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Alice in Chains: The Untold Story
Alice in Chains were among the loudest voices out of Seattle. They were iconic pioneers who mixed grunge and metal in ways that continue to influence today's artists, and theirs is a story of hard work, self-destruction, rising from the ashes, and carrying on a lasting legacy.
Four years after their first meeting at a warehouse under Seattle's Ballard Bridge, Alice in Chains became the first of grunge's big four - ahead of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden - to get a gold record and achieve national recognition. With the charismatic Layne Staley behind the microphone, they became one of the most influential and successful bands to come out of the Seattle music scene. But as the band got bigger, so did their problems.
Acclaimed journalist David de Sola delves beneath the secrecy, gossip, and rumor surrounding the band to tell their full story for the first time. Based on a wealth of interviews with people who have direct knowledge of the band, many speaking on the record for the very first time, de Sola explores how drugs nearly destroyed them and claimed the lives of Staley and founding bassist Mike Starr, follows Jerry Cantrell's solo career and Mike Starr's life after being fired from the band, and chronicles the band's resurrection with new lead singer William DuVall.
From their anonymous struggles to topping the charts with hits like "Would?," "Man in the Box," and "Rooster," Alice in Chains reveals the members of the band not as caricatures of rock stars but as brilliant, nuanced, and flawed human beings whose years of hard work led to the seemingly overnight success that changed the music scene forever.
Four years after their first meeting at a warehouse under Seattle's Ballard Bridge, Alice in Chains became the first of grunge's big four - ahead of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden - to get a gold record and achieve national recognition. With the charismatic Layne Staley behind the microphone, they became one of the most influential and successful bands to come out of the Seattle music scene. But as the band got bigger, so did their problems.
Acclaimed journalist David de Sola delves beneath the secrecy, gossip, and rumor surrounding the band to tell their full story for the first time. Based on a wealth of interviews with people who have direct knowledge of the band, many speaking on the record for the very first time, de Sola explores how drugs nearly destroyed them and claimed the lives of Staley and founding bassist Mike Starr, follows Jerry Cantrell's solo career and Mike Starr's life after being fired from the band, and chronicles the band's resurrection with new lead singer William DuVall.
From their anonymous struggles to topping the charts with hits like "Would?," "Man in the Box," and "Rooster," Alice in Chains reveals the members of the band not as caricatures of rock stars but as brilliant, nuanced, and flawed human beings whose years of hard work led to the seemingly overnight success that changed the music scene forever.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published August 4, 2015
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July 14, 2024
The Pacific Northwest is known for its breathtaking nature, majestic orcas, and grunge music. I'm sure everyone's heard of Seattle's 'Big 4' - Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, and Soundgarden. This book is about the captivating, tragic, and darkly poetic Alice In Chains. I love the voices of Kurt Cobain, Chris Cornell, and Eddie Vedder, but Layne Staley was on another level. He had the voice of a fallen angel and the self-destructiveness of a Shakespearean character. Alice In Chains achieved worldwide success and gained respect from peers and fans alike. Not everyone lived to tell the tale.
I'll begin the review with some of my favorite AIC lyrics.
Know me broken by my master
Teach thee on child love hereafter
(Would)
Ain't found a way to kill me yet
Eyes burn with stinging sweat
Seems every path leads me to nowhere
Wife and kids, household pet
Army green was no safe bet
The bullets scream to me from somewhere
(Rooster)
My gift of self is raped
My privacy is raked
And yet I find, and yet I find
Repeating in my head
If I can't be my own
I'd feel better dead
(Nutshell)
Bury me softly in this womb
I give this part of me for you
Sand rains down and here I sit
Holding rare flowers
In a tomb, in bloom
Down in a hole and I don't know if I can be saved
See my heart I decorate it like a grave
You don't understand who they thought
I was supposed to be
Look at me now a man
Who won't let himself be
(Down In A Hole)
Hey, I ain't never coming home
Hey, I'll just wander my own road
Hey hey, I can't meet you here tomorrow
Say goodbye, don't follow
Misery so hollow
(Don't Follow)
I don't wanna feel no more
It's easier to keep fallin'
Imitations are pale
Emptiness all tomorrows
Haunted by your ghost
Lay down
Black gives way to blue
Lay down
I'll remember you
(Black Gives Way To Blue, Jerry Cantrell's tribute to Layne Staley)
SPOILERS
The Seattle music scene pretty much put an end to hair metal and brought in a more relatable, down-to-earth style of music. Out went the hairspray, puffy hair, makeup, and spandex pants, and in came the flannel shirts and 'just got back from hunting' look. I grew up listening to late 90s and 2000s music, such as Backstreet Boys, Spice Girls, and Britney Spears, but I have a special admiration for the music and movies of the 80s and early 90s.
Andrew Wood, the lead singer of Mother Love Bone, died in 1990. The surviving members went on to form Pearl Jam and recruited Eddie Vedder as their new lead singer. Seattle gained attention in 1991 when Nirvana's album Nevermind became a huge hit. This marked the start of mainstream grunge, despite some people disliking the term. Unfortunately, Andy Wood was not the only singer from that era to succumb to drugs and depression. Kurt Cobain, Scott Weiland, Chris Cornell, and Layne Staley also had tragic endings.
I first discovered AIC when I watched the movie Singles, where they were featured alongside Pearl Jam and Soundgarden (if you enjoyed Almost Famous, you should check out Singles, it's from the same director).
AIC was established in Seattle, Washington, back in 1987. The group experienced various transformations throughout the years, but the lineup with Layne Staley, Jerry Cantrell, Sean Kinney, and Mike Starr remains the most iconic. Big shoutout to Mike Inez, but Mike Starr is Mike Starr. My initial plan was to provide an objective overview of all band members, but it turned into a love letter to Layne Staley, and I have no regrets whatsoever.
Layne's vocal abilities remain unparalleled to this day. The only rock vocalist who could compare was Chris Cornell. AIC's music can be categorized as a mix of heavy metal and alternative rock, and Layne's vocals harmonized flawlessly with their intense instrumentals. However, a shadow loomed over them from the beginning: Layne's struggle with addiction. Seattle's dark underbelly destroyed many people and Layne was unfortunately one of them.
Layne struggled with drug addiction throughout his adult life. He sought help in rehab multiple times, but he was never able to break free from his destructive habit. It's impossible to talk about Layne without mentioning the love of his life, Demri Parrott. They were like Seattle's own Romeo and Juliet, deeply in love with each other and with drugs. Despite their love, drugs and the rockstar lifestyle ultimately tore them apart. Even after their breakup, Layne never fully recovered from losing Demri, and he was devastated when she passed away from a drug-related heart issue at just 27 years old.
“She’d always wanted him to quit, and he’d always wanted her to quit, and neither of them had ever been able to.”
Demri's mother about Layne's memorial service: “Because Layne basically became a recluse after Dem died, a lot of the stories about Layne ended when Demri died. So the people that got up and talked, a lot of the stories were ‘Layne and Demri and I,’ and there were photographs of her I’d never seen before. It was like being at a memorial service for my daughter six years later.”
At the peak of his fame, he succumbed entirely to drugs, stopped touring, and essentially isolated himself in his apartment. His daily routine revolved around his video games, his cat Sadie, his art projects, and his drugs.
This part is hard to write. In the final years of his life, Layne deteriorated to the point of being a mere skeleton. He was severely underweight and ill from drug use. Layne was found dead in his apartment on April 19, 2002, although he had actually passed away on April 5th, which means his body lay undiscovered for two weeks. His cat, Sadie, was miraculously alive. Sadie was taken in by AIC leader and guitarist Jerry Cantrell, and she spent the remainder of her life on his Oklahoma ranch until her passing in October 2010.
