I Stay Away
Encyclopedia
"I Stay Away" is the second single
from Alice in Chains
' EP
Jar of Flies
(1994). The song was included on the compilation albums Nothing Safe: Best of the Box
(1999), Music Bank
(1999), Greatest Hits
(2001), and The Essential Alice in Chains
(2006).
of 1999's Music Bank
box set collection, guitarist Jerry Cantrell
said of the song:
and Dirt; however, despite the bright opening guitar riff and verse, the song's pre-chorus suddenly detours into dark, sludgy electric guitar
and a haunting vocal harmony. The chorus then reintroduces the upbeat tones with powerfully long-drawn vocals and anxious violin
s. A hard rock electric guitar solo
then plays amidst the bright acoustic section.
"I Stay Away" also uses a great deal of instrumentation that Alice in Chains had previously not attempted, including horns and string instruments. It also effectively demonstrates the harmony
between vocalist Layne Staley
and guitarist Jerry Cantrell.
Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance
in 1995.
Ned Raggett of Allmusic said, "The seeming schizophrenia between massive rock crunch and gentle acoustic numbers was actually one of Alice in Chains' strongest traits, and on the brilliant "I Stay Away" the two impulses fused to create what on balance was the band's most uplifting song, sonically if not always lyrically."
for "I Stay Away" was released in 1994 and was directed by Nick Donkin, famous for his claymation film The Junky's Christmas
. The music video for "I Stay Away" is entirely stop-motion animation
, featuring the band members in puppet form in a circus when things go awry. The video is available on the home video release Music Bank: The Videos
. The puppets used in the video can now be found in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
"I Stay Away" was also featured in an episode of Beavis And Butthead.
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
' EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Jar of Flies
Jar of Flies
Jar of Flies is the third studio EP by the American rock band Alice in Chains, released on January 25, 1994 through Columbia Records. It is the first EP in music history to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 Chart and was well-received by critics.-Background and recording:Following Alice in...
(1994). The song was included on the compilation albums Nothing Safe: Best of the Box
Nothing Safe: Best of the Box
-Personnel:*Jerry Cantrell - Guitar, backing vocals and lead vocals on "Grind"*Layne Staley - Lead vocals and guitar on "Angry Chair" and "Grind"*Mike Starr - Bass *Mike Inez - Bass *Sean Kinney - Drums*Alice in Chains - Producer...
(1999), Music Bank
Music Bank
- Disc two :-Disc three :-Personnel:*Mark Arm - Assistant vocals on "Right Turn"*Jeff Beck - Graphic Design*Jerry Cantrell - guitar, vocals*Chris Cornell - Assistant guitar, lyrics, vocals on "Right Turn"*Peter Cronin - Photography...
(1999), Greatest Hits
Greatest Hits (Alice in Chains album)
Greatest Hits is a greatest hits collection by the grunge band Alice in Chains. It was released on July 24, 2001 on Columbia Records.-Overview:...
(2001), and The Essential Alice in Chains
The Essential Alice in Chains
The Essential Alice in Chains is a two-disc compilation album by the grunge band Alice in Chains, and part of Sony BMG's The Essential series...
(2006).
Origin and recording
In the liner notesLiner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
of 1999's Music Bank
Music Bank
- Disc two :-Disc three :-Personnel:*Mark Arm - Assistant vocals on "Right Turn"*Jeff Beck - Graphic Design*Jerry Cantrell - guitar, vocals*Chris Cornell - Assistant guitar, lyrics, vocals on "Right Turn"*Peter Cronin - Photography...
box set collection, guitarist Jerry Cantrell
Jerry Cantrell
Jerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with the grunge/metal band Alice in Chains, as lead guitarist, backing and co-lead vocalist, and co-lyricist. He performs lead vocals on his solo projects, and is part of Alice in Chains' harmonizing...
said of the song:
That was the first time we'd written with Mike InezMike InezMike Inez is a rock musician best known for his role as the bassist of Alice in Chains. Inez has also worked with other popular musical acts such as Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society, and Heart. Inez is of Filipino ancestry.-Career:...
, which makes this another special song. The whole Jar of Flies EP proved to both us and the fans what a talented and valid part of the band Mike was. He plays the nastiest, darkest shit but he's got the sweetest heart in the world.
