Album: Jar of Flies [EP]
Original release date: Jan 25, 1994
Label: Columbia

Personnel:

• Layne Staley: lead vocals
• Jerry Cantrell: guitars, vocals
• Mike Inez: bass, guitar, additional vocals
• Sean Kinney: drums, percussion
• Toby Wright: engineer
• April Acevez: viola
• Rebecca Clemons-Smith: violin
• Matthew Weiss: violin
• Justine Foy: violoncello
• David Atkinson: harmonica
• Randy Biro: additional vocals
• Darrel Peters: additional vocals

 Track list:

1. "Rotten Apple" (Staley, Cantrell, Inez) – 6:58
2. "Nutshell" (Staley, Cantrell, Inez, Kinney) – 4:19
3. "I Stay Away" (Staley, Cantrell, Inez) – 4:14
4. "No Excuses" (Cantrell) – 4:15
5. "Whale & Wasp" (Cantrell) – 2:37
6. "Don't Follow" (Cantrell) – 4:22
7. "Swing on This" (Staley, Cantrell, Inez, Kinney) – 4:04

 Singles:
"I Stay Away"
"No Excuses"

Billboard Top 200 peak: #1
It should be noted that _Jar of Flies_ was the first EP to ever reach the #1 spot on the Billboard, and it remained the ONLY EP to have that distinction for 10 years.

Here's a review that I wrote up on this album a while back:

What can I say about this album? Only that I have been listening to it on a consistent basis since practically the time it was released, and I enjoy it as much now as I did then. My musical tastes have changed much since 1994, but one thing remains constant: my love for this album, and indeed pretty much anything and everything done by this band. The strange thing is, it contains what is probably my least favorite Alice In Chains song ("Swing On This"), and yet I still consider it my favorite album by the band, and I still feel confident in giving it a perfect rating.

Yes, I still remember back in the day seeing for the first time the video for "I Stay Away" (you know, back when MTV was kinda-sorta good...compared to now anyway), and being completely entranced by what I was seeing and hearing. I barely knew the band back then, but somehow I felt that I had known them forever. It was everything I wanted and needed to see and hear. And so I discovered Jar of Flies. From the haunting opening bass line and ghostly vocal harmonies of "Rotten Apple," and the heart-wrenching melodies of "Nutshell" and "Don't Follow," to the catchy rhythm of "No Excuses," and the mystifying wailing of Jerry's guitar in "Whale and Wasp," I knew from the very first listen that this was something special...something that would be a part of me forever. There is so much passion at play on this album from all members of the band, and I feel that with Jar of Flies, they were really truly pouring their hearts out in a way they had never done before. Indeed, I feel that "Nutshell" is the defining song of Layne Staley's life, and every time I hear it, I shed a tear for him. It was the first song I heard, the very moment that Layne's death was announced that grim morning years ago, and that will always be the first thing I think of whenever the song graces my ears. I consider this album to be perfect. Perfect in that everything syncs together in such a genuinely meaningful way; perfect in its blend of acoustic and electric; perfect in that it displays the constant progression Alice In Chains had by releasing albums that each had a completely authentic sound that was never repeated.

I have never successfully compiled a satisfactory list of what I would call my "top ten albums of all time," but I know for sure that Jar of Flies would be on that list, and quite high at that, despite the fact that it is not a full-length album. Obviously, this album means a lot to me in a personal way, but all that aside, I feel that this is an absolute must-have in any serious music lover's collection.

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I AM RIFUGIUM: PRESIDENT OF EARTH.

I have to agree with you, Rif, and I'll go you one further. For me, it's the best album ever. Number One. And I didn't even get around to listening to it until 2005. Just excellent music.

PS - Thanks for all of your reviews and posts on music. I've learned a lot.

themom:

I have to agree with you, Rif, and I'll go you one further. For me, it's the best album ever. Number One. And I didn't even get around to listening to it until 2005. Just excellent music.

PS - Thanks for all of your reviews and posts on music. I've learned a lot.

Agreed...a masterpiece.

- Laura

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It's hard to start things over...
you can feel the fire around us

[all the time]

My least favorite album. 

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I'm not fine, fuck pretending.

SoulDesertion:

My least favorite album. 

 

 

 

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"We play so fine, don't you agree?" ~ Layne Staley

"We want to celebrate what we did and the memory of our friend." ~ Jerry Cantrell

"Nutshell" is one of the most beautiful, yet powerful songs ever written.

Very rarely do songwriters put so much of their heart and soul out there on display, and the vulnerability throughout the song is tangible.

 I think part of the mystique to this amazing song is that it feels like it finished one verse short, which perpetually leaves you wanting more.

An absolute masterpiece.

Still the only EP to go to No.1 on the mainstream charts - The people have spoken!!

Cheers

 
Steve
 

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"Loneliness is not a phase, field of pain is where I graze. Saw my reflection and cried, so little hope that I died"

PunkyLunky:

SoulDesertion:

My least favorite album. 

 

 

 

Like, seriously?  What about it do you not like I'm eager to know!  pound for pound, it's my favorite album (considering that it only has 7 tracks), but at the VERY least, it's far superior to Sap, yes?

