Strays | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | July 22, 2003 | |||
Recorded | 2002–2003 | |||
Studio | Henson, Hollywood | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 48:22 | |||
Label | Capitol | |||
Producer | ||||
Jane's Addiction chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Strays | ||||
|
Strays is the third studio album by American rock band Jane's Addiction, released on July 22, 2003, on Capitol Records. Released 13 years after Ritual de lo Habitual (1990), the album marks the band's longest gap between full studio albums, although the group had recorded and released two new songs six years prior on the compilation album Kettle Whistle (1997). 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." [5]
Upon its first week of release, the album sold 110,500 copies in the United States, debuting at number four on the Billboard 200, and was eventually certified Gold. [6] The single, "Just Because", was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2004.
"I keep kind of asking, 'Hey, want to work on something fresh? Let's just see where we end up,'" remarked singer Perry Farrell in 2001. "I don't want it to be premeditated, but my wish is that we do kick into it and do a full, new Jane's Addiction album… I made the best music with these guys." [7]
According to drummer Stephen Perkins, "It all started around March or April 2002 with Bob Ezrin producing a Porno for Pyros track for the movie Dark Blue : an incredible song called "Streets of Fire" which was just epic. That segued into the Strays project." [8]
The band entered Henson Recording Studios in 2002, with producers Ezrin and Brian Virtue. Of the former, Farrell said: "He raises the bar for all of us. It's like training for the Olympics - something you're aspiring towards in creating art. You're trying to make the most beautiful music, you try to break new ground creating sound that no one's ever heard before. When working with Bob, doing that becomes a very real possibility."
Bassist Martyn LeNoble was fired halfway through the recording. "I recorded pretty much the whole Strays record," he said. "And Perry erased it. He suddenly fired me on the spot in Japan when we still had a whole flight back to the U.S. That's the last time I talked to him. Perry and Bob (Ezrin) replaced all my bass parts on Strays. Perry was saying everything I played sounded like shit, but then they had the new guy pretty much play exactly my parts, maybe a couple of little changes, so I guess they couldn't have been that shitty." [8] LeNoble was aggrieved by the band not paying him for his studio work after his firing, which caused him financial hardship. [8]
LeNoble was replaced by Chris Chaney, whom Dave Navarro described as "perhaps the most intense musician I've ever worked with." [5] "Dave and Stephen have been playing together since they were 13 years old," Chaney noted. "They have quite a synergy or chemistry – and for me as a bass player to be able to come into that is really remarkable. It gives me a great opportunity to shine. I did a record with Tommy Lee and we needed a drummer to go tour with, and what better drummer than Stephen Perkins. I was only able to do it for about six weeks because I was playing with Alanis Morissette and I had to go back to that. But, in that short time, Stephen and I had a great relationship and last August he called me and asked me to do some shows." [9]
Cover artwork created for the album by Storm Thorgerson was rejected by the band, and used instead on The Bottom Half by Umphrey's McGee. [10] "I had thought, mistakenly, how appropriate my onion ladies would be," recalled Thorgerson, "following in the footsteps of Nothing's Shocking and Ritual de lo Habitual , but with an added dash of silliness… Worse was to come: Jane's Addiction decided instead to use a photo of the band on their cover: not so clever nor razor-like. Nothing gets my goat more than being turned down in favour of mediocrity or crap." [11]
Vocalist Perry Farrell states that the band "went into the studio thinking fast, hard, modern and to the point." [5] Strays was labeled by critics as "nu metal", [2] [3] [4] a genre which the band was a precursor to. [12]
This album was included among a group of 15 DualDisc releases that were test-marketed in two cities: Boston and Seattle. The DualDisc version of the album was not reissued after the test-market run. It has the standard album on the CD side and bonus material on the DVD side, including a 5.1 surround mix of the entire album.
