Nutshell
Alice In Chains, 1994, from Jar of Flies. Solo by Jerry Cantrell.
Nutshell is one of Jerry Cantrell's most restrained moments, and the solo is all the more affecting for it. He plays only a handful of phrases, slow and mournful, bending notes with a slight ache and letting them fade before moving on. There are no fast runs; instead the solo mirrors the weary, confessional tone of Layne Staley's vocal. Whether on the Jar of Flies original or the stripped-down Unplugged performance, the song shows how much Cantrell could say with very little. It has become a touchstone for players who value melody and mood over speed. Listen for the way each phrase ends on a held note, as though the guitar were sighing before the next line.
Nutshell by Alice In Chains is ranked #160 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Jerry Cantrell and the song was released in 1994. It appears on 3 lists, placing as high as #4 (TopGuitar.pl).
In our lists
- The Most-Taught Solos — #31
- The Modern Canon: Best Since 1990 — #42
- The 25 Greatest Grunge Guitar Solos — #5
- Greatest Live Solos — #7
- Ballad Solos — #25
- The Best Jerry Cantrell Guitar Solos — #4
- The Best Alice In Chains Guitar Solos — #2
Sources
- TopGuitar.pl: 25 najbardziej emocjonalnych solówek wszech czasów — #4
- Far Out Magazine: The 10 greatest guitar solos of the 1990s — #9
- Guitar World: The 50 greatest guitar solos of all time — #48
- Digital Dream Door: 250 Greatest Rock Guitar Solos — #120
Who played the guitar solo on Nutshell?
Jerry Cantrell played the solo on Alice In Chains's Nutshell (1994).
What guitar was used on the Nutshell solo?
A martin acoustic, according to widely reported accounts.
Where does Nutshell rank among the greatest guitar solos?
#160 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 3 of them.