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Jerry Cantrell - Degradation Trip Volumes 1 & 2 Audio CD

A fair review of the Jerry Cantrell "Degradation Trip Volumes 1 & 2" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Jerry Cantrell reviews here, or go back to the Jerry Cantrell tabs.

Jerry Cantrell Band: Jerry Cantrell
Title: Degradation Trip Volumes 1 & 2
Rating:
Release Date: 2002-12-10
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Psychotic Break 2: Basement Howard Hughes 3: Owned 4: Angel Eyes 5: Solitude 6: Mother's Spinning In Her Grave (Glass Dick Jones) 7: Hellbound 8: Spiderbite 9: Pro False Idol 10: Feel The Void 11: Locked On 12: Gone 13: Castaway 14: Chemical Tribe 15: What It Takes 16: Dying Inside 17: Siddhartha 18: Hurts Don't It? 19: She Was My Girl 20: Pig Charmer 21: Anger Rising 22: S.O.S. 23: Give It A Name 24: Thanks Anyway 25: 31/32

Different from Boggy Depot.
If you like the new A. Well, I'll make it simple. In Chains you'll love this album. If you like Boggy Depot you'll also love this album.

The album it's a cathartic exercise mixed with amazing musicianship. Cantrell surrounded himself with Trujillo (now in Metallica) and Bordin from F. No More (Chris DeGarmo contributes on one song). Cantrell sounds more daring and confident in this effort compared to B. Depot, more "evolved" and willing to take chances (his singing shows it). This is the album (double) it was intented to be done at the beginning, so if you think that the second disc is a filler think again.

As I told you, if you're into the new AIC be ready to add 2 more discs lo listen to because you'll like Degradation Trip 1 & 2, and believe me, this is a fact.

.


Plodding, with indistinct songs
This is precisely what turns DT from an album into a two and a half hour endurance contest. Degradation Trip is monstrous: 25 tracks, with many of them clocking in at over 5 minutes. The songs, most of which are heavy, thunderous, and slow, all blur into one another. After having this album for over two years now I still can't recall that many lyrics or riffs from the individual songs, as they all sound the same. This is also what brought down Alice in Chains' 1995 self-titled album: overlong, indistinct songs.

That's not to say there aren't any good tracks on here. Angel Eyes, Solitude, Chemical Tribe, and Anger Rising are all great tracks. Psychotic Break, Mother's Spinning In Her Grave, Hellbound, She Was My Girl, Locked On, and Spiderbite are okay. The thing is, all these songs are on the one-disc version of DT. This two-disc version, however, adds two instrumental tracks, one of which is great (Hurts Don't It) and one of which is okay (Feel the Void), as well as Siddhartha and Give It a Name, which are okay rockers.

I wanted to like this album, but I couldn't get into it. When almost every song has the same slow tempo and same guitar tone, and there are so many songs, it's not so much an album as it is a tossed-together collection of music (like The Clash's disastrous 36-track album Sandinista). I would definitely recommend Cantrell's Boggy Depot over this. If, however, you feel compelled to own this album, I'd recommend getting the one-disc version, as it has the worthwhile songs and much less filler.


Good Double Album
Degradation Trip has a lot of good material and is a must-have for AIC fans. I'm a huge Alice in Chains fan but just recently bought Jerry Cantrell's solo albums (this and Boggy Depot). Some of my favorite tracks are "Spiderbite," "Bargain Basement Howard Hughes," "Psychotic Break" and "Pig Charmer. " Like AIC, there's a mix of electric and acoustic songs spread over the double album.


Graduation Tip
I thought the single album was good. If you love Jerry, you've gotta love this double album. This kicks maximum A-Hole. Layne lives in Jerry's music.
If you wanna graduate from rock class, Jerry will get you there no sweat. .


AIC fan? Jonesing for more? Here it is.
Clocking in at over two hours, Degradation Trip surprisingly never falters. The consistency of quality spreading across this mammoth album is pretty extraordinary. It's gonna take a few more years to determine if this is a genuine "classic" like Dirt or Jar Of Flies but, for my money, this is the best rock album of 2002. It's like Alice In Chains' own version of The Wall, only without Layne Staley. It's dark and dreary stuff, but it's down to Earth, honest songwriting. And it ROCKS.

Still waiting for the follow-up, Jerry. Bring it on.


You can see a complete list of all Jerry Cantrell discography, or go back to the Jerry Cantrell tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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