Jane's Addiction

Ritual De Lo Habitual instantly reminds me of my teenage years. I was pumped when they released the box set.
I already have an original of Nothings Shocking, and I prefer it to the box set version, but the rest of the content was great for me.

 

I didn't get the Zeppelin references when I first heard JA, I get them now. I only saw them once on the first Lolapalooza and it was surreal. I think they lost their edge after Ritual, or maybe I got older and couldn't see it anymore. They seem less dangerous now, too safe.

 

While I cannot actually explain or defend it myself now--likely just the equal command of delicate/ethereal and brain-crunching riff rock---I too when I became an obsessed fan (first in my town of Gainesville Fla after getting the promo vinyl from XXX at the record store I worked at---which I like a f'in idiot TRADED BACK for like $1.75 to buy the cd in 89 or so....) was telling everyone they were this generation's Led Zeppelin....for me for whatever reason I only value the first and SHOCKING as all time classics, tho I recognize the thought that went into RITUAL it came too late for me, I'd changed too much and I never got back the magic....everything after has just been a mess to my ears.

Did have great luck with them live, seeing them at Lolla one and four times at club level, from 1987 on and including a real Eric A reunion "secret show" club gig in 2011....and on that JA and I will likely have said farewell. But they were special.

 

Outrageous.

 

Someone mentioned earlier that they liked Dave's Ink show. I'm not sure if it's still running, but YouTube has a lot of videos from his talk show called dark matter. It's a really good show and I go on record as saying that Dave is extremely smart, articulate, and witty. That's why it's a good show. Kind of along the same line as the Howard Stern show with guests, people calling in, sidekicks, etc. Very entertaining.

Another show that I HIGHLY recommend is an MTV pilot that never aired called Grounded. It's one of the funniest things I've ever seen. The gist is that he goes to visit his family because he was asked to babysit for a few days. The show features his real father, stepmother, their 2 young boys that are Dave's brothers from his dad and stepmom. From the first few seconds it's a total nightmare. Remember, he has a pretty privileged life so he has no clue on how to do things like basic cooking, shopping, what ever. 30 minutes after his arrival, he's like, "oh my Christ, what am I gonna do)? It's totally hilarious.

 

I was at that very same show. Yep, great cover of "Don't Call Me" by Sly & the Family Stone. Jane's Addiction was really on that night. You could feel the excitement and electricity in the air. Great memories.

 

Saw them in 2001. They were great. After a few songs they moved to a smaller second stage at the back for Jane Says, Classic Girl, Gallows Pole, and Happy Bday Jubilee. Near the end of the show during Ted Just Admit it Farrell was swinging crazily high above the stage on a rope!

 

Yeah that sounds about right. During a late 90s tour by the end of the show Perry was straight up naked!

 

Loved them from Day one. Funny, at last year's Lollapalooza, they played before the Chili Peppers on the large stage, and the crowd was pretty big, but also pretty young and unfamiliar with JA, at least the ones around us. I guess they were staging for the more familiar Peppers, but anyway, halfway through the show two dancers came out and did an ariel act, suspended by cables and hooks through the skin on their backs. Pretty extreme. When they got a closeup on the video screens of how they were attached, the girl next to me threw up, and the crowd around me got really quiet. One young man, maybe fifteen, looked at me and said "these guys are really f$%&ed up!" I had to laugh. Yeah, kid, but in a good way!

 

I can only dream of what a video backdrop from an old school Butthole Surfers show would have done to those kids...

 

Jane's was hot around my early teenage years and Ritual De Lo Habitual was the first album I owned, although I remember hearing parts of Nothing's Shocking at a party I went to and thought it was the greatest thing I ever heard. Over the years, they've reformed at various points, but to me, without Eric Avery involved, there's just no Jane's Addiction. I had high hopes when he rejoined in 2008 and it seemed that there was a chance of the original band recording a fully fledged reunion album. Unfortunately, things went sour when the old frustrations and differences between he and Perry reoccurred and although my stance can be seen as somewhat stubborn, the fact of the matter is that when Eric was involved, there was a certain magic of chemistry that happened. Despite Jane's recording a couple of "comeback" efforts over a period of eight years between, in my opinion, the band has become nothing more than a vain and masterstroke vehicle for Perry Farrell's ego and megalomaniac tendencies. They were once an innovative and artistic wonder to behold, but without the 4th element of Avery, it's simply a cash-in, honey!

