That really is the comment. I showed this to a grand parent of mine and they were quite impressed and felt the sadness. I think that’s what makes AIC so well received in the 20’s especially.
@Gridironwarplans this channel honestly touches on a big big part of what humanity is I know there are some cultures that have totally juxtaposed perceptions of things, but at the end of the day we're all experiencing this phenomenon of life through the lense of human consciousness
The fact that they can’t understand the lyrics but still understand that the song is about something very dark and sad is fascinating. Music is truly a universal language.
That's why Layne Staley is the greatest of all time he can bring all those emotions and bring the darkest crap along with him but yet make it beautiful in the same sense.
"Its more like he is singing in silence, I dont feel any joy in his voice whatsoever" That man nailed it. Suffering in silence is what Layne Stayley was doing in life. So heartbreaking
@@thegoodlord6518 yeah I’d like to think he’s just able to relate given his personal experience and age. Hopefully that’s the extent of it and nothing to worry about. Not sure about his faith because I don’t follow this channel that thoroughly but maybe it’s something that while he may ponder like everyone at some point does, isn’t an option in his view.
The elderly man with the white hat, red vest and blue shirt broke into tears when he was told how Layne died and that this was his goodbye song. What an incrediblly, warm, loving person. Your empathy does not go unnoticed. Sending love and blessings to all on this panel. "May you have many, long joyful days and many sweet, pleasant nights"
Yeah, when he started crying, I couldn't help but start quietly weeping myself. This is one of my favorite bands and the song really describes this sort of depression so well. I need to listen to it for cathartic, controlled release of sadness.
The gentleman with the white beard has so much empathy and depth to his soul. He saw right through into Layne's life and what he was singing about, watching the video with such intensity as if he was right there with him.
Yeah, it's crazy that this was probably his one and only instance in hearing Alice 'n Chains and he already knew, right off the rip, just how high Layne Staley's octave range could actually go in his comment that "he could go much higher but he isn't" That's a man who's seen a thing or two in his day. Sometimes in the west, we get the idea that depression, addiction, and sad endings are more prevalent here, but guys like him are an indicator that it's a problem everywhere and in every culture, no matter where you go.
He’s incredible. Halfway through the first verse of The Chain by Fleetwood Mac he stopped and mentioned something must be wrong between the man and the woman singing (Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham).
I don't know how this video got suggested for me, but I am glad it did. While I come from a very different background from these gentlemen, I find their reactions and wisdom to be incredibly powerful. I wish each of us could have such candid and thoughtful conversations about life with friends. Well done.
these men their take/description are pretty spot on. They felt all of that and didn't understand a single lyric until later. the power of music. I really liked the religious comparison. reminded me of the scene in "enemy mine" when the human noted the aliens bible sounded a lot like ours. the alien simply responded "because it's truth". great reaction video.
I tell people all the time, this is the best song I’ve found that perfectly describes what depression truly feels like. It’s not just sadness. It’s an inescapable emptiness.
@@mdhall04 down in a hole is my favorite Alice In Chains song. I love almost all of them and I think ones like got me wrong and I stay away are a little underrated but down in a hole is my favorite
This reaction brought tears to my eyes. The gentlemen were so very respectful in their replies and so very spot on with understanding. Thank you for another GREAT reaction.
I am sobbing right now. Grown man, sobbing like a toddler. This is powerful stuff. These people are so understanding about human suffering and how universal it is.
Watching these men interpret the meaning of the song without initially knowing anything about Layne brings tears to my eyes. These men have such compassion and feeling and are sensitive to another man’s suffering, it’s beautiful to see and gives me hope that people care. God bless you.
I've been a fan of Alice in Chains since the early 90s. I've seen them five times in concert and it never gets old. Let me see if I can help with a little bit of detail. These men were practically brothers. At least one of them had been homeless for a time. The singer was brought in last, all of them wanted him to join but he kept declining. So they purposefully auditioned the absolute *worst* singers they could until he said, "fine, okay, I'll join!" because he couldn't believe how bad these other guys were. They cared about each other. Their original bassist also died from a drug overdose (his name was Mike Starr). Then when Staley also died, they wrote a whole album as a farewell, thinking - this is it, the band is done. They poured their anger and grief and confusion into it. The most heart-wrenching song was "Black Gives Way To Blue," which they even got Elton John to help them. (More below after this bit.) It was such a hit with their fans, they kept going. They have released three albums since Staley's death, and every concert, they honor the two men they lost. "There are six members of this band," they say, even though you only see four. As far as they're concerned, Starr and Staley are with them on stage, even today. I could tell so many stories about the living members of the band, the pain the two deceased men went through, but it is most important to know that even now today they still consider these men their brothers. (In regards to Elton John: they wanted a piano for the song, and they are big fans of Elton John - the guitarist especially. They decided to ask if he'd be willing to record a track on the keyboard for them. Not only did he accept, but he flew one of his classic personal pianos to their recording studio, played it *with* them instead of just recording a track, and added his own backup vocals. It is a truly haunting and beautiful goodbye to beloved friends, and if you listen closely you can hear Elton singing one of the harmonies. I recommend.) Much love, A Giant Alice In Chains Fan
This video was found completely out of the blue. An amazing, unexpected video. It's hard to describe. It's amazing how seemingly different people understand the language of music. How wise and sensible they are. Thank you. This is definitely a very special video.
I love their views on all these songs, it's not just their reactions... it's also learning how their culture and society itself would view the song's lyrics and meanings, as opposed to a Westerner's cultural views.
I really enjoyed their interpretations. I was really drawn to the gentleman in yellow reaction/interpretation. I wanted to keep hearing more from him. He connected with the song and also opened up about his own difficulties and connected with Layne's lyrics
River of deceit from Mad Season would be a good listen after listening to something like Would, Rooster or something else from the dirt album. Laynes voice was and still is unmatched in my opinion.
