From Jane’s Addiction to Perry’s Indulgence
Nothing’s shocking
Farrell–because of the pressures of fame, drugs, whatever–broke up the band shortly after they headlined the first Lollapalooza. Two years on, he’s back with a crudely named Jane’s wannabe outfit called Porno for Pyros. Over three albums Jane’s Addiction recorded a lot of powerful rock ‘n’ roll, but nothing like a pop song: the band, said Farrell, was an art project, and it was a good one. Porno for Pyros, by contrast, is just another rock band. The new guitarist, Peter DiStefano, is no Navarro, though he certainly tries; Jane’s drummer Stephen Perkins delivers the propulsive explosions that Farrell craves. But the sick but undeniable authority of Jane’s, with the leathered and dreadlocked Farrell wincing off the pain in pursuit of some horrific moment, is absent. Instead, Farrell repeats himself, with none of the drama. Porno for Pyros’s title song is about people who get off on violence–“Came four times / Could not leave myself alone.” We’ve heard that before. Elsewhere, Farrell indulges in cheap sardonicism (he makes fun of old bald guys on “Cursed Male”) and flaunts his countercultural credentials on songs like “Black Girlfriend” and “Orgasm.” Bohos have great sex, don’t you wish you were one? Only on one song do he and his new partners conjure up a gem: on the kaleidoscope of sound and meaning called “Pets” they lull us with a dreamy, hallucinatory musicality as Farrell intones a singsongy parable of an alien invasion, punishment for our sins. “We’ll make great pets,” he warbles. Otherwise, he’s strident and, worse, uninteresting. In a recent Rolling Stone, the band is interviewed to almost no effect: highlights of the session involve Farrell’s repeatedly falling asleep. At first I was kind of surprised, but then I remembered that the story of a self-absorbed star who breaks up a good band to be more self-indulgent with a pliable new set of mates is an old tale indeed. I wasn’t shocked at all.
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Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): photo/Alastair Thain.