The most heartbreaking moment in the book is the final conversation between Mike Starr and Layne, which took place just one day before Layne passed away.
“I’m sick,” Layne told his friend. In addition to the toll years of addiction had taken on his body, Layne also had hepatitis C, presumably the result of his intravenous drug use. Layne was channel surfing and stumbled on the John Edward program Crossing Over, in which the psychic medium did readings for audience members. He turned to Mike and said, “Demri was here last night. I don’t give a fuck if you fucking believe me or not, dude. I’m telling you: Demri was here last night.” Demri’s mother, Kathleen Austin, heard this story from Mike Starr after Layne’s death and relayed this story. She said she believes her daughter was there that night “to be there with Layne as he’s doing his transition.”
Mike later said he was with Layne that day “trying to keep him alive” and offered to call 911. Layne refused and threatened to never speak to him again if he did. Layne got agitated. Mike had had enough. “Fine, I’ll just leave,” he told Layne. Layne, perhaps thinking he had made a mistake, said, “Not like this—don’t leave like this.” Those would be his final words to his friend he had known for nearly fifteen years.
I hope Layne is at peace. I hope he found Demri on the other side.
I'll begin the review with some of my favorite AIC lyrics.
Know me broken by my master
Teach thee on child love hereafter
(Would)
Ain't found a way to kill me yet
Eyes burn with stinging sweat
Seems every path leads me to nowhere
Wife and kids, household pet
Army green was no safe bet
The bullets scream to me from somewhere
(Rooster)
My gift of self is raped
My privacy is raked
And yet I find, and yet I find
Repeating in my head
If I can't be my own
I'd feel better dead
(Nutshell)
Bury me softly in this womb
I give this part of me for you
Sand rains down and here I sit
Holding rare flowers
In a tomb, in bloom
Down in a hole and I don't know if I can be saved
See my heart I decorate it like a grave
You don't understand who they thought
I was supposed to be
Look at me now a man
Who won't let himself be
(Down In A Hole)
Hey, I ain't never coming home
Hey, I'll just wander my own road
Hey hey, I can't meet you here tomorrow
Say goodbye, don't follow
Misery so hollow
(Don't Follow)
I don't wanna feel no more
It's easier to keep fallin'
Imitations are pale
Emptiness all tomorrows
Haunted by your ghost
Lay down
Black gives way to blue
Lay down
I'll remember you
(Black Gives Way To Blue, Jerry Cantrell's tribute to Layne Staley)
SPOILERS
The Seattle music scene pretty much put an end to hair metal and brought in a more relatable, down-to-earth style of music. Out went the hairspray, puffy hair, makeup, and spandex pants, and in came the flannel shirts and 'just got back from hunting' look. I grew up listening to late 90s and 2000s music, such as Backstreet Boys, Spice Girls, and Britney Spears, but I have a special admiration for the music and movies of the 80s and early 90s.
Andrew Wood, the lead singer of Mother Love Bone, died in 1990. The surviving members went on to form Pearl Jam and recruited Eddie Vedder as their new lead singer. Seattle gained attention in 1991 when Nirvana's album Nevermind became a huge hit. This marked the start of mainstream grunge, despite some people disliking the term. Unfortunately, Andy Wood was not the only singer from that era to succumb to drugs and depression. Kurt Cobain, Scott Weiland, Chris Cornell, and Layne Staley also had tragic endings.
I first discovered AIC when I watched the movie Singles, where they were featured alongside Pearl Jam and Soundgarden (if you enjoyed Almost Famous, you should check out Singles, it's from the same director).
AIC was established in Seattle, Washington, back in 1987. The group experienced various transformations throughout the years, but the lineup with Layne Staley, Jerry Cantrell, Sean Kinney, and Mike Starr remains the most iconic. Big shoutout to Mike Inez, but Mike Starr is Mike Starr. My initial plan was to provide an objective overview of all band members, but it turned into a love letter to Layne Staley, and I have no regrets whatsoever.
Layne's vocal abilities remain unparalleled to this day. The only rock vocalist who could compare was Chris Cornell. AIC's music can be categorized as a mix of heavy metal and alternative rock, and Layne's vocals harmonized flawlessly with their intense instrumentals. However, a shadow loomed over them from the beginning: Layne's struggle with addiction. Seattle's dark underbelly destroyed many people and Layne was unfortunately one of them.
Layne struggled with drug addiction throughout his adult life. He sought help in rehab multiple times, but he was never able to break free from his destructive habit. It's impossible to talk about Layne without mentioning the love of his life, Demri Parrott. They were like Seattle's own Romeo and Juliet, deeply in love with each other and with drugs. Despite their love, drugs and the rockstar lifestyle ultimately tore them apart. Even after their breakup, Layne never fully recovered from losing Demri, and he was devastated when she passed away from a drug-related heart issue at just 27 years old.
“She’d always wanted him to quit, and he’d always wanted her to quit, and neither of them had ever been able to.”
Demri's mother about Layne's memorial service: “Because Layne basically became a recluse after Dem died, a lot of the stories about Layne ended when Demri died. So the people that got up and talked, a lot of the stories were ‘Layne and Demri and I,’ and there were photographs of her I’d never seen before. It was like being at a memorial service for my daughter six years later.”
At the peak of his fame, he succumbed entirely to drugs, stopped touring, and essentially isolated himself in his apartment. His daily routine revolved around his video games, his cat Sadie, his art projects, and his drugs.
This part is hard to write. In the final years of his life, Layne deteriorated to the point of being a mere skeleton. He was severely underweight and ill from drug use. Layne was found dead in his apartment on April 19, 2002, although he had actually passed away on April 5th, which means his body lay undiscovered for two weeks. His cat, Sadie, was miraculously alive. Sadie was taken in by AIC leader and guitarist Jerry Cantrell, and she spent the remainder of her life on his Oklahoma ranch until her passing in October 2010.
The most heartbreaking moment in the book is the final conversation between Mike Starr and Layne, which took place just one day before Layne passed away.
“I’m sick,” Layne told his friend. In addition to the toll years of addiction had taken on his body, Layne also had hepatitis C, presumably the result of his intravenous drug use. Layne was channel surfing and stumbled on the John Edward program Crossing Over, in which the psychic medium did readings for audience members. He turned to Mike and said, “Demri was here last night. I don’t give a fuck if you fucking believe me or not, dude. I’m telling you: Demri was here last night.” Demri’s mother, Kathleen Austin, heard this story from Mike Starr after Layne’s death and relayed this story. She said she believes her daughter was there that night “to be there with Layne as he’s doing his transition.”
Mike later said he was with Layne that day “trying to keep him alive” and offered to call 911. Layne refused and threatened to never speak to him again if he did. Layne got agitated. Mike had had enough. “Fine, I’ll just leave,” he told Layne. Layne, perhaps thinking he had made a mistake, said, “Not like this—don’t leave like this.” Those would be his final words to his friend he had known for nearly fifteen years.
I hope Layne is at peace. I hope he found Demri on the other side.
May 10, 2020
I remember searching the internet for Layne Staley around 2000. Alice in Chains was an important part of the soundtrack of my college years and I wondered what had become of Layne after he dropped out of sight around 1996. I didn't turn up much other than some rumors about his deteriorating condition (gangrene, AIDS). In another year or two Layne was dead, having died an extremely unglamorous, sad, solitary junkie's death. I was excited to hear that a writer with journalism credentials had taken up the subject of Alice in Chains. There hasn't been much quality material written about the band or Layne and I had high hopes for this book. I ended up being slightly, though not entirely, disappointed.
