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Nothing's Shocking

Jane's Addiction

1988

Buy At Rough Trade
Nothing's Shocking
Album Summary

Nothing's Shocking is the debut studio album by American alternative rock band Jane's Addiction, released on August 23, 1988 through Warner Bros. Records. Nothing's Shocking was well received by critics and peaked at number 103 on the Billboard 200. The single "Jane Says" reached number six on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks in 1988. Rolling Stone ranked it #312 on its "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".

Wikipedia

Rating

3.16

Votes

10569
Genres
Hard Rock

Reviews

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Wed Feb 03 2021
5

Jane Says, Apparently I should have listened to the entire album much sooner.

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Wed May 26 2021
5

Nobody knew what the hell was going on with this band as they were ahead of their peers shedding glam metal but still rocking hard pre-grunge. I feel bad for the folks who didn't hear this at its release in their or a friend's basement with their eyes wide and jaws dropped. It must have been like hearing The Beatles contemporaneously.

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Wed Jun 23 2021
2

Groovy jams and tribal drums add some spice but Perry's vocals and Navarro's endless noodling become tiresome. "Mountain Man's" bass driven intro is my favourite moment on this record and "Jane Says" is easily the stand out track. Essentially this album serves as a wonky bridge between the alt-funk and hair metal of the 80s and 90s alternative. ⭐⭐

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Wed Mar 24 2021
5

I cannot over emphasize the importance of this album. I wish I could say that I found it when it was released, because it really was at the beginning of the next wave of rock. A time in music that changed me, and my relationship with music.

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Sun Oct 03 2021
5

I became familiar with Jane's Addiction in the 90s, when they were mainstays on the radio. I was shocked when I found out that they were actually an 80s band. It must have been a shock (no pun intended) when Nothing's Shocking came out in 1988. Nothing sounded remotely like it at the time. The rhythm section is massive and thunderous. Dave Navarro's blazing leads ratchet up the energy to nosebleed levels on tunes like Standing In The Shower...Thinking and Had A Dad. And Perry Farrell, as irritating as he can be, has the voice needed to cut through it all. If that was all there was to Jane's Addiction, it would be enough, but they excel at atmospheric brooding as well. Jane Says is the most heartbreaking, truthful song about addiction I know of. Summertime Rolls is haunting. They even include a little bit of funk in Idiots Rule. And as varied as it is, Nothing's Shocking is remarkably consistent in quality. The only dog is the mercifully short Thank You Boys, a tongue in cheek lounge tune which quickly reveals the limits of these musicians. Other than that, Jane's Addiction take no prisoners. Given their obvious talent and passion, they should have had a long career (they self-destructed after Ritual De Lo Habitual), but at least they left us a near perfect album in Nothing's Shocking.

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Thu Jun 24 2021
2

Immediately turned off by the album cover. Do they think nude women on fire are edgy? Women have been sexualized and brutalized throughout history. This isn't nearly as original as they think it is. I'm not a fan of the grating noise or the singer's whiny voice, either. Pass.

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Tue Jun 08 2021
5

Nothing's shocking!? There are flame-headed naked Siamese twins on a cow background - how is that not shocking!? Why didn't I have this hidden under my mattress as a kid? What's that you say? It came out in 1988? Holy crap! I didn't really know what music (or breasts) were when I was 8. And that's a further indication that this was very ahead of its time. In that context, Jane's Addiction is more responsible for the coming decade of alternative rock than I had realized. Their sound, plus their role in starting Lollapalooza, helped to save us from the 80s. Perry Farrell's voice shouldn't work, but it does. This album is amazing. "Jane Says" is a top-tier, 11/10 song. Does anything more need to be said?

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Fri Aug 06 2021
5

This album just flat out rocks. This was a bit of a game changer in the 90s and has some really great songs. Perry Farrell is such a weird guy, but has some really witty and catchy lyrics. I come back to this album from time to time and will likely continue to do so for years to come.

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Thu Sep 23 2021
5

This was the first band in ages to which I struggled to find a derivative element. It seems wholly original. That feat alone would warrant praise, but the psychedelic nature, nonsensical yet thought-provoking lyrics and unique vocal delivery make it one of my new favorite albums. Fuck Yeah.