The surround mix is encoded in Dolby Digital and lossless MLP (DVD Audio), and is only available on the DualDisc. All other bonus material is identical with the album's regular CD/DVD version.
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 75/100 [13] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [14] |
Entertainment Weekly | B+ [3] |
The Guardian | [15] |
Los Angeles Times | [16] |
Mojo | [17] |
NME | 8/10 [18] |
Pitchfork | 5.8/10 [2] |
Q | [19] |
Rolling Stone | [20] |
USA Today | [21] |
The album received generally positive reviews, with a Metacritic score of 75, based on 19 reviews. [13] Playlouder noted, "Their glee and enthusiasm can be heard coursing through every bar." [22] NME cited it as "one of the best rock albums of 2003". [18] Alternative Press called it "better than anyone could have predicted." [13] The Boston Globe said, "The new Jane's sounds a lot like the old Jane's. It is hard rock, with none of the trippiness that defined singer Perry Farrell's post- Addiction band, Porno for Pyros, or the electronic maundering that marred his lone solo album, 2001's Song Yet to Be Sung ." [23] IGN awarded Strays 7.5 out of 10 and stated, "Basically the band has not ventured too far from the sounds they exhibited on 1990's Ritual De La Habitual [sic], making Strays sound like the follow-up that could/should have happened 13 years ago. All of which makes me wonder what this album would have sounded like if they'd been making music together during the past decade. Yet despite these shortcomings, Strays is a valiant effort by a band that not only changed the face of Los Angeles rock, but still knows how to (rock, that is)." [24]
"There's much of the old aggression and quirkiness," noted Classic Rock , "with early Farrell influence The Cure poking their way to the surface… but it's cleaner, tighter, more direct. Often, such as with 'Strays' itself, this approach works extremely well: the band power on as Navarro peels off double-tracked and imaginative solos. Farrell's vocal is more conventional, but now and then returns reassuringly to the yelp of old – although now sparingly deployed for greater effect." [25]
Giving the album a C+, Stylus Magazine noted that it is "good in its own right, but perhaps you're better off listening to it in isolation from the rest of their canon". [26] Pitchfork Media claimed, "Strays lacks what made the band great in the first place: believable songs and lyrics." [2]
In 2005, Strays was ranked number 404 in Rock Hard magazine's book The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time. [27] In 2009, Navarro stated that he "really liked [Strays]. I had a great time working with Bob Ezrin, who produced it. That's what makes doing stuff like this really amazing for me." [28] In 2011, Perkins stated that the album was "an interesting point in our sound." [29]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "True Nature" | Perry Farrell, Dave Navarro, Stephen Perkins, Bob Ezrin, Martyn LeNoble | 3:49 |
2. | "Strays" | Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, Aaron Embry, David J | 4:32 |
3. | "Just Because" | Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, Chris Chaney | 3:51 |
4. | "Price I Pay" | Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, Chaney | 5:27 |
5. | "The Riches" | Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, LeNoble, Embry | 5:44 |
6. | "Superhero" | Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, Embry | 3:58 |
7. | "Wrong Girl" | Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, Chaney | 4:32 |
8. | "Everybody's Friend" | Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin | 3:18 |
9. | "Suffer Some" | Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, LeNoble | 4:14 |
10. | "Hypersonic" | Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, LeNoble | 3:32 |
11. | "To Match the Sun" | Farrell, Navarro, Perkins, Ezrin, LeNoble | 5:25 |
Total length: | 48:22 |
30 minutes of never-before seen live, studio and interview footage. Live cuts: "Just Because", "Strays" (2 versions), "Price I Pay"
In addition to the contents available on the regular DVD: entire album in 5.1 surround sound in Dolby Digital (DVD-Video) or lossless MLP (DVD-Audio)
Jane's Addiction
Additional musicians
Recording personnel
Chart (2003) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA) [30] | 9 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [31] | 42 |
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [32] | 4 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [33] | 94 |
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [34] | 26 |
French Albums (SNEP) [35] | 48 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [36] | 43 |
Irish Albums (IRMA) [37] | 22 |
Italian Albums (FIMI) [38] | 23 |
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [39] | 16 |
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [40] | 13 |
Portuguese Albums (AFP) [41] | 29 |
Scottish Albums (OCC) [42] | 11 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [43] | 60 |
UK Albums (OCC) [44] | 14 |
US Billboard 200 [45] | 4 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada) [46] | Gold | 50,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [47] | Silver | 60,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [48] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
This article needs additional citations for verification .(December 2013) |
Jane's Addiction is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1985. The band consists of singer Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Eric Avery. Jane's Addiction was one of the first bands from the early 1990s alternative rock movement to gain commercial success.