David de Sola's book is well researched, documented and written. It's a good, if at times depressing, read. However, de Sola's effort was somewhat hamstrung by the almost total lack of cooperation he seems to have received from the band, most of Layne's family, and other important players. He ended up relying heavily on previously published interviews from Greg Prato's and Mark Yarm's grunge oral histories, as well as Rolling Stone articles. I don't know what's behind the weird wall of silence that seems to surround Layne. It's known that he was bothered by his portrayal as a junkie in popular media while he was alive, and it's possible that those who were close to him feel they're protecting his memory or privacy. de Sola seems to have written the book with an abundance of caution. He briefly mentions that Layne's mother belonged to the Christian Science Church (a sect founded in the 19th century that replaces most modern medical care with prayer), but doesn't ask what influence this may have had on Layne, who refused psychiatric and medical care in his final years. It's also been widely rumored that Layne's biological father was a drug addict who was absent throughout his childhood, returning when his son achieved fame and fortune, to do drugs with him. This is not mentioned. As with many rumors concerning Layne, this would be the time and place to set the record straight. Layne's on-and-off fiancee Demri Parrott, an interesting Edie Sedgwick like character who's become sort of an internet style icon long after her 1996 death from complications of IV drug use, gets a moment in the book (her mother was one of a few who agreed to actually be interviewed by de Sola), but again there's an abundance of caution. After their break-up, which happened sometime in or before 1994, Demri was functionally homeless, but de Sola treads very lightly here, which is too bad, because Demri is interesting enough to merit more. The book also doesn't contain much critical material on Alice in Chains, and little on Jerry Cantrell, the band's relentless driving force and rock n roll survivor, and to some extent functions as a compilation of pre-existing material, albeit with new interviews with people on the periphery of the action.
Layne was a great talent who created an influential, iconic sound. He rode rock n roll out past sunset into the darkest night and went places where few people go, yet his best work (“Jar of Flies,” Mad Season) has a universality to it. While those albums were written as he struggled with addiction, listen to them when you're trying to pull yourself out of a bad marriage or bad luck, or when you're grieving for whatever you've lost or never had, and they'll resonate. He deserves a better legacy than Nickelback, a fan fiction bio and junkie horror stories in internet comment sections. This book takes an important step in the right direction, even if it doesn't make it all the way there.
David de Sola's book is well researched, documented and written. It's a good, if at times depressing, read. However, de Sola's effort was somewhat hamstrung by the almost total lack of cooperation he seems to have received from the band, most of Layne's family, and other important players. He ended up relying heavily on previously published interviews from Greg Prato's and Mark Yarm's grunge oral histories, as well as Rolling Stone articles. I don't know what's behind the weird wall of silence that seems to surround Layne. It's known that he was bothered by his portrayal as a junkie in popular media while he was alive, and it's possible that those who were close to him feel they're protecting his memory or privacy. de Sola seems to have written the book with an abundance of caution. He briefly mentions that Layne's mother belonged to the Christian Science Church (a sect founded in the 19th century that replaces most modern medical care with prayer), but doesn't ask what influence this may have had on Layne, who refused psychiatric and medical care in his final years. It's also been widely rumored that Layne's biological father was a drug addict who was absent throughout his childhood, returning when his son achieved fame and fortune, to do drugs with him. This is not mentioned. As with many rumors concerning Layne, this would be the time and place to set the record straight. Layne's on-and-off fiancee Demri Parrott, an interesting Edie Sedgwick like character who's become sort of an internet style icon long after her 1996 death from complications of IV drug use, gets a moment in the book (her mother was one of a few who agreed to actually be interviewed by de Sola), but again there's an abundance of caution. After their break-up, which happened sometime in or before 1994, Demri was functionally homeless, but de Sola treads very lightly here, which is too bad, because Demri is interesting enough to merit more. The book also doesn't contain much critical material on Alice in Chains, and little on Jerry Cantrell, the band's relentless driving force and rock n roll survivor, and to some extent functions as a compilation of pre-existing material, albeit with new interviews with people on the periphery of the action.
Layne was a great talent who created an influential, iconic sound. He rode rock n roll out past sunset into the darkest night and went places where few people go, yet his best work (“Jar of Flies,” Mad Season) has a universality to it. While those albums were written as he struggled with addiction, listen to them when you're trying to pull yourself out of a bad marriage or bad luck, or when you're grieving for whatever you've lost or never had, and they'll resonate. He deserves a better legacy than Nickelback, a fan fiction bio and junkie horror stories in internet comment sections. This book takes an important step in the right direction, even if it doesn't make it all the way there.
August 25, 2015
If you’re a fan of Alice in Chains, you have probably scoured Amazon at regular intervals to find a biography of the band or of the late Layne Staley. The only biography of Staley that had been published so far was notoriously unreliable and poorly written, and the best account of the band’s history was to be found in Mark Arm’s oral history of grunge, ‘Everybody Loves Our Town’. Therefore, David de Sola’s book was a much needed, long overdue account of the rise and fall - and rise again - of this incredible band.
Like most biographies, ‘Alice in Chains: The Untold Story’ is a little chaotic, with jumps in the timeline which fans of the band will occasionally question. I find that a common trait in biographies when so many ‘characters’ are involved. And that’s the other problem: there are a lot of ‘characters’ in this book, and I would have liked to be able to refer to an Appendix at the end to remind myself of who was who. Unfortunately, no such ‘cast list’ is included.
The remaining members of the original Alice in Chains line up are notoriously private, and as a result, they declined to be involved with De Sola’s research. Similarly, Layne Staley’s mother did not respond to the author’s interview requests. Therefore, the book relies on the account of ‘secondary’ sources - friends, staff members and assorted hangers-on. But all considering, De Sola does a very good job of stitching together a coherent account of the events from the sources available, and the ‘story’ flows as well as it can do, albeit with a heavy Layne bias. Modern day Alice in Chains are barely touched on, but I have to admit that I have little interest in their current incarnation. As Susan Silver is quoted to say at one point in the book, ‘Layne *is* Alice in Chains’.
Maybe one day Cantrell, Kinney and Inez will ‘talk’ and allow their version of the events to surface in a new biography; but for the time being, David De Sola’s book is all we have. It’s certainly a great read which all fans of the bands will no doubt devour.
Like most biographies, ‘Alice in Chains: The Untold Story’ is a little chaotic, with jumps in the timeline which fans of the band will occasionally question. I find that a common trait in biographies when so many ‘characters’ are involved. And that’s the other problem: there are a lot of ‘characters’ in this book, and I would have liked to be able to refer to an Appendix at the end to remind myself of who was who. Unfortunately, no such ‘cast list’ is included.
The remaining members of the original Alice in Chains line up are notoriously private, and as a result, they declined to be involved with De Sola’s research. Similarly, Layne Staley’s mother did not respond to the author’s interview requests. Therefore, the book relies on the account of ‘secondary’ sources - friends, staff members and assorted hangers-on. But all considering, De Sola does a very good job of stitching together a coherent account of the events from the sources available, and the ‘story’ flows as well as it can do, albeit with a heavy Layne bias. Modern day Alice in Chains are barely touched on, but I have to admit that I have little interest in their current incarnation. As Susan Silver is quoted to say at one point in the book, ‘Layne *is* Alice in Chains’.
Maybe one day Cantrell, Kinney and Inez will ‘talk’ and allow their version of the events to surface in a new biography; but for the time being, David De Sola’s book is all we have. It’s certainly a great read which all fans of the bands will no doubt devour.
