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Whores: An Oral Biography of Perry Farrell and Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction's 1988 breakthrough album, Nothing's Shocking , had a seismic impact on the music scene of the late 80s. With a bracing combination of metal, punk, and psychedelica, coupled with lead singer Perry Farrell's banshee-in-a-windtunnel vocals, the arrival of Jane's Addiction put what would soon be co-opted as "alternative" on the map. Rising from the depths of Venice Beach's junkie-surfer demonade, Jane's Addiction freely mixed the decadent with the innocent, and paved the way for the mainstream success of bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Nirvana. After Nothing's Shocking , Jane's Addiction released another classic album, Ritual de Lo Habitual (featuring the hit "Been Caught Stealing"), founded the Lollapalooza festival, and openly celebrated a bacchanalian lifestyle that blurred all lines of gender and sexuality. Drawn from original interviews with the band (including Farrell and guitarist Dave Navarro), their friends, and musical colleagues, Whores will take readers through the early days of the band to their drug-addled breakup and eventual triumphant reunion with the 2003 release of their album Strays . Along the way, providing a candid, sometimes disturbing glimpse into the dynamic alternative rock scene of Los Angeles in the '80s and '90s.
324 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
49 people are currently reading
482 people want to read
About the author
Brendan Mullen
6 books16 followersBrendan Mullen was a Scottish nightclub owner, music promoter and writer, best known for founding the Los Angeles punk rock club The Masque. Through Mullen's support at various nightclubs in California, the scene gave birth to such bands as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Go-Go's, X, The Weirdos and the Germs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
March 9, 2009
This reads like the west coast version of Please Kill Me, wandering away at times from the band's story and jumping into the whole L.A. underground, the Scream/Lingerie flipside to rampant Sunset pay-to-play poodle metal - and I just read Marc Canter's book on Guns'n'Roses so it was perfect timing to read this soon after. Loved how there were so many voices shaping the narrative in here.
This book really made me miss the late 80's/90's - it was kind of hard to read about Nothing's Shocking, and Gift, and Lollapalooza, and then have to come back to a YouTube reality. While a lot of it descended into the inevitable drug problems, there was a lot of immersion into the sound, the art and the shows and the videos and their weird gorgeousness in general. So even though the narrative got disjointed in places, and various personalities came off as complete jackasses, I didn't really care. It did its job of transporting me back to that time, that place, and I could easily have read 300 more pages of it (it went fast.)
This book really made me miss the late 80's/90's - it was kind of hard to read about Nothing's Shocking, and Gift, and Lollapalooza, and then have to come back to a YouTube reality. While a lot of it descended into the inevitable drug problems, there was a lot of immersion into the sound, the art and the shows and the videos and their weird gorgeousness in general. So even though the narrative got disjointed in places, and various personalities came off as complete jackasses, I didn't really care. It did its job of transporting me back to that time, that place, and I could easily have read 300 more pages of it (it went fast.)
February 2, 2020
A real good behind the scenes look at formation and history during their playing years. Also touches on Porno for Pyros, as some members overlap. Doesn't hold any punches and shows the darkside of drug addiction, depression and alcoholism for many of the bands members. If you're a fan, this is a must read.
May 12, 2009
Obviously I read this book because I'm a huge Jane's Addiction fan, and that's also the only reason I gave it four stars. It wasn't the greatest rock book. If you're not a Jane's/Perry fan, you probably won't find this interesting, whereas I'm not a big Crue fan, but I loved The Dirt. The way it was written as a compilation of quotes made it a fun interesting read, but it sorta dropped off at the end there. Also it needs to be updated because the story wraps up with Carmen and Dave living happily ever after and that is clearly no longer the case! :-)
March 14, 2019
I am... having a... hard time... getting through this one. And I love Jane's Addiction. I agree with the others that it sort of "falls off". Rock-n-Roll books are always an easy read, but I followed up "Just Kids" (Patti Smith) with this one. Big mistake.
Either way, it is the history of one of my top five faves and I have learned of a few more interesting (historical) locations around Hollywood. Now when I drive friends around, I can point out where "Jane" used to score drugs and where the drug house was. Useless information that makes the L.A. tourists happy!
Either way, it is the history of one of my top five faves and I have learned of a few more interesting (historical) locations around Hollywood. Now when I drive friends around, I can point out where "Jane" used to score drugs and where the drug house was. Useless information that makes the L.A. tourists happy!
