Sea of Sorrow

"Sea of Sorrow" is a song by the American rock band Alice in Chains, featured on their debut full-length album Facelift (1990). The song was included on the compilation album The Essential Alice in Chains (2006). A demo version of the song was included on the box set Music Bank (1999).

"Sea of Sorrow"
U.S. CD promotional single
Song by Alice in Chains
from the album Facelift
Released1991
RecordedDecember 1989 – April 1990 at London Bridge Studio, Seattle & Capitol Recording Studio, Hollywood
Genre
Length5:49 (album)
3:37 (radio edit)
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Jerry Cantrell
Producer(s)Dave Jerden
Music video
"Sea of Sorrow" on YouTube

Release and reception

"Sea of Sorrow" peaked at number 27 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.[2] "Sea of Sorrow" was a moderate success and is still occasionally played on alternative rock radio stations.

Ned Raggett of AllMusic said that the song "showed that even as a fairly young group Alice in Chains wanted to fool around with expectations at least a bit" and that "just about every member gets a little moment of flair on the track."[3]

Music video

Two music videos for the single were created. In both videos, about two minutes are cut from the song. The second part of guitarist Jerry Cantrell's solo is eliminated, as is the second verse.

Original video

The first version was directed by Paul Rachman, who had previously directed the "Man in the Box" music video for the band. The first (and ultimately discarded) version is in color and features the band playing in multicolored spotlights. Vocalist Layne Staley also has most of his dreadlocks cut off, but some intact, giving him an odd hairstyle. The video is available on the home video release Live Facelift.

Official video

The second version, directed by Martyn Atkins, was the one the band eventually decided to release and is shot mostly in black and white. Segments from the color video are used in the later black and white one, often glowing momentarily into color from monochrome. There was some editing involved to make the final video appear seamless, as Staley has the half-dreadlock hairstyle in the color video, but shorter and more even cut in the second. The video is available on the home video release Music Bank: The Videos.

Live performances

A performance of "Sea of Sorrow" is included on the home video release Live Facelift.

Track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Sea of Sorrow" (edit)4:34
2."Sea of Sorrow"5:49

Personnel

Chart positions
Chart (1991) Peak
position
US Billboard Album Rock Tracks[2] 27

References
  1. Sea of Sorrow - Alice in Chains AllMusic "...though after that the band slips into another one of its grand, dramatic monster metal moves."
  2. "Artist Chart History – Alice in Chains". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2008.
  3. Raggett, Ned. "Sea of Sorrow". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
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