If I would, could you?

Greetings and salutations! Today is the beginning of a new era, well decade. So aside from getting extraordinarily drunk, I have made a little promise, It'll be tricky. For every week I shall post a review of a single song.

Well, here we go...

Todays song is one which should hopefully bring your new year in smoothly, while it be not a face melting cacophony of death metal guitar mastery, it is a lyrical pleasure- Would? by Alice in Chains, specifically the version on their unplugged album.

Alice in Chains is often cited as a grunge basic, a band that if you want to get grunge you should check out. While I can detect the lovely tones of grunge, I would say the band in fact surpasses the genre with a metallic hint. They are a band whose dirty guitars and vocals are skillfully layered onto a bed of bizarre time signatures and a thin sheet of inner turmoil. Alice in Chains are indeed a band to listen to.

The band second album Dirt (1992) is where one can find the original version of this song, however it was chosen for their set when they appeared on MTV's Unplugged show in 1996. The performance had all the original members, except for their original bassist Mike Starr who left after they released Dirt to be replaced by Mike Inez who plays bass guitar in this version.

A shame and a rare wonder, as this is the last performance that the lead singer Layne Staley would give, as soon after he died of a mixed drug overdose.

Now that you have the bands background let us move swiftly onto this song. A live performance on MTV's Unplugged requires performers to perform `acoustic` sets, unless you are Kurt Cobain- then you get an amp. The song was originally written as a tribute towards the late lead singer of a band called Mother Love Bone, Andrew Wood who died of a heroine overdose. It is also a defense of his actions. Here it is the 10th in a 13 track set which can be almost considered a unique best of, of the band.

It opens with a very brooding bass line which is complimented by the drummer (Sean Kinney), whose tight use of the snare and choked high hat help build tension for Staley's vocals to rest upon. Guitars here are merely help to fill the space in the bass line. The vocals are brilliantly harmonised by the lead guitarist (Jerry Cantrell).

Suddenly the drums open up and the guitars chime, almost covering the bass, whilst the vocals softly emote the listener. Dynamically the differences between the verse and chorus are delightful, signposting clearly where we are in the song. The bass overall is the driving force in this song, however the guitar and drums are the instruments that indicate segment changes.

The lyrics are well worth reading, they are heartfelt and the delivery in this version is very choking. lines such as;

`What does friend mean to you?

A word so wrongfully abused.`

The dynamics of Staley's voice drift from soft cooing to strangled cries of frustration at a society that doesn't know him but judges nevertheless. It is a very honest song and it really captures the frustration of a person whose private life has been torn open and presented to the masses for a fondue party. The song ends with a jarring series of staccato slashes, non of this cheap, let's fade out shit here.

In short a performance of a band who are their tightest and are not afraid to wear their hearts on their sleeves- sound soppy? Well prove me wrong!

Shai-Hu-Lud passes out with his Jager...