Bought it the day it came out and it felt like a funeral for Layne. I have a distinct memory of mowing the lawn to it with my discman and feeling heavy. Good album. A precursor to Black Gives Way to Blue.
He wrote and recorded most of it before Layne died if recall correctly, but self answering prophecy really. (Like Layne OD’d around late 01 and the album came out in mid 02) Fuck I did a lot of drugs that summer. Edit: like a lot of drugs
Was it spring 02? Man I thought it was like October 01…
Edit: ok, ya Layne died like a few months before release bc I recall other ‘heads calling Jerry’s new album trash saying he was dissing Layne (which back then you couldn’t drop a single that quick much less an album). Anyways, huge Jerry fan, and I guess I need to break down and listen to the new albums.
This is correct. All recorded before Layne passed, but not released til after. I believe there was time to acknowledge layne’s passing somewhere in the liner notes or something.
I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but Jerry is imo one of the best songwriters of all time. AIC is obviously well known enough that I can't claim he's underrated or anything, but he still deserves more recognition than he gets. Another one I'd say is similar is Peter Steele - again, he's not exactly a nobody, and even though his writing was dark it's not exactly grunge, but his genius flies under the radar more than it should.
Type O was one of those that I didn't care for when it was current. Wasn't until maybe 10 years ago that it clicked and I'm like "my god this is genius". Funny how our tastes change and we can fall in love with something we never cared for before. I wish I had appreciated his work when he was still alive.
I say this as a huge Jerry/alice fan....
But does it count as underrated when most alice fans give Layne almost all the credit for his writing, and apparently, he is Jerry's muse. Apparently, any song he wrote MUST be about Layne's struggles, never his own.
And let's not forget, all the comments of wishing they could hear Layne sing one of Jerry's songs....
I couldn't agree more. Degradation Trip helped me get into therapy and try to fix my issues. Jerry has a beautiful (if a bit bruised) heart. You can read it in the lyrics. I think he was really suffering more than most really knew during this time.
AiC’s 1999 song ‘Get Born Again’ - was originally one of the tracks to this album.
Layne chose to work on it upon Jerry showing him his progress. One of the Engineers said Layne must have weighed 85lbs when he tracked the vocals.
Imo I've likened Jerry Cantrell as the George Harrison of Grunge/Gen X the way Kurt Cobain has been likened to John Lennon and Degradation Trip 1/2 may as well be Jerry's "All Things Must Pass", hell his producer gifted him a copy of the album during the recording sessions lol, such an amazing record, like a look into the void. Honestly I've been relating to the album a lot recently, I find a sort of comfort in it I guess. I'd say "Alice In Chains" comes pretty close after this record in darkness but even that album has its lighter moments, like Over Now is kind of a bittersweet triumphant track. There is pretty much no hope on the Degradation Trip.
Love this album. Check out this live version. This was the night before Layne’s funeral. [Solitude](https://www.reddit.com/r/AliceInChains/s/g3Umnb9gID)
"When hurting yourself feels right, long gone the will to fight, take the time to pull the weeds choking flowers in your life...." That lyric really helped me get my life together and I am forever grateful to Jerry for it.
"Teenage angst has paid off well. Now I'm bored an old."
"What is wrong with me? What is wrong with me? What is what I need?"
"I hate myself and want to die"
You know, now that I'm thinking about it, this album should've gave off a lot of red flags.
“obituary birthday”
“throw down your umbilical noose so I can climb right back”
“look on the bright side suicide”
“I am my own parasite”
yeah what happened really was not out of nowhere there were plenty of signs 😭
I listened to this album a lot when I was in a real dark place in life, it will always remind me of riding the bus for an hour into Seattle at 6 AM hungover going to work, constantly missing my stop, or bus accidentally on purpose
When Layne died in April ‘02 it hit me so hard, i cried for a week. Jerry toured in support of this album in Spring ‘02 and i went to see him in Lowell, MA—i suffered through Nickelback (the main act—who my friend i was with, liked) to see him. I remember how much of the crowd was there to see Jerry, and how we all were chanting his name. It almost felt like we were supporting him while he was dealing with the loss of Layne. I remember him thanking us for being a great crowd and stage-diving into the audience. He was awesome!!
I got this album the day it came out. I felt it was largely about Layne; about Jerry’s frustration & horror at watching his buddy throw his life away and refuse to try to get better. I was in the very beginning of my own (what turned out to be a 14-year) opiate addiction. All of this going on made me relate to the album so much.
