Rating: 
Summary: probably the most talented grunge band there ever was
Review: If you have a DVD player and you like rock music, I recommend this DVD. If you have a Dolby Digital 5.1 system, go buy it right now! Regardless of where your musical interests lie, you'll enjoy this disc. My mom, who would normally despise the music of a band like AIC, actually digged this concert! I was visiting home one day and popped it in the player. The second she heard it, she was hooked! Even my dad, who is a classically trained violinist and usually pretty skeptical about any form of pop or modern rock music, enjoyed it. And, of course, if you're already an Alice in Chains fan, it's a no brainer. It's not a flawless performance (Layne may be slightly out of tune or Jerry might hit a wrong note every once in a while), but believe me - you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: A stirring performance from an underrated band.
Review: Out of all the unplugged performances that so many artists have given this one is amoung the best. First of all the set list is perfect. The performance of the songs alone is stirring and powerful. The best version of "Down in a hole" is in this video. I've seen the video for "down in a hole" and it doesn't come close to the power of hearing and seeing the band perform the song live. Jerry Cantrell gives the other band members a smile during the performance because he knows that they are playing well. I was amazed at how Layne Staley sings so effortlessly and at the same time beautifully. The highlights of this video are obviously "Down in a hole", "Nutshell", and "Killer is me." You'll also see a false start of "sludge factory" where Layne messes up on the lyrics or something. But after that the band's performance is flawless. As Layne said it is there "best performance in three years." If you're an alice in chains fan you probably already have it and if you don't then you're procastinating. If you're not a fan then get the video to see a live performance from the BEST Seattle band.
Rating:
Summary: Glad to see Stanley in gear!
Review: Since I became a fan of Alice in Chains shortly AFTER Layne had died I was pretty much screwed in hearing or even seeing him perform. But after I spotted this sweet DVD hiding in a music store I just couldn't resist buying this to see Alice in Chains acoustic. Oh sure it might not have any power but by making there songs acoustic I could feel the powerful emotions running from this concert. Starting from Nutshell all the way to Killer is Me. There were some songs that were great but the way I see it is the exceptional ones are Brother, Would, Rooster, Sludge Factory and Frogs. Especially Would? because when I saw and heard this song I was remembering how strong he used to be and I saw him struggling...Overall this CD is AWESOME
Rating:
Summary: Possibly the greatest performance ever...
Review: Being a casual fan of Alice in Chains and a major fan of grunge, I bought this DVD on a bit of a whim, not really knowing what to expect. Let me just tell you I was blown away.Listening to their other songs, I can say that the unplugged renditions they give here are their best ever. For all their musical talent, some of their production sometimes seemed to be lacking, with either the vocals or instruments being drowned out. In this performance, everything seems to blend together so perfectly it seems odd to hear the non-acoustic versions of these songs. If you were thinking about getting one of their CDs, I suggest you try this DVD first. Skip the CD version of this album, because actually seeing them perform completely changes the experience. Now, 2 years after the death of Layne Staley, this beautiful music is more important than ever.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: Seeing Alice in Chains perform live was one of the highlights of the grunge years for me. Unfortunately, they didn't play many shows after 93, so this performance was really special. (Layne Staley offers up the ironic comment: "This is our best show in three years.") The show has little bits that didn't air on the MTV special: A song false start, Jerry Cantrell playing the opening riff from Metallica's "Battery"... As for the DVD itself? Wow. The front soundstage is _Fantastic_. This is easily the best 5.1 mix for a concert video I've heard yet. The disc also has a Band "timeline", a biography of sorts with lots of in joke writing. If you are an AIC fan, this is a no brainer. If you like rock music in general, give this disc serious consideration. Highly, highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Alice in Pain, so powerful and beautiful, it's amazing
Review: I do not need to even get into details. This DVD performance is so important to the Alice in Chains legacy. Also, it is perhaps the most meanful MTV Unplugged release of them all. Layne is at his tormented best, so deep in pain, you get chills just hearing him sing. Oh so sad, but yet he makes it sound so sweet and beautiful. Jerry is just equal to Layne, never adding too much nor taking much away. Layne and Jerry I think are the last great dou to emerge from the whole 90's rock explosion. Get this DVD, all you need to do is love music, not even be a fan of AIC's, just love music. Put this DVD in your player, push play, then close your eyes. Let me know how you feel afterwards.
