In Remembrance of LAYNE STALEY 1967

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In Remembrance of LAYNE STALEY

1967 - 2002

"In the Darkest Hole/ You'd be well-advised/

Not to plan my Funeral 'fore the body dies."

- "Grind', Alice in Chains

"What's my drug of choice? / Well, what have you got?/ So I don't go broke/

And I do it a lot'

- 'Junkhead' , Alice in Chains

By Randy Chandler

When the body of Alice in Chains vocalist Layne Staley was found in

his Seattle apartment on Friday, April 19th, bloated & surrounded by

intravenous drug paraphernalia, the world had lost a distinctive, original

voice - another victim of the 'Rock 'n Roll lifestyle'.

To anyone who had even casually followed his life & music, Staley's death

came as no surprise. Layne had acquired a heroin addiction after the

release of Alice In Chain's debut, Facelift in 1990. It would prove

ultimately to be his undoing, yet by channeling his nightmarish experiences

with the drug into cohesive musical statements, Staley and the rest of his

AIC bandmates managed to create one of the darkest masterpieces of our

time, 1992's Dirt.  In the end, he died alone, his body undiscovered for an

estimated two weeks. Once again, it was only a matter of time. We knew all

along this day would come.

Time takes it's toll - Layne Staley at Pine Knob, 1991

Photo by Kay McEntee

From the outset of his career, Staley seemed to embrace 'the dark side' with his lyrics. The Facelift album, taken in the context of the year of its release, was an astonishing discovery in the midst of the late 80s - early 90s transitional period, which had finally begun to witness the decline of crotch-wagging hair metal and had given rise to such seminal 'alternative' heroes as Jane's Addiction, Faith No More, and Soundgarden.

1990 was also the year that Seattle (and the world) lost Andrew Wood, vocalist for the late lamented Mother Love Bone. Wood, who would become in Seattle lore, a sort of 'Grunge Martyr', came to be immortalized in Alice in Chain's Would (which was featured in the Seattle flick Singles) as well as Temple of the Dog, a tribute project organized by Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell. Both of these products achieved significant commercial success and, along with Pearl Jam's Ten and Nirvana's Nevermind, spearheaded the Grunge Movement, a sub-genre of alternative music.

Facelift had created a year ahead of AIC's peers, the blueprint for so many

to follow; and it made people take notice that this was darker and more

twisted than the 'other' hard rock of the day.

Staley's resonant baritone colliding with apocalyptic wails over Jerry

Cantrell's innovative guitarwork & impressive songwriting, coupled with the

intricate & propulsive rhythm section of Sean Kinney and Mike Starr

combined remnants of the existing musical régime (musicianship) with the

sensibilities of a new decade (lyrical depth) to create a transitional

prototype that would be emulated by countless bands for years to come.

As AIC embarked upon their tour in support of Facelift, Layne began a more

serious flirtation with heroin. Much like Scott Wieland of Stone Temple

Pilots, the singer turned to heroin to assuage his feelings of self-doubt

amidst the craziness of his first tour.

Sometime into their maiden voyage, Alice in Chains took a short break to

write & record the SAP extended play, establishing a career-long practice

of releasing shorter, more melodic works in between epic album statements.

Indeed, there is a symmetry to AIC's discography, a series of checks &

balances, that would include the retrospectives (the box set Musicbank and

the streamlined Nothing safe: Best of the Box) as well as the live

offerings (Alice in Chains Live and MTV Unplugged.

By the time the group finished the first tour, Staley fell deep into the horrors of substance abuse. AIC's next effort, the monumental Dirt, became Staley's catharsis; even as he struggled against addiction, it became the central theme in the album's song-cycle, in such fine company as dissent (Dam that River), childhood issues (Angry Chair), thoughts of mortality (Rain When I Die), failed love (Down in a Hole), and that cesspool of nightmares, Vietnam (Rooster). Throw in the ubiquitous Would? And you have a dark & foreboding masterpiece, a perfect soundtrack for facing your inner demons. But alas, that catharsis would not be enough to keep him alive.
Jar of Flies followed, again a departure from the heavy-handed Dirt, which also served the purpose of introducing AIC's newest member, former Ozzy bassist Mike Inez. But though a worthy effort that spawned three singles, it signaled the slip in commercial prosperity that would begin the long slow decline AIC would experience to the end of their run.

The 1993 Lollapallooza Tour...photo by Kay McEntee

As the group finished off their fifth, self-titled disc, Layne's body &

vice were becoming frail & thin. And though the album gave up three hit

singles, including the crossover-friendly Heaven Beside You, it didn't fare

a well critically or commercially as it's predecessor. It didn't help

matters that the tour would consist of a mere five shows, including their

coveted opening spot at Tiger Stadium for the KISS Reunion.

At that ill-fated date, Staley sneered at the audience members bedecked in

KISS make-up and regalia; "Nobody dressed up like ME."  Gone was Layne's

powerful emotional intensity; in its place, a disaffected leather-clad

shadow of the presence he once was.

Regrouping only long enough to tape an UNPLUGGED performance for MTV, the

group lay dormant while its members pursued outside musical interests.

No official world had been given about the band's breakup, but to many

Alice in Chains were becoming a memory. The signs were there - the box set,

the greatest hits, the Live albums - but the faithful (myself included)

kept the hope alive that this band would one day create incredible music

together again.

In 1996 opening for Kiss at Tiger Stadium, photo by Kay McEntee

That hope was crushed with Staley's death. We all knew it was only a matter of time; with the band inactive, Staley most likely lived off royalties & heroin until his body could take no more. And just as Andrew Wood before him, whose death launched the Seattle Alternative revolution in 1990, Staley's passing may signal Grunge's Second Coming - bands like Puddle of Mudd proudly wave the flannel.

One positive aspect of Staley's passing is that now Alice in Chains may join that pantheon of truly great artists whose work remains timeless. He went out, if not at the top of his game, then at least not far into its decline.

I don't want to romanticize his death. But while heroin is something I have steadfastly avoided my whole life, my 'house' (as they say) has a bit too much glass in it to be throwing stones. It is unfortunate that his predilection for the drug, though it provided inspiration for much of Alice in Chain's brilliant catalog, had to rob him of his unique powers - and ultimately, his life.

We can remember Layne through his music; music that has touched so many

people in so many dark, angry places, and forever changed the face of Hard

Rock.

He will be missed.

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