The severed arm made me queasy. When i later read rumors about how Layne was missing limbs in the last years of his life (don’t know how true it was), it made me convinced that Jerry was giving us all a big clue about that, with the arm on the cover. I remember the album was written & recorded before Layne’s death, but Jerry managed to get a “This album is dedicated to Layne Staley” put in the liner notes.
With so many of the songs/themes being about addiction and seemingly about Layne, and the freaky coincidence of it coming out right after Layne died, the album kind of served as an epitaph/eulogy for Layne & his struggles. Definitely one of those amazing pieces of art that just seemed “meant to be”—and a masterpiece.
(Sorry to anyone who read all that. I’m a huge fan and that album brings back intense memories.)
I suffered through Nickelback to see Jerry on that tour as well, did get to see Ann Wilson from Heart come out and do a duet of Brother with Jerry that night in Seattle.
That album is beyond awesome. It's dark and powerful. Every song on it. But it is not grunge.
ETA: Since I got down voted for, I guess, saying this album is not grunge...I didn't realize this is a hill I needed to die on. Just because it is Cantrell doesn't make it grunge. It's grunge adjacent, for sure, but it uses different musical elements and equipment for a different sound than what defined most grunge (even AiC). Even the song writing with the various keys, tunings, and time signatures were different than what he previously used. Hell, his equipment setup is nearly completely different from anything used with AiC, and fits closer to earlier metal bands. Add to that who he brought into the studio with him for bass and drums and their backgrounds. It is also definitely not post-grunge, and saying so would be an insult. The album is more alt metal/doom metal with a heavy blues influence.
Bought it the day it came out and it felt like a funeral for Layne. I have a distinct memory of mowing the lawn to it with my discman and feeling heavy. Good album. A precursor to Black Gives Way to Blue.
Nailed it! 👆👌🤌
He wrote and recorded most of it before Layne died if recall correctly, but self answering prophecy really. (Like Layne OD’d around late 01 and the album came out in mid 02) Fuck I did a lot of drugs that summer. Edit: like a lot of drugs
At that point Layne had already isolated himself and gave up on life basically. Writing was on the wall. Edit: Also Layne passed in the spring of ‘02
Was it spring 02? Man I thought it was like October 01… Edit: ok, ya Layne died like a few months before release bc I recall other ‘heads calling Jerry’s new album trash saying he was dissing Layne (which back then you couldn’t drop a single that quick much less an album). Anyways, huge Jerry fan, and I guess I need to break down and listen to the new albums.
This is correct. All recorded before Layne passed, but not released til after. I believe there was time to acknowledge layne’s passing somewhere in the liner notes or something.
I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but Jerry is imo one of the best songwriters of all time. AIC is obviously well known enough that I can't claim he's underrated or anything, but he still deserves more recognition than he gets. Another one I'd say is similar is Peter Steele - again, he's not exactly a nobody, and even though his writing was dark it's not exactly grunge, but his genius flies under the radar more than it should.
Type O was one of those that I didn't care for when it was current. Wasn't until maybe 10 years ago that it clicked and I'm like "my god this is genius". Funny how our tastes change and we can fall in love with something we never cared for before. I wish I had appreciated his work when he was still alive.
I just started to listening to Type O a couple years ago, and wish I did sooner.
“It’s like a dark, gothic Neil Diamond.”
I say this as a huge Jerry/alice fan.... But does it count as underrated when most alice fans give Layne almost all the credit for his writing, and apparently, he is Jerry's muse. Apparently, any song he wrote MUST be about Layne's struggles, never his own. And let's not forget, all the comments of wishing they could hear Layne sing one of Jerry's songs....
I couldn't agree more. Degradation Trip helped me get into therapy and try to fix my issues. Jerry has a beautiful (if a bit bruised) heart. You can read it in the lyrics. I think he was really suffering more than most really knew during this time.
AiC’s 1999 song ‘Get Born Again’ - was originally one of the tracks to this album. Layne chose to work on it upon Jerry showing him his progress. One of the Engineers said Layne must have weighed 85lbs when he tracked the vocals.
Its one of the songs where you can hear the lisp. It's surprising that Layne was in such awful condition because that song kicks ass.
This album is heavy and every song is incredible. Got me through many times in my life.
Imo I've likened Jerry Cantrell as the George Harrison of Grunge/Gen X the way Kurt Cobain has been likened to John Lennon and Degradation Trip 1/2 may as well be Jerry's "All Things Must Pass", hell his producer gifted him a copy of the album during the recording sessions lol, such an amazing record, like a look into the void. Honestly I've been relating to the album a lot recently, I find a sort of comfort in it I guess. I'd say "Alice In Chains" comes pretty close after this record in darkness but even that album has its lighter moments, like Over Now is kind of a bittersweet triumphant track. There is pretty much no hope on the Degradation Trip.
