[Friday On The Turntable] First vs. Last Albums: Jane's Addiction, David Bowie, Low, R.E.M., The Cure

Welcome to Friday On The Turntable, where I post short videos that feature a particular artist / record / theme / etc, which usually centers around the vinyl record format. This series has been going strong for a few years now, so make sure you are subscribed to my Youtube channel (link below) to catch all of the past and future episodes.

In this week's video, I'm examining the first and last album of 5 artists that I greatly respect. I'll be mentioning my favorite songs from each, and choosing a winner in their head-to-head battle.

Some albums featured in this video (click images):

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Additional videos mentioned in the First vs. Last feature:

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[Friday On The Turntable] Jane's Addiction - s/t. 1987 Debut Album

For those of you that follow my blog on Facebook, you'll recall that each Friday I post a featured record that I'm currently enjoying. From now, I am filming short videos discussing a brief history of the record, favorite tracks and what it means to me. The videos will be embedded below, and you can also subcribe to my youtube channel here.

This week's featured album is Jane's Addiction's self-titled debut LP on Triple X Records. Check out my discussion on the video below. Please enjoy, and feel free to leave me your thoughts on this record. Cheers!

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Song Of The Day 1985: Psi Com - Ho Ka Hey

Here is Day 4 of our step back in time. The year = 1985 A.D.

1985 was a pretty great year for music. In particular, this little gem came out. The band is called Psi Com. Known for being the first band of Jane's Addiction's Perry Farrell, Psi Com officially released only a 5 song, self-titled EP. You can read more about my thoughts on Psi Com in my 15 Albums That Changed My Life article. 

Today's featured song is called Ho Ka Hey. I just love the sound of this record, and if you have a turntable - it sounds amazing. Unfortunately it's not available for download and is out of print. However, you can grab used copies on Amazon:  CD, Vinyl. Do it.

Eric Avery Sets The Record Straight

Eric Avery.  That name has been a pretty big part of my life, since first hearing Jane's Addiction in the late 80s in high school.  The bass lines that he created, and the intensity that he brought to Jane's, made him one of the hugest influences of my own musical career.

For those of you that don't really know the story of the band over the last couple of years, I'll give you a quick rundown.  Since breaking up in 1991, they have reunited three times - each time with a different bass player.  In 2008, Britain's NME magazine presented Jane's with an achievement award, and it was enough to bring Eric back into the band.  Shortly after the NME show, the band attempted to work on new material with Nine Inch Nails' maestro, Trent Reznor.  When sessions didn't spark much creative output, the band decided to take it out on the road with Nine Inch Nails.  As soon as the tour ended, Eric Avery quit again.  A lot of fans wanted to know... what the hell happened?

Luckily for us, Sonny - over at Jane's fan mecca, xiola.org - conducted a series of candid interviews with Eric.  The interviews primarily focus on the events that led to him rejoining through his departure and aftermath.  At times it is a hilarious look at the inner workings of Perry Farrell and company, but at the same time, it saddened me greatly to know that something that was once so beautiful, could never really take place again.

So, if you have some free time, below is Part 1 of 16.

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Jane's Addiction Live Voodoo DVD: A Review

I was pretty excited when I saw an ad for a new Jane's Addiction live concert DVD.  The only other official Jane's DVD was from the first 'reunion' tour back in 1997 with Flea on bass, and it's difficult for me to watch without the presence of original bassist Eric Avery.  

Jane's Addiction Live Voodoo is a 13-song set with the original lineup of Perry Farrell, Dave Navarro, Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins, filmed on Halloween Night 2009 at the Voodoo Music Experience in New Orleans.

I don't want to spoil everything for you, so here are my favorite moments from the show.

Whores - Jane's fans know this track from the debut Triple X album.  This live version sounds monstrous with Dave Navarro's guitar solos veering away from the original take back in 1987.  'Whores' was only ever released on the live debut album, until a free version produced by Trent Reznor appeared on a promotional CD for the Jane's / Nine Inch Nails Tour in 2009.

Then She Did - For me, Eric Avery was always the star of Jane's Addiction and his slightly overdriven bass parts sound are clearly audible and incredibly intricate and melodic.  The album version is breathtaking - the Live Voodoo version is powerful and stays true to the original.

Been Caught Stealing - Everyone knows this song, and while it may not be my favorite track from Jane's, this version is pretty grand.  Eric's growling bass line sounds enormous during the breakdown.  Jane's was known for having a lot of inner band turmoil, sometimes erupting into fights on stage, so it was nice to see a smile on Eric Avery's face as he looks over at Stephen Perkins who is suddenly wearing a rubber Halloween mask.

Ted, Just Admit It - So fierce in its slinky groove.  The low tom drums made my entire house vibrate.  Two dancers rock sideways in a rocking chair, simulating the infamous album cover from back in 1988.  During the solo, Dave busts out some tapping skills.

Jane Says - Tons of costumed people dance around the band.  Perkins is on steel drum and Eric and Dave both play acoustic guitar.  Nothing could ever beat the version on Nothing's Shocking, but the band does a really nice job bringing it to life in a more light-hearted manner.

Overall, this a really nice production.  The sound quality is excellent, especially the clarity of Eric's bass and Stephen's drums.

One of the best things about Live Voodoo is the bonus content - 2 live performances from back in the Fall of 2008 at very small clubs in Los Angeles.  One of my favorite Jane's tracks - 1% - is filmed at El Cid.  The show is intimate and stripped down, no dancers, just Christmas lights hanging from the stage.  Perry looks good dressed down, in comparison to the cape and blue-sparkled jumpsuit he wears in the New Orleans concert.  This is the Jane's Addiction of my youth.  Would love this entire show to be released.   The second song is 'Ocean Size' filmed at La Cita.  Perry's vocals sound strong and the footage makes you feel like you're packed in with the 100+ fans.  

Also included is a featurette from the NME Magazine Awards Show in April 2008 where Jane's Addiction were given the Godlike Genius Award.  There is some live footage mixed into the short interviews with Navarro, Farrell, Perkins and Avery.  

An 8 page booklet, with liner notes written by former MTV VJ/Host Matt Pinfield, is included inside the case.

A Blu-ray edition is available here

Complete Set List:

Up The Beach

Mountain Song

Ain't No Right

Three Days

Whores

Then She Did

Been Caught Stealing

Ocean Size

Ted, Just Admit It

Summertime Rolls

Stop!

Jane Says

Chip Away

Additional Songs:

1%

Ocean Size