“Unplugged” albums are kind of a catch-22. It seems most often that their best tracks are ones that work naturally in an acoustic setting, and that’s usually because they’re similar to their original recordings in the first place. In that case, why redo an already mellow, stripped-back song? On the other hand, if you try and get truly new takes, such as with songs that feature heavy, electric instrumentation, you risk losing qualities the song was originally written to emphasize. Having the proper judgment needed to find songs that would maintain such a balance is something most songwriters don’t seem to possess, or at least don’t consider.

I wish I could say Alice in Chains‘ MTV Unplugged was the exception, but for the most part it’s not. It’s a good album for sure, but it’d be pretty hard for it not to be. These songs were really damn good to begin with, and their technical performance is on point. A fair amount of highlights are from Jar of Flies and Sap, which are precisely the releases that are closest to this unplugged approach, but the studio magic was subtle enough to enhance those tracks without feeling artificial. I can’t say this organic setting really brings out anything new for songs like these.

“Down in a Hole” and “Would?” contrast each other pretty well in their success. The former’s original, softer verses now complement the stripped-down choruses, and the sullen subject matter entirely matches the mood to crate possibly the only song I think may have been improved on this album. “Down in a Hole” feels like it has the spirit of what it was thematically meant to have, but was betrayed by the trappings of its alternative metal stylings. It’s almost like it was never meant to be loud—a sentiment that would’ve been incomprehensible before hearing this recording.

“Would?” on the other hand entirely needs those heavy riffs to suit Staley’s aggressive, hard lyrics. Hearing the phrase “into the flood again, same old trip it was back then” just doesn’t land as well with a lethargic delivery—the connotation of those words bear too much gravity for that. Beyond this, the song’s rhythm just sounds bare and almost offbeat without the tumbling bass that propelled the original track. It’s probably one of the weakest renditions on here, losing what made the original song work so cathartic. It’s a transitional failure, which is a shame, since it’s possibly my favorite Alice in Chains song in its Dirt rendition.

Worth hearing for the fans, but this is a relatively consummate performance when compared to Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged release, which openly bore its rarely before-seen wounds. Alice in Chains were on the verge of a crash when this was recorded, but you’d never guess it by how straightforward and predictable the performances are. Or maybe that’s the telling part.