Not only has Jar of Flies sold over 4 million copies worldwide since its release in 1994, but the album made history becoming the first EP in music history to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart. For those of you unfamiliar with basic, elementary musical lingo, an EP is "a musical recording that contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full studio album or LP" (thanks Wikipedia.) With only seven tracks, and one of them being instrumental, Jar of Flies is 30 minutes of Alice in Chains at their finest.
Rumor has it that the title of the album comes from a science experiment lead guitarist, Jerry Cantrell conducted when he was in the third grade. Jerry and his classmates filled two jars with flies; one jar of flies would be overfed, while the other jar of flies would be underfed. The overfed flies flourished for some time, but soon all the flies died from over-population. Most of the underfed flies, however, struggled at first, but survived the entire year. The experiment obviously stuck with Cantrell for whatever reason and was the inspiration for the name of the bands 3rd studio album.
The album was written and recorded within one week, and was never intended to be released to the public. Once the record label heard the tracks they knew they had something special on their hands. The album is considered a 90's alt rock staple and widely praised by critics for its variety and musical scope.
One star songs * (songs that I could do without)
Whale & Wasp - Whale & Wasp is an instrumental track (no lyrics.) Don't get me wrong, that is not the reason I am giving it one star. There are plenty of instrumental tracks that I dig, but this track gets one star because, well frankly, it scares the hell out of me. I can't recall if there is a soundtrack to my nightmares, but if there is, this is definitely the song that is playing on repeat in the background. I apologize in advance to any Whale & Wasp fans, but this track is straight from Satan himself.
If the above link works, I ask that you clink on it and listen to it for ten seconds. I dare you to say that it doesn't send shivers down your spine. And not in a good way.
2 Star songs ** (songs that I wasn't likely to skip to, but would rarely skip over.)
Rotten Apple - My undiagnosed ADD does not allow me to have the attention span to fully enjoy a song one second shy of seven minutes.*
*Yes, friends, I am painfully aware that Meatloaf's "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" is a karaoke staple of mine, but there are exceptions to every rule, so relax.
Rumor has it that the title of the album comes from a science experiment lead guitarist, Jerry Cantrell conducted when he was in the third grade. Jerry and his classmates filled two jars with flies; one jar of flies would be overfed, while the other jar of flies would be underfed. The overfed flies flourished for some time, but soon all the flies died from over-population. Most of the underfed flies, however, struggled at first, but survived the entire year. The experiment obviously stuck with Cantrell for whatever reason and was the inspiration for the name of the bands 3rd studio album.
The album was written and recorded within one week, and was never intended to be released to the public. Once the record label heard the tracks they knew they had something special on their hands. The album is considered a 90's alt rock staple and widely praised by critics for its variety and musical scope.
One star songs * (songs that I could do without)
Whale & Wasp - Whale & Wasp is an instrumental track (no lyrics.) Don't get me wrong, that is not the reason I am giving it one star. There are plenty of instrumental tracks that I dig, but this track gets one star because, well frankly, it scares the hell out of me. I can't recall if there is a soundtrack to my nightmares, but if there is, this is definitely the song that is playing on repeat in the background. I apologize in advance to any Whale & Wasp fans, but this track is straight from Satan himself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3djmDFMRQQ
2 Star songs ** (songs that I wasn't likely to skip to, but would rarely skip over.)
Rotten Apple - My undiagnosed ADD does not allow me to have the attention span to fully enjoy a song one second shy of seven minutes.*
*Yes, friends, I am painfully aware that Meatloaf's "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" is a karaoke staple of mine, but there are exceptions to every rule, so relax.
3 Star songs *** (Songs that I get excited to hear on the radio)
Nutshell - Even though "Nutshell" was never released as a single, it is one of the bands most popular and recognizable songs. You are either a complete NUT or live in a SHELL if you don't like this motivational song about loneliness, despair, and death.
Swing on This - I kind laugh to myself every time I hear this song because, as with just about every Alice in Chains song, I am sure it has to do with either drugs or death; yet the song seems so jolly and lighthearted. It almost sounds like a Barenaked Ladies song. That is, if the Barenaked Ladies spent 4 months straight snorting cocaine while their band mates injected them with heroin.
4 Star songs **** (Songs I would play on a jukebox)
I Stay Away - DO NOT STAY AWAY from this gem of a song. The bands use of horns in "I Stay Away" is nothing short of epic. While "I Stay Away" could be a bit frightening and intense for some, to many others it is the perfect song to listen to while you are running on a treadmill at the gym. I can also picture the song playing on repeat while someone is plotting the perfect murder, but that is besides the point.
5 Star Songs ***** (I do not believe that I need to give an explanation for what a five star song is, but let's just say if you try to call me or talk to me while a five star song is playing, you will be ignored.)
No Excuses - What I believe to be the most popular Alice in Chains song was written by guitarist Cantrell about his (for lack of a better word) "unstable" relationship with lead singer Layne Staley (who later infamously died of a drug overdose. A blind monkey could have seen that one coming.) Luckily, for us, the band mates tumultuous relationships with each other gave us some of the most iconic songs of the early nineties. I would like to sincerely thank Layne Staley for being such a mess. Had he been a normal rock star that is humble, even tempered, and doesn't drink, or do drugs, we would have never had "No Excuses."
Don't Follow - If Layne Staley were still alive today, and if the original Alice in Chains were still together, they could write a song every day from now until the end of time and never create a more perfect song than "Don't Follow." Easily my favorite Alice in Chains song, "Don't Follow" is in serious contention to make my top ten favorite songs of all time. Cantrell sings most of the song, while Staley sings only the bridge. In my opinion, it is the best vocals I have ever heard from a rock band. And it may even be my favorite vocals of all time. Simply put, the vocals are flawless.
I'm 95% sure the song is about suicide, but Cantrell's and Staley's voices are so powerful that the song could be about playing hide and seek and it would still give me goose bumps every time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlHTsypW9ZE
If you listen to the song by clicking the about link or video, and you do not think it is some of the best vocals you have ever heard, then you are clearly on more drugs than all of the members of Alice in Chains were on in the early nineties combined.
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