Although Seattle quartet Alice in Chains are regularly associated with the grunge movement of the ‘90s, they are also, somewhat arguably, a metal band. In fact, original vocalist Layne Staley was a drummer-turned-singer who first gained frontman experience with the glam metal band Sleze in 1984, reportedly nailing his audition with a rendition of Mötley Crüe’s “Looks That Kill.” The moniker Alice N’ Chains (a la Guns N’ Roses) was conjured by one of Staley’s old bandmates.
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After later borrowing their band name, Alice in Chains—Staley, guitarist Jerry Cantrell, bassist Mike Starr, and drummer Sean Kinney, formed in 1987—would take on a darker, edgier direction. And “Man in the Box,” the second single from their 1990 debut album, Facelift, would be the song to turn the tide on their initially middling fortunes.
A Hybrid Inspiration
In conjuring the lyrics for “Man in the Box,” Staley initially wanted to explore the issue of censorship. But a group dinner with some vegetarian staffers at Columbia Records added some unexpected inspiration when they told Staley and his bandmates how veal was made—by raising baby calves in small crates that restricted mobility to cut down on chewy muscle. With that image seared into his mind, Staley combined the two topics into one song.
I’m the man in the box
Buried in my shit
Won’t you come and save me?
As Cantrell explained in an interview from that time, “What it’s basically about is how government and media control the public’s perception of events in the world … and they build you into a box by feeding it to you in your home. And it’s just about breaking out of that box and looking outside of that box that has been built for you.”
In a 1991 interview for Canadian channel MuchMusic, Staley and Kinney differed in their view on it. The singer said it was loosely based on media censorship, while the drummer said it was about veal. Staley admitted he was stoned when he wrote it.
The mostly sepia-toned video for the song features the band performing on a farm property near various animals, and some of the shots focus on Staley cornered inside a makeshift pen.
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A Twist of the Talk Box
Rock fans have undoubtedly heard the sound of a talk box. It is an effects unit that guitarists most commonly use to alter the sound of their instrument and make it sound like it is singing. Essentially a speaker, the talk box has a vinyl tube the musician puts into their mouth, so the sound of their instrument is manipulated by the player’s vocalizations. Prior to “Man in the Box,” it was most famously heard in Peter Frampton’s “Do You Feel Like We Do” and “Show Me the Way,” Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion,” and Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer.”
Those hit songs mostly used the talk box in a brighter, more upbeat way. But Cantrell’s application was to harmonize with Staley’s wordless and haunting vocal melody outside of the verses and choruses; he interspersed it throughout the song, to dark effect. Facelift producer Dave Jerden thought of using the device when he heard it on the radio in the Bon Jovi song.
Cantrell’s implementation of the talk box into the song was perfect. When the single first got into regular rotation on rock radio in January 1991, it quickly caught on. Cantrell has stated how the song’s beat and grind helped the band find its sound overall. During the choruses, Staley and Cantrell trade off vocal lines as well to add even more sonic texture.
Making Their Mark
Facelift was released in August 1990, and with it the hard-rocking lead-off single, “We Die Young,” which went against the grain of the melodic hard rock popular at the time. The LP sold only 40,000 copies in its first six months of release (a fair showing in the 21st century but quite a poor one in the boom times of compact disc sales). After MTV put “Man in the Box” into regular rotation, however, things took off.
To be fair, while “We Die Young” certainly sounds like Alice in Chains, “Man in the Box” was next-level, with its churning mid-tempo vibe, down-tuned guitars, and Cantrell’s talk box effect creating an indelible impression. The song would shoot up to No. 18 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock radio chart, and the next single, “Sea of Sorrow,” would go Top 30. By September, the album would be certified Gold by the RIAA. Almost a year later it would hit Platinum status, and it has since sold 3 million copies, as has the single for “Man in the Box.”
Turning the Tide
“Man in the Box” would be nominated for a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance with Vocal in 1992 (it lost to Van Halen’s For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge). The following year, they would be nominated again, this time with bands like Faith No More and fellow Seattle grunge scenesters Pearl Jam representing a new generation of young hard rock and metal bands.
One could argue that “Man in the Box” was the first shot fired in the grunge revolution that would start to overtake the mainstream music world in late 1991. Pearl Jam’s Ten, Nirvana’s Nevermind, and Soundgarden’s Badmotorfinger would not arrive until August, September, and October of 1991, respectively. By 1992, with the exception of Guns N’ Roses, the Sunset Strip vibes of the late 1980s had been pushed aside in favor of this newer, more brooding sound.
“Man in the Box” remains Alice in Chains’ most successful song with nearly 350 million streams on Spotify, but the classic configuration of the band would pen many more memorable tunes. Over the course of three albums, an EP, and greatest hits collection, they would sell 15 million units in the U.S. alone. Staley passed away from a drug overdose in 2002, but the band has soldiered on with frontman William DuVall and released three more studio albums while continuing to tour the world.
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