The legacy of Seattle rock act Alice In Chains will be celebrated on a two-disc retrospective, “The Essential,” due March 16 from Columbia/Legacy. The 29-track album features the most well-known hits from the Layne Staley-led group, a stalwart of rock radio in the 1990s and an undeniable influence on such recent acts as Staind and Godsmack, the latter of whom is named after an Alice In Chains song.
Beyond familiar songs such as “Them Bones,” “Rooster,” “No Excuses,” “Heaven Beside You,” “Would?” and “I Stay Away,” the set sports two contributions to the 1993 “Last Action Hero” soundtrack (“What the Hell Have I,” “A Little Bitter”) that have been remixed by producer Toby Wright. Also included are two cuts from the group’s 1996 “Unplugged” release and the 1999 boxed set “Music Bank.”
Staley’s struggles with drug abuse had derailed Alice In Chains by the release of its 1995 self-titled album, the last it would record. He was rarely seen in public in the ensuing years and was ultimately found dead of a drug overdose on April 19, 2002, in Seattle.
Here is the “Essential” track list:
Disc one:
“We Die Young”
“Man in the Box”
“Bleed the Freak”
“Love, Hate, Love”
“Am I Inside”
“Brother”
“Got Me Wrong”
“Right Turn”
“Rain When I Die”
“Them Bones”
“Angry Chair”
“Dam That River”
“Dirt”
“God Smack”
“Hate To Feel”
“Rooster”
Disc two:
“No Excuses”
“I Stay Away”
“What the Hell Have I” (remix)
“A Little Bitter” (remix)
“Grind”
“Heaven Beside You”
“Again”
“Shame in You”
“Over Now” (unplugged)
“Nutshell” (unplugged)
Source billboard.com.