The Unplugged show in 1996 is so heartbreaking to watch because he was deep in his heroin addiction (and yes, I know he was doing other drugs on top of Heroin). His liver was damaged from the years of drug use and he knew it. He was just high enough to do the show to deal with the withdrawal symptoms and so he didn't get dope sick. He was such a ghost of himself during Unplugged. (Of course, Jerry had food poisoning) All Jerry saw when he looked over at Layne was his best friend was going to die soon due to the path Layne had chosen for his life. That show was filmed in April 1996, premiered in May 1996. They did four shows with KISS in June-July 1996, after which Layne survived an overdose and became a recluse. After that, it was a 6-year-long slow suicide. On Unplugged, Scott Olson was the second guitarist. He was there to boost the guitar sound on the stage. Layne was better Live than the studio version. LOVE HATE LOVE live at the Moore in December 1990 is UNTOUCHABLE PERFECTION performed live by a rock band. Other rock bands should strive to have a live performance that perfect. Layne Staley's vocal range can run rings around any other grunge singer in my opinion. Layne could sing the phone book and never hit a wrong note. Even at the end of his life, with no teeth and a lisp, his voice, wit and humor were all still there. Layne's voice and vocal range were so powerful he did NOT need auto tune or pro-tools until he lost his teeth and had a lisp around 1998, and even then he still killed the vocals. (He started losing his teeth in 1995 due to grinding) Barrett Martin (who played with Layne in Mad Season) said that when he stood to the side of the stage, he could hear the sound of Layne's vocal resonance come out of Layne's body LOUDER than it did coming out of the speakers, Layne's voice was that powerful. I'm in the camp of No Layne/No Chains, because no matter which singer you put up there to sing those songs, it'll only be a cover. Layne had a unique voice you cannot replicate or replace. A lot of those songs were great because Layne pretty much wrung his entire soul out singing them, others were personal to Layne and to have someone else sing those, the songs lose their meaning because the new guy didn't go through the ordeals those songs are inspired by. William DuVall singing THEM BONES on the 2006 reunion tsunami gig.... William DOES NOT have the power in his voice that Layne had especially for that song. Maynard James Keenan could get remotely close to Layne's vocal range for that song (and many others). And Maynard would have the reverence for Layne's memory, he was friends with Layne, he KNEW Layne, had a history with Layne, and saw what Layne went through from Lollapalooza 93 until Layne became a recluse. Besides, Maynard already had 3 bands going on, why not join a fourth band? He 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 neither one worked 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 (minus the John Lennon cover song I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier) and he drew the cover art for the album. NUTSHELL was about how magazines like FOR EXAMPLE Rolling Stone only reported on Layne's addiction as if that were the only thing that defined the band as well as Layne's depression. Rolling Stone magazine has some unknown thing to do with the Hall of Fame, and after what Rolling Stone did to Layne and the band in the 1996 The Needle and the Damage Done article ("Oh no, it will be about the music" "Oh yeah, the band's picture will be on the cover" turns out it was only Layne on the cover and the article focused on Layne's addiction -- which Layne DID NOT want to happen -- and everything going wrong internally with the band.) that pissed off AIC management and the entire band to the point they threatened to kick the writer, Jon Weiderhorn's ass over it. I don't see Rolling Stone chomping at the bit to vote AIC into the Hall of Fame. Although if they do finally get in with William as the singer and NOT Layne. I'm going to be pissed. As far back as late 1992, Rolling Stone has personally had a bone to pick with Layne Staley, even though I can name a dozen bands who wrote about drugs in their lyrics that Rolling Stone never cared to target before or after Layne came along. Layne’s mentioned Rolling Stone hounding him in passing to Riki Rachtman during the New Orleans episode of Headbanger’s Ball in late 1992 when Layne and Mike Starr tour New Orleans and a Voodoo museum with Riki back then. There were other magazines and "reporters" BEFORE 1996 that hounded Layne over his drug addiction. Rolling Stone wasn't the only rag mag to do it. Spin Magazine and many other tabloid music mags only wanted to focus on Layne's addiction. It's why they stopped doing interviews for the longest time, and after the 1996 Rolling Stone interview, they closed ranks and as far as I know, while Layne was alive they never granted another interview. They DID do Rockline in 1998 (Layne called in while Jerry was promoting his Boggy Depot solo album) and 1999 (when the band was promoting Nothing Safe and the Music Bank box set). But for the most part, they closed ranks around each other. 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. Even though the music industry would like to have written him out of history, Layne DID exist. He was on this earth for 34 years. In that time he 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, his depression, and the tumultuous relationship with his former fiancee Demri. 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 music rag mags like Rolling Stone were concerned he’s just another addicted singer. They don’t want to acknowledge his contributions to music. Layne Staley WASN'T just some rock star junkie. HE DESERVED BETTER than what he received from the people around him who he thought mattered. He wrote about drugs, his addiction, what he was feeling and what he was going through with maturity and knowledge well beyond his years. He didn’t deserve to be turned into tabloid cannon fodder by the press. I remember a show in London on February 26, 1993 where a reporter who was based in London wrote about a concert they did in another part of Europe and got Mike Inez confused with Mike Starr. Layne got on the microphone between them finishing HATE TO FEEL and beginning ANGRY CHAIR and said, "I want to say um, I want to say hello to the guy who wrote the review on the show a few weeks back. You’re in London - an enemy. I want to introduce our bass player, MIKE INEZ, not Mike Starr, you fucking idiot! Fuck that prick! Fuck the press! We’re not playing for the fucking press, all right?” "Layne was just an incomparable talent. He was like a fucking myna bird. Any accent or sound or voice, he could just immediately repeat it. He just had a gift. And I’d like to think that I have a bit of a gift myself. One of the funniest descriptions I’ve ever heard, and I don’t know that it’s true, but it just sounds fucking great, was we sound like “the satanic Everly Brothers.” Together we were kind of a two-headed monster. It added a lot of depth to the material the way we worked together." -- Jerry Cantrell (Noisey, June 7, 2018) My Top 20 AIC songs... Love Hate Love (Live at the Moore, December 1990...Layne Staley in his prime and is UNTOUCHABLE PERFECTION performed live by a rock band. All other rock bands should strive to have a live performance this perfect), Man in the Box (Live at Weedsport, NY 1991 - the Layne’s Pissed Version...though the original version may be better to react to, because Weedsport was during Clash of the Titans tour where Slayer fans were giving the band crap and Layne got pissed and changed the lyrics), Bleed the Freak (Live at the Moore, December 1990), It Ain’t Like That (if you need a video use Singles Pro Shot video), Queen of the Rodeo (Live in Dallas, TX 1990), Real Thing (Live ANYWHERE), Them Bones, God Smack (Live at Hollywood Rock, 1993), Grind, Again, No Excuses, Brush Away, Frogs, Sludge Factory (During MTV Unplugged 1996, Layne screwed up the 2nd verse like 8 times, though the show only included one of those times), What the Hell Have I, God Am, Got Me Wrong, Swing On This, Social Parasite, We Die Young
Such a moving comment. Copying to read again later. This band was on my cd player constantly in the 90’s. So hard to listen to now. Remembering my own depth of pain and identifying with the pain in his voice.
Love this comment. Appreciate the quotes, and insights. Complete aside: I have been listening to Nutshell for a while, for some cathartic crying because depression doesn't always let you blow off that emotion. You just resolve to suffer it on the inside. I have felt like a dead man walking since I was 17 or so, just grasping for strands of joy. It got to the point that I couldn't leave my room, and it destroyed the 8 year relationship I had with probably the best s/o I've ever had, because I couldn't fight to be okay anymore. We bonded over music, including AiC specifically. He was from a place you mention here: Weedsport, NY. It's silly but I'm just amazed how sometimes these small things pull me back into some connection with what I feel when I just think I'm mindlessly scrolling through things. But also why Weedsport? It's such little town😅
@@PrettyH8Mach1n3 Weedport, NY just happened to be the town that the Clash of the Titans tour (with Megadeth/Anthrax/Slayer/AIC went through at the time...before that, the Clash of the Titans tour was overseas with Megadeth, Slayer, Testament and Suicidal Tendencies on the bill)
I can't listen to this song without getting choked up. The unplugged version just about guts me every time. Considering how he died, its just a tragic reminder of how fragile and alone some of us are.
There are only a few songs that hit me like this i think la mer by nine inch nails is also one of the saddest songs i've ever heard as the story behind it is also tragic
If I could go back in time to see one live performance, that would be the one. The group hadn't played a concert together in over two years due to Layne's addiction. The band normally played much louder electric instruments, so this show was a quieter and more intimate concert with acoustic instruments. They made some mistakes and had to re-start some songs until they got a good recording, but that just showed how raw and unfiltered the music that night was. Thank you so much for sharing that performance with people who might otherwise never have heard it.
This is so cool. Even these guys know Layne hits different... The way these gentlemen are breaking this down without even knowing anything about AIC or Layne or the history, has got me all teared up here this morning. Damn man.
My favorite AIC song... so spectacular to watch these men react to the universal language that is music. Layne was one of the best ever, 20+ years later his voice is still ringing loud.
i have great respect for you all embracing other cultures and understanding, if we all spent time trying to understand others the world would be a better place.
If we could put aside the nonsense of race, nation, politics and different religious view points (I'm a Christian) then yes it would be a better place.
One of the smartest things Layne ever said in an interview was when he was asked about the meaning of a particular song, I can’t remember which. He told the interviewer, “Whatever YOU think the song is about, THAT’S what it’s about, man.” Layne understood that in art, you need to leave the door open to interpretation. This way everyone has a chance to relate to a song in their own way. I can listen to AIC songs and see references to his struggles with drugs. I’ve never personally had a drug problem. So I more enjoy finding my own meaning in song lyrics as they can relate to my own struggles and such. One song isn’t necessarily intended to represent one single thing. Most art, and I’d argue most GOOD art, is intended to be interpreted in myriad ways. This is why surrealism speaks to so many people.
I love their points of view, they were quick to realize what the song was about, Alice in Chains is a band that gets me through tough moments, I loved their reaction
Probably one of my favorite videos ever and I’m not just saying that. Truly timeless music is music that can resonate with anyone from any culture. A white guy from Washington who passed away over 20 years ago and sang this song nearly 30 years ago making people on the other side of the world who he’s never met understand who he was. With just one song. This is the human experience in a NUTSHELL
I enjoy seeing the reactions from everyone, but to hear the poem written due to the health issue by sir Abdul Aziz that was trying to be hidden? Such amazing wisdom. Thank you for these videos. With much love and admiration, from America! Also, Alice in Chains is one of the best groups that writes songs about life's challenges. Bless each and every one of you!
