Jane's Addiction were a short lived but powerful American alternative rock / pop-metal band in the late Eighties - early Nineties who released three albums (or only two for those who strangely discount their first album because it was a live album released on a small label) and then broke up. They reformed in the Naughties with a new bass player, but it's the early albums that people pay attention to, particularly the two studio albums.
Jane's Addiction is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1985. The band consists of vocalist Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Chris Chaney. Jane's Addiction was one of the first bands from the early 1990s alternative rock movement to gain both mainstream media attention and commercial success in the United States.
Founded by Farrell and original bass guitarist Eric Avery following the disintegration of Farrell's previous band Psi Com, Jane's Addiction's first release was a self-titled live album, Jane's Addiction (1987), which caught the attention of Warner Bros. Records. The band's first two studio albums, Nothing's Shocking (1988) and Ritual de lo Habitual (1990), were released to widespread critical acclaim, and an increasing cult fanbase. As a result, Jane's Addiction became icons of what Farrell dubbed the "Alternative Nation".[3] The band's initial farewell tour, in 1991, launched the first Lollapalooza, which has since become a perennial alternative rock festival.
The band briefly reunited in 1997, with Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers replacing Avery on bass guitar. In 2001, a second reunion took place, with Martyn LeNoble—and later Chris Chaney—occupying the role of bass guitarist. In 2003, the band released its third studio album, Strays, before dissolving again the following year. In 2008, the band's original line-up reunited and embarked on a world tour. Eric Avery, however, subsequently left the band in early 2010 as the group began working on new material. The band released its fourth studio album The Great Escape Artist in 2011, with Chaney returning to the band for its recording and subsequent tour, and featured the TV on the Radio's multi-instrumentalist Dave Sitek. In 2016, Jane's Addiction were nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Los Angeles quartet Jane's Addiction were one of the most influential and iconic alternative rock bands of the late '80s and early '90s. Hotly pursued when they first debuted in the mid-'80s, they released a pair of landmark albums before dissolving in 1991. Subsequent reunions yielded additional efforts while they maintained their cult status into the 2000s. Flamboyant frontman Perry Farrell, formerly of the band Psi Com, had an undeniable charisma and an interest in provocative art (he designed the band's album covers), and Jane's Addiction played a hybrid of rock music: metal with strains of punk, folk, and jazz. The quartet, comprised of Farrell, bassist Eric Avery, drummer Stephen Perkins, and guitarist Dave Navarro, had already released its debut album as well, in the form of a live recording from the Roxy in Hollywood. Finally, Warner Bros. won the bidding war and released Nothing's Shocking in 1988. The band's abrasive sound and aggressive attitude (typified by the nude sculpture on the cover) led to some resistance, but Jane's Addiction began to break through to an audience -- the album spent 35 weeks on the charts.
Recordings
 |
| Jane's Addiction (May 1987) |
Inventive and interesting. Debut album, but as it's a live album, and perhaps because it was released on a small label, Triple X, it is generally not regarded as their debut (yes, I'm not clear on that either, but some people only count albums which are recorded in a studio, though the "studio" could be the musician's own house, as with Okie and Nebraska and The Basement Tapes and Exile and McCartney and .....). There's hints here of the band who would go on to record Ritual de lo habitual, though there's not a lot here in common with the elements that make Ritual a special album. Acceptable, but not something that I would see myself listening to other than for curiosity.
| Released | May 15, 1987 |
|---|---|
| Recorded | 1987 at The Edge Studio in Los Angeles, California January 26, 1987 at The Roxy Theatre in Hollywood, California |
| Genre | Alternative metal, alternative rock |
| Length | 39:08 |
| Label | Triple X |
| Producer | Mark Linett Jane's Addiction |
All tracks credited to the four members of the band, except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Trip Away" | 3:34 | |
| 2. | "Whores" | 4:04 | |
| 3. | "Pigs in Zen" | 4:54 | |
| 4. | "1%" | 3:31 | |
| 5. | "I Would for You" | 3:52 | |
| 6. | "My Time" | 3:32 | |
| 7. | "Jane Says" | 4:52 | |
| 8. | "Rock n Roll" (Velvet Underground cover) | Lou Reed | 4:03 |
| 9. | "Sympathy" (Rolling Stones cover) | Keith Richards, Mick Jagger | 5:25 |
| 10. | "Chip Away" | 2:43 |
AllMusic:
Score: 5
 |
| Nothing's Shocking (1988) |
Mostly hard rock edging into metal, though employs a range of other genres that lifts it above the ordinary and hints at the imaginative glory of the next album. It's a little too straight screaming guitar and yelled lyrics rock for my taste, though I like the added flavours and quirkiness that really come to the fore on the brilliant Ritual de lo habitual.
