Alice In Chains The Essential Alice In Chains 2 CD (Jewel Case, 2006, Sony)

Alice In Chains The Essential Alice In Chains 2 CD is the definitive collection from Alice in Chains, bringing together the most important songs from one of the heaviest and most influential bands of the 1990s. Released in 2006 by Sony Music Entertainment as part of the Essential series, this 2 CD jewel case edition delivers 28 tracks spanning the entire classic era of the band.

Far more complete than the earlier Greatest Hits compilation, The Essential Alice In Chains covers every major period of the band’s career with Layne Staley. The collection includes material from Facelift, Sap, Dirt, Jar Of Flies, the self-titled Alice In Chains album, Unplugged and the final studio recordings “Get Born Again” and “Died”.

The first disc captures the band at their heaviest and most influential. It includes “Man In The Box”, “We Die Young”, “Bleed The Freak”, “Them Bones”, “Would?”, “Rooster”, “Rain When I Die”, “Dam That River”, “God Smack”, “Dirt” and “Angry Chair”. These songs showcase the crushing riffs of Jerry Cantrell, the unmistakable voice of Staley and the dark, metallic edge that separated Alice In Chains from the rest of the Seattle scene.

For fans of heavier music, this collection is essential. Tracks such as “Them Bones”, “Dam That River”, “Rain When I Die”, “God Smack” and “Dirt” deliver the same bleak, heavy atmosphere that made Alice In Chains favourites among listeners of bands like Slayer. The inclusion of deeper cuts such as “Hate To Feel”, “Junkhead” and “Again” makes this compilation especially valuable for longtime fans.

The second disc explores the more melodic and introspective side of the band, featuring “No Excuses”, “I Stay Away”, “Nutshell”, “Heaven Beside You”, “Over Now” and live material from MTV Unplugged. It also includes “Get Born Again” and “Died”, the final recordings by the original Alice In Chains lineup and some of the last performances by Staley.

Released after the death of Staley in 2002, The Essential Alice In Chains stands as the ultimate retrospective of the band’s original era. While Greatest Hits focused only on the major singles, this 2 CD set offers a far deeper look at the band’s catalogue and is widely regarded by fans as the best Alice In Chains compilation available.

Whether you are discovering Alice In Chains for the first time or upgrading from Greatest Hits, this collection is the perfect addition to any grunge, alternative metal, hard rock or 90s heavy music collection.

Recommended if you like: Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Mad Season, Temple of the Dog

Artist: Alice In Chains
Title: The Essential Alice In Chains
Label: Sony Music
Catalogue number: 19075966392
UPC:19075966392
Release Year: 2006
Duration: Double Album
Format: Double CD
Packaging Type: Jewel Case
Condition: New & Factory sealed

Tracklist:

Disc 1:
1.We Die Young
2.Man in the Box
3.Sea of Sorrow
4.Love, Hate, Love
5.Am I Inside
6.Brother
7.Got Me Wrong
8.Right Turn
9.Rain When I Die
10.Them Bones
11.Angry Chair
12.Dam That River
13.Dirt
14.God Smack
15.Hate to Feel
16.Rooster

Disc 2:
1.No Excuses
2.I Stay Away
3.What the Hell Have I
4.A Little Bitter
5.Grind
6.Heaven Beside You
7.Again
8.Over Now
9.Nutshell
10.Get Born Again
11.Died
12.Would?