Nothing Safe

1	Get Born Again previously unreleased 5:26
2	We Die Young previously unreleased / Demo Version 2:28
3	Man In The Box 4:46
4	Them Bones 2:30
5	Iron Gland 0:43
6	Angry Chair 4:46
7	Down In A Hole 5:37
8	Rooster Live 6:46
9	Got Me Wrong 4:59
10	No Excuses 4:15
11	I Stay Away 4:14
12	What The Hell Have I 3:57
13	Grind 4:44
14	Again 4:04
15	Would? 3:28

Barnes & Noble

Of all the so-called "grunge" bands to emerge from Seattle in the late '80s, Alice in Chains was the one most influenced by heavy-metal acts like Black Sabbath and Mötley Crüe. When metal's razor edge was combined with AIC's penchant for soaring harmonies and murky, minor-key melodies, the music captured a malevolent, yet tuneful, sense of power. Add to that vocalist Layne Staley's lyrics about drug abuse, mortality, and betrayal, and AIC was far bleaker sounding than neighbors Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden. Packaged as a 15-track, single-disc teaser for the three-CD Alice in Chains box set, NOTHING SAFE: THE BEST OF THE BOX also includes the newly recorded "Get Born Again," an eerie track built on the group's trademark foundation of dynamic guitar bluster, nasal vocal harmonies, and emotive, psychedelic solos. In addition, the disc features a 1989 demo of "We Die Young"; "What the Hell Have I," recorded for the soundtrack of "The Last Action Hero"; and the band's biggest hit, "Man in the Box." A representative collection for newcomers but also a sign that Alice in Chains may indeed get born again sometime soon. Jon Wiederhorn

All Music Guide

Nothing Safe anticipated 1999's three-disc Alice in Chains box set, which covered the group's best songs and assorted rarities. Because Nothing Safe is ostensibly a sampler of the box, not the Alice in Chains back catalog, what at first glance looks like a comprehensive best-of is actually somewhat questionable. The package is not unattractive, since nearly all the hits are present in some form; also included are the new song "Get Born Again" and the better of the group's two contributions to the Last Action Hero soundtrack, "What the Hell Have I." The problem is that "present in some form" does not necessarily mean "original form." "Rooster" is included in a live version not present on the box, while a demo of "We Die Young" replaces the studio take, and the unplugged version of "Got Me Wrong" (which, granted, received more airplay) bumps the more effective arrangement from Sap. There's nothing really wrong with these versions of themselves; it's just that their selection seems designed to make this package incomplete, so that fans who want the original tracks will be forced to purchase three different original albums (and completists will still have to buy this for the exclusive version of "Rooster"). Fans who don't mind the substitutions will find this to be a strong introduction to the group -- and it is a very impressive listen, making the case for Alice in Chains as one of the best metal bands of the '90s -- but others will be frustrated by the crass marketing gimmicks marring what could have been a great, not merely good, best-of collection. Steve Huey