Jane's Addiction Online Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 3

Mailed the first Thursday of every month at 11 P.M. E.S.T.

Staff (as of this issue):

Editor/ Head Writer: Phil Hayes (phayes@cerf.net)
Subscription Manager/ Creative Input: Eric Nutt (enutt@heidelberg.edu)
Opinions: "Big Boy"
Guest Boot Reviewer: Aaron Moore
Research: Brian Tingley
HTML Designer: Justin Hall (justin@cyborgasmic.com)

QUESTIONS regarding SUBSCRIPTIONS or BACK ISSUES should be sent to Eric Nutt. QUESTIONS regarding CONTENT, SUBMISSIONS or the like should be sent to Phil Hayes. If you're going crazy trying to figure out what our email addresses are, just look up.
DISCLAIMER/ "MISSION STATEMENT": This newsletter is meant to inform every Jane's fan there is about current happenings with boots, spin-off projects by the former members and the like. IT IS NOT a canvas for opinions- the OPINION section will be the ONLY non-impartial section in this newsletter.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: are welcomed. They should be sent to phayes@cerf.net and should be reasonable in length. You must include your name in the body of the letter. Perry Update: - March 9, 1995 - Trouble in mind, Perry Farrell was arrested for cocaine possession, being under the influence and possession of a syringe at the Nikko Hotel in Los Angeles on Jan. 14. Police officers found Farrell in a delusional state, says Lorrie Taylor, and LAPD spokeswoman. Farrell posted $10,000 bail. His manager, Ted Gardener, refused to comment.
(Taken from Rolling Stone Courtesy of Brian Tingley)

EDITOR'S NOTE: In the last issue I erroneously reported that Jane had introduced Perry Farrell to Eric Avery, as did all of the press. Eric squelched that bit 'o rock mythology for me, and put me straight. Actually, Carla Bozulich introduced Eric to Perry (she had known Eric since he was 17)- she also knew Jane. If that name sounds familiar, it's because Carla used to sing lead for Ethyl Meatplow (the band I gave extensive mention to in the first edition.) Again, Eric is currently working with Biff (formerly of Ethyl) on a new project. Carla is signed to Virgin Records with her new band, The Geraldine Fibbers.

EDITOR'S CRUSADE: A while ago, I wanted to get a Jane's Addiction newsgroup put together for usenet- I belived it should be called alt.music.janes - I got a response back that while this was a "good name" that there was "no real demand for it". Wrong. The fact that there are over 100 people on the newsletter mailing list PROVES that there's a demand for it.

So here's what I propose we do, kiddies:

  1. Each of us send a post to alt.config, with the title NEED JANE'S NEWSGROUP!
  2. In the body of the message, write something, aything related to this, and request that the newsgroup be named alt.music.janes!!!!! (with out the excalmation pts, of course).
  3. Hopefully we'll make more headway this way.
Thanks!
-Your humble editor.

EDITOR'S APOLOGY: In the last newsletter (in the article about Jane's discography) I said I didn't know of any singles from Nothing's Shocking. Turns out there are singles up the wazoo for that one, some on disc, tape and yes, even vinyl. In the next issue, I'll give a listing of those "official" singles.

No man, Porno for Pyros sucks!

- By "Big Boy"

I keep writing these inflammatory opinion articles, but I really don't care. You folks should know that by now. In fact, it's fun- I get to rant & rave about something I have strong feelings about, and you'll read it earnestly. But I digress.

Have you spent much time in the alt.music.nin news group lately? I'm pretty ashamed at what I've been seeing. First of all, giving a rabid thirteen year old Nine Inch Nails fan a computer, modem and Internet account is not the smartest idea in the world. What a bunch of whiney bubble-gum hormone monsters! You know you've reached a newsgroup dominated by junior high kids when you see fifteen posts in a row that read "Trent: READ ME!!! (I'll have your child! Send me a q-tip and some sperm!!) They're definitley asking to get flamed. What's worse, I'm a pretty hard-core NIN fan (though not like the alt.music.nin freaks). What I'm trying to say is this- Be happy Jane's isn't a spur of the moment group like NIN is! After "Been Caught Stealin'" lost it's catchy sound to America's radio pop culture, they left us well enough alone.

With the myriad of post- Jane's projects, we should revel in the fact that they didn't all die in some tragic blimp accident over the orange bowl (apologies to The Naked Gun) on New Year's Day. We all have our favorite band members, song, album/bootleg. Let's leave it at that. Jane's was a bunch of creative guys putting (and sometimes butting) their heads together onstage and off. Remember this, and NINie inspired conversations of whether or not David played better before or after he put the dreads in his hair will cease to exist, and we'll all be role model Jane's Addiction fans.

