😂🤘
❤🔥 One of my fav songs!
Hi Brother, Check out the Live version at Moore theater 1990, and Layne Staley was the Singer RIP 4/5/2002
Down in a hole - Nutshell from MTV unplugged will get you on the Wright track 🤘🤘
You nailed it. I think the guitar effect is the wah wah pedal combined with a little tremolo effect.
“The Other Guy” was Jerry Cantrell.
Originally, he did even want to sing in the band. Being he had stage fright. He just wanted to write the songs, and play guitar.
But Layne said No. Your voice is too good to just play guitar. You gotta help me sing.
Sometimes, we need that one friend who believes in us, more than we believe in ourselves.
And to think Jerry was also the de facto leader of the band 😅
RIP Layne - Love Alice in Chains 💙
🤘🤘🤘
You getting into a badass genre of music here Shon. AIC, Nirvana, stone temple pilots
.. can't go wrong. Very sad what happened to Layne but just like our boy Juice wrld... addiction is a bitch. Good on you for having such an open mind in music! As usual your personality is the best bro ❤
Hey Shon. The"wavy sound" comes from a guitar wah pedal. My guess is it's a vintage Vox classic wah. There's so many guitar pedals available these days but back then (or when I discovered them in 1999) that really got me, too. Sick riff, amazing song. Great reaction.
I think Jerry might be using a talk box on this one.
And you can dance to it.
Guitar effect throughout the the song is called a Wah Pedal aka Cry Baby or Whammy Pedal. Looks like a Big gas pedal you rock back n forth with your foot as you play the notes on the guitar to achieve a funky .. cry baby effect.
That sound you're referring to on the guitar is a wah pedal. Got one a couple months back and have been learning this song lately.. that shit is so much fun lmao. I almost never have it off
guitar is Jerry Cantrell and hes using a wah wah petal
Spot on interpretation of this classic! Alice in Chains is my favorite! Check out some more AIC! Their live performances are awesome, too!
As a very religious person, the Christ line was always so awesome to me.. so many rock songs and bands talk about it like it’s a cult or were these super bad people so it was cool to have a song where they were that big and he goes “if you try to deny your maker you’ll be wasted”
Love this band, best grunge band for sure! Cantrell was doing a talk box, wa pedal, backing vocals, guitar solo all at the same time!
Most of their songs are deep they deal with a lot of issues
There are two messages within the song.. one is about how calves are treated when being raised for veal,(the little igloos that they live in) and the other one is more political.. about censorship.... The box being the television or big media... The song almost didn't make the album because of the controversial nature.. wasn't something the public was really ready for.. get pushed really hard for it to be on the album, and I'm glad they did because it's one of their greatest songs.
I love Alice in Chains!!!! Even after Lane died they were still awesome
This song's origins start with a lunch the band had with some A&R woman who was a vegan (no animal byproducts of ANY kind), who proceeded to tell them how animals were penned up in small crates and killed for steak, etc. So, Layne wrote Man in the Box from the perspective of a penned up calf. It was loosely based around Layne's idea of media censorship. Sean Kinney (the drummer) said it was about veal. LOL.
The version you chose was Live at the Moore filmed on December 22, 1990. The concert became Live Facelift that was released in 1991 on a very rare VHS that costs 75.00 last I checked. The VHS included MAN IN THE BOX, REAL THING, LOVE HATE LOVE (which is UNTOUCHABLE PERFECTION played live by a rock band), SEA OF SORROW, BLEED THE FREAK all live from The Moore 1990, as well as official videos for WE DIE YOUNG, MAN IN THE BOX, and SEA OF SORROW.
Layne met Jerry Cantrell ONE TIME, found out he had no family in the area, he had little money left and Layne (drunkenly) offered Jerry a place to live, money, food, clothes, guitars and gear he needed, Layne set Jerry up with a life that could NOT fail unless Jerry let it happen. He set him up with a band when he gave Jerry the number to Sean Kinney's girlfriend and found out that the girlfriend was Mike Starr's sister. He encouraged Jerry to sing more because after all they were Jerry's lyrics, Jerry should sing them. I'm sure Jerry would have made it on his own without Layne, but it would have been the long scenic route to get there.
Jerry wrote Rooster about his father's experiences in Vietnam and when Jerry saw his dad in the audience at one of their shows, Jerry asked Layne (and the guys) to play Rooster and they did. It was the first time Jerry's dad heard Jerry's music and knew that his son understood him through that song. It brought Jerry and his dad closer together. And Layne had a vital part in that reunion. (Meanwhile Layne's own biological father was an opportunist who showed back up in Layne's life AFTER Layne got famous and had money and did drugs with Layne.) Phil Staley was NOT the father Layne expected when he came back into his life.
