Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains (often abbreviated as AIC) is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1987 by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney, who later recruited bassist Mike Starr and lead vocalist Layne ...
guitarist and vocalist
Jerry Cantrell
Jerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. (born March 18, 1966) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the founder, lead guitarist, co-lead vocalist, and main songwriter of the rock band Alice in Chains. The band rose to internation ...
. The vinyl edition was released on March 31, 1998, and the CD was released on April 7, 1998 through Columbia Records. The album was named after the ghost town of the same name in Oklahoma, where Cantrell's father grew up. In addition to singing, Cantrell also played guitar, piano, clavinet, organ, and steel drums on ''Boggy Depot''. Cantrell produced the album along with
Toby Wright
Toby Wright is an American record producer and mixing engineer who has worked with artists such as Alice in Chains, Metallica, Sevendust and Korn.
Credits Producer
* 3rd Strike - '' Lost Angel''
* 8stops7 - ''In Moderation''
*Alice in Chains ...
. Cantrell's Alice in Chains bandmates,
Sean Kinney
Sean Howard Kinney (born May 27, 1966) is an American musician, best known as the drummer and co-founder of the rock band Alice in Chains. Kinney also founded the short-lived supergroup Spys4Darwin, and has collaborated with other artists such ...
and Mike Inez are featured on the album, as well as
Les Claypool
Leslie Edward Claypool (born September 29, 1963) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, filmmaker, and author. He is best known as the founder, lead singer, bassist, primary songwriter, and only continuous member of the ro ...
Rex Brown
Rex Robert Brown (born July 27, 1964) is an American musician. He is best known as the bassist for heavy metal band Pantera, from 1982 to their disbandment in 2003. As of their reunion in 2022, he is the band's only constant member.
Brown i ...
, and
Fishbone
Fishbone is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1979, that plays a fusion of ska, punk, funk, metal, reggae, and soul. AllMusic has described the group as "one of the most distinctive and eclectic alternative rock bands of the lat ...
's
Angelo Moore
Angelo Carmen Christopher Moore (born November 5, 1965) is an American musician, best known for his work as lead singer and saxophonist for the Los Angeles ska and funk metal band Fishbone. Moore also performs and records under the stage name Dr ...
and
John Norwood Fisher
Fishbone is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1979, that plays a fusion of ska, punk, funk, metal, reggae, and soul. AllMusic has described the group as "one of the most distinctive and eclectic alternative rock bands of the late ...
. ''Boggy Depot'' debuted at No. 28 on the ''
Billboard 200
The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of art ...
'' and spent 14 weeks on the chart. The tracks " Cut You In", " My Song" and "
Dickeye
"Dickeye" is a song by American rock musician Jerry Cantrell. It was the third and final single from his 1998 debut album, ''Boggy Depot''. "Dickeye" peaked at No. 36 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
Personnel
* Jerry Cantrell – v ...
" were released as singles to promote the album. "Cut You In" peaked at No. 5. on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks, "My Song" reached No. 6 and "Dickeye" peaked at No. 36. "Cut You In" was nominated for two '' Billboard Music Video Awards'': Best Hard Rock/Metal Clip and Best New Hard Rock/Metal Artist Clip. ''Boggy Depot'' was reissued on colored vinyl on December 13, 2019.
Background
In 1996, after Alice in Chains opened for the first
Kiss
A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...
reunion show in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
, Jerry Cantrell began work on his first solo album. With the help of producer
Toby Wright
Toby Wright is an American record producer and mixing engineer who has worked with artists such as Alice in Chains, Metallica, Sevendust and Korn.
Credits Producer
* 3rd Strike - '' Lost Angel''
* 8stops7 - ''In Moderation''
*Alice in Chains ...
, whom he had previously worked with in Alice in Chains, Cantrell worked on the album through 1997. Columbia originally gave a projected October 1997 release date which had to be postponed greatly. Early internet sources gave the tentative album title as "Bogey Depot."
In February 1998, Cantrell spoke about the status of Alice in Chains and his new solo project to ''MTV News'':
:"Well, there's really nothing's up with Alice in Chains. We've been together for 11 years now, and we've done a lot of great music together and accomplished a lot of things and that's very special to me. We're a part of a group of fans that really put their stamp on the map, actually, on the world for that matter, and far surpassed where we probably initially thought we'd get to. So that's cool. That's in the books, and that's something we did and something to be proud of. But there also comes a point in the life of any band, I think, that it's time to change, and time to try new things."