June 18, 2017
This is not really a book review but my reaction to the contents of the book and my own view of the band's history. I've been an Alice in Chains fan since the early 90's but I knew very little about the band itself. I just enjoyed their music and that was that. To me, they were just one of the bands I listened to and even though I greatly appreciated their music and talents, it never occurred to me to delve into their personal lives like some fans did or do, probably because I also had my own demons to contend with at that point in my life. But when their lead vocalist, Layne Staley, died of a drug overdose and the circumstances of his death were revealed, I wasn't just devastated, I was shocked because I never really knew about the extent of his drug addiction and how much it affected the band as a whole. This book is not perfect and perhaps not wholly accurate, considering the author could not even get the cooperation of the remaining band members and Layne's mother, who would have provided an invaluable account of Layne's life. This lack of cooperation resulted in the obviously lack of in-depth information about the rest of the band and the book ending up as more of an untold story of Layne's and not the band's. But I have to give the author credit for managing to scrape enough information that he compiled into what qualifies as a book and the first and only biography of one of the greatest bands to have ever come out of Seattle during the Grunge Movement in the 90's and in history, really.
I read the book while listening to songs of the band from their early days to even the latest ones that they recorded with their new lead singer, William DuVall. I took out my old tapes of their earlier albums and watched videos of the band, and I realized how truly great they were. The book was incredibly hard to read knowing how things ended up and it was much harder to listen to their old songs without thinking about what could have been if Layne had lived. I wept more than once and the part that stuck with me was when Layne first checked into rehab and the people there immediately recognized him and started playing Alice in Chains songs whenever he was around. He cried because he realized that he wasn't just a guy who had drug problems, he represented Alice in Chains and he felt that he was letting his band down. The book is basically 60-70% about Layne and for good reason. I loved the rest of the band, even Mike Starr with his thrasher-style bass playing during their heyday. I remember having a crush on Jerry Cantrell when I was 14 years old and to this day, I think he's one of the most underrated guitarists and songwriters in music history. Jerry is credited for most of the band's songs and I truly admire his talent, but Layne Staley was Alice in Chains, not because he was the frontman but because his unique vocal style was instrumental in the creation of the band's sound that would ultimately help sell millions of records. I would list Layne as one of my favorite singers of all time along with Maynard James Keenan of Tool, Chris Cornell of Soundgarden, Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin and Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam among others. But he wasn't just a great singer, he was distinctly unique. He was masterful in his craft not just in the way he belted out the songs, but the way he created specific vocal parts that became the hook of those songs. He became so influential that he ended up generating legions of Layne wannabes. He's probably one of the most imitated vocalists of all time, especially during the post-grunge era when everybody wanted to sound grungy but never could. I liked and listened to some of these bands but most of them I ignored and just laughed at because at that point even the old Grunge bands like Pearl Jam didn't sound Grunge anymore. I think this is precisely why I was initially critical of the band's decision to hire a new singer to take Layne's place. I was all for them regrouping and making new music but I guess I sort of expected them to just become a three-piece band with Jerry taking over the vocal duties. I have nothing against DuVall as a singer, I think he has the vocal chops to pull off even the most vocally challenging songs that Layne sang with the group, but my beef with him has always been the difference in energy and mood when he sings. Layne was a tormented soul, a beautiful and gifted man, but very much conflicted, so when he sang, all that torment, sadness and anger reverberated through the guitar riffs and you feel it in the very depths of your being. Good vocalists are a dime a dozen, plenty of people can hold a tune or even belt out like nobody's business, but only few can sing with the power and emotion that leave you speechless with chills running down your spine. William is good at singing for sure, but he doesn't affect me like Layne did despite the great music that Jerry provided him. And that's why I can't bring myself to like the new songs in spite of my love for Jerry Cantrell's compositions. Whenever I hear Jerry sing a verse, I unconsciously expect to hear Layne's vocals next and I get disappointed when I hear someone else's voice instead. I know there are lots of fans who like William and that's fine. He's great in his own way but he just doesn't possess the exceptional qualities of a singer that I can truly admire. Layne, on the other hand, had all that and more because I thought he had the makings of a great songwriter as well with his Man in the Box and Angry Chair compositions that are staple Alice in Chains songs and his work with Mad Season, which I love to this day. And according to the book, he also got into art and photography. I didn't even know that he painted the artwork for Mad Season's Above album before reading this book.
I could only speculate on why he chose to live his life the way he did and threw away all his God-given talents, but I hate the idea of people seeing him as just another casualty of drugs, fame, and the rock 'n roll lifestyle. That's the impression I got from this book somehow and I didn't like it. Countless people got addicted to drugs in the past and while others succumbed to its death grasp, there are some who managed to pull through and turn their life around. Rolling Stones' Keith Richards had used drugs for years but he managed to kick the habit and has outlived many of his younger brethren at 73 years of age. I don't claim to know what Layne was going through but I think perhaps he lacked the emotional strength and support that he needed to keep himself clean when he was trying to kick his drug habits. I've been suffering from depression for more than two decades now and even though every day is a struggle, I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by genuinely good people who refuse to give up on me. If I had been exposed to a bad crowd in my teen years, I have no doubt that I would have either ended up destroying my life or dying early. I guess Layne wasn't as fortunate as I am. He had family and friends who loved him but they seemed to have given up on him or that they refused to pressure him because they thought it would backfire. The book mentions a certain Michelle Ahern-Crane who claimed to have befriended Layne in the mid-90's and there was a hint of a relationship but Michelle denies it in the book, so it seemed like she led him on and it disappointed him greatly. After reading that part, it occurred to me that perhaps if he had someone whom he cared about who was a positive force in his life, loved him and guided him, he could have gotten the courage and strength to kill his demons and chose to live on. But instead, he fell in love with someone who was instrumental in his own demise. I don't blame Demri for his choices but clearly, they should have stayed away from each other the moment they both got hooked on heroin. None of them could have stayed sober when the other relapsed. They should have decided to go on their separate ways until they could get clean. Staying together was what ultimately killed them, in my opinion. Sometimes the one you love is not what's best for you. I was surprised to find so many others who still listen to the old Alice in Chains and talk about Layne Staley on social media these days. He was certainly right when he said he's going to be around for a very long time. He may have passed away, but he lives on in the music he helped create, his loved ones, and his fans.
I read the book while listening to songs of the band from their early days to even the latest ones that they recorded with their new lead singer, William DuVall. I took out my old tapes of their earlier albums and watched videos of the band, and I realized how truly great they were. The book was incredibly hard to read knowing how things ended up and it was much harder to listen to their old songs without thinking about what could have been if Layne had lived. I wept more than once and the part that stuck with me was when Layne first checked into rehab and the people there immediately recognized him and started playing Alice in Chains songs whenever he was around. He cried because he realized that he wasn't just a guy who had drug problems, he represented Alice in Chains and he felt that he was letting his band down. The book is basically 60-70% about Layne and for good reason. I loved the rest of the band, even Mike Starr with his thrasher-style bass playing during their heyday. I remember having a crush on Jerry Cantrell when I was 14 years old and to this day, I think he's one of the most underrated guitarists and songwriters in music history. Jerry is credited for most of the band's songs and I truly admire his talent, but Layne Staley was Alice in Chains, not because he was the frontman but because his unique vocal style was instrumental in the creation of the band's sound that would ultimately help sell millions of records. I would list Layne as one of my favorite singers of all time along with Maynard James Keenan of Tool, Chris Cornell of Soundgarden, Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin and Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam among others. But he wasn't just a great singer, he was distinctly unique. He was masterful in his craft not just in the way he belted out the songs, but the way he created specific vocal parts that became the hook of those songs. He became so influential that he ended up generating legions of Layne wannabes. He's probably one of the most imitated vocalists of all time, especially during the post-grunge era when everybody wanted to sound grungy but never could. I liked and listened to some of these bands but most of them I ignored and just laughed at because at that point even the old Grunge bands like Pearl Jam didn't sound Grunge anymore. I think this is precisely why I was initially critical of the band's decision to hire a new singer to take Layne's place. I was all for them regrouping and making new music but I guess I sort of expected them to just become a three-piece band with Jerry taking over the vocal duties. I have nothing against DuVall as a singer, I think he has the vocal chops to pull off even the most vocally challenging songs that Layne sang with the group, but my beef with him has always been the difference in energy and mood when he sings. Layne was a tormented soul, a beautiful and gifted man, but very much conflicted, so when he sang, all that torment, sadness and anger reverberated through the guitar riffs and you feel it in the very depths of your being. Good vocalists are a dime a dozen, plenty of people can hold a tune or even belt out like nobody's business, but only few can sing with the power and emotion that leave you speechless with chills running down your spine. William is good at singing for sure, but he doesn't affect me like Layne did despite the great music that Jerry provided him. And that's why I can't bring myself to like the new songs in spite of my love for Jerry Cantrell's compositions. Whenever I hear Jerry sing a verse, I unconsciously expect to hear Layne's vocals next and I get disappointed when I hear someone else's voice instead. I know there are lots of fans who like William and that's fine. He's great in his own way but he just doesn't possess the exceptional qualities of a singer that I can truly admire. Layne, on the other hand, had all that and more because I thought he had the makings of a great songwriter as well with his Man in the Box and Angry Chair compositions that are staple Alice in Chains songs and his work with Mad Season, which I love to this day. And according to the book, he also got into art and photography. I didn't even know that he painted the artwork for Mad Season's Above album before reading this book.
