Degradation Trip is the second solo album by Alice in Chains guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell, released on June 18, 2002. It marks his transition from Columbia Records to Roadrunner and was dedicated to Alice in Chains lead singer Layne Staley, who died two months before its release. Degradation Trip featured two singles and was well received by critics, faring better than Cantrell's debut album and bearing stronger resemblance to his work in Alice in Chains.
Background
Not long after the April 1998 release of Cantrell's solo debut, Boggy Depot, he began work on a sophomore record which he confidently projected for a mid '99 release.[1] The majority of this follow-up, later entitled Degradation Trip, was written in the seclusion of a house in the Cascade Mountains. Cantrell recorded the demos using a four-track recorder and a battered Gibson Les Paul.[2] Regarding the experience of writing the album, Cantrell said:
- "In '98, I locked myself in my house, went out of my mind, and wrote 25 songs. I rarely bathed during that period of writing; I sent out for food; I didn't really venture out of my house in three or four months. It was a hell of an experience. The album is an overview of birth to now. . . Boggy Depot is like kindergarten compared to this. The massive sonic growth from Boggy Depot to Degradation Trip is comparable to the difference between our work in the Alice in Chains albums Facelift to Dirt, which was also a tremendous leap."[3]
- "I got into a writing session which lasted for three or four months where I just continued to spew and pour all of this shit out of the depths of myself from every level and aspect of my life. I dealt with a lot of issues that aren't easy for me to verbally get across. I think it's easier for me to do it in a musical venue. But it was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. I'm glad I did it and I'm glad I went through the experience, but it's certainly something I don't ever want to do again."
After writing a surplus of material, Cantrell showed two of his new songs to Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley who wrote lyrics for them. These demos would become "Get Born Again," a single from Nothing Safe: Best of the Box, and the song "Died." Thus, rather than becoming Cantrell's solo work, this led to their recording by Alice in Chains in 1998, release the following year, and the esteem of being what would years later be recognized as the final material written by the band with Staley.[4]
To continue developing his second solo album, Cantrell originally booked studio time with Dave Jerden, who produced Alice in Chains' first two albums. However, Cantrell fired him after two days, claiming "It was just not working out personally. . . Mike [Bordin] and Robert [Trujillo] had hooked up with me and we had been through rehearsals, and we got into the studio with Dave and it all blew up on us on the second day. It took us months to get regrouped again. . . He's great guy and we did some great music together, but sometimes I guess you just can't go home."
Cantrell was unable to find a replacement and decided to self-produce Degradation Trip with his friend Jeff Tomei. They waited another three months for Bordin and Trujillo to become available again, but as soon as they began recording, Cantrell's contract with Sony, parent to Columbia Records, had ended, leaving him with staggering studio bills. He continued financing it on his own and developing the album to its completion without label interference. Cantrell reflected in early 2002 on his time making a record without a label:
- "It was very strange for me, because my experience in this business has been with one band and one label. The last couple years I was not only on my own making a record of the magnitude that I committed myself to, but I was having to deal with being like a brand new artist going around to all these different labels and meeting with them and hearing the same things over and over: 'Yeah, we love it. We love you,' and then have nothing happen. It was a little disheartening after a while."[5]
Finally, he was picked up by Roadrunner who insisted Cantrell narrow his solo work to 14 songs. He was told, however, that the remaining tracks would later be released in some form. Indeed, on November 26, 2002, a second version of the album - considered to be the 'definitive' and originally intended version - was released. This limited edition double album includes 11 additional recordings that Roadrunner forced Cantrell to cut in fear that a double album would have low commercial viability. As such, Cantrell has called the single-disc release the "Reader's Digest version" of Degradation Trip.[6]
The songs "Died" and "Get Born Again" from Alice in Chains' Music Bank box set were originally planned for Degradation Trip; however, the group's interest in them lead to Staley writing lyrics and their eventual release under Alice in Chains.[8]
Promotion and touring
Two singles were released off the album, "Anger Rising" and "Angel Eyes." The former debuted in April 2002 and had a music video which gained the album substantial coverage on MTV2. The acoustic ballad "Angel Eyes" surfaced on radio in September. MTV2 also aired short segments of a primitively animated Cantrell discussing various aspects of his music and personal life. Prior to the release of Degradation Trip, "She Was My Girl" appeared on the soundtrack, Music from and Inspired by Spider-Man.