Cantrell and Columbia launched his official website, JerryCantrell.com, in March 1998 to promote ''Boggy Depot''. This would feature song clips and the " Cut You In" music video. It also included QuickTime video interview footage where Cantrell explained that he had been wanting to venture into solo territory for a while and, with Alice in Chains at a standstill, finally had the chance. However, in the June 1998 issue of ''
Guitar World
''Guitar World'' is a monthly music magazine for guitarists – and fans of guitar-based music and trends – that has been published since July 1980. ''Guitar World'', the best-selling guitar magazine in the United States, contains original art ...
'', Cantrell made it clear that his solo venture was actually a reluctant response to Alice in Chains' diffusing:
:"It's something I never really wanted to do, but the way things have played out, it's like, why not? To be honest, I'd just be happy being the lead guitarist and singer for Alice in Chains. It's always been my first love, and always will be, but the situation being what it is... we've been together for a long time, and right now it's kinda played out. . . Now I've got to step up to the plate and take a few swings."
''Boggy Depot'' incorporates piano, organ, and
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...
elements, namely in the tracks "Hurt a Long Time" and "Between". Cantrell confirmed that as a child he was "raised on country music" and that he admires the strong emotion conveyed through the genre. However, the ominous guitar styles previously heard in Alice in Chains are undeniable in tracks like "Jesus Hands" and "Keep the Light On". The tracks "Settling Down" and "Hurt a Long Time" were originally introduced during the recording sessions for Alice in Chains' self-titled album in 1995, but the group chose not to record them. As such, they were the oldest and longest-awaited songs to be introduced on ''Boggy Depot''. Although often mistaken as a song about Kurt Cobain's suicide, Cantrell stated that "Hurt a Long Time" is actually about the suicide of his cousin Kevin.
''Boggy Depot'' features both bassistMike Inez and drummer
Sean Kinney
Sean Howard Kinney (born May 27, 1966) is an American musician, best known as the drummer and co-founder of the rock band Alice in Chains. Kinney also founded the short-lived supergroup Spys4Darwin, and has collaborated with other artists such ...
of Alice in Chains. This further incited fans to regard it as a "lost" Alice in Chains record or as a follow-up to their 1995 self-titled release. Three other well-known bassists also contributed to the album:
Rex Brown
Rex Robert Brown (born July 27, 1964) is an American musician. He is best known as the bassist for heavy metal band Pantera, from 1982 to their disbandment in 2003. As of their reunion in 2022, he is the band's only constant member.
Brown i ...
Fishbone
Fishbone is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1979, that plays a fusion of ska, punk, funk, metal, reggae, and soul. AllMusic has described the group as "one of the most distinctive and eclectic alternative rock bands of the lat ...
, and
Les Claypool
Leslie Edward Claypool (born September 29, 1963) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, filmmaker, and author. He is best known as the founder, lead singer, bassist, primary songwriter, and only continuous member of the ro ...
of Primus. Cantrell credited his relationships to some of these musicians to Lollapalooza'93 where their bands often collaborated on stage.
A wide variety of equipment was utilized for the recording of ''Boggy Depot''.
In terms of
amplifiers
An amplifier, electronic amplifier or (informally) amp is an electronic device that can increase the magnitude of a signal (a time-varying voltage or current). It may increase the power significantly, or its main effect may be to boost the v ...
Marshall
Marshall may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria
Canada
* Marshall, Saskatchewan
* The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia
Liberia
* Marshall, Liberia
Marshall Islands
* Marshall Islands, an i ...
pedal
A pedal (from the Latin '' pes'' ''pedis'', "foot") is a lever designed to be operated by foot and may refer to:
Computers and other equipment
* Footmouse, a foot-operated computer mouse
* In medical transcription, a pedal is used to control p ...
s and an
Electro-Harmonix
Electro-Harmonix (also commonly referred to as EHX) is a New York City-based company that makes electronic audio processors and sells rebranded vacuum tubes. The company was founded by Mike Matthews in 1968. It is best known for a series of gu ...
