A Tribute to the Man in the Box
posted August 23, 2007, 4:17 pm | Log In To Post Comments | 
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Tags: Alice In Chains, Dirt
It took me some time to understand why I gave my wall calendar a 2nd and 3rd glance yesterday morning. Not until I randomly hit an Alice In Chains song did I remember; yesterday, Layne Staley was born, 40 years ago.
It brought me back a ways, and it made me consider his life and impact on my own. It helped me to recall yet another childhood memory of discovering music, as I came across a copy of "Dirt" in (if you read my previous blog, you guessed this) my father's CD collection. I stole it soon after, and eventually the copy burned out from too much handling/playing. #'s 6 & 12 were the first to go. Being my favorite songs at that time, it was only proper. Something about that reminds me of Layne himself; too much using, too much abusing, and eventually the noise stops.
A rough divorce during his childhood, coupled with the absense of a drug-abusing father. Elements of the twisted, troubled, tormented Layne that possessed every song he ever put his voice to. One can dig far enough to see those closest to him describe him as 'aloof', 'a recluse', a drug addict and most often the general consensus is 'tortured genius'. But just who was doing the tortuing?
Apparently, everything tortured the man. There were times when he seemed upbeat and positive, so few and far between those when he was obviously strung-out on heroin or speed, sometimes disappearing for weeks and months, leaving many close friends to fear for his life.
Despite all the punishment, justified or not, delivered by his own hand or another`s, something in Layne's spirit didn't know the meaning of quit. Something in all those classic AiC songs we know, and all those personal favorites that never made it further than an album and a stage, but never closer than deep within our hearts. Words of addiction, self-depreciation and immortality in the face of extreme emotional and physical chaos spilt from song to soul, showing us all the most simple of blueprints for how not to live our lives. With no light at the end of his tunnel, Layne became the brightest light in so many of our own.
Certainly not rare in such tragedies is the ascent of the main character before his fall. What may remain hidden to many, however, is how far down Layne always was. The fame and the fortune served as nothing more than weight, the same negative energy that fueled him from the beginning and that which would eventually tear him down. Perhaps his addiction was him choosing, unwittingly or not, to follow his father as he was never given the chance to. A chance to make him proud, in the twisted manner of a man so twisted.
None of this is for me or anyone else to make judgements on. That was the true beauty of Layne Staley; the only being who could judge him was him, plain and simple. That was also the true appeal; we could see the pain and feel the pain and touch the pain, even taste the pain but we could never judge it, never understand it as well as the man who lived it and died within it.
If you own anything Alice In Chains, give it a spin, even if you haven't touched them for years or just heard whatever it is you have an hour ago. Listen and remember one of rock's most successful tragedies, the tortured genius too far gone to take any path but the one that found him dead and alone, a martyr of self-destruction. We should all remember that the darkest of our days are the brightest on the opposite end. In honor of a man who knew that but remained blind to it.
R.I.P.
Layne Thomas Staley
August 22nd, 1967 - April 5th, 2002
Comments:
Still can't beat Facelift as my favorite Alice In Chains. I was an early adopter and I still love singing along to that album. I saw them early on open for Slayer down in Spokane. It was a great show. Sean Kinney rode my skateboard.
Additional Tags: Kiss
posted on September 6, 2007, 11:20 am
Another terrific mind to celebrate we had any of. Good piece
posted on August 24, 2007, 5:47 pm
