Degradation Trip

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Degradation Trip
Studio album by Jerry Cantrell
Released	June 18, 2002
Recorded	?
Genre	Heavy metal
Length	72:34
Label	Roadrunner Records
Producer	Jerry Cantrell, Jeff Tomei
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Entertainment Weekly (B+) link Rolling Stone (favorable) link
Jerry Cantrell chronology
Boggy Depot (1998) Degradation Trip (2002) Degradation Trip Volumes 1 & 2 (2002)

Degradation Trip is the second solo album by Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell, released on June 18, 2002 (see 2002 in music). It is sometimes considered to be a tribute album to the group's fallen singer, Layne Staley, who died two months before the release of the album, which was dedicated to him. The majority of Degradation Trip was written in the seclusion of a house in the Cascade Mountains. Regarding the experience of writing Degradation Trip, 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."^[1]

A second version of the album - considered to be the 'definitive' and originally intended version - was released on November 26, 2002. This double album includes 11 additional recordings that Roadrunner Records forced Cantrell to cut.

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.^[2]

Contents 1 Promotion 2 Album Notes 3 Track listing 4 Charts 5 References

[edit] Promotion

Two singles were released off the album, "Anger Rising" and "Angel Eyes." The former had a music video and gain the album substantial coverage on MTV2. The network also aired short segments of a primitively animated Cantrell discussing various aspects of his music and personal life.

In support of the album, Jerry Cantrell toured with Nickelback, Creed, and opening act Comes With the Fall. Drummer Mike Bordin and bassist Robert Trujillo couldn't make the tour, forcing the latter group to pull double duty with Jerry Cantrell. Regarding the tour, Cantrell expressed enthusiasm toward Nickelback as well as annoyance toward Creed's indifference and lack of friendliness.^[2] Despite Layne Staley's death occurring early during the tour, performances continued as planned.

Prior to the release of Degradation Trip, "She Was My Girl" appeared on the soundtrack, Music from and Inspired by Spider-Man.

[edit] Album Notes

• Art direction: Pascal Brun and Comenius Röthlisberger, TeamSwiterland
• Design: Pascal Brun and Comenius Röthlisberger, TeamSwiterland

[edit] Track listing

All songs 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

[edit] 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

[edit] References