Quote N°21: “At home I'm just Layne”
M: If you were writing your autobiography, what would you put in it? What would you want people to know about you?
L: I've always looked for the perfect life to step into. I've done all the work, taken all the paths to get where I wanted. But no matter how far I go, I still come home to me. At home I'm just Layne, a guy who has interests that extend far beyond music. Music is the career I'm lucky enough to get paid for, but I have other desires and passions. Music is the doorway that has led me to drawing, photography, and writing.
Layne Staley, Layne Staley Unchained, Pandemonium 1995
Quote N°22: “(Playing Music) has a sexual connotation”
You can say that it's a sexual connotation. And it is, pretty much. I'm not trying to be overdramatic, but I think that playing music - four different guys in my band coming together to create something cool - I think that's as close as you can get to orgasm without actually sticking your dick into something. It's a primal emotion and a primal communication. It's a necessary thing for me.
Jerry Cantrell, Ill Communication, Guitar World 1995
I think the vocals are a lot more pure and raw on this album, right-in-your-face, which is something Dave was going for. But beyond Dave's great work, Layne just sang like a mother. You can't deny a great singer, and Layne's one of the best I've ever heard. The first time I heard him sing, I hunted his ass down and mad him join my band. [laughs] He blows me away every time. He's skinny as a rail, yes he sounds like a 350-pound bearded slob, a big ol' fat guy. [laughs] I trip on that all the time.
Jerry Cantrell, Rain men, Guitar World 1993
Quote N°23: “Layne just sang like a mother”
Guitar World: With a new album, two hit songs, "Would?" and "Them Bones," and the Singles movie out at the same time, you certainly are in an enviable position. Talk about hitting the ground running...
Jerry Cantrell: Exactly. It couldn't be any better for us; we're in a real good spot right now. A lot of it was planned, but most of it was luck - it all came together at the right time. And Singles is a great movie, real nice and pleasant. I'm totally in love with Bridget Fonda.
Jerry Cantrell, Rain men, Guitar World 1993
Quote N°24: “I'm totally in love with Bridget Fonda”
One of the most enjoyable incidents took place at the second Sydney show, when some idiot down front continually spat on Layne until he stopped a song to take care of business. "Spit on me again and I'll come down there and kick your arse," he said. The idiot did, so Layne stopped the show once more. "You call me a pussy?" Layne asked the spitter, and then threw himself onto the guy and laid in eight or nine vicious shots before being hauled back on stage. "There," he said. "You blew your money coming here and now you got a black fuckin' eye. Do it again and I'll come down there and kick your fuckin' arse again." Alright, rock on. Who said rock'n'roll wasn't dangerous any more?
Layne Staley (According to Australian journalist Darryl Mason), Halo of Flies, 1993
Quote N°25: “You call me a pussy?”
I was ill that whole week. I got food poisoning from a hot dog I bought from a street vendor -- bad move. I was puking right up until the gig and immediately afterward, but while I was playing I felt fine.
Jerry Cantrell, The Soft Parade, Guitar School 1996
Quote N°30: “I was ill that whole week”
“I didn't look at it in any other way than I've ever looked at a gig. It's a show like any other show with the band playing and people clapping and singing along and shit. I mean, that's what gets me going -- that's why I do this.”
Jerry Cantrell, The Soft Parade, Guitar School 1996
Quote N°29: “It's a show like any other show”
“We certainly could have done it a while ago, but to be honest with you, man, TV scares me. It's hard to sound good on TV, especially for a band like ours that is a little raw and rough at times. It helped me to have a friend of ours, Scottie Olsen, on stage playing guitar during the taping. It widened the sound a bit and was beneficial to the show.
Jerry Cantrell, The Soft Parade, Guitar School 1996
Quote N°28: “TV scares me”
"Once we did Sap, I realized that the acoustic guitar could open up a whole new world of possibilities for me as a player and songwriter. I'd say I write about 50% of our songs now on an acoustic guitar."
Jerry Cantrell, The Soft Parade, Guitar School 1996
Quote N°27: “The acoustic guitar could open up a whole new world”
“We certainly have enough material, acoustic and otherwise. But I'm glad we waited. This band is much tighter now than it used to be. Just because the opportunity is there doesn't always mean that it's the right time to do something."
Jerry Cantrell, The Soft Parade, Guitar School 1996
Quote N°26: “I'm glad we waited”