Nothing's Shocking is the debut studio album by American rock band Jane's Addiction, released on August 23, 1988 through Warner Bros. Records. Nothing's Shocking was well received by critics and peaked at number 103 on the Billboard 200. The single "Jane Says" reached number six on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks in 1988. Rolling Stone ranked Nothing's Shocking at number 312 on its "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". It received a nomination for the 31st Grammy Awards in the category for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Vocal or Instrumental.
Ritual de lo Habitual is the second studio album by American rock band Jane's Addiction, released on August 21, 1990, by Warner Bros. Records. Co-produced by Dave Jerden, it was the band's final studio album before their initial break-up in 1991. Singles from Ritual de lo Habitual include "Been Caught Stealing" and "Stop!". Ritual de lo Habitual is certified 2× Platinum in the U.S.
Porno for Pyros was an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992, following the first break-up of Jane's Addiction. The band currently consists of Jane's Addiction members, Perry Farrell (vocals) and Stephen Perkins (drums), alongside Peter DiStefano (guitar) and Mike Watt (bass). Founding bass guitarist Martyn LeNoble was a member of the band between 1992 and 1995, and was initially committed to the band's reunion between 2022 and 2023.
David Michael Navarro is an American guitarist. He is best known as a member of the rock band Jane's Addiction, with whom he has recorded four studio albums. Between 1993 and 1998, Navarro was the guitarist of Red Hot Chili Peppers, recording one studio album, One Hot Minute (1995), before departing. He has also released one solo album, Trust No One (2001). Navarro has also been a member of Jane's Addiction-related bands Deconstruction and the Panic Channel.
Perry Farrell is an American singer, songwriter, and musician referred to as the "Godfather of Alternative Music". Farrell began his career with Psi Com in the early 1980s, before becoming the frontman of the band Jane's Addiction. He became well known for his success with Jane's Addiction; the band quickly became a key act in the '80s Los Angeles music scene, blending punk, metal, and psychedelic rock to create a unique sound. Their daring live performances and experimental approach resonated with disillusioned youth, contributing to the rise of alternative music as a form of rebellion and self-expression.
One Hot Minute is the sixth studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on September 12, 1995, by Warner Bros. Records. The worldwide success of the band's previous album Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991) caused guitarist John Frusciante to become uncomfortable with their popularity, eventually quitting mid-tour in 1992. Following a series of short-term replacements, the band hired guitarist Dave Navarro in 1993; it was his only studio album with the band. Recording for the album took place at the Sound Factory in Hollywood from June 1994 to February 1995. It marked the second collaboration between the band and producer Rick Rubin.
Jane's Addiction is a live album by American rock band Jane's Addiction, released on May 15, 1987. Its basic tracks were recorded live at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles on January 26, 1987, with additional overdubs and corrections recorded at The Edge Studio in Los Angeles. An audience applause dub from a Los Lobos concert was overlaid onto the final mix.
