Few bands, even many of the greats, arrive fully formed right out of the gate on their first studio album like Jane’s Addiction did on
Nothing’s Shocking [Warner Bros-1988]. Tying together the strands of Los Angeles-flavored art rock, funk, goth, metal, punk, and even a hint of psychedelia, it’s no surprise they appealed to both the underground nation and fans of the hair farmers, as well.
And in the midst of these of powerful, transcendent tunes was Eric Avery, weaving bass lines that managed to be propulsive and sublime, often in the same song. Case in point: his performance across the 10 minute epic “Three Days” from
Ritual de lo Habitual [Warner Bros-1990], in which his attentive and nimble playing further elevates its majesty, is undoubtedly among the all-time greats.
It might be a tad petty and perhaps unfair to point out that the only essential Jane’s Addiction studio albums are the two they recorded with Avery. But as the folks over at
Pitchfork once gushed, “
there will never be a Jane’s without him.” Yeah…
[
photo courtesy of alternativenation.net]
