Let's talk about Jane's Addiction's "Nothing's Shocking" for a sec. I remember picking up this cassette back in '88 because the cover freaked me out – those Siamese twin sculptures on fire? Damn. But here's the thing: that shock value was just the tip of the iceberg. Once you actually listened, it wasn't just about controversy. This record became the secret handshake for alt-rock kids before the world caught on. Funny how the title "nothing's shocking" ended up being prophetic when you see how many bands copied their moves later.
Truth is, if you're digging into nothing's shocking jane's now, you're probably wondering why it still matters. Or maybe you heard "Mountain Song" in a documentary and Shazammed it. Either way, stick around because we're unpacking everything – the ugly fights behind the scenes, where to hear it today, and why Perry Farrell's screams still give me goosebumps decades later.
Breaking Down the Nothing's Shocking Revolution
The Birth of a Sound That Didn't Fit
Picture Los Angeles in 1988. Hair metal bands are spraying Aqua Net on the Sunset Strip, and then Jane's Addiction drops this raw, tribal, psychedelic monster. Nothing sounded like Dave Navarro's guitar – one minute he's doing flamenco-ish stuff on "Up the Beach," next he's trying to rip your face off with feedback. And Perry? Man, his vocals weren't pretty in the traditional sense. More like a carnival barker having an existential crisis.
I saw them at a tiny club in Chicago right after release. Maybe 200 people? The energy felt dangerous, like the whole thing might collapse. That's the nothing's shocking jane's experience – controlled chaos. They mashed together:
- Funk basslines that'd make RHCP jealous (Eric Avery was criminally underrated)
- Drum patterns that weren't just rock – Stephen Perkins used congas and timbales live
- Lyrics about LA street life and heroin addiction ("Ted, Just Admit It...") that felt too real
Funny story: Warner Bros hated the album title. Said it would tank sales. The band basically told them to screw off. Shows how much labels knew.
| Track | Runtime | Hidden Details | Legacy Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up the Beach | 3:18 | Ocean sounds recorded at Malibu | Later used in Entourage intro |
| Ocean Size | 4:22 | Navarro's guitar solo took 23 takes | Inspired Nirvana's loud-quiet dynamics |
| Mountain Song | 3:42 | Bassline written on upright bass | Most sampled track in hip-hop |
| Idiots Rule | 3:22 | Farrell improvised lyrics in studio | Rarely played live after '89 |
| Jane Says | 4:51 | Written about real addict Jane Bainter | Acoustic version has 250M+ streams |
That Infamous Cover Art Debacle
Okay, let's address the naked burning twins. Sculptor Charles Ray made them, but stores refused to stock it. Warner Bros panicked and made alternate covers – remember the black & white cat? Total insult to the band. Perry Farrell recently told me at a gallery show: "We wanted to make art, not product. The shock was people being shocked by art."
Today it seems almost tame compared to Instagram, but back then? Pure marketing genius disguised as accident. The controversy absolutely helped nothing's shocking jane's find its audience. Record stores had to hide copies behind counters like dirty magazines.
Weird Fact: Original vinyl included a 3D version of the cover. You needed those cheap red-blue glasses to see it properly. Most got thrown out – surviving copies sell for $400+.
Where to Experience Nothing's Shocking Jane's Today
You'd think a landmark album would be easy to find, right? Not so simple. The remastered versions changed some mixes, and purists hate that. Here's the breakdown:
Streaming Wars
Spotify has the standard version but missing the original "Thank You Boys" intro. Apple Music uses the 2009 remaster – Navarro's solos sound brighter but Dave says it's "too clean." Deezer? They actually have the rare live B-sides. Weird.
My advice? Hunt down the 1988 CD pressings at indie record stores. The bass hits harder. If you're near LA, Rockaway Records on Glendale usually has 2-3 copies.
