Ritual de lo Habitual

"Three Days" vs "Then She Did..." FITE

stop imo

The first side has a bunch of fantastic songs on it but really nothing in the entire Jane's catalog beats the 1-2 punch of "Three Days"/"The She Did..." for me.

Voted "Stop!", happy memories of bad dancing in local Goth club.

do they still sell it with the first amendment cover? might be a collector's item.

(i think "three days," but tbh i need to listen to it. i've been on a nothing's shocking jag since starting that poll, haven't actually put this one on in ages.)

I'm so happy the censored art was use for this thread. I like both versions, but there's something early-John-Fahey about the plain white Ritual front cover that I find charming, ignoring the Parental Advisory logo.

"Classic Girl" gets my vote.

"The She Did"

As mentioned on the Nothing' Shocking poll thread, Second side of Ritual = Jane's admitting they really liked The Cure, more or less. Of course, this is my half of the album. First half is great too.

"Been Caught Stealing" is a great song, but we're all understandably sick of it, so it's ok to hate on it.

I haven't heard this album in many years, so I can't remember if I like Three Days or Then She Did better... but I went for Three Days because it seems like the "Ted, Just Admit It..." of Ritual, and also because of the part where it rocks.

You know, I was thinking that "Of Course" was not equal to "Three Days" and "Then She Did..." but I just had the chorus pop into my head and um it is pretty much impossible for me to pick between those three songs, which might seriously be my favorite run of music of any genre of all time with the POSSIBLE exception of movements II - VI of the Brahms Requiem and "The Hanging Garden" through "A Strange Day" on Pornography.

I think it was the video that ultimately gave Been Caught Stealing bad PR.

Perry's face in a ballon = AUUUUGH

Perry's face in a balloon
Well, Caligulia would have blushed...

Side 2 of Ritual reminds me way more of Zep ballads than anything by the Cure, aside from gratuitous chorus effects on guitar which is hardly something the Cure did first...

balloon = pantyhose?

Argh, I haven't heard this in years, and don't think of the second side as separate songs, but just one long movement of wonderfulness. Someone upload the second side to YouTube so I can make my decision, please!

God, I had the First Amendment cover... crikey, it's in storage somewhere at my mum's.

Gah, though - Been Caught Stealin' was their So Alive. Seriously.

I'd argue it's Zepplin-ish musical pageantry married with Cure-ish lyrical imagery.

I once had an inadvertent Abbott & Costello Who's On First moment when discussing this record. I kept saying my favorite song on the record was Obvious, so he started guessing.
"Been Caught Stealing?"
"Stop?" No, it's Obvious.
Oh Ok...Three days!

pageantry, dan?

"Pageantry" in this case refers to the arrangement; they took the initial setup of artier-than-normal rock band and started throwing in string quartets, various ethnic drums, etc etc etc.

Oh sure, it's just the word brought to mind aarp-eligible females.

Understandable since that's what both Zepplin and Perry Farrell are pulling nowadays.

Yah, these chicks are on the Board of Trustees for the Center for the Performing Arts:
http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/05Gh2Ev6Lh7NH/610x.jpg

Three Days slightly edges out Then She Did due to the bassline.

ages l-r: 48, 79, 300

It's Rosanna Arquette!

haha wau

Classic girl.
pure and simple=best.

I think "Classic Girl" is actually the worst song on the album.

I love the music. The lyrics are kinda weak, except for "dinosaurs on the quilt I wore".

And the video was great.

weak lyrics arent so rare with Jane's songs

A SENSATION NOT UNLIKE SLAPPING YOURSELF IN THE FACE
^^^ I spent most of the summer of '95 singing this over and over and over

wow @ Farrell holding up pretty well. I know he was/is a surfer and all, but the guy has to be 50 by now. and you gotta account for mileage.

bump

That's his wife on the left. They reproduced. Twice, I think.

Keeping in mind Perry's well documented love of threesomes, it's highly probable that they went home after the gallery opening to reenact the Ritual cover art.