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Tue Jun 08 2021
5

Five. I'm done. Honestly, this is the gold standard. I wish everything could be so perfect. Dave Navarro, Perry Ferrell and heroin*. This played constantly when I was a sophomore in high school and have great memories listening to this cassette and being a teenager. Top to bottom each song kills, but "Ted, Just Admit It" kills hardest ;) I still listen to this album in 2021 and there's not a bad song on it. Ocean Size, Summertime Rolls, etc., they're all great. Even the little interlude Thank You Boys is awesome. Up the Beach is an album intro with no words! The intro to Summertime Rolls is so remedial and relaxing and then moves right into Mountain Song. It's is a shot of adrenaline. I appreciate the way the songs open up. Each one begins differently but kind of eases you in and then clobbers you with bass guitar and Navarro with PF and his illustrious screechy wails in the background. It's just and amazing mess of sound that consumes you. Love all of it. Five Stars. ___ *Actually, that's not true. From what I understand the heroin didn't start until the early 90's.

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Fri Mar 18 2022
5

Los Angeles’ Jane’s Addiction is to rock music what French impressionist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec is to painting: (w)hol(l)y dissolute, sordidly sacred, gloriously grotesque. Listening to Jane’s Addiction is like participating in a veneration of pus (pus being defined as a product of the immune system’s fight against invading bacterium.) Pus is, well, gross. But only because something much grosser has invaded your body in the first place. The body has to find some way to expel the infection, so out it spurts, and oozes. Likewise, Jane’s addiction knows how to spurt and ooze. And one can only imagine what/who has invaded singer and lyricist Perry Farrell’s system. Certainly, fundamentally, parental abandonment- ‘Had a Dad,’ the emphasis being on the word had. I know a thing or two myself about parental abandonment, and its unfortunate consequences: perceiving the world as threatening and fearful, lack of self-esteem, inability to trust and be trusted, difficulty in making healthy attachments to others, emotionally immature/stunted, prone to deceit, manipulation, control, etc. FUCKED UP! Smiley the bartender, a fella I once worked under years ago in Aspen, imparted some street wisdom to me one day when I tried to pull one over on him: ‘Son, you can’t bullshit a bullshitter.’ Perry, I’m afraid I know you. I am you. This is very difficult for me to write, to admit; but part of my own long recovery out of the hell similar to the one Perry was burning in when he composed these songs necessitates brutal honesty. And I’ve reason to believe that Perry is not the same man now as he once was, at least given some of the things I’ve heard him say and witnessed from his actions more recently. But in 1988? FUCKED UP. That said, in addition to some of his uglier expressions- ‘Sex is vio-lent (‘Ted, Just Admit It…’)’ and ‘C’mon, kiss you, motherfucker. Fuckin’, suckin’, take it. Forget the rule. Idiots rule. (‘Idiots Rule’)- he also possesses the gift of painting extraordinarily lush and quite beautiful images like ‘I wish I was ocean size… no talking, all action (‘Ocean Size).’ He desires to break, naturally, like a wave, quite the opposite of the other horrors in his life that have broken him in other unnatural ways. Or, on ‘Summertime Rolls’ describing his girlfriend with a nose ‘painted pepper-sunlight.’ It’s a lovely song in many ways, a rare glimpse of the more tender, loving side of Perry. Still, this ain’t no John Denver Annie love song. ‘Jane Says,’ of course- for those familiar with Jane’s Addiction- is the big hit off 'Nothing’s Shocking,' kind of their ‘Hey Jude’ or ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want.’ Perry, in four simple words, summarizes the tremendous power of addiction to pummel the victim’s sincere best intentions: ‘I’m gonna kick tomorrow.’ Anyone listening who has entered the ring with addiction for a round or two or ten or twenty will resonate with this on a deep level. Furthermore, Perry quotes the prostitute for whom the song and the band is named in one of the saddest lyrics I think I’ve ever heard: ‘Jane says, ‘I’ve never been in love, don’t know what it is.’ She only know if someone wants her.’ Like Toulouse-Lautrec, Perry knows his subjects, too, intimately. As far as the music is concerned, guitarist Dave Navarro is Jimmy Page to Perry’s Robert Plant. Navarro can shred on his electric one moment, and then softly fingerpick on his acoustic the next. The waves of his guitar thunderously break and then recede, non-stop all over this thing. Why he’s not recognized with the likes of Page and other greats, I don’t know. Perry’s vocals are outstanding, if an acquired taste, with unique phrasing, meter, and melodies (‘Summertime Rolls,’ i.e.) Not to get too technical, on ‘Jane Says,’ at the same time the chords are moving from a G major to an A major, he sings an A note down to an F sharp thus creating an unusual variant on the G major chord. It’s just this shy of dissonant, but not, and really adds to Jane’s Addiction’s interesting sound. Furthermore, the entire band understands the force of dynamics in music, the yin/yang of loud/quiet. The utter silence on ‘Ted, Just Admit It,’ right before Perry howls ‘… sex is violent’ takes the listener’s breath away. Totally unexpected. Shocking. Riveting. And then when the band rips into a rapid fire musical expression of the crazed, twisted mind of a psychopath like Ted Bundy… again, this is high art, evocative. In fact, to describe this LP as provocative (the cover art alone would probably cause most nice folks to pass it right over for a safer Taylor Swift LP instead) would be to completely misunderstand 'Nothing’s Shocking.' (I’d like to thank my good friend, David, for helping me understand the difference.) Hey, from a gentle soul who dearly loves the sacred chants of Russian Orthodox Christian hymns and the sweet innocence of the Mamas and the Pappas ‘California Dreamin’’ and the smooth as buttermilk vocals of Glen Campbell’s ‘Wichita Lineman,’ I also love to rock, and rock hard, as my friends and family know. And when I get the jones (are you hip?) to rock, I most certainly do not go to REO Speedwagon (I mean no disrespect). I go to Jane’s Addiction. One of the best hard rock bands I have ever had the good fortune to stumble upon back in the day. Perry, I know that your father’s leaving was the catalyst for your ‘… funny feeling (that) God is dead, he’s not there at all,’ but I want to thank the God I feel (beyond my rational understanding, and through and beyond my wounds, similar to yours) that your music is recorded for posterity; if for no one else, at least for me to listen to and learn from and love. 5/5 (and I’d give you 50 more if I could)