Jerry Cantrell, having recently signed with Roadrunner, performed at the 16th annual South by Southwest music conference in March 2002. In support of his new album, Cantrell embarked on a two-month North American solo tour beginning April 20. This included drummer Mike Bordin, bassist Robert Trujillo, and guitarist Brian Kehoe.[9] Despite the death of Layne Staley during this time, Cantrell opted not to cancel any shows, stating, "The shows I played between the time I got the word about Layne and Layne's funeral were very important to me in terms of being able to continue on. It's one of those things where if you take a break and allow things to settle in, it might be harder to get up again."[2]
That summer, Cantrell toured with Nickelback, whom he'd befriended at a Roadrunner Records Christmas party, and played in select cities with Creed. However, Bordin and Trujillo couldn't make the shows, forcing Comes With the Fall to both perform as Cantrell's band and open for him in October. The solo musician found himself ironically opening for bands that his previous elder group, Alice in Chains, had undeniably influenced. Regarding the tours, Cantrell expressed enthusiasm toward Nickelback, a Canadian band with high admiration for Cantrell. During some shows, Cantrell also joined Nickelback to play the Alice in Chains song "It Ain't Like That" together, as documented on Nickelback's Live at Home DVD. However, Cantrell also noted his annoyance toward Creed's indifference and lack of friendliness while touring with them.[8]
Cantrell also took part in the Canada's Edgefest. One particularly heated show forced Cantrell to swap places with Sevendust who were having trouble crossing into Canada and postponed their slot. The sudden inconvenience led to technical problems with Cantrell's set and a riff between the two parties; his guitar shorted out early on, and he later tripped on a microphone cord before angrily ending his set early. Cantrell then gave the crowd a disparaging remark about the upcoming Sevendust. Lajon Witherspoon, frontman of Sevendust, then spoke out during their set: "When Jerry Cantrell says fuck Sevendust, I say fuck you, Jerry Cantrell. I hope you heard me, Jerry Cantrell."[10] However, Sevendust's spokesman soon after claimed that the two parties had apologized over the misunderstanding and that Cantrell was largely just upset over the technical difficulties. Further details revealed that Sevendust's bus broke down on their way to Ontario and that they waited two hours for officers to clear them to cross the border.[11]
After opening for Nickelback and Creed, Cantrell began a headlining tour on October 9. This included Comes With the Fall, Mad at Gravity and Diesel as openers.[12] After an October 23 show in Portland, Oregon, Cantrell passed out from extreme exhaustion and dehydration. This caused the cancellation of two shows in Seattle, Washington and Colorado Springs, Colorado. He continued touring on October 27.[13]
Critical reception
Degradation Trip received overwhelmingly positive reviews from various media and stronger enthusiasm than Cantrell's solo debut. Many critics noted that the album holds many similarities to the Alice in Chains sound while also featuring new elements. Its bleak lyrical themes also gained much attention, particularly due to the recent death of Layne Staley.
Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine claimed that "serious listeners and longtime fans will [...] appreciate the album as Cantrell's best record since Dirt" and regarded Cantrell as being "on top of [his] game." Sandy Masuo of Rolling Stone considered it less adventurous than Boggy Depot but noted, "There's no happy ending when all is said and done, but it's a more poetic trip than most angst merchants offer these days, and for that reason alone it's a journey worth taking." Blender's J.D. Considine similarly praised Cantrell's lyrics: "For all the overdubbed vocals and layered guitars, it’s the writing, not the arranging, that carries this album. Cantrell creates songs, not just riffs, and Degradation Trip is packed with memorable melodies and strikingly vivid lyrics."
Track listing
All tracks by Jerry Cantrell.
| 1. |
"Psychotic Break" |
4:09 |
| 2. |
"Bargain Basement Howard Hughes" |
5:38 |
| 3. |
"Anger Rising" |
6:14 |
| 4. |
"Angel Eyes" |
4:44 |
| 5. |
"Solitude" |
4:00 |
| 6. |
"Mother's Spinning in Her Grave (Glass Dick Jones)" |
3:53 |
| 7. |
"Hellbound" |
6:46 |
| 8. |
"Give It a Name" |
4:01 |
| 9. |
"Castaway" |
4:59 |
| 10. |
"She Was My Girl" |
3:59 |
| 11. |
"Chemical Tribe" |
6:35 |
| 12. |
"Spiderbite" |
6:38 |
| 13. |
"Locked On" |
5:37 |
| 14. |
"Gone" |
5:08 |
| 72:34 |
Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)
| Year |
Chart |
Position |
| 2002 |
Billboard Top 200 |
33 |
Singles - Billboard (North America)
| Year |
Single |
Chart |
Position |
| 2002 |
"Anger Rising" |
Mainstream Rock Tracks |
10 |
Personnel
References
- ^ September 6, 1998 Jerry Depot (September 6, 1998). Retrieved on 7-11-09.
- ^ a b Stout, GeneMaking music sees Cantrell through death and dark times SeattlePi.com (May 17, 2002). Retrieved on 6-23-09.
- ^ "Jerry Cantrell biography". Roadrunner Records. http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/artists/JerryCantrell/bio.aspx. Retrieved 2006-11-13.
- ^ "Degration Trip:An Interview with Jerry Cantrell". blender.com. August 2002.
- ^ Wiederhorn, Jon Jerry Cantrell Conjures Ghost Of Alice In Chains On New LP MTV.com (March 20, 2002). Retrieved on 6-20-09.
- ^ Kaye, Don. "A Long, Strange Trip" Degradation Trip Volumes 1 & 2 (November 26, 2002). Retrieved on 6-20-09.
- ^ Saidman, Sorelle Jerry Cantrell Readies Album, Mini-Tour MTV.com (January 26, 2001). Retrieved on 6-21-09.
- ^ a b Christopher, Michael. Degradation Trip: An Interview with Jerry Cantrell PopMatters (December 26, 2002). Received November 22, 2007.
- ^ Schumacher-Rasmussen, Erin Alice In Chains Guitarist Jerry Cantrell Lines Up Tour MTV.com (April 9, 2002)
- ^ Lichtman, Nathan Sevendust/ Jerry Cantrell Beef Casts Pall Over Canada's Edgefest MTV.com (July 2, 2002). Retrieved on 6-20-09.
- ^ Wiederhorn, Jon Jerry Cantrell, Sevendust Swallow Their Beef MTV.com (July 11, 2002). Retrieved on 6-20-09.
- ^ D'Angelo, Joe Jerry Cantrell Reroutes His Degradation Trip, Plans Tour MTV.com (September 26, 2002). Retrieved on 6-20-09.
- ^ For The Record: Quick News On Michelle Branch, Santana, Adam Sandler, Pearl Jam, Jerry Cantrell, Coal Chamber & More MTV.com (October 25, 2002). Retrieved on 6-20-09.