| Released | August 23, 1988 |
|---|---|
| Recorded | 1987–1988 |
| Studio | Eldorado Studios in Los Angeles, California |
| Genre | |
| Length | 45:13 |
| Label | Warner Bros. |
| Producer |
All lyrics are written by Perry Farrell; all music is composed by Jane's Addiction.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Up the Beach" | 3:00 |
| 2. | "Ocean Size" | 4:20 |
| 3. | "Had a Dad" | 3:44 |
| 4. | "Ted, Just Admit It...[**]" | 7:23 |
| 5. | "Standing in the Shower... Thinking" | 3:03 |
| 6. | "Summertime Rolls" | 6:18 |
| 7. | "Mountain Song" | 4:03 |
| 8. | "Idiots Rule" | 3:00 |
| 9. | "Jane Says" | 4:52 |
| 10. | "Thank You Boys" | 1:01 |
| 11. | "Pig's in Zen" |
- Perry Farrell – vocals, piano
- Dave Navarro – electric and acoustic guitars
- Eric Avery – bass, acoustic guitar
- Stephen Perkins – drums, percussion
AllMusic: 10
Score: 5 1/2
 |
| Ritual de lo habitual (1990) |
Melodic, inventive, and always surprising. This is a brilliant album. The band break up after this. Their farewell tour launched Lollapalooza, which Farrell continued to be involved with.
An astonishing, landmark album. I was at university when I encountered this, but a mature student, in my thirties with children, so not the target audience. But, though the album paved the way for Nirvana and alt-rock and alt-metal and funk-metal and all things strange and wonderful to come, it is at heart very much simply an old fashioned rock album with the soul and thunder of The Doors and Led Zeppelin and Iggy Pop, though with the added depth of progressive music and the considered production of bands like Pink Floyd. A strange yet compelling mix. There's rock, metal, prog, funk, and pop; but it's not a mess - it harmonises together organically as though it's of course meant to be that way. There's ambition, inventiveness, sexuality, playfulness, art, all in abundance, and yet always energetic, focused, driven, and above all, very melodic. The ingredients are complex, but the finished sound seems so simple and obvious.
It opens with a sparse incantation in Spanish that is exotic, erotic, disturbing, and revelatory - the words roughly translate as "ladies and gentlemen, we have more influence over your children than you do, but we love them… bred and spread in Los Angeles: Jane’s Addiction!" then kicks into the first of five energetic Nirvana-like rock numbers - the teen scream of angst, confusion, rebellion and contradiction that Cobain caught so well is here: "Here we go! No! Lit to pop and nobody aint gonna stop!" Farrell shouts and screams, Navarro lights up his guitar like a heavy metal teen rock god - screeches everywhere, impatient, full of bluster, while behind the vocal and guitar screams the rhythm section of Avery and Perkins hold the whirlwind together and drive it forward. Like Zeppelin and Nirvana, the band use light and dark, fast and slow, aggression and tenderness, alternating and combining to produce something breathless, exciting, transcendental that pauses seductively before crashing into a "Stop!" that then tumbles straight into another high energy number, "No One's Leaving", also riddled with pauses (some false) and Navarro's screaming guitar. Then there's an odd interlude, playful, sinister, challenging of huge, spacy ska drums and bass with Farrell riffing off Ian Dury's "Sex And Drugs And Roll & Roll", like some psychedelic Hackney sound system out of control, before going back into the maelstrom of steel edged razor sharp guitars and screeching teen philosophy - "Ain't no wrong now, ain't no right. Only pleasure and pain." And before you settle into the song, it's over, Ramones like (without the Ian Dury intro it lasts just over 2 1/2 minutes), and we're into "Obvious", a reggae tinged number loaded with sonic atmosphere, the slowest, longest, most gothic track on the first side, before launching into the minor hit (charting in UK and Australia, and Number 1 on the US Modern Rock Tracks) "Been Caught Stealing", which won the MTV Award for Best Alternative Video. The track includes random barking by Farrell's dog, some earthquake deep bass lines, and the by now trademark guitar screeching and yelled lyrics; it is probably the simplest, poppiest, and most accessible track on the album, which is no doubt why it succeeded as a single. The first side ends - it's been a storm of a ride: exciting, melodic, adventurous, creative, and it has rushed past in a blur of colour and noise. The band are tight, confident, edgy, and skilled. Is it perfect? No. The lyrics are suggestive, interesting, and mysterious, though feel like incomplete scraps, and there's no memorable image or phrase. Navarro's heavy metal screeching guitar starts to feel somewhat limited and possibly a bit empty and meaningless after a while, though the rhythm section is strong and somewhat inventive. But it is hugely likeable because the whole is very much better than the parts.