 

That's how I felt (and still feel to some extent). I always said that I'd never go see them live without Eric. However, last summer when they did their tour with Dinosaur Jr. and Living Colour, I decided that this was as good a chance as any-I felt like I still had to see them at least once. And it was a really, really good show.

 

Totally! I saw the Butthole Surfers about four years ago and it was insanely great. Gibby Hayes is exactly the same. All of us felt like we were tripping on acid although weren't.

 

I have a bootleg CD of Jane's called live in France. Not sure of the year. Perry's yelling "Verde, Verde" which is French for green. They're speaking English to the French audience who clap and cheer though they have no idea what he's saying. Then he asked a couple of female "volunteers" to come on stage, take off their tops and do the titty dance. They had no clue what he was talking about. I think what happened next is Perry, who was already shirtless, pointed to his nipples and danced around a bit. They immediately had takers, female and male.

 

I just got Jane’s Addiction - Live And Rare CD (1991) used for $5. I see that it’s easily available on discogs for about the same price. Does anyone remember how difficult this was to find in the early 90s and how much it cost? I remember seeing it in magazines back then to order as an import and seeing it sometimes in stores, which I think was expensive and I never bought it back then.

 

I remember it being super rare too. I think I bought it as a Japanese import when I worked at HMV.

 

isn't every track now on the cabinet boxset?

 

Thought so. Thanks for the info. I’m happy to finally have it.

 

I think so. I don’t have the box set. Missed the boat on that.

 

great boxset, thought it was still in print

 

I listen to to em on occasion I do not have them on vinyl though ,just on my server

 

Damn, I remember buying NS on cassette, having not heard a single note, and having my teenage mind blown.
"...Then She Did" is still my all-time favorite, I used to play it obsessively in college even before I realized it was about Perry's mom.
The oral history of Jane's is a must-read. Some crazy stuff went down.... Amazing they even stayed together as long as they did.

So I have an OP of Nothing's Shocking.... Far too noisy but the SQ is great otherwise. What's the best option for Ritual vinyl? I've heard that both the RSD reissue and the Sterling Spoon version are terrible. But there's a lot of 90s-era cuts, from various countries, and some represses to boot. Anyone have a preference?

 

It’s only available used on Amazon over $125. Interestingly it’s only $26 CAN on 7digital for the 3discs in FLAC so maybe I’ll ge that. I can’t believe it’s so cheap, FLAC albums from digital stores are almost always more than the actual CD.
A Cabinet Of Curiosities (Explic... | Jane's Addiction | High Quality Music Downloads | 7digital Canada

 

wow. I got it for like $28 3-4 years ago

 

I'll never forget the first time I heard Jane's. Nothing Shocking had just came out, and my college radio station was playing "Pigs in Zen." I had to pull over because I didn't want to miss who the band was when they said. Ran to the store the next day and luckily I bought the last copy they had. Wore that thing out. Nothing Shocking is the most shocking and amazing record I've ever heard.

There really is NOTHING that sounds like it. From the beautiful waves of Up the Beach, into Ocean Size, and then into Had a Dad. Absolutely brilliant. Perry's vocals on that record are some of the very best ever recorded in my opinion. Just pure ferocious power and angst.

Perry was the honey in Janes, but Eric was the engine. Eric was and is the driving force in that band.

I only wish Perry could've sang on Deconstruction. I can't imagine what he would've done for songs like LA Song, Single, the entire album.

That record was the best Jane's record. Sadly, Perry didn't sing on it. I firmly believe that would've been their peak. Musically, it's just brilliant. Best playing Navarro ever did, and it was so absolutely creative.

If you haven't bought it, you should. It may take you a bit to get into it due to Eric's vocals, but musically, it's truly outstanding. The best Eric and Dave ever did, in my opinion.