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"WILD YEARS-THE MUSIC & MYTH OF TOM WAITS" BY Jay S. Jacobs

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PopEntertainment.com > Reviews > Record Reviews > Jane's Addiction

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Jane's Addiction-Up From the Catacombs: The Best of... (Rhino)

Jane's Addiction never quite lived up to the hype when in 1987 Rolling Stone did a feature on them as one of two upcoming bands to watch become the next big thing on the record charts and the direction of future music. 

Trivia fact: the other, long-forgotten band was Philadelphia bar band Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers, who could never be considered a huge success, but actually did do better from a purely chart perspective, having two near-hit singles, "If We Never Meet Again" and "I'm Not Your Man."

Of course, it is silly to ever consider Jane's Addiction a singles band, so that is an unfair comparison.  Only two songs here could even be considered close to hits; "Been Caught Stealing" and "Jane Says" (the second of which is here in a live version, not the original studio recording.)  Which is why this new compilation is subtitled The Best of... rather than Greatest Hits – you need hits to have greatest hits.

Jane's Addiction was an old-fashioned album act, though.  Strewn through their classics Ritual De Lo Habitual and Nothing Shocking there were some great tunes, like the stomping "Ocean Size," the angry "Pigs In Zen," and the surprisingly delicate "Classic Girl."

However, the real reason that Jane's Addiction will be remembered in music history is for the Lollapalooza festival.  It was Farrell's brainstorm, a day-long music festival mixing bands of all sorts of genres and styles.  The first year it was Jane's Addiction's show, with groups like Jesus and Mary Chain, the Rollins Band, Living Colour and Ice-T's band Body Count opening for the host band.

Lollapalooza pretty much jump started the festival tours, but it was also the end of the band.  The band imploded soon afterward, with lead singer Perry Farrell forming a new group called Porno for Pyros (which actually had a bigger hit with "Pets" than his original band ever had) before recording some solo albums no one ever heard.  Guitarist Dave Navarro segued over to the Red Hot Chili Peppers before selling out, doing reality TV with wife Carmen Electra and Rock Star: Supernova.  Lollapalooza continued as a valid social force for a few years before fizzling out.  The members of Jane's Addiction have occasionally reformed trying to recapture the old magic, but it never quite ignites.

Jane's Addiction was always a sometimes fascinating, sometimes frustrating mess.  However, if you want to know what the hype was all about, this is as good a place to start as any.  (10/06)

Jay S. Jacobs

Copyright © 2006 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved.  Posted: October 21, 2006.

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Copyright © 2006 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved.  Posted: October 21, 2006.