We move on to Side Two. Whereas Side One was fast and brash with short tracks, the longest being just under six minutes, Side Two is more considered with longer, more engaging tracks, the shortest being just over five minutes. It opens with "Three Days", a melodic and compelling near 11 minute ballad concerning a ménage à trois; in musical structure, atmosphere, and topic matter, it initially has aspects in common with The Byrds "Triad", but around 4 1/2 minutes it starts to broaden, first with a more considered screeching guitar solo from Navarro that is more concerned with tone and atmosphere than had been the case on Side One where the guitar licks were more about speed and aggression. At 7 1/2 minutes, after a series of chord chops over a Satanic drum and bass, there is a cry of "Erotic Jesus". and the track opens out even more taking us back a little way to the style of Side One - light and dark, loud and quiet, soft and hard. It's a compelling and somewhat draining piece. Quite magnificent. Then we move into the most melancholy piece, "Then She Did ..."- a slow, string laden study of pain and loss with dark images of the death of Xiola Blue, one of Farrell's lovers in "Three Days", so an interesting juxtaposition. "Of Course" is a slow haunting piece about Farrell's older brother making Farrell slap his own face, driven by the timeless gypsy violin of new age jazz musician Charlie Bisharat. The album finishes with a piece of chiming guitar pop, "Classic Girl".
Though there is a unity of sound on the album, there is considerable variation between the songs and the approach on Side One to Side Two, and there are those who only like one of the sides, and may even hate the other side. For a single album it has the richness and depth of a double, and reminds me in ways of Screamadelica, of Exile On Main Street, and of The White Album. And it can stand next to those albums in terms of range, ambition, creativity, and achievement.
We move on to Side Two. Whereas Side One was fast and brash with short tracks, the longest being just under six minutes, Side Two is more considered with longer, more engaging tracks, the shortest being just over five minutes. It opens with "Three Days", a melodic and compelling near 11 minute ballad concerning a ménage à trois; in musical structure, atmosphere, and topic matter, it initially has aspects in common with The Byrds "Triad", but around 4 1/2 minutes it starts to broaden, first with a more considered screeching guitar solo from Navarro that is more concerned with tone and atmosphere than had been the case on Side One where the guitar licks were more about speed and aggression. At 7 1/2 minutes, after a series of chord chops over a Satanic drum and bass, there is a cry of "Erotic Jesus". and the track opens out even more taking us back a little way to the style of Side One - light and dark, loud and quiet, soft and hard. It's a compelling and somewhat draining piece. Quite magnificent. Then we move into the most melancholy piece, "Then She Did ..."- a slow, string laden study of pain and loss with dark images of the death of Xiola Blue, one of Farrell's lovers in "Three Days", so an interesting juxtaposition. "Of Course" is a slow haunting piece about Farrell's older brother making Farrell slap his own face, driven by the timeless gypsy violin of new age jazz musician Charlie Bisharat. The album finishes with a piece of chiming guitar pop, "Classic Girl".
