Angry Chair is a song by Alice in Chains, released on December 6, 1992. It was the third single from their album Dirt (1992). It is the eleventh song on most copies of the album and twelfth or tenth song on others. 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).
The song was one of the few written entirely by vocalist Layne Staley for the band. In the liner notes of 1999’s Music Bank box set collection, guitarist Jerry Cantrell said of the song:
“Such a brilliant song, I’m very proud of Layne for writing it, When I’ve stepped up vocally in the past he’s been so supportive, and here was a fine example of him stepping up with the guitar and writing a masterpiece”.
Angry Chair peaked at number 34 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and at number 27 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. It is notable for being the only song by the band to chart higher on the Modern Rock Tracks chart than on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and most Alice in Chains singles usually either fail to enter the Modern Rock chart or chart lower. The UK single was released in May 1993. Angry Chair reached the top 40 in the UK and the top 30 in Ireland.
Tracklist:
- Angry Chair
- Brother (from Sap)
The music video for Angry Chair was released in December 2, 1992 and was directed by Matt Mahurin, who later directed the No Excuses music video for the band. The video is available on the home video release Music Bank: The Videos.
Alice in Chains performed an acoustic version of Angry Chair for its appearance on MTV Unplugged in 1996 (although the song was omitted from the aired performance) and the song was included on the Unplugged live album and home video release. This version opens with an impromptu rendition by Cantrell of “Gloom, Despair and Agony on Me” from the TV show Hee Haw. Live performances of the song can also be found on the Heaven Beside You and Get Born Again singles and the live album Live.
Alice in Chains
Layne Staley: rhythm guitar, lead vocals
Jerry Cantrell: lead guitar, vocals
Mike Starr: bass
Sean Kinney: drums
Layne Staley (August 22, 1967 – April 5, 2002)
Mike Starr (April 4, 1966 – March 8, 2011).