Thanks for including his cause of death, I remember really loving his music because it gave a voice to the deepest sadness and despair I felt as a younger person, but finding out how he and others like Bradley Nowell died, I was determined to find a lighter, more hopeful side of life. A terrible tragedy that we all can learn from lives on in this music. Glad ya'll reacted to this , much thanks to all of you
It's amazing how they picked up all of the red flags within the first verse. You need to show them more Alice in chains so they can truly understand Layne Staley through more than one song.
Awesome. I love how the interviewer gains a proper understanding of the songs and encourages such depth of conversation. This channel is something special.
What I appreciate most about this video is the time they took to understand the song, it's meaning and the man behind it. The interviewer let them speak fully and did not interject his thoughts. They had great empathy for this true art and gave it the attention and respect it deserves. In a 'Nutshell' that's the problem we have in the United States, everything is 10 second videos and flash headlines, we don't take the time to meditate on anything for an extended period. We have become superficial and ignorant.
I remember watching this unplugged when it came out with friends and the philosophical discussions we had following about the performances. It was truly a different era. The fact of how things have become so instamatic and superficial sadens me. 😢
I love that these guys are open minded enough to take their time and use it to understand something as foreign to them as Alice In Chain. That is commendable. We should all do this with other cultures. The beautiful thing here is that, even without understanding the lyrics, they got the emotion right that Layne was trying to get across. Music can be universal. It is the closest thing to magic there is in this world. Super interesting.
When Adnan (I think?) mentioned that it looked like they were all attending a funeral, so spot on. I’ve read so many statements about this unplugged over the years and so many have said that it was as if though Layne was performing at his own funeral.
I love this channel !! The simple, yet very profound, way these guys give their take on song topics, is so beautiful... we tend to forget how logical life sometimes is, for example when he said about Laynes line "if i cant be my own i feel better dead" - he said, "he shouldnt talk like that, instead he should pick himself up, see what led him to these mistakes and this kind of life, and try to change it and be better" ❤
I really appreciate the more serious and thoughtful manner the reactions are done here for this song. Each person reacted individually yet had much in common. How Layne died is very sad. It wasnt explained but he spent years descending into his addiction as it destroyed everything in his life. 😢
Contrast this with the absolute power of Layne's voice in "Love Hate Love" live from some years earlier. That was an incredible performance. And Jerry Cantrell was really rocking out on the guitar too.
After thinking more about it, some of the lyrics in that song may not be appropriate for this channel. But another earlier song, "Them Bones", studio version, also showcases Layne's earlier super-powerful singing ability. ...And he sang then about the same thing as in "Nutshell": That he feels so alone, that he is just going to end up a pile of bones.
If you listen to the last song he did it was a cover of another brick in the wall pt 2 for the movie faculty but man you can tell he's missing teeth because he has a bit of a lisp
These men Are good! They expressed how he is singing with no joy, they know he is good but could be better, they understand sadness in his voice, it's amazing!
If I walked into a coffee shop and saw these guys sitting and having this conversation I would think they are having a conversation about the highest levels of enlightenment. Then I'd hear "Alice in Chains" "Nutshell".... and be satisfied knowing I was right.
Sadness, depression and hopelessness is a universal human emotion. One might not know the lyrics themselves, but through the vibes and emotion itself one can tell what the message is about
How awesome that there's a channel that highlights this kind of stuff, more particularly, my favorite band and singer of all time. Beautiful!!! You are still missed Layne
Alice in Chains is still to the day the best band I have ever seen live, I got to see them with Lane Staley a couple times and it was amazing. RIP Layne Staley
They understood his state of mind before knowing the subject matter or anything about Layne himself. Music is amazing in that way. And their comments were very insightful. I agree that it would be interesting to see their perspective on an AIC performance where Layne was healthy.
As a lifelong AIC fan videos like this are incredibly fascinating, that people from such a different walk of life can appreciate Layne's voice and lyrics is an amazing thing to see. We're not so different after all.
I really love this episode. I grew up with this song and it helped me through some very difficult times in my life, and to hear how these people interpret it through their experiences and discussion is so intriguing.
Your videos are wonderful. Thank you all for sharing your wisdom and thank you Adnan for organising and translating everything. Please don't listen to complainers who don't appreciate all your hard work - as Parvati said once, you can't please everyone!
Great interpretation of the song once again brother. While it doesn’t make the sound or the song any more sad. Everyone picked up on it. Chacha picked up on it immediately though. It speaks to his experience with life and his acceptance of his own mortality. I wish I could meet you guys. So much wisdom and experience. I would love to buy all of you a cup of tea and just be friends.
The lead vocalist, Layne Staley, was literally dying from drug withdrawals when he did this show. He was so sick, he couldn't do it until he got a little bit of the drug.
He was high singing. He was sick before it started. I was a heroin addict for 12 years. He 100% is not sick here. With his habit he wouldnt be able to perform sick.
@@anguishedcarpet ok I am not going to edit my comment and I knew someone was going to try to debate me. Yes, you can die from heroin withdrawal. However, my point is that it is not as life threatening as benzo withdrawal. If you stop drinking water while withdrawal and become dehydrated due to excessive vomiting, yes, you can die. My point is, you can not die if you do not get heroin during withdrawal. You'll be uncomfortable, but it is not a sure death sentence. You can did if you do not receive benzos/alcohol during withdrawal, and those require tapering. I hope this is easier to grasp.
It’s so cool to see someone from another culture give a review of this song, and how there are so many universal truths in music/emotion. Thanks for the review gentleman! I really enjoyed watching it.
Alice in Chains is my favorite band to this day. They became my favorite band when I picked up Facelift and it hasn't changed . I am very glad that the band I love so much has now been heard by the fine folks from such a far away place and touched their hearts, surely as mine was so many years ago.
Their reaction was heartbreaking and amazingly insightful even before they understood the lyrics. What a connection to the soul and human spirit these men displayed. Truly inspiring. I cried watching and I’m still crying writing this.
Man this a tough & deep video. It amazes me how universal the human condition can be, with thousands of miles & great cultural differences between us & them they still broadly understood what the song was about. Wish Layne himself could see this....
"Because if on doesn't have controll over his body and thought it's better they die and live in the afterlife" there is actually real emapthy in this statement that is really peaceful
Man this guy does such a good job of explaining things to his brothers I wish you could explain the backstory of just this performance and what he was going through because the guy hits the nail on the head saying I don't feel any joy in his voice and he doesn't even know the words to the song
I want to thank you for this video, I NEVER thought I would see these two cultures brought together and I have to say it was TRULY interesting and inspiring to see there teactions and opions, I believe they get it and understand what Layne was singing about, they might not have cared for it necessarily but they were respectful.I.have been a fan of AiC since the very beginning it's nice seeing Layne still inspiring and continuing to make new fans. AiC with Layne will always be my favorite, It's sad we lost the guy. It would be even cooler to have seen him to continue with new music, but I'm afraid Layne was too broken and fractured to get clean. I think he had too many "yes men" who fed the flame. I share the same birthday with Layne, the same age. 4 yrs ago on my birthday I got clean, so every year from here out I remember him as well. Again, thank you....
This is one of the best episodes you've done. This is how it is with the people we worship here we watch them and idolize them and they sacrifice everything they are. It's all an illusion. And he speaks about it right in front of our faces while we watch him become less and less of a person until he's gone. All while his fans take their eyes away from God. Sad😢
I have to say that I sincerely enjoy watching your videos, especially this one. To watch your friends faces while experiencing music and listening to their own philosophies is so interesting, especially from a different culture. It’s truly amazing the effect that music has on people around the world 🌎
Back in the 1990s MTV had the Unplugged series and this was my favorite performance of them all. I really like another culture is moved by Layne Staley and his music. You should listen to a band called Mad Season who is a band he was part of. His music was written while he was in rehabilitation and it speaks of the inner struggle he faced trying to get away from the drugs.