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Fri May 07 2021
4

One of those albums that made me find a song I had heard a million times but never knew the name. So Jane Says is that song for me.

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Mon Mar 14 2022
4

Never actually listened to this album before. Of course I know "Jane Says". Solid album. This band has always had 80's metal, and 70's psychedelic rock vibes to me. You can hear the transition from 80's hair metal into alternative with this album.

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Tue Sep 06 2022
4

I really enjoyed the sound and atmosphere of this album. I'm not sure what else to say about it except that it's good. My favourite songs were probably Thank You Boys and Summertime Rolls, but it's kind of hard to choose.

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Tue Feb 07 2023
4

I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for Jane's Addiction because I had a roommate who was early to the party with them. Jason Jorgensen was the only person I know who had this album when it came out, and he played it constantly. The dude was obsessed with this album, to the point that he'd answer the phone by saying, "Jason Says". My grade here is surely sized up because of how ingrained "Mountain Song" and "Jane Says" are in my system. If I'm being honest, those are the only two tracks I love from this album. But damn if Jason didn't quote "Pigs In Zen" and "Idiots Rule" every chance he could. Jane's Addiction, or at least Perry Farrell, is considered one of those "on the bubble" Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame candidates, which means they'll likely get in one day via a "side category". But Farrell created Lalapalooza from the ashes of a Jane's Addiction farewell tour. And between that and the great Jane's songs that still hold up, they deserve to be in the Rock Hall.

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Fri Sep 24 2021
3

I enjoyed this more than I expected. I had generally associated these dudes with a lot of bands and 'sounds' I hated growing up but I think I outgrew that. Good stuff

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Tue Dec 07 2021
2

I could barely stand Ritual De Lo Habitual, but this one was slightly better. Jane's Addiction is still not my bag but this could have been worse.

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Thu Feb 01 2024
2

meh just didnt like it, the vocals are really grating Significant 38/118 Liked 17/118 Added 4/118 YNN

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Thu Feb 29 2024
2

Jane says is good, but my god does the rest grate on as the album progresses.

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Fri Mar 01 2024
2

I'm not familiar with Jane's Addiction, but have heard of them. Interested to listen to an album of theirs all the way through. Honestly, pretty meh rock. Nothing really stands out here as being all that interesting. The album ended and I didn't even realize it. It really didn't grab my attention. 2/5

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Sun Mar 21 2021
1

Seriously this album is sooooooooo...ZzzzzzzzzzzzZzzzzzzzzzzzZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZzzzzz😴😴😴😴😴💤💤💤💤💤 -1Star!