Though there is a unity of sound on the album, there is considerable variation between the songs and the approach on Side One to Side Two, and there are those who only like one of the sides, and may even hate the other side. For a single album it has the richness and depth of a double, and reminds me in ways of Screamadelica, of Exile On Main Street, and of The White Album. And it can stand next to those albums in terms of range, ambition, creativity, and achievement.
Reviews: ABC; Classic Rock; Stereogum; Louder; Get; Globe; Rolling Stone; Sundays; Album Of The Week Club;
| Released | August 21, 1990 |
|---|---|
| Recorded | 1989–1990 |
| Studio | Track Record, North Hollywood, California |
| Genre | |
| Length | 51:30 |
| Label | Warner Bros. |
| Producer |
All tracks credited to the four members of the band
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Stop!" | 4:14 |
| 2. | "No One's Leaving" | 3:01 |
| 3. | "Ain't No Right" | 3:34 |
| 4. | "Obvious" | 5:55 |
| 5. | "Been Caught Stealing" | 3:34 |
| 6. | "Three Days" | 10:48 |
| 7. | "Then She Did ..." | 8:18 |
| 8. | "Of Course" | 7:02 |
| 9. | "Classic Girl" | 5:07 |
 |
| Porno for Pyros (1993) Porno for Pyros |
After Jane's Addiction broke up, Farrell formed a new group with Jane's drummer and a new guitarist and bass player. This is a much quieter and restrained album. It sounds as though everyone is tired and uninspired. Farrell doesn't shout as much. There's a weary lack of energy, and lack of creativity.
| Released | April 27, 1993 |
|---|---|
| Recorded | Summer, 1992 |
| Studio | Crystal Sound, Hollywood |
| Genre | Alternative rock, psychedelic rock |
| Length | 39:17 |
| Label | Warner Bros. Records |
| Producer | Perry Farrell, Matt Hyde |
All tracks are written by Porno for Pyros (Perry Farrell, Stephen Perkins, Peter DiStefano and Martyn LeNoble).
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sadness" | 2:33 |
| 2. | "Porno for Pyros" | 3:06 |
| 3. | "Meija" | 3:13 |
| 4. | "Cursed Female" | 3:24 |
| 5. | "Cursed Male" | 3:50 |
| 6. | "Pets" | 3:36 |
| 7. | "Bad Shit" | 2:58 |
| 8. | "Packin' .25" | 4:08 |
| 9. | "Black Girlfriend" | 4:33 |
| 10. | "Blood Rag" | 3:29 |
| 11. | "Orgasm" | 4:27 |
- Peter DiStefano – guitars
- Perry Farrell – vocals
- Martyn LeNoble – bass guitars
- Stephen Perkins – drums, percussion
AllMusic:
Score: 4
Score: 4
 |
| Deconstruction (1994) Deconstruction |
Only album by a band formed by Dave Navarro and Eric Avery after the split of Jane. More interesting and musical and ambitious than Farrell and Perkin's group, Porno for Pyros, but like that group Deconstruction doesn't really work, and comes across as quite limp and tired. Guitar and bass are decent - lead is more controlled, thoughtful, and melodic than the manic screeching on Jane, while the bass is perhaps more considered, but way less arresting. Drum and vocals are indifferent, casting a negative pallor over the whole proceedings. It generally wasn't received with enthusiasm, and certainly with less interest than Farrell's group. So they didn't carry on. However, there's an Eels feel, and a Beck feel to this that is interesting. The more I listen the more I like this.
| Released | July 12, 1994 |
|---|---|
| Recorded | 1993 - 1994 |
| Genre | Alternative rock, experimental rock |
| Length | 71:13 |
| Label | American Recordings[1] |
| Producer | Deconstruction, Ron Champagne |
- L.A. Song - 6:02
- Single - 6:45
- Get at 'Em - 4:29
- Iris - 4:40
- Dirge - 5:53
- Fire in the Hole - 5:52
- Son - 3:07
- Big Sur - 5:41
- Hope - 3:49
- One - 5:32
- America - 7:02
- Sleepyhead - 3:09
- Wait for History - 6:03
- That Is All - 1:10
- Kilo - 2:09
- Eric Avery - bass, vocals
- Dave Navarro - guitars, vocals
- Michael Murphy - drums
- Gibby Haynes - vocals on "Get at 'Em" and "Fire in the Hole"
 |
| Good God's Urge (1996) Porno for Pyros |
Second album by Porno. Another quiet album. Weaker than the first Porno album.
