Album of the week -- Jane's Addiction -- Ritual de lo Habitual (1990)

Sometimes certain times of the year remind me of certain albums. The end of summer and beginning of the school year will always remind me of "Ritual de lo Habitual" because that is when it was released in 1990 -- the year I graduated from high school and started college. It was the first major transition in my life and I have many detailed memories of that fall. This album is definitely one of the highlights.

I had been a Jane's fan since I was a junior in high school when a friend in my english class gave me the first EP "Jane's Addiction" and the second album "Nothing's Shocking" to borrow on tape. I can easily say that hearing the Los Angeles band wasn't like anything I had ever heard before and they instantly caught my ear with their triptified rendition of The Velvet Underground's "Rock and Roll" on their first EP.

The original line-up of Jane's Addiction featured so much creative craziness and musicians who completely mastered their instruments and this combination allowed the band to define a style all its own. It's metal, funk and rock without actually being too much of any of these sprinkled with generous amounts of Jane's signature brand of experimental sound that includes all sorts of interesting vocal and guitar effects that are carefully not overblown. I will always think that "Three Days" is a masterpiece on par with Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" in the fact that is also a 10 minute brilliant epic that never has a dull moment and one you want to turn way up and completely sink yourself into.

Like The Pixies, Jane's Addiction had their time in the sun and sadly it ended pretty quicky with this album. Farrell's Porno for Pyros never came any where near the excellence of his former band. Navarro paid the Chili Peppers a favor by filling in for an album, but never sounded as good as he did on this album and "Nothing's Shocking". I always thought the combination of Eric Avery on bass and Stephen Perkins on drums was the underlying rhythmic foundation that really sealed the Jane's Addiction deal with Navarro as the most unpretentious ass- kicking lead guitarist who never filled the roll of the hot dog virtuoso by his cool way of sitting back and letting all three instrumentalists meld a sound that was completely unique.

One of "Rituals" great strengths is the diversity of sounds throughout and the way one song leads into the next. "Stop" gets the bands rocks off as the first song of the album and so do most other songs on the first side. "Ain't No Right" shows Avery's amazing bass stylings that do anything but just sit back and follow Navarro. "Been Caught Stealing" is the humor and weirdness of Farrell rising to the top as a sample of dogs barking opens this track and this song has an accompanying video that is one of the funniest and weirdest that came from the '90s (anyone remember their choreographed moves with the "stolen" bunches of carrots -- awesome!).

"Three Days" begins a more serious, moody feel with "Of Course" and "Classic Girl" winding the album down in slower songs, some of which sound cermonial with chants and strange European carnival sounding violin. It was the perfect parallel to a time in my life of new expermentations and being able to break the rules and get away with it as this band did throughout its short career.

I hope that Eric Avery can put whatever diffences he has with the band to rest so they can reunite. The band came out with a new album called "Strays" a few years back, but there was no magic to be heard that came anywhere close to their first three releases. Let's forget about Lollapolooza complexities, Dave Navarro starring in way too many reality shows for his own sexy vampire good and that mainstream radio might never touch these guys again.

The Pixies reunion last year showed that bands can still sound hot as ever even after a 12 year hiatus and I hope Jane's Addiction comes to the same conclusion for the good of those of us that still want to experience a real rock show, not some rap metal crap that is trying, but failing, to wear the rock crown that will always have a place atop Perry Farrell's head (along with his white feather pimp hat).


(After writing this entry, I looked back on the release date of Ritual and it was August 21, 1990 -- 15 years ago to the very date. I knew I was close, but damn ... that's weird.)