September 8, 2009
well, if you were/are really into janes addiction and the whole alt/goth rock thing in the 80's/early 90's, you'll dig this book. but you really have to care about the subject matter....otherwise its not really that interesting in itself. personally i liked it, but that's because nothing's shocking kinda changed my life in a small way in 1988. so.
Want to read
May 16, 2011Want to read it. but bought for Essi's birthday!
November 15, 2012
I am not even a fan of Jane's Addiction, but couldn't put this one down. The format is different from any biography I've read before- the story is told from pieced together articles and interview.
June 25, 2012
The book is an expansion on a great set of interviews he compiled together for a 2003 piece that ran in SPIN magazine. Mullen is not so much the author of the piece, but serves as its director...taking various quotes and organizing them together into sections covering a specific topic...such as an album, a tour, a time period, a person, etc...What's great about the book is that all of the stories come directly from the original source...with no middle man nor woman to reinterpret anything, or make comment upon. You get to read direct quotes from all four original band members of Jane's Addiction, plus everyone involved in and around their lives...including family members, agents, managers, producers, fellow musicians., club owners, girlfriends, wives, and other associates of the band. It's a brutal, honest tale...filled with various peaks and valleys. What I got from the book was a deeper understanding what made Jane's Addiction tick..and how incredibly fragile that was. It also made me better understand why they imploded after only five years of existence, and three albums. Similar to The Beatles, the question is not so much why they broke up...yet more so how was it that they managed to stay together?
Born out of the aftermath of the 80's L.A. punk rock and heavy metal scene, as well as British new wave...the members of Jane's Addiction seem to come together as a matter of destiny. It was a woman by the name of Carla Bozulich who in 1985 introduced a rebellious, drug addicted L.A. bassist named Eric Avery to the drugged out and sexually sinister New York-born singer, songwriter Perry Farrell. Before Avery and Farrell even met, they already had someone in common...an Ivy League-educated woman who suffered from severe drug addiction...her name was Jane Bainter. Avery lived in a house with her in Westwood, and later on Farrell shared a house with her near Hollywood. When Farrell and Avery came together to form a band...they thought of their old friend Jane...and to her horror...named their band Jane's Addiction. They also immortalized her real-life plight in the classic Jane's Addiction song "Jane Says." After struggling with a drug-impaired guitarist and drummer, Eric Avery's sister Rebecca suggested her boyfriend...Stephen Perkins, to come out and play drums. Rebecca Avery met Stephen Perkins through her first boyfriend...a talented, drug-addicted guitarist named Dave Navarro. Not long after Perkins joined Jane's Addiction, he suggested having his good pal Navarro join them as well...and history was made. It was a strange match...two artsy, British new wave, L.A. punk-influenced guys (Farrell and Avery) mixed with two hard rock/heavy metal-influenced guys (Perkins and Navarro)...but it worked, it really worked.
The early Jane's Addiction shows were held in the punk, DIY (do-it-yourself) manner of renting out empty spaces and staging their own shows. Some of these shows were financed by a prostitute named Bianca...whom Eric Avery was having a horrid affair with. A major player through the early days, and through the length of Jane's Addiction's initial lifespan was Perry Farrell's girlfriend, stylist, artistic partner, and all-around muse...Casey Niccoli. Songs were written quickly, and it didn't take long before they developed a strong following...resulting in a fierce, record label bidding war in 1987. The winner was Warner Bros. records, yet before jumping into a big record with a major label, the band first decided to first put out a live record (called Jane's Addiction) on a small independent label called Triple X. The following year (1988) saw the release of their incredible studio debut...Nothing's Shocking. This was followed two years later by their 1990 masterpiece Ritual De Lo Habitual. The world tour that followed took them to even greater heights, and bigger audiences...headlining big venues like the Universal Amphitheater in L.A, and Madison Square Garden in NY, and starting up and headlining the very first Lollapalooza tour in 1991. Yet before the tour even started...the band was over.
