Album Reviews
View Ritual de lo Habitual finds Jane's Addiction thin and wandering, blowing ploys that worked before – overdubs and echoes, loose jamming, Farrell's playground melodies. Split into a hard-rockin' side and a prog-rock side, the album doesn't cohere – whatever the band members have been doing for the last two years, they haven't been practicing much. Sure, there are moments – the opener, "Stop," has an amazing bridge, "Ain't No Right" admirably sums up Farrell's creed ("Ain't no right/Ain't no wrong/There's just pleasure and pain") and "Been Caught Stealing" is a real jewel. A shuffling, upbeat bouncer with silly jazz chords and the best use of dog barks since Pet Sounds, the song expresses a bare logic of desire ("I want something and don't want to pay for it") that makes shoplifting seem as fun as collecting tadpoles.
Side 2's miasma begins with "Three Days," which starts out as fine, tempo-twisting bongload metal but loses it after Stephen Perkins's great percussion solo. I haven't been able to get through the rest of the side without nodding out – the dreaminess is pleasant enough, but I expected more. Unlike King's X or Faith No More, Jane's Addiction hasn't figured out that a successful prog-metal fusion requires tightness. The great bits here – gypsy fiddles, "Aladdin Sane" piano flurries, strange lyrics about crickets' bones and an erotic Jesus – are overwhelmed by meandering vocal melodies, orchestral keyboards and David Navarro's rote guitar wanking. Two-thirds of the way through, Ritual de lo Habitual starts sounding like a fourteen-hour layover in Kashmir, a long-distance runaround with only Juggs magazine and a pack of purple Bubblicious to pass the time.
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Review 1 of 4
evolDiesel writes:
Erik - wtf!? If you think BCS is a highlight on this album, you didn't listen to it much (or go see a show).
The album (read: album, not CD) is broken up into the A-side and B-side. That's why it's not as contiguous... as say... Green Day? I don't know. Other one trick ponies.
The first 1/2 is upbeat and energetic. Sure enough.. if you went to any of these shows in 1990, you witnessed a mob of fans jumping up and down in unison and smiling (not like today.. where success is built off one fan physically assualting another fan - but this is another topic).
The second 1/2 is a dreamy and introspective billing of material with dare I say, original, personal, and very reflective lyrics (why do people not like these lyrics?).
I also can't believe that you would elude to Nothings Shocking as being better than Ritual.
They are all good in their own right, all very different (IMO), but Ritual has them going out on top (lolapalooza..sp.. there was no way they coulnd't have been the headliner of that wildly successful music festival) and making you wonder where they WOULD HAVE gone if they would have stuck around for Nirvana and the whirlwind that was ultra popular alternative rock.
Speaking of Nirvana... I always thought the final (I like to think Ritual was their final album, though we know it's not) was a lot like Nirvana's final album (In Utero). Musically they are very different... but where they ended up was the same. They were both dark, strange albums, that weren't well recieved... but everyone in the know thought they [these two albums] were brilliant and an intersting departure from their [respective] previous offerings.
May 31, 2008 11:55:19
Review 2 of 4
holdengreen writes:
Erik Davis....what where you thinking? Ritual De Lo Habitual was a groundbreaking album. Three Days, Classic Girl, Then She Did, and Of Course are truly amazing pieces of music. This album paved the way for experimentation and creativity amongst a new generation of musicians.
Apr 22, 2008 12:13:16
Review 3 of 4
JRcrash writes:
If you think been caught stealing was thier best song, you haven't listened much to thier music. This was one of the greatest bands that managed to slip by because they didn't sell out or alter thier music in order to get more exposure. Thats why overrated bands like Nirvana get placed in the top 10 while JA sinks down into the 400's. But it is because they didn't sell out that they remained true to thier art that thier songs are just as powerfull today as they were 20 years ago.
Apr 14, 2008 01:15:48
Review 4 of 4
ugenesfun writes:
If you listen to Red Hot Chili Peppers, it is difficult to see where One Hot Minute came from. The truth is it came from here- Jane's Addiction. Both the Pepper's album and the band featured Dave Navarro on guitar, and One Hot Minute is truly inspired by this album. The first half of the album is made up of funk and pychedelia, whereas the second half is a mix more experimental, mellow rock. Both elements are incorporated in the Pepper's album.
Unfortunately, this abum hasnt had a big effect on musical society, and has received a lot of negative critical reception. Farrel's vocals are difficult to get used to at first, but they are fantastic in their own right. Like all new forms of music, it is hard to comprehend, but give it a few listens, each and every song is fantastic.
Mar 9, 2008 06:45:56
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