. . . a kinder, gentler Perry Farrell

[chaos]

http://www.csindy.com/coloradosprings/e ... id=2477197

Easing Jane's Addiction
Alt-rock icons return with a kinder, gentler Perry Farrell
by Tom Lanham

Roughly 25 years ago, Los Angeles alt-rock outfit Jane's Addiction — fresh from signing a big-time contract with Warner Bros. — was playing a hot-ticket premiere show in San Francisco, and the tiny club was packed with local cognoscenti. But iconoclastic frontman Perry Farrell had something to say as the gig started.

"Hey, are there any rock journalists out there?" he sneered, disdainfully. A few proud hands went up in response. "Well, guess what — you all have giant brains and tiny dicks, and you should get the fuck outta my show, immediately!" Some writers chuckled. Others shrugged and exited, vowing never to cover the group again.

Farrell — now 53 and back with a dark, majestic new fourth Jane's Addiction effort, The Great Escape Artist — remembers the incident, and chuckles at his own youthful audacity. "Back in those days, I did have Warner Brothers that would market for me, and I didn't have to kiss up to anyone," he recalls. "Now? You really have to do it yourself — there's no other choice, no other way, if you wanna do it right. You could go to a record company, but I wouldn't recommend it. I mean, up until this year, I was contractually obligated to work with Capitol Records. But now we're free."

Times change. And few artists have surfed the showbiz waves better than Farrell, who's an avid surfer in real life, as well. In '91 — just three years after Warner Bros. issued Jane's Addiction's sophomore breakthrough, Nothing's Shocking — Farrell created today's touring festival prototype with Lollapalooza (which has since become an annual destination concert). In between Jane's albums, he formed spinoffs like Porno for Pyros, issued a solo set, and launched a platter-spinning career under his birth name, DJ Peretz. And his pneumatic power drill of a voice found regular rotation on HBO, when the jagged Jane's anthem "Superhero" was selected as the opening-credit theme song for Entourage.

"This shows you how ridiculous the music industry is," Farrell says. "You've got a show on television where they're playing this song around the clock, every day, for eight years straight. And Capitol Records doesn't think to release it as a single!" He sighs. "I'm lucky I have no ulcer. I'm lucky I have a sense of humor, because if I didn't I might've shot myself in the head, just wondering 'Why, Lord? Why?'"

More recently, core Jane's Addiction members Dave Navarro and Stephen Perkins gravitated back to Farrell for the Dave Sitek-enhanced comeback Escape. With ethereal new processionals like "Underground," "Broken People" and "Irresistible Force," the album's title matches its theme. "Almost 24 hours a day," says Farrell, "we're basically tied to our cellphones and our computers. What we need more than ever is the chance, and a place, to escape."

Meanwhile, the old antagonistic Farrell persona is long gone, he declares. "My wife reminded me of that this morning," he says. "I was on a booking call and listening to the fees that these artists are demanding, and I said, 'How do they get to demand that much?'

"And she said, 'Well, you're always ...' — and she used the word 'challenging' — people, and these artists kissed up to them instead.' So here I am today, kissing up to you," he says, chuckling. "Because I'd sure love to have those same fees!"

[Essence_Smith]

As much as everyone likes to knock the guy he was ALWAYS a business oriented guy in many ways, he just went about it differently then I guess...and sometimes I'm glad he made a lot of changes cause he could have died a long time ago had he not...I wish he was the same guy creatively but nothing lasts forever...

[Hokahey]

As much as everyone likes to knock the guy he was ALWAYS a business oriented guy in many ways, he just went about it differently then I guess...and sometimes I'm glad he made a lot of changes cause he could have died a long time ago had he not...I wish he was the same guy creatively but nothing lasts forever...

Well said.

[JOEinPHX]

Another interview where we get to hear about his wife.

OK Perry, we get it, she exists. You're not gay. Happy now?

[LJF]

Another interview where we get to hear about his wife.

OK Perry, we get it, she exists. You're not gay. Happy now?

He has always been influenced by the women in his life. It was just that in the old days he sang about them, now he sings and talks about them or her. She appears to have a lot more control over him, but was it always that way?

As creative as most people on here think he was, was it really just the women in his life. How much did Casey do for Jane's? There are people on here that clearly know a lot more then I do about this, so I know she was his muse, but did she also help with writing the lyrics?

[Jasper]

As creative as most people on here think he was, was it really just the women in his life. How much did Casey do for Jane's? There are people on here that clearly know a lot more then I do about this, so I know she was his muse, but did she also help with writing the lyrics?

Casey has said explicitly that she never helped Perry with lyrics, and that he didn't need her help. She was involved in the visual stuff. There's some recording of a Slow Divers writing/rehearsal, and she's giving her opinion on his vocal approach, I guess. That's about it. Eric has given Perry credit for writing the music and lyrics of certain songs, like Then She Did.

[Deconstruction]

Perry is right about Capitol being morons for not releasing Superhero as a single. Like it or not, that song is a hit.

[Hokahey]

Perry is right about Capitol being morons for not releasing Superhero as a single. Like it or not, that song is a hit.

Yes. I hate it, but from a business perspective it absolutely was. I have heard it at pro sporting events for god's sake.

[Hokahey]

i can't stand that song either it's the theme to some tv show even isn't it?

It's from Entourage.

It's the lyrics that do it in for me. And the OHH YEAHH at the end.

Was shocked when they played it a Rams game last year and then Been Caught Stealing a little later. Made me think the music guy was a Jane's fan. It was weird seeing people bobbing their heads to Superhero and my brother says "Hey this is Jane's isn't it?"

[trevor ayer]

superhero is not a good song at all .. it's only popular .. or more accurately .. recognizeable ... because of entourage .. its basically the equivalent to a hot pocket comercial jingle .. even janes only played that song like 5 times live .. even they know it sucks .. funny perry was probably pushing for it as a single because business wise, it would sell a few copies because of entourage .. not because its a good song that he sincerely thinks would be a hit .. wasn't it the ONLY song they didn't play off strays for the whole strays tour?

speaking of hits .. did janes have even one song from tgea that could be considered a hit on some chart somewhere .. like top ten verizon 3d songs or its equivalent, top ten modern rock songs .. or maybe top 10 songs from bands nobody cares about anymore .. just curious .. didn't seem like any of the singles stuck but i don't keep up on charts much

[chaos]

I don't know where Irrestible Force ended up on the charts, but it was played on Law & Order SVU when it first came out.

[Hokahey]

IF seemed to do ok. It was on some chart at some point.

Don't really remember.

Don't care. It's infinitely better than Superhero, and Underground is even better.

Underground>>>>>IF>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Superhero

[Deconstruction]

IF peaked number 9 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart, number 16 on the Billboard Rock Songs chart, and number 22 on Mainstream Rock. It got some play but wasn't a hit like Just Because, which was a #1 hit. Underground didn't even make a dent, it's the best song on TGEA but TGEA has no hits. IF could have been a hit without the god awful verses.

[JOEinPHX]

IF could have been a hit without the god awful verses.

He should just let someone else write his lyrics for him, and stick to writing the melodies