BOOTLEG CORNER

GUEST REVIEWER: Aaron Moore

NAME: Tripaway

LABEL: Alley Kat Records

DESCRIPTION: This CD contains the show from 11/25/88 at Cabaret Metro in Chicago, AND two demo songs.

NOTE #1: The actual date listed on the jewel box is 11/29/88 which is wrong. . . so don't be fooled.

NOTE #2: This concert is the same one that the first four tracks of "Parephenilia" are taken from. The sound quality is much better on this bootleg, taken directly from the soundboard, without any of that "Parephenilia" hiss.

SETLIST

CABARET METRO LIVE 11/25/88

  1. KETTLE WHISTLE: This song is a great opener. Has a little improvised ranting in the beginning courtesy of Perry.
  2. OBVIOUS: Great early version. The baseline is stronger than the album version (Ritual), and Perry screams the words like he feels the song.
  3. WHORES: This is labeled "Romeo" because Perry says it several times throughout the song.
  4. IDIOTS RULE: Contains an apology from Perry for being so drunk. "I did not plan it this way," he says before the song starts. The song itself rumbles around with Eric's low bass and Perry's high pitched voice.
  5. BOBHAUS/ PIGS IN ZEN: Unlike "Parephenilia", you get the rest of the song, which is Pigs In Zen. Pigs contains yet another interesting monologue.
  6. TED, JUST ADMIT IT: Dave is incredible in this one, using every guitar effect he can. This song came out as perfect and as planned as it probably was on the album. A masterpiece, as usual.
  7. STANDING IN THE SHOWER: Perry at his best. A great song to play after "Ted" because it picks the audience back up. Steve and Perry are predominant in this one. Steve, however, is perfect.
  8. HAD A DAD: This version is only second to the one found on "Live and Profane".
  9. I WOULD FOR YOU: no keyboards, no echo, just Perry and Eric.
  10. OCEANSIZE: Typical album version.
  11. TRIP AWAY: Drums, drums, drums! Once again, Steve steals the show!
  12. MOUNTAIN SONG: The song begins with that distant baseline. AS it fades in, you can tell that the audience knows the song. Then Perry lets out his opening screech. . .
  13. CHIP AWAY: Similar but better than the version on their first album. The echo effect goes up and down in pitch making the whole song spooky.

    DEMOS:

  14. HAD A DAD: Same version as found on "Live and Rare" and "Had a Dad" bootleg CDs.
  15. PIGS IN ZEN: This one's been around on various bootlegs also. It's not one of the better versions. Lots of echo, and flows to the end of the song.
LINER NOTES: There are no liner notes, just some excellent early pictures of the band. The jewel box cover shows Perry's got some great outfits. (Only he'd wear 'em though!)

SOUND QUALITY: This is definitley a J J J J . There are very few of these jems, but this is one of them. The two demos are probably around an J J J 1/2. (The usual demo quality).

MUSICIANSHIP: The whole band seems to be in tip-top shape. Dave is perfect with the echo effects, etc. Steve is brilliant. Eric is right in there, and Perry is about as good as he gets in concert.

