Glutter Relisten: Acceptance
Just Finally Realizing the Beautiful Maverick Layne Staley is Gone.
Recently in one of those late night conversations. A friend told me about the horror of watching a friend of his -from the pre-record company swarm and world explosion Seattle- wither away due to an inherited heroin habit, which ended with an overdose last year.
How he didn’t really have a chance.
He was a different person.
No one even recognized it was him.
So much suffering.
It was one of those conversations we all have, when it’s late and we are weak and fall into nostalgia. Our lost friends. In those Days. Did you Know? Do you Remember? When we were Young…
These moments came to me frequent and fast for a month this summer because I hadn’t been back to the west coast for so long. And when you sit and catch up all night, things start spilling.
I didn’t really even register who he was talking about. More concerned with his pain. It wasn’t a part of my life I partook with him. All I could do was sit and let it fall.
I vaguely remember him saying, “You know it took them two weeks, two weeks for them to find his body. A huge rock star dies in the middle of a big city and no one even notices. Where was everyone?”
Even though he knew why that was, when people start to lose all sense of realities and only care about their next high, that world is theirs and theirs alone. The rest shuts out, and tires.
And as I write about some of the concerts, bands, raves and records that meant and still mean so much to me. I finally registered that person was someone who I sang with on the radio, jacked up the speakers to, read about and even saw live, 15 feet from me. That pink haired reflection who had such a wickedly cheeky smile. That irresistible lip, teeth and dimple combo do not belong to anyone anymore. Alice in Chains is no longer.
Even though I was not what you call a fan, I did own Jar of Flies and Dirt. Who in that world I once existed didn’t? He was part of the landscape of early 90s rock. Part of a time when it looked like we would win and music could change the world..
It didn’t for most people.
It did mine.
Go With Peace Layne. It’s All Good but we miss you too.
MTV Remembers Layne Staley
—
Below are three albums I love, two people I miss, and one I just realize I need to say goodbye to.
-Glutter Relisten: VIOLENT FEMMES
-Glutter Relisten: SUBLIME
-Glutter Relisten: HOLE -Live Through This
-In Memorial: Layne Staley Of Alice in Chains
Yan Sham-Shackleton Online 
I didn’t know this about the music scene.
Horrorifying
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Oh my god. It can get so bad… But it’s also Seattle. I don’t know why. That place is crawling with drugs. I have never been. Might be the people I know from there and how they present it. But I think that’s where all the drop out from California move to. Or used to move to before Amazon and Starbucks and Microsoft anyway.
The LA scene is cleaner (did i say that? but it’s true), what I know of it anyway coz the people in this scene WANT to make it. They came to LA to MAKE it, and they are more determined.
While Seattle, they were just having a good time for themselves, which is why it was such incredible incredible music. It was fun. It was real. And they didn’t know what was going to happen to them as much. Seattle used to be a little no where town no one heard off. So they were unprepared…. but that’s kinda an easy way out. Lots of people are hooked on it but never got famous.
Yan.
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Dear Me. Someone came into this, by searching “Was Layne Staley gay?” My word. I dunno. I don’t care. He was beautiful, he had a good voice and he’s gone. Leave his personal life to those who loved and knew him.
Here Read This:
“But that’s what makes pop culture so significant for those little consumers out there. They have no interest in history or economics or science or art. They are kind of interested more in gossip and the nature of celebrity and it is not at all encouraging to find out that you participate in that society -one way or other.”
Kim Thayil of Sound Garden
For More Interesting Quotes from the time:
Quotes From HYPE
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That was possibly one of the most well-written articles I’ve read about Layne Staley.
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I didn’t even know he was dead… I’m so out of touch.
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Even now, I find that I am so affected by the untimely death of this incredibly talented human being. I still remember hearing the news on the radio that April afternoon…and not wanting to believe it. I honestly cannot say that I understand the ravages of heroin firsthand, nor do I ever want to. It is just so tragic and frustrating that so many people feel they need to experience that high. Too many souls have been lost to this demon…if only….I miss you, Layne…and I will always miss you and the impact you had on so many …I hope you have now truly found the peace that so long eluded you.
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I remember the day I found out and it was CNN (of all places). At the same time, MTV (traitorous pieces of crap) was hosting a behind the scenes crapumentary on Biggie Smalls. They claimed at the time that they didn’t want to pay tribute to Layne since it would glorify his drug lifestyle. Hypocrites. Everytime I listen to Nothing’s Safe, it just makes you think. Layne, RIP.
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I enjoyed the article on Layne. Damn I wish he was still alive making music.
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I realy realy realy miss Layne.
I know, I didn’t talk or meet him or anything,
But I miss the thing, That feeling you have when you know that one of the most talgent person, Your idol, Your .. Your everything, I realy want the feeling knowing that this wounderful person are alive.
My words can’t say nothing about how I miss him.
Well, I just say that I say like every day,
– Layne singns with the angels know,
And Layne made them happy!
The angels took him from me,
And from all the persons who loved him!
But we won’t stop loving him,
Because no one can take him out from our hearts!
R.I.P LAYNE MY DARLING!
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By the way,
Is there someone who wants to email?
It maybe sounds pathetics .. ;D
But I realy want to talk about Layne,
Because ..
No one here I live dos’nt even know about AIC!
Just from me,
But no more.
Yeah, but my email is;
http://www.Gnr__Dude@hotmail.com
Bye!
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Great article. Great music. RIP Layne.
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layne will be missed by all including myself and my 2 sons Jordan and christopher I wish layne’s mom my deepest sympothy take care Thanks kristin kemp
P.S. alice in chains needs to come to Fayetteville Arkansas and play at Dave’s On Dickson I heard Jerry play it’s awesome but noone tops layne I hold a place for him in my heart……….
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What a terrible way for such a talented,beautiful person to go. When I listen to Layne sing It’s like he’s singing about my feelings especially in Nutshell. Everytime I listen to that song I cry because I can feel his sadness. I will always love his music. I want to send my deepest sympathy to his Mother and Siblings. May he be with the Angels. R.I.P.
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What a terrible way for such a talented,beautiful person to go. When I listen to Layne sing It’s like he’s singing about my feelings especially in Nutshell. Everytime I listen to that song I cry because I can feel his sadness. I will always love his music. I want to send my deepest sympathy to his Mother and Siblings. May he be with the Angels. R.I.P.
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