Rating:
Summary: Heart wrenching, a must have for every AIC fan
Review: MTV's Alice in Chains Unplugged will always stand as a testament to how great this band was, and having viewed it recently for the first time in years, I almost forgot how heart wrenching it was. From the beginning of the concert, you can plainly see that Layne Staley is high, even as the rest of the band jokes around and plays it off, it still comes off as tragic, but that didn't stop Layne from delivering a booming vocal performance. This Unplugged session was undoubtadly one of, if not the, best Unplugged's that MTV has ever put together. The rest of the band, including Jerry Cantrell, Sean Kinney, Mike Inez, and special guest Scott Olsen, is unbelieveably tight knit. The set list is just about perfect (except there are no songs from "Facelift") including renditions of "Got Me Wrong", "Would?", "Rooster", "Frogs", "Heaven Beside You", "Nutshell", and "Brother", but the best here are the heart wrenching "Sludge Factory", "Angry Chair" (both of which Layne messes up, even though with "Sludge Factory" it is kind of humerous), and "Down in a Hole" and "Over Now" are enarly impossible not to draw a tear over. All in all, this is an absolute must have for any and every Alice in Chains fan. This is music with real emotion and soul; take that Staind.
Rating:
Summary: Must see for all AIC fans
Review: I have been listening to these boys for years but honestly I had never seen them. To see them doing many of their hits live was more of a thrill than I had imagined. They are so talented and quite a charasmatic presense on stage. Jerry and Layne harmonize together flawlessly. The drums on "No Excuses" are perfect as well as the opening bass line for "Would?" It is sad in a sense to watch Layne because of his untimely death but his creative talents will live forever in this concert. Many times in the concert the band members talk to the audience and as I said before many of their best songs are played. This is a must for ANY Alice in Chains fan.
Rating:
Summary: Must-see performance
Review: After singing the wrong lyrics during the 4th song on the DVD, Sludge Factory, Layne Staley asks the crowd, "What's my motivation here?" Indeed, Layne may have lacked the motivation to fully prepare for the performance, since he was overly reliant on the lyric sheets throughout. Guitarist Jerry Cantrell also seemed a little apprehensive throughout about Staley's ability to perform; he was, after all, beginning to show the symptoms of heroin abuse that AIC's music had foreshadowed. (Check out Cantrell's nervous glances at the beginning of Angry Chair, the one song in which Staley played the guitar in addition to singing...Jerry's so preoccupied with Layne that he almost forgets to start singing). Layne proved, however, that no matter how much havoc heroin can wreak on memory, motivation, and ultimately the ability to sustain life, some things are too powerful to be compromised by any substances. Staley's voice and the beauiful acoustic music he and the rest of Alice In Chains created here are examples of such things. Nutshell is one of my favorite AIC songs, and that was a great way to open. You realize that the lyric "If I can't be my own...I'd feel better dead" isn't much of an exaggeration. Nutshell is followed by Brother, a song that has maybe the most memorable 10 seconds of the entire show when the music stops completely, leaving just Staley and Cantrell to sing the mournful lyrics in harmony. After Brother, Layne greets the crowd, then says "this song is called No Excuses," as if the people there wouldn't be able to recognize one of their biggest hits. After No Excuses, Layne seems to be intensely focused on the lyric sheet while the rest of the band takes a short break. We know why once Layne breaks off Sludge Factory, leading to some humorous banter. Once the band re-loads, Sludge Factory is executed to perfection; Layne compensates for his initial gaffe by singing with some added emotion. The 5th song, Down In A Hole, was possibly the best performance of the set. Just awesome. They seem to hit their stride, and the rest of the show is almost a blur afterwards. One great song after another, a 6-song succession of hits, culminating with their masterpiece, Would. Would rivals Down In A Hole for best in the set; it's an extremely tough choice. The 3 songs after Would seem a little anti-climactic (Frogs, Over Now, and Killer is Me, the last of which was new and surprisingly good).
We live in a time where it is en vogue to praise someone for giving 110 percent. I've always been more of a proponent of "hard work is for those short on talent"; I'd say Alice would agree with the latter statement as well. Save hyperbole for those rare times that it actually applies, such as this show, which undoubtedly deserves 6 stars out of 5.
Rating:
Summary: The Epitome of Great Rock Music
Review: From the trenches of deaf-rendering metal comes a counter-acoustic set from short-lived, but eternal rock legends Alice In Chains. Beginning in an dreary, almost supernatural candle-lit room (all too symbolic of their music), the gentle acoustics of 'Nutshell' carry you in a head hanging trance as a reassuring introduction to possibly one of the greatest rock performances ever caught on film. Throughout the performance the ominous, crow-like presence of Layne Staley looms like a haunting manifestation of human decay, which by being succumbed to, you learn a greater appreciation for his music. Jerry Cantrell (leeched by a joint) manipulates his guitar as it near possesses the stage as a third voice accompanying himself and Staley. The broken down version of 'Sludge Factory' is a highlight in itself, as it then leads into 'Down in A Hole' the way it was meant to be played. The vocal duo's between Staley and Cantrell are perhaps the most alluring part of the entire performance, as the sounds of hope and the hopeless blend for a perfect mesh of rock-genre voice. In all, Alice In Chains becomes the epitome of what great rock music is.
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