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What the fuck??

ELTON JOHN IS ON THE NEW ALICE IN CHAINS ALBUM?!?

 Tuesday, August 11th, 2009 at 12:30pm by

According to Blabbermouth, Elton John plays on the title track to Alice in Chains’ forthcoming Black Gives Way to Blue, which is described as “a heart-stirring tribute” to late vocalist Layne Staley.

Apparently John’s contribution comes solely in the form of piano playing and not vocals, which must be why Vince made no note of it when he reported on the album’s listening party (although he did make note of the “melancholy piano” and the lyrics “I remember you,” which he suspected at the time was a tribute to Staley); at the same time, I can’t believe they’ve kept the collaboration with John a secret this long.

So… anyone wanna get pissy about this? Honestly, like our friend Eyal Levi, I need some non-metal sometimes, and vintage Elton John often hits the spot. Plus, this isn’t the first time he’s worked with a near-metal band:

Black Gives Way to Blue comes out September 29.

-AR

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  • http://www.blacklodges.com steven

    humpf. – slightly off topic, but saw alice last night – generally agreed that they fucking slaughtered it last night, HOWEVER, the new singers cheesy LA glam rock poses do not work with AIC.
    AIC are great, old as well as new songs were beautiful to behold and still are as heavy as anything but enough with the fucking glam rock shit.

    • Shinaain

      The only thing that put you off about the show was Duvall’s posturing? Nothing about the music?

      Still not dissuaded.

      • http://www.blacklodges.com steven

        nah, the music was good, everyone sounded tight as fuck and loud. just the la fan boy posering sucked.

    • cougar party

      I saw them open up for Velvet Revolver a couple years ago. I am not a huge AIC fan, but the new singer sounded very good. I thought he was going to suck, but they sounded great.

      Also, the version of boeheim rhapsody with GnR and Elton John is epic.

  • Shinaain

    WOW. Every time I think I couldn’t be more anxious to hear this album, you guys come back with something like THIS. Damn you, MetalSucks. Enough is enough — I just want to hear it already!

  • Sammy

    I’ve never been a fan of John’s music, but his early stuff was rock, to be sure. And seriously, there are very few vocalists who have his talent. And he is no slouch on the piano either. So what if he provides some support on this album? A lot of shitty artists sell 5 million copies of one album. But it’s hard to have 7 consecutive # 1 albums, 50+ top 40 singles, 9 #1 singles and about 200 million albums sold without some level of talent.

  • Jimmy

    whoa slash must have been wasted, way to fuck it up.

  • http://uponwingsofblack.blogspot.com/ \m/Eluveitie\m/

    Elton John is metal as fuck…love lies bleedin’ in my hands

  • dot

    layne probably got hair coloring tips from sir elton john. that’s why AiC and EJ are tight.

  • bucketochicken

    Not too surprising. Pretty sure Jerry is a huge Elton John fan.

  • Bill

    nothing wrong with a guy like elton john contributing to the new AiC album.

  • Canvas Of Flesh

    Elton John is hugely talented. I’d pop in one of his albums way before I would consider listening to the crap that passes for “American metal.”

  • Tommy

    Elton actually played on a couple of songs off of Saxon’s ‘Rock the Nations’ album. The songs are ‘Party Til You Puke’ and ‘Northern Lady’. Apparently they were recording in the same studio at the time and decided to collaborate on those songs.

  • Dustin @ Metalblade

    “Funeral for a Friend” fuckin rocks…

  • Mike

    I have no problem with Elton playing on this track as long as it suits the music and doesn’t sound like the piano on his 29843 ballads that he’s written over the years

    • Sammy

      Mike you ignorant slut. It’s no where near 29843 ballads. My crack internet research team has only discovered 26,663 ballads.

  • Trollkien

    Ha. He should’ve done another version of Candle in the Wind dedicated to Layne. He should do yet another version of Candle in the Wind dedicated to Layne. After all, as Keith Richards once said, “His writing is limited to songs for dead blondes”

  • metalasdonpardo

    Elton John’s lyrics was the category that Dave Mustaine cleaned up on celebrity jeopardy. Approved!

  • ZootJustZoot

    I imagine that AIC would be honored to have a musician of EJ’s calibre. Cripes! A living legend, who wrote no more than 8,257 ballads, don’t believe the posts here that inflate the number.

    Keith Richards doesn’t just suck on guitar, he chews.

  • Noel

    Jerry has said in the past that listening to Elton John albums when he was a kid made him want to be a musician. Some people are going apeshit over this news but Elton is just playing the piano parts that Jerry wrote. Again, just like EVERYTHING that this new incarnation of AIC does, people attempt to over-analyse or put their own twist on it.

    Haven’t heard the song but all the reviews say it’s a shortish ballad in memory of Layne. It’s not “I’m Still Standing” or anything. Mind you, I quite like that song too………

    Can’t wait for the album.