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Alice in Chains - MTV Unplugged Number of Items: 1 Format: Color Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Running Time: 73 minutes Studio: Sony/Columbia Product Group: DVD Release Date: 1999-10-26 Buy from Amazon

Customer Reviews: Total numer of reviews: 56 Average rating: 5.0 "This deserves no less than a perfect score..." In 1996, Alice in Chains, one of the most underrated (and best, at that) bands ever played their first show in 3 years and now you can buy it on DVD. It pained me so very much to see several reviews of this item giving it 4 or even 3 (!) stars. This DVD is a testament to the will of Layne Staley (RIP) who was clearly suffering from substance abuse. Despite a weathered look beyond his age, Layne gives a literally chilling performance throughout nearly the entire time. The weakest songs (though none are poor) are the Jerry-handled ones simply because Layne poured his heart and soul into this performance and you can see how he is spiraling into oblivion, to his tragic death on April 5th, 2002. By the time the tear-jerker opener 'Nutshell' is finished, the viewer knows that Layne is going to be the focus of the show. And rightly so. I cannot stress enough how powerful and inspiring his vocal performance is. Yes, his voice is slightly battered, but it makes him seem more real. I cried when I heard Sludge Factory. This DVD is that good. Layne aside, AIC gives a tight and very thrilling performance. A reviewer complained about fret buzz... I personally don't think that it takes away from the performance at all. This is essential FOR ANY FAN OF MUSIC. Actually, FOR ANYBODY. This is simply essential viewing by one of the most inspiring bands ever. "The Killer Is ME" Wow, this performance by Alice In Chains blew me away. It was their first live show in almost 3 years and while watching the DVD you can just tell that they really did love performing. Layne Staley was one of the greatest vocalists of all time, when he sings you can feel the emotion. Jerry is an amazing and underated guitar player, he has a beautiful voice as well. This show is a little sad though, the atmosphere on most of the unplugged shows are very moody. This DVD rocks and AIC set a standard for modern rock/alternative. My favorites are "Heaven Beside You" and the unreleased song "The Killer Is Me"... it has an amazing chorus and guitar riff. If you like AIC, this is highly recomended. "Great live performance" Yeah great DVD. If you are a fan of grunge music from the 90's then this is for you! "Simply incredible!" I'm not going to go into a deep, insightful, analytical review of AIC or the DVD here. If you searched for AIC DVDs on Amazon you're here because you are a fan or curious. Whichever it may be, trust me, buy this DVD, you won't regret it. RIP Layne "A decent transition.." This acoustic "unplugged" work is almost as intensely haunting as the sound of the grinding, chunky guitars, eerie bass and rock-hard percussions that originally reeled many of us in to the genius of Alice in Chains. By the time they recorded this DVD/CD, Layne's personal debilitation is quite apparent, not only in his appearance, but also his voice. It remained intense and convincing, but just seemed to lack the drive he once had. This recording has several of my favorite Alice in Chains songs on it... "Down in a Hole," "Brother," "Got Me Wrong," and more specifically "Over Now" are my favorites of the acoustic performance. For the most part, though, I prefer the original album versions of the songs(especially "Would?".. it really needs that extra punch), with the exception of "Over Now." Layne's and Jerry's harmonies are tight and unmistakable. The guitar work in this song is pretty simple, but sounds full. The mindless but witty banter in-between songs is pretty minimal, but entertaining enough. I like the DVD, I definitely own it, haha, and it's something I've watched more than once. It's not my favorite Alice in Chains recording, but they're a tight band, and I've enjoyed it over the years.