Artist: Alice in Chains

Release Year: 1992

Label: Columbia

Alice in Chains is: Layne Staley (vocals, guitar), Jerry Cantrell (vocals, guitar), Michael Starr (bass), Sean Kinney (drums)

Additional Personnel: Tom Araya (vocals)

Tracklist:

1.  Them Bones (J. Cantrell)

2.  Dam That River (J. Cantrell)

3.  Rain When I Die (J. Cantrell, L. Staley, S. Kinney, M. Starr)

4.  Down in a Hole (J. Cantrell)

5.  Sickman (J. Cantrell, L. Staley)

6.  Rooster (J. Cantrell)

7.  Junkhead (J. Cantrell, L. Staley)

8.  Dirt (J. Cantrell, L. Staley)

9.  God Smack (J. Cantrell, L. Staley)

10. 

11.  Hate to Feel (L. Staley)

12.  Angry Chair (L. Staley)

13.  Would? (J. Cantrell)

Lyrics:

Alice in Chains are very talented in that they can write about a bunch of different things, and then put them all on one CD, and make it sound unified.  "Down in a Hole", for example, is about a broken relationship, and how Staley feels about it.  "Rooster" is about Cantrell's father in the Vietnam War.  "Junkhead", as the name implies, is about just that – drugs.  "Hate to Feel" could also be interpreted as being about them too.  The lyrics are really quite varied, and all are well done.

Music:

Alice in Chains is a grunge band.  That's all there is to it.  The music isn't very technical, but Alice in Chains excels at what they do.  Cantrell's almost as good a guitarist as you'll find anywhere, and Layne Staley has one of the most unique and powerful voices you will ever hear.  Starr and Kinney, although not profound at their respective instruments, are serviceable and are capable of providing a good rhythm section.

Highlights:

There are quite a few tracks worth noting on this album.  As is my custom, I'll name the three I feel are the best.  "Down in a Hole" has always been one of my favorite songs of all time, so that gets the nod.  "Rooster" is just such a brilliantly written song, it would be blasphemy not to include it on the list.  The last one is the toughest, but I'm going to go with "Dam That River".  Cantrell did a great job on the lyrics and music for this song, and it turned out wonderfully.

Overall:

There isn't much to say negatively about this album.  You might find song 10 a bit weird, but it's really a spoof on Black Sabbath's "Iron Man".  I can't say I was too fond of "Sickman" or "Junkhead" when I first got this album, but both (especially "Junkhead") have grown on me quite a bit.  If you're looking to get into this band, or if you just want a good album to listen to now and then, go for Dirt.  It's a buy you won't regret.

FarSight37's Score:  84%