To my understanding the “misprinted lies” were likely referring to rumors spoken of him by tabloid newspapers, which was a major invasion of privacy for many celebrities in that era. This is also eluded to earlier when Layne mentions his privacy feeling invaded and sifted through, it was not uncommon for paparazzi to go into famous people’s dumpsters to gather information to publish for the masses to speculate on.
I appreciated the comments of the elders. They were very astute in their review and able to relate. Their description of the songs meaning were profound. I enjoyed your review
Amazing band, Laynes vocals were amazing especially when he really let rip. Then you combine it with Jerry's harmonised vocals brilliant. A favourite for me was the song "I Stay Away". Really unique musically and tonally with serious shifts in mood and atmosphere, Laynes vocals change accordingly.
the fact that these people come from a completely different background from the band but able to be discuss open-mindedly is so amazing to me. what a great video
Layne Staley is the lead singer's name. Right before he walked out on stage to perform this song, he was in the backstage shooting up heroin. :( This band is what we call a grunge band. Alice in Chains is considered one of the best bands of their time.
and he was literally dying at that time and knew It, I believe. He covered up things on his body that he didn't want people to see as he was just deteriorating . So sad! He is one of my favorite singers of all time!
If it makes you feel better, it’s not to get high. It’s just so he could actually perform and not get sick. There’s pretty much no more getting “high” at that stage. If he hadn’t, all you would’ve seen is a man shaking, sweating, trembling to death. Unable to speak.
I'm watching this as I can't stop thinking about a friend of mine who recently made an attempt on his life. He's at the end of his rope and I just don't know what to do. This subject breaks my heart. Though I appreciate you bringing more perspectives on it.
Cool idea for content. Music crosses what seems like cultural and language barriers. I love watching their faces as they experience all the same things I experienced in listening to this song, deciphering its meaning and learning about LS tragic end. All too relatable human experiences
I appreciate the openness of the discussion and the cultural exchange. These gentlemen appear to be the path to peace. We need more like them from all cultures. No culture is the correct culture for all people but all people should live and let live within their own cultures in peace.
If I can't be my own, I'd feel better dead. That has stayed true to me since I was a child, and I still hold those lyrics close to my heart. I've carried the weight of pain my whole life, even when I've let it go and moved on, it's found its way back to me and has followed me like a ghost haunting me, as if it can't let go. Living in a world where society has set a standard and bar that's simply materialistic, selfish, greedy, obsurd and unbearable, violating us and forcing their tyranny upon us, raping us of our true selves, and raking through our life as if they own us. I know the time will come when my path will end, but at least it'll be on my terms, my own free will.
There’s not much we retain control over in our lives, but that is one of them. I understand. It’s been important for me to remember that inaction (of finality) and action (of the job and more earthly matters) under duress is itself a decision of control, and it’s helped me survive military service. I hope for peace for all of us.
I am bipolar and have struggled struggled struggled w/depression and mania all my life. Up to this day, right? From childhood on. There are so many people who feel the way you described; l think more of us are underground because dealing w/ ordinary people is next to impossible. I hope you are able to take care of yourself by talking through or writing through or painting through or anything else that helps relieve the pain. Don’t hurt yourself. Do something to develop insight into your particular experience. Keep writing. I truly wish you peace. Try to breathe deeply and slowly when you need to calm down. These are small things but they might help. Some days stuff works, some days not.
I have bipolar disorder 2 which means I have longer more intense episodes of depression and my mania episodes are not as frequent nor as intense. What you wrote resonates with me. I have battled with emotional pain and depression since I was a young child and I can never seem to get away from it for very long. It follows me around like a ghost and haunts me even now at the age of 59 years old. It's a curse that will follow me all the way to my grave.
I am surprised that no one mentioned that Layne was very very high on drugs for this performance. He barely made it through it. Which is part of the reason he seems so emotionless in his demeanor. He was fixated on staying upright and getting through the show.
"Friends don't let friend get "Friends" haircuts" is what the sticker says. "Friends" was a popular TV sitcom in the 1990s that was one of those social divide things. I was in high school and the snobby rich kids were all into the show and their fashion reflected it. Basically if you were an underdog or a cool kid it was your job to prevent the ones you cared about from trying to look like the characters from the snobby jerks' favorite tv show.
It was also a joke between them and Metallica, who were in the crowd. A playful jab at them after they cut off their hair during the Load and Reload era.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Someone described this song (especially the unplugged version) as ''a man singing at his own funeral''. Truly one of their best songs, heartbreaking.
I heard that about pretty much every song in the unplugged show
That really is the comment. I showed this to a grand parent of mine and they were quite impressed and felt the sadness. I think that’s what makes AIC so well received in the 20’s especially.
His cry out for help
Never answered
@@edgrindstaff9615He was the one who couldn't help himself. He had people who supported him and wanted to help. Addicts are their own worst enemy
@@RamesesBolton wrong. stop lying. he was literally 2 weeks alone in his home playing video games. ppl didnt care about him his last month
"He is singing in silence, there is no joy in his voice" and now I'm crying.
Seriously I saw the thumbnail and thought oh cool this'll be interesting then when he said he knew this song was about loss I started bawling
Crazy that he summarized the lyrics without understanding the language
@Gridironwarplans this channel honestly touches on a big big part of what humanity is
I know there are some cultures that have totally juxtaposed perceptions of things, but at the end of the day we're all experiencing this phenomenon of life through the lense of human consciousness
The Old Arab Man In The Yellow Hat has got the wisdom, he sees the truth of the song without cultural context or even understanding the words!
Damn,.... what a quote.....
The fact that they can’t understand the lyrics but still understand that the song is about something very dark and sad is fascinating. Music is truly a universal language.
That's why Layne Staley is the greatest of all time he can bring all those emotions and bring the darkest crap along with him but yet make it beautiful in the same sense.
Thats music, brother. It knows no boundaries. Anyone can feel the emotion and intent of music. If only we could just all come together...
They're literally translating it in the video. He's telling them what he's saying.
@@plexusyou didn't watch the whole video did you?
The song is in D minor, the saddest key.
"Its more like he is singing in silence, I dont feel any joy in his voice whatsoever" That man nailed it. Suffering in silence is what Layne Stayley was doing in life. So heartbreaking
He wasn’t given the skills to suffer with others and that’s okay.
The elder gentleman’s poem contains the exact same message and feeling as this song nutshell. Amazing.
As the other man said "someone should keep an eye on him". He is also the one that most rationalized/understood the suicide part.
I thought this as well. Spot-on.
@@thegoodlord6518 yeah I’d like to think he’s just able to relate given his personal experience and age. Hopefully that’s the extent of it and nothing to worry about. Not sure about his faith because I don’t follow this channel that thoroughly but maybe it’s something that while he may ponder like everyone at some point does, isn’t an option in his view.
I like how you guys delve into music!!!
It proves how timeless music really is and how everyone all over the world loves and appreciates it!!!
@@londonmmcIslamic prayer caps, so … muslims.
The elderly man with the white hat, red vest and blue shirt broke into tears when he was told how Layne died and that this was his goodbye song.
What an incrediblly, warm, loving person.
Your empathy does not go unnoticed.
Sending love and blessings to all on this panel.
"May you have many, long joyful days and many sweet, pleasant nights"
Isn't he just a gem?
I agree 💜 humans can be so beautiful to each other if they try
Yeah, when he started crying, I couldn't help but start quietly weeping myself. This is one of my favorite bands and the song really describes this sort of depression so well. I need to listen to it for cathartic, controlled release of sadness.
I cried too
This man had a powerful impact on me as well….tears
"His singing is very much different than everyone else"
You got that right.
The gentleman with the white beard has so much empathy and depth to his soul. He saw right through into Layne's life and what he was singing about, watching the video with such intensity as if he was right there with him.
Yeah, it's crazy that this was probably his one and only instance in hearing Alice 'n Chains and he already knew, right off the rip, just how high Layne Staley's octave range could actually go in his comment that "he could go much higher but he isn't"
That's a man who's seen a thing or two in his day. Sometimes in the west, we get the idea that depression, addiction, and sad endings are more prevalent here, but guys like him are an indicator that it's a problem everywhere and in every culture, no matter where you go.
