Alice in Chains have announced a 30th anniversary edition of their iconic MTV Unplugged performance. The reissue, which arrives September 25th, will be available on CD and as a double LP, including a limited edition “solar flare” colored vinyl release.
The original recording of Alice in Chains’ breathtaking performance on the MTV program came after a period of turmoil for the band. Vocalist Layne Staley’s battles with addiction had become so severe that in late 1994, AIC temporarily disbanded, with struggles continuing even after their reunion to record 1995’s self-titled album, making them unable to tour in support of the release.
The show, recorded on April 10th, 1996, marked their first performance in just over two years, only for guitarist-singer Jerry Cantrell to contract food poisoning just before broadcast. Following the performance, Staley would overdose just weeks before its air date, leading him to cease all live appearances, making this one of the final times the band performed with its original lead singer.
Alice in Chains’ set on MTV Unplugged was originally met with lukewarm critical response but has since become cited as one of the best performances captured over the show’s storied history.
See the band’s performance of “Nutshell” and imagesof the various editions of the 30th anniversary edition of Unplugged and its tracklist below. Pre-order the 30th anniversary edition here. A special ruby vinyl variant is also available exclusively at BrooklynVegan.
Unplugged Tracklist:
01.Nutshell
02. Brother
03. No Excuses
04. Sludge Factory
05. Down In A Hole
06. Angry Chair
07. Rooster
08. Got Me Wrong
09. Heaven Beside You
10. Would?
11. Frogs
12. Over Now
13. Killer Is Me