From the get-go, Jane's Addiction was a band riddled with problems. Problem # 1 - Drugs, lots and lots of drugs. Drummer Stephen Perkins was clean...never dabbling in anything beyond pot, yet Eric Avery, Dave Navarro and Perry Farrell were all addicts. Avery was a heroin junkie that went clean during the band's later years...making him a bit of an outcast. Farrell was able to dabble with all sorts of drugs, yet still be able to function for the most part. He never let the drugs get the better of him. This was not the case of Dave Navarro...who was the worst drug offender of all...struggling with severe substance abuse from the mid-80's up through 2002. Due to drugs, Navarro got into a fistfight with Farrel at the first Lollapalooza concert. Problem # 2 - bad management. It's not easy to manage one junkie, let alone three...and sadly Jane's Addiction burned through a number of managers in five years time as a result. I guess that goes back to Problem # 1. Then there was the Problem # 3, the cold war between Perry Farrell and Eric Avery...one that still exists to this very day. The Jane's Addiction founding members have been at odds from the very beginning. Avery made a drunken pass at Casey Niccoli early on, confessing his love for her...and Farrell never forgave him. Worse, Farrell is a freak megalomaniac...whose controlling, domineering ways clashed with Avery's rebellious nature. Perry Farrell's "my way or the highway" approach broke up the band on a few occasions...especially when it came down to money. Farrell's insistence on dominating the publishing royalties put in a rift in the band that they never recovered from...especially Avery. Sadly, by the time the band officially broke up, it actually made sense.
Whores: An Oral Biography of Perry Farrell and Jane's Addiction goes beyond the initial lifespan of Jane's Addiction and discusses post-Jane's projects like Avery and Navarro's 1994 Deconstruction album, and Farrell and Perkins 90's band, Porno For Pyros. If the drugs in Jane's Addiction was horrible, the situation with Porno For Pyros was actually worse. Once again, with a smile on his face, drummer Stephen Perkins found himself playing in a band of heroin and crack addicts. Worst offender was Porno For Pyros bassist Martyn Le Noble...who'd go on binges and disappear for weeks at a time...even attempting suicide out of drug-fueled embarrassment.
Whores: An Oral Biography of Perry Farrell and Jane's Addiction also covers the various Jane's Addiction reunions over the years...from the dangerous and disastrous 1997 Relapse tour, with Flea replacing Eric Avery on bass (after Avery refused to join the tour, infuriating Perry Farrell), to the 2001-2002 shows with Martyn Le Noble on bass (who was unceremoniously fired by Perry Farrell), and the 2003 shows with Chris Chaney on bass. The 2003 Jane's Addiction record Strays is also discussed...how it was recorded independently, how Farrell fired Martyn Le Noble, and erased all of his bass tracks from the record....and how legendary Alice Cooper, Kiss, and Pink Floyd producer Bob Ezrin set out to make a great, classic rock and roll record...yet not necessarily a great Jane's Addiction record.
It's interesting to note that the book ends with the group broken up once again at the end of 2003...all moving on to other projects. Yet the story is far from over...Since it's 2005 publication, a new chapter of Jane's Addiction began with the full reunion of the band in 2008, this time with Eric Avery...a grand 2009 tour, and once again falling apart in 2010. Former Guns N' Roses/Velvet Revolver bassist Duff McKagen joined the band for a few months, then left. Now, Jane's Addiction have two shows coming up in Aspen, CO at the end of this month...are supposedly working on a new album...I have no idea who's playing bass with them these days...yet it sure ain't Eric Avery.
Needless to say, I got a kick out reading Whores: An Oral Biography of Perry Farrell and Jane's Addiction. The book does a good job presenting a three-dimensional portrait of a great band. I got a really good sense of who the band was...and what their personalities are really like...for better or worse. The only one you perhaps don't hear enough about is Stephen Perkins...as his life was not as colorful and controversial as his fellow band mates. I would have liked to have known how he dealt with working so close with junkies all those years....and how was it that he himself was able to resist getting into the hard drugs his peers used so heavily? Also missing from the book, a detailed discussion of the music...the great songs of Jane's Addiction. Songs are mentioned, sure...yet not enough is spoken about the content of the music...and the making of the great albums. I would loved to have heard more about how certain songs came together...how they were developed, etc. That said, I appreciated the fact that Brendan Mullen took the time to put the book together...and tell the story of one of my favorite bands. It's quite a story indeed...and I am very curious what's going to happen next...
