Alice In Chains Celebrates 30th Anniversary Of ‘Dirt And ‘How F—ing Weird It Is To Have The Classic Album Reenter The Top 10
"You never know what's going to happen to an album or if something's going to last, but 'Dirt' did it," Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell said of the band's 1992 release of the classic. of Seattle's second year. lived up to its quintuple platinum reputation, but it also re-entered the Billboard 200 top 10 in October at number 9, which, if it ever happens with a reissue catalog, is usually a Beatles remix. Shit' still hasn't come out of the wash.
The new version of "Dart" comes 20 years after the tragic death of singer Lane Staley and 30 years after its original release week of 1992, which peaked at No. 1. 6 on the Billboard charts at the time, not a sign that, as iconic as it was, this album was and remains. Supporting the 30th Anniversary sale, a few of Dart's highlights, including Walmart's exclusive "apple red" vinyl and AIC website's exclusive "translucent orange" variant, as well as resin sculptures, posters of show, group photos and more in hardcover among the options.
As for "Dirt"'s return to the Billboard Top 10 — this time with Bad Bunny, Beyoncé and Harry Styles — drummer Sean Kinney was coy. “We never wanted to have a broad appeal like we did. We never talked about "radio songs", he said.
Cantrell was quick to point out how Alice in Chains' debut "Facelift" and "Dirt" fit into the context of an era rich in dynamic rock recordings from other Seattle bands such as Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. "We were all able to influence each other, combined with some really good moves, and it was one of the few times in my life where I felt like the good guys were winning," the guitarist said. “'Dirt' is an amazing record. It has stood the test of time and is solid workmanship without any lint.
The only thing more poignant than the sound of "Dart," the Seattle rock band's five-platinum classic since its 1992 release, are the circumstances surrounding its creation and the real-time depiction of depression, the breakdown of relationships and dependency. The AIC lineup (completed by bassist Mike Starr) suffered in one way or another. However, despite all the lost emotions and shadows that fill the music, lyrics and legend of "Dart", the band's second album also has excitement, humor and optimism. "It's half light, half dark," said Kinney, who, along with Cantrell, forms the core of AIC's current cast.
"This 'dirt' is being re-released for the fans, as it should be. We're not a band that rushes it and celebrates every little birthday. We went through some big hoops as a half band. (Starr passed away suddenly in 2011 .) So when he was 30, for Dirt and Facelift (the band debuted in 1990), we wanted something special for the people who supported us all the time, all of us who did that, we we've been there. I don't expect the fans that were over 30 years ago so we don't know that Dirt will be re-recorded now. Hopefully I'll get a copy this time because I don't didn't have for the "facelift".
“We were lucky that when we got the big bucks for our first major label deal, we insisted on controlling what we released as singles or how we did albums without interference from the label, which which was rare at the time. We never had A&R. Of course, we wanted their opinion and how stupid we were back then, but most of our mistakes worked out. Every time they told us that we were prone to "professional suicide", we had to remind them that we had no career. We are only at our first album.'
With the tolerance of Don Einer and Peter Fletcher, the two bosses of the Columbia label at the time, Alice in Chains entered the studio in the spring of 1992. They were joined by Dave Jarden, who was more than just an assistant. His first mini-album spawned We Die Young and Sap with Facelift, but set the tone for one of Cantrell's favorite albums at the time, 1988's epic Jane Addiction Nothing Shocking," Cantrell said on of meeting Jardine and Rick Rubin at the same time to form the AIC recording. . “Dave knew our song inside and out when we first met – the lyrics, the title, every part. and cared about our music as much as we do. It's very interesting."
As Cantrell has been the band's main songwriter since early 1987, the tour that followed "Facelift" honed the guitarist's songwriting process through live jams of his "dirty" classics such as "Damn That River" and "Rooster". Staley, who by this time had recorded songs for AIC Records, picked up the guitar, started writing more, and joined the Dirt sessions with early singles such as "Hate to Feel" and "Angry Chair". Cantrell wrote songs such as "Junkhead" and "Sickman".
