In Praise of.....Nothing's Shocking by Jane's Addiction

I had something to say about Summertime Rolls a while back:
TS: Nothing's Shocking v. Ritual De Lo Habitual

Questions:

(i) Whither Eric Avery - didn't he want to rejoin the Janes? Or is he persona non grata?
(ii) Jane's Addiction are to Nirvana as _____________ are to Joy Division...?

Would it be, "as David Bowie are to JD?" "Neu?"

It's a fair analogy.

The thing that gets me most about this album is it's cranked-the-fuck-up energy level. Eric A's somehow simultaneously solid-and-fluid foundations, Stephen Perkins fluttery uber-organic patterings and poundings, Navarro's "Teen Rock-A-Babe" guitar-equivalent-to-hot-beef-injection metallic-oid riffery, and Perry's equal parts junkypunk-and-hippymystic delivery...GOOD GOD MANG!

As I've said before and will say again, Eric A's bassplaying is and forever will be the heart of Jane's for me. Without it, without him, they're nothing, and with him, the whole album is serene-at-max-volume genius.

"Stop" -----> A classic, featuring one of the greatest middle-eights of all recorded time.
"No One's Leaving" ------> Great.
"Ain't No Right" -------> Not quite as great, but still quite good.
"Obvious" -----> A bit more of a slip, but alright.
"Been Caught Stealin'" -------> Back to classic.
"Three Days" ---->TOTAL, UTTER, MAJETIC, GODHEAD
"Then She Did" --------> Lovely.
"Of Course" --------> Utter, Utter, Unlistenably dire crap!
"Classic Girl" ------> Boo hiss! Trite fluff.

You're on smack.

Yep. I said the same thing on an earlier Jane's thread.

Nothing's Shocking is one of the few albums I ever ended up putting on and playing bass along with in the bedroom. I think the bassline on "Had a Dad" is one of my favorites.

Perhaps you just have a fundamental aversion to the sonorities of the violin?

J Glances skeptically at "Thank You Boys . . ."

"Pigs in Zen" is fucking brilliant, Daniel, and I won't hear another word against it.

Really Alex, in what way is saying "Pigs In Zen" enjoyable saying words against it?

The endorphin rush that it gave got me over one of the hardest parts of my life.

Praise Be.

Put simply, if you don't LOVE this song, you're on so much crack your ears are full of blood (cos that's what happens, I'm told).

A telling testament to its enduring greatness: I was working on the door at my friend's club in London's trendy Shore***** last saturday, the last band finished, and on came The Flaming Lips' "The Gash", at which the whole room/queue started bobbing their shoulders like it was fuckin' Missy or something. Then the queue disappeared as everyone went in, and the Lips were followed by "Of Course"...and the room lit up in grins of "awwww, shit" recognition, and I was singing my stoopid heart out at the door, and this couple appeared around the corner towards the entrance, and they could obviously hear the tune from outside the venue, and they were grinning like fools and singing along too, and we all spotted/caught each other at the same time, and *carried on singing*...and it was beautiful.

"One must-eat-the-o-ther..."

Word.

Up The Beach/Ocean Size - These dramatic openers let you know right away that this isn't the typical 3-chord rock B.S. True power by art.

Had A Dad - Killer attitude from Perry here. The lyrics didn't do much more than depress me but the song is very hard and tight.

Ted, Just Admit It - Just listen to this song already! Bundy would have been proud. This is like Brian Wilson on better drugs. So much to say about this track, so little space. It's like one of those Paul MaCartney tunes where you love him for not making 3 or 4 songs from the one just to fill an album and cash in (now honey).

Standing In The Shower Thinking - Interesting lyrics... This one had to kinda grow on me, but I love the stuff about "power and the ways a man can use it".

Summertime Rolls - I want to make a whole album of this. This is psychedelia at it's best and also one of THE best songs by Jane's Addiction. The lyrics are enough to make me want to rehabilitate and switch to heroin if I could lay out imagery like this. And the bass!

Mountain Song - This is one of those that remind me that Dave loves Zeppelin as much as the rest of us. Perry's tone makes this even heavier. I still can't help but to think of The Beatle's "Taxman" due to the lyrics.

Idiots Rule - Absolutley perfect, has that RHCP taste but again the lyrics and Perry Farrell's vocals make this original.

Jane Says - Well you know it's like hearing Stairway - I am almost jaded to it. I was listening to this today smoking a big fatty on the way to work and it reminded me of getting out of the Military Police and into art school down in Vincennes Indiana back in '93. When I heard this and 3 Days I thought that between JA and RHCP's the world was finally saved from cheesey hair bands, and all was well. Thank you Ryan Uhte.

