Once upon a time, most of us considered the alley to be, among other things; a playground, a jungle, a war zone, a playing field, an escape from authority, a wonderland full of riches. Most dreams probably start, off here, so how appropriate that we begin this story. On the west side of Chicago, where the clash of the city and the burbs take place is where it all began.

Neighbors, classmates, people. The boys have known each other most of their lives, and have a strong bond that takes a long time to develop. They started playing together in their late teens, John Kelly's ability to create strong but sensible, bittersweet but angry rock and roll attracted all of us to him, aren't we all just a little angry inside?

Practicing in the garage was standard fare. Even though sometimes it was way too cold and other times way too hot, by playing in "in the alley" the music was allowed to breathe through the walls into the

environment around us which gave it a special quality. The garage was also a place to invite the environment surrounding you into your cave. And they always came... Their own personal dirt lounge. From that fertile ground come the Dirtmen. Over the years, the Dirtmen have developed into a hard working group of players who try to put their music before everything else. Not just is the music about a man, it's about you, it's about everyone. You can feel the tension contained within these stories - no fluff, no cereal filler. Real life.

The band has been together and playing all over the Chicagoland area for many years. Their first album, "Words You Speak", was recorded in 1993 with Jeff Murphy, of the Shoes. The seventeen songs were caught on tape in only 34 1/2 hours, perhaps because they were so powerful, they stood out on their own, production wise - naked, but in reality covered in jewels.