Vinyl Hunters Guide
| Edition | Sound Quality | Rarity | Price Range | Watch Out For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 Original | Raw, dynamic | Very rare | $250-$400 | Fake stickers on reissues |
| 2009 Rhino Remaster | Polished highs | Common | $30-$45 | Over-compressed sides |
| 2017 Box Set | Best overall | Moderate | $120-$180 | Warped discs (common issue) |
Honestly? The box set sounds incredible but skip it if you hate bonus tracks. Some demo versions ruin the mystery.
The Cultural Earthquake
People throw around "influential" too much, but nothing's shocking jane's actually earned it. Without this album:
- Lollapalooza doesn't exist (Farrell founded it using Jane's fame)
- Nirvana might've stayed underground longer
- Modern festivals would still be genre-segregated
I met Dave Grohl in '12 and he straight up said: "We stole Stephen's drum intros for like 5 Foo Fighters songs." Even the album structure was copied – soft opener, heavy middle, acoustic ballad closer became the 90s blueprint.
Why Modern Bands Still Fail To Capture It
You hear bands today trying to replicate that nothing's shocking jane's energy and falling flat. Know why? They focus on the technical stuff but miss the danger. Jane's played like they might combust mid-song. Modern productions are too safe, too edited. I've heard demos with Farrell bleeding on the mic from screaming too hard. Can't fake that.
Also, nobody writes lyrics like "Had a Dad" anymore – that mix of poetry and ugliness about Perry's dead father? Brutal.
Fan Questions Answered (No BS)
Been collecting questions from forums and Reddit:
Did they really hate each other during recording?
Yep. Navarro and Avery weren't speaking. Producer Dave Jerden had to pass notes between them. Fun fact: the tense vibe made "Summertime Rolls" take 3 weeks to record. Farrell kept changing lyrics.
Is "Jane Says" really heroin propaganda?
God no. It's observational – Jane Bainter was Perry's roommate singing about getting clean while shooting up. The steel drums? Pure accident. Percussionist showed up late, they threw him on the track last minute.
Why doesn't it sound heavy by today's standards?
Modern metal tunes guitars to sound huge but flat. Nothing's Shocking has dynamic range – quiet bits are whisper-quiet so when Navarro kicks in, it feels volcanic. Try listening on good headphones at night. Chills.
The Ultimate Ranking (Fight Me)
After 20+ years of arguments, here's my personal track ranking with reasons:
| Rank | Track | Why It Matters | Best Moment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Three Days | Epic 11-min psychedelia | Bass solo at 6:17 |
| 2 | Mountain Song | Defined alt-rock riffage | Feedback intro explosion |
| 3 | Summertime Rolls | Haunting beauty | Acoustic break at 2:44 |
| 4 | Ocean Size | Pure adrenaline | Navarro's whammy dive |
| 5 | Ted, Just Admit It | Creepy spoken word | Sample collage ending |
Yeah I put "Idiots Rule" last. Sue me. Even Perry forgets the lyrics sometimes.
Legacy and Where They Are Now
Nothing's Shocking Jane's didn't just spawn imitators – it created ecosystems. Farrell's Lollapalooza blueprint changed live music economics. Navarro became a guitar god then reality TV star (weird journey). Avery quit music for years after disputes over royalties – messy stuff.
Deep Cut: Original tapes were almost lost in 1994 Universal Studios fire. Surviving copies are stored in an underground salt mine now. Seriously.
The album still moves units – about 15,000 copies yearly. Not bad for something Warner called "career suicide." Young fans discover it through games like Guitar Hero or samples. Kendrick Lamar used "Mountain Song" bassline on that untitled unmastered track remember?
Final thought: what still shocks about nothing's shocking jane's isn't the nudity or drugs. It's how alive it sounds 35 years later. Put on "Standing in the Shower... Thinking" right now. Tell me that doesn't feel fresher than 90% of today's releases. Exactly.
Anyway, if you take one thing from this rant: listen loud on physical media. Streaming compression murders the dynamics. Your phone speaker does this masterpiece dirty. Go find those old speakers in your dad's garage. Thank me later.
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