Alt/Indie Feature Artist #2: Jane's Addiction
 

[SIZE=5][CENTER]Jane’s Addiction[/CENTER][/SIZE]

Perry Farrell’s passionate, high pitched voice. Dave Navarro’s guitar godliness. Stephen Perkins’ positively huge drumming. Eric Avery’s fluid and catchy basslines. And a whole lotta heroin. This all came together to make Jane’s Addiction one of the greatest rock bands of the past 20 years.

Their sound was a mixture of alt rock, metal, funk rock, art rock, and even folk music. They were highly influenced by the Velvet Underground. They helped pave the way for the alternative explosion of the early 90s. Most of their songs were about intercourse and pharmaceuticals (aka: sex and drugs).

Their first album came in 1987, in the form of a self titled live album, recorded at the Roxy in Hollywood. It had it's flaws, but it gave people a good taste of what was to come.

What was to come, you ask? Well, that’d be [I]Nothing’s Shocking[/I], my inquisitive friend. [I]Nothing’s Shocking[/I] often gets unfairly overlooked in favour of their masterpiece, [I]Ritual De Lo Habitual[/I]. While it’s not quite as good as [I]Ritual[/I], it comes mighty close. There is not a bad song on there. There’s a few ball-tearing rockers ([I]Mountain Song[/I]), some funky little numbers ([I]Pigs in Zen[/I])… and two absolute classics. Those being an anthem about the band’s namesake, called [I]Jane Says[/I], and a trippy spazfest about serial killers and sex called [I]Ted, Just Admit It[/I]. How the hell could they top an album like that?

With [I]Ritual De Lo Habitual[/I], that’s how! Ritual De Lo Habitual is a complete and utter classic. The album is split into 2 halves: the first 4 songs are funky and rockin’, while the last 4 songs are epic and arty. And these 2 halves are seperated by Jane’s Addiction’s unexpected hit song: [I]Been Caught Stealing[/I]. The whole album is brilliant, but the centerpiece would have to be the epic [I]Three Days[/I]. It’s almost 11 minutes long, featuring trippy slow sections, amazing guitar solo sections, and sections where Perry screams about “Erotic Jesus”. [I]Been Caught Stealing[/I] is their best known song, but [I]Three Days[/I] is their druggy, sexy masterpiece.

But then they done gone and broke up. Just the usual stuff: a combination of drug addiction and pressure from their new popularity. The members stayed very active though. Perry started the “Lollapalooza” festival, and started his band Porno for Pyros, and also did a solo CD. Dave Navarro joined the Red Hot Chili Peppers for one album, and he too did a solo CD.

And then they reformed! Well, except for Eric Avery. They did a reunion tour, with Flea from RHCP filling in for Avery, and they brought out the CD [I]Kettle Whistle[/I]: a mix of live tracks, demos, and a few new songs.

After that tour they went their separate ways again. But then they reformed again, with new bassist Chris Chaney! In 2003, 13 years after [I]Ritual De Lo Habitual[/I] was released, they brought out a new album: [I]Strays[/I].

Maybe it was a lack of Eric Avery, or a lack of heroin, but [I]Strays[/I] was a bit disappointing. It wasn’t a bad album by any means, and had some great songs… but it didn’t seem like a true Jane’s Addiction CD. Rather than being original and edgy, it was more like a mainstream rock CD. Great by mainstream rock standards, but not by Jane’s Addiction standards.

And then in 2004, they broke up again. Well, Perry quit, because he felt that Jane’s was losing it’s integrity. And to add to Perry's problems, not long afterwards, his Lollapalooza festival was cancelled due to a lack of interest (despite a killer lineup). Meanwhile Navarro, Perkins, and Chaney have recruited a new singer and formed a new band called “The Panic Channel”, who should have an album out sometime next year.

[U][B]Albums/Highlights[/B][/U]

[B]Self Titled (live):[/B]
[I]I Would for You
My Time
Rock & Roll [/I](Velvet Underground cover)
[I]Trip Away[/I]

[B]Nothing’s Shocking:[/B]
[I]Ocean Size
Ted, Just Admit It
Summertime Rolls
Mountain Song
Jane Says[/I]

[B]Ritual De Lo Habitual:[/B]
[I]Three Days
Stop!
Ain’t No Right
Been Caught Stealing
Then She Did…
Classic Girl[/I]

[B]Kettle Whistle:[/B]
[I]Three Days (live)
Jane Says (live)
Kettle Whistle[/I]

[B]Strays:[/B]
[I]True Nature
Strays
Everybody’s Friend
Match the Sun[/I]

How surprising!

Good FA, much better than mine. They loves they sex n drugs.

Dibs the next one.

