1. Nutshell - 4/5
Great opening track. The bass stands out in this song more than any other song in this album. Layne's vocals really merge in with the melody to make a great AiC song. Good for an opening track to get warmed up, but not one of the best songs on the album.
2. Brother - 4.5/5
Wow. That is about all I can say for this song. This song just sounds like Alice in Chains to me. Layne's vocals seem weak in the beginning of the song, but really pick up later in the song. They pulled this song off pretty good. The beginning is kind of weak, but they really pull it together by the end of the song. It makes for one of the better songs of this performance.
3. No Excuses - 3/5
A good AiC song, but they just didn't pull it off for this performance. There seems to be something lacking. The drumming gets annoying about halfway through the song. One of the low points of the CD. The only part I like about this song is at the end they start to play the intro to "Enter Sandman" by Metallica. Its pretty funny if you're not expecting it. I usually just skip to the end of the song.
4. Sludge Factory - 3/5
An average song for this CD. Nothing really stands out. I often skip over this song just cause it doesn't have any outstanding points that catch my ear.
5. Down in a Hole - 4/5
Good song for this performance, but they just couldn't get the sound. The vocals are great like always, but the lack of distortion on the guitar really disappointed me.The little bit of distortion on the "Dirt" version makes for a totally different song. Great song, but it just sounds flat without the distortion. Nirvana used distortion for "Man Who Sold the Wolrd" on their MTV Unplugged, I think AiC should have done the same thing for this song. Not alot, I'm just asking for a little. Without it, the bass kind of overpowers the guitar.
6. Angry Chair - 4/5
This had potential to be a great song acoustically, but there is one thing that stands out as "bad." Between lines in the chorus when Layne says "Little boy made a mistake" and "Pink cloud has now turned to grey" where he says "Hey!" it just sounds flat. Its like theres an empty space there. Besides that small point the song is great. Layne's voice sounds great, so does Jerry's guitar.
7. Rooster - 5/5
Great song. Second only to "Would?". Vocals are amazing. Verses and chorus both sound great. One of the highest points on the album. This song is definetly worth a listen.
8. Got Me Wrong - 4.5/5
Great guitars. They stand out more in this song than on any other song on the album. Layne also pulls off a killer vocal performance that makes songs like "Sludge Factory" and "No Excuses" sound wimpy. Probally my fourth favorite song on the album.
9. Heaven Beside You - 4.5/5
Great lyrics. I have always appreciated the lyrics of this song. This fights with "Got Me Wrong" for my fourth favorite. Guitars are average, and thats all that keeps this song from being in the top 3.
10. Would? - 5/5
This is a great song. Not only is it my favorite song on "Dirt," it is probally my favorite song on this album as well. Vocals, bass, and guitars all sound great. Along with "Rooster" and "Killer is Me," this song is what makes this album worth listening too. I love this song beyond words. My favorite song of AiC.
11. Frogs - 4/5
Wierd intro. It kinda freaks me out. Ends up being a good song though. Worth a listen.
12.Over Now - 3/5
Way too happy. All others AiC songs seem so depressing that this one almost seems out of place. Good song. The change of mood is pretty interesting. I usually don't skip over this song. Good song, the mood kinda sets it out of place though.
13. Killer is Me - 5/5
Great song. Probally my third favorite song on the album. This song is my goal when listening to this CD. This, "Would?" and "Rooster" really make this album. Without those this album is not that good. This song makes for a great outro because when people are listening to the other songs they are thinking of this song. At the end of "Over Now" they talk about how they are done with this show, but then they decide to do one more song. This album would have been incomplete without this amazing song.
Overall:
This is a great acoustic album with its high and lows. Worth a listen if you are a hardcore Alice in Chains fan, and maybe worth a glance if you are a casual fan. A great change of pace from the usual hardcore AiC albums. I give the CD an overall 4.5/5
