Expected a somewhat close poll, but we need to get out the Alice In Chains vote.
I'm going to compare using
Dirt because it's AIC's seminal album, and
In Utero because it's my favorite Nirvana album, and therefore the only real competitor against AIC.
Dirt vs
In Utero by tracklisting:
1) "Them Bones"
< "Serve the Servants"
2) "Dam That River"
> "Scentless Apprentice"
3) "Rain When I Die"
< "Heart-Shaped Box." "RWID" is better live, though.
4) "Down In A Hole"
< "Rape Me." Holy **** this is close. "DIAH" is better-written musically, but "Rape Me" isn't as much of a downer vibe-wise/rocking-wise, ironically.
5) "Sickman"
< "Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle"
6) "Rooster"
> "Dumb"
7) "Junkhead"
= "Very Ape." It's a tie.
8) "Dirt"
> "Milk It"
9) "God Smack"
< "Pennyroyal Tea"
10) "Iron Man"
< "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter." Nirvana's filler song beats AIC's ****ty filler song.
11) "Hate to Feel"
> "Tourette's
12) "Angry Chair"
< "All Apologies"
At this point, it's 4 in favor of AIC, 7 for Nirvana, and 1 no decision. But
Dirt has a 13th song that
In Utero does not, and it beats everything in Nirvana's catalogue, handily.
#13 - "Would?"
- I like both bands, I respect both bands, but the musicianship in AIC is superior.
- Jerry wrote better songs than Cobain, music-wise (not popularly).
- Nirvana's work hasn't aged very well when you really break things down.
- While Layne was not a great lyricist, Kurdt was overrated as a lyricist. Kurdt even said himself that some of his lyrics were strung-together nonsense.
- Given that, "Serve the Servants" is Kurdt's finest display, lyrically.
- While both experienced similar troubles, there's something more human and genuine about Staley's work, and that will never change for me.
Take "Would?" and add some
Jar of Flies, and it's game over for Nirvana.
*
The above only counts the Layne years for AIC.