First listen to Alice In Chains - Vocal Analysis of "Down in a Hole" (MTV Unplugged) 

The reason you can't describe what you are hearing from Layne's voice is because what you are hearing is raw emotion, not technique,he's not singing the songs, he is living the songs and expressing it

The entire Unplugged set seems like Layne is singing for his own funeral.

This unplugged was so good, but it makes me so so sad. You could see Layne was in a bad way and they were trying to pull him out of it. Layne's story is so tragic and he will be forever missed.

I wish Layne was here today to see new people falling in love with his voice. He deserved it.

This entire Unplugged show is both amazing and heartbreaking; it's like watching Layne's suffering put out right in front of the world for all to see.

Layne and Jerry's voices together is one of the best duets ever. Compliment each other perfectly.

Best band from the 90s! I’m 50 now but still feel 22. RIP Layne!!

To me, the Alice in Chains Unplugged show is one of the greatest live performances of all time. All of their songs are beautifully arranged for the acoustic medium, and Layne and Jerry's vocals blend amazingly. I was 14 when this concert aired on MTV and I was blown away.

As a lifelong Alice fan I still find this Unplugged performance really hard to watch. Layne seems so beaten by his demons at this point. For me they were by far the best band to come from the Grunge scene. Legend

It's not air pressure sister, it's pain 💔

Layne's voice is a sound of a thousand haunted souls singing at once.

Layne Staley wasn't singing, he was crying for help. And it's the most beautiful cry you will ever hear from another man. It's heartbreaking and beautiful to listen to at the same time.

Lane's mother described his voice as razirblades covered in marshmallow. Very unique voice.

It's crazy how powerful Layne's voice is but physically you can barely tell he's singing.

A fun fact i really love. Layne gives these little looks and smiles to Jerry during the set. He does them because he always really loved Jerrys voice, and Layne actually lays back a little here and there to let him shine. He didnt tell Jerry, so he sort of puts him on the spot and he nails it. :3

@7:02 the way Jerry looks over at Mike. "Nailed it"

Credit to the sound guys on these old MTV Unplugged shows, the mix on all of them is so good.

“i’ve eaten the sun so my tongue has been burned of the taste” i’ve heard this song probably a million times and that lyric gets me everytime.

To truly appreciate this video/song, you owe it to yourself to learn about Layne Staley's life and spiral downwards, to include the moments leading up to this performance. This song still gives me chills. I'm old enough and lucky enough to have enjoyed their music from the very beginning. Truly remarkable. RIP Layne.

May you rest in peace Layne Stanley. Such a huge loss to this world! Jerry Cantrell and Layne sounded absolutely angelic together. I’m so fortunate to have grown up with Alice & Chains. Their “Jar of flies” album was played on repeat for years in our house. ❤

Layne Staley is the most unique and underrated voice of the grunge era. Jerry Cantrell, again, is an underrated genius of composer.

Their unplugged was one of the best live sets ever. Hits me every time

Their harmonic melodies were so hauntingly beautiful and hair-raising.

here crying with my father in the ICU. This was one of his favorite performances ever, we listened to it endlessly.

I’ve always felt like Layne and Jerry’s voices combine to make this incredible third voice when they duet. So beautiful and haunting and I can’t think of another band with a sound like that.

Thanks for showing such respect and appreciation for Alice In Chains. I love how you described their voices. I’m still get chocked up when I hear them.

As an avid Alice in Chains fan, I wanted to put this out there, particularly regarding Layne's demeanor during this performance. Layne Staley (the lead vocalist) was high on heroin for this show...not completely nodding out faded, but high enough to keep withdrawals away...apparently he was in withdrawals before the show and shot up right before so he wouldn't be sick/withdrawing for the performance...of course this is all anecdotal, but I am a musician/songwriter/vocalist and also a recovering addict (4 years clean) who managed to overcome the same type of addiction that ultimately killed Layne...and the anecdotal information described appears to accurately describe his disposition, at least in my experience. Fortunately his uniquely haunting and beautiful voice will live on forever. Thank you for your thoughtful review/reaction.

Jerry doesn’t get enough credit as a singer. His solo stuff is solid.

Layne is so fragile here. His addiction had decimated his body by this point. This whole show is a crushing experience. Layne's voice is huge and powerful and here he's really struggling to get sound out, but still giving an incredible, singular, haunting performance. Apart from the sadness, Layne & Jerry have one of the best harmonies in all of rock. Just stunning, every song.

Layne’s tone and vibrato is the most unique. He also has tricks where he covers his voice and compresses the sound. He also has amazing breath control.

Laynes voice hits me in the feels. No other voice like his

Gosh, you can easily go down a rabbit hole with AIC. The studio version of this song will give you an idea of Layne’s range. I would recommend the unplugged version of Nutshell. RIP Layne!

Layne is a GOAT, nobody will ever have the same voice

I heard it described somewhere as Layne's voice sounds like he's singing at his own funeral. It just resonated with me.

