Listen and Learn

I'm pretty sure no-one ever reads this rubbish I sporadically spout, but I'm not really that concerned. I'm not even sure why I do it, but for anyone who stumbles upon this, I'm going to share some thoughts about Jane's Addiction.

You know that there's something tragically wrong with the general public's consciousness when a group as woefully bland as the Red Hot Chili Peppers have somehow managed to become one of the largest bands in the world, and an outfit such as Jane's Addiction couldn't quite reach those heights. There are reasons behind this of course. Jane's Addiction were a popular band in the late-80's and early-90's. They sold a few million records, toured extensively and singer Perry Farrell realised the potential and founded the massively successful US touring festival Lollapalooza. Fuck, even guitarist Dave Navarro ended up joining the aforementioned RHCP in 1995. They also sadly split up in their prime, succumbing to the usual trappings - drugs, drugs, and more drugs.

My problem with this situation is not that they didn't get the recognition that they deserved, as they have this in spades. My problem is with that of the RHCP fan. I have unfortunately met over the course of my life a few very misguided people who wholeheartedly believe that music starts and ends with the overly-macho testosterone fuelled shit-fest that is the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I have had arguments/discussions with these people about the merits of bands like Jane's Addiction and Faith No More, both groundbreaking bands who I feel were unfairly lumped in with the early-90's 'funk-rap-rock' of the Chili Peppers, but for most of the RHCP fans out there seem to pale in comparison.

Whereas RHCP have songs like 'Sir Psycho Sexy' and 'Catholic Schoolgirls Rule', songs which deal with base-level degrading of women, Jane's had songs that were more heartfelt, spiritual and thought-provoking. This is not to say that they haven't had their share of frivolity either - witness 'Been Caught Stealing' and 'Idiots Rule' for example.

The first two studio albums, 'Nothing's Shocking' and 'Ritual De Lo Habitual' are essential listening for anyone with even a passing interest in alternative rock, but 'Strays', released upon their reformation in 2003, should be approached with caution. It's not a terrible album, but compared to the first two it really doesn't compare. If you've got the time, listen below to 'Three Days'.