Exactly his interpretation was so good
He’s incredible.
Halfway through the first verse of The Chain by Fleetwood Mac he stopped and mentioned something must be wrong between the man and the woman singing (Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham).
I don't know how this video got suggested for me, but I am glad it did. While I come from a very different background from these gentlemen, I find their reactions and wisdom to be incredibly powerful. I wish each of us could have such candid and thoughtful conversations about life with friends. Well done.
Same here brother
Ditto.
these men their take/description are pretty spot on. They felt all of that and didn't understand a single lyric until later. the power of music. I really liked the religious comparison. reminded me of the scene in "enemy mine" when the human noted the aliens bible sounded a lot like ours. the alien simply responded "because it's truth". great reaction video.
💯 Agreed
This is easily one of my favorite channels. I adore these guys. If the channel reads this, please tell these men that USA loves them!!
I tell people all the time, this is the best song I’ve found that perfectly describes what depression truly feels like. It’s not just sadness. It’s an inescapable emptiness.
Down in a hole too
@@mdhall04 down in a hole is my favorite Alice In Chains song. I love almost all of them and I think ones like got me wrong and I stay away are a little underrated but down in a hole is my favorite
@@thehorrorhound6575 I think angry chair is one of my favorites
Dave Matthew's band has a song called GreyStreet and the lyrics of that song epitomize depression more than any other song. In my honest opinion.
@@mdhall04~ the opening bass guitar riff on Angry Chair is one of my favorite guitar bits of all time!
I wish that everyone treated art and music with such respect and interest as these men. Made me truly so happy to see.
@@AnonOmous-lj1qn You're no better.
Very nicely, said.....
This reaction brought tears to my eyes. The gentlemen were so very respectful in their replies and so very spot on with understanding. Thank you for another GREAT reaction.
Me too 😢 👍 Thank you
I am sobbing right now. Grown man, sobbing like a toddler. This is powerful stuff. These people are so understanding about human suffering and how universal it is.
That was such a deep conversation on existentialism. I loved all their wisdom.
Watching these men interpret the meaning of the song without initially knowing anything about Layne brings tears to my eyes. These men have such compassion and feeling and are sensitive to another man’s suffering, it’s beautiful to see and gives me hope that people care. God bless you.
I've been a fan of Alice in Chains since the early 90s. I've seen them five times in concert and it never gets old. Let me see if I can help with a little bit of detail.
These men were practically brothers. At least one of them had been homeless for a time. The singer was brought in last, all of them wanted him to join but he kept declining. So they purposefully auditioned the absolute *worst* singers they could until he said, "fine, okay, I'll join!" because he couldn't believe how bad these other guys were.
They cared about each other. Their original bassist also died from a drug overdose (his name was Mike Starr). Then when Staley also died, they wrote a whole album as a farewell, thinking - this is it, the band is done. They poured their anger and grief and confusion into it. The most heart-wrenching song was "Black Gives Way To Blue," which they even got Elton John to help them. (More below after this bit.)
It was such a hit with their fans, they kept going. They have released three albums since Staley's death, and every concert, they honor the two men they lost. "There are six members of this band," they say, even though you only see four. As far as they're concerned, Starr and Staley are with them on stage, even today.
I could tell so many stories about the living members of the band, the pain the two deceased men went through, but it is most important to know that even now today they still consider these men their brothers.
(In regards to Elton John: they wanted a piano for the song, and they are big fans of Elton John - the guitarist especially. They decided to ask if he'd be willing to record a track on the keyboard for them.
Not only did he accept, but he flew one of his classic personal pianos to their recording studio, played it *with* them instead of just recording a track, and added his own backup vocals. It is a truly haunting and beautiful goodbye to beloved friends, and if you listen closely you can hear Elton singing one of the harmonies. I recommend.)
Much love,
A Giant Alice In Chains Fan
Damn I love them but I’ve not listened to anything they made after Layne died, I’ll definitely have to give at least that song a listen
Very nicely put. Alice forever❤
BGWTB always makes me cry...
wow, didn't know these details, thanks. Much love to you too!
Thank you so much for sharing this ❤
This video was found completely out of the blue. An amazing, unexpected video. It's hard to describe. It's amazing how seemingly different people understand the language of music. How wise and sensible they are. Thank you. This is definitely a very special video.
I love their views on all these songs, it's not just their reactions... it's also learning how their culture and society itself would view the song's lyrics and meanings, as opposed to a Westerner's cultural views.
In this particular case it seems the message is somewhat universal.
Exactly 💯. Makes me FEEL and APPRECIATE difference SOOO much. Beauty ❤
I really enjoyed their interpretations.
I was really drawn to the gentleman in yellow reaction/interpretation.
I wanted to keep hearing more from him.
He connected with the song and also opened up about his own difficulties and connected with Layne's lyrics
They noticed all the red flags Layne was displaying. Please show them another song but from an album so they can hear his full strength voice.
River of deceit from Mad Season would be a good listen after listening to something like Would, Rooster or something else from the dirt album. Laynes voice was and still is unmatched in my opinion.
Love Hate Love Live at the Moore is a great example of his voice back in the healthier days
@@ZomGoat8 but try explaining those lyrics...
@@ZomGoat8bad idea.
Down in a Hole from the same Unplugged set is pretty solid.
The white-beard man wrote a poem after being touched by music. Isn't that fantastic? The power of music is boundless!
Excellent song choice. It's moving to see how well everyone understood it. I think Layne would have appreciated their reactions.
"His voice and his expressions dont radiate any hope or joy in them". Mr. Riaz just NAILED why ive always related to this song so viscerally.
The Unplugged show in 1996 is so heartbreaking to watch because he was deep in his heroin addiction (and yes, I know he was doing other drugs on top of Heroin). His liver was damaged from the years of drug use and he knew it. He was just high enough to do the show to deal with the withdrawal symptoms and so he didn't get dope sick. He was such a ghost of himself during Unplugged. (Of course, Jerry had food poisoning) All Jerry saw when he looked over at Layne was his best friend was going to die soon due to the path Layne had chosen for his life. That show was filmed in April 1996, premiered in May 1996. They did four shows with KISS in June-July 1996, after which Layne survived an overdose and became a recluse. After that, it was a 6-year-long slow suicide.
On Unplugged, Scott Olson was the second guitarist. He was there to boost the guitar sound on the stage.
Layne was better Live than the studio version. LOVE HATE LOVE live at the Moore in December 1990 is UNTOUCHABLE PERFECTION performed live by a rock band. Other rock bands should strive to have a live performance that perfect.
Layne Staley's vocal range can run rings around any other grunge singer in my opinion. Layne could sing the phone book and never hit a wrong note. Even at the end of his life, with no teeth and a lisp, his voice, wit and humor were all still there. Layne's voice and vocal range were so powerful he did NOT need auto tune or pro-tools until he lost his teeth and had a lisp around 1998, and even then he still killed the vocals. (He started losing his teeth in 1995 due to grinding)
Barrett Martin (who played with Layne in Mad Season) said that when he stood to the side of the stage, he could hear the sound of Layne's vocal resonance come out of Layne's body LOUDER than it did coming out of the speakers, Layne's voice was that powerful.
I'm in the camp of No Layne/No Chains, because no matter which singer you put up there to sing those songs, it'll only be a cover. Layne had a unique voice you cannot replicate or replace. A lot of those songs were great because Layne pretty much wrung his entire soul out singing them, others were personal to Layne and to have someone else sing those, the songs lose their meaning because the new guy didn't go through the ordeals those songs are inspired by.
William DuVall singing THEM BONES on the 2006 reunion tsunami gig.... William DOES NOT have the power in his voice that Layne had especially for that song. Maynard James Keenan could get remotely close to Layne's vocal range for that song (and many others). And Maynard would have the reverence for Layne's memory, he was friends with Layne, he KNEW Layne, had a history with Layne, and saw what Layne went through from Lollapalooza 93 until Layne became a recluse. Besides, Maynard already had 3 bands going on, why not join a fourth band?
He 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 neither one worked 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 (minus the John Lennon cover song I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier) and he drew the cover art for the album.