Layne had tried rehab 13 times, but he could never completely give it up. He tried quitting cold turkey on two of the last attempts at rehab, but that didn't work either. Mad Season is made up of Mike McCready of Pearl Jam, Barrett Martin of Screaming Trees and John Baker Saunders and they all went through rehab. They all got together and dragged Layne out of his condo, got him excited about doing ABOVE album, thinking if he was creative he wouldn't want the drugs, and for the length of time it took to do that, Layne was excited about the project, but it didn't curb his drug habit. Layne wrote the lyrics to the songs he sang on the ABOVE album and he drew the cover art for the album.
Layne was an amazing singer. Very few singers sound better live than they do in a studio version. Layne was one of the few. From what I’ve read and researched, heroin is the worst drug to be addicted to. You don’t want to do anything other than be there and nodding out. The fact that he agreed to do the KISS shows and performed them like he did shows the strength he had. From what I read, when you have the level of addiction Layne had, it is incredibly difficult to function at the intensity of performing a stage show in front of an audience as well as he did. He could have stayed home and stayed high, but Jerry wanted to do the shows. Somewhere, somehow Layne found the strength to do those shows despite what his addiction wanted him to do even though he survived an overdose after the last KISS show in Kansas City, Missouri, became a recluse, and the addiction got him in the end.
Mike Starr was the last one to see him on April 4, 2002, for all anyone knows and what I took from that was that while Layne was telling Mike that he (Layne) was sick, he still tried to get Mike to give up his own prescription drug habit.
After that, no one noticed he had died because he never answered the phone nor opened the door. It took inactivity over the span of two weeks for his ACCOUNTANT to notice something was wrong and called Susan Silver who called Layne's mother to alert her to the situation who then called 911. He died on April 5, 2002, but his body wasn't discovered until April 19, 2002.
And to pour salt in the wound, MTV (and the music industry) has more or less blackballed Layne (and yet, they laud over Kurt Cobain every April 5th, because Kurt was the "face of grunge", meanwhile Layne gets a "by the way"). The Grammys went so far as to invite Jerry, Mike and Sean to the Grammy show in 2003 and then refused to put Layne's picture up in the memorial of the musicians who died in 2002. (Or they "forgot" to) which pissed Jerry, Mike and Sean off and they walked out on the show.
At the age of 34 (when he died), he looked more like an 80-year-old man. He knew he screwed up, between the drugs and his own depression and then his former fiancee dying, Layne just couldn't find a way to dig himself out of his own mess and at the end with his teeth problems and organs failing on him, he gave up trying. He lost sight of who his true friends were and who was using him. He was never going to give up the drugs. Instead, he tried to attain the same high he felt the first time he did drugs and could never achieve it.
Layne's story is more tragic and haunting because you can actually watch and hear him deteriorate over the 12 year span: from the mild use of drugs in 1990 all the way through 1996 when he was deep into a heroin addiction to dropping to 90 pounds by 1998 to 86 pounds when he died in 2002.
Layne wrote songs that gave a normal person insight into the mind and journey of an addict. The pain and depression he endured to write the most brutally honest lyrics a musician could write concerning his feelings on his own addiction and the emotional and physical strength he had to perform those songs live when all he wanted to do was curl away and lose himself in the drug haze I can’t imagine what it was like for him. He was hounded by the press about his addiction. He was ridiculed for his addiction. The music industry blackballed him for his addiction. The Grammys forgot about him when he died. As far as MTV and Rolling Stone were concerned he’s just another addicted singer. They don’t want to acknowledge his contributions to music.
Layne Staley deserved better than what he received from the people around him who he thought mattered. He wrote about things with maturity and knowledge well beyond his years. He didn’t deserve to be turned into tabloid cannon fodder by the press.
Layne was so much more than his drug addiction. He was able to come up with lyrics and harmonies off the top of his head. He stacked his own vocals. He knew enough to know that Jerry Cantrell was playing with the wrong people and gave him contact info for Sean Kinney and Mike Starr. He wrote the lyrics for the songs he sang on Mad Season's Above album and drew the cover art for that album. Layne was a genius in his own right. He still was able to figure things out in a snap off the top of his head. Layne just had his demons.
Layne's whole situation from his drug addiction, to how he died, to how he was found only weighing 86 pounds and the drug paraphernalia, etc is tragic and haunts me when I think about it (and I didn't even know the guy personally).
