With “Dirt,” the members of Alice in Chains found themselves bargaining with the devil. Sure, they were a cool band who, with this album, were attempting to take a giant commercial leapfrog over their grunge opponents. However, this was a truly morbid affair, one in which nearly every song is partially autobiographical.
Neither of these two elements ought to be forgotten. That’s precisely why I’ve decided to re-review and revisit “Dirt” by Alice in Chains. It’s one of the greatest alternative rock albums of all time.
Alice in Chains’ Road to Making “Dirt”
They weren’t dark. Sure, the four members of Alice in Chains willingly got themselves into a heavy metal band. But in their first years together, they were goofy. They liked the glammed-up version of Guns n’ Roses, and in Layne Staley had a singer comfortable with Axl Rose’s range.
And, they made friends wherever they went. Early tours with bands as diverse as Pantera and Rage Against the Machine opened up a host of opportunities for the Seattle group based solely on the friendships of Jerry Cantrell and co. stuck with these people.
However, Cantrell, the main songwriter of Alice in Chains, was competitive as well. By the spring of 1992, when the band began recording “Dirt,” Seattle Rock was something else. No longer was the band viewed as merely another heavy metal band.
The term grunge had made it to print. It tied AiC to a movement led by Nirvana and Pearl Jam. These were Seattle bands who’d moved from semi-obscurity into multi-platinum-selling status within a year. Now, Columbia Records was interested in whether Alice in Chains could do the same.
Background of Writing and Recording “Dirt”
You should always make an effort to separate the artist from the art. But if you’re attempting this with “Dirt,” you’re going to have to work hard.
It’s not merely because of the mythology surrounding singer Layne Staley’s descent into drug abuse. It’s the fact that nearly every song on the album references it, or the shame and bad associations it created. I recommend that you read Mark Lanegan’s autobiography for a chilling look into that.
Hadn’t the album done the same on its debut album, “Facelift”? Not exactly! Songs like “We Die Young” and “Man in the Box” were angry metal songs. But they were written in the third person.
“Dirt” was recorded in 1992. It’s a record brimming with creativity, running nearly an hour. And, it began as a blending of Cantrell’s dramatic guitar arrangements with, essentially, Staley’s tour diary.
Review of “Dirt”
Unlike other 1990s albums that produced a host of famous singles, this is the rare record that rewards those willing to dig for the deep cuts.
There’s “Rain When I Die,” a collective songwriting effort, where the opera-metal of the debut album is amplified to horror-like proportions. Staley’s voice was a work of art that was soon on the way to becoming damaged. However, it’s unlikely his singing ever sounded as good as it did here.
“Dam the River” is the rare instance of a fast-paced, almost garage-rock number. Naturally, it was one often integrated into live sets. (Remember that during these years Alice in Chains opened for bands like Van Halen and KISS, and that Cantrell must’ve felt they’d follow in their footsteps soon enough).
Those songs, I suppose, could just be the work of a metal band creating theatrical, spooky music. However, it’s Staley’s drug autobiography quintology which really gives the tone of the record.
“Sickman,” “Hate to Fell,” “God Smack,” “Junkhead,” and “Dirt” are some of the most harrowing songs about narcotics abuse. There’s nothing glamorous about it. I hear them, and they lock me up in a small room where everything stinks and where you feel bad about yourself.
There’s little self-indulgence or boasting about the songs either. Layney, a charismatic young rockstar known for his sense of humour, sounds like he wants to get caught. This is the work of a man who knows he’s going astray. Sadly, this is not the work of a man experimenting. He’s getting off at the last station! All of this makes listening to “Dirt” the whole way through a bizarre experience. If you feel like you’re intruding, you probably are.
How about the singles then? Did Alice in Chains have the goods to rival Nirvana and Pearl Jam? The singles showcase Cantrell’s underrated, sophisticated songwriting. The majority of the songs are either built on minimalist, memorable guitar motifs or on perfectly synced vocal interplay between him and Staley.
“Would?” is the best song here. A tune written about former Seattle rock fraternity colleague, Andrew Wood, the rhythm pattern, the bass lines and the towering vocals make this one of the tunes that so many rock groups try to cover, and usually fail while reaching for the high notes.
“Them Bones” brilliantly utilises chromatic scales and dissonance, alongside era-defining, depressing lyrics. “Rooster” makes grunge sound like Queen at its prog-rock peak. “Angry Chair” plays on the undeniable vocal chemistry between the two singers. And “Down in a Hole” has Staley approaching the vocals almost like a soul singer crying for a lost Eden.
“Dirt” is one of the most accomplished albums of the Grunge Era. It should be studied and deserves admiration. But don’t expect it to make you feel good. Hearing it is like taking a walk through a cemetery.
Legacy of Alice in Chains and “Dirt”
“Dirt” did what Jerry Cantrell and the band’s management had hoped. It turned Alice in Chains into a platinum-selling band and gave it a status on par with Pearl Jam or Nirvana, its Seattle neighbours. “Dirt” has sold over 5 million units to date.
Fortunately, but dangerously, Alice in Chains was bona fide cool! The band’s image adorned the bedrooms of teens everywhere. Ozzy Osbourne, looking to associate himself with his popularity, brought the band to the so-called retirement party, No More Tours. MTV played the music videos constantly.
However, this wasn’t exactly the start of something. It was the band’s commercial and creative peak. Beyond this point, sadly, Layne Staley’s availability diminished more and more each year. He passed away in 2002.
Alice in Chains eventually got back together, and, miraculously, the reunion neither sucked nor was it rejected by fans. Since the late 2000s, the band has recorded three studio albums, each of them a pleasant addition to the catalogue. The band continues to tour, and material from “Dirt” makes up the majority of the band’s live set.
