Dirt is the second studio album by Alice in Chains, released on September 29, 1992, through Columbia Records. Peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart, the album received critical acclaim. It has since been certified five times platinum by the RIAA making Dirt the band’s highest selling album to date. It was the band’s last album recorded with all four original members, as bassist Mike Starr wasfired in January 1993 during the tour to support the album.
The album spawned five singles: Would?, Them Bones, Angry Chair, Rooster, and Down in a Hole, all with accompanying music videos. Dirt was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance. The music video for Would? was nominated for an MTV Video Music Award for Best Video from a Film, as the song was featured on the soundtrack to Cameron Crowe‘s 1992 film Singles. The songs on the album focused on depression, pain, anger, anti social behavior, relationships, drug addiction (primarily heroin), war, death, and other emotionally charged topics. The track Iron Gland features Tom Araya from Slayer on vocals.
Most of the music from the album was written by guitarist Jerry Cantrell, but for the first time vocalist Layne Staley wrote two songs by himself (Hate to Feel and Angry Chair), both also featuring Staley on guitar. Alice in Chains‘ fourth studio album, Black Gives Way to Blue, was released on the 17th anniversary of Dirt, on September 29, 2009. The recording of Dirt began in the spring of 1992. Producer Dave Jerden, who had previously worked with the band on their debut, Facelift, wanted to work with them again. He admired vocalist Layne Staley‘s lyrics and voice, and lead guitarist Jerry Cantrell‘s guitar riffs. The track Would? produced, engineered and mixed by Rick Parashar, was recorded before the album, and first appeared on the soundtrack to the 1992 movie Singles.
Dirt was recorded at Eldorado Recording Studio in Burbank, California, London Bridge Studio in Seattle, and One on One Studios in Los Angeles from April to July 1992. When recording the album, Staley had previously checked out of rehab and quickly went back to using heroin. Staley was not the only one who went through heavy drug use; drummer Sean Kinney and bassist Mike Starr were also struggling with alcohol addiction. Dave Jerden got the album’s famous guitar tone by blending three different amps a Bogner Fish preamp for the low end, a Bogner Ecstacy for the mid frequencies, and a Rockman Headphone amp for the high frequencies.
Tracklist:
- Them Bones
- Dam That River
- Rain When I Die
- Down in a Hole
- Sickman
- Rooster
- Junkhead
- Dirt
- God Smack
- Iron Gland
- Hate to Feel
- Angry Chair
- Would?
Alice in Chains
Layne Staley: lead vocals, rhythm guitar on Hate to Feel and Angry Chair
Jerry Cantrell: co lead vocals on Down in a Hole, Angry Chair and Would?, backing vocals, lead guitar, acoustic guitar on Down In a Hole
Mike Starr: bass
Sean Kinney: drums
Additional personnel
Tom Araya: vocals on Iron Gland
Technical personnel
Alice in Chains: production
Dave Jerden: production (except on Would?), mixing
Rick Parashar: production on Would?
Bryan Carlstrom: engineering
Annette Cisneros: engineering, mixing
Ulrich Wild: engineering
Steve Hall and Eddy Schreyer: mastering
Mary Maurer: art direction, visual effects
Doug Erb: cover design
David Coleman: logo
Layne Staley: sun logo, icons
Rocky Schenck: photography
Layne Staley (August 22, 1967 – April 5, 2002)
Mike Starr (April 4, 1966 – March 8, 2011).