I could only speculate on why he chose to live his life the way he did and threw away all his God-given talents, but I hate the idea of people seeing him as just another casualty of drugs, fame, and the rock 'n roll lifestyle. That's the impression I got from this book somehow and I didn't like it. Countless people got addicted to drugs in the past and while others succumbed to its death grasp, there are some who managed to pull through and turn their life around. Rolling Stones' Keith Richards had used drugs for years but he managed to kick the habit and has outlived many of his younger brethren at 73 years of age. I don't claim to know what Layne was going through but I think perhaps he lacked the emotional strength and support that he needed to keep himself clean when he was trying to kick his drug habits. I've been suffering from depression for more than two decades now and even though every day is a struggle, I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by genuinely good people who refuse to give up on me. If I had been exposed to a bad crowd in my teen years, I have no doubt that I would have either ended up destroying my life or dying early. I guess Layne wasn't as fortunate as I am. He had family and friends who loved him but they seemed to have given up on him or that they refused to pressure him because they thought it would backfire. The book mentions a certain Michelle Ahern-Crane who claimed to have befriended Layne in the mid-90's and there was a hint of a relationship but Michelle denies it in the book, so it seemed like she led him on and it disappointed him greatly. After reading that part, it occurred to me that perhaps if he had someone whom he cared about who was a positive force in his life, loved him and guided him, he could have gotten the courage and strength to kill his demons and chose to live on. But instead, he fell in love with someone who was instrumental in his own demise. I don't blame Demri for his choices but clearly, they should have stayed away from each other the moment they both got hooked on heroin. None of them could have stayed sober when the other relapsed. They should have decided to go on their separate ways until they could get clean. Staying together was what ultimately killed them, in my opinion. Sometimes the one you love is not what's best for you. I was surprised to find so many others who still listen to the old Alice in Chains and talk about Layne Staley on social media these days. He was certainly right when he said he's going to be around for a very long time. He may have passed away, but he lives on in the music he helped create, his loved ones, and his fans.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2020
I did not follow AIC in their heyday in the 90s. Actually, I didn't start listening to them until about six months ago. "No Excuses" was playing on the Lithium channel on Sirius/XM and I was hooked.
To say I became intrigued would be an understatement. I engulfed myself in their music videos on Youtube. Watching and listening to anything I could find of them. Old interviews, live performances, Headbanger's Ball episodes they did. I found that I pretty much loved every song I heard by them. I actually went out and bought their entire catalog, including "Dirt" and "Unplugged" on vinyl! Yes, I became an Alice in Chains STAN literally overnight. So this brings me to this book and review finally!
I actually haven't been reading much in the last few years and let me tell you, I couldn't put this down. I looked forward to my nightly readings of the story of one of the most intriguing bands. I think de Sola was extremely thorough in his research and despite the fact that nobody from the band, nor Layne's estate endorsed the book or participated, de Sola was able to interview many others that were integral in the making of the band's records and also quoted from interviews that the band's members did over the years making this a very entertaining read. I mean, yeah, there were some random things dropped in there that didn't really belong in some chapters and he barely had any info on Jerry Cantrell and really nothing on Sean either. It just goes to show you how intensely private these guys are and they really don't put their business out there. I sort of admire that, especially when it comes to Layne. They really protect his privacy, even now that he's been gone for so long. de Sola really gives the reader a glimpse into not only a really talented band's creative process and how they became big stars, but also into the friendship and love they have for one another. I also really liked the insight given regarding addiction, namely heroin addiction and the death and destruction it caused to this band.
Thankfully, the living members of the band along with the addition of William DuVall as co-lead singer, have been able to rise from the ashes and put out some really good music in recent years. New album is due out this year and I can't wait to hear it. This book is definitely recommended for any Alice in Chains fan. I am hoping we get to hear firsthand stories from Jerry, Sean & Mike Inez in the future, but in the meantime, this is what we have and it's a good start to tell the history of the band. I really enjoyed it.
P.S. I just saw them live May 2018! OMG! They are amazing! One of the best live shows I've ever been to. Great band.
October 5, 2015
Very well-researched book with a few inconsistencies. As a fan of Layne Staley, I was surprised to find only a mere glossing over the relationship between Staley and his biological father. I did not enjoy the jumping and inconsistent timeline in the narration. Despite my preferences, it was overall a very good book, I just wish the author was able to interview more people close to Layne to get a more fleshed out picture.
May 3, 2015
The book begins in 1967 and ends in 2014. It is interesting to read about Layne's childhood and joining a band as a singer. There was so much darkness and sadness as the band got bigger. The book pulls you in and is hard to put down.
August 18, 2015
This is a great book. I truly enjoyed reading it. I give it five stars, despite some minor gripes---mainly that the book is focused much more on Layne than on the rest of the band. If it were called Layne Staley: The Untold Story, then it would be near flawless and irreproachable. I would say it is approximately 65% focused on Layne's life, from his childhood to his death---which many fans will be completely satisfied with, if their main interest in Alice in Chains is Layne Staley. Those that would like all band members evenly represented will be a bit disappointed, since author De Sola's primary focus is undeniably Layne. The author did spend three years working on this fairly thick book of more than 400 pages, and has gotten more than 80 new interviews on the record from people that knew the band (especially people that knew Layne), including a few close family members (Layne's stepdad who helped raise Layne, his half-sister Jamie, and his step-brother). The author does apparently choose to ignore certain facts that could be problematic to him, particularly the fact that Layne's biological father Phil Staley was a junkie who had re-emerged into Layne's life after Layne became famous, probably so he could have easy access to money in order to buy his drugs. The author does not mention or imply that fact at all, presumably to avoid any legal troubles that could arise from Phil Staley, who is still living. De Sola also treads very lightly on the fact that Layne's soul mate Demri Parrott was eventually working as a prostitute to support her drug habit. This is apparently so as not to upset Demri's mother, who graciously contributed a lot of first hand information for the book. All artistic and political decisions of author De Sola's aside, though, this book is definitely the best book about Alice in Chains that has ever been published so far. In the past, two awful books were written, one about Mike Starr and one about Layne, which are best avoided. This new book is the most comprehensive biography of Alice in Chains ever written, despite the fact that the focus is more on Layne than on the other members. It's not perfect, but it's by far the best that's available for now. I give it five stars because of the meticulous, masterful handling of both archival sources, public records, and extensive new material which went into the writing of this biography. The author goes to great pains to present all sides of the story if he is able to, and to indicate if two stories don't match or contain discrepancies. That's the work of a very capable historian/biographer. David De Sola has done an admirable job for his very first book. I recommend it without any hesitation to any fan of Alice in Chains and to anyone who simply enjoys reading biographies.
