N - nothing's shocking, jane's addiction (1988)

nothing's shocking. except for the fact that i haven't listened to this album in literally about four years. and oh my god what an album it is. it's. just. so. good. like all good children of the 80s, this was a teenage staple for me, and for many many years jane's addiction were, like, my favourite band everrrrrr.

i am so glad to've rediscovered this album. it's an unconventional classic; a little bit grunge-y, a little bit funk-y, a little bit ballad-y, and a little bit rock n roll. classic 80s stuff. as the name would imply, it's flamboyant and impertinent and reeks of perry farrell just sticking it to the man - one look at the cover (featuring naked siamese twins with their heads on fire) would indicate that the album was exactly out to shock. but at the same time it's full of cleverly written songs and an abundance of musical talent. 'summertime rolls' has always been one of my favourites - a slightly hypnotic, sublime understated love song. 'standing in the shower... thinking' is an excellent catchy tune contrasting the daily grind with some kind of deeper philosophical thoughts; kind of a weird combination but it's bang on the money lyrically, and totally underrated in my opinion. 'been caught stealing', 'mountain song', 'had a dad' ... all up there amongst my favorites. and for all its gritty junkie imagery, 'jane says' is a beautifully written guitar-driven ballad, poignant in all of its 2-chord-simplicity.



seeing jane's addiction live in 2003 was another of those life defining moments. i was young and hardcore. i remember anchoring myself against a rail in the front row, holding on for dear life, and refusing twice to be pulled out by the security guard, before finally acquiesing only after the show had finished. i'm pretty sure i cracked a rib. it was awesome. and i have dave navarro's pick as my battle souvenir.

it came as no surprise to me to learn that this album was produced by the same guy who produced a lot of david byrne and brian eno work, dave jerden. it's got that same slightly irreverent, off the wall feel to it. it's unmistakably farrell-driven - and trust me he is quite the showman - but it's an album that showcases the individual talents of all four band members. much as i love perry, back in the day jane's addiction for me was (and kind of still is) all about dave navarro. apart from being a bit of a babe, this guy is one seriously talented guitarist. for all of its musical complexity, this is a guitar-driven album, full of some outrageous solos and catchy riffs, and navarro was an absolute joy to watch live. flawless.

dave navarro: what's not to love?

ranging from dark to tender, this is a sometimes challenging album that can require the right mood. it strikes me that nothing about this band, or indeed the creation of this album, came particularly easily or naturally. in some respects, that flows on into the album - it's not always an easy listen. but it was one of my favourites for a very long time, and i can see why. it's clever, it's musically diverse, and it's driven by four extremely talented individuals. i still can't believe i left it sitting dormant in my ipod for as long as i did. shame on me.