Porno for Pyros is the debut studio album by the American alternative rock band Porno for Pyros, released on April 27, 1993, by Warner Bros. Records. Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro and bassist Eric Avery, battling substance abuse issues, had left the band in 1991 in an attempt to stay clean, though the other half of the band wished to continue creating music. The remaining members of Jane's Addiction, Perry Farrell and Stephen Perkins, were joined by guitarist Peter DiStefano and future Jane's Addiction bassist Martyn LeNoble, and continued under the new band name Porno for Pyros. The band name is a reference to the 1992 Los Angeles riots, which are mentioned throughout the songs on the album as a recurring theme.
Good God's Urge is the second and final studio album by American alternative rock band Porno for Pyros. It was released in 1996 on Warner Bros. It was the band's first album to feature bass guitarist Mike Watt, who assisted the band in finishing the album after Martyn LeNoble left before all his bass tracks had been completed. There were three singles released from the album.
Stephen Andrew Perkins is an American musician and songwriter. A drummer and percussionist, he currently plays with Jane's Addiction, Porno for Pyros, Banyan and Hellride. His style blends rock, jazz, swing, African, Indian and Latin drumming styles together.
The Panic Channel was an American post-hardcore band formed in Los Angeles, California, United States, in 2004, following the third break-up of Jane's Addiction. The band consisted of vocalist Steve Isaacs formerly of Skycycle and three Jane's Addiction members: Dave Navarro (guitar), Chris Chaney (bass), and Stephen Perkins. The band released one studio album, entitled (ONe) in 2006, and entered an indefinite hiatus in 2007.
Christopher A. Chaney is an American musician. He is best known as the former bass guitarist of the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction, with whom he recorded two studio albums, and as a member of Alanis Morissette's touring and recording band for six years. He has previously been a member of Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders and Camp Freddy. In 2024, Chaney was announced as the touring bass guitarist for AC/DC, replacing longstanding member Cliff Williams on the band's Power Up Tour.
Kettle Whistle is a compilation album by alternative rock band Jane's Addiction, released November 4, 1997, on Warner Bros. Issued to coincide with the 1997 "Relapse" tour, the album – originally titled It's My Party – includes new, alternate, unreleased and live tracks.
Up from the Catacombs – The Best of Jane's Addiction is a best of compilation album by Jane's Addiction, released September 19, 2006, on Rhino.
The discography of Jane's Addiction, an American alternative rock band, consists of four studio albums, two live albums, four compilation albums, seventeen singles and ten music videos. Jane's Addiction was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band is composed of Perry Farrell (vocals), Dave Navarro (guitar), Eric Avery (bass) and Stephen Perkins (drums). After breaking up in 1991, Jane's Addiction briefly toured in 1997, reunited in 2001 and then parted ways in 2004. Jane's Addiction reunited again in 2008, with founding member Eric Avery returning on bass. In 2010, Avery Left once again, only to return once more in 2022. The band's varied musical style has influences rooted in punk rock and heavy metal.
The Great Escape Artist is the fourth studio album by American alternative rock band Jane's Addiction, released October 18, 2011 on Capitol Records. The album was the band's first since its 2003 release Strays and features TV on the Radio's multi-instrumentalist Dave Sitek contributing bass guitar alongside Chris Chaney. The album's release was preceded by singles "End to the Lies," released as a free download on April 7, 2011, and "Irresistible Force ," released August 3, 2011. Regarding the album's title, vocalist Perry Farrell said "I love being able to escape my past, even though my past was great. I just love the future even more."
"Irresistible Force" is the second single from American alternative rock band Jane's Addiction's fourth studio album, The Great Escape Artist. The song was released on August 3, 2011.
"End to the Lies" is the first single by American alternative rock band Jane's Addiction from its fourth album The Great Escape Artist. It was released on March 30, 2011, via digital download, the band's first new release after 2003's Strays.
Live in NYC is a live album and DVD by American alternative rock band Jane's Addiction, released on July 8, 2013 in the UK and July 9 in North America. The album was recorded at Terminal 5 on July 25, 2011, and featured the world concert premiere of their new single "Irresistible Force".