I love the ways you described Layne’s voice because his is definitely a very unique sound, so hard to put into words. Great reaction!

His voice is nothing that can really be described. Being in many bands over the years, I could never duplicate or come close to sounding like Layne. The only thing you could do was stay in key and try to hit the notes. If you watch Layne he never has to dig that deep to hit his high notes, he was just a natural talent who sang with raw emotion. Most haunting and beautiful voice of all time.

I absolutely love Jerry's voice, especially in this performance, and with Layne it's just pure bliss.

Staley and Cantrell are pure magic together...i miss them together 😢 Rip Layne

Layne and Jerry worked so well together. Incredible duo.

In your research on lead vocalist Layne Staley you will understand why he looks and acts the way he does here. RIP LAYNE ❤

The pure torment of Layne's voice is agonizing and beautiful at the same time.

Lane was dying and his voice was a plea from the grave he knew he was falling in. So sad yet so beautiful.

These guys have always been one of my favorite bands. All of them incredibly talented, the vocal combination of Layne and Jerry is soooo good. In this song especially, their harmonies are superb.

Jerry and Layne's harmony vocals were so special in the grunge genre. In this video, you're seeing Layne nearing the end of his battle with drug addiction, RIP. I'll echo the requests below for Love Hate Love live at the Moore Theater. It shows Layne at the height of his power, but no harmonies from Jerry on that one.

It’s great when Jerry gives that nod and smile when he hit that note.

What you're hearing is timeless, a legendary voice that will never be duplicated or forgotten. I would kill to see where this band was today with both of them still with us.

He was literally on his deathbed at this concert. Your ending is sad. RIP Layne Staley, you can’t ever be replaced.

Definitely need to do "Love Hate Love" live at the Moor. You won't be disappointed. Love your content.

If you don’t watch them perform Nutshell from this same set you’re doing yourself a disservice

I usually try to avoid watching the Unplugged videos because seeing Layne towards the end tears my heart out, but I like your break down of the vocals.

Very good description!! You described his singing in a way that made a lot of sense to me, especially when you said, muted like a trumpet

Truly haunting - what you are hearing is pure pain and sadness turned into vocals, without filter. Almost a death rattle foreshadowing the future, as Layne fought so hard to keep his head “above water” and stave addiction. One of the greatest vocalists of this era and I would argue of the genre. RIP Layne, Chris, Scott and so many others…. 🪦 👏 🪦

Hearing Layne sing certain lines always hits so hard knowing his story. RIP

You can’t describe Layne’s voice bc he was high as a kite on Heroin and he always sang with pure emotion (pain.) This whole unplugged set was magical to say the least. R.I.P. Layne

Layne is everyman here. We can feel his pain and we know why. We've all seen it in people we love. Its heartbreaking. Thank you for your analysis

Love hate love live at the moore layne at his peak

Layne dope sick and wasting away yet still delivers a fantastic performance. Prime Layne from the early 90s like the "live at the moore" show was unreal.

Still gives me chills after the millionth listen…

One of the best vocal duos in rock ever.

This is a man singing his own eulogy. Its brilliance brings me to tears every time I hear it.

Love Hate Love live at the Moor is a must to get Layne at his absolute best. Edit to add that during this Unplugged recording Layne was battling his addiction really hard and at times had to be put back in his chair because he was nodding off from the heroin so it’s incredible that he managed to get so many beautiful songs recorded. This was shortly before his departure from the band so having this artwork in the world is something I’ll always be grateful for. Rest well, Layne.

I love your analysis. Layne’s voice was so unique. He was special. RIP

I love this channel so much! You speak to me, thank you!!!

Layne is without a doubt the best singer from this time period. Jar of Flys is one of my favorite albums.

This is such a sad performance for me to see every time. Layne was so deep into his heroin addiction at this time, and the band hadn't performed together in months. You really nailed Layne's whole being into place when you described the fragility of his voice. He was fragile, but also powerful in his delivery of that feeling. As a former heroin addict (6 years sober now), I can relate to so much of what he was putting out into the world. I'm hooked on your videos of 90's and 2000's metal bands. Thank you 🖤

"Almost like a trumpet mute" rings true me, the harmon mute of Miles's on Blue in Green has that pain.

Honestly a great emotional connection with what one would feel like being vulnerable and down. This whole MTV unplugged concert is more than just the music. Thanks for sharing

I saw Layne in a three piece suit at the start of their set on Lollapolooza in 93 and it was like 95 degrees that day! Needless to say he took the jacket tie vest and shirt off after playing Would the first song to start the show! Very charismatic singer and great stage presence! His voice very unique and an unbelievable range! RIP Layne! Layne’s mom said it best regarding his voice: it’s like Nails surrounded by marshmallows! I agree👍🏻 RIP LAYNE❤️

I get the chills just listening to this album, music is just so raw and I also like to see you discover it and get amused by it. I revived the moments when I first listened to it. Nice work!

