Review Summary: You have the talent to make me feel like Dirt.
1992: the world is in the throes of a legendary musical journey known as ‘Grunge;’ each of the 4 (5 counting STP) has released at least one album and made their names known, and yet, the best hasn’t been unleashed. Until a little unassuming word makes its true presence known: Dirt. Instantly a picture of deserted wastelands covered in filth, it is/was/will always be the most apt description of an album, possibly of all time. Because this album is just absolutely filthy, dirty rotten to the core, and strangely enough, it is an absolute masterpiece.
The amazing thing about
Dirt is that such introspective, bleak lyrical content filled with distortion laced, down-tuned riffs manages to not only hold ones attention for the entirety, but actively engages the listener from start to finish. Whether it’s the straight to the point heavy metal riffage of opener
Them Bones, the impeccable vocal range of Staley on the underrated gem
Rain When I Die, or the gut-wrenching lyricism of massive hit
Rooster, there is almost nothing on this album that lets the listener get a break (barring the untitled interlude).
Musically the album is dark, and almost actively forces the listener to understand the albums title: from the title track itself, Staley croons
you have the talent to make me feel like dirt, which applies to the group themselves and the obvious torture Staley feels within himself. Tracks like
Hate to Feel and
Junkhead run home with this theme, as the former declares
used to be curious/now the ***’s sustenance, while the latter makes it known
nothing’s better than a dealer who’s high painting an obvious picture of despair at ones failing battle with addiction.
Of course, none of the above would have a fraction of the impact were it not for the tortured vocals of Staley, the sludgy riffs of Cantrell, the under-appreciated rhythm section (that bass is incredible) and the stellar harmonies put forth. No other vocalist could belt out
down in a hole and I don’t know if I can be saved with the same conviction as Staley, made even more obvious by the fact that he was spiraling out of control with his heroin addiction. How about his take on himself in the penultimate track
Angry Chair:
saw my reflection and cried/so little hope that I died. Enough said.
Finally, on closer, and arguably best AIC track
Would?, the band tackles the elephant in the room one more time: heroin addiction, and the battles of rehabilitation. The very end of the song poses 2 questions that are even more gut wrenching in hindsight:
have I run too far to get home? and
if I would, could you? Is it too late to turn around, and if you were in the same position as me, and I stopped, could you do the same thing?’ 2002 answered the question with regards to Layne: he did go too far, and sadly no, he couldn’t stop.
It can’t be stated enough, honestly:
Dirt is an absolute masterpiece, not only of the grunge era, but of music in general. Lyrically devastating and musically as engaging as they come, there is a reason
Dirt is still so well known and played to this day: it tackles so many different emotions in so many ways that it should be required listening for anyone struggling, period. Even though there was no happy ending, Alice In Chains made the musical world a better place with the release of
Dirt.
