Alice in Chains (Three-Legged Dog or Tripod) is the third studio album by Alice in Chains, released on November 7, 1995, through Columbia Records, and was the follow-up to the highly successful Dirt (1992). This is the band’s first full-length studio album to feature bassist Mike Inez, their last studio album to feature original lead vocalist Layne Staley, and their final studio album to be released through Columbia.
For a year and a half, Alice in Chains had not played any live shows, citing Staley‘s health issues. In the meantime, Staley joined the supergroup Mad Season recorded the album Above (1995), leaving the future of Alice in Chains in question. In addition, Staley‘s growing heroin addiction led to growing rumors of his death. Shortly after the release of Above, Alice in Chains set out to create their third album, with the intention of putting an end to the gossip surrounding the band. Recorded at Seattle’s Bad Animals Studio, the album’s songs focus on heavy emotional content and subject matter such as drug addiction, depression, religion, broken relationships, and the internal tensions within the band fueled by Staley‘s substance abuse. The album’s music relies less on metallic riffs and more on melody and texturally varied arrangements, integrating some of the more delicate acoustic moods of their EPs.
Although it was released in the twilight of the grunge era, Alice in Chains debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart with first week sales of 189,000 copies, and stayed on the chart for 46 weeks. The tracks “Grind“, “Heaven Beside You” and “Again“ were released as singles. “Grind” and “Again” were nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance. The album was certified double platinum by the RIAA and has sold over three million copies worldwide. The album was the band’s last for almost 14 years; Staley died from a drug overdose in 2002, and the band emerged with Black Gives Way to Blue in 2009 with new vocalist William DuVall.
Tracklist:
SIDE ONE
- Grind
- Brush Away
- Sludge Factory
SIDE TWO
- Heaven Beside You
- Head Creeps
- Again
SIDE THREE
- Shame in You
- God Am
- So Close
SIDE FOUR
- Nothin’ Song
- Frogs
- Over Now
Alice in Chains
Layne Staley: lead vocals, rhythm guitar on Head Creeps, guitar parts on Brush Away
Jerry Cantrell: lead guitar, rhythm guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals on Grind, Heaven Beside You and Over Now
Mike Inez: bass
Sean Kinney: drums
Production
Produced by Toby Wright and Alice in Chains
Recorded by Toby Wright and Tom Nellen, assisted by Sam Hofstedt
Mixed by Toby Wright, assisted by John Seymour
Mastered by Stephen Marcussen
Studio coordinator: Kevan Wilkins
Audio technicians: Darrell Peters, Walter Gemienhardt
Artwork guide: Sean Kinney
Art direction: Mary Maurer
Design: Doug Erb
Photography: Rocky Schenck, Rob Bloch
Management: Susan Silver
Layne Staley (August 22, 1967 – April 5, 2002).
