Nothing Safe: Best of the Box


Nothing Safe: Best of the Box is the first greatest hits album by the American rock band Alice in Chains. It was released on June 29, 1999, on Columbia Records. The previously unreleased track "Get Born Again" was released as a single to promote the album and peaked at No. 4 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and at No. 12 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. "Get Born Again" was also nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2000.

Overview

The album is the first of Alice in Chains's best-of albums, and also served as a sampler for their Music Bank box set. Nothing Safe contains newly remastered tracks from previous albums Facelift, Sap, Dirt, Jar of Flies, Alice in Chains and Unplugged, as well as the previously unreleased track "Get Born Again", recorded between September and October 1998.
Despite the "Best of the Box" album subtitle, this compilation includes several tracks not found on the Music Bank box set.
The demo version of "We Die Young" was previously unreleased and did not appear on Music Bank. This track remains exclusive to this collection.
The live version of "Rooster" found here was also previously unreleased, and similarly, did not appear on Music Bank. However, this track was re-released in 2000 on the compilation, Live.
The remastered, "unplugged" version of "Got Me Wrong" was also omitted from Music Bank.
The version of "What The Hell Have I" that appears here is the original version mixed by Andy Wallace, not the version remixed by Toby Wright that appears on Music Bank.
The newly remastered version of "Again" that is found on Nothing Safe was also left off of the Music Bank compilation in favor of a techno/electronic dance remix of the song called, "Again ".
Unlike the version found on Music Bank, "Iron Gland" is featured with the beginning drum found on the Dirt track "Dam That River".
Because of these differences, many fans consider Nothing Safe to be a companion piece to the Music Bank box set.
A "Best Buy Exclusive" issue of the CD included a bonus disc in a cardboard sleeve, with live versions of "Angry Chair" and "Man in the Box".

Release and reception

The album was certified platinum by the RIAA, and the revenue generated from the album was used to fund the Music Bank box set.
The album has received mainly positive reviews, with critics praising the compilation's inclusion of rare material, along with the band's hits. AllMusic staff writer Steve Huey gave the album a four star rating writing "The package is not unattractive, since nearly all the hits are present in some form; also included are the new song "Get Born Again" and the better of the group's two contributions to the Last Action Hero soundtrack, "What the Hell Have I."
Bill Adams of Ground Control Magazine, reviewing Alice in Chains Discography wrote "To its credit, Nothing Safe is a solid compilation of odds, ends, live tracks, studio cuts, soundtrack appearances and rarities, which serves its purpose for giving 'in-passing' fans a pretty enjoyable set".

Track listing

All tracks written by Jerry Cantrell, except where noted.
"Rooster" is not present on the iTunes edition.

Personnel

Alice in Chains
Additional musician
Production
  • Dave Jerden – producer, engineer, mixing
  • Toby Wright – producer, engineer, mixing
  • Rick Parashar – producer
  • Tony Wilson – producer
  • Bryan Carlstrom – engineer
  • Ronnie S. Champagne – additional engineering
  • Mike Walter – engineer
  • John Harris – engineer
  • Tom Nellen – engineer
  • Andy Wallace – mixing
  • Stephen Marcussen – mastering
  • Peter Fletcher – compilation producer
  • Rocky Schenck – photography
  • Mary Maurer – art direction, design
  • Danny Clinch – photography
  • Marty Temme – photography
  • Brandy Flower – design
  • Young Sun Lim – artwork, art direction
  • Chris McCann – photography

Chart positions

Singles