distortion on "Jesus Hands". According to Cantrell, they also used "vintage crappy mikes" including one that Toby Wright bought for $20 at a pawn shop. Cantrell used largely the same guitars as he had in Alice in Chains, including the G&LRampage, '52 Goldtop Les Paul, and old
Stratocaster
The Fender Stratocaster, colloquially known as the Strat, is a model of electric guitar designed from 1952 into 1954 by Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares. The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation has continuously ...
s and
Telecaster
The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is an electric guitar produced by Fender. Together with its sister model the Esquire, it is the world's first mass-produced, commercially successfulLes Paul had built a prototype solid body ...
s. He also bought Nancy Wilson's Les Paul Junior which he used heavily and satisfyingly played a new '50s-era Les Paul that
Gibson
Gibson may refer to:
People
* Gibson (surname)
Businesses
* Gibson Brands, Inc., an American manufacturer of guitars, other musical instruments, and audio equipment
* Gibson Technology, and English automotive and motorsport company based
* Gi ...
sent him. Cantrell also intermixed guitars on certain songs; for instance, in "Dickeye", a Goldtop was used for the left
channel
Channel, channels, channeling, etc., may refer to:
Geography
* Channel (geography), in physical geography, a landform consisting of the outline (banks) of the path of a narrow body of water.
Australia
* Channel Country, region of outback Austral ...
while his white Les Paul reissue went on the right.
Album title and artwork
''Boggy Depot'' was named after the ghost town of the same name in Oklahoma. This is the area Cantrell's father grew up in. The album cover, photographed by
Rocky Schenck
Rocky Schenck (born April 18, 1955) is an American photographer and music video director. Schenck has photographed several album covers and has written and directed numerous music videos and short films. He has shot fashion, editorial and portr ...
, depicts a placid Cantrell covered in mud standing in a branch of Clear Boggy Creek, a place he sometimes visits to hunt or fish. He detailed the choice in an interview:
:"As I was writing for the album, I actually made a few trips to Oklahoma. I would drive my truck down to the edge of the river where we shot the cover of the album. I wrote quite a few of the lyrics there. And I just had this isionof me with mud all over myself. It was kind of like an ''
Apocalypse Now
''Apocalypse Now'' is a 1979 American epic war film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The screenplay, co-written by Coppola, John Milius and Michael Herr, is loosely based on the 1899 novella '' Heart of Darkness'' by Joseph ...
''/
Martin Sheen
Ramón Antonio Gerardo Estévez (born August 3, 1940), known professionally as Martin Sheen, is an American actor. He first became known for his roles in the films ''The Subject Was Roses'' (1968) and ''Badlands'' (1973), and later achieved wid ...
type of thing. It just fit the vibe of the stuff I was writing."
Cantrell also designed the album's artwork. The booklet photography centers around rural Oklahoma. This includes a photo of Cantrell sitting on a porch with his great uncle, Victor Lane. The disc itself depicts Cantrell with hooks attached to his face with surgical adhesive. Strings attached to the hooks are being pulled, morbidly stretching his face.
Release and reception
Originally scheduled to be in stores on March 24, 1998, ''Boggy Depot'' was pushed back to release on April 7, 1998. A special 2-record vinyl edition of the album was released on March 31, 1998. ''Boggy Depot'' debuted at No. 28 on the ''Billboard'' 200 album chart, selling more than 46,000 copies. The album stayed on the top 200 for 14 weeks.
The album received marginally positive and mixed reception from major publications.
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
's Stephen Thomas Erlewine estimated that Cantrell was a reluctant solo artist who would prefer his work to be published through Alice in Chains. However, Erlewine claimed, "everything that an Alice fan has loved ..is here in spades." He detailed how guitar solos tend to drag songs too long and that, while ''Boggy Depot'' lacks the "psychological weight" of ''
Dirt
Dirt is an unclean matter, especially when in contact with a person's clothes, skin, or possessions. In such cases, they are said to become dirty.
Common types of dirt include:
* Debris: scattered pieces of waste or remains
* Dust: a gener ...
'', it "comes close to replicating the sound."