Composition
The track is notably softer than Alice in Chains's previous recordings on both FaceliftFacelift (album)
Facelift is the debut studio album by the American rock band Alice in Chains. The album was released on August 21, 1990. The album is the band's second highest selling album and has been certified double-platinum by the RIAA for shipments of two million copies in the United States.-Background and...
and Dirt; however, despite the bright opening guitar riff and verse, the song's pre-chorus suddenly detours into dark, sludgy electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
and a haunting vocal harmony. The chorus then reintroduces the upbeat tones with powerfully long-drawn vocals and anxious violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
s. A hard rock electric guitar solo
Guitar solo
In popular music, a guitar solo is a melodic passage, section, or entire piece of music written for an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. Guitar solos, which often contain varying degrees of improvisation, are used in many styles of popular music such as blues, jazz, rock and metal styles such...
then plays amidst the bright acoustic section.
"I Stay Away" also uses a great deal of instrumentation that Alice in Chains had previously not attempted, including horns and string instruments. It also effectively demonstrates the harmony
Vocal harmony
Vocal harmony is a style of vocal music in which a consonant note or notes are sung at the same time as a main melody in a predominantly homophonic texture. Vocal harmonies are used in many subgenres of European art music, including Classical choral music and opera and in the popular styles from...
between vocalist Layne Staley
Layne Staley
Layne Thomas Staley was an American musician who served as the lead singer and co-lyricist of the rock group Alice in Chains, which was formed in Seattle, Washington in 1987 by Staley and guitarist Jerry Cantrell. Alice in Chains rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the...
and guitarist Jerry Cantrell.
Release and reception
"I Stay Away" was released as a single in 1994. "I Stay Away" peaked at number ten on the BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance
Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance was an award presented to recording artists at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, for works containing quality performances in the hard rock music genre...
in 1995.
Ned Raggett of Allmusic said, "The seeming schizophrenia between massive rock crunch and gentle acoustic numbers was actually one of Alice in Chains' strongest traits, and on the brilliant "I Stay Away" the two impulses fused to create what on balance was the band's most uplifting song, sonically if not always lyrically."
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "I Stay Away" was released in 1994 and was directed by Nick Donkin, famous for his claymation film The Junky's Christmas
The Junky's Christmas
The Junky's Christmas is a story by William S. Burroughs. It appears in the 1989 collection Interzone and on the 1993 album Spare Ass Annie and Other Tales. It was also made into a 1993 short claymation film directed by Nick Donkin and Melodie McDaniel. The film was produced by Francis Ford Coppola...
. The music video for "I Stay Away" is entirely stop-motion animation
Stop motion
Stop motion is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence...
, featuring the band members in puppet form in a circus when things go awry. The video is available on the home video release Music Bank: The Videos
Music Bank: The Videos
Music Bank: The Videos is a video release by grunge band Alice in Chains containing all of the band's music videos. It was originally released on VHS in 1999 and was re-released in 2001 on DVD...
. The puppets used in the video can now be found in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
"I Stay Away" was also featured in an episode of Beavis And Butthead.
Personnel
- Layne StaleyLayne StaleyLayne Thomas Staley was an American musician who served as the lead singer and co-lyricist of the rock group Alice in Chains, which was formed in Seattle, Washington in 1987 by Staley and guitarist Jerry Cantrell. Alice in Chains rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the...
– lead vocals - Jerry CantrellJerry CantrellJerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with the grunge/metal band Alice in Chains, as lead guitarist, backing and co-lead vocalist, and co-lyricist. He performs lead vocals on his solo projects, and is part of Alice in Chains' harmonizing...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, vocals - Mike InezMike InezMike Inez is a rock musician best known for his role as the bassist of Alice in Chains. Inez has also worked with other popular musical acts such as Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society, and Heart. Inez is of Filipino ancestry.-Career:...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Sean KinneySean KinneySean Howard Kinney is an American musician best known for being the drummer of the influential grunge band Alice in Chains....
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
Chart positions
| Chart (1994) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Mainstream Rock Tracks | 10 |
External links
- [ Review of "I Stay Away"] at Allmusic