Jane's Addiction
Up From The Catacombs: The Best Of Jane's Addiction

A year after the final curtain fell on the artistic journey of Jane’s Addiction, a best-of album arrives right on time, showcasing (only partially, ça va sans dire) the dazzling repertoire of Perry Farrell's gang. The collection mostly highlights the first three albums, the pre-Lollapalooza ones, with just a couple of tracks from the controversial “Strays,” the album from their brief 2003 reunion: a decent album but nothing more, and curiously the chosen tracks, “Superhero” and “Just because”, were the weakest of the bunch. It's better to focus on tracks from the legendary "Jane’s Addiction," "Nothing's Shocking," and "Ritual de lo Habitual," which are immensely helpful in reminding us just how revolutionary Dave Navarro and his bandmates were. The true first alternative group, one of the most influential on all '90s rock, capable of merging the force of Led Zeppelin, the gothic influence of new wave, the obsessiveness of Killing Joke, the funk of Sly Stone, and all the psychedelia into innovative stylistic blends. This just to give some references, because the Jane's sound was highly original and inimitable.

The secret to this sophisticated alchemy was first and foremost the indispensable contribution of each of the four members. Drummer Stephen Perkins with a powerful and tribal drumming, yet able to be soft and edgy when needed. Bassist Eric Avery, with his hypnotic new wave-derived bass lines. Dave Navarro, the most talented guitarist of his generation, astonishingly painting Zeppelin-esque arabesques, soft new wave textures, edgy P.I.L.-like mantras and ethereal psychedelic insights. Perry Farrell was the despotic leader, who shaped it all with his shamanistic stage presence, his screeching voice, his sick and depraved lyrics, his broad yet essential musical vision: a priest of arcane sonic ceremonies.

Listening to the magnificent tracks featured here will leave you breathless. “Ocean Size” and “Had A Dad” (innovative p-funk with fabulous Navarro solos), “Three Days” (their "Stairway To Heaven"), “Ted, Just Admit It” (modernist and tribal metal, guitar and bass in perpetual collision with Farrell both hysterical and majestic), “Summertime Rolls” (Avery's bass is magical: Joy Division shaking off Manchester's gloom, moving to California to surf and explore psychedelia with Navarro), “Jane Says” ("Berlin" by Lou Reed recorded in Los Angeles), “Stop” (Jimmy Page deconstructed in a chaotic post-wave collage), “Been Caught Stealing” (perfect pop-funk-metal crossover).

There's no point in commenting on what's missing; everyone knows it's the record companies that choose the tracklists for best-of albums. The absence of "Highlights" from “Ritual de lo Habitual” like “Obvious”, “Then She Did” and “Of Course” don't clash, as they are too tied to the organic nature of that Opus magnum, which is highly recommended listening.
Finally, the album’s title is remarkably fitting, taken from a verse of “Chip Away”:

“Up from the catacombs I ran into the angel again
He took the high road, I took the low road
We both wore dirty faces”.

Devil of a man.