Jane's Addiction 'Ritual de lo Habitual'

Started by revolt_again, March 19, 2014, 11:34:08

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revolt_again

Jane's Addiction 1990 album 'Ritual de lo Habitual' is one of those early 90s albums that has stood the test of time. It's particularly interesting in that it shows the amalgamation of many different stylistic influences (be it hard rock, progressive rock and post-punk) without ever sounding derivative. If singles like the rocking 'Stop!' and 'Been Caught Stealing' display the power this band could achieve when they simply wanted to rock out, it's however longer and more atmospheric tracks such as 'Three Days' and 'Then She Did...' that prove how brilliant the band could be.

On a side but relevant note, it's curious to remember that guitarist Dave Navarro has frequently cited Jimi Hendrix, Daniel Ash and Robert Smith as his main artistic influences...And singer Perry Farrel's high-pitched voice may take some time to get used to, but the effort in listening will eventually pay off (and by the way, rather then other Jane's Addiction albums, which don't do very much for me, I'd recommend instead as further listening Farrel's 1992-1998 group, Porno For Pyros, also very interesting in its incorporation of a post-punk influence without sounding like a copy – their 1993 eponymous album is particularly good).

Anyway, here goes an youtube link to what may well be JA's very best song ever, 'Three Days':

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmvG2GZ3S7o


Ulrich

Coincidence or not, just recently I thought about digging out my copy of this album to give it a re-listen! (Must do so soon.)  :smth020
I bought this in 1991 (not long after I got my first cd player). Actually I remember seeing a pic of Robert Smith with this album in his hand in 1990 (from when The Cure had their own pirate radio show for a few hours, as a promo for "Mixed Up"), this alone made me curious (of course favourable reviews etc. added to me buying it).
Unfortunately I can't find said pic in the internet, but at least an article in which it is mentioned that they played Jane's Addiction in their radio show 'Cure FM':
http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/2010/08/31/cure-fm-pirate-radio-mixed-up-robert-smith/

Quote...the band proceeded to play all of Mixed Up for the first time publicly, as well as The Doors' "Hello, I Love You" and their own newly recorded cover of it (for the Elektra Records compilation Rubaiyat).

Also on the playlist, according to this Vox write-up of the broadcast: Dinosaur Jr's cover of "Just Like Heaven," The Human League's "Human," Digital Underground's "The Humpty Dance," De La Soul's "Eye Know," "a number of Jimi Hendrix songs" plus tracks from Jane's Addiction's then-new Ritual de lo Habitual.
:smth023
The holy city breathed like a dying man...

revolt_again

Quote from: Ulrich on March 19, 2014, 13:41:32
Coincidence or not, just recently I thought about digging out my copy of this album to give it a re-listen! (Must do so soon.)  :smth020
I bought this in 1991 (not long after I got my first cd player). Actually I remember seeing a pic of Robert Smith with this album in his hand in 1990 (from when The Cure had their own pirate radio show for a few hours, as a promo for "Mixed Up"), this alone made me curious (of course favourable reviews etc. added to me buying it).
Unfortunately I can't find said pic in the internet, but at least an article in which it is mentioned that they played Jane's Addiction in their radio show 'Cure FM':
http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/2010/08/31/cure-fm-pirate-radio-mixed-up-robert-smith/

Quote...the band proceeded to play all of Mixed Up for the first time publicly, as well as The Doors' "Hello, I Love You" and their own newly recorded cover of it (for the Elektra Records compilation Rubaiyat).

Also on the playlist, according to this Vox write-up of the broadcast: Dinosaur Jr's cover of "Just Like Heaven," The Human League's "Human," Digital Underground's "The Humpty Dance," De La Soul's "Eye Know," "a number of Jimi Hendrix songs" plus tracks from Jane's Addiction's then-new Ritual de lo Habitual.
:smth023


Cool stuff! I had no idea that the Cure actually liked Jane's Addiction...

Ulrich

http://www.laweekly.com/music/ritual-de-lo-habitual-25-years-later-producer-dave-jerden-looks-back-5916964

QuoteThere was a strong punk ethic going on at the time of that record, and I was trying to keep things sonically down and dirty, almost aggravating on the first album. And then on the second album when you move into side two with "Then She Did..." and "Three Days," "Classic Girl," those are more epic songs.

When I was first presented the songs on a cassette that I got from Perry before I did Nothing's Shocking, basically there was like 18 songs on this cassette and half of them, nine songs went on Nothing's Shocking and the other nine went on the Ritual album. And I think what we did, songs like "Then She Did..." were kind of put off for a more production thing. But I wanted us to keep extending. I don't think the band were ready on the first album to do a song like "Three Days" like they were on the second album. That's just my impression.

Do you prefer Ritual or Nothing's Shocking?

My favorite record out of the two is the Ritual album. In fact, out of every record I've ever done it's my favorite. It has this strange vibe to it that I can't put my finger on ... it's like it's coming from someplace else. How that happened I'm not exactly sure. If I could write down the formula for that I would use it every time, but something really happened on that record. What you hear on "Three Days" basically was one take.
...
The holy city breathed like a dying man...