Three Days fake Zep all the way

of course - "my big brother made me slap my own face"

Obvious

Not a clue. I just remember this album as one long brilliant song. I'm not sure I think of any other album in this way, actually. Need to hear again.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

three days was not obvious to me, or even close

I voted - of course

lol, this album might as well be called "Three Days EP"

True, I never listened to the first half of this album.

Oh wait "Ain't Know Right" is the big hippie song on the first half, right? THAT SONG IS FUCKING AWESOME AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE SECOND HALF

Oh no, I'm thinking of "Obvious", oops

So I'm listening to Three Days right now and forgot how I used to misinterpret the line "erotic Jesus" as "you're a dick, Jesus".

eurodick jesus

hahahahaha how has it taken until the age of 23 for 'three days' to reveal itself as godhead

because you're slow

this album rules so much and 'obvious' is totally underrated

man i loved this shit when i was a teenager

"ain't no right" is awesome. it's an explosive song with 1000 times more energy than anything featured on nothing's shocking, for instance. interesting that it polled last, but maybe that's a reflection of the depth and quality of the album.

i really do like the pacing on ritual. you have a turbulent, exuberant start followed by the epic centrepiece tracks and then a couple of songs at the end that wind things down all elegant-like.

Trying to picture a world where the hit single and overplayed video from Houses of the Holy is "The Crunge"? You can.

As in "Been Caught Stealing" is RDLHabitual's "The Crunge"? Which I guess it is.

I was always underwhelmed with Ritual, and I am someone for whom Nothing's Shocking was (and remains) one of my favorite releases ever by anyone. Possibly that's why it underwhelmed me? Couldn't live up to the pedestal I put Nothing's Shocking on?

Ritual >>>>>>>>>> Nothing's Shocking

I saw a bit of some recent Jool Holland perf and it was horrid, so pointless. I don't wanna say it's just cuz Avery's gone but he really does seem like the anchor that kept them from just being complete wankers.

this album rules so much and 'obvious' is totally underrated

― joygoat, Monday, August 16, 2010 9:05 PM (5 months ago)

this is OTM...I listened to 'Obvious' like 3x today thx to this thread. I wish this whole album was 3/4 time violin meltdowns but I like the rest of it pretty well, too.

I know, Jane's Addiction is timeless!

ah not "Obvious,"
I mean "Of Course"
though "Obvious" is a p rad song!

I just listened to Of Course. It's beautiful. Three Days is my favourite but Spotify has mysteriously always had an 11 1/2 minute live version instead of the original, so I've ended up knowing and loving the live version like it was the original! And what's more, the original doesn't quite measure up to it! :/

But hey - incredible song, however it's heard.

Jane's Addiction is timeless maybe, but I'm pretty sure that if your flight ever mistakenly lands in 1991, the bass intro to "Three Days" will start playing over the p.a. system.

slapping yourself in the faaaaaaaaaace

La la. La la. La la.

Since it's about his mom's suicide, I always thought of the title as "Then She Died."

http://devonrecordclub.wordpress.com/2012/12/16/janes-addiction-ritual-de-lo-habitual-round-41-nicks-choice/

did "three days" and "then she did" make prog acceptable again, after genesis and yes got all duran duran in the 80s?

Since it's about his mom's suicide, I always thought of the title as "Then She Died."

Apparently that's what it was called originally, then they took the 'e' out to make it less obvious

Really incredible interview here with producer Dave Jerden. "Three Days" was done as one take!

http://www.laweekly.com/music/ritual-de-lo-habitual-25-years-later-producer-dave-jerden-looks-back-5916964

so was my last poo

Vivid.

Wow. I reckon it would 10 or 15 years since I sat down and listened to Three Days. It's fantastic.

That whole second side is pretty wonderful and definitely unlike most other things of that era.

God I love this record. Sad that record club didn't!

Fantastic record. Don't know where they would/could have gone next - kinda glad they imploded afterward. (I deny the existence of any post-Ritual/non-Avery work.)