Gift: The Review

By Phil Hayes

Perry Farrell has been acclaimed by the media (wonder if that includes me) as one of rock's true "multi-media artists". Gift is his second foray into the world of film, the first being the short "Soul Kiss" video for Mountain Song, released in 1988. This time he adds then-wife Casey Niccoli to the staff and cast of this, uh, original cinematic experience. He convinced Warner Brothers to fund a $250,000 movie that he would have complete creative control over, and Gift was the end product.
First of all, if you're a Jane's fan expecting a movie about the band that focuses mainly around Perry, you're in for a shock. The plot of the movie revolves around Perry and his girlfriend, Casey. Perry, after coming back from the recording studio (they show Janes in the studio SUPPOSEDLY recording Ritual's Three Days- I think they did it just for the vid) finds his loving wife Casey dead of a drug overdose. The rest of the movie is about what Perry does with (and to) Casey after finding her dead in their living room- a series of outtakes and drug-induced flashbacks. The premise of the movie is "What would you do if you found your wife dead? Would you call the cops? Her parents? Would you let them take her away from you?
This is where the story line breaks from reality. Otherwise, Perry and everyone else (with the exception of a fake scapegoat manager, Marty Mefurst) maintain their own identities. For those of you who have or are about to see it, no, Casey is not dead, she's supposedly still alive. Drugs (mainly heroin) play a large part in the movie, and some of the needle scenes are not for the squeamish. The band is only really seen during the beginning (recording of 3 Days) and some live footage of the band- the Ain't No Right video, actually. The final credits roll over the band while they do an interesting cover of Sly & the Family Stone's "Don't call me Nigger, Whitey" with Ice-T.
The acting at times really was pretty hoakey and awkward, but these were probably all friends of Perry & Casey's. The camera work was for the most part good, but I wonder if one or two of the cameramen (or women, for that matter) had Parkinson's disease or were nic-fitting really badly. Some of the imagery was great- eye catching, eye-opening, and graphic as hell. Other times it was just plain weird. The soundtrack (yes, there was a soundtrack) was probably composed on a couple of keyboards in someone's home studio, but it was great! One of the best things about the movie experience was the soundtrack (It's not available separately, so you'll just have to listen intently during the movie. After watching this thing you go away from it feeling really weird, like you've had an extremely bad case of diarrhea- all torn up inside. It's not a happy-go lucky movie, but then, its not a tear- jerker either. Oh well.... All in all, a good movie, worth seeing, either for the cinematic experience or to just to gawk at Janes Addiction in their few full moments of motion picture splendor.....

Conversations With a Formerly Blue-Haired Musician

This is "column" is part of a continuing correspondence I maintain with Eric Avery, the former bassist from Jane's. (Just in case you didn't know). Snippets of our conversations will appear in each newsletter, and the topics will vary from Jane's to Deconstruction to God knows what.

*** NOTE: I began conversing with Eric in April, and these questions are from then until the present- I'm not going in chronological order, so they might be somewhat dated. Also, I have not edited his comments in any way, shape or form.

Phil: I've been able to follow everyone else's career but yours- I haven't heard much about you. What have you been doing?

Eric: I've been sorting out my psyche and making a record with David N. and a drummer named Michael Murphy. In the process of making this record David and I realized that we both wanted really different things from our careers so this is not a new band, it's just a one-off record/project called Deconstruction. It should be out in June barring anymore legal hassles about movie samples we used. David is a Chili Pepper now while I am carrying the post production ball on this record, then continuing solo on a smaller scale making music on the American Records Label. Right now, as in today, I am in the middle of co-directing a vid for the Deconstruction records of a song about LA which we finish shooting on this monday then edit sometime next week.

Phil: What's your favorite Jane's song?

Eric: I don't know. Maybe Mountain Song because it was the first thing Perry and I came up with (pre-Janes) and I love Dave's guitar solo at the key change.

Phil: I've kept my eye out for sheet music, because I've got a friend who loves Jane's and plays guitar, but I haven't been able to find any- is it becuase I live in Cowtown, Ohio? Any help you can give me on this one would be appreciated.

Eric: I don't really keep up with Janes biz-stuff but to the best of my knowledge I don't think it matters where you live because you probably won't find sheetmusic anywhere. At least I haven't come across any.


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* COMING IN ISSUE 4: DUE TO HIT YOUR MAILBOXES ON APRIL 6, 1995 @ 11 PM EST! *
*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*
* + More of the Eric Avery column!   + A PC Personal experience with Perry!  *
* + A FULLY UPDATED BOOTLIST INCLUDING ALL KNOWN BOOTS (TAPE and VINYL!)     *
*                       and of course, much much more!                       *
******************************************************************************
* PLEASE NOTE: THESE ARE THE PLANNED COMPONENTS AS OF NOW- THEY COULD CHANGE.*
******************************************************************************
| P.S.- If you joined the mailing list after any of the other issues came    |
| out, here's what to do to get them. 1) send an email to:                   |
| enutt@nike.heidelberg.edu 2) the title should read "BACK ISSUES" 3) in the |
| body of the letter, type in the issues you DON'T have.                     |
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                ***************************************
                |    Phil Hayes is phayes@cerf.net    |
                ***************************************
                | "Never pay back,always pay forward" |
                |         -W.W "Woody" Hayes          |
                |  "How much wood could a woodchuck   |
                |   chuck if a woodchuck had a Black  |
                |   and Decker gas powered chainsaw?" |
                |  "Exhibits of a totally new scale   |
                |   and scope."                       |
                |         -R. Shafer                  |
                ***************************************


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