September 23, 2015
David de Sola, a journalist and blogger for Icepicks and Nukes, treats Alice in Chains with the utmost respect as he delves into their lives – from their inception as musicians, through their addictions, to the surviving members’ regrouping with William DuVall. He cites his many sources in the endnotes and gives credit to the sources who agreed to be named. I even looked up a number of the video interviews and such that he mentions in the notes – brings the band back to life, as though maybe they’re all still here.
What I appreciated most was his undogged dedication to documenting history from multiple sources – in order to portray the most accurate depiction possible of such a private band. He also does not gloss over the dark side of their lives – drug addiction. However, he writes sensitively about Layne, Mike, and others who succumbed to their addictions. They were human beings – flawed, as we all are – and the least they deserve is to be treated as such in spite of their fallibility, or perhaps because of it. I hate it when people refer to them as junkies. They were so much more than that, and their music is evidence of this.
It was an emotional read – especially when reading of Layne’s “black” years. The reclusive years. The mysterious years. The years where you know he was hopeless, and you understand because you don’t have to be an addict to understand despair. Yet, that leaves one unanswered question: Was Layne’s despair borne from addiction, or was the addiction a result of despair? Even de Sola couldn't answer that.
My only regret is that Jerry, Sean, and Nancy had not commented. This is their story, too, and the world needs to know it. I'm still grateful to David de Sola for shedding light on this very influential band. He did them – and us – a great service in telling this story.
What I appreciated most was his undogged dedication to documenting history from multiple sources – in order to portray the most accurate depiction possible of such a private band. He also does not gloss over the dark side of their lives – drug addiction. However, he writes sensitively about Layne, Mike, and others who succumbed to their addictions. They were human beings – flawed, as we all are – and the least they deserve is to be treated as such in spite of their fallibility, or perhaps because of it. I hate it when people refer to them as junkies. They were so much more than that, and their music is evidence of this.
It was an emotional read – especially when reading of Layne’s “black” years. The reclusive years. The mysterious years. The years where you know he was hopeless, and you understand because you don’t have to be an addict to understand despair. Yet, that leaves one unanswered question: Was Layne’s despair borne from addiction, or was the addiction a result of despair? Even de Sola couldn't answer that.
My only regret is that Jerry, Sean, and Nancy had not commented. This is their story, too, and the world needs to know it. I'm still grateful to David de Sola for shedding light on this very influential band. He did them – and us – a great service in telling this story.
October 3, 2015
Heavy read. Wasn't easy reading about Layne's decline and how he had no contact with people close to him during his last days. The author rushes towards finishing the book when it comes to the post-Layne chapters.
May 10, 2015
Super exited when i got this these where my years and i hardly knew anything about Alice in Chains.The story starts with Layne Staleys birth all the hard years,his drug addiction all the way to his death.The book was very good i enjoyed reading it the only thing that dissappointed was the fact that 90 percent of the book was about Layne.The book would have been better caklled Layne Staley the untold story.Nevertheless the book was awesome and a good read!!!
August 7, 2015
This book is terrible. Not only is it a confusing read linearly, it's filled with he said she said crap and plenty of "Jane Doe and John Doe were doing this. Jane Doe said this happened and John Doe was there. While Jon Doe does not remember this happening John Doe does not refute the claims". If I had a dollar for every time the author used `does not refute this claim` I could get my money back for this book. Which I actually plan to do, ask the publisher for my money back. I just have to find my receipt. There are many victims of misinformation and circle story telling here mostly Mike Starr who is dead and can't defend himself and Susan Silver who will likely never pick this book up.
I have been a fan of the band since they started, everything in this book is not new information and what little 'new' info there is, comes from very un reliable sources. I don't know why so much was used when it comes back to so-and -so said this but the person does not remember it but does not refute the claim. Simply meaning they don't remember it, but because they don't and they're honest people they aren't going to argue it. I feel many family members were taken advantage of here mostly the kindness of the Starr family only to have their son pretty much dragged through the mud. There is a reason why the band, the band and Layne's family, and everyone that was TRULY close with Layne and the band have a "NO COMMENT" policy. I don't think they want their story told. I feel sick that I violated that and even read this, my dumb fault for thinking the author was credible and would do a good job. But I could write you a fan blog that would be better and less depressing.
"Mike for whatever reason still held a grudge against Randy Biro". Randy Biro who seems to be the most used source in this book. Which I guess explains why the author slants so much negativity toward Starr. Contradicting what his friends and family and even his own band mates have said about Mike Starr this biography is a mess. Please, please do me, do the band a favor and save your money. You want a bio of Alice in Chains? It's all there for you on youtube and the internet. Which is where the vast amount of source information for this book comes from.
The Author claims at the end in his notes that the band and Laynes mom and dad did not comment etc and that there is over 25 years a ton of information for him to have gathered to put together this bio. Which is true, but SO much of it has been omitted and I don't even know what slant he was going for with this book. Other than hopefully hey kids please don't do herion it will ruin your life and everyone you love will be hurting for the rest of their lives too. I'm an avid reader of biographies even of people/bands etc that I might not love as much as I have loved or ever will love Alice In Chains and the writer has made a blog post about how he can write a biography even without it being authorized, which is true. You can do that, but this one fails on all accounts to be a good biography of any sort.
I have been a fan of the band since they started, everything in this book is not new information and what little 'new' info there is, comes from very un reliable sources. I don't know why so much was used when it comes back to so-and -so said this but the person does not remember it but does not refute the claim. Simply meaning they don't remember it, but because they don't and they're honest people they aren't going to argue it. I feel many family members were taken advantage of here mostly the kindness of the Starr family only to have their son pretty much dragged through the mud. There is a reason why the band, the band and Layne's family, and everyone that was TRULY close with Layne and the band have a "NO COMMENT" policy. I don't think they want their story told. I feel sick that I violated that and even read this, my dumb fault for thinking the author was credible and would do a good job. But I could write you a fan blog that would be better and less depressing.
"Mike for whatever reason still held a grudge against Randy Biro". Randy Biro who seems to be the most used source in this book. Which I guess explains why the author slants so much negativity toward Starr. Contradicting what his friends and family and even his own band mates have said about Mike Starr this biography is a mess. Please, please do me, do the band a favor and save your money. You want a bio of Alice in Chains? It's all there for you on youtube and the internet. Which is where the vast amount of source information for this book comes from.
The Author claims at the end in his notes that the band and Laynes mom and dad did not comment etc and that there is over 25 years a ton of information for him to have gathered to put together this bio. Which is true, but SO much of it has been omitted and I don't even know what slant he was going for with this book. Other than hopefully hey kids please don't do herion it will ruin your life and everyone you love will be hurting for the rest of their lives too. I'm an avid reader of biographies even of people/bands etc that I might not love as much as I have loved or ever will love Alice In Chains and the writer has made a blog post about how he can write a biography even without it being authorized, which is true. You can do that, but this one fails on all accounts to be a good biography of any sort.
November 18, 2017
Philip K. Dick’s 1977 novel “A Scanner Darkly” includes an afterword in which the author reveals that he essentially based the book’s characters on a circle of hardcore drug users he once knew, himself included.
What Dick writes in that coda is a timeless insight into the junkie lifestyle, and an enumeration of the horrible consequences that always follow. Word-for-word it’s one of the most devastating things I’ve ever read.