Yeah, I don't think I've listened to anything they did after this. I barely ever listen to Nothing's Shocking either; I remember quite enjoying it but recall pretty much zero about it, whereas this is just scorched into my cerebellum.

'Three Days' is so far ahead of the rest of the album it's not even funny.

Of Course it isn't

Am I right in thinking there's never been a 15th/20th anniversary deluxe/remastered edition of this?

Seems slightly odd as you'd imagine there'd be a market for it.

Neither Jane's album has ever been remastered, expanded, etc. If I was doing it, it would be a 3-disc set:

1. The album, remastered, plus B-sides from the various singles (demos of "I Would for You," "Had a Dad" and "Jane Says," live "L.A. Woman/Lexicon Devil/Nausea" medley)
2. The December 1990 live show included in the Cabinet of Curiosities box
3. The movie Gift and the videos from the album on a DVD or Blu-Ray

So what you're saying is you'd re-release Cabinet of Curiosities.

Cabinet didn't include Gift.

Gift is such garbage blech. Second half of Ritual is amazing though (first half just so-so and I've never much like Nothing's Shocking).

LOL Billy Idol

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

Alas, no Russian overdubs for "Jane's Addiction! Been caught wanking!"

It's heartening that there's been no expanded remaster to date. Maybe the noise wars will suitably subside before the 30th anniversary date and buying the deluxe treatment will mean that one won't need to keep the better sounding original master as well.

And yes, the second half of Ritual (still) rules.

xxxxps: I don't even remember a single thing about that Replacements song/video... Was surprised to learn it was on a record I once owned!

i saw this tour in Hollywood. Nine Inch Nails opened and after their set i didn't think there was any way Jane's Addiction could even come close to what i witnessed by NIN. well i was wrong, there was a reason why they were at their peak. one of the best one two punches i have ever seen. only really Nirvana with Sonic Youth comes close. well come to think about it, there have been a lot great double bills i have seen.

I saw the show I mentioned upthread, the one that's in the Cabinet of Curiosities box. Primus and the Pixies opened up.

never listened to RDLA on vinyl, how did they manage to cram 33 minutes of music on the b side?

Same way they managed with Get Up With It, I guess.

I guess this explains it:

http://www.themasterdiskrecord.com/2014/06/deciding-long-make-side-vinyl-record/

Yeah, long sides tend to be cut at a lower level and with a lot of bass rolled off. It's a huge reason why you see a lot of limited edition double vinyl albums cut at 45rpm these days - it's a sound quality thing.

Or in other words, if the album lasts an hour, it makes sense from a sound quality perspective to cut four sides of vinyl at 15 mins per side at 45rpm than two sides of vinyl at 30 minutes per side at 33&1/3rpm. You can make the grooves deeper and wider at 45rpm for better bass response. A lot of albums had a tendency to place the quieter songs at the end of sides because there was less cutting room - the further the needle spirals towards the end of the record, the less room there is to cut.

Gary Numan's Dance album is a good example of a well cut long album - it's almost half an hour on both sides of the original vinyl, but it's been cut at just the right level to allow all of the music to fit on both sides without being too quiet... sure, you have to turn up the volume a touch when you listen to it, but it still sounds good.

JIMMY PAGE: "So we were thinking 'The Rain Song' or the title track could be the first single for MTV. Maybe 'The Ocean' if –"

ATLANTIC EXEC: "First single is going to be 'The Crunge'. In fact, it's going to be the only song you guys are ever going to be known for. I guarantee it."

(Also, I'm well-aware I fucked that "joke" up slightly in the set-up.)

lol. The Crunge and Hey Hey What Can I Do.

I like how its widely accepted/an open secret that this band is pointless w out eric avery

E. Avery is the Cliff Burton of Jane's.

Both got thrown under the bus.

*rimshot*

*bass solo*

Love this album a lot more now than I did when it came out. Now her paints are dry. I wonder if they came along today whether or not they would have a drummer.

a city of candles