Wikipedia
| Released | May 28, 1996 |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Length | 38:22 |
| Label | Warner Bros. |
| Producer | Perry Farrell Thomas Johnson Matt Hyde[1] |
| 1. | "Porpoise Head" | 4:15 |
|---|---|---|
| 2. | "100 Ways" | 3:42 |
| 3. | "Tahitian Moon" | 3:47 |
| 4. | "Kimberly Austin" | 3:13 |
| 5. | "Thick of it All" | 4:43 |
| 6. | "Good God's://Urge!" | 3:52 |
| 7. | "Wishing Well" | 3:40 |
| 8. | "Dogs Rule the Night" | 3:22 |
| 9. | "Freeway" | 4:23 |
| 10. | "Bali Eyes" | 3:28 |
- Perry Farrell: Vocals, percussion, samples, harp, keyboards
- Peter DiStefano: Guitars, samples, backing vocals
- Martyn LeNoble: Bass (tracks 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10)
- Stephen Perkins: Drums, percussion, samples, backing vocals
- Thomas Johnson: Samples and sounds, keyboards (track 2)
- David J: Bass (1)
- Mike Watt: Bass (2, 6)
- Flea: Bass (9)
- Daniel Ash : Guitar (1)
- Kevin Haskins: Samples (1)
- Dave Navarro: Guitar intro (9)
- Matt Hyde: Intro slide guitar (3), samples (8), slide guitar (10)
- Lili Haydn: Violin (2)
Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score: 3 1/2
Score: 3 1/2
Released for the 1977 "Relapse" tour when the band reformed with Flea as bassist, this is an ensemble of new, alternate, unreleased and live tracks. It is considered a "compilation" album. It is a good album.
| Released | November 4, 1997 |
|---|---|
| Recorded | 1986 – August 1997 |
| Genre | Alternative rock |
| Length | 74:27 |
| Label | Warner Bros. |
| Producer | Jane's Addiction |
| No. | Title | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Kettle Whistle" (new) | 7:47 | |
| 2. | "Ocean Size" (Nothing's Shocking demo, 1988) | 4:31 | |
| 3. | "My Cat's Name Is Maceo" (Jane's Addiction out-take,1987) | 4:23 | |
| 4. | "Had a Dad" (Nothing's Shocking alternative, 1988) | 3:45 | |
| 5. | "So What!" (new) | 4:41 | |
| 6. | "Jane Says" (Live 1991, appears on Jane's Addiction 1987) | 6:31 | |
| 7. | "Mountain Song" (Dudes Soundtrack, 1986) | 4:08 | |
| 8. | "Slow Divers" (Jane's Addiction live out-take, 1987) | 4:35 | |
| 9. | "Three Days" (Live at Hollywood Palladium, 1990) | 12:06 | |
| 10. | "Ain't No Right" (Live at Hollywood Palladium, 1990) | 3:23 | |
| 11. | "Up the Beach" (Live at Hollywood Palladium, 1990) | 3:20 | |
| 12. | "Stop!" (Live at Hollywood Palladium, 1990) | 4:23 | |
| 13. | "Been Caught Stealing" (Ritual de lo habitual Out-take, 1989) | 4:20 | |
| 14. | "Whores" (Live at the Pyramid, 1986) | 3:58 | |
| 15. | "City" (Soul Kiss, 1988) | 2:30 |
- Perry Farrell – lead vocals (all tracks)
- Dave Navarro – guitar (all tracks)
- Eric Avery – bass guitar on 2–4, 6–7, 9–14
- Flea – bass guitar on 1, 5, 8; trumpet on 5
- Stephen Perkins – drums (all tracks)
AllMusic:
Score: 6
After breaking up the Deconstruction band, Avery formed Polar Bear, who released two EPs and this one album, which is regarded as their best release. It carries on the sound of Beck from the Deconstruction album. It's reasonably attractive and reasonably interesting.
