the first number 1 ep
This is a major departure from the bands first two albums. On the song I stay away that actually has an ochestra on it. No Excuses is their only song to make it to number 1 on the rock charts. Whale and Whasp is an instrumental song, Dont Follow is a very good laid back song to relax to

Tasty and delicious.
A mega good ep from Alice.
A more than worthy mini follow up to Dirt.
Not a weak track anywhere to be found on the disc.
An often overlooked disc by the masses.
A must have for Alice fans and prog. rockers.

Great example of the band's versatility
As much as I love Alice in Chains's full-length albums, I think their EP releases are the best evidence of the band's versatility, talent, and soul. Case in point is the 1994 EP Jar of Flies. Coming after two unrelentingly heavy albums like Facelift and Dirt, a laid back, almost mellow collection of material is about the last thing you'd have expected from Alice in Chains, yet it never seemed out of character.

The disc starts off with a pair of very slow-paced songs that retain the gloom and atmosphere of Dirt, if not that album's fury. After that comes a pair of upbeat (for Alice in Chains anyway) singles - I Stay Away and No Excuses - which are among the band's all time best songs. Next is the soulful instrumental track Whale & Wasp, followed by the laid back, harmonica driven Don't Follow, which is one of my absolute favorite Alice in Chains songs. Closing track Swing on This is an odd one, sounding like a bizarre swinging version of Dirt's God Smack.

If you're an Alice in Chains fan, you have to own Jar of Flies. It's an important moment in the band's progression, and one of the better albums the 90's alternative rock scene had to offer.

A Change From Grunge...Sort Of
Definitely one of my favorite albums of all time! I burned a nice ridge in this CD, listening to it to get me through some hard times while away in the Army, while grunge was still young, raw, and fresh.

Facelift had me hooked. Dirt had me wiggling. But Jar of Flies tore through my soul. Didn't sound like a grunge band, yet it unmistakably was. Being so strung out, Staley still managed to groan his way through the songs, with Cantrell supporting. Not saying it was bad at all, but every ear listening knew (though never admit) that something was going on. But really, we didn't care. Had some great songs, great melodies, excellent lyrics (some of the best writing in decades, surpassing the garbage that the radio boasts today as new "talent'), this album (along with Sap) were the most distant from what they'd produced before, a good change for music that came out around the time which all sounded the same after a while. Alice In Chains were one of the early ones.

It was probably best that Staley died when he did. Had they sobered up and pushed forward, and still be producing music (which I doubt; where's Smashing Pumpkins, or Soundgarden?), they'd probably have to recreate themselves again, just to branch out and remain fresh, different. For that is what the whole grunge movement was all about.

A Beautiful Darkness
Alice in Chains very unique sound just makes you want to keep listening it's as simple as that. It's a dark, dreary, beautifully sophisticated harmony that you remember for a long time. Jar of Flies is arguably Alice in Chains finest work as it is some of the most powerful and moving songwriting and crafting you'll ever hear. Layne Staley's vocals deliver a haunting message to the listener but also that there is hope at the end of the tunnel. Jerry Cantrell's guitar playing is at its finest on this record and his dual harmony vocals with Staley give Alice in Chains that unique vibe that has us gushing over this record 14 years after its release. Alice in Chains is one of the greatest bands of all time and this record is an exclamation point.