poseurs is the word !
― DJ Martian (djmartian), Wednesday, 9 July 2003 20:53 (twenty years ago) link
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 9 July 2003 21:02 (twenty years ago) link
A couple of times after songs when Perry would be doing some smacked out spiel, I swear it look like Eric A wanted to kill him. It was pretty obvious that he was not very happy.
All that said, they still sounded pretty good.
― earlnash, Wednesday, 9 July 2003 21:40 (twenty years ago) link
― Andrew Frye (paul cox), Wednesday, 9 July 2003 21:47 (twenty years ago) link
That cover is fucking hideous, as well.
― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 9 July 2003 22:24 (twenty years ago) link
― alex y, Saturday, 12 July 2003 10:32 (twenty years ago) link
― Da Capo, Sunday, 13 July 2003 17:46 (twenty years ago) link
But Just Because is unbelievable. It's a top tenner next week, of that I am almost certain.
― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 13 July 2003 18:04 (twenty years ago) link
― stevem (blueski), Sunday, 13 July 2003 18:40 (twenty years ago) link
― rapunzel, Thursday, 17 July 2003 17:43 (twenty years ago) link
― Billy S Loane, Thursday, 17 July 2003 17:55 (twenty years ago) link
― gerry c, Saturday, 19 July 2003 14:50 (twenty years ago) link
The guitars sound pretty good and Navarro seems to have finally found his footing again after some pretty embarrassing moments during the 90's. I can't really say anything bad about Steve Perkins' drumming, he's great as usual.
Perry's vocals are a little disappointing. Again, they're not terrible but it's as if some of the menace has been taken out of his voice. Perry sounds a lot more radio-friendly than he has in the past. The only reason I like them at all is because in places he almost sounds like his old self.
It's been discussed at length on other threads exactly what Eric Avery meant to this band so there's no need to get into here again but if anyone ever doubted the giant impact that he had on Jane's Addiction's sound, then "Strays" should set you straight. This is the first Jane's album that doesn't have a single memorable bassline. So many of their greatest songs can easily be identified by a signature bass motif. "Mountain Song", "Whores", "Ted, Just Admit It", "Been Caught Stealing", "Summertime Rolls", "Ain't No Right"...
...On "Strays", Chris Chaney's playing is competent but never threatens to capture your imagination for a second. Any session player could have sat in and performed the same job. Chaney fails to put his stamp on any song. Eric's lines were like an anchor, a solid foundation which gave the others a chance to venture off into places unknown and in many cases, defined the song itself.
Maybe it's just me, or the passage of time or maybe the world that Jane's Addiction used to rule over just doesn't exist anymore. I remember when this band used to sound and feel dangerous. I remember hearing their songs on the radio or seeing the videos on TV and feeling as though we'd gotten away with something. It was as if through some oversight, someone had accidentally let this subversive band of freaks gain access to the airwaves. If our parents, teachers or the guys in suits had any real inkling of what was going on, they woulda shut the whole thing down. That's the Jane's Addiction that I love(d). That band would never have made an album like "Strays".
Jane's Addiction records have always been full of an explosive energy. When the wall of sound comes crashing down after the intro to "Ocean Size", that feeling is unexplicable. "Strays" doesn't have a single moment like that.
Having said all of this, I'm still in favour of the reunion. I know that a lot of people disagree with it but I think it's good, especially for people who discovered this band after 1991, to have a chance to see them and experience, at least in some way, what made them so great. I caught them in their current incarnation last year and even without Eric, they are still a force to be reckoned with live.
"Strays" is a pretty good album. There are a number of bands out there for whom this would represent a career highlight. It's just that when the band in question is Jane's Addiction, pretty good represents a significant step backwards. I couldn't help but notice some of the laudatory remarks for it on this thread. For those of you who believe that this is a great Jane's Addiction album, go home, listen to the old ones and cry for what once was.
― J-rock (Julien Sandiford), Tuesday, 5 August 2003 04:19 (twenty years ago) link
A-freaking-men.
Great post, this. Write more for other things, I tell you. :-)
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 5 August 2003 04:22 (twenty years ago) link
― J-rock (Julien Sandiford), Tuesday, 5 August 2003 04:27 (twenty years ago) link
― Chris V. (Chris V), Tuesday, 5 August 2003 11:43 (twenty years ago) link
Strays is entertaining, I love Price I Pay and The Riches. When Superhero kicked off I thought I was about to hear a cover of N.I.B.True Nature is very good also. I still can't help but think of Nuno bettencourt (Extreme) when closely inspecting the tone on a lot of Dave's guitars. I also get the dreadful feeling that they were overlistening to their own classic material in attempt to "do it again". They come close but it is a tad bit too commercial for Jane's Addiction. Nevertheless, I still preach the good word, in spite of my deep respect for the choice that Eric has made. After all he actually knows these guys. Being in a band is like a marriage times 4 and musicians in general are alien so I don't judge. It is amazing that ANY band ever succeeds in my book and like all the greats I could never decide which guy in JA I would replace when I got my time machine working.
― S. Herman Smith, Tuesday, 12 August 2003 05:12 (twenty years ago) link
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 11:47 (twenty years ago) link
― Chris V. (Chris V), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 11:48 (twenty years ago) link
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 11:49 (twenty years ago) link
― The Brainwasher (Twilight), Sunday, 24 July 2005 19:22 (eighteen years ago) link
― Horridmonsta (CGC), Sunday, 24 July 2005 19:28 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 24 July 2005 20:54 (eighteen years ago) link
― Lollapaloser, Monday, 25 July 2005 02:01 (eighteen years ago) link
― Lollapaloser, Monday, 25 July 2005 02:02 (eighteen years ago) link
Have you seen my wig around?
― ncxkd, Monday, 21 October 2019 01:28 (four years ago) link
Extraordinary amount of love itt for the 6/10 album "Strays" (2003)
― umsworth (emsworth), Monday, 21 October 2019 01:55 (four years ago) link
I swear my first response to this was that it was Dave Navarro posing with his mom:
Our friendship has never been better. We even put our arms around each other (While his arms were still wrapped around his model). We got together again this past Friday the 13th to record. Thinking about the next part;? “Tele- it needs a Tele” and pulled the Tele off the wall.. pic.twitter.com/sEluwS16D8— Perry Farrell (@perryfarrell) August 15, 2021
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 16 August 2021 15:03 (two years ago) link
Tig Notaro and Martin Starr are in a band together?
― Jaime Pressly and America (f. hazel), Monday, 16 August 2021 15:15 (two years ago) link
They better run a Void-Kampff test on Perry, I think his face has passed the uncanny valley and he is looking younger than back in '88.
― earlnash, Tuesday, 17 August 2021 00:25 (two years ago) link
part Rob Lowe in Parks and Rec, part Jane Lynch
― assert (matttkkkk), Tuesday, 17 August 2021 00:46 (two years ago) link
A hint of latter-day Mike D in there too
― Maresn3st, Tuesday, 17 August 2021 11:02 (two years ago) link
Dave Navarro posing with his mom:
Dave Navarro mom jokes are pretty tasteless, imo.
― peace, man, Tuesday, 17 August 2021 11:46 (two years ago) link
The total extent of my knowledge of Dave Navarro is that he was in Jane's Addiction and the RHCP, has a bunch of tattoos and piercings and dated Carmen Electra or something. Maybe was a reality show judge at some point?
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 17 August 2021 11:58 (two years ago) link
I should have figured it was unintentional. Add to that that his mom was murdered by her ex-boyfriend when Dave was 15.
― peace, man, Tuesday, 17 August 2021 12:06 (two years ago) link