Classic or dud : Jane's Addiction

I'll say dud for the simple fact that it was probably nothing more ingenius than Van Halen... it just seemed like it was... all the magickal atmosphere stuff came straight out of classic rock along with the hippie vibe Perry had going... Seems very well marketed and thought-out in retrospect. He was like a peace punk, huh? It feels like classic rock to me now. Back when I was a kid it didn't. Good music for kids, just like the rest of the Lollapalooza stuff.

Kids who could never see eye to eye on anything - long hair in front vs. hair long in back, dead milkmen vs. led zeppelin, goth chicks and smiths fans, our u.s. equivalents of ravey davey and also student grant could all sing along (in a thin whinge in no way approximating perry ferrel's delivery). This is what made them great. Such extremes all in one group, Ain't No Right was like kick out the jams for us, a power-sander decadence.

It's easy to forget all that when you see pics of ferrell dj'ing progressive trance.

Whatever this chap Stevie Nixed is taking it is clearly stronger than the bubbly orange that Jane's were partial to. For, Mr. Nixed is talking pure cock.

Jane's are incredible (though Raggett is right when he points out that Perry, for all his merits, remains eminently punchable).

All four musicians were fully out there and the ideas that permate Jane's music are ever hypnotic, hallucinatory and ecstatic. I can't get enough of these boys, even after listening to this stuff consistently for ten years.

So, classic, classic, classic. If you can't dig it, give up.

D'you think it's bad timing or coincidence that the band disolved after Ritual?

Another point is the production on Shocking which I find a little flat - I don't feel that Jerden and Champagne were able to get the best out of the musicians or the Jane's sound at this point, although having said that, I do dig the rawer edge and the more incendiary drum sound.

Whereas on Ritual, the guys at the controls were able to set them for the heart of the sun and that's where the music takes me. As for the first few tracks, I dunno man... from the lead-in narrative, I'm hooked and that buzzsaw Navarro riff. Jesus. Then there's that pop-bass on No One's.. Oh mama. The album is littered with winning creative decisions. Y'know, sometimes in fact, Obvious is my favourite track off Ritual though I'm not sure why. Do you get thet?

Out of curiosity, anyone know about the new Jane's material? From what I can gather of the websites out there, they are in the studio working with fucking Paul Oakenfold! Where the hell is Jerden when you need him?

Where I deviate from the fan party line is that I think _Nothing's Shocking_ and _Ritual De Lo Habitual_ are equal; _NS_ is more consistent, but _RdlH_ has better songs on it. If I wanted to listen to an entire album, I'd grab _NS_. If I wanted to play selected songs, I'd grab _RdlH_.

OK, so it's not the Academy but it's not a bad compromise.

Better get on the blower to the ticket agencies pronto then...

Hello.

uh, Neil Young? The only thing Jane's brought together were fratboys and fratgirls.

Verdict - Dud. They lie too much for truthseekers and are too pretentious to create something communal. And the junk culture stuff I have no use for.

Exception: Jane Says. Momentarily, the dream is alive. Especially when Dave Navarro isn't around.

Classic. Shocking is only nearly classic, but Ritual is beyond classic.

provided you skip "Been Caught Stealing."

Are you mad? (Mind you, the song always sounded better live.)

I don't know much about Farrell as a person/ality. Why is he punchable?

Completely dud. Their brains are fried to the max. They look like shit. They're music is just plain bonkers like Zappa's: tries to be funny but fails miserably. I suspect they tried to do the sock thing but they couldn't find any baby socks...

And to think I'm reading the Brendan Mullen oral biography now. I still really don't understand why I even bothered to buy the book, even though I am not as hostile towards them as I once was. That said, PF seems to be such a dick. I also can't believe the "they are incredibly seminal, paved the way for the rest" bullshit line. I mean, maybe they were (in reality) but I refuse to believe it anyway.

http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/412SN26SG4L._AA240_.jpg

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41R5GTQWPQL._AA240_.jpg

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51J1PZZ9G4L._AA240_.jpg

Classic
Classic
Classic

My little sister came over the other day to rip all my Jane's Addiction CDs. Her quip: "Yeah, I've really wanted to listen to Jane's Addiction lately, but couldn't bring myself to buy them." They belong to a different era, and stick out like a sore thumb in this one. But we listened to Nothings Shocking, and it still pushed my wig back with its bombastic excellence.

Kids who could never see eye to eye on anything - long hair in front vs. hair long in back, dead milkmen vs. led zeppelin, goth chicks and smiths fans, our u.s. equivalents of ravey davey and also student grant could all sing along

Jane's pretty much united the smoking section at my high school.

Classic.

Just Because.

i like them a lot but they definitely shone in a particular time and place. it resonates a lot less now, but the succession of 'three days' and 'then she did...' is still pretty mindblowing.

Surely a cd update on its own would be welcome. & if lacking bonus tracks surely there must be some live stuf of some quality. Or demoes of crucial tracks or something. Just seems like the cds were issued like once , not sure how later things like the box of the 3 together differed soundwise.

Have just been conscious that I would like a more recent cd upgrade for like years like.

