Jar Of Flies

Jar of Flies is the third EP by rock band Alice in Chains. Though the band is associated with the grunge movement the sound of the band (from Seattle) is more like southern rock. Certainly on this “accoustic” album I get the feeling of being late at night at a bbq with a jar of moonshine (and no flies) in my hand. The music sounds laid back, but also mystical and devilish.

Near perfect. I remember when this came out it totally blew my mind. First time I had a band I love make a big shift from loud full out rock to a subdued brooding sound. Loved it then. Love it now.

I wonder what the ”no EPs” crowd will say about this one? It is longer than some of the albums from the original list (e.g. Zombie, Out of Step), such is the nature of arbitrary classification… Either way, this is something of a classic. Nutshell is an all-timer

Alice in Chains-stream goes mainstream. Still brilliant.

Given that I am not even sure I would include *Dirt* in my own list of keepers, it would be a quite a big stretch for me to consider the one of *Jar of Flies*... Don't get me wrong, the third Alice In Chains E.P. is not an *unpleasant* listen overall. It sure is "subdued" and "brooding", as one enthusiastic review goes, and its "Unplugged" near-acoustic aesthetics are more than competently performed by the many talents this famous Seattle band harbored. Yet unfortunately, the songs in this record are also way too linear -- and even "circular" -- to leave a significant imprint for me. Focusing on tones and "moods" can be fine to an extent. Yet composition-wise, the music in this release still feels crucially underwhelming for my set of ears. Very few dynamics stand out on a harmonic level. The "slow jam" intents are put to the forefront, but they rarely properly explore the potentialities of real build-ups. Like, you most often end up thinking something is missing to the songs -- whether they ape some REM deep cuts, or get closer to a more straightforward "grunge" palette. And by extension, this reproach can be addressed to the whole record. Maybe indeed this thing being an E.P. does some sort of disservice to the project... Yet don't think I am automatically rejecting the suggestion because of categorization shenanigans -- some official "albums" released by other acts are 30-minute long as well, after all. No, it's the contents of the jar that I find a little too elusive, unsubstantial, or flimsy. It's not the size of the jar itself. 2/5 for the purposes of this list dedicated to essential albums. 7/10 for more general purposes (5 for the musicianship and production values + 2 for the artistry) ---- Number of albums from the original list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 466 Albums from the original list I *might* select for mine later on: 293 Albums from the original list I won't select for mine: 343 ---- Number of albums from the users list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 126 Albums from the users list I *might* select for mine later on: 144 Albums from the users list I won't select for mine: 329 (including this one)

Pretty nice, more chill than I expected. 3 stars.

Like a gothier pearl jam

Not a big Alice in Chains guy but I think this is their best work by a mile. Also arguably the most popular EP of all time. That dark, more acoustic sound on here is so hypnotizing. Strong 4/5.

While I did partake in some of the grunge of the 90s, Alice In Chains never really took off for me. I expected to be underwhelmed but instead I am pleasantly whelmed. Great album, a lot of darker tracks but there’s some interesting strings that make an appearance in I Stay Away and No Excuses has a great groove that lightened the mood a bit. An album centering on addiction might be expected to have a darker, harder edge. But there are great moments of light in here to draw me in. And I was surprised that this was only 30 minutes because it did not feel rushed in any way. Terrific!

I mean Nutshell is good 2

This is one of those albums from my youth that always scared me because of the artwork and an assumption that it was heavy rock. I still don’t like the artwork but the music is far more inviting. Don’t think I’ll be listening again any time soon but was not horrific.

A less heavy Alice In Chains but still Alice In Chains

A lot softer and more tender than I expected. A really nice experience. "Jar of Flies" is maybe the grossest name for an album I've ever heard?

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Rotten Apple, Nutshell, Swing on this

Short and sweet and full of emotion. Fantastic album.

One of the best albums of its day. Nice to hear it again.

I have tried to get into Alice in Chains several times over the years, not least when I was younger and had my mind blown by Nirvana and then Pixies and Soundgarden, all of which had fantastic things about them and really opened my eyes to new feelings and music. But Alice in Chains was always one where I could not work out what the appeal was. It is the same thing but more traditional, more root one, less feeling, more competence. Nothing about it is bad, but nothing about it elevates me or makes me feel anything new or different or exciting. It's just competently put together music, sort of the championship version of a conference pub rock band. It's just the obvious thing done well, and I think that's why I've never been able to get into them. This is again more of the same.

Acoustic rock, grunge, hard rock. Me ha gustado. Un 4.

One of my favorite albums of all times. Such a cool acoustic vibe from an otherwise dark and heavy band. If it weren't for Swing On This, i would call it flawless. Great release.

Finally. It’s quite good

Never was into this particular grunge band for whatever reason. Musically solid, plagued by the usual issue of self-seriousness in this genre.

Feels much longer than 30 minutes in the best way possible. The band's dark, hypnotic grunge is intoxicating, and I appreciated how a softer touch in the instrumentals yielded a beautifully melodic album while maintaining the band's heavy, sludgy feel. Great add, not normally an AIC fan but this was a solid album through and through.