NUTSHELL was about how magazines like FOR EXAMPLE Rolling Stone only reported on Layne's addiction as if that were the only thing that defined the band as well as Layne's depression.
Rolling Stone magazine has some unknown thing to do with the Hall of Fame, and after what Rolling Stone did to Layne and the band in the 1996 The Needle and the Damage Done article ("Oh no, it will be about the music" "Oh yeah, the band's picture will be on the cover" turns out it was only Layne on the cover and the article focused on Layne's addiction -- which Layne DID NOT want to happen -- and everything going wrong internally with the band.) that pissed off AIC management and the entire band to the point they threatened to kick the writer, Jon Weiderhorn's ass over it. I don't see Rolling Stone chomping at the bit to vote AIC into the Hall of Fame. Although if they do finally get in with William as the singer and NOT Layne. I'm going to be pissed.
As far back as late 1992, Rolling Stone has personally had a bone to pick with Layne Staley, even though I can name a dozen bands who wrote about drugs in their lyrics that Rolling Stone never cared to target before or after Layne came along. Layne’s mentioned Rolling Stone hounding him in passing to Riki Rachtman during the New Orleans episode of Headbanger’s Ball in late 1992 when Layne and Mike Starr tour New Orleans and a Voodoo museum with Riki back then.
There were other magazines and "reporters" BEFORE 1996 that hounded Layne over his drug addiction. Rolling Stone wasn't the only rag mag to do it. Spin Magazine and many other tabloid music mags only wanted to focus on Layne's addiction. It's why they stopped doing interviews for the longest time, and after the 1996 Rolling Stone interview, they closed ranks and as far as I know, while Layne was alive they never granted another interview. They DID do Rockline in 1998 (Layne called in while Jerry was promoting his Boggy Depot solo album) and 1999 (when the band was promoting Nothing Safe and the Music Bank box set). But for the most part, they closed ranks around each other.
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.
Even though the music industry would like to have written him out of history, Layne DID exist. He was on this earth for 34 years. In that time he 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, his depression, and the tumultuous relationship with his former fiancee Demri. 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 music rag mags like Rolling Stone were concerned he’s just another addicted singer. They don’t want to acknowledge his contributions to music.
Layne Staley WASN'T just some rock star junkie. HE DESERVED BETTER than what he received from the people around him who he thought mattered. He wrote about drugs, his addiction, what he was feeling and what he was going through with maturity and knowledge well beyond his years. He didn’t deserve to be turned into tabloid cannon fodder by the press.
I remember a show in London on February 26, 1993 where a reporter who was based in London wrote about a concert they did in another part of Europe and got Mike Inez confused with Mike Starr. Layne got on the microphone between them finishing HATE TO FEEL and beginning ANGRY CHAIR and said, "I want to say um, I want to say hello to the guy who wrote the review on the show a few weeks back. You’re in London - an enemy. I want to introduce our bass player, MIKE INEZ, not Mike Starr, you fucking idiot! Fuck that prick! Fuck the press! We’re not playing for the fucking press, all right?”
"Layne was just an incomparable talent. He was like a fucking myna bird. Any accent or sound or voice, he could just immediately repeat it. He just had a gift. And I’d like to think that I have a bit of a gift myself. One of the funniest descriptions I’ve ever heard, and I don’t know that it’s true, but it just sounds fucking great, was we sound like “the satanic Everly Brothers.” Together we were kind of a two-headed monster. It added a lot of depth to the material the way we worked together." -- Jerry Cantrell (Noisey, June 7, 2018)
My Top 20 AIC songs... Love Hate Love (Live at the Moore, December 1990...Layne Staley in his prime and is UNTOUCHABLE PERFECTION performed live by a rock band. All other rock bands should strive to have a live performance this perfect), Man in the Box (Live at Weedsport, NY 1991 - the Layne’s Pissed Version...though the original version may be better to react to, because Weedsport was during Clash of the Titans tour where Slayer fans were giving the band crap and Layne got pissed and changed the lyrics), Bleed the Freak (Live at the Moore, December 1990), It Ain’t Like That (if you need a video use Singles Pro Shot video), Queen of the Rodeo (Live in Dallas, TX 1990), Real Thing (Live ANYWHERE), Them Bones, God Smack (Live at Hollywood Rock, 1993), Grind, Again, No Excuses, Brush Away, Frogs, Sludge Factory (During MTV Unplugged 1996, Layne screwed up the 2nd verse like 8 times, though the show only included one of those times), What the Hell Have I, God Am, Got Me Wrong, Swing On This, Social Parasite, We Die Young
Well said and I wholeheartedly agree on the Love Hate Love performance.
Such a moving comment. Copying to read again later. This band was on my cd player constantly in the 90’s. So hard to listen to now. Remembering my own depth of pain and identifying with the pain in his voice.
Damn... I never knew all this.
Love this comment. Appreciate the quotes, and insights.
Complete aside: I have been listening to Nutshell for a while, for some cathartic crying because depression doesn't always let you blow off that emotion. You just resolve to suffer it on the inside. I have felt like a dead man walking since I was 17 or so, just grasping for strands of joy. It got to the point that I couldn't leave my room, and it destroyed the 8 year relationship I had with probably the best s/o I've ever had, because I couldn't fight to be okay anymore. We bonded over music, including AiC specifically. He was from a place you mention here: Weedsport, NY. It's silly but I'm just amazed how sometimes these small things pull me back into some connection with what I feel when I just think I'm mindlessly scrolling through things.
But also why Weedsport? It's such little town😅
@@PrettyH8Mach1n3 Weedport, NY just happened to be the town that the Clash of the Titans tour (with Megadeth/Anthrax/Slayer/AIC went through at the time...before that, the Clash of the Titans tour was overseas with Megadeth, Slayer, Testament and Suicidal Tendencies on the bill)
I can't listen to this song without getting choked up. The unplugged version just about guts me every time. Considering how he died, its just a tragic reminder of how fragile and alone some of us are.
Agreed. Tears in my eyes now.
Same, I really can't listen to it without welling up a bit.
Yeah very few songs get me to that point but this one gets me the most.
Opiates are like no other.
There are only a few songs that hit me like this
i think la mer by nine inch nails is also one of the saddest songs i've ever heard as the story behind it is also tragic
If I could go back in time to see one live performance, that would be the one. The group hadn't played a concert together in over two years due to Layne's addiction. The band normally played much louder electric instruments, so this show was a quieter and more intimate concert with acoustic instruments. They made some mistakes and had to re-start some songs until they got a good recording, but that just showed how raw and unfiltered the music that night was. Thank you so much for sharing that performance with people who might otherwise never have heard it.
I agree either this or a prime Pantera concert
agreed
I love live music for that reason. The mistakes are human. The communication between band mates and audience is a social discussion.
This is so cool. Even these guys know Layne hits different...
The way these gentlemen are breaking this down without even knowing anything about AIC or Layne or the history, has got me all teared up here this morning. Damn man.
My favorite AIC song... so spectacular to watch these men react to the universal language that is music. Layne was one of the best ever, 20+ years later his voice is still ringing loud.
Didn’t think I’d start the morning off with a cry, but here we are, hope you found peace Layne.
i have great respect for you all embracing other cultures and understanding, if we all spent time trying to understand others the world would be a better place.
If we could put aside the nonsense of race, nation, politics and different religious view points (I'm a Christian) then yes it would be a better place.
I can literally feel their empathy. Bless you guys.
One of the smartest things Layne ever said in an interview was when he was asked about the meaning of a particular song, I can’t remember which. He told the interviewer, “Whatever YOU think the song is about, THAT’S what it’s about, man.”
Layne understood that in art, you need to leave the door open to interpretation. This way everyone has a chance to relate to a song in their own way.
I can listen to AIC songs and see references to his struggles with drugs. I’ve never personally had a drug problem. So I more enjoy finding my own meaning in song lyrics as they can relate to my own struggles and such.
One song isn’t necessarily intended to represent one single thing. Most art, and I’d argue most GOOD art, is intended to be interpreted in myriad ways. This is why surrealism speaks to so many people.