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Wed Sep 14 2022
1

Interesting to say the least. Perry Ferrell’s voice wasn’t exactly what I would listen to for 40ish minutes as a rule. But I plugged away at this album for the project. Unfortunately, outside of “Jane Says”, everything else blurred into each other. Everything was ADHD come to life, scattered noise, nothing really forming together to produce anything harmonious that I would have enjoyed listening to on my own accord. Kind of like this scattershot review

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Mon May 10 2021
5

Power vocals and funky bass plus surprise ballads here and there. InkMaster rules!

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Wed Jul 21 2021
5

Well, guess I should have listened to this many years ago instead of only hearing Jane Says on the radio. Great album and will be listening to it more than just today. Standout songs for me include Had a Dad, Mountain Song, Pigs in Zen are all rockers in addition to Jane Says. Summertime Rolls is ok to slow things down a bit, but not my favorite. This is where I wish I had more granularity to the scale. I enjoy it more than albums I gave a 4, but not as good as my other 5's. Screw it, 4.6/5.0.

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Sat Aug 14 2021
5

Era o quê eu precisa, sequência de músicas para reafirmar o bom gosto pelo rock.

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Thu Sep 02 2021
5

Ground-breaking. This album was a classic the moment is came out. It sounds as fresh today as it did when it came out in the 80's.

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Wed Sep 22 2021
5

Loved this. A very clear identity, the guitar and vocal couldn't be mistaken for anyone else. More melodic than the previous album, this was a real surprise and very engaging. I want to give it 4.5 stars, it's better than 4 but not quite 5, but there's no option for that so sorry boys, you're demoted to 4. No I've changed my. mind - I really, really liked this 5 stars it is.

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Wed Oct 13 2021
5

Another candidate joins the top tier. A very fun album, saw these guys at the 2001 big day out

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Mon Oct 18 2021
5

Absolutely love "Jane Says" and some other songs on this album were really great. Didn't know how much I'd really like Jane's Addiction since this is the second album I've listen to since I started this 1001 albums. Also doesn't really sound very 80s, absolutely more early to mid 90s sound so call the album ahead of it's time. Strong power all throughout, incredible bass, guitar, drumming, and vocals. 9/10.

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Mon Oct 18 2021
5

Thinking back at the musical landscape of my 17th year, there were a lot of threads you could follow if you had an interest in music out of the mainstream. You had your English groups (dark, synthy) and your American groups (acoustic, jangly). You had goth and industrial bubbling up. But these guys, *these guys* were something different when they showed up. They rocked hard, as much as any metal band, but they had this whole Zeppelinesque bohemian vibe, with a gritty sensibility and a little funk. Not to mention an unusual front man with an odd voice that didn't really sound like anyone else. Looking back now, I can see how special Jane's Addiction is as a band, how much they forecasted what was on the horizon in music. Something really different was happening and these guys were at the front of it. I'm also realizing here that I have not given Dave Navarro enough credit over the years for being the awesome guitar player he is. His playing can go from delicate and lovely to just blistering with ease. He can riff, he can play a wailing solo, he can burn it to the ground. Along with Eric Avery's sick basslines and Stephen Perkins slamming drums, they have such a rich and full sound. It's elegant when they want it to be, but also blow out your car speakers heavy. The songwriting is kind of all over the map, it goes from whimsical to thoughtful and sometimes incomprehensible. But it works. The treasure here of course is “Jane Says.” I didn't really know a Jane, but I probably met a few women over the years who related to her. I appreciate the empathy Farrell shows to Jane. The way men usually have written about women in rock music is... not great. Farrell has taken the time to tell her story and show care for her without judgement, pity or objectification. It’s really sweet and sad, accomplished with few words. It reminds me of Lou Reed's writing, not the least of which because they have both written iconic songs about a woman named Jane. Listening, you care about what happens to her, which is the power of great songwriting. I got weirdly emotional when I read that Jane Bainter finally did get to go to Spain. Good for her. Fave Songs: Jane Says, Mountain Song, Summertime Rolls, Ocean Size, Standing in the Shower... Thinking

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Tue Oct 19 2021
5

Phenomenal album. So glad this process introduced me to this record. It's much more even and consistent than Ritual De Lo Habitual. I imagine hearing this for the first time in 1988 would've felt how it did hearing Arctic Monkeys for the first time in 2005. A total game changer.