Born out of the aftermath of the 80's L.A. punk rock and heavy metal scene, as well as British new wave...the members of Jane's Addiction seem to come together as a matter of destiny. It was a woman by the name of Carla Bozulich who in 1985 introduced a rebellious, drug addicted L.A. bassist named Eric Avery to the drugged out and sexually sinister New York-born singer, songwriter Perry Farrell. Before Avery and Farrell even met, they already had someone in common...an Ivy League-educated woman who suffered from severe drug addiction...her name was Jane Bainter. Avery lived in a house with her in Westwood, and later on Farrell shared a house with her near Hollywood. When Farrell and Avery came together to form a band...they thought of their old friend Jane...and to her horror...named their band Jane's Addiction. They also immortalized her real-life plight in the classic Jane's Addiction song "Jane Says." After struggling with a drug-impaired guitarist and drummer, Eric Avery's sister Rebecca suggested her boyfriend...Stephen Perkins, to come out and play drums. Rebecca Avery met Stephen Perkins through her first boyfriend...a talented, drug-addicted guitarist named Dave Navarro. Not long after Perkins joined Jane's Addiction, he suggested having his good pal Navarro join them as well...and history was made. It was a strange match...two artsy, British new wave, L.A. punk-influenced guys (Farrell and Avery) mixed with two hard rock/heavy metal-influenced guys (Perkins and Navarro)...but it worked, it really worked.
The early Jane's Addiction shows were held in the punk, DIY (do-it-yourself) manner of renting out empty spaces and staging their own shows. Some of these shows were financed by a prostitute named Bianca...whom Eric Avery was having a horrid affair with. A major player through the early days, and through the length of Jane's Addiction's initial lifespan was Perry Farrell's girlfriend, stylist, artistic partner, and all-around muse...Casey Niccoli. Songs were written quickly, and it didn't take long before they developed a strong following...resulting in a fierce, record label bidding war in 1987. The winner was Warner Bros. records, yet before jumping into a big record with a major label, the band first decided to first put out a live record (called Jane's Addiction) on a small independent label called Triple X. The following year (1988) saw the release of their incredible studio debut...Nothing's Shocking. This was followed two years later by their 1990 masterpiece Ritual De Lo Habitual. The world tour that followed took them to even greater heights, and bigger audiences...headlining big venues like the Universal Amphitheater in L.A, and Madison Square Garden in NY, and starting up and headlining the very first Lollapalooza tour in 1991. Yet before the tour even started...the band was over.
From the get-go, Jane's Addiction was a band riddled with problems. Problem # 1 - Drugs, lots and lots of drugs. Drummer Stephen Perkins was clean...never dabbling in anything beyond pot, yet Eric Avery, Dave Navarro and Perry Farrell were all addicts. Avery was a heroin junkie that went clean during the band's later years...making him a bit of an outcast. Farrell was able to dabble with all sorts of drugs, yet still be able to function for the most part. He never let the drugs get the better of him. This was not the case of Dave Navarro...who was the worst drug offender of all...struggling with severe substance abuse from the mid-80's up through 2002. Due to drugs, Navarro got into a fistfight with Farrel at the first Lollapalooza concert. Problem # 2 - bad management. It's not easy to manage one junkie, let alone three...and sadly Jane's Addiction burned through a number of managers in five years time as a result. I guess that goes back to Problem # 1. Then there was the Problem # 3, the cold war between Perry Farrell and Eric Avery...one that still exists to this very day. The Jane's Addiction founding members have been at odds from the very beginning. Avery made a drunken pass at Casey Niccoli early on, confessing his love for her...and Farrell never forgave him. Worse, Farrell is a freak megalomaniac...whose controlling, domineering ways clashed with Avery's rebellious nature. Perry Farrell's "my way or the highway" approach broke up the band on a few occasions...especially when it came down to money. Farrell's insistence on dominating the publishing royalties put in a rift in the band that they never recovered from...especially Avery. Sadly, by the time the band officially broke up, it actually made sense.
Whores: An Oral Biography of Perry Farrell and Jane's Addiction goes beyond the initial lifespan of Jane's Addiction and discusses post-Jane's projects like Avery and Navarro's 1994 Deconstruction album, and Farrell and Perkins 90's band, Porno For Pyros. If the drugs in Jane's Addiction was horrible, the situation with Porno For Pyros was actually worse. Once again, with a smile on his face, drummer Stephen Perkins found himself playing in a band of heroin and crack addicts. Worst offender was Porno For Pyros bassist Martyn Le Noble...who'd go on binges and disappear for weeks at a time...even attempting suicide out of drug-fueled embarrassment.
