Issue #21: Alice in Chains – Dirt

Released:  September 29th, 1992

Recorded:  March – May 1992

Genre:  Grunge, Alternative Metal

Record Label:  Columbia

Duration:  57:37

Producers:  Dave Jerden, Alice in Chains

Personnel

Track Listing

Singles

Why Dirt is One of My Favorites

Rock has a history of sad stories (country and rap too, in that order): Holly, Hendrix, Joplin, Lennon, Mercury, Vicious, Goettel, Cobain, Nowell…but Alice in Chains is one of the saddest.  Layne Staley wasted away for 10 years, and judging from his last interviews, he suffered horribly.  In 2009, Mike Starr went on to confess that he saw Staley the day before his death and the two had a fight about calling 911, and eventually Starr left.  Starr would go on to blame himself for Staley’s passing, and died from a prescription overdose himself in 2011.

Perhaps even more disturbing is how self-destruction, addiction, isolation, and depression seem to foster rampant creativity in some individuals.  (Tool’s “Sober” actually touches on this very phenomenon.)  And I must admit that when I listen to an album like Dirt, and think about all the other people listening to it, I wonder, do we have records like this at the expense of people like Staley?  Is it exploitative of their suffering and very death, or would these guys be proud of the mark they made and at least thankful that something useful could come from their troubles?

It’s hard not to ask these questions when listening to something as dark as Dirt.  With Staley as the main lyricist, many songs revolve around addiction and heroin use specifically (“God Smack,” “Sickman,” “Junkhead”).  A full 10 years before his death, he was already well aware of what his addiction had cost him, hoping that he had cast a negative light on drug use only to find out some fans looked at it as an endorsement.  The rest of the band was going through a troublesome time with substance abuse as well, and many songs that aren’t explicitly about addiction or heroin use reflect the addict’s loss of control and confrontation with mortality (“Them Bones,” “Dirt”).

Dirt was almost instantly cast under the grunge label, though it’s difficult to group this with the likes of Nevermind, Core (released on the same day as Dirt), Superunkown, Ten, and others. Grunge had an aura of dissatisfaction in general, but Dirt is much darker.  Furthermore, it’s got much more in common with metal – it’s heavier and more complex than its other brethren from Seattle, even sporting a solo from time to time (“Them Bones,” “Dam That River”).  Whatever you want to call it, it can be jolting to pick up Dirt believing that you’ll have another record like Vs. or Temple of the Dog on your hands.

The combination of Staley’s and Cantrell’s vocals are what gives Alice in Chains their distinct sound, which became fully realized on Dirt.  The unnerving melodies are downright eerie when harmonized between the two and tend to give the music an otherworldly feel.  To me, it’s always sounded like some kind of weird version of crying.  It’s well suited to the album’s dismal mood, and the drawn out, at times strained vocals perfectly compliment the uneasy pace of the tracks.

Dirt is also one of the first records that introduced “sludgy” guitars into popular music.  Largely reserved for the bowels of extreme metal sub-genre hell, several “prominent” sludge metal bands will indubitably cite Alice in Chains as an influence.  Distorted, downtuned, and played more “draggy” rather than “crunchy,” this brand of slower-paced metal brought a new definition to heaviness (well, for some audiences at least).  “Them Bones” has an off-beat time signature that really draws attention to the distinct tone of the guitar, while “Sickman” illustrates Cantrell’s versatility with the instrument as it chaotically jumps from one sound to another in this harrowing musical representation of “sickness.”  “Rain When I Die” combines the band’s signature sound with a touch of their almost glam metal beginnings, especially in the chorus (and the sound effect on the guitar reminds me a bit of Bon Jovi).  The title track features a killer riff alongside some of the most bluntly depressive lyrics, such as, “I want to taste dirty, a stinging pistol / in my mouth, on my tongue / I want you to scrape me from the walls.”

Even for someone who doesn’t know all the history behind the band, there are some very overt references, such as “God Smack’s,” “Stick your arm for some real fun / … / And God’s name is “Smack” for some.”  Dirt was a little too much for me to handle when I was younger; I found the music interesting but had a tough time really getting into it.  But as someone who understands addiction both first and second hand (albeit not to the extent found in Dirt), it’s a much more meaningful piece of work several years later.  This is an adult album that takes an adult listen to fully appreciate.  But hey, the music is pretty damn cool no matter who you are, and one of the more unique records to drop during the decade.

Written by The Cubist

Other albums from Alice in Chains in this series:

• 1994 – Jar of Flies – Issue #76

Back to The Cubist’s 90’s Albums

Written by The Cubist

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I collect as much video gaming paraphernalia as I can get my hands on, especially when it comes to hardware. With over 40 systems including oldies like the ColecoVision and Intellivision, obscurities like the CD-i and 3DO, and the latest and greatest including the Wii U, PS4, Xbox One, 3DS, and PS Vita, I get easily overwhelmed. Most of the time you can find me firmly nestled sometime between 1985 and 1995 when it comes to my games of choice, but I’m also having a great time seeing what the 8th generation has to offer.

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