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Wed Nov 17 2021
5

Really good. Love mountain song and Jane says, the rest helped flesh out the sound

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Tue Jan 18 2022
5

I've owned this album and listened to it so many times since the 90s. Any listener would need to appreciate frontman Perry Farrell, otherwise... you probably won't enjoy it as much. Musically, it's great. Combine those two elements together and this is the result.

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Wed Jan 19 2022
5

This is a seriously cool album. Like the Pixies, about three years ahead of their time. I never really listened to Jane's Addiction because all I heard before was Been Caught Stealing and Jane Says, both of which kind of annoyed me (mostly because of Perry Farrell's voice). It didn't help when I learned what a dick Farrell was to his bandmates about publishing rights. But none of that can change how cool this album is. The whole band is fantastic. I was a fan of Dave Navarro's work with RHCP and I'm embarrassed to say I didn't even know he was part of Jane's Addiction. A great album that I missed out on because I didn't like their popular songs. Great stuff. Favorite tracks: Up the Beach (yeah, I thought this was awesome right from the start), Ocean Size, Ted Just Admit It, Mountain Song, Pigs in Zen.

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Sat Feb 05 2022
5

What an absolute classic. I got into Janes Addiction when they were gearing up for their comeback album in 2003. I remember I had purchased the Spin Magazine they were on the cover of, and the bands I love (RHCP, Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden) all had stories about how Janes Addiction shaped their careers. I’ve been trying to figure out now how I was listening to Janes Addiction as I just had my MP3 CD player at that time so uneless I had purchased one of their albums, I likely would have been reading about Janes Addiction for a while before listening to them. It’s crazy to thing how now a band you hadn’t heard you could pull up on Spotify or Apple Music and listen to everything from them. This was still the age when there was some ceremony to having new music, whether you downloaded on your PC or got the CD from a store. But then again, I realize I’m talking nearly 20 years ago. It is wild how this album now sounds about 2 decades ahead of its time. Listening to some other 80s albums through this list they’re all so much of a time and place. Nothing’s Shocking is so different from everything else popular at the time, and it’s apparent why it doesn’t place in the 80s, as every alternative band writes songs like them and every album is produced like this one is. Ocean Size, Mountain Song and Standing in the Shower Thinking are all so massive. Summertime Rolls though is my favourite on this album. Probably because I discovered this band while on a family holiday I have so much nostalgia in this one. I’m listening to this one in February during the worst snowfall in like 10 years and this song sort of is giving the same vibe. I’m really going to have to put this one on again come June.

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Fri Feb 18 2022
5

Cool, effortlessly inventive alt-rock.

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Mon Mar 14 2022
5

I’ve long loved this one but haven’t listened to it in years. Great reminder, especially of more obscure songs like “Pigs in Zen.”

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Fri Apr 29 2022
5

Lollapalooza August 23, 1991

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Mon May 02 2022
5

I was ready to give this a poor rating and then I actually listened to the album. Another band I've heard of but missed at the time (I was into other genres) but for once it's pretty decent. I like the sound from the first few notes and it gets better and better. It really resonates with me now. There's a LOT of 80's and 90's bands in this chart and I'm not too sure why? This is an exception and it deserves it's place in the chart. It's pretty interesting to read this was their first studio album and only 2nd overall and yet it sounds so confident and assured. Nicely paced and varied it paves the way for a lot of the 90's sound and beyond. Outstanding.

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Mon Jun 06 2022
5

I'm gonna have to recalibrate my 5 stars ...

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Sun Jul 10 2022
5

Incredibly enjoyable. Love the multi layered production of the atmospheric sections (like Sleepwalker calmed down by a dose of Bark Psy) and the horn laden funk slaps just as hard. Stand out - Summertime Rolls us a delight and slams into Mountain so noice

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Wed Jul 13 2022
5

Classic but couldn't give it a proper listen today I was too busy

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Thu Jul 21 2022
5

I've seen most people think Nirvana killed glam, but this seems like the more obvious link to me. It's got the tones and fun of glam, but it's much more... dangerous. There's like a druggy, unnerving edge to this. Dave Navarro's guitars are great, the rhythm section puts in so much work, and Perry Farrell makes for an electrifying performer. It's like glam metal meets Aerosmith, with the heroin sensibilities of grunge. Favorite tracks: "Ted, Just Admit It...", "Mountain Song", "Jane Says", "Oceansize"