Whores: An Oral Biography of Perry Farrell and Jane's Addiction also covers the various Jane's Addiction reunions over the years...from the dangerous and disastrous 1997 Relapse tour, with Flea replacing Eric Avery on bass (after Avery refused to join the tour, infuriating Perry Farrell), to the 2001-2002 shows with Martyn Le Noble on bass (who was unceremoniously fired by Perry Farrell), and the 2003 shows with Chris Chaney on bass. The 2003 Jane's Addiction record Strays is also discussed...how it was recorded independently, how Farrell fired Martyn Le Noble, and erased all of his bass tracks from the record....and how legendary Alice Cooper, Kiss, and Pink Floyd producer Bob Ezrin set out to make a great, classic rock and roll record...yet not necessarily a great Jane's Addiction record.
It's interesting to note that the book ends with the group broken up once again at the end of 2003...all moving on to other projects. Yet the story is far from over...Since it's 2005 publication, a new chapter of Jane's Addiction began with the full reunion of the band in 2008, this time with Eric Avery...a grand 2009 tour, and once again falling apart in 2010. Former Guns N' Roses/Velvet Revolver bassist Duff McKagen joined the band for a few months, then left. Now, Jane's Addiction have two shows coming up in Aspen, CO at the end of this month...are supposedly working on a new album...I have no idea who's playing bass with them these days...yet it sure ain't Eric Avery.
Needless to say, I got a kick out reading Whores: An Oral Biography of Perry Farrell and Jane's Addiction. The book does a good job presenting a three-dimensional portrait of a great band. I got a really good sense of who the band was...and what their personalities are really like...for better or worse. The only one you perhaps don't hear enough about is Stephen Perkins...as his life was not as colorful and controversial as his fellow band mates. I would have liked to have known how he dealt with working so close with junkies all those years....and how was it that he himself was able to resist getting into the hard drugs his peers used so heavily? Also missing from the book, a detailed discussion of the music...the great songs of Jane's Addiction. Songs are mentioned, sure...yet not enough is spoken about the content of the music...and the making of the great albums. I would loved to have heard more about how certain songs came together...how they were developed, etc. That said, I appreciated the fact that Brendan Mullen took the time to put the book together...and tell the story of one of my favorite bands. It's quite a story indeed...and I am very curious what's going to happen next...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 16, 2018
Like other reviews have said, this book is really only good if you're a fan of Jane's or that era of music. While half the book was pretty interesting and an eye opener to how the album's, tracks and videos came about, there was a lot of what felt like were 'fillers' to pad it out.
Sadly by the final quarter I was ready to finish it, and the material also seemed to just fade away until the end.
However, I still think it's worth reading if you are a fan of Perry or Jane's
Sadly by the final quarter I was ready to finish it, and the material also seemed to just fade away until the end.
However, I still think it's worth reading if you are a fan of Perry or Jane's
May 27, 2019
Everyone except for the drummer was on all the drugs through most of the book. Perry Farrell comes off as a bit of a jerk. How can he say in the book that it’s not about the money after demanding the large majority of the royalties for the songs? Still, it has me listening to Nothing’s Shocking a lot. And also reassessing Ritual de lo Habitual. A bit of psychedelic metal can work. A tiny bit of “Eastern” influence can work but too much and you get Porno for Pyros.
August 12, 2019
The first 65% is boring and mundane ..The rest is fantastic.
The first half and more is pretty boring but it picks up and good stories happen after the. I read in one day so it's and easy read. Also it's different people all talking about the same experiences. The end stories make it worth it
The first half and more is pretty boring but it picks up and good stories happen after the. I read in one day so it's and easy read. Also it's different people all talking about the same experiences. The end stories make it worth it
January 10, 2024
Kinda a middle of the road oral history. I gave it 4 stars because it was engaging enough that I finished it in 2 days, I just think the story of Jane’s Addiction isn’t quite as wild as say that of other bands such as Van Halen, Nirvana, Metallica, etc.
September 4, 2024
A must read for any Janes fan and indeed, fans of indie music. A reader sees their influences and how they created their own sound from them. It's a story of place as much as sound. Jane's couldn't have happened anywhere else but LA.
May 10, 2021
4.5 stars
I wish it was longer. The book was written before the last Jane's album. The book dedicates very little time to the band post Ritual except Porno for Pyros.
I wish it was longer. The book was written before the last Jane's album. The book dedicates very little time to the band post Ritual except Porno for Pyros.
September 26, 2022
I think I liked Jane's Addiction more before I read the book. Not a great read.