Good job, Jane's Addiction is one of the most important bands ever, hand downs. They're one of the big reasons why I started playing guitar.

I love the intro in "Mountain Song" when Perry sings "coming down the mountaaaaainnn!!!". They were really great before they broke up for the first time...Strays is just **** with exception of "Everybody's Friend", which reminds me the most of the ol' Jane's material. The album is just too polished.

Good work man, I love Jane's Addiction. I think the only good ones on Strays were "True Nature" and "Just Because". The rest of the album was absolute anus.

Great one man! I wasn't into them a few months ago(mainly 'cause there's barely any cd's of them to find). I've only heard Jane Says from their old stuff:upset: I'll be getting [I]Ritual De Lo Habitual[/I] soon.

Awesome.

Other than the fact that they're one of my favourite bands, I basically wrote this because I was shocked that they didn't make the top 100 albums thing on this forum. So I thought I'd try to let people know how awesome Jane's are.

I've never heard anything other than "Been Caught Stealing" and "Jane Says". I might have to check them out a little more now.

I never bothered to give Strays a listen, but I'm surely content with Nothing's Shocking and Ritual Do Lo Habitual. I agree, people seem to overlook Nothing's Shocking, but I just love that album. Great job writing this, but I think you forgot to mention the drugs. :p

I saw them live at the start of last year, and gosh darn was it awesome.

Nicely written too :thumb:

Great job. :thumb: I never really got into them, I tried but for some reason or other I can't listen to an entire CD. Mountain Song is awesome though.

[QUOTE=Tomahawk][SIZE=5][CENTER]Jane’s Addiction[/CENTER][/SIZE]

Meanwhile Navarro, Perkins, and Chaney have recruited a new singer and formed a new band called “The Panic Channel”, who should have an album out sometime next year.
[/I][/QUOTE]

Does anyone else smell Velvet Revolver?

^ Maybe, but I find Navarro and Perkins to be pretty creative guys, and much more talented than the Velvet Revolver members. So, hopefully they'll be good.

Yeah, except Velvet Revolver (and Guns N Roses) suck and so do all their members.


[QUOTE=Tomahawk]Awesome.

Other than the fact that they're one of my favourite bands, I basically wrote this because I was shocked that they didn't make the top 100 albums thing on this forum. So I thought I'd try to let people know how awesome Jane's are.[/QUOTE]

I thought that was strange too. I voted for them :D

Sadly, Navarro was brilliant while on drugs, but their latest album was at best average in my opinion. The song "Three Days" has got to be one of the greatest epic songs of all time, with some brilliant soloing from Dave.

bumpedy bump bump


sticky anyone?

[QUOTE]Sadly, Navarro was brilliant while on drugs, but their latest album was at best average in my opinion.[/QUOTE]

Don't be silly. I'm sure every good song he has wrote and every good riff he has wrote were not all influenced by drugs.

Someone sticky this!


I'm doing the next one.

I call dibs on the Velvet Underground and Television.

Great, great band. I'm going to have to disagree with Tomahawk though - I think that "Nothing's Shocking" is a far superior album to "Ritual De Lo Habitual". 'Up the Beach' still gives me chills.

As for "Strays", I think the main reason it sucked *** was the lack of Eric Avery. If you read biographies and articles about JA, most of the memebers (at least Navarro and Perkins) are quick to point out that many of their best-loved songs grew out of one of Avery's basslines.

[QUOTE=br3ad_man]Yeah, except Velvet Revolver (and Guns N Roses) suck and so do all their members.[/QUOTE]

:thumb: Someone who agrees with me!!! - On the subject, Jane's Addiction aren't bad, I heard most of Strays and some of their older stuff and it was alright but not mindblowing - not my kinda stuff really

Good FA. Jane's were one of the bands who really helped get me into music back in the day, and I still love them. As to whether Nothing's Shocking or Ritual.. is the superior album..it's a toss-up every time.

I don't actually like Janes all that much personally.

I revoke my dibs. I was going to do it this weekend but I'm feeling so sick I can't really do anything :(

So this is open then. Somebody should write a new one.

I'll still do it if it's open next weekend, but it's open for anyone who wants to do it before then.

I thought Tangy was doing the next one?

I love Janes. I got into them from hearing 'just because' so I guess im a Janes newbie.

I actually prefer Nothings Shocking to Ritual but I havent actually given Ritual that many listens so I think i need to hear it a bit more for it to sink in. And I actually love strays very very much.

Ok I'll do the next one.

Gimme till the end of the day.

I'm thinking it could be.......

[QUOTE=Tangy zizzle]Ok I'll do the next one.

[b]Gimme till the end of the day.[/b]

I'm thinking it could be.......[/QUOTE]

So much for that.