Jerry Cantrell discusses songwriting and the new Alice In Chains album in 1996 GW interview.

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Do you work out any of your solos?

I used to; I'd sit down and really work out something for each tune. Now, I don't think about it at all, and I feel that approach works a lot better for me. Generally, I can't tell people exactly what I played because I don't even know myself!

Would you say that part of your overall approach to recording is to take chances while the tape is rolling, just to see what will happen?

That's definitely the Alice In Chains way. It's a whole lot of not thinking about it, and a whole lot of just doing it -- and making sure the tape is always rolling. We had tape running constantly. Even if we didn't have two-inch tape running, we had DAT's running constantly. We have so many DAT's of so much shit that didn't get used; we have bibles full of outtakes! Maybe we'll release some of the stuff some day. When I was a kid, I always liked outtake records and bootlegs where you could hear little fuckups and the guys in the bands talking between the tunes. I thought that was the coolest stuff; it let you in on their vibe. You felt like you were in with the club.

I've often heard you talk about Layne's studio prowess.

Layne is amazing. We'd go in the back and play football while he was doing vocal tracks. We'd come back and he'd have five awesome-sounding vocal tracks cut. Toby would listen to it and say, "I couldn't have told you to do anything differently."

Speaking of Layne, what do you think of Above [Columbia], the Mad Season album?

I think it's fucking great. I totally have to 'fess up-I was jealous as shit when I first heard it. It's like somebody taking your girlfriend out. [laughs] But after that initial reaction, I went and saw them play at the Moore Theater and I was so proud, I was beaming for them. I almost started crying while I was watching them because it was so cool. Then I felt pissed again because I wasn't up there playing! [laughs] I talked to Layne a lot about the record. It was good for him because it blew a bunch of shit out of his head. I've been credited for being a writer and putting out a lot of material with this band and sniff, so I think it was real healthy for him to be able to do that. I have nothing but the greatest respect for the guy. And that record's very soulful. There are some real low, cobwebby passages on that fucker that are cool as fuck. Layne has the most beautiful way of saying something horrible I've ever heard.

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