Recorded on tour in 2011 for their second reunion album (The Great Escape Artist), Live in NYC captures a loose yet powerful Jane’s Addiction show in front of an appreciative crowd.
The show is more a treat for fans than a vital live document or a way to discover new favorites from the latter two reunion albums. All but three songs are from the band’s two major albums, Nothing’s Shocking and Ritual De Lo Habitual, with one song apiece from Strays and Escape Artist and an old tune from their unheard 1987 debut album.
Unlike their Los Angeles peers of the late ’80s, who went the party-hearty overdrive hair route (Motley Crue, Guns ‘n ‘Roses, etc.), Jane’s Addiction mined strains of metal, punk and the underground alternative scene, becoming leading lights of said scene and helping push the music into the mainstream in the early ’90s. 25 years on, they are still able to mine that vein of magic and noise, loud and soft, cheeky and enraged, that few bands since have been able to imitate.
Longtime fans will appreciate the renditions of these songs, which mix hits and album tracks and don’t stray too much from the originals. “Whores,” from their debut, may be an odd choice to start things, but fits in perfectly next to “Ain’t No Right” and the newer “Just Because.” The band’s tendency to stretch out and create spaces – as opposed to delivering sheer nonstop noise – is indulged on “Ted, Just Admit It” and “Three Days,” while “Ocean Size” and the funky “Stop!” remain highlights.
Easily the best song is 2011’s “Irresistible Force (Met the Immovable Object),” which more than makes up for the lackluster “Been Caught Stealing” and “Jane Says.” It’s a bit disappointing that the band’s two most popular songs among casual fans are rendered in such indifferent fashion, but perhaps the band is bored with playing them after so long.
Still, singer Perry Farrell makes up for it with his between-song patter, which is at turns outrageous, crowd-provoking and funny, and guitarist Dave Navarro has rarely sounded better. Credit also goes to new bassist Dave Sitek (TV On The Radio), filling in for Eric Avery and replicating his fat-bottom basslines that are an essential part of most Addiction songs. Some may complain that Farrell doesn’t quite hit the high notes he did before, but after 25 years there’s no way he could, and his performance doesn’t lack for anything.
This is not exactly an essential album; newcomers should stick to the Up From The Catacombs collection and/or the band’s two major album statements to get a real sense of the band’s power and skill. For longtime fans, though, Live In NYC is a treat and a reminder of what they love about Jane’s Addiction.