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Mon Oct 03 2022
5

Old rock is almost always better than newer rock and that’s def the case here. The progression of this album as in song intensities is near perfect. My favorite progression is that among a bell curve and this is just like that, it starts pretty relaxed and then everything crashes. The outro is very encore vibes which I also love. I have never heard of Perry Ferrell (the singer) before today and I absolutely love his unorthodox sound. These are some of the most insane guitar rifs I’ve heard and I’m obsessed. Like I said it’s hard for me to judge rock but there was never a dull moment, no skips. 9/10 THIS IS ROCK, THIS IS A CLASSIC

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Sat Oct 29 2022
5

Perhaps the best Jane's Addition album - it is the most consistent one for sure. In any case, the first three JA albums are all 5 star.

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Fri Nov 11 2022
5

This is a phenomenal album!! I cannot believe Jane's Addiction is a late 80's band. They definately don't sound it! I would assume mid 90's, so they were definate trend setters with the alternative rock movement. They also had a hand in starting Lollapalooza in the states (a yearly celebration of alternative rock). I just recently listened to a podcast about it. The guitar playing is so hard, sludgy, and fast. Their guitarist is definately a hidden gem as far as guitar virtuosos go. Perry Marshall's voice is so recognizable with its gravelly nature, and unique delivery. The bass and drumming throughout are phenomenal. Songs on this record covered some SHOCKING topics such as: abandonment, drug use, Ted Bundy... but I think my favourite lyrics come from a song about shower thoughts: "The water is so fucking hot, it beats on my neck, and I'm pissing on myself, standing in the shower... thinking" Overall, I loved this album. Right up my alley music-wise. Don't know why I didn't delve into Jane's Addiction sooner. Favourite songs: Mountain Song, Jane Says, Pigs in Zen, Ocean Size, "Ted, Just Admit It...", Standing in the Shower... Thinking Least favourite song: Summertime Rolls 5/5

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Fri Nov 18 2022
5

I like the transitional feel it has like right between hair metal and grunge like right at a time where people didnt have expectations of a genre lol idk anyway it's good

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Sat Nov 26 2022
5

Such a phenomenally good album. Between the Glam of the 80's and the Grunge of the 90's was a small period with hard rocking alternative music like Sonic Youth, the Pixies and these guys, Jane's Addiction. And they were reinventing music as they went along. This album just rocks. The lyrics are clever and fun, Navarro's guitar solo's are the best he's ever recorded (before the heroin knocked it a bit out of him). Just a straight up classic in the genre, and in music history.

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Fri Dec 02 2022
5

This album realized the natural transition from the glam metal scene to 90s alt rock. We start off with the instrumental "Up the Beach" which has an arena metal sound characteristic of bands like Def Leppard or GnR, but has a much more unsettling distorted sound. It's a useful opener, exciting the audience in anticipation for the rest of the album. "Ocean Size" starts the record off strongly with everything that makes this album unique. Between Farrell's manic vocals, the punk-like breaks using the acoustics, and the flashy proto-grunge guitar solos, it sets the standards for what countless 90s bands would aim to replicate and fail. "Ted Just Admit It" is one of my favorite tracks, a really complex song full of a ton of really cool parts and an epic finale. I love the grooveline and percussion that remind me of the tribal psybient work of Sphongle. "Summertime Rolls" is another favorite ambient track, groovy and psychedelic. They know how to end a song. Then we have their two most iconic hits, "Mountain Song" and "Jane Says" with memorable riffs and catchy hooks. And of course you have the hollow drums, the distorted reverb wailing guitar (holy shit that solo on "Mountain Song"), and a controlled cool vocalist not to afraid to scat and show personality. I love the subtle things like the distant steel drums in "Jane Says" that's comes out of the shadows at the end. Despite not mentioning their other songs, I did think they were all strong and unique. Not a single song I didn't enjoy. I thought "Thank You Boys" was a funny addition and way to anticipate the ending. The songs were paced well, with an awesome opener and closer, the experimental tracks at the beginning when you're paying attention the most, and the more energetic tracks near the end to keep you going.

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Thu Dec 22 2022
5

Solid album. My introduction to alternative and without realizing it at the time. Huge guitars, great effects and tones in all the vocals and guitars. Nice mix of Pink Floyd, 80’s hair metal, and what was to come with the grunge era.

