Dirt (album) - Definition and Overview

Dirt is a grunge album by Alice in Chains, released on September 29, 1992 (see 1992 in music).

Dirt
Album by Alice in Chains
Released	September 29, 1992
Recorded	???
Genre	Grunge
Length	57 min 35 s
Record label	Columbia
Producer	Alice in Chains and Dave Jerden
Professional reviews
Q review	2 stars out of 5	October 2000 (http://www.q4music.com/nav?page=q4music.review.redirect&fixture_review=121171&resource=121171&fixture_artist=146990)
Robert Christgau review	Grade: B	link (http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Alice+in+Chains)
Alternative Press review	Favorable	March 1993 p. 40) (http://www.buy.com/retail/proreviews/product.asp?sku=60110766&loc=109&PageFormat=7)
Vox review	8 out of 10 (Very Good)	December, 1992 p. 63) (http://www.buy.com/retail/proreviews/product.asp?sku=60110766&loc=109&PageFormat=7)
Allmusic.com review	4.5 stars out of 5	link (http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=UIDSUB040402061702081566&sql=A9bsxlfde5cqy)
Entertainment Weekly review	Grade: A	October 16, 1992 p. 76) (http://www.buy.com/retail/proreviews/product.asp?sku=60110766&loc=109&PageFormat=7)
Spin review	Favorable	November, 1992 p.114) (http://www.buy.com/retail/proreviews/product.asp?sku=60110766&loc=109&PageFormat=7)
Alice in Chains Chronology
Sap (1992)	Dirt (1992)	Jar of Flies (1994)

The band's breakthrough album, Dirt is widely regarded as Alice in Chains' best album, and classic from the golden age of grunge. Recorded while lead singer Layne Staley was suffering through a heroin addiction, the album's gloomy, drug-addicted music helped turn it into a hit, reaching #6 on Billboard's 200 albums chart.

The songs "Sickman", "Junkhead", and "Dirt" are based on Staley's experiences with heroin. The song "Rooster" is based on the experiences of Jerry Cantrell's father, who fought in the Vietnam war; the name was his nickname as a soldier.

"Iron Gland", the untitled track before "Hate to Feel", features vocals by Tom Araya of Slayer, who the band brought in so he could provide an Angel of Death scream.

Track listing

1. "Them Bones" (Cantrell) - 2:30
2. "Dam That River" (Cantrell) - 3:09
3. "Rain When I Die" (Cantrell/Kinney/Staley/Starr) - 6:01
4. "Down in a Hole" (Cantrell) - 5:38
5. "Sickman" (Cantrell/Staley) - 5:29
6. "Rooster" (Cantrell) - 6:15
7. "Junkhead" (Cantrell/Staley) - 5:09
8. "Dirt" (Cantrell/Staley) - 5:16
9. "God Smack" (Cantrell/Staley) - 3:50
10. Untitled ("Iron Gland") (Staley) - :43
11. "Hate to Feel" (Staley) - 5:16
12. "Angry Chair" (Staley) - 4:47
13. "Would?" (Cantrell) - 3:27

"Iron Gland" is also known as "Intro (Dream Sequence)". Some versions feature "Down in a Hole" as the second last track.

Personnel

• Alice in Chains - Producer
• Tom Araya - Vocals on "Iron Gland"
• Jerry Cantrell - Guitar, Vocals
• Bryan Carlstrom - Engineer
• Annette Cisneros - Assistant Engineer, Mixing Assistant
• Dave Jerden - Producer, Mixing
• Sean Kinney - Drums
• Eddy Schreyer - Mastering
• Layne Staley - Guitar, Vocals
• Mike Starr - Bass
• Ulrich Wild - Assistant Engineer
• Rocky Schenck - Photography
• Mary Maurer - Art Direction
• Doug Erb - Design
• Steve Hall - Mastering

Charting singles

1992   Them Bones      Mainstream Rock Tracks                  No. 24
1992   Them Bones      Modern Rock Tracks                      No. 30
1993   Angry Chair     Mainstream Rock Tracks                  No. 34
1993   Rooster         Mainstream Rock Tracks                  No. 7
1993   Angry Chair     Modern Rock Tracks                      No. 27
1993   Down In A Hole  Mainstream Rock Tracks                  No. 10
1994   Down In A Hole  Mainstream Rock Tracks                  No. 11
1996   Would?          Mainstream Rock Tracks                  No. 19