In the downtime when Layne Staley was 'not in the right frame of mind' to perform his duties for Alice In Chains, Jerry Cantrell released this, his first solo album.
I really don't know what the publicity was for this at the time. I only found it as I was digging away through every CD rack at the Marrickville Metro Sanity one Saturday morning, and I've never seen it since.
I must admit that it took some time for me to come around to this album. I mean, the songs sound like Alice In Chains songs (to no one's surprise...), but it took me some time to get past not having Layne's vocals on them. Once I got over this, and accepted the album for what it was – Jerry's album – I appreciated it a lot more. It certainly is not as if Jerry can't sing!!
So yes, the songs are very much in the same vein as the Alice In Chains songs that Jerry wrote, and for the most part they work well. A few do tend to get bogged down (no pun intended...) through the middle of the album, but overall if you like Alice, you will enjoy this album as well.
My favourites from the album include Dickeye, Cut You In, My Song, Devil By His Side, Keep The Light On and Between.
Rating : I'd love to have heard it with Layne, but if wishes were horses... etc... 3/5.
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