Track Listing

1. Halo Of Ashes
2. All I Know
3. Look At You
4. Dying Days
5. Make My Mind
6. Sworn And Broken
7. Witness
8. Traveller
9. Dime Western
10. Gospel Plow

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7606 in Music
• Released on: 2001-01-01
• Number of discs: 1

CD Description
Finally released four years after 1992's SWEET OBLIVION andrecorded during a chaotic period of intra-band turmoil--singer Mark Lanegan was paying more attention than before to his concurrent solo career, and a Don Fleming-produced album from 1994 was reportedly rejected by the band's label--1996'sDUST is a post-grunge epic. Although the Seattle band's '80s albums on SST Records had obvious roots in folk-rock and psychedelia, those influences were obscured in the metallic roar of the group's two previous major-label albums.
DUST is the most stripped-down of Screaming Trees' albums, with Gary Lee Connors' electric guitars mixed lower than before, giving more room to Lanegan's whiskey-cured voice. Neo-psychedelic touches like Mellotrons, flutes, and even sitars colour the songs, which have a reflective, introspective feel missing from most of their earlier records. DUST is a giant step forward.

Customer Reviews

The best rock album of the 1990's
I accidentally saw Screaming Trees at a Festival in 1996- and remembered that I liked 'em the previous time I saw them at such an occasion. And I had loved 'Nearly Lost You' from the 'Singles' soundtrack & their version of the Velvets 'What Goes On' from an Imaginary Records tribute to Reed & Co...The reviews for 'Dust' were great; an appearance on Jools Holland made it definite. I bought the album...

And was blown away- this record lead me back to the previous Trees albums: the good 'Uncle Anethesia' (let down by mixing) & the brilliant 'Sweet Oblivion' (where Don Fleming, 'Bandwagonesque'/'Pretty on the Inside'/'Frosting on the Beater' & Andy Wallace, 'Nevermind'/'Grace' produced & mixed the great songs of the Trees. Finally capturing their live power). It also lead me to Mark Lanegan's great solo albums & Queens of the Stone Age...

This album is produced by George Drakoulas (Jayhawks, Ride, Primal Scream, Black Crowes)& mixed again by Wallace. The star is multi-instrumentalist Barrett Martin- who would later play on records by Mark Eitzel/Peter Buck ('West'), Queens of the Stone Age ('Rated R') & REM ('Up'). Martin & Benmont Tench add an eclectic array of instruments to the Conner Bros. guitar assault & Lanegan's awesome vocals.

Every track is a classic- the only rock albums close to this in the 90's were 'Ritual de lo Habitual', 'Nevermind' & 'Ragged Glory'. Add to this Lanegan's estimation of U.S.-one hit wonders, Oasis, as "pussies" & you have an example of THE REAL THING.

The singles 'All I Know' & 'Sworn & Broken' are great (pity the excellent b-sides 'Wasted Time' & 'Silver Tongue' from the former weren't included as extra tracks in this reissue); the single that never was 'Dying Days' is the highlight. Featuring Pearl Jam's Mike McReady & backing vocals by the 21st St. Singers it is an awesome elegy to the blackness that enveloped Seattle (this is detailed in the Everett True book, 'Live Through This').'Dying Days' is a cousin of Cream's 'White Room'- I can't think of things much better than Lanegan's refrain of "waited for the sunshine". This is the blues that Lanegan would explore more & more on his solo albums...

'Halo of Ashes' & 'Dime Western' are epic sitar driven tracks; though they are not epic in the bloated Smashing Pumpkins/Rush sense. Imagine a concise Led Zep or The Doors with Hendrix guesting. REALLY!!!!!

'Make My Mind' is a fantastic extension on the territory of 'Lay Your Head Down' & 'Butterfly'- the harmonics & false ending superb. 'Traveler' is closest to Lanegan's solo albums- & would have fitted on 'The Winding Sheet' & 'Whiskey for the Holy Ghost' with ease. 'Look at You' is a lovely ballad, which builds up to an inferno of guitars, in the mode of 'Sweet Oblivion's 'More or Less'. 'Witness' is almost throwaway, a track close to that of the Trees live sound- the searing guitars recall 'Something About Today' & 'The Secret Kind'...The album concludes on the epic 'Gospel Plow', which uses reams of percussion- and goes places possibly only Led Zep have been with 'Physical Graffiti'.

