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Topic	Rank the Tracks Week 11: Alice in Chains' Dirt (+ OK Computer results)
Snake5555555555 05/16/21 1:26:38 PM #17:	Down in a Hole Them Bones Would? Rain When I Die Dam That River Junkhead Angry Chair Hate to Feel Sickman Rooster God Smack Dirt Untitled Man this album brings back so many great memories. It was one of those endlessly looped high school albums for me, back when I was absolutely obsessed with grunge. Scored homework sessions, vacations & camping trips, video game multiplayer matches, work assignments, etc.. I've largely grown tired of that sound over the years, due to both being massively overplayed and moving on to other musical obsessions, but the fact remains I still absolutely love this album. Layne Staley's vocals are both heavenly & haunting, at once a drone of absolute despair, anger, & hatred and a lullaby that assures you there's still hope and it's without question no grunge band were doing vocal harmonies like AIC was; this album would not be as fondly remember without Cantrell backing up Layne. The songs become a choir that invokes a sense of belonging and community with the listener, inviting sing-alongs as you wallow in and become enveloped in each song's rich, filthy, & seedy atmosphere. I actually agree with Zelos that grunge is not really a genre, but I do think it's more than a marketing term too; I think it's more a term for the aesthetic of the music. Dirt is what to comes my mind when I think of grunge, and that starts with its album title cover right down into every note and lyric of the music. This is dirty music, from its sludgy guitars to lyrics that depict the depressing lows one person can end up experiencing and how daunting of a task it can appear to pull yourself out of whatever grave you dug yourself into. The album even features themes of warfare, with comparisons to the horrifying conditions of especially the Vietnam War, an analysis of psychology exploring different ways the brain can be scarred but in the end it's still the same feeling. It's also practically impossible to separate the backstory of the album and the unfortunate tragedy of Staley from this music, a double-edged sword that both mythologizes the album and re-contextualizes each song with new meaning but also makes it incredibly difficult to listen to as you know these were real people really going through these difficult times. To criticize the album a little bit: the 8-10 track span of the album always kind of blended into one for me, I feel like those tracks aren't as memorable as the beginnings of the album. I'm a little fatigued with the album's sound by that point, but it ends strong though with Angry Chair and especially Would?, a moody masterpiece with an explosive chorus and satisfying ending. And despite the album's inherent darkness the album is absolutely a fun listen to. Them Bones is an explosive opener, with Layne's "ahs!" being instantly catchy with a satisfying chromatic riff, that is one of the best short metal songs of all time. The beginning of the album shows a particular aptitude for even more hooky songwriting, such as Dam the River's chorus "maybe I don't give a damn anyway", with wordplay that's a bit blunt sure but it comes together with the riff and is a blast to sing along to. And of course there's some "chugga-chuggas" for the true head-banger, in songs like Sickman. In general, it's not really what I listen to the album for, but I appreciate it all the same. It's a timeless album and a realistic snapshot of both a band and a generation, and whether or not grunge is old hat at this point is irrelevant, because substance abuse and psychological torment is something that affects all generations no matter what the music sounds like. --- I've decided to put my fears behind me. I'm not going back. https://imgur.com/a/du8zgsT - https://imgur.com/a/VTNzDEW <cite>Snake5555555555 posted [p:953966829] in Rank the T... [t:79462221]...</cite> <quote>Down in a Hole Them Bones Would? Rain When I Die Dam That River Junkhead Angry Chair Hate to Feel Sickman Rooster God Smack Dirt Untitled Man this album brings back so many great memories. It was one of those endlessly looped high school albums for me, back when I was absolutely obsessed with grunge. Scored homework sessions, vacations & camping trips, video game multiplayer matches, work assignments, etc.. I've largely grown tired of that sound over the years, due to both being massively overplayed and moving on to other musical obsessions, but the fact remains I still absolutely love this album. Layne Staley's vocals are both heavenly & haunting, at once a drone of absolute despair, anger, & hatred and a lullaby that assures you there's still hope and it's without question no grunge band were doing vocal harmonies like AIC was; this album would not be as fondly remember without Cantrell backing up Layne. The songs become a choir that invokes a sense of belonging and community with the listener, inviting sing-alongs as you wallow in and become enveloped in each song's rich, filthy, & seedy atmosphere. I actually agree with Zelos that grunge is not really a genre, but I do think it's more than a marketing term too; I think it's more a term for the aesthetic of the music. Dirt is what to comes my mind when I think of grunge, and that starts with its album title cover right down into every note and lyric of the music. This is dirty music, from its sludgy guitars to lyrics that depict the depressing lows one person can end up experiencing and how daunting of a task it can appear to pull yourself out of whatever grave you dug yourself into. The album even features themes of warfare, with comparisons to the horrifying conditions of especially the Vietnam War, an analysis of psychology exploring different ways the brain can be scarred but in the end it's still the same feeling. It's also practically impossible to separate the backstory of the album and the unfortunate tragedy of Staley from this music, a double-edged sword that both mythologizes the album and re-contextualizes each song with new meaning but also makes it incredibly difficult to listen to as you know these were real people really going through these difficult times. To criticize the album a little bit: the 8-10 track span of the album always kind of blended into one for me, I feel like those tracks aren't as memorable as the beginnings of the album. I'm a little fatigued with the album's sound by that point, but it ends strong though with Angry Chair and especially Would?, a moody masterpiece with an explosive chorus and satisfying ending. And despite the album's inherent darkness the album is absolutely a fun listen to. Them Bones is an explosive opener, with Layne's "ahs!" being instantly catchy with a satisfying chromatic riff, that is one of the best short metal songs of all time. The beginning of the album shows a particular aptitude for even more hooky songwriting, such as Dam the River's chorus "maybe I don't give a damn anyway", with wordplay that's a bit blunt sure but it comes together with the riff and is a blast to sing along to. And of course there's some "chugga-chuggas" for the true head-banger, in songs like Sickman. In general, it's not really what I listen to the album for, but I appreciate it all the same. It's a timeless album and a realistic snapshot of both a band and a generation, and whether or not grunge is old hat at this point is irrelevant, because substance abuse and psychological torment is something that affects all generations no matter what the music sounds like. --- I've decided to put my fears behind me. I'm not going back. https://imgur.com/a/du8zgsT - https://imgur.com/a/VTNzDEW</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
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