Died (song)

Last updated
"Died"
Song by Alice in Chains
from the album Music Bank
ReleasedOctober 26, 1999
RecordedOctober 1998 [1]
Genre Blues rock [2]
Length5:58
Label Columbia
Composer(s) Jerry Cantrell
Lyricist(s) Layne Staley
Producer(s) Alice in Chains

"Died" is a song by Alice in Chains and the final one recorded with vocalist Layne Staley before his death in 2002. The song was included on the compilation albums Music Bank (1999) and The Essential Alice in Chains (2006).

Contents

Origin and recording

The music to the song, along with the better known "Get Born Again", was originally written by guitarist Jerry Cantrell in 1998 for what would eventually become his second solo album, Degradation Trip . However, the song was shown to vocalist Layne Staley, who ultimately wrote lyrics for it and recorded it with the band in 1998. [3] In the liner notes of 1999's Music Bank box set collection, Jerry Cantrell said of the song:

I wish we'd have got a bit more work on that one. It's more "Alice In A Jam Room", it's not as finished as "Born Again". It's vicious, it's got teeth, it doesn't have many overdubs and it's maybe a purer, rawer form of what Alice is. It isn't pretty and that's not a bad thing at all. [4]

Reception

Although it is not as well known as "Get Born Again", the other of the last two songs recorded with Staley, it has become one of Alice in Chains' more notable songs because it was their final song recorded with Staley before he died.

Personnel

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fear the Voices</span> 1999 single by Alice in Chains

"Fear the Voices" is the last single that Alice in Chains released with vocalist Layne Staley and the only single that was co-written by bassist Mike Starr. The song was included on the box set Music Bank (1999).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Again (Alice in Chains song)</span> 1996 single by Alice in Chains

"Again" is a song by American rock band Alice in Chains. It was released as the third single from their self-titled 1995 album. It peaked at No. 8 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1997. The song was included on the band's compilation albums Nothing Safe: Best of the Box (1999), Greatest Hits (2001) and The Essential Alice in Chains (2006). A remixed version of the song was included on the box set Music Bank (1999).

"Nutshell" is a song by Alice in Chains that originally appeared on the band's 1994 extended play Jar of Flies. The band played it on MTV Unplugged in 1996, and this rendition of the song was included on the compilation album Music Bank (1999), as well as The Essential Alice in Chains (2006). Since 2011, guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell dedicates "Nutshell" to Alice in Chains' late original members Layne Staley and Mike Starr during the band's concerts.

"Brother" is a song by the American rock band Alice in Chains and the opening track on their 1992 acoustic EP Sap. The song was written by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell for his younger brother, David. Cantrell sings lead vocals in the song, while Heart lead vocalist Ann Wilson sings backing vocals. An acoustic version performed on Alice in Chains' MTV Unplugged in 1996 was released in a live album and DVD. The song was included on the compilation albums Music Bank (1999) and The Essential Alice in Chains (2006).

References

  1. "Alice in Chains Timeline". SonyMusic.com. Archived from the original on October 7, 1999. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  2. Weiss, Dan (October 6, 2016). "The 10 Best Alice In Chains Songs" . Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  3. Christopher, Michael (December 26, 2002). "Degradation Trip: An interview with Jerry Cantrell". PopMatters. Archived from the original on October 4, 2012.
  4. Liner notes, Music Bank box set. 1999.