Alice and Chains

I was one of many in raves over the Seattle grunge metal scene. Layne's death is just another nail in the coffin for grunge. His raucous and planitive singing style accompanied by sledgehammer guitar riffs was something that made albums like Dirt, Jar Of Flies and SAP some of the best rock albums in the nineties. Sadly bands like AIC will be remembered for their drug excesses and wanton lifestyle, not their music. Kurt's death never did send any strong signals to the community. Layne once sang: "You'll be well advised not to plan my funeral before the body dies." (from the song Grind) It seems he knew he may never last the pace. Alice In Chains will always be remembered. At least for me, thanks to their music.

Very sad. I thought he had a great voice.

Actually, no studies I have seen (more than a few) show that faith itself correlates with depression. I am a psych major writing a thesis with a small part pertaining to the correlation between affiliation and depression, so i run in to religion/depression reseach a lot.

The whole Seattle scene helped reenergize rock. Those bands were (and are) great! Will sorely miss his voice. Too bad that, as Ohlala suggests, creativity lives so often at the edge.

Ohlala, maybe we're misunderstaning each other here.

First of all, my comment about "deny your maker" comes from one of AIC's songs. If you're familiar with the band, i'm sure you've heard it.

Secondly, i was inferring that having a LACK of faith ( denying ones' maker ) could "possibly" lead towards depression. After all, it is faith that sometimes gives one the strength to push forward when all seems lost. Without that faith, one might give up hope, become a recluse and end up killing themselves since they see no future or hope for mankind or themselves. While some may call faith of this type a crutch, i call it common sense and the will to survive and thrive.

Like many others before him promoting "Godlessness", Staley ended up meeting his maker on terms that no sane person would choose. Obviously, Staley had faith, but it was in something that led him to his grave in a horrible state of human decay. Bon Scott rallied people to profess that they were on the Highway to Hell. That's where he ended up, choking to death on his own vomit.

Maybe there's some truth to what these guys were trying to tell us in those songs ??? Maybe those lyrics were actual "prophecy" of what was to come for them and why they could sing them with such conviction ? Maybe all of the fame that they gained from such things was worth a short life and dying a miserable death ? Can you imagine how it must feel to be so alone that you have no-one to call upon for help, not even the One that you've cursed to gain that fame ?

I guess they didn't need help "killing the rooster". Even if they said "ya know he ain't gonna die", he did. I guess that part of that specific "prophecy" was wrong. Sean
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PS... There's a LOT of music that i like that i don't agree with the lyrics. Obviously, some are easier to overlook than others. Having said that, i liked AIC and thought that they had a sound all their own. It's too bad that we loose talent like this to such a dumb thing as drug addiction.

I don't know how much Layne was a prophet of his own doom. As his lyrics seem to me, death, drugs and isolation were the theme and preoccupation of most of his music. How he died was shocking to me. I mean being found already dead rotting for two weeks only suggests how sad and desolate he has become. I would believe he didn't care if he lived pr when he will die. Maybe it's an escape, we won't know. Just listened to the first track of Dirt, them bones: "I believe them bones are me, some say we're born into the grave, i feel so alone, gonna end up big ole pile a them bones... i lie dead under red sky, i feel so alone gonna end up big ole pile a them bones." Coincidental or prophetic? I only ask why it always has to end this way with rock stars. What a great loss!