The harmony they produce is absolutely brilliant and haunting. The art they produced was so underrated.

I love them. When the dude heckled him when he forgot a lyric...mind you they hadn't performed in a while, they handled it with such class. They didn't address him directly, and Jerry was so beautifully protective, and the connection between the two is touching. I watch a part during Rooster over and over....right at the first chorus, Layne looks back at Jerry, who gave him a big smile. You could see the comfort on Layne's face. When Jerry pulled up next to him and had brought the lyrics...damn dude. I have a feeling it was probably difficult to be able to have him come. I can imagine he was pretty scared to sing and his look had changed. Jerry was so proud, and you could see it. Man, what at amazing show they put on. I'm so glad Jerry said something when dude was a jerk, then Layne made the remark, "What's my motivation?", and got cheers for it. He was able to get his bit in last without insulting anyone. A lot of talent, a lot of touching moments. Bittersweet. Their music never gets old.

To me Layne and Jerry are one of the best vocal duos ever, their voices just compliment each other's so perfectly, and the way they harmonize and play off each other is just perfection

We will NEVER have a Layne Jerry duo EVER....they were MAGIC

Love your videos, you know when to give song space and stop it at the right time. So many voice coaches or vocalists love to hear the sound of their own voice.

It’s the fact that Layne was in really bad health condition during this show with his drug addiction, to still perform at this high level is just outstanding and showed how much of a talent this man was, we miss you Layne ❤️

He clearly wasn't well in his addiction to heroin at this point, you can hear it in his voice yet still sounds more amazing than most! RIP Layne

I just miss them and how theyr music brought to so much to so many people. I fell in love with these guys when I was only 17 yrs old. So blessed to watch MTV unplugged in the 80's. And I've never been so moved since. They will forever have my heart. The passion and conviction of Layne and his vocals will remembered and missed.

Aw man, binging on your channel and seeing all these incredible artists that are no longer with us that I grew up with 😢

I think one of the reasons Staley is such an incredible vocalist is he literally sounds like he will never be able to hit the notes, or it sounds like he's about to cut off his voice, then he hits this insanely beautiful vibrato that nobody else can do, higher than you'd ever expect. Go check out his song with Heart. Shows a completely different side of him.

Layne Staley sounds exactly like what living in Seattle feels like. It's cold and dark and gray and foggy here for 10 months a year. You hear that in his voice.

Alice In Chains was a staple from my HS years. I love how you are trying to describe the vocal abilities of this iconic group. Beautiful word choice makes me appreciate them more.

I feel his singing feels effortless here because he had an amazing range & is not belting it out like he could! The songs were his expression of his own pain in his own words! They were amazing live!

True, Layne's voice somehow sounded high and low at the same time. His unique tone gave him that grittiness, I would say he's easily one of the best singers in rock history 💗

“Love hate love” live at the Moore is a MUST watch, back when Layne was healthy. The entire show is phenomenal, but that song shows his true breath control and support.

The best unplugged ever. For someone who died mentally before this it's amazing.

So nice to hear a vocal coach compliment my favourite band of all time so much. I’ve spent years trying to explain the complimentary duets of Staley and Cantrell.

Seeing this performance for the first time in many years, brought tears to my eyes. The world lost a truly great vocalist and lyricist. RIP Layne 🤘🏻

I watched a documentary and everyone couldn't get over how much actual sound Layne could put out. Like it radiated from him core. Just a special talent and sadly a tortured soul. Very missed.

Awesome channel. Great depth and feel in your explanations !

Cool channel, love how you are willing to hear so many genre compared to any other types. 90’s rock/grunge was an incredible time for music. Loved growing up in the 90’s

Now you have to listen to all their songs. Layne will blow your mind.

Take a look at "Love Hate Love" live at the Moor. And you will see how much he was contained! :) Btw amazing work! Please continue !

Man! I wish I could hear all these bands she's listening to for the first time again! What a great rabbit hole of videos I am going down! Loving her reactions....can totally relate

Layne’s singing was mythic but he wasn’t a siren, he was a banshee… his singing wasn’t alluring because it was delicate and perfect, it captured so many because it was undeniable and full of pain and loss.

Layne and Jerry's harmonies are legendary for sure🙂

Just found your channel because of this video. Love it! Pls know Layne S. Was in a very sad state at this point, the Unplugged stuff is some of my fave, but also some of the saddest.

i just found you, and as a music guy, bass player, born in 80s, who loves Alt rock and metal...I think I love you

“I won’t be able to describe this sound” and that my dear is Layne Staley ❤

Layne was crying out for help. Such sorrow... The live version of Love Hate Love might even be more powerful. Thank you Beth for your wonderful analysis as usual. By the way you don't ever need to apologize for not ever hearing a song or a band. You know some bands that we've probably never heard of too. You're on your own journey of discovery. Hopefully you continue to find "new" bands. New to you 🙃

Such a beautiful, yet sad video. RIP Layne, there will never be another voice as astounding as yours.