@@tjassemartins9397 💯
I love their points of view, they were quick to realize what the song was about, Alice in Chains is a band that gets me through tough moments, I loved their reaction
Song brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it. Layne was an amazing singer. RIP
even the one tribal dude wiped tears after learning about the death.
[And songwriter]
"The only place we can call home is six feet under the ground."
What a line. ❤😢
Probably one of my favorite videos ever and I’m not just saying that. Truly timeless music is music that can resonate with anyone from any culture. A white guy from Washington who passed away over 20 years ago and sang this song nearly 30 years ago making people on the other side of the world who he’s never met understand who he was. With just one song. This is the human experience in a NUTSHELL
Honestly never thought we’d see so much coverage on this scale. As a 57 yr old who loves old grunge and you guys this is truly special.
I enjoy seeing the reactions from everyone, but to hear the poem written due to the health issue by sir Abdul Aziz that was trying to be hidden? Such amazing wisdom. Thank you for these videos. With much love and admiration, from America!
Also, Alice in Chains is one of the best groups that writes songs about life's challenges. Bless each and every one of you!
I love how at 4:55 he's like bro, why did you pause it??
Thanks for including his cause of death, I remember really loving his music because it gave a voice to the deepest sadness and despair I felt as a younger person, but finding out how he and others like Bradley Nowell died, I was determined to find a lighter, more hopeful side of life. A terrible tragedy that we all can learn from lives on in this music. Glad ya'll reacted to this , much thanks to all of you
It's so cool to see the guy was inspired to write a poem. It shows how creativity translates between creative people in strong influence.
The spoken word of music is very powerful. If you listen to music enough it can inspire alot of creativity.
Such an amazing reaction 👏🏻
I'm a big AIC fan and this song brings back some feelings. Many thanks 🙏🏻
"he is singing in silence." is such a profound way of describing a someone expressing sorrow and depression
One of the most beautiful, haunting pieces of music.
It's amazing how they picked up all of the red flags within the first verse. You need to show them more Alice in chains so they can truly understand Layne Staley through more than one song.
I think they read him like a book
I'd love to see what I consider Layne, if not aic's most hopeful sounding song; River of Deceit.
Awesome. I love how the interviewer gains a proper understanding of the songs and encourages such depth of conversation. This channel is something special.
What I appreciate most about this video is the time they took to understand the song, it's meaning and the man behind it. The interviewer let them speak fully and did not interject his thoughts. They had great empathy for this true art and gave it the attention and respect it deserves. In a 'Nutshell' that's the problem we have in the United States, everything is 10 second videos and flash headlines, we don't take the time to meditate on anything for an extended period. We have become superficial and ignorant.
I remember watching this unplugged when it came out with friends and the philosophical discussions we had following about the performances. It was truly a different era. The fact of how things have become so instamatic and superficial sadens me. 😢
I agree that losing one’s parents leaves a void which can not and should not be filled.
I love that these guys are open minded enough to take their time and use it to understand something as foreign to them as Alice In Chain. That is commendable. We should all do this with other cultures. The beautiful thing here is that, even without understanding the lyrics, they got the emotion right that Layne was trying to get across. Music can be universal. It is the closest thing to magic there is in this world. Super interesting.
When Adnan (I think?) mentioned that it looked like they were all attending a funeral, so spot on. I’ve read so many statements about this unplugged over the years and so many have said that it was as if though Layne was performing at his own funeral.
I love this channel !! The simple, yet very profound, way these guys give their take on song topics, is so beautiful... we tend to forget how logical life sometimes is, for example when he said about Laynes line "if i cant be my own i feel better dead" - he said, "he shouldnt talk like that, instead he should pick himself up, see what led him to these mistakes and this kind of life, and try to change it and be better" ❤
They don't even know what Lane is saying, yet they can see and hear his sadness. Lacking joy and hope. I truly appreciate your channel.
I love how you guys delve into music!!!
It shows how timeless it is and how people all over the world have appreciation for it!!!
Lots of love
I really appreciate the more serious and thoughtful manner the reactions are done here for this song.
Each person reacted individually yet had much in common.
How Layne died is very sad.
It wasnt explained but he spent years descending into his addiction as it destroyed everything in his life. 😢
Contrast this with the absolute power of Layne's voice in "Love Hate Love" live from some years earlier. That was an incredible performance.
And Jerry Cantrell was really rocking out on the guitar too.
After thinking more about it, some of the lyrics in that song may not be appropriate for this channel. But another earlier song, "Them Bones", studio version, also showcases Layne's earlier super-powerful singing ability.
...And he sang then about the same thing as in "Nutshell": That he feels so alone, that he is just going to end up a pile of bones.
If you listen to the last song he did it was a cover of another brick in the wall pt 2 for the movie faculty but man you can tell he's missing teeth because he has a bit of a lisp
@@bnbcraft6666
That was a terrible rendition.
@@daniellewatson8352 i only listen to it because Laynes soft lispy voice is kind of haunting in a way
These guys are so full of wisdom. I always enjoy watching them I learn something every time. We do well to teach each other and learn.
These men Are good! They expressed how he is singing with no joy, they know he is good but could be better, they understand sadness in his voice, it's amazing!
If I walked into a coffee shop and saw these guys sitting and having this conversation I would think they are having a conversation about the highest levels of enlightenment. Then I'd hear "Alice in Chains" "Nutshell".... and be satisfied knowing I was right.
Nice. 👍
Sadness, depression and hopelessness is a universal human emotion. One might not know the lyrics themselves, but through the vibes and emotion itself one can tell what the message is about
This is why we should visit and talk to elders as much as possible. Their insights and wisdom 😢 damn!
How awesome that there's a channel that highlights this kind of stuff, more particularly, my favorite band and singer of all time.
Beautiful!!!
You are still missed Layne
The oldest fella gets it first try and has a poem about the same subject. Well, I guess I'm impressed.
The reaction of the man in dark blue, when hearing Layne’s story, is very touching…human compassion
What an absolutely beautiful reaction from these gentlemen. They expressed so much depth and understanding ❤
Alice in Chains is still to the day the best band I have ever seen live, I got to see them with Lane Staley a couple times and it was amazing. RIP Layne Staley
This is one of the greatest reaction video's on yt. Took me through all kinds of emotions and thoughts. Internally and about the world in general.
They understood his state of mind before knowing the subject matter or anything about Layne himself. Music is amazing in that way. And their comments were very insightful. I agree that it would be interesting to see their perspective on an AIC performance where Layne was healthy.
As a lifelong AIC fan videos like this are incredibly fascinating, that people from such a different walk of life can appreciate Layne's voice and lyrics is an amazing thing to see. We're not so different after all.
Alice in Chains are awesome, thanks for sharing our Trybal friends!
The fact that he was on H the whole time is crazy. What a special person in time we lost. #layne.
I really love this episode. I grew up with this song and it helped me through some very difficult times in my life, and to hear how these people interpret it through their experiences and discussion is so intriguing.
He said it spot on when he said true friends would have kept a closer watch on him.He was found dead after two weeks!
Some people are only here for a short time💔 but the impact is what counts...sure I wish Layne was here as I wish many were💔
Your videos are wonderful. Thank you all for sharing your wisdom and thank you Adnan for organising and translating everything. Please don't listen to complainers who don't appreciate all your hard work - as Parvati said once, you can't please everyone!
Great interpretation of the song once again brother. While it doesn’t make the sound or the song any more sad. Everyone picked up on it. Chacha picked up on it immediately though. It speaks to his experience with life and his acceptance of his own mortality. I wish I could meet you guys. So much wisdom and experience. I would love to buy all of you a cup of tea and just be friends.
MUSIC !! The universal communicator that transcends language and culture.. how beautiful. We love you Layne...we shed tears for your suffering...
The lead vocalist, Layne Staley, was literally dying from drug withdrawals when he did this show. He was so sick, he couldn't do it until he got a little bit of the drug.
He was high singing. He was sick before it started. I was a heroin addict for 12 years. He 100% is not sick here. With his habit he wouldnt be able to perform sick.