All of the songs on this album are masterpieces.

Rotten Apple, as an opening song sets the mood for the entire album; relaxing and mellow.

Nutshell has to be the best song ever written.

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Mirror on the wall will show you what you're scared to see...

I didn't ever say I didn't think it was a brilliant album ..but it is my least favorite. I listened to it the most out of all of them when I was younger..and it gives me a weird feeling. I can't listen to Nutshell without feeling a severe sense of sorrow. I was really depressed during that period of time so that's probably why.

I also enjoy their darker heavier stuff. IE self-titled. 

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I'm not fine, fuck pretending.

i love this album its my second favorite though, nutshell is amazing i can never get sick of it and the end of dont folow is so powerful

Rifugium:

Album: Jar of Flies [EP]
Original release date: Jan 25, 1994
Label: Columbia

Personnel:

• Layne Staley: lead vocals
• Jerry Cantrell: guitars, vocals
• Mike Inez: bass, guitar, additional vocals
• Sean Kinney: drums, percussion
• Toby Wright: engineer
• April Acevez: viola
• Rebecca Clemons-Smith: violin
• Matthew Weiss: violin
• Justine Foy: violoncello
• David Atkinson: harmonica
• Randy Biro: additional vocals
• Darrel Peters: additional vocals

 Track list:

1. "Rotten Apple" (Staley, Cantrell, Inez) – 6:58
2. "Nutshell" (Staley, Cantrell, Inez, Kinney) – 4:19
3. "I Stay Away" (Staley, Cantrell, Inez) – 4:14
4. "No Excuses" (Cantrell) – 4:15
5. "Whale & Wasp" (Cantrell) – 2:37
6. "Don't Follow" (Cantrell) – 4:22
7. "Swing on This" (Staley, Cantrell, Inez, Kinney) – 4:04

 Singles:
"I Stay Away"
"No Excuses"

Billboard Top 200 peak: #1
It should be noted that _Jar of Flies_ was the first EP to ever reach the #1 spot on the Billboard, and it remained the ONLY EP to have that distinction for 10 years.

Here's a review that I wrote up on this album a while back:

What can I say about this album? Only that I have been listening to it on a consistent basis since practically the time it was released, and I enjoy it as much now as I did then. My musical tastes have changed much since 1994, but one thing remains constant: my love for this album, and indeed pretty much anything and everything done by this band. The strange thing is, it contains what is probably my least favorite Alice In Chains song ("Swing On This"), and yet I still consider it my favorite album by the band, and I still feel confident in giving it a perfect rating.

Yes, I still remember back in the day seeing for the first time the video for "I Stay Away" (you know, back when MTV was kinda-sorta good...compared to now anyway), and being completely entranced by what I was seeing and hearing. I barely knew the band back then, but somehow I felt that I had known them forever. It was everything I wanted and needed to see and hear. And so I discovered Jar of Flies. From the haunting opening bass line and ghostly vocal harmonies of "Rotten Apple," and the heart-wrenching melodies of "Nutshell" and "Don't Follow," to the catchy rhythm of "No Excuses," and the mystifying wailing of Jerry's guitar in "Whale and Wasp," I knew from the very first listen that this was something special...something that would be a part of me forever. There is so much passion at play on this album from all members of the band, and I feel that with Jar of Flies, they were really truly pouring their hearts out in a way they had never done before. Indeed, I feel that "Nutshell" is the defining song of Layne Staley's life, and every time I hear it, I shed a tear for him. It was the first song I heard, the very moment that Layne's death was announced that grim morning years ago, and that will always be the first thing I think of whenever the song graces my ears. I consider this album to be perfect. Perfect in that everything syncs together in such a genuinely meaningful way; perfect in its blend of acoustic and electric; perfect in that it displays the constant progression Alice In Chains had by releasing albums that each had a completely authentic sound that was never repeated.

I have never successfully compiled a satisfactory list of what I would call my "top ten albums of all time," but I know for sure that Jar of Flies would be on that list, and quite high at that, despite the fact that it is not a full-length album. Obviously, this album means a lot to me in a personal way, but all that aside, I feel that this is an absolute must-have in any serious music lover's collection.

this review is perfect! and i know that i said tripod is my favorite aic album, but it's actually a tie w/ jar of flies. this album is absolutely PERFECT....and after reading your review it makes me wanna pop it in. so i will...right now!

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Punky Lunky had sex with Hacksaw Jim Duggan.

Jar of Flies is in the same category as Sap....PERFECTION!!!  I can't listen to Whale & Wasp without crying, lol.   Love every song on it.

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Jar of Flies was the only EP to become a Number 1 on Billboard until 2004 when Collision Course by Linkin Park/Jay Z repeated that success, don't know if other EP's have had similar success.

What I love about this record is that there are so few tracks but all of them are near perfect (except maybe Swing on this, not a big fan of that one). Nutshell has already been spoken about earlier, very powerful song. No Excuses remains to this day the only number 1 single AIC have ever released, and songs like Rotten Apple, I Stay Away and Don't Follow are all classics.

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Rotten Apple is definately my favorite song on this album. Its so deep. No Excuses is also very good. 

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They shoudl've played DOn't follow at the Unplugged show