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Tue Jan 03 2023
5

What can you say about this album that hasn't been cried out in ecstasy in the throws of passion, entwined entities connected not knowing where one person begins and other ends. A grand statement in the alternative scene with one of the most unique voices in music belting out a plethora of head banging ditties. Would listen to this album again and again. Favourite tracks Jane Says and Ocean Size.

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Sat Jan 21 2023
5

The dynamic is less loud-quiet than fierce-tender and it helps to have a world-class frontman who goes all in on effort and who seems to have born with a pure rocker’s attitude (e.g., not faking/posing at all). “Mountain Song,” “Summertime Rolls,” “Standing In the Shower” and the theme song are all classic, and the balance all add value in their unique ways. One always liked the hot-burning energy and the fact they haven’t sullied their legacy with endless reunion and multiple final-final-farewell tours. Still smokin’ hot after all these years.

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Thu Mar 02 2023
5

In a way this album saved my life. At age 16 I felt like the biggest freak on the planet then along came this band that made being a freak the status quo.

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Mon Mar 13 2023
5

'Mountain Song' and 'Jane Says' are the stand out tracks for me, but the whole album was a very enjoyable listen.

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Tue Mar 28 2023
5

Saw the mockumentary “Gift” some years ago. It portrays the beautiful decadence in which Perry and his trope lived back in early 90s when Ritual de lo Habitual was just released. I remember one scene that when his then girlfriend Casey opened the door to receive the pizza order and the pizza boy saw the most gypsy bohemian unorganized living in the entire LA. Magazine scraps everywhere, drugs on the coffee table, low lights hanging from the ceiling, religious memorabilia, and, in the corner the sculpture of the naked siameses that Perry used for the cover of this album. The speechless guy said, “is this the Jane’s Addiction house?” the girl smiled. He also saw the sculpture to be used in Ritual, asked “is this for the new album?” She said: “you’ve seen too much!” Guy left and and girl went back to cook her thing. Many great songs are included in this album: “Pigs in Zen”, “Summertime Rolls”, the trippy “Up the beach” and the utterly famous “Jane says” and “Mountain song”. Even 30+ years after its release, the album still sounds solid and intriguing. Only true pieces of art can stand the test of time.

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Fri Apr 14 2023
5

So this morning, I was standing in the shower thinking why I didn't enjoy Mudhoney much yesterday, and I think it's because so many of the early nineties US grunge/punk/rock/indie bands sounded almost identical, it was hard to tell them apart. Mudhoney just had that angry pissed off teenager in baggy pants 'sound'. Then this shows up on my playlist today and reinforces my prejudice. Jane's addiction are the exception that proves the rule, they have such a unique sound that it's easy to tell them apart, they've also a creative bent and variety that makes it much easier to tell their individual songs apart from one another. Perry Farrell was far less 'angry grumpy teenager' as he was 'furious psychotic adult'. Bloody love this album and it still sounds great today. Saw them live (on the rdlh tour) and they were bloody epic.

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Mon Apr 24 2023
5

Released when I was in high school, dude at the record shop loved the band and convinced me to buy it. It seemed so different for the time but I loved it and I still do, only Janes album I'll listen to.

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Tue May 02 2023
5

Holy crap, is this the best find so far on this thing? Producer from Alice in Chains Dirt, mad guitar metal sounds, this thing is soooo far head of its time. I'm hearing so much of my favourite 90s rock sounds in this. Wish I had it in my collection in teen years hahaha Reading more into it, this basically kicked off the alternative metal/rock sound of the 90s. I can trace so many of my favourite sounds back to this album. Definitely giving this another listen.

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Sat Jun 10 2023
5

Now this was unexpected; this fucking RIPPED. And who knew Fairy Peril could sing in a tolerable manner? This was such a nice surprise. I'll have to apologize to Chris for slamming this band so hard after only having heard Ritual lmao.

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Wed Jun 28 2023
5

Great energy, guitar work and drums throughout, already loved this album so review maybe a touch biased

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Thu Aug 24 2023
5

Outstanding, always.loved this album.

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Sun Aug 27 2023
5

This is such a great album, it’s giving freedom, Southern California vibes, youth and hedonism. Love it to pieces, especially “Ocean Size” and “Up the Beach”

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Fri Sep 15 2023
5

Really cool album. Such a great sounds and it really felt like I could hear both its influences as well as bands that it has influenced while listening to it.

