Performer Notes
- Screaming Trees: Mark Lanegan (vocals, guitar); Gary Lee Conner (acoustic & electric guitars, sitar, background vocals); Van Conner (guitar, bass, background vocals); Barrett Martin (cello, harmonium, drums, percussion, congas, tablas, djembe).
- Additional personnel: Mike McReady, Jeff Nolan (guitar); Milori (cello); Benmont Tench (piano, electric piano, mellotron, organ); George Drakoulias (percussion); Chris Goss, Brian Jenkins, 21st Street Singers (background vocals).
- Engineers include: Brian Jenkins, Jim Scott, Brett Eliason.
- Recorded at Capitol Studios and Sunset Sound Factory, Hollywood, California and The Hit Factory, New York, New York.
- Personnel: Mark Lanegan (vocals, guitar); Gary Lee Conner (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, sitar, background vocals); Van Conner (guitar, background vocals); Jeff Nolan, Mike McCready (guitar); Barrett Martin (cello, harmonium, drums, congas, djembe, tabla, percussion); Benmont Tench (piano, electric piano, organ, Mellotron); George Drakoulias (percussion); Chris Goss, Brian Jenkins (background vocals).
- Audio Mixer: Andy Wallace.
- Recording information: Capitol Studios, Hollywood, CA; Hit Factory, NY; Sunset Sound Factory, Hollywood, CA.
- Photographers: Jason Stang; Danny Clinch.
- Finally released four years after 1992's SWEET OBLIVION and recorded 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's DUST 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 color the songs, which have a reflective, introspective feel missing from most of their earlier records. DUST is a giant step forward.
Professional Reviews
Rolling Stone (1/23/97, p.44) - Ranked #7 on Rolling Stone's list of the "Ten Best Albums" of 1996.
Rolling Stone (7/11-25/96, p.86) - 4 Stars (out of 5) - "...Screaming Trees have finally made the album they've always had in them..."
Spin (8/96, p.96) - 7 (out of 10) - "...the knack Lanegan shares with his late friend Kurt Cobain--for writing a tasty pop hook despite himself--shines throughout. Real '60s psychedelia rarely sounded this explosive..."
Entertainment Weekly (7/12/96, p.58) - "...Mark Lanegan's fluent baritone lofts lyrics about thorns, halos, Jesus, prayer, the Gospel, love, and death--all above a powerful fire and brimstone of guitar chords, pounding drums, and an occasional gossamer sitar or organ. The result is spirited and spiritual..." - Rating: A
Q (8/96, p.127) - 3 Stars (out of 5) - "...they continue to keep faith with sonic swirl and murk....the most successful moments tend to be when they ease up and give Mark Lanegan's languid voice room to manoeuvre..."
Option (11-12/96, p.128) - "...it's the big ol' rock'n'roll masterbrew we always knew the Trees were capable of. The band can still scream-and kick and flail; the Conner brothers can still throttle the sweet bejesus out of their guitars; and Barrett Martin is still a drum-thwacker to reckon with..."
Melody Maker (12/21-28/96, pp.66-67) - Ranked #13 on Melody Maker's list of 1996's `Albums Of The Year.'
Melody Maker (7/6/96, p.43) - Recommended - "...It sounds like distilled thunder. It sounds as if the elements have been harnessed--for you, in service of your anomie--and fed through a mixing desk. It's a silken, baritone rumble, a cruise-controlled cyclone. Frankly, it's a marvel..."
Village Voice (2/25/97) - Ranked #38 in the Village Voice's 1996 Pazz & Jop Critics' Poll.
NME (Magazine) (12/21-28/96, pp.66-67) - Ranked #6 in NME's 1996 critics' poll.
NME (Magazine) (7/6/96, p.36) - 9 (out of 10) - "...It's rock, kids, with all the grandiose ambition we should routinely demand but so rarely gets delivered....DUST is Seattle's saving grace; the sound of rock 'n' roll in heaven..."
