JANE’S ADDICTION –
NOTHING’S SHOCKING (WARNERS)
In the prime era of
the alternative nation there was little more exhilarating than hearing the
voice of Perry Farrell in full flight.
The aural assertion and sonic soar would often be a breathtaking experience
as the music of Jane’s Addiction would rise to heady heights in astounding
fashion. This was an expansive sound
seen and heard nowhere else (past or present).
In times before auto-tune his voice was a major instrument, a true
weapon of incredible awe. Then no
sooner would the music peak, it would come crashing down unleashing strands
resembling some shocking dispatch of trepidation to lurch the listener to an
else induced dark state.
Jane’s Addiction was
always a dark proposition. In order for
music to fly like this, there had to be narcotics and mind expansion
involved. And looking at the band,
listening to their words, they weren’t necessarily concealing their
methods. With their indulgence came a
strong creativity and decadence.
In the pairing of
Perry Farrell and Dave Navarro here was a modern version of Plant and Page, one
that had experienced punk but not drowned in its ethos. Basically this was the latest (then current)
in a long list of toxic front line duos.
One steered while the other accelerated even if the roles weren’t
particularly clear or defined.
At the same time the
secret weapon of the unit is Eric Avery who fills out and often opens several
songs giving them a magnificent bedding.
Such a stand out performance came amid apparent tensions between him and
Farrell over a variety of issues stemming from royalties and naturally ending
with women.
Track for track this
album is far stronger than you will probably remember. After the initial surfing curve of “Up The
Beach” (a definite intro track) it quickly storms into action with a powerful
selection of explosive hits. This is a
record by a band basking in the seedy undergrowth. That said, the unabashed solos should really have been a no no.
Then it kicks into
overdrive with “Ocean Size” and indeed a song that sounds and feels like a good
day at the beach. Not even the
overwhelming Navarro solo towards the end can blunt the aspiration of the huge
sound. And this is motion maintain as
“Had A Dad” stomps in all reflective, rocking a jubilant big bounce and
explosive gestures. Within this is an
early mention of mountains in addition to heavy nods to certain influencing
issues. Then they declare “God is
dead”. These poor lost souls.
The towering
centrepiece of the record is “Ted, Just Admit It…” which displays the band at
its most devastating. As Navarro
launches a transcending lick over proceedings that feels like an angel towering
above, observing the scene Farrell drops in with the observation that
“everybody’s so full of shit” before a sample of Ted Bundy informing that there
are going to be “people turning up” all over the spectrum. The legend is that the band included this
sample uncleared because they had heard Bundy insisted in defending himself in
court and perversely they wanted to be in the position of being sued by the man
himself. It didn’t happen. However what does occur is Farrell launching
into the mantra of “nothing’s shocking” seemingly pre-empting the jaded
generations that were to come. This is
a truly disturbing and scary song. Its
sentiments are born to horrify and over the course of seven minutes and
nineteen seconds it accomplishes just that.
And no one is innocent as “everybody, everybody” is repeated over and
over. Eventually the song explodes into
the conclusion that “sex is violent” working a nod to harmful motions and the
seedy things of life. Away from here
the song was used particularly effectively a few years later on the soundtrack
of Natural Born Killers do accompany a heinous and guilt laden act. To sing “show me everybody naked and
disfigured” is a levelling gesture, very reductive and surface level harmful to
anyone or anything in its path. To
unnerve appears its intention. Mission
accomplished.
As the listener
recovers the album unfortunately hits its first bum note with “Standing In The
Shower…Thinking”. It is a hack standard
jaunt, easily tossed off and thrown away.
Then thankfully bliss ensues with the “Summertime Rolls” and a pleasant
close to Side A. Its dragged out
introduction sounds almost post-rock and something I always swore Mogwai
“borrowed” from. “Summertime Rolls”
calms things with more beachy imagery suggesting the kind of festival mindset
that was likely to bear Lollapalooza.
“Mountain
Song” begins the second side in explosive fashion. By this stage the mountain obsession
suggests a band so high that they appear to believe that they can fly. And who would deny them?
It has to be said
after the powerful surge of the first half of the album, the momentum sadly
does not maintain. “Idiots Rule” is
lively and “Jane Says” the acoustic number does suggest higher meaning and
explanation but somewhat at the listeners expense. Its not that it’s a bad song, it just cuts into the flow. And the less said about the backslapping
minute of “Thank You Boys” the better.
Finally it all comes
to an end with “Pigs In Zen” which gives the record one final shot in the arm
which a lurching and explorative gesture.
It comes complete with another great line from Farrell in “some people
should die, that’s just unconscious knowledge.” Destructive to the end, coming from the Manson generation
influenced to the end.
I think essentially
time has not been kind to them as when alternative rock was taking over the
world (the asylum) it was doing so in a less jubilant/triumphant manner and this
was just a band too colourful for the version of darkness that was beginning to
consume. Even if they weren’t happy,
they were striving to be happy which just made them too popular for the climate
and environment. However they did
manage to avoid the trappings and pitfalls that the Red Hot Chili Peppers
critically fell into, although Jane’s Addiction possibly achieved this by
imploding rather than done out of choice (and not chasing the dollar).
This was a good place
to be. Bands aren’t allowed to do this
anymore.
Thesaurus moment:
offend.
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