“Lane and I have always treated each other like a songwriting team without too much controversy,” the guitarist said. "We worked hand in hand. When he got interested in playing the guitar, he started writing more, writing songs like 'Angry Chair' and 'Hate to Feel.' "They're way ahead of what he did at Facelift. We push each other. 'Dirty' is evolution for all of us."
The songwriting process for the 1990-91 tour, as well as the many different versions of the song "Dirt", stemmed from a live jam, which Cantrell says "is something you can't do anymore. because y'all are listening" on the cell phone. telephone recordings and films. ... Then you can play songs and expand and test the waters without licking them all over the world. The mystery is gone. Cantrell in particular recalls having the idea for "The Rooster" while living with Chris's Cornell and Susan Silver (manager of Alice in Chains and Soundgarden) at the couple's West Seattle residence. . "They went to bed, I worked on my four-song song all night, and when Susan woke up in the morning, I played it and she touched it."
"Rooster" has become a popular anthem for broken families with loved ones who fought in the Vietnam War, like Cantrell's father, a U.S. Army veteran, from whom the guitarist was temporarily estranged. "My mother passed away a few years ago, and 'Rooster' became a personal bridge, an artistic way of trying to make peace," Cantrell said. - I'm glad this has become the norm for the army.
Kinney said, “Lane is still writing, but after seeing how things work, gaining more life experience, traveling the world away from our home of Seattle, Dart is all his. And those songs, Laines and Jerrys, are 100% representative. Find out who we were back then, how we grew up, where we failed, everything.
Recalling the brutal beauty and loss of Staley's lyrics in 1992, and hearing the singer's algebraic need to play "Darts" hot and loud, drummer Wordsmith recalled his honesty "in the extreme. And being a singer meant that Len suffered the most," Keeney said. , noting how the song on "Dart" was mislabeled as boring and how Staley ("very funny guy") was labeled like the rest. be marked. dark.
When asked if 'dirt' confuses people, Cantrell replied: "I can't tell you. This album is about our personal experiences, private and unique, but open enough for others to connect and be personal with them." covers a wide range of emotions and themes, the beautiful and the dark and everything in between - a complete celebration. His co-star Ellis Staley recalled that singer Cantrell was "funny" and that "satire is a very valuable asset in our lives to have." And Lane is very human...Look, we all try to create something unique, and sometimes that person. can be contagious. But it's an important part of the process."
"Dirt was never a drug concept album," notes the drummer. "And Lane is not an ass. He is not miserable, but happy, funny and generous. He and Ann Wilson are two of the loudest and most promising singers I have worked with in my life. Lane is good at anything but being a Thought and Gloom might carry the (trashy-affecting) stigma of "shit", but part of this album is really about how cool it is, and the five songs that "It's got to tell you how bad drugs are. Most of our music is about resilience and coping. About... But we've all been in situations like Lane's. So it's bittersweet. to repost these notes, revise them, bittersweet. There are fond memories, but celebrating an anniversary is bittersweet. I want to talk to Starr and Lane. I can't get over how amazing it was to see" Dart" back on the charts after all these years."
Cantrell admits he's not usually a sentimental person, but "Dirt"'s leap up the 2022 album charts is part of a complex story. “There have been ups and downs, and with the history of this band, I can truly say that I am grateful to be here with my friends and making music that matters to us and to the community in general chaotic art,” Cantrell said.
"While we're not a band that looks back, the past is just as important as continuing what we're doing now," Kinney said. "It's Jerry's will and legacy and mine - as was the case with Mike Innes and William Duvall (current bassist and vocalist for AIC, respectively, after their predecessors left). We're here to put showcasing the talents of Len and Mike Star. There's a lot of the same people around us who've been here from the start. We're holding on tight to something. Otherwise, we're going to drop the album a few bricks and explain why the Alice in Chains techno album failed There's a reason we've made six albums in 34 years and we've done everything we've done.
