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Album Review
by SashaS
22-7-2003
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| Jane's Addiction's 'Strays': ace return |
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Jane’s Addiction: 'Strays'
(Parlophone)
Jane’s Addiction: relapsing into rock Babylon
During their second-ever London show, at the ICA, the fire alarm goes off and all, including the band and its crew, get evacuated to Waterloo Place while the Fire Brigade sorts it out. Declared false alarm after some half hour, the band picked up without missing a beat to deliver an incredible performance. That band was – Jane’s Addiction; the date, 20 January 1989.
It’s almost fifteen years later and the band, after a decade apart, are back together and the feel of the comeback album is like after that pause the fire alarm caused on the historic night, by all recollections. Jane’s Addiction continue as they’ve never been apart, simply regrouping and carrying on. On a higher level, of course, after a number of solo efforts and playing with different people: Dave Navarro with Red Hot Chili Peppers, for instance.
And that could well be the band that benefited the most from Jane’s dormant state by being shown the way to solid-but-clever, hard-but-grandiose, and with elements of funk and psychedelia, rocking. Now that RHCP have sold their souls to the Satan of Charts, it is more than good to have Perry Farrell and the boys back: ‘Strays’ is so spirit enriching, soul invigorating to listen to songs packing inventive guitar over Chinese Wall strong rhythm section with a singer over it who comes from the school of Robert Plant and Jim Morrison. Plus, a touch of Roky Erickson added to his vision.
Original bassist Eric Avery wasn’t interested in “relapsing” (the band’s terminology) and we are pleased to discover the new member, Chris Chaney, settled in nicely and featuring prominently on few songs, such as ‘Price I Pay’, one of the more epic tracks that takes Led Zeppelin’s template and transports it past… er, anno Domini! He is also ripping through ‘The Riches’ that deeps into a ‘stoner’ realm before slowing down to a very emo-level. Wild in rock Babylon blasts ‘Superhero’, decidedly funky-cum-cabaret goes ‘Suffer Some’ with its chilling “May be the last song you’ll be sung”; ‘Hypersonic’ burns like a disgruntled grungers duelling with punkers and the vigorous and life-affirming ‘Just Because’ is probably the best single of the year!
Instrumental interplays are audacious and indicate, among many other things, where Rage Against The Machine got some of their ideas (guitarist Tom Morello, now of AudioSlave, is only too eager to own up), ‘Wrong Girl’ in particular; arrangements are gutsy and complex but never overbearing and for the impression’s sake alone. JA simply broaden categories, re-define, open them up, refine neo-largesse, that is not a surprise as they’ve always been one of the most intelligent and informed bands around. And, ever.
Dave Navarro, whom Farrell considers “the best guitarist in the world” and is not far off the mark, bends the notes and produces sounds hardly anyone is attempting nowadays, bar aforementioned Morello, the pure Hendrixisms. ‘Strays’ is a brill disc with a single weaker track, ‘Everybody’s Friend’: a Beatles-like tune, as if written by the late George Harrison, that is a tad too much of a hippy-anthem. Still, even songs like these have a purpose of providing a platform for Farrell to serve irony and warped humour.
Jane’s Addiction have re-found its fortune at the same place Harry Potter got his wand!
9/10
SashaS
22-7-2003
Jane’s Addiction album ‘Strays’ is available now on Parlophone/Capitol
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