There were many times I recalled Dick’s epilogue while reading David de Sola’s “Alice in Chains: The Untold Story.”
As a huge fan of the grunge trend of the early ‘90s, I was initially attracted to this book just as a nostalgia goof. After all, music biographies are unavoidably formulaic, and at first this one hits all the familiar notes: bunch of dumb-yet-talented kids flit around in different bands before forming the titular one, fame overwhelms them, et al.
However, the story of Alice in Chains takes a dark turn pretty early on, a dark turn that was prevalent in the Seattle music scene from whence they came. But even though heroin use was endemic to that community, the story of AIC singer Layne Staley still comes off as especially harsh.
Staley’s addiction took hold of him at the beginning of the band’s fame, quickly impairing his ability to record material, perform onstage or even stick around for video shoots. Several interminable years later Staley was a walking corpse, a real-life example of what a heroin addict with a bottomless bank account would look like.
While not necessarily using restraint, de Sola does use a deft hand in portraying the years Staley spent as a dead man walking, and the inevitable overdose. De Sola’s approach renders the details of that time not so much lurid as unimaginably tragic. Staley’s death reverberated among what remained of Seattle’s famous musicians, many of whom had their own addiction issues (Hence the above “A Scanner Darkly” quote).
Whether or not to recommend this book is a conundrum. It’s not for lack of craft; the research and writing is adequate, even better than one might expect. However, don’t expect simply to indulge a remember-when? impulse. This book leaves you with a much different feeling…
What I mean is, while Alice in Chains was certainly never a lighthearted band, it’s nonetheless jarring to learn to what extent all that angst wasn’t an act.
“We really all were very happy for a while… but it was for such a terrible brief time, and then the punishment was beyond belief: even when we could see it, we could not believe it.”
What Dick writes in that coda is a timeless insight into the junkie lifestyle, and an enumeration of the horrible consequences that always follow. Word-for-word it’s one of the most devastating things I’ve ever read.
There were many times I recalled Dick’s epilogue while reading David de Sola’s “Alice in Chains: The Untold Story.”
As a huge fan of the grunge trend of the early ‘90s, I was initially attracted to this book just as a nostalgia goof. After all, music biographies are unavoidably formulaic, and at first this one hits all the familiar notes: bunch of dumb-yet-talented kids flit around in different bands before forming the titular one, fame overwhelms them, et al.
However, the story of Alice in Chains takes a dark turn pretty early on, a dark turn that was prevalent in the Seattle music scene from whence they came. But even though heroin use was endemic to that community, the story of AIC singer Layne Staley still comes off as especially harsh.
Staley’s addiction took hold of him at the beginning of the band’s fame, quickly impairing his ability to record material, perform onstage or even stick around for video shoots. Several interminable years later Staley was a walking corpse, a real-life example of what a heroin addict with a bottomless bank account would look like.
While not necessarily using restraint, de Sola does use a deft hand in portraying the years Staley spent as a dead man walking, and the inevitable overdose. De Sola’s approach renders the details of that time not so much lurid as unimaginably tragic. Staley’s death reverberated among what remained of Seattle’s famous musicians, many of whom had their own addiction issues (Hence the above “A Scanner Darkly” quote).
Whether or not to recommend this book is a conundrum. It’s not for lack of craft; the research and writing is adequate, even better than one might expect. However, don’t expect simply to indulge a remember-when? impulse. This book leaves you with a much different feeling…
What I mean is, while Alice in Chains was certainly never a lighthearted band, it’s nonetheless jarring to learn to what extent all that angst wasn’t an act.
July 14, 2016
"Them Bones" would be an honest subtitle for this exhaustively researched book. The details of every available public record and publication are combined with interviews of many (but not all) eyewitnesses. And the result is a very detailed history of the time and place of this band. Most of the 'what,' 'when,' and 'where' is chronicled here. Unfortunately a lot of the 'why' is missing.
The best aspect of this book is the information shared by the producers and engineers who worked with the band. In spite of the fact that the book offers no information about instruments, tunings, effects or rigs it does provide a wealth of details about the recording philosophies and techniques that gave rise to the band's sound.
The second best aspect of the book are the stories from the photographers and other artists who worked with the band to turn their ideas into visual realities.
That said, there is a lot of 'meat' missing from them bones. Many mysteries about the band remain unsolved. And most of the 'why' is still unanswered.
That's primarily because the surviving band members and its management did not cooperate with the author. Hopefully someday they will share their stories.
Until then this book is as close as we're likely to get. There's a lot of explanation missing from this historical account. There's not a lot of meat. But most of 'them bones' are accounted for here.
The best aspect of this book is the information shared by the producers and engineers who worked with the band. In spite of the fact that the book offers no information about instruments, tunings, effects or rigs it does provide a wealth of details about the recording philosophies and techniques that gave rise to the band's sound.
The second best aspect of the book are the stories from the photographers and other artists who worked with the band to turn their ideas into visual realities.
That said, there is a lot of 'meat' missing from them bones. Many mysteries about the band remain unsolved. And most of the 'why' is still unanswered.
That's primarily because the surviving band members and its management did not cooperate with the author. Hopefully someday they will share their stories.
Until then this book is as close as we're likely to get. There's a lot of explanation missing from this historical account. There's not a lot of meat. But most of 'them bones' are accounted for here.
November 15, 2015
At times the writing in this biography was a bit amateurish but most of the book was well-written. There were some sections that seemed irrelevant to Alice in Chains but the majority of the book provided incredibly thorough and fascinating info about Grunge's most underrated band. I have to admit that it was depressing and heartbreaking to read about Layne Staley's gradual descent into the abyss of heroin addiction.
January 30, 2016
Alice in Chains have a sound like no other but sadly their story plays out like one we've heard too many times. Incredibly talented rock stars who find drugs and die too soon. You've heard the story many times, but this book is worth the read. It has chunks of information that complete or fill gaps of the sad tale if you have followed AIC as a fan. If you're new to AIC, you are in for a roller coaster tale, dark as it is foretelling. One thought that kept running through my mind as I read this heavily researched book, was if Layne would have made it through to the other side of his addiction this world would have been a better place. His talent and voice is severely missed.
January 23, 2016
I am a fan of Seattle music, this book is a story of highs and lows. Mostly lows. I am writing this review because the description of Layne's death, I just wish someone would have knocked down his door and took him to the hospital years before he died. If he was 100 pounds at 6ft why couldn't someone from his band or someone in the Seattle music business knock down that door, punch him in the face and take him to the hospital. I know that seems harsh but letting someone kill themselves was frustrating to read, I know it's hard to save someone from themselves, but everyone knew about his problem. Someone could have given him some words of wisdom of how their would be a second wave of interest in Seattle, and how life has so many chapters. The death of Demri seemed to be what really made him go off the deep end. It is a heartbreaking story. It is good to see the surviving members continue with a new singer, it's important. I felt sad and frustrated reading this book.
October 22, 2015
David de Sola's account of the famous grunge band, "Alice In Chains," hits every chord right on the head.
To understand how AIC evolved, you must understand Layne Staley, one of the founding members, and the rest of the band. Layne's underlying problems surface as the group rises to stardom, becomes a hit and its fall because of his death. The author transcribes a lot of records, newspaper articles and interviews to give you, the reader, an insight into the music scene and how drugs, sex and alcohol has a big part.
A must read for those of us who were into heavy metal, head banging, hard rock music.
To understand how AIC evolved, you must understand Layne Staley, one of the founding members, and the rest of the band. Layne's underlying problems surface as the group rises to stardom, becomes a hit and its fall because of his death. The author transcribes a lot of records, newspaper articles and interviews to give you, the reader, an insight into the music scene and how drugs, sex and alcohol has a big part.