Lick 5:36
Lick 5:36
Friday 5:12
Hula 2:45
Shark Eye 5:17
Shafty 4:53
Flyer 4:28
Bodybag 5:33
Farm 5:53
Belley 1:38
Zulu 4:20
Harold "Barefoot" Saunders
Dani Tull
Andy Troy
The band reform again, this time with Chris Chaney on bass. It is a revival of the pop-metal sound they made in their heyday and is listenable, but is not compelling.
Taking inspiration from Muse and Radiohead, there is more attention to sonic atmosphere on this album than previous Addiction albums. The album lacks the band's strengths, the pop playfulness and harmonies blended with heavy riffs, and substitutes that for something earnest and dull. The band's weakest album for sure.
A decent live album, giving the audience what they want, and doing it in an acceptable manner.
Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score: 5
The creative force and what makes (made?) the band special is the lead singer Perry Farrell. The other musicians help make the sound, though it is possible they could have been replaced and we would have had roughly the same result. But, then again, whatever tensions and stories and ideas that went into the main album, Ritual, are unique to those figures, and a different set up might well not have resulted in that brilliant album. What is certain is that without Farrell, there would be no Ritual. Farrell is to Jane's Addiction as Morrison is to The Doors, and Rotten is to The Sex Pistols.
* JanesAddiction.Org
AllMusic:
Score: 5
 |
| Strays (2003) |
The band reform again, this time with Chris Chaney on bass. It is a revival of the pop-metal sound they made in their heyday and is listenable, but is not compelling.
| Released | July 22, 2003 |
|---|---|
| Recorded | 2002–03 |
| Studio | Henson Recording Studios |
| Genre | |
| Length | 48:22 |
| Label | Capitol |
| Producer |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "True Nature" | Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, LeNoble | 3:49 |
| 2. | "Strays" | Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, Embry, David J | 4:32 |
| 3. | "Just Because" | Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, Chaney | 3:51 |
| 4. | "Price I Pay" | Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, Chaney | 5:27 |
| 5. | "The Riches" | Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, LeNoble, Embry | 5:44 |
| 6. | "Superhero" | Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, Embry | 3:58 |
| 7. | "Wrong Girl" | Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, Chaney | 4:32 |
| 8. | "Everybody's Friend" | Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin | 3:18 |
| 9. | "Suffer Some" | Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, LeNoble | 4:14 |
| 10. | "Hypersonic" | Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, LeNoble | 3:32 |
| 11. | "To Match the Sun" | Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, LeNoble | 5:25 |
Compilation album.
| Released | September 19, 2006 |
|---|---|
| Recorded | 1987-2003 |
| Genre | Alternative rock, alternative metal |
| Length | 79:22 |
| Label | Rhino |
| Producer | Various |
- "Stop!" - taken from Ritual de lo Habitual, 1990
- "Ocean Size" - taken from Nothing's Shocking, 1988
- "Whores" - taken from Jane's Addiction, 1987
- "Ted, Just Admit It..." - taken from Nothing's Shocking
- "Ain't No Right" - taken from Ritual de lo Habitual
- "Had a Dad" - taken from Nothing's Shocking
- "Superhero" - taken from Strays, 2003
- "Been Caught Stealing" - taken from Ritual de lo Habitual
- "Just Because" - taken from Strays
- "Three Days" - taken from Ritual de lo Habitual
- "I Would For You" - taken from Jane's Addiction
- "Classic Girl" - taken from Ritual de lo Habitual
- "Summertime Rolls" - taken from Nothing's Shocking
- "Mountain Song" - taken from Nothing's Shocking
- "Pigs in Zen" - taken from Nothing's Shocking
- "Jane Says (Live)" - taken from Kettle Whistle, 1997
AllMusic:
Score: 5
 |
| The Great Escape Artist (2011) |
Taking inspiration from Muse and Radiohead, there is more attention to sonic atmosphere on this album than previous Addiction albums. The album lacks the band's strengths, the pop playfulness and harmonies blended with heavy riffs, and substitutes that for something earnest and dull. The band's weakest album for sure.
