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Jane's Addiction Revisted by Cole Louison If the rumors are true, the four members of Jane's Addiction hated each other six months after the band formed, but stuck it out for six years, producing three albums and headlining the first of the now smange-ridden Lollapalooza tours. The band's self-titled first album was released in 1987 on Triple X Records and, if the band ever connected or wanted to, it was during the performances at the Roxy and The Edge studio in Los Angeles that make up the 10-track record. All of the power and celebration in the band's sound comes across as firmly in the first album as it dissolves in the next two. With the drum-engulfed "Trip Away," the sounds of Steven Perkins open the album. It isn't long before Dave Navarro's screaming, shuffling guitar (with a rhythm like in the later "Stop" or "Been Caught Stealing") joins in, followed by the Eric Avery on guitar, and then Perry Farrell matching the shrill guitar in a long, nasal "aaaaaaaaaaa." When the song ends abruptly, applause breaks in and for the first time you realize you are listening to a live recording. Before the crowd quiets, Eric's low base rumbles the first few notes to the explosive "Whores," with unforgettable lines like "I don't want much man give me a little/ or I'm gonna take my chances if I get em." Pigs In Zen" opens with Perry's tenor and a loddy-doddy rhythm, from which the base surfaces, picks up and is met with the speed-metal sound of the guitar and the crashing drums. The sound carries over into the next song, "1%." The album takes a rest and doesn't pick up as fiercely again until the final track. On "I Would For You," Dave plays a soft keyboard while Eric plucks the guitar and Perry sings. "You say my eyes are crazy eyes/ sometimes they are/and so are you," he says, almost whispering. The harmonica-led, baseless-double guitar "My Time" is a cheery song Dave Matthews might rip off if he had the chance. Following "My Time," is the acoustic, congo-accompanied "Jane Says." A more studioized, crowded version on the song appears on "Nothing's Shocking," the groups second album that came out a year later, and when Jane's had their reunion (with Flea on bass instead of Eric) two years ago, a re-hydrated version of the song appeared as a single. As the applause from "Jane Says" dies down, a plugged-in Dave Navarro opens the band's beautifully smooth and strong version of Lou Reed's "Rock 'N' Roll. Eric plays acoustic guitar and someone claps their hands. Once again, Dave's guitar begins to scream towards the song's end. Once the electric guitar is quiet, Eric plays what sounds just like the quiet part of "Pinball Wizard" and leads you into the second cover of the album, "Sympathy For the Devil," by the Rolling Stones. Soon after this album was released, Warner Brothers picked up Jane's Addiction and "Nothing's Shocking" was produced within a year of the first record. Two years later, "Ritual De Lo Habitual" was produced. The quickness and celebration evident in the first album appear on some tracks, but Perry's voice is more muffled and withdrawn. According to the cruddy video and cd of b-sides, Jane's is back together. Why? The later albums and bootlegs tell you the band was not together towards the end and maybe didn't want to be there in the first place. Still, maybe Perry and Dave and Steven and Flea sat down and listened to this album and thought it was worth another try. Cole Louison enjoys music and writing but can't seem to put the two together. He doesn't even like Jane's Addiction. He listens to Menudo and the song that was big a while back when that band sang the Three Little Pigs story all heavy metalish. |