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Fri Oct 06 2023
5

A brilliant and timeless album that I still listen to today, love it!

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Tue Nov 14 2023
5

Pretty good. At first I thought it was a 4, but then I realized I’m gonna be listening to this album a lot, something I can’t say about most albums on here.

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Fri Nov 17 2023
5

great album, need to listen to it more

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Mon Nov 27 2023
5

9 albums in and this is the 3rd album I had already listened to before. Love this album and Jane's Addiction has always been a band I've meant to check out more of. 5 stars.

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Tue Dec 19 2023
5

A very pleasant surprise. I didn’t have high hopes, I know the name and guess I had some preconceptions about what they would sound like, but it’s pretty bad-ass. Somewhere between Guns and Roses and Nirvana. Like a fun and clean type of grunge? A little bit Chilli Peppers funky at times. Fuck it 5 stars

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Mon Jan 29 2024
5

I went back in time listening to Nothing's Shocking. I love everything about this album.

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Mon Jan 29 2024
5

One of the best albums ever recorded.

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Sun Feb 04 2024
5

A masterpiece. A weird album made by weird artists for weird kids, somehow became a classic. Party Farrell gave us a timeless masterpiece that sounds as good today as when I discovered it in the early 90s. Not a bad song in the bunch. 5/5 stars all day, every day.

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Mon Feb 12 2024
5

In the spirit of 70s hard rock. Jane's Addiction combined driving rhythms and shredding guitar. What they brought uniquely to the table was their enigmatic lead singer. Prompted that Nothing's Shocking, we listen to songs that bounce between shocking and not. The contrast carries until the end balancing Jane Says against Pigs in Zen. They intended to shock and intended to calm. While heavy handed at times, the music is stellar. Mountain Song pushes a wonderful Zeppelin esque bass line through epic swells. The album is Oceansized , As Perry wishes. Full/deep and interesting.

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Mon Mar 11 2024
5

Listened 3/10/24. Had this one pretty much since it came out. Great album at the time and still holds up.

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Wed Mar 13 2024
5

Imagine Red hot Chili peppers with a crappier Guitarist, bassist, and drummer but somehow the music is still better.

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Mon Nov 09 2020
4

Nothing's Shocking is a fitting title. Standout Tracks: Ted, Just Admit It..., Summertime Rolls, Jane Says, Thank You Boys, Pigs In Zen

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Fri Jan 22 2021
4

I was surprised that this album was from the 80s! It was a couple days ago, so I don't really remember it more specifically.

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Mon Feb 08 2021
4

I did not expect to like this as much as I did. On the spectrum of music I listen to, this exists right at the limit of how far I will venture into loud/aggressive sounding rock. It's actually difficult for me to categorize this sound.

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Thu Feb 18 2021
4

Wow... the album cover is strange and inappropriate, but, I like their sound.

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Mon Feb 08 2021
4

Not a massive fan of Farrell’s vocals but it’s obvious these guys are extremely talented musicians.

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Fri May 21 2021
4

No me pregunten por qué no le pongo 5 estrellas porque no lo sé. Chulada de disquito.

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Thu Mar 04 2021
4

This is pre grunge and I love it.

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Sun Mar 28 2021
4

y’all this is kinda a vibe like driving down the free way and ready to disassemble the patriarchy even tho it’s a man singing. the last like quarter got me confused but i love thank u boys

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Tue Jun 08 2021
4

This is the link that gets us from 80s metal to 90s alternative. I only knew Mountain Song and Jane Says but this album could easily be could be on regular rotation.

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Tue Jun 08 2021
4

I've heard various songs by Jane's Addiction on the radio (my peak radio years were the 90's) but never gave anything a full play-through. I enjoyed most of the songs but skipped through a few (the end of Ted, Just Admit It.. couldn't hang onto that one). Good grungy processed fuzzy guitars and drums, and Perry Farrell grinding away on top of it.

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Fri Jun 11 2021
4

This was great, not listened to this artist before will check out more of their stuff Jane says and summertime rolls where highlights

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Mon Jun 21 2021
4

lekkere rock en roll hoor baby!

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Mon Jun 21 2021
4

oeh ja dit is hem. goeie muziek en TETTECOVER

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