| Released | October 18, 2011 |
|---|---|
| Recorded | 2010–2011 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 39:54 |
| Label | Capitol |
| Producer | Rich Costey |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Underground" | 3:07 | |
| 2. | "End to the Lies" | 3:31 | |
| 3. | "Curiosity Kills" | 4:29 | |
| 4. | "Irresistible Force (Met the Immovable Object)" | 4:00 | |
| 5. | "I'll Hit You Back" | 3:48 | |
| 6. | "Twisted Tales" | 4:29 | |
| 7. | "Ultimate Reason" | Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, McKagan | 3:49 |
| 8. | "Splash a Little Water on It" | 5:13 | |
| 9. | "Broken People" | Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, McKagan | 3:39 |
| 10. | "Words Right Out of My Mouth" | Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, McKagan | 3:49 |
- Perry Farrell – lead vocals
- Dave Navarro – guitar, keyboards (1, 3, 5-10), bass
- Stephen Perkins – drums, percussion
AllMusic:
Score: 3
 |
| Live in NYC (July 2013) |
A decent live album, giving the audience what they want, and doing it in an acceptable manner.
| Released | July 8, 2013 |
|---|---|
| Recorded | December 29, 2012 |
| Genre | Alternative rock |
- "Whores" - Jane's Addiction, 1987
- "Ain't No Right" - Ritual de lo Habitual, 1990
- "Just Because" - Strays, 2003
- "Ted, Just Admit It..." - Nothing's Shocking, 1988
- "Been Caught Stealing" - Ritual de lo Habitual, 1990
- "Irresistible Force (Met the Immovable Object)" - The Great Escape Artist, 2011
- " Up the Beach" - Nothing's Shocking, 1988
- "Ocean Size"- Nothing's Shocking, 1988
- "Three Days" - Ritual de lo Habitual, 1990
- "Mountain Song" - Nothing's Shocking, 1988
- "Stop!" - Ritual de lo Habitual, 1990
- "Jane Says" - Jane's Addiction, 1987
- Perry Farrell - vocals
- Dave Navarro - guitars
- Stephen Perkins - drums, percussion
- Chris Chaney - bass guitar
AllMusic:
Score: 5
Discography
- Nothing's Shocking (1988)
- Ritual de lo habitual (1990)
- Strays (2003)
- The Great Escape Artist (2011)
Summary
[Note: Aspects which go toward final score are given a rough percentage figure of how much that aspect may have influenced the overall score. However, some bands may well exceed that percentage, particularly if their main focus is in that area.]
Voice/Musicianship (15%) Appropriate
Image/Star quality (5%)Kinda
Lyrics/Music (20%)Lyrics are not great. The music works on its own level. There is, though, something special about all the elements together.
Impact/Influence (10%)Pretty assume.
Popularity (5%)They have a strong following, and most people who like rock music will be aware of them. But they are not conventionally popular. Ritual has sold over 2 million albums.
Emotional appeal (5%)It is there.
Authenticity (15%)100%.
Art (5%)Yes
Classic albums/songs (5%)Ritual
Originality/Innovation (5%)They took from their sources and made something unique and special
Legacy (10%)Yes
Total: 10058
Overall an energetic band who are on the edge of alt-rock and heavy metal. Essentially they made 2/3 albums and then broke up. Their reputation rests solidly on 1990's Ritual de lo Habitual; though 1988's Nothing's Shocking has gained critical attention, it is Ritual that is the special album.
The creative force and what makes (made?) the band special is the lead singer Perry Farrell. The other musicians help make the sound, though it is possible they could have been replaced and we would have had roughly the same result. But, then again, whatever tensions and stories and ideas that went into the main album, Ritual, are unique to those figures, and a different set up might well not have resulted in that brilliant album. What is certain is that without Farrell, there would be no Ritual. Farrell is to Jane's Addiction as Morrison is to The Doors, and Rotten is to The Sex Pistols.
Links
* JanesAddiction.Org
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