Jane’s Addiction - Strays (2003)

Jane's_Addiction-Strays“Strays” is the fourth album, and third full studio album by American alternative rock band Jane’s Addiction, released on July 22, 2003 on Capitol Records. “Strays” is the first album to feature bassist Chris Chaney. Regarding the decision to record a new studio album after such a long hiatus, drummer Stephen Perkins stated that the band had already completed two reunion tours performing old material, and that Jane’s was ready for “a new challenge. Vocalist Perry Farrell states that the band “went into the studio thinking fast, hard, modern and to the point.”

The last time that Jane’s Addiction headlined Lollapalooza behind a high-profile album was, of course, 1991. Much changed in 12 years, though, and the declining fortunes of Perry Farrell’s breakthrough festival during the summer of 2003 were matched by a desultory return from three-fourths of the original Jane’s Addiction lineup on its third full album, “Strays”. Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins, and bassist Eric Avery (who declined his reunion invitation) had been a vision of ’80s musical heaven since their studio debut, 1988’s Nothing’s Shocking. Farrell’s art-school intelligence and originality made the band interesting, while Navarro’s and Perkins’ background in heavy metal (they’re both significantly younger than Farrell) gave the band punch, adding the melodicism of power pop and the constant riffing of thrash. Though “Strays” possesses all these characteristics it’s undeniably a Jane’s Addiction record, and a powerful one at that it also illustrates that the group’s formidable musical talents have been subsumed by an apparent quest to save its legacy. For “Strays” is, most of all, a safe record. Farrell’s regal, echo-laden vocals are intact (and out in front like never before), as are Navarro’s ragged, lyrical guitar solos, but the songs lag far behind. In fact, they never even approach the level of any Jane’s material from their two proper albums. This isn’t a record that would allow a throwaway stunner like “Been Caught Stealing” (the tossed-off jam that became the band’s biggest hit) or the majestic ten-minute epic “Three Days.” In their place is a set of majestic jams influenced by Farrell’s second Porno for Pyros LP, “Good God’s Urge”, a mystical mishmash of musical feelings and textures, not songs. The allure of Jane’s Addiction is undiminished by “Strays” (this is still a band creating music unlike any other group on earth).

Track listing

01.  “True Nature”   (Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, LeNoble)  - 3:49
02.  “Strays”   (Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, Aaron Embry, David J)  - 4:32)
03.  “Just Because”   (Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, Chaney)  - 3:51
04.  “Price I Pay”   (Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, Chaney)  - 5:27
05.  “The Riches”   (Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, Embry, LeNoble)  - 5:44
06.  “Superhero”   (Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, Embry)  - 3:58
07.  “Wrong Girl”   (Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, Chaney)  - 4:32
08.  “Everybody’s Friend”   (Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin)  - 3:18
09.  “Suffer Some”    (Farrell,Navarro,Perkins, LeNoble, Ezrin)  - 4:14
10.  “Hypersonic”   (Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, LeNoble)  - 3:32
11.  “To Match the Sun”    (Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, LeNoble)  - 5:25

Credits
Perry Farrell – lead vocals, programming
Dave Navarro – guitars, piano
Stephen Perkins – drums, percussion
Chris Chaney – bass
Bob Ezrin – mixing, additional keyboards, percussion, orchestral arrangements
Dionna Brooks-Jackson – backing vocals
Scott Page – saxophones
John Shanks – mandolin
Mike Finnegan – organ
Aaron Embry – keyboards, kalimba
Zack Ray – keyboards
Kim Hill – backing vocals
Brian Virtue – engineer, mixing, programming
Alex Gibson, James Murray – additional engineering
Brian Humphrey, Alex Uychocde – assistant engineer
Joe Bishara – programming
Brenden Hawkins, James Murray – additional programming
Leanna Sterios – orchestral arrangements
Brian Gardner – mastering
Producer – Bob Ezrin and Brian Virtue

Notes
Recorded - 2002–03 at Henson Recording Studios
Genre - Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal
Length - 48:22

© 2003 Capitol Records