A must read for those of us who were into heavy metal, head banging, hard rock music.
August 31, 2015
This was a biography of Layne Staley with some info on Alice in Chains thrown in because he was a part of that band. I'd say if you want to read a biography on the band, wait until Duff McKagan's authorized book comes out.
August 11, 2015
Good book. Upsetting to read. A lot of info .
November 23, 2025
Okoreli sam fan AIC-a, ali ovo je stvarno loše napisano.
October 28, 2020
This is an odd one.
Firstly, this book is poorly written, like one gigantic article as opposed to a book, or a series of articles presented as a book. One can appreciate the author's journalistic integrity but there's only so many time one can read "Joe Blow said this of this event. John Joe, who was also there does not recall this but does not refute it." without it becoming tedious.
Secondly this book was way more "the life and times of Layne Staley" as opposed to a comprehensive look at the band however the band did declined to participate in the writing of this book, that being said the information on Jerry Cantrell and Sean Kinney (and latter Mike Inez) is thin on the ground. There is more information on Mike Starr but again, this book is really the Layne show. BUT a reason for this could be that Jerry and Sean are the only two original members that are still alive and the option of suing for defamation is always there. Another review of this book mentioned that the characterisation of Phil Staley was also light (someone who also declined to be involved with this book) which again, may be due to the possibility of a defamation suit.
Thirdly, this book is dense as fuck but I don't feel like I came away with any better sense of the band. Though I will say it was sad and depressing read towards the end for obvious reasons. By far not the best book out there about a band, let alone the early nineties Seattle scene. Everybody Loves Our Town: An Oral History of Grunge is a far better and more comprehensive read but if you want to do a deep dive on Alice in Chains you really don't have any other options.
Firstly, this book is poorly written, like one gigantic article as opposed to a book, or a series of articles presented as a book. One can appreciate the author's journalistic integrity but there's only so many time one can read "Joe Blow said this of this event. John Joe, who was also there does not recall this but does not refute it." without it becoming tedious.
Secondly this book was way more "the life and times of Layne Staley" as opposed to a comprehensive look at the band however the band did declined to participate in the writing of this book, that being said the information on Jerry Cantrell and Sean Kinney (and latter Mike Inez) is thin on the ground. There is more information on Mike Starr but again, this book is really the Layne show. BUT a reason for this could be that Jerry and Sean are the only two original members that are still alive and the option of suing for defamation is always there. Another review of this book mentioned that the characterisation of Phil Staley was also light (someone who also declined to be involved with this book) which again, may be due to the possibility of a defamation suit.
Thirdly, this book is dense as fuck but I don't feel like I came away with any better sense of the band. Though I will say it was sad and depressing read towards the end for obvious reasons. By far not the best book out there about a band, let alone the early nineties Seattle scene. Everybody Loves Our Town: An Oral History of Grunge is a far better and more comprehensive read but if you want to do a deep dive on Alice in Chains you really don't have any other options.
December 3, 2015
I will give this 4 starts mostly because I loved that the author seemed to have tried his best to depict reality, which is exactly what I was looking for trying to find out more about one of my favourite bands. I loved the fact that it was clearly stated where the facts came from and the different opinions in case of ambiguity. However that made the book a not so great read at times. Personally I found myself quite often lost with names, especially cause I don't know that many people involved with music production, management etc. So the author would introduce a couple of people here and there but I found difficult to keep up with who was who. On the other hand I liked the fact that I got so much information about the background people that contributed in the making of one of my favourite music genres and how important their role has been. What I really missed was any mention on the influence that Layne's father had in his life, even if that was only because of abandonment and drug use (I do not certainly know whether or not he re-appeared in Layne's life but it is rumored that he did).
December 23, 2017
This book is probably the most definitive history of one of the best modern-day rock bands - from birth to death to rebirth. It also paints a picture of the burgeoning Seattle "grunge" scene at its apex. It also tells a sad tale of what drugs and alcohol can do to crush the life out of people, stifling their talents and eventually overcoming them.
The one con to the book: they did not have the input of the surviving members of Alice in Chains. At first I was very hesitant to purchase the book. Getting a first-hand account of the band's origins and rise from Jerry Cantrell would have put this book over the top. I would have loved to hear more about their artistic inspiration and stories behind certain songs.
Despite that omission, it was a very well-researched and thoughtfully-written account of the band, one that should serve as the main history book of AIC until Jerry decides to write his own memoirs.
The one con to the book: they did not have the input of the surviving members of Alice in Chains. At first I was very hesitant to purchase the book. Getting a first-hand account of the band's origins and rise from Jerry Cantrell would have put this book over the top. I would have loved to hear more about their artistic inspiration and stories behind certain songs.
Despite that omission, it was a very well-researched and thoughtfully-written account of the band, one that should serve as the main history book of AIC until Jerry decides to write his own memoirs.
August 19, 2017
Really liked this book on one of my favorite bands of all time, Alice in Chains. Had never really read a biography on them, as, well, there really isn't one. And that's the only problem with this book. The writer had no cooperation with the band for this one. So the author, David de Sola, has to go outside the band for other sources and other books to use for information on the story. That being said, there was so much in this book I read that I didn't know. For example, I had no idea that the song "Would" is about Andrew Wood. (Should have picked up on that years ago). A lot obviously on Layne Staley and Mike Starr and their drug problems and that part of the book is sad and sometimes difficult to read because we lost the two of them so early in life. The book, however, was really fun to read while visiting Seattle and I highly recommend for any Alice in Chains or grunge music fan.
October 22, 2015
A comprehensive look back at one of the great grunge bands of the 90's. Includes background on Layne Staley's (relatively happy) childhood, but not too much on Jerry Cantrell, the band's dynamic singer/songwriter/guitarist. It was fun tracing Alice's history back to the time it was Diamond Lies and actually lived at the Music Box, in a rehearsal space. The book follows the band until the drug-related deaths of two of its members, and its current renaissance with a new lead singer. My main objections to the book are a somewhat pedestrian style; and guessing certain facts instead of researching enough to know them (as when Layne first met his longtime girlfriend Demri).
But for fans, this is a fascinating look back at a truly substantial band and its enigmatic frontman.
But for fans, this is a fascinating look back at a truly substantial band and its enigmatic frontman.
October 13, 2015
Amazing book. If you are an AIC fan then this is def. a must read. The author did a lot of extensive research. I loved the book because I really love the band and it kept me turning pages! It has a lot of Layne, Demri, Jerry and Susan who was a very important person during that time due to being aic manager. Totally recommend this book, read it you wont regret it. Totally worth the money and the wait.
February 4, 2017
This one also been sitting on the shelf for quite a long time. Glad that I finally finished it. Loving this book. The narrative summarized those interviews and all may sound exhausting, but it paid off eventually. This is not an official biography and you may feel some contents were too brutally honest.
As an AIC fan, I was so looking forward to reading this and get better understanding of the band, the music, the lyrics. And I did.
As an AIC fan, I was so looking forward to reading this and get better understanding of the band, the music, the lyrics. And I did.
December 22, 2018
This was a great read. I couldn't put it down. It was almost a history of grunge rock as well as a biography about Alice in Chains. It told the downward spiral of Layne Staley in great detail. And it also made me look up who Andrew Wood is and I'm glad it did. Great music by him and it makes you wonder what would have happened to grunge had Andrew Wood not died young. Lots of interesting facts.
September 28, 2017
If you're an Alice fan, this is a great read. Lots of good backstory and info about the band. This really focuses on Layne for most of the story, which I didn't mind at all. He's always held a special place in my heart, and it was nice to read so much about him, even though most of it wasn't very flattering. Lots of drug use, broken relationship, and lost friends but I'm still glad I read it.
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