Rob Sheffield of ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' commended Cantrell's writing but gave a less enthusiastic review. He regarded it as the "same reliably hook-y '70s metal album that Alice in Chains always made" and "basically Alice in Handcuffs". Sheffield also claimed "'Breaks My Back' sounds exactly like
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
's '
No Quarter
The phrase no quarter was generally used during military conflict to imply combatants would not be taken prisoner, but killed.
According to some modern American dictionaries, a person who is given no quarter is "not treated kindly" or "treated ...
' except it lasts eight seconds longer and fails to mention
Thor
Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, an ...
. . . Nothing here would've sounded novel or Earth-shattering in 1978, let alone 1998, but Cantrell sure does know his trade."
'' Billboard'' described ''Boggy Depot'' as similar to Cantrell's work in Alice in Chains and considered it "an album that solidifies Cantrell's reputation as a singer/songwriter/performer in his own right."
In December 1999, ''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
s Stephen Thompson listed ''Boggy Depot'' as a nominee for Least Essential Solo Album in his article "Least Essential Albums of the '90s". In April 2002, Thompson gave the album a mixed review, commending "My Song" and "Between" as the best tracks while regarding "Dickeye" and "Devil By His Side" as "pedestrian". He elaborated on the overall sound as "too much ..like Alice in Chains minus a recognizable vocalist; in other words, a little bit like Creed and
Days of the New
Days of the New is an American rock band from Charlestown, Indiana, formed in 1995. The band consists of vocalist/guitarist Travis Meeks and a variety of supporting musicians. They are best known for the hit singles "Touch, Peel and Stand", " ...
." Thompson compared it to
Scott Weiland
Scott Richard Weiland (; né Kline, October 27, 1967 – December 3, 2015) was an American singer and songwriter. During a career spanning three decades, Weiland was best known as the lead singer of the rock band Stone Temple Pilots from ...
post-grunge
Post-grunge is a derivative of grunge that has a less abrasive or intense tone than traditional grunge. Originally, the term was used almost pejoratively to label mid-1990s rock bands such as Bush, Candlebox and Collective Soul that emulated th ...
solo album".
Touring and promotion
The promotion of ''Boggy Depot'' led to Jerry Cantrell's first concert experiences as a band frontman which he considered "intimidating". On June 24 in
West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach is a city in and the county seat of Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is located immediately to the west of the adjacent Palm Beach, which is situated on a barrier island across the Lake Worth Lagoon. The populati ...
, Cantrell began touring for the album with
Days of the New
Days of the New is an American rock band from Charlestown, Indiana, formed in 1995. The band consists of vocalist/guitarist Travis Meeks and a variety of supporting musicians. They are best known for the hit singles "Touch, Peel and Stand", " ...
Queensrÿche
Queensrÿche is an American heavy metal band. It formed in 1982 in Bellevue, Washington, out of the local band the Mob. The band has released 16 studio albums, one EP, and several DVDs, and continues to tour and record. The original lineup ...
guitarist
Chris DeGarmo
Christopher Lee DeGarmo (born June 14, 1963) is an American guitarist and songwriter, best known for being a rhythm and lead guitarist, backing vocalist, and primary songwriter in the progressive metal band Queensrÿche from their formation in 1 ...
, Old Lady Litterbug bassist Nick Rhinehart, former
Fishbone
Fishbone is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1979, that plays a fusion of ska, punk, funk, metal, reggae, and soul. AllMusic has described the group as "one of the most distinctive and eclectic alternative rock bands of the lat ...
keyboardist Chris Dowd, and Alice in Chains drummer
Sean Kinney
Sean Howard Kinney (born May 27, 1966) is an American musician, best known as the drummer and co-founder of the rock band Alice in Chains. Kinney also founded the short-lived supergroup Spys4Darwin, and has collaborated with other artists such ...
. The band also opened for
Van Halen
Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. Credited with "restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene", Van Halen was known for its energetic live shows and for the virtuosity of its lead gu ...
on their 1998 summer tour. Naturally, Cantrell's concert set featured songs by Alice in Chains, and he often closed with Pink Floyd's " Brain Damage/ Eclipse".September 6, 1998 Jerry Depot (1998). Retrieved on 8-09-09.
Despite Cantrell's uneasiness towards performing as frontman, concerts were quickly met with praise by critics from the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'', ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'', and other major publications. The broad approval led Cantrell to schedule a headlining tour starting October 1 in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...
