Dirt
4.8 | 5,520 ratings
Price: 34.99
Last update: 12-29-2025
Product details
- Language : English
- Product Dimensions : 12.2 x 0.4 x 12.2 inches; 14.4 ounces
- Manufacturer : Legacy Recordings
- Original Release Date : 2022
- Run time : 57 minutes
- Date First Available : August 12, 2022
- Label : Legacy Recordings
- ASIN : B0B2KWVQWQ
- Number of discs : 2
- Best Sellers Rank:#23 in CDs & Vinyl (See Top 100 in CDs & Vinyl)
- Rock (CDs & Vinyl)
- Customer Reviews:4.84.8 out of 5 stars(5,490)
Top reviews from the United States
- Brian DouglasAlice in chainsWell, of course, it's Alice in Chains, It's amazing.
- Luis DominguezClassicOne of the best rock albums of all time.
- MrG54Didn't know what to expect--but it's one of my favorite albums of all time nowDirt is a rather underappreciated album of the 90s, I think. Alice in Chains never reached the popularity of the bands they are lumped in with (Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam), perhaps because they didn't display as much pop sensibilities as those other bands. This is a very bleak record, no way around that. With only a few exceptions, the songs on here are heavy, sludgy, densely layered affairs. However, AiC has a very strong sense of melody, which for me is a large part of what makes this album so great; otherwise it might just turn into a wank-fest. No, Alice in Chains have that, and also a good sense of when to back off a bit; they break up the album with lighter and more accessible tracks to break up the sludge.
So what about the songs?
I feel like most people who listen to this album only like certain tracks and don't understand the rest. They only want the catchiest or most aggressive; this makes me sad, as this album has a ridiculous number of really GREAT songs.
I won't review every song, there are 13 of them, but I'll talk about some of my favorites.
Them Bones-a great opener, gets things moving and doesn't waste time. The opening ascending riff is killer, the vocal melodies are great, the lyrics bleak. It ends exactly when it needs to, clocking in at only two and a half minutes.
Dam That River-This is almost as good as the previous, great riff, love the angry lyrics. but the SOLO. and the vocal melodies. are just great.
Rain When I Die-This might be my favorite track on an album of favorite tracks. The opening vocals are killer (and are reapeated again at the end). This song is twice as long as the previous track, yet it never feels too long. With great verses, chorus, solo, this is just a perfect track.
Rooster--Another great track; accessible but still dark, with a glimmer of hope in the chorus
Dirt-People don't seem to 'get' this track, but I wish more people liked it. The chorus is very catchy and very heartfelt--"One who doesn't care, is one who shouldn't be". I didn't like it at first, but after multiple listens it really grew on me.
Hate to Feel-Another contender for favorite song-the chorus is phenomenal, I love the rhythm and spacing of it, with great lyrics, great solo, etc
Angry Chair-I love, among other things, the moodiness of the verses on this track, and the way the guitar matches the vocals on the 'Hey' of the chorus. Another great song.
Would?-this is another popular track, and for good reason. The verses are great, very melodic, and the chorus and lyrics very passionate. I really really appreciate this song coming at the end; it makes me really FEEL it, y'know? I've felt all the pain Layne has been through from listening to the album, and now he just lets it all out. "Have I run too far to get home?"
Pros-all the stuff I've been mentioning; a huge number of great songs, with great guitar riffs, great song structuring, great lyrics...excellent sense of melody, dynamics, etc
Cons-the drumming is a bit weak; it's neither as powerful as Grohl's or as complex as Matt Cameron's. However, it gets the job done, and I like it a good bit on tracks like Angry Chair and Would? It just doesn't have a huge presence, like the bass.
Facts-at first I kind of didn't like the vocals, but they grew on me, like the album itself, and now I like Layne's voice a lot. Jerry does a good job on backup too
I've listened to this album at least 100 times. Every listen is great, and I can't recommend this album highly enough. A fantastic album of the 90s and essential listening for any proclaimed hard rock fan. - Russell NoyesHappy with Purchase!Good CD, granddaughter loves it!
- Todd EbertOne of the greatest rock albums of all-timeI'm still waiting for someone to provide me a meaningful definition of "grunge" music that does not mention time (late 80's early 90's) or place (Seattle). For example, aside from time and place, I hear few similarities between the early works of AIC and Nirvana. While Nirvana was clearly more influenced by punk bands, such as the Ramones, Meat Puppets, The Vasolines, Black Flag, and Husker Du, Alice in Chains's Dirt owes much to heavier sounding bands such as Queensryche, The Melvins, Black Sabbath, The Doors, and I'll even throw in Grand Funk Railroad.
With that said, Dirt deserves the distinction as "one of the best ROCK albums of all-time"...period (and for that matter, so does Nirvana's In Utero, but I'll save that for a different review).
For me what makes this recording work so well from beginning to end is this tension between on one hand the heavy sound and lyrics that ground the soul in a layer of depression and despair, yet countered by the more ethereal guitar playing and polyrhythmic drumming that (successfully)attempts to lift one out of the dirt. Godsmack seems like the best example of this tension between euphoric passages that share the feeling of being high on smack, and those passages that are laced in guilt and disbelief at how one could be involved in the harrowing world of heroin addiction.
For me this above-mentioned tension makes this recording as emotionally therapeutic as a Muddy Waters or John Lee Hooker recording. On one hand, the lyrics and subject matter can seem very depressing, but they are delivered in such a skillful way that it can only touch you in a way that will uplift in the end. In other words, although I may have cried somewhere in between tracks 1-13, by the end of the recording I feel better off for having listened. In any case, I would much rather listen to REAL lyrics about REAL pain and experiences than ones that are manufactured and homogenized for the sake of selling records and aiming for the lowest common denominator (i.e. sex, romance, and more sex).
Finally, I believe one other aspect that makes this recording work so well is the modesty of the playing of the instruments. The lack of gratuitous guitar and drum soloing for me is a strength of the recording because it prevents the lugubrious wallowing in depression that is so often heard some earlier rock music. Don't get me wrong, there is a time place for songs like The End (Doors) and Whipping Post (Allman Bros.), but just not on Dirt. A lengthy song of that nature would have crashed the entire recording and would have missed the point. - starl*ghtDirt = BeautyThe best aic album. Came in good condition. Fly forever Layne, the "angry angel" as dubbed lovingly by Tom Morello. The whole album is perfection.
- JazzyA little brokenSuper excited bc it was so cheap and I love this album. Came a little bit broken but I can forgive that because of the price. The actual CD looks fine tho it’s just the case.
- Jon ThrasherExcellentExcellent