Back together with Eric Avery judging by photos on Instagram this morning?

pretty incredible development considering the bad blood after the last reunion

i was so stoked to see that line-up perform live even though (or even because?) the acrimony was palpable and they were tuned down a couple of steps to save what's left of Perry's voice

JA have burned a lot of my goodwill (and dispelled a lot of their aura/magic) with their non-Eric activities* - but with him involved i would always be cautiously interested - one of my all-time favourite musicians

*i also wholly understand that they need to pay their mortgages

It is crazy but also great how much of a difference he makes to their music - in some ways he’s better than they deserve but no question on my mind that i’d pony up my dollars to see that lineup again, last time was great

I’m interested in this detail from Pitchfork’s Nothing Shocking review:

Jane Addiction’s convinced their new label to allow a “fake indie release” of Jane’s Addiction on Triple X Records to maintain their street cred, a strategy they accused Guns N’ Roses, Smashing Pumpkins, and Soundgarden of copying afterwards.

so.. dave navarro not playing on the smashing pumpkins tour - due to long covid Is the official reason - weird. love that eric is back but don’t know i would enjoy a Jane’s show without Navarro

pretty good article about all of it in rolling stone, interesting on the eric/perry rapprochement

Yeah, Jane's without Dave would be as tough to wrap my head around as Van Halen without Eddie or something. On the other hand, I love Troy Van Leeuwen (who is filling in for him) so I hope he pulls it off with aplomb.

That's pretty wild. Van Leeuwen just filled in for Captain Sensible on the Damned's tour of the U.S. this year.

Was Dave Pajo busy or something?

Why is RS the worst website in the world

yeah you gain so much w eric but without the flashiness of dave it doesn’t work
jane’s is such an oddly specific ecosystem

yeah you gain so much w eric but without the flashiness of dave it doesn’t work
jane’s is such an oddly specific ecosystem

ok so now Josh Klinghoffer has replaced the still MIA Dave Navarro and they sound… really great?! like Klinghoffer (who I know nuthin about) is totally nailing a kind of shreddy looseness that sounds like JA of the olden days and the rest of the band have lifted to meet him, and even Perry sounds energised and determined to max out what’s left of his voice and -??

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSi_7azF7u4

Its not in that vid but I saw a clip from the night before where JK totally bodied the Three Days solo and actually got chills -

Anyway something slightly interesting going on when I thought they were totally destined for an endgame of sad cash ins and diminishing returns

Nuts Avery is back in the band. Perry ever so slightly looks like Biden in that clip. Still think the dancers are kind of embarrassing.

Eric’s always been the heart of JA to me so this is really cool news

Josh Klinghoffer is a pro sideman dude, he was in RHCP for a while, I'm assuming a super great player

he filled in for Matt Cameron on Pearl Jam’s last tour - he’s really good (his own stuff under Pluralone is p decent too)

Whoa reading Klinghoffer's bio is quite a thing — he's played with/been close Bob Forrest, John Frusciante, the Chili Peppers and now Jane's Addiction (among many others). He must be some kind of junkie whisperer.

He played some of the drums on Warpaint's Exquisite Corpse record, as well.

I think a big part of being an in-demand sideman is the ability to be chill and vibe with a wide range of challenging personalities

Also the youngest inductee in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame I think!

Yup - at 32, beating previous record-holder Stevie Wonder (38).

He also played on Warpaint's "Exquisite Corpse" EP

i think he was on maron’s podcast a year or so back and talked about Rhcp etc etc

yeah, Klinghoffer is great. iirc, he also played on the Exquisite Corpse EP from Warpaint.

not a fan of his drumming on that one though. maybe just the production...

it's pretty impressive and rare to be considered a pro level guitarist and drummer

I believe he played on Exquisite Corpse by Warpaint

A guy is know is buddies with Josh, I'll ask if he ever played on a Warpaint EP (in case it comes up)

Exquisite Corpse iirc

Warpaint fans are subculture called juggalos

Stella added so much to that band

this is reminding me that i read a Rolling Stone (?) profile of Josh K after he'd been dumped from the RHCP - it was quite affecting actually, a young guy trying to navigate difficult emotional territory - can't remember if it mentioned Warpaint?

Very specific Venn diagram intersection here:

https://i.imgur.io/dfeRX5j_d.webp?maxwidth=640&shape=thumb&fidelity=medium

Definitely paints a unique picture.

California JNSAYS Patriots

Been Caught Deflating

Tom, Just Admit It...

Pig(sk)in Zen

Three Plays

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACS7zw9SA6k

Nerdy I know, I think recordings of Jane's from that 90/91 period that are taken from further away really suit the setting, I like the way you can hear the music bouncing around the auditorium a little on the right channel.

I see Janes are touring the UK soon but no word on whether Navarro is back or not

I see they are playing Glasgow Barrowlands, tempted to make a trip, last saw them there *cough* 32 years ago

The new Porno For Pyros song isn’t really anything special, but is probably the best thing I’ve heard from Perry in a very long time.

“We’re from LA and we can’t be stopped” amen

encouraging signs of Navarro being back in the fold

would be glad to see a legacy-burnishing final act from the OG lineup

new music could go either way but would always be interested to hear something with Avery and Navarro on board

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGzFMUX-w7U

man Mike Watt. God bless that man