Alice In Chains

Jar Of Flies

scum stats: 150 copies filled with dead flies

While never the top of my favorite Seattle bands (probably mainly because I'd heard Soundgarden and Pearl Jam and Nirvana before I'd heard Alice In Chains) I have to say that hindsight and old age has only increased my appreciation of this band. To wit, only once in my thirties was I aware of the fact that the Mad Season songs "River of Deceit" and "I Don't Know Anything" were NOT by AIC, but in some weird way that makes me appreciate it all even more...the versatility of Staley perhaps?

Anyway, this is the first Alice record I've ever owned, my fave songs on this being the anthemic (horns?!?!?) flag-planting epic of "I Stay Away." Being one of the limited Romanus Records versions that is filled with actual dead flies...well it doesn't get much better than that. Crazy dudes making crazy records will never get old and I give a strong salute to Chris at Romanus for continuing to push the envelope.