Thank you boys!
Jane's Addiction are a pioneering band that almost invented the genre of Alternative Rock. Formed in San Diego, California in 1985 at that point Glam Rock was building up into the major player of the American Music Industry, with stadium rockers such as Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Poison, Motley Crue and Def Leppard paving the way for a million copycat bands singing party rock anthems, and power ballads. However Jane's Addiction were a more thinking-man's band mixing up Rock, Folk, Funk, Jazz-Rock and Psychedelic Rock. Instead of two or three minute songs we have five to nine minute songs, carefully layered, and almost (if in structure and not in sound) like Progressive Rock. You would need a few listens before the songs cement themselves within you, and from there they will go nowhere.
Of course since the band's success, lead singer Perry Farrell and drummer Stephen Perkins formed Porno For Pyros, a band, not too dissimilar to Jane's Addiction. Mr Perkins also was part of the Funky-Punk band Infectious Grooves, that was the side project of members of Suicidal Tendencies, and Mr Ferrell also went solo and had another band with wife Etty. Dave Navarro had a stint in Red Hot Chilli Peppers, whilst appearing on many other people's albums. And Perkins and Navarro also had another band together called Banyan.
So here we have a live album of twelve tracks. The production is very good here, almost too good in places. There is definite interaction with the crowd from Farrell, but he addresses the masses in a more spaced out sermon. As you would probably expect from a band this big, they play each song very well, with Farrell's vocals almost perfect. We open up with Whores, and it is here that for an Alternative band, they really do rock, with the big guitar riffs that will have you nodding in a mid-tempo headbang without a care in the world. Just Because, was a great song off of the album, Strays, and whilst the rest of the album seemed slightly removed, or perhaps just evolved from the band's previous offerings, here it fits in nicely alongside Ain't No Right, and the truly wonderful, Ted, Just Admit It - the latter being a nine minute version of one of the band's best songs. The Ted in question being serial killer Ted Bundy, and carries the great lines of "Sex is violence! // Sex is violence!". The song finishes with Perry admitting to the crowd, "...And that to me is the sound of sex...and I would have it no other way!"
Now the song that turned me onto Jane's Addiction was the catchy kleptomaniac anthem of Been Caught Stealing, with it's wonderful drum beat, and non-apologetic lyrics. Then we have probably my favourite song off of the band's most recent album, Irresistible Force (Met The Immovable Object), which again sounds like it could have come from the Nothings Shocking album but without sounding 25 years old. Up The Beach takes you on a Psychedelic ride before the more meaty Rock of Ocean Size. along the same tempo we have the great track of, Mountain Song which Perry introduces by saying, "Hey man, we leave tomorrow. I dunno when we're coming back. So I guess you wanna rock the fuck out?!" before the deep rib reverberation of the bass line kicks in. Either side of this track we have two songs from 1990's album Ritual De Lo Habitual - firstly the slower and thoughtful, Three Days, before the more rocking Stop!. The album finishes with probably my favourite of the band's songs, Jane Says, which along with the band's name is taken from Perry Farrell's ex-house mate Jane Bainter. It's a nice sing-a-long song that has many cross-genres, including a steel drum, bongos and guitar with only two chords.
This is a great record, as it showcases the band's best songs, that although are extended, are played to almost studio quality. It also does exactly what the record-label wants, which is to either dust off your old copies of the band's albums and book tickets to see them live, or if you are new to the band, then go out and purchase the band's whole back catalogue. For me, Jane's Addiction are a fantastic band, probably because there is no other band remotely like them. Thank you boys!