![]() The original double vinyl sounds really good, and I dug the artwork more than their other stuff. Jerry’s whale guitar tone really came into its own on this record. Production wise they nailed it, and branched out beyond the Dirt sound while incorporating some of the subtler Jar of Flies approach, though I prefer the Unplugged versions of Sludge Factory and Frogs as those are pretty cluttered mixes at times. Especially on the heels of Mad Season’s Above, which was so much more consistent and engrossing a listen, AIC was a mixed bag, but still great overall. Other stuff like Nothing Song, Head Creeps, Brush Away, etc did come across as a bit slight/tossed off, which was kind of a red flag. Some of my favorite AIC tracks ever are on this: Again, Over Now, Shame in You, and Frogs are all unique and great entries from them. Lyrically Layne is pretty inscrutable here as well, though Jerry’s tunes are as engaging as always.Īnyway, I bought it and loved it when it came out. Certainly any traces of their more ‘metal’ side are absent, other than Grind. My guess is fans were maybe disappointed that it wasn’t as hard hitting as the first two LPs. The singles were all pretty strong and got decent airplay but by ‘95/‘96 there were plenty of other trends competing for attention, and overall it is a weird collection of tunes. I think a bunch of amazing albums from that era were overlooked for some reason, one clear example is this one, the other being Down on the Upside by Soundgarden (very experimental that found a band treading new ground), Dust by Screaming Trees and Above by Mad Season (amazing one-album project featuring Layne Staley and members from Pearl Jam and Screaming Trees).Ĭlick to expand.It’s overlooked but I understand why. I think the album suffered due to the band's turmoil and crises, plus the state of music at that time was still mourning the huge loss, at least in the Seattle scene. Dirt and Jar of Flies certainly sound very different and are masterpieces in their own right. I've always said that the only way to follow a masterpiece and not fall short on greatness is to record something much more different. The whole thing sounds very claustrophobic and at times isolated (like in Frogs and Shame in You) and I'm glad for it because every record they made has its own sound, production and signature. The subject matters were darker and the delivery felt more aggressive and I think the anger really came through in the sound. Overall, it's an album that hits the spot personally as I never did overplay it like all the others. Songs like Shame In You, Nothing Song, Head Creeps and God Am were very different from anything the band had done and the songs on that album that were performed in the Unplugged concert are some of my favorites as well. It's also arguably an overall darker tone than previous albums, with Dirt being more depressing and personal. Though not exactly the classic Alice in Chains sound most people know them by, I find it to be the most haunting personally. The s/t AiC release sound extraordinary to my ears because of its sound and atmosphere. ![]() ![]() All their albums were a huge influence in my life and they all remain very dear to me. When I discovered Soundgarden and Alice In Chains back in 2005 they changed my view of non-classic rock music. ![]()
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