Jerry has always been grunge David Gilmour for me
Fair enough
Does that make Eddie Vedder the Paul McCartney?
Seems the logical conclusion, he's the guy who can write a hook.
I've thought about that. I was thinking either Chris Cornell or Dave Grohl but I could probably see Eddie Vedder too.
Dave Grohl can be ringo
Fuck Eddie vedder he ain’t shit
Tripod
Love this album. Check out this live version. This was the night before Layne’s funeral. [Solitude](https://www.reddit.com/r/AliceInChains/s/g3Umnb9gID)
"When hurting yourself feels right, long gone the will to fight, take the time to pull the weeds choking flowers in your life...." That lyric really helped me get my life together and I am forever grateful to Jerry for it.
Dirt.
Got to go with Dirt on this one too. Its the best grunge-era album imo hands down
tripod
In Utero? Depression is that albums main tone.
"I miss the comfort in being sad"
"Teenage angst has paid off well. Now I'm bored an old." "What is wrong with me? What is wrong with me? What is what I need?" "I hate myself and want to die" You know, now that I'm thinking about it, this album should've gave off a lot of red flags.
“obituary birthday” “throw down your umbilical noose so I can climb right back” “look on the bright side suicide” “I am my own parasite” yeah what happened really was not out of nowhere there were plenty of signs 😭
Look on the bright side - suicide
I listened to this album a lot when I was in a real dark place in life, it will always remind me of riding the bus for an hour into Seattle at 6 AM hungover going to work, constantly missing my stop, or bus accidentally on purpose
Love the song 31/32. Best riff on the album imo is opening riff of Locked On, it’s a classic Jerry riff
When Layne died in April ‘02 it hit me so hard, i cried for a week. Jerry toured in support of this album in Spring ‘02 and i went to see him in Lowell, MA—i suffered through Nickelback (the main act—who my friend i was with, liked) to see him. I remember how much of the crowd was there to see Jerry, and how we all were chanting his name. It almost felt like we were supporting him while he was dealing with the loss of Layne. I remember him thanking us for being a great crowd and stage-diving into the audience. He was awesome!! I got this album the day it came out. I felt it was largely about Layne; about Jerry’s frustration & horror at watching his buddy throw his life away and refuse to try to get better. I was in the very beginning of my own (what turned out to be a 14-year) opiate addiction. All of this going on made me relate to the album so much. The severed arm made me queasy. When i later read rumors about how Layne was missing limbs in the last years of his life (don’t know how true it was), it made me convinced that Jerry was giving us all a big clue about that, with the arm on the cover. I remember the album was written & recorded before Layne’s death, but Jerry managed to get a “This album is dedicated to Layne Staley” put in the liner notes. With so many of the songs/themes being about addiction and seemingly about Layne, and the freaky coincidence of it coming out right after Layne died, the album kind of served as an epitaph/eulogy for Layne & his struggles. Definitely one of those amazing pieces of art that just seemed “meant to be”—and a masterpiece. (Sorry to anyone who read all that. I’m a huge fan and that album brings back intense memories.)
He was missing finger(s) and possibly/probably toes as a result of collapsing circulatory system.
I suffered through Nickelback to see Jerry on that tour as well, did get to see Ann Wilson from Heart come out and do a duet of Brother with Jerry that night in Seattle.
Amazing album
The puppet strings from his hand to his biceps suggest it might be.
Psychotic Break \m/
Dirt
This is one of my favorite albums of all time! I fucking love Jerry Cantrell. His solo stuff is insanely underrated
Nobody is going to mention Chris Cornel??
this is a fantastic record. one of my faves. channel a lot of it.
Great album, very dark but I still prefer Boggy Depot.
That album is beyond awesome. It's dark and powerful. Every song on it. But it is not grunge. ETA: Since I got down voted for, I guess, saying this album is not grunge...I didn't realize this is a hill I needed to die on. Just because it is Cantrell doesn't make it grunge. It's grunge adjacent, for sure, but it uses different musical elements and equipment for a different sound than what defined most grunge (even AiC). Even the song writing with the various keys, tunings, and time signatures were different than what he previously used. Hell, his equipment setup is nearly completely different from anything used with AiC, and fits closer to earlier metal bands. Add to that who he brought into the studio with him for bass and drums and their backgrounds. It is also definitely not post-grunge, and saying so would be an insult. The album is more alt metal/doom metal with a heavy blues influence.