Layne shot up before going on stage. He was suffering from withdrawals before the show but was able to get some Heroin delivered
You don't die from heroin Withdrawal. He was dying from heroin use. You can due from alcohol and benzo withdrawal
@@AnAdorableWombat1heroin withdrawal can def kill you
@@anguishedcarpet ok I am not going to edit my comment and I knew someone was going to try to debate me. Yes, you can die from heroin withdrawal. However, my point is that it is not as life threatening as benzo withdrawal. If you stop drinking water while withdrawal and become dehydrated due to excessive vomiting, yes, you can die. My point is, you can not die if you do not get heroin during withdrawal. You'll be uncomfortable, but it is not a sure death sentence. You can did if you do not receive benzos/alcohol during withdrawal, and those require tapering. I hope this is easier to grasp.
It’s so cool to see someone from another culture give a review of this song, and how there are so many universal truths in music/emotion. Thanks for the review gentleman! I really enjoyed watching it.
Alice in Chains is my favorite band to this day. They became my favorite band when I picked up Facelift and it hasn't changed . I am very glad that the band I love so much has now been heard by the fine folks from such a far away place and touched their hearts, surely as mine was so many years ago.
They seem to have that effect on millions. Transcendent
My dude, check out the Howard Jones era of Killswitch Engage. 🤟
Their reaction was heartbreaking and amazingly insightful even before they understood the lyrics. What a connection to the soul and human spirit these men displayed. Truly inspiring. I cried watching and I’m still crying writing this.
Man this a tough & deep video. It amazes me how universal the human condition can be, with thousands of miles & great cultural differences between us & them they still broadly understood what the song was about. Wish Layne himself could see this....
"Because if on doesn't have controll over his body and thought it's better they die and live in the afterlife" there is actually real emapthy in this statement that is really peaceful
Man this guy does such a good job of explaining things to his brothers I wish you could explain the backstory of just this performance and what he was going through because the guy hits the nail on the head saying I don't feel any joy in his voice and he doesn't even know the words to the song
I want to thank you for this video, I NEVER thought I would see these two cultures brought together and I have to say it was TRULY interesting and inspiring to see there teactions and opions, I believe they get it and understand what Layne was singing about, they might not have cared for it necessarily but they were respectful.I.have been a fan of AiC since the very beginning it's nice seeing Layne still inspiring and continuing to make new fans.
AiC with Layne will always be my favorite, It's sad we lost the guy. It would be even cooler to have seen him to continue with new music, but I'm afraid Layne was too broken and fractured to get clean.
I think he had too many "yes men" who fed the flame.
I share the same birthday with Layne, the same age.
4 yrs ago on my birthday I got clean, so every year from here out I remember him as well.
Again, thank you....
This is one of the best episodes you've done. This is how it is with the people we worship here we watch them and idolize them and they sacrifice everything they are. It's all an illusion. And he speaks about it right in front of our faces while we watch him become less and less of a person until he's gone. All while his fans take their eyes away from God. Sad😢
I have to say that I sincerely enjoy watching your videos, especially this one. To watch your friends faces while experiencing music and listening to their own philosophies is so interesting, especially from a different culture. It’s truly amazing the effect that music has on people around the world 🌎
Back in the 1990s MTV had the Unplugged series and this was my favorite performance of them all. I really like another culture is moved by Layne Staley and his music. You should listen to a band called Mad Season who is a band he was part of. His music was written while he was in rehabilitation and it speaks of the inner struggle he faced trying to get away from the drugs.
To my understanding the “misprinted lies” were likely referring to rumors spoken of him by tabloid newspapers, which was a major invasion of privacy for many celebrities in that era. This is also eluded to earlier when Layne mentions his privacy feeling invaded and sifted through, it was not uncommon for paparazzi to go into famous people’s dumpsters to gather information to publish for the masses to speculate on.
Alice in Chains one of the best bands of all time and THE best band from the 90s!
I appreciated the comments of the elders. They were very astute in their review and able to relate. Their description of the songs meaning were profound. I enjoyed your review
Amazing band, Laynes vocals were amazing especially when he really let rip. Then you combine it with Jerry's harmonised vocals brilliant.
A favourite for me was the song "I Stay Away". Really unique musically and tonally with serious shifts in mood and atmosphere, Laynes vocals change accordingly.
the fact that these people come from a completely different background from the band but able to be discuss open-mindedly is so amazing to me. what a great video
Layne Staley is the lead singer's name. Right before he walked out on stage to perform this song, he was in the backstage shooting up heroin. :( This band is what we call a grunge band. Alice in Chains is considered one of the best bands of their time.
Excuse me….what?!?
@@markpr73Almost sounds like a bot or AI
and he was literally dying at that time and knew It, I believe. He covered up things on his body that he didn't want people to see as he was just deteriorating . So sad! He is one of my favorite singers of all time!
If it makes you feel better, it’s not to get high. It’s just so he could actually perform and not get sick. There’s pretty much no more getting “high” at that stage. If he hadn’t, all you would’ve seen is a man shaking, sweating, trembling to death. Unable to speak.
Don’t be bloody ridiculous Edward.
I'm watching this as I can't stop thinking about a friend of mine who recently made an attempt on his life. He's at the end of his rope and I just don't know what to do. This subject breaks my heart. Though I appreciate you bringing more perspectives on it.
Cool idea for content. Music crosses what seems like cultural and language barriers. I love watching their faces as they experience all the same things I experienced in listening to this song, deciphering its meaning and learning about LS tragic end. All too relatable human experiences
I love these guys very much. Such wonderful hearts and what a cool way to get a fresh perspective on a song! Thank you!
I appreciate the openness of the discussion and the cultural exchange. These gentlemen appear to be the path to peace. We need more like them from all cultures. No culture is the correct culture for all people but all people should live and let live within their own cultures in peace.
Amazing job conveying this song.
And these men... their humanity and their wisdom... WE need more of this.
These men are deep thinkers. I love it. Its something that is becoming more and more rare these days in the west.
If I can't be my own, I'd feel better dead.
That has stayed true to me since I was a child, and I still hold those lyrics close to my heart. I've carried the weight of pain my whole life, even when I've let it go and moved on, it's found its way back to me and has followed me like a ghost haunting me, as if it can't let go. Living in a world where society has set a standard and bar that's simply materialistic, selfish, greedy, obsurd and unbearable, violating us and forcing their tyranny upon us, raping us of our true selves, and raking through our life as if they own us. I know the time will come when my path will end, but at least it'll be on my terms, my own free will.
There’s not much we retain control over in our lives, but that is one of them. I understand. It’s been important for me to remember that inaction (of finality) and action (of the job and more earthly matters) under duress is itself a decision of control, and it’s helped me survive military service. I hope for peace for all of us.
Well said friend.
I am bipolar and have struggled struggled struggled w/depression and mania all my life. Up to this day, right? From childhood on. There are so many people who feel the way you described; l think more of us are underground because dealing w/ ordinary people is next to impossible. I hope you are able to take care of yourself by talking through or writing through or painting through or anything else that helps relieve the pain. Don’t hurt yourself. Do something to develop insight into your particular experience. Keep writing. I truly wish you peace. Try to breathe deeply and slowly when you need to calm down. These are small things but they might help. Some days stuff works, some days not.
I have bipolar disorder 2 which means I have longer more intense episodes of depression and my mania episodes are not as frequent nor as intense. What you wrote resonates with me. I have battled with emotional pain and depression since I was a young child and I can never seem to get away from it for very long. It follows me around like a ghost and haunts me even now at the age of 59 years old. It's a curse that will follow me all the way to my grave.
I am surprised that no one mentioned that Layne was very very high on drugs for this performance. He barely made it through it. Which is part of the reason he seems so emotionless in his demeanor. He was fixated on staying upright and getting through the show.
"Friends don't let friend get "Friends" haircuts" is what the sticker says. "Friends" was a popular TV sitcom in the 1990s that was one of those social divide things. I was in high school and the snobby rich kids were all into the show and their fashion reflected it. Basically if you were an underdog or a cool kid it was your job to prevent the ones you cared about from trying to look like the characters from the snobby jerks' favorite tv show.
It was also a joke between them and Metallica, who were in the crowd. A playful jab at them after they cut off their hair during the Load and Reload era.