This would be Screaming Trees final & best LP. Forget that Lanegan on the cover looks like his glass is half empty until the end of time. This is the best rock album of the 1990's. For proof listen to the overload of keyboards on 'Sworn & Broken'- "all that's gone away..."

And at this budget price, it would be rude not to own this album. Awe-inspiring stuff: PURCHASE NOW!!!!!!!!!!

The "Grunge" album
I bought this record after i heard Mark Lannagan on "Songs for the deaf". His lyrics struck me on "Song for the dead", "Life's the art of dying, better do it right." I had high expectations of the Screaming Trees considering the high standard of work on "Songs for the deaf", and i wasn't dissapointed. This explores differant sounds with many instruments, and to some may be "over-produced", but the truth is the organ's, sitars and tabla's (to name just a few instruments that are used) all add to the album without making it seem crowded or pretentious. The quality of the recordings is of the highest standard, and the production is something that many should learn from. The quality of the song writing does this justice. "All I Know", is a strinkingly heavy riff tempered with uplifting melody. This coupled with the lyrics of despair and hopelessness do make it a throughly interesting experience. This is a re-curring theme throughout "Dust". "Dying Days", "Make My Mind" and "Sworn and Broken" all echo a similar mood, emotion and feeling. Whilst these songs have the wide variety of instruments that are included in this album, no other songs on this album as "Halo of Ashes" and "Gospel Plow" bring this to the forefront.These songs are spiritually uplifting and definately some of the best on the album. To be honest, "Halo of Ashes" was one of my least favourite on the album at first, but after listening to it a couple of times, i started to understand the mastery that is expressed in this album. Since buying this album, i have seen Mark Lannagan live at the Manchester Academy, and have been influenced in a huge way by his and the "Screaming Trees" music. This album is the best of all their work, and still remains my favourite. If you like heavy rock of all kinds, you WILL appreciate this music. It is some of the most spiritually uplifting and damming music i hav ever heard. I strongly reccommend that you buy this album. There should be copies floating around in a second hand music store near you.

One of the best grunge albums you'll ever hear.
Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains: all bands that, no matter what type of music you like, you just grow up to have heard of them. With Screaming Trees, however, it was purely by chance that I heard of them. Whilst looking at the Kerrang! critics polls, last year, I found out that they had come first in 1996 with the album "Dust". I then decided to look up a couple of reviews of the album, and was soon persauded to buy it.

After just one listen, I knew I had made the right choice, but I was left wandering why so few people seemed to have heard of Screaming Trees, while bands like Nirvana were so popular?

Maybe it was because "Dust" (the bands best album) was released a good few years after the other top grunge bands had already rose to fame.

Or maybe it was because of the song content. While a lot of grunge bands dealt with dark topics such as drug abuse and death, Screaming Trees songs are generally concerned with lighter subjects, for example, love or religion.

Perhaps people even ignored them because of their name. While it might suggest quite a heavy sound, the soft, grungey rock that they play is quite the opposite. The songs are packed with catchy choruses, strong melodies and even a hint of psychedelia. All this is helped by the strong guitar playing of the Conner brothers, the almost unrivalled drumming of Barrett Martin and, best of all, Mark Lanegan's fantastic rich voice. The band even have a slightly more experimental side to them, occasionaly emloying the use of sitars or even an organ on a couple of songs.

Talking of the songs, the quality is very strong throughout - not one track falls into the poor, or below average, category. My personal favourites are "Make My Mind" and "Dying Days".

Why aren't they more popular? I don't know. You can help them gain the attention they deserve, though. If you're a fan of grunge or of rock in general, buy this - it truly is a superb album, and I guarantee you won't be disappointed with it. One of the best albums of the nineties, and for a bargain price. You'd be stupid not to.

P.S. Check out singer Mark Lanegan's solo career, and his guest appearances with Queens of the Stone Age and Masters of Reality as well.