"Whatever dramas are going on in my life, I always find that place inside my head where I see myself as the cleanest, tallest, strongest, wisest person that I can be." -- Layne Staley
"My bad habits aren't my title. My strengths and my talent are my title." -- Layne Staley
"When I tried drugs they were fucking great, and they worked for me for years, and now they're turning against me- and now I'm walking through hell and this sucks. I wrote about drugs, and I didn't think I was being unsafe or careless by writing about them. I didn't want my fans to think heroin was cool. But then I've had fans come up to me and give me the thumbs up, telling me they're high. That's exactly what I didn't want to happen." -- Layne Staley
Definitely want to hear the button story someday..eh
I watched WAY too much ECW back in the day so I can't hear this song without hearing Joey Styles screaming "OH MY GOD, IT'S TOMMY DREAMER!!"
Hey Shon, I recently discovered your channel and love the way you react to music. You pick up on themes a lot of similar content creators miss and put it in a way that makes it easy for people to enjoy. With that said, could you please do René by Residente? It's a spanish song, but has subtitles in the music, a powerful piece about the artist's life.
If you want to hear a hauntingly beautiful Alice in Chains song, check out 'Down in a Hole' from the Unplugged album. Gives me all the feels 100% of the time
Them Bones or Hey are fn bangers
Buttons? Button eyes, in the movie Coraline, were creepy AF. One of those kids movies, that didn't seem like one.
You really need to check out Nutshell on unplugged! It’s haunting!! You won’t be disappointed
Buttons??? That is very interesting. I like hearing about what some people call "irrational" fears, which I would never define it that way. Most people have them, myself included. We're the only one that can understand that feeling too. Some people just don't get it, but I and many others do. Great reaction, as always.
masterpiece
Dude. What you hearing and liking about the guitar is called a wa-wa pedal that u work with foot while playing to give that sound. I'm a guitar master. Love yo vids
Not sure how you figure new stuff out so well. You got a quick-twitch mind.
Got hear Hed PE Renegade you’ll love it
This was track 2 on the album which was their first. Between this and the opener, And We Die Young, these guys had one of the best intros ever. People were wide eyed. You should do track one as well.
Go down the rabbit hole...go...down...the...rabbit...hole...
RIP Layne 😢
They also sound good live.
the band actually said that this song was about media manipulation and lies, which is quite interesting cuz the lyrics seem so fucking strong and quite depressing
Another vote for "Love, Hate, Love" 👍😁👍
Another one gone too soon from heroin. RIP Layne Staley.
Great reaction
I think it was about the music industy
❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️
Is this your first Reaction to them
It's a good story and Johnny Cash is good at that. A song called "A boy named Sue" Live in SanQuentin prison. You'll love it, plz react to that one.
Love, Hate, Love Live @ The Moore
It was inspired by baby cows processing
Leviathan by Volbeat. You're welcome!! Love your reactions!!!
Layne Staley☄☄☄☄☄☄☄☄☄
💯
Buttons!!???
Great rwcation
Layne should have took the advice of his own song and not denied his maker. It was reported when he was found he was so decomposed he was unrecognizable. Real talk time to come to Jesus my friend. Hey Shon I challenge you to do a song called The Fury by AD. Love your reactions as always.
You should als😮 check out the live version of the Man in the box at the More Theater
Time for some Staind, my man
"Something to Remind You"
The live version.
@@ElkSlayer8172 💯
Alice In Chains " Rooster "
didn't like them at first when i saw this video around 90 or 91 when it came out but i watched it over and over when it was on i changed my mind seeing it again and again lol.
Hey Shon, i hope you will consider listening to a song by Velvet Underground called Slither. same type of music as this. the lead singer of the band used to be lead singer for Stone Temple Pilots.
Nine Inch Nails " Closer "
‘Pit’ fkn censorship 🙄
Layne always sounded better live I recommend you Love hate Love live at the moore, there Layen is at his best shape before drugs and it’s so powerful. RIP Layne you are so missed …
Always thought this was about animal abuse too
The Lead Vocalist/Lyricist named Lane Staley is obviously mocking Jesus Christ and saying "deny your Maker!"..... well, he met his Maker,, and his body is in a box now, and has been for 15 years now,, GOD WILL NOT BE MOCKED!!! ...the rest of the band is still living, but, Lane Staley is dead,,,,,,, ...
(...."GOD IS NOT BE MOCKED!!!" Galatian Chapter 6, verse 7)
It’s about censorship
RIP Layne Staley. What a waste.
listen to i stay away and no exuses
React music nutshell by Alice in Chains pls
do down in a hole by alice in chains
Yes...love Down in a Hole....!
🤐Media Censorship
🎚️Jesus christ🤍who
denies your maker🔥
will be wasted🪞😵