With the release of their first album since bringing in new frontman William DuVall, Black Gives Way To Blue, the dark Seattle rock band Alice In Chains has been making the promotional rounds lately. And a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! made one fan of dark Seattle bands wonder: Did Alice In Chains borrow from Nirvana — specifically, the Nevermind track “Polly” — when sitting down to hash out their new song “Your Decision”? Let’s go to the videotape!
Nirvana - “Polly” (MTV Unplugged version)
Alice In Chains - “Your Decision” (Live on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
I kind of hear a similarity, although I think they’re more rooted in the similarities between the two bands’ unplugged styles than anything else. (Oh c’mon Nirvana partisans, you know I’m right — there’s a reason that I liked both bands back in the day.) And actually, hearing this song is making me want to get the whole record!
Meanwhile, one commenter at MetalSucks thinks that there’s a link to the two songs, and it’s “heroin”:
EVER THINK THERE IS ALOT MORE TO IT.BEIN A FELLOW HEROIN ADDICT (NOT PPROUD AND ACTUALLY OFF OF IT FOR NOW) IN MY OPINION ITS TO WHAT WE DO TO OURSELVES EVERYDAY IS THE POINT ,KURT AND LAYNE NOT BEIN HERE TO TELL THE STORY CUS ITS OVER .THE PEOPLE AROUND THEM CAN BE THE ONLY ONE UNDERSTAND THE HURT AND MAYBE IN SOME WAY UNDERSTAND .IT PROBABLY STILL HAUNTS THEM ALL EVERYDAY LOSING THE BEST FREINDS AND MUSICIANS THEYVE EVER KNOWN.IT HARD TO STEAL FROM DEAD FRIENDS WHO NEVER GAVE A FUCK IN THE FIRST PLACE.SORRY FOR THE CAPS I DIDNT FEEL LIKE REWRITING
Uh, or something!
Alice In Chains’ “Your Decision” vs. Nirvana’s “Polly” [MetalSucks]
[Pic via Alice In Chains]
Metalsucks rules and the commentors can be unintentionally hilarious. It’s a shame they’re responsible for leaking the new Converge two weeks before it comes out.
“Polly”? Seriously? I don’t hear it.
As you say, the performance is a nostalgic recreation of vintage Unplugged-era grunge, nothing more.
They are similar in as much as they both have acoustic guitars and they were written by dudes from Seattle. Someone is really trying to reach here.
And Black Gives Way To Blue kicks ass. Go buy it everyone!
i hear it mostly in the verse.
i think it’s important to not rule out intention at this point in time. have AIC dismissed claims that this song sounds like “polly”?
also, [i]black gives way to blue[/i] is not very good at all.
Alice in Chains sucks.
I don’t hear it either. And the new album is very good if you were ever into the band. You’re not going to connect to it if you were listening to Barney when they came around the first time.
It’s there musically, but only slightly. Like, I’m sure if someone actually penned out the musical notation, they wouldn’t be similar, but they sound like a somewhat similar progression.
bum… bumbum.. bumbumBUMbum
Your ears might perk a bit, but it’s not enough to even be called “inspired by”