Saw them open for Van Halen just after facelift was released. Never even heard of them but friend had me come along to an instore to get some stuff signed. I took in something of his - wish I would have had a cd to have them sign.
I agree, they are the best that seattle had in the early 90's. The songwriting, lyrics, performaces, and sound were and still are incredible.
At least jerry cantrell is still around-I believe he is the songwriting force behind the band. Now if Chris cornell would drop out of Rage against the machine and become the new AIC front man, I would be in musical heaven --- There would actually be some new music out there that I would buy.
I saw Cantrell here in New York last summer. His set was about 90% Alice in Chains, and the crowd knew every word of every song. Great show. He's a terrific singer in his own right, and he's got a new solo album coming out next month. I heard the first single "Anger Rising" on the radio last night, and it was great. Reminded me of some of the heavier stuff from Facelift. I hope he doesn't make the same mistakes that Layne did -- it'd be nice to have him around for a while.