One of the best alt rock albums of the 90s.

This is a great LP through and through. I can probably do without Honeycomb but the rest is good 90s fun. Mary Timony may not be outright part of the feminist music movement but she definitely has songs relating to her experiences as growing up as a woman (particularly the track Oh The Wind and The Rain, probably my favourite on this LP next to Silver Angel). When I meet people that really enjoy feminist rock I always refer them to Mary Timony and specifically this LP. Her later solo LP, Ex Hex (not the band!), is really damn good as well.Regarding the sound quality of this vinyl pressing I had some terrible sibilance issues until I maxed out the recommended weight for my cart (a Stanton 500.V3 on a 1962 Empire 298 Turntable with a 980 tonearm). Adjusting VTA, or cheating with stacking/removing turntable mats did nothing to help. Once the weight is maxed out it sounds pretty good. It's still cut a little too hot, but still very enjoyable. If you have a very revealing/unforgiving system it may not be fun to listen to.When I upgrade at some point to a Denon DL-110 I'll report back if the sound quality issue persists. But, I'm not holding my breath on it as most of my collection sounds just fine. It's mostly this LP in particular and a few modern repressings (mostly the Radiohead stuff) that seem to have issues with my setup unless the weight is maxed out or the VTA is readjusted.

Yeah, it's a nice cart for sure. My only nitpick is that I have to bump the bass up just a little bit to compensate. Otherwise, it tracks pretty well. Works extremely well with records that are cut too hot and pretty much eliminated IGD issues for me. Had an awkward break in period that required readjustment every 5-10 hours until it settled on its sound about 30 hours into it. Either way, great LP. Mary rules!

Crazy -- I always thought the same thing about this record. Terrible sound/too hot with every cart I've ever owned. And when I got the DL-110, it improved considerably. Great cart! Buy a replacement before the price goes up again!

Got the DL-110 and it's not as bad as it was previously but still mastered a bit too hot. This is reflected in the CD version as well, but the vinyl makes it a bit more obvious. Either way, could have been mastered with the treble turned down a tad but otherwise great album.

Helium's first full-length album expands on Timony's feminist lyrical bent and adds more colors to the band's musical palette. Full of what Timony calls "cartoon and monster movie music," The Dirt of Luck is a tight, focused album that is also diverse. The sludgy "Pat's Trick" mingles with the sweet-sounding and sweetly named "Honeycomb," which shares space with the nasty-sultry sounds of "Medusa" and the shimmery drone pop of "Baby's Going Underground." It's tied together by the album's spacious sound and Timony's singing, which is fuller and richer than on the group's debut.