December 2, 2021
Well, I'm giving up on this book before finishing it. It's not that it's bad, really, but it could have been better. I've read many music/band bios that were really superior while just as many that weren't as good. And I was looking forward to this because I've been a Jane's Addiction fan since the mid'80s, BEFORE their "first" album -- Nothing's Shocking -- was released and when in fact they actually already HAD one album out, which always made me wonder how the hell the record label could claim NS was a debut and why music journalists allowed them to get away with that! I actually still have my copy of their first album, which has "Jane Says" on it, a song that made it to NS.
Anyway, I've known for decades that Perry's crazy as hell, just loony tunes, and that's not terribly unusual for many entertainers, but while it was cool to read about clubs I used to go to when I lived in LA, and some of the things that went on, honestly, the gang getting together in one large house and camping out as one fluid musical, drugged out crazed unit simply made me think of the Dead's house in Height-Ashbury -- I've been to it -- or Jefferson Airplane's, and honestly, I've been reading so many engaging, interesting books lately that I simply became bored with this one and have given up. Which is shocking. It's just so ho hum, been there, done that, seen that, Perry's NOT that shocking cause he's just following in a long line of freaks trying to be freaky and I'd rather read about quantum field theory or limited nuclear warfare strategies or burgeoning regional hegemonic in the South China Sea area, or honestly, if we're going to go into current band bios I'm reading, some include Duran Duran (!!!), Debbie Harry, Cosey Tutti (from Throbbing Gristle fame), Kin Gordon from Sonic Youth, Ministry's Al Jourgenson and more. And honestly, all but the one on Kim are more interesting. So it's unfortunate, but I guess no big loss to ditch this one. Maybe an alternate will come along one day that will be more engaging and I can always hope for that. So, sadly, not recommended at all.
Anyway, I've known for decades that Perry's crazy as hell, just loony tunes, and that's not terribly unusual for many entertainers, but while it was cool to read about clubs I used to go to when I lived in LA, and some of the things that went on, honestly, the gang getting together in one large house and camping out as one fluid musical, drugged out crazed unit simply made me think of the Dead's house in Height-Ashbury -- I've been to it -- or Jefferson Airplane's, and honestly, I've been reading so many engaging, interesting books lately that I simply became bored with this one and have given up. Which is shocking. It's just so ho hum, been there, done that, seen that, Perry's NOT that shocking cause he's just following in a long line of freaks trying to be freaky and I'd rather read about quantum field theory or limited nuclear warfare strategies or burgeoning regional hegemonic in the South China Sea area, or honestly, if we're going to go into current band bios I'm reading, some include Duran Duran (!!!), Debbie Harry, Cosey Tutti (from Throbbing Gristle fame), Kin Gordon from Sonic Youth, Ministry's Al Jourgenson and more. And honestly, all but the one on Kim are more interesting. So it's unfortunate, but I guess no big loss to ditch this one. Maybe an alternate will come along one day that will be more engaging and I can always hope for that. So, sadly, not recommended at all.
January 17, 2012
I enjoyed the take on telling the band story through everyone's viewpoint who wsa around during the time. Jane's is on of my all-time favorite bands. Throughout drugs and heated tensions, they managed to created enduring music as well push the music scene to the next level. Perry Ferral is schrewd businessman and front man who pushes creativity to the limit. Well worth the read.
As a special aside, probably my all time favorite song is Three Days off Ritual de lo Habitual. I found it interesting that the song was done in one take during a time when the band wasn't even talking to each other. On top of that they played in the room together for just that song when all the other songs and parts where recorded separately. I think whatever happened that day was mystical, magical intensity that was completely captured in the moment - very similiar to the story of Jim Morrison and the Doors recording the The End.
As a special aside, probably my all time favorite song is Three Days off Ritual de lo Habitual. I found it interesting that the song was done in one take during a time when the band wasn't even talking to each other. On top of that they played in the room together for just that song when all the other songs and parts where recorded separately. I think whatever happened that day was mystical, magical intensity that was completely captured in the moment - very similiar to the story of Jim Morrison and the Doors recording the The End.
