“A really powerful tune”: the Alice in Chains song Jerry Cantrell called their masterpiece
A leader in every sense of the word, Jerry Cantrell knows and understands the thorough details of blending art with experience. While some view this act as spinning tragedy into a positive, Alice in Chains became their most authentic and grounded the moment Cantrell embraced the delicate balance between good and bad, illuminating darkness with a light that he knew would follow him for all time.
At least, this was the case with their second record, Dirt. While still very much enjoying the success of their debut, Facelift, Alice in Chains pumped something else into Dirt that made it even more confronting, despite Cantrell’s ambiguous instinct about whether it was the right thing to do or not. As he once said, “[It’s] good and bad; it’s good artistically, but it’s bad because if you are going to be that honest, then you’ll struggle to live it down.”
The difference between Facelift and Dirt wasn’t just the refinement; it was also the general atmosphere embedded deeply within, with the second record becoming more heavily focused on the deep, heavy grunge sound to reflect the stories and messages it held close. To Cantrell, it was a moment in time, which is why so many felt endeared to it immediately. However, it was also vulnerable and considered in its approach compared to the demanding energy that emerged from Facelift.
Like many first albums, Facelift had something to prove. However, many commend the band’s deliberate shunning of playing it safe, with many songs appearing seasoned in their accomplishment, though unsuspecting in their rawness. ‘Love, Hate, Love’, for instance, is vocally enchanting, but the underlying tension also gives it this timeless, almost monolithic feel, less like a band with everything at stake and more a glimpse into the explosive nature of what was to come with Dirt.
According to Cantrell, this song is the “masterpiece” of the album, and it’s easy to see why. “A really powerful tune,” he wrote in the liner notes for Music Bank. “That was the masterpiece of that record, and it really gave me chills. Layne’s vocals are amazing on that one, and it has one of my favourite solos I’ve ever done,” he added.
While the grunge element persists, ‘Love, Hate, Love’ felt as much of a moment as the entirety of Dirt, for the many reasons Cantrell later praised the sophomore record. At the time, he said people were drawn to the record because “We really never pulled any punches” and it was the most focused they had ever been, but it’s difficult to not regard songs like ‘Love, Hate, Love’ the same way, especially as it’s so easy to feel the force of energy pulling out of it like something visceral, beyond the simplicity of a recording.
Instead of endless dissection, perhaps “masterpiece” is, therefore, the right word. The song isn’t unique—at least, not anymore—but that’s almost besides the point. Familiar or not, ‘Love, Hate, Love’ was a juncture few remember as being a significant one in Alice in Chains’ story, a more subtle foray into sheer passion and power, quietly evasive though more explosive because of it. In other words, a masterpiece.
