Dirt (album)

Infobox Album
Name = Dirt
Type = studio
Artist = Alice in Chains


Released = Start date|1992|09|29
Recorded = March–May 1992 at One on One and Eldorado in Los Angeles, California
Genre = Grunge
Length = 57:35
Label = Columbia
Producer = Alice in Chains, Dave Jerden
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:z3fe4j870waq link]
*"Alternative Press" (favorable) March 1993 (p. 40)
*Review-Christgau|B|name=Alice+in+Chains
*"Q" Rating|4|5 February 2002 (p. 120)
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|4.5|5 [http://books.google.com/books?id=lRgtYCC6OUwC&pg=PA887&vq=enter+the+wu-tang&dq=rolling+stone+enter+the+wu&source=gbs_search_s&sig=ACfU3U1p_PtehklWcP4KOKP43tt-BQ2Q9A#PPA13,M1 link]
Last album = "Facelift"
(1990)
This album = "Dirt"
(1992)
Next album = "Alice in Chains"
(1995)
Misc = Singles
Name = Dirt
Type = studio
single 1 = Would?
single 2 = Them Bones
single 3 = Angry Chair
single 4 = Rooster
single 5 = Down in a Hole
single 6 = Hate to Feel
single 1 date = 1992
single 2 date = 1992
single 3 date = 1992
single 4 date = 1993
single 5 date = 1993
single 6 date = 1992

"Dirt" is the second studio album by the American grunge band Alice in Chains. The album was released on September 29, 1992 through Columbia Records. "Dirt" was produced by the band and Dave Jerden. Debuting at number six on the "Billboard" 200, the album received favorable critical reviews and has been certified 4× platinum by the RIAA.

Many of the lyrics contained within the album deal with depression and drug abuse. Five singles were released from the album, "Would?", "Them Bones", "Rooster", "Angry Chair", and "Down in a Hole".

Background and recording

"Dirt" began recording in the spring of 1992. Producer, Dave Jerden was determined to work with Alice In Chains again, as well as vocalist, Layne Staley and lead guitarist, Jerry Cantrell, as he truly admired Staley's vocals and Cantrell's riffs and lyrics. For the songs "Them Bones", "Rain When I Die", "Down In A Hole, "Dirt" and "Would?", Cantrell brought in his Black Gibson Les Paul and an amplifier he had bought when he was 17 which had a faster and much raunchier distortion than any amp he had used in the past.

When recording the album, Staley had previously checked out of rehab in Portland, Oregon and quickly went back to using heroin. Sean Kinney claimed in a 2005 interview that Staley had told Kinney that he was extremely high on heroin and marijuana during the recordings of "Down In A Hole" and "Angry Chair" as well as taking Oxycodone for back pain on every other song on the album. Cantrell had also agreed with Kinney's report, saying that Staley, Jerden and the rest of the band would smoke marijuana in the studio room, even saying that Staley would shoot heroin in front of everyone. Staley was not the only one who went through heavy drug use, Sean Kinney and Mike Starr were also struggling with alcohol addiction, Cantrell was also going through severe clinical depression from the death of his mother and his friend, Andrew Wood and used Xanax, an anxiety medication prescribed by his doctor to ease his depression as well as his heavy drinking on tour... "I was going through a tough time, everyone was, but that's what made the album stronger and more intense, I look back on that period of time as the longest four years of sex, drugs and alcohol we all went through." Cantrell said in a 2007 interview with "The Seattle Times".

For the bands cover design, Layne Staley provided the artwork, even painting his girlfriend Demri Parrott on the cover, when approaching the band with the design they quickly agreed with it.Fact|date=September 2008In June 1992, the album's post-production was complete and the album was 100% complete by the end of June.

Music and lyrics

Themes on the album consisted of feelings of depression, anti-social behaviour, drug use, war, death, entrapment, deep relationships and various other heavy topics.Cantrell had stated that this album was the band's best work and most intense work, and that they all intentionally for years wanted to make a "brutal" record. Six songs on the album were about heroin, including "Sickman", "Junkhead", "Dirt", "God Smack", "Hate to Feel" and "Angry Chair".

Release and reception

"Dirt" was the band's breakout album. Upon its release in September 1992, "Dirt" peaked at number 6 on the "Billboard"'s Top 200 album chart. "Dirt" was released the same day as Stone Temple Pilots' debut album "Core", another successful grunge album. The album granted Alice in Chains international recognition. "Dirt" was certified 4x Platinum status in the United States and platinum status in Canada and Gold status in the UK.

Beginning with the single "Would?", Alice in Chains second album sold became their best-selling album. In the fall of 1992, "Man in the Box" was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of Best Hard Rock Performance.

Steve Huey of Allmusic said "Dirt" is Alice in Chains' major artistic statement and the closest they ever came to recording a flat-out masterpiece. It's a primal, sickening howl from the depths of Layne Staley's heroin addiction, and one of the most harrowing concept albums ever recorded. Not every song on "Dirt" is explicitly about heroin, but Jerry Cantrell's solo-written contributions (nearly half the album) effectively maintain the thematic coherence -- nearly every song is imbued with the morbidity, self-disgust, and/or resignation of a self-aware yet powerless addict."

Track listing

tracklist
writing_credits = yes
title1 = Them Bones
writer1 = Cantrell
length1 = 2:30
title2 = Dam That River
writer2 = Cantrell
length2 = 3:09
title3 = Rain When I Die
writer3 = Cantrell, Staley, Starr, Kinney
length3 = 6:01
title4 = Down in a Holeref label|Down in a Hole|I|
writer4 = Cantrell
length4 = 5:38
title5 = Sickman
writer5 = Staley, Cantrell
length5 = 5:29
title6 = Rooster
writer6 = Cantrell
length6 = 6:15
title7 = Junkhead
writer7 = Staley, Cantrell
length7 = 5:09
title8 = Dirt
writer8 = Staley, Cantrell
length8 = 5:16
title9 = God Smack
writer9 = Staley, Cantrell
length9 = 3:50
title10 = Iron Glandref label|Iron Gland|II|
writer10 = Cantrell
length10 = 0:43
title11 = Hate to Feel
writer11 = Staley
length11 = 5:16
title12 = Angry Chair
writer12 = Staley
length12 = 4:47
title13 = Would?
writer13 = Cantrell
length13 = 3:27

I On the Australian, British, and early US versions of the CD "Down in a Hole" is located between "Angry Chair" and "Would?".

II "Iron Gland" is unlisted on the CD and Cassette; the song got its name when "Music Bank" was released.

Personnel

* Layne Staley: lead vocals, rhythm guitar, production
* Jerry Cantrell: vocals, lead guitar, production
* Mike Starr: bass, production
* Sean Kinney: drums, production
* Tom Araya: vocals on "Iron Gland"
* Dave Jerden: production, mixing
* Bryan Carlstrom: engineer
* Annette Cisneros: assistant engineer, mixing assistant
* Ulrich Wild: assistant engineer
* Eddy Schreyer: mastering
* Steve Hall: mastering
* Susan Silver: management
* Kelly Curtis: management
* Nick Terzo: A&R
* Peter Fletcher: production manager
* Doug Erb: design
* Mary Maurer: art direction/fx
* Rocky Schenck photography

Charts

Album

Singles