July 2, 2016
Entertaining and surprisingly difficult to put down. There is enough here to give you a clear picture of the nature and character of Perry and also the extent to which these guys were consuming narcotics, for instance Navarro has very little memory of recording Ritual. Some interesting stories behind the songs makes you listen to them in a slightly different way. Would recommend to any fan of Janes, anyone with an interest in the LA music scene 80's - early 90's, or indeed anyone interested in the creative and psychological dynamics and tensions that can often create music of sublime beauty. There is obviously some spiritual connection between Dave Navarro and Perry Farrell that transcended all human troubles when they played together. Interestingly the best quote in book though comes from John Frusciante as he talks about trying to keep snakes out of his eyes.
October 2, 2009
Pretty interesting look at a band I've always liked but didn't know a whole lot about. First impression? Man, they did a lot of drugs. On the one hand, they were so talented that I'm surprised they only made two studio albums in their heyday. On the other hand, they were so effed up that I'm surprised they were able to actually produce two albums. Other than that, the book doesn't really flow all that well, because its basically fifty different people telling the same story, two or three sentences at a time. I'd have probably preferred reading a more straight forward narrative by a good writer than read a collection of the writer's notes. But overall, its the definitive history of a band, pretty much everything you'd want to know about Jane's Addiction.
March 18, 2019
Great band, passable book
I’ve read a few books by the same author. All are serviceable oral histories. A good oral history has consistency and depth that lend itself to truly understanding the subject at hand.
In this book, a seemingly authorized biography of the music spawned from Jane’s Addiction’s members, a a consistent account of each member and time period is elusive, depth is almost non-existent, third hand perspectives are conveniently not necessary (one easy omission when eschewing prose for a book of quotes), and the context behind the events is almost entirely surface level.
Not bad for a primer on Jane’s but there’s a reason why this author isn’t writing about the tier 1 artists (and it’s not due to lack of access).
I’ve read a few books by the same author. All are serviceable oral histories. A good oral history has consistency and depth that lend itself to truly understanding the subject at hand.
In this book, a seemingly authorized biography of the music spawned from Jane’s Addiction’s members, a a consistent account of each member and time period is elusive, depth is almost non-existent, third hand perspectives are conveniently not necessary (one easy omission when eschewing prose for a book of quotes), and the context behind the events is almost entirely surface level.
Not bad for a primer on Jane’s but there’s a reason why this author isn’t writing about the tier 1 artists (and it’s not due to lack of access).
July 23, 2008
Yeah, okay. I guess the mystique of the band wasn't handled like I thought it could be. Something about this book kind of rubbed me wrong. It had the oral history thing going for it, but everybody involved seemed pretty stuck up while they did the interviews. Like they're the only ones who ever smoked a joint and went to a rehearsal. The forming of the band and its inevitable decline were captured rather nicely (which is usually the best parts of any rock bio for me).
March 12, 2013
This is another rock oral history in the vein of Please Kill Me (I love these things). It has the expected tales of rock 'n roll excess as well as information on the origins of the band, how the albums were recorded, etc. The main takeaway from this one is that no one who's been seriously involved with Perry Farrell on either a personal or business level would probably refer to him as a "great guy."
February 13, 2008
Again reading about people with addictions! this book was rather strange but interesting. Perry is such a unique creature. After reading the book, I became obsessed with Xiola Blue (a real life person in which Perry was involved). I wanted to find out more about her, but there's not much out there I could find. Let me know if you find anything.
January 6, 2017
Jane's Addiction is one of my very favorite bands and reminds me of my early childhood unlike anything else. This book depicts a crucial moment in Los Angeles's punk music scene which I personally think is one of the coolest periods in American musical history. The narrative style isn't the best, but the content is incredible.
December 5, 2008
amazing, kind of like a half assed version of please kill me. but still good none the less. i would liken it to ready an extremely long magazine article. there was places for improvement but all in all entertaining and lots of cool inside perspectives on what was happening inside the group.
December 2, 2009
Great book about a greatly underrated and under-appreciated band. Love the oral biography writing style. A must-read for Jane's Addiction fans. The photographs are really great too. It's like "Behind the Music" but better and in book form.
August 20, 2008
I enjoy the "oral history" format when reading about musicians. This one's about Perry Ferrell and Jane's Addiction. You know it will be interesting if it's about that group of guys!
September 16, 2008
Jane's Addiction is one of the greatest bands ever. This book made me laugh hysterically, cry uncontrollably, and think constantly.
November 8, 2012
If you are a fan of Jane's Addiction, this would be a good read.
December 24, 2010
A book for fans of the band. I remember thinking it made me sad to think it was Perry Ferrell's greed and the other three guys' naivety that meant we got but the three full-lengths from them.
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