. Flight 16 filled the slot as his opening band.
"Cut You In" served as ''Boggy Depots lead single and video which charted well and remained one of the album's best known songs. The track is unusual for Cantrell's style considering its use of
horns Horns or The Horns may refer to:
* Plural of Horn (instrument), a group of musical instruments all with a horn-shaped bells
* The Horns (Colorado), a summit on Cheyenne Mountain
* ''Horns'' (novel), a dark fantasy novel written in 2010 by Joe Hill ...
. It was the number 1 most-added track at Rock and Alternative radio with more than 1,000 spins and an audience of more than nine million in its first five days. The second single, " My Song", was on ''Billboard'''s Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for over a dozen weeks. Its controversial music video was directed by
Rocky Schenck
Rocky Schenck (born April 18, 1955) is an American photographer and music video director. Schenck has photographed several album covers and has written and directed numerous music videos and short films. He has shot fashion, editorial and portr ...
and features performance artist Ann Magnuson. A third and final single, "Dickeye", also managed to chart albeit briefly.
On July 19, 1998, Cantrell was interviewed for the MTV program '' 120 Minutes'' which also aired the videos for "Cut You In" and "My Song".
Awards and nominations
Billboard Music Video Awards
, -
, align="center" rowspan="2", 1998 , , rowspan="2", '' Cut You In'' , , Best Hard Rock/Metal Clip , ,
, -
, , Best New Hard Rock/Metal Artist Clip , ,
Track listing
Personnel
Musicians
* Jerry Cantrell – lead and backing vocals, lead and rhythm guitar, clavinet, organ, piano, steel drums, producer
*
Rex Brown
Rex Robert Brown (born July 27, 1964) is an American musician. He is best known as the bassist for heavy metal band Pantera, from 1982 to their disbandment in 2003. As of their reunion in 2022, he is the band's only constant member.
Brown i ...
John Norwood Fisher
Fishbone is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1979, that plays a fusion of ska, punk, funk, metal, reggae, and soul. AllMusic has described the group as "one of the most distinctive and eclectic alternative rock bands of the late ...
– bass guitar (tracks 4, 5)
*
Les Claypool
Leslie Edward Claypool (born September 29, 1963) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, filmmaker, and author. He is best known as the founder, lead singer, bassist, primary songwriter, and only continuous member of the ro ...
– bass guitar (tracks 11, 12)
*
Sean Kinney
Sean Howard Kinney (born May 27, 1966) is an American musician, best known as the drummer and co-founder of the rock band Alice in Chains. Kinney also founded the short-lived supergroup Spys4Darwin, and has collaborated with other artists such ...
– drums
*
Angelo Moore
Angelo Carmen Christopher Moore (born November 5, 1965) is an American musician, best known for his work as lead singer and saxophonist for the Los Angeles ska and funk metal band Fishbone. Moore also performs and records under the stage name Dr ...
– horns (tracks 2, 12)
Production
*
Toby Wright
Toby Wright is an American record producer and mixing engineer who has worked with artists such as Alice in Chains, Metallica, Sevendust and Korn.
Credits Producer
* 3rd Strike - '' Lost Angel''
* 8stops7 - ''In Moderation''
*Alice in Chains ...
– producer, engineer, mixer
*
Scott Olson
Scott Olson is an American guitarist, bassist, music producer and recording engineer. He played guitar with Heart between 1995–1998 and 2002–2003, and in 1996 he performed with Alice In Chains on their ''MTV Unplugged'' concert. Olson was ...
– assistant engineer
* Mike Cresswell – assistant engineer
* Rob Nordstrom – assistant engineer
* Sam Hofstedt – assistant engineer, mixing assistant
* Stephen Marcussen – mastering
* Ron Boustead – editing
* Jerry Cantrell – artwork
* Brandy Flower – design
* Mary Maurer – art direction
*
Rocky Schenck
Rocky Schenck (born April 18, 1955) is an American photographer and music video director. Schenck has photographed several album covers and has written and directed numerous music videos and short films. He has shot fashion, editorial and portr ...
– photography
Charts
Album – Billboard (United States)
Singles – Billboard (United States)