Thank You Boys - Even if you are not a musician you would probably dig this. Slam down a martini while this track plays and you will feel pretty good about life. And it is just one more chance to hear that perfect voice, however little.

Pig's In Zen - For those of us dreaming of Perry replacing whoever Iommi drags around these days for a lead singer: this the shizznit.

Srays is not near as good as this OR Ritual but let it grow on you for even a day and a true JA fan is hooked.

And don't buy that garbage about Ritual going stale after 3 Days. Then She Did is like 10 Years Gone, a beautiful song full of fearless emotion. Of Course is also one of my favorites. It gives me that "Paint it Black"/shaman/trance vibe that I have yet to find enough of out there.

I've heard a dozen bands cover this song and they never are able to properly capture the swing of the studio verison. Click track or not, Avery's bass is spot on. I saw Flea play it once and I don't think he hit it perfectly.

Also, Avery was a key songwriter especially in the early days. It's too bad Farrell's ego got in the way of inclusion for the reunion.

Farrell is such a shitty singer but what continually amazes me about Jane's is that his voice works in the context of the band. He's never as compelling live but damn the guy carried his weight fine on the studio stuff.

summertime rolls

I can't decide what is best, the great basswork, the beer-keg drumming, perry's yowl? Fuckin' Navarro just makes me laugh now, what a character, the guitar on this album is five inches away from cheese but it works so well; listening back to this it strikes me as such a completely radio-friendly album, Navarro borrows so many little motifs and progressions from metal.

god it's serious as serious can be.

Still a fucking masterpiece.

One day soon I'll give this another listen, because even back when I used to listen to funk-metal (you know, when funk-metal bands roamed the earth) I never quite got this group. I mean, I like some stuff, but don't really understand the passion people feel for them. What did they do right that other bands (say, the Chili Peppers) do wrong? Or am I going about this the wrong way? [Innocent question, btw, before people pounce.) Maybe it's just hard for me to process, given how generally insufferable Perry seems?

If memory serves - and again, it's been a while - I liked the high points of album number two a lot more, uneven though the album may be. For example, I at least remember liking "Three Days," even if it's been well over a decade since I hear it.

^^^ Third album.

Exactly.

"Three Days" is like "Starship Trooper," you know? All these interesting bits, virtually any one of which a lesser band would've build a whole song around. I frankly don't see any real comparison between Jane's and RHCP, other than the fact that they're almost contemporaneous and from LA. RCHP were punks who loved funk. Jane's was a rock band, and during their heyday, one with three pretty good instrumentalists. (If you listen to Strays, I think it's immediately apparent how important Eric Avery's loping bass lines were to the band's sound. The new guy just kind of anchored the low end, for the most part, and it just wasn't that interesting any more.)

RCHP were punks who loved funk. Jane's was a rock band

Not sure of the distinction here. Unless you're saying that Jane's were secret shredders or something, but the guitarists/bassists in both bands are equally choperific rock monsters, at least to my ears.

This album ruled my days and nights for about three years. At eighteen I found it alternately terrifying and elating. A total, unmitigated, stone-cold classic.

That said, I had to quit it altogether, one of the few records I hold in such esteem that I NEVER listen to it...I dunno maybe out of fear that if I bring less than my best attention to it I am letting us both down...

wrt funk-metal PLEASE stop that & keep it away from this band. With the exception of a few tracks ("Shower," "Idiots," "Stealing"), Eric A. never went there. It's like calling Zeppelin the same thing for "The Crunge" and "Trampled Underfoot."

Flea is a rock monster?? Hmmmm...

Eric A. had close to zero chops but more sensibility and ROCK in his little toenail.

Also, Navarro & Perkins weren't "secret" shredders...they were drafted into Perry's project precisely for their metal musicianship with the knowledge he could use them as he pleased.

One can only imagine what his big toenail was capable of.

you can italicize thread titles? intersting

Big toenail was capable of Alanis Morissette...?

Also it auditioned for Metallica.

Little toenail >>>>>>> big toenail

You Won eBay Item:Janes Addiction vintage concert rock tee T shirt Medium (330324412242)

"Three Days" is like "Starship Trooper"=otm. "then she did" is sorta like "south side of the sky" too. never got into this one as much though

How many people still use "I'm in the midst of a traaaau-ma, leave a message I'll call you back" on their voicemail?

and the water is so fucking hot