Reviews
"Nothing's Shocking"
Jane's Addiction
Warner Brothers Records
★★★★★
About 20 years ago, an English
rock quartet formulated an idea
for a sound that would
alternate between the heavy
rock of the time and the light
melodies of folk groups. The
band was Led Zeppelin.
Since Zeppelin’s 1980
breakup, scores of groups,
such as Kingdom Come, have
sprung up and shown how well
they can imitate Zeppelin.
None of them, however, have
struck the balance between
The Spin
Mike Crawford, guitar, bass,
vocals; Todd Hearon, guitar,
bass, vocals; John Kenny,
guitar, harmonica, vocals;
Paul Bernhard, drums.
Brazos Landing, Saturday,
Oct. 15
★★★
The music world is full of
cover bands, ranging from
those who cover classic rock
tunes to those who can play
note for note every song .on
the current hit parade.
The Spin is primarily a
cover band, although they do
have some originals. They do
not fit readily into the above
categories for cover bands.
They’re one of the tightest
cover bands around and they
choose some good songs to
do.
Performing Saturday night
at Brazos Landing, the one-
fourth local band (drummer
Paul Bernhard is a local
musician, the other three are
from Waco) played a
combination of covers and
originals to an appreciative
audience.
The band’s originals
include songs such as
“Yesterday In White,” “So It
Seems” and “Stop the Rain,”
light and heavy.
Los Angeles band Jane’s
Addiction does not copy
Zeppelin’s music and the
members are not shaggy-
haired Robert Plant clones.
However, Jane’s Addiction is
the only band to have
mastered the idea of weaving
screaming guitar solos and
simple acoustic melodies
together.
“Nothing’s Shocking, ” on
Warner Brothers Records,
demonstrates the band’s ability
to blend such musical
opposites in a way that is fresh
and original. The band’s
touches of heavy metal,
postpunk and psychedelic
grafts a decidedly modem
sound on the music.
“Had A Dad” and “Ted,
Just Admit It... ” are the two
best examples of the band’s
brand of hard rock. Guitarist
David Navarro rakes the strings
on searing guitar solos on both
songs while drummer Stephen
Perkins pounds out furious
drum rolls with a deafness
radius of 100 yards.
which all have a progressive
edge to them. Some of the
band’s material sounds
similar to the music of the
Australian neo-psychedelic
band the Church.
The members also have a
good array of songs to cover
ranging from music by classic
rockers such as the Beatles
and the Rolling Stones to
songs by current favorites like
the Smithereens and R.E.M.
I know, I know, it seems
like just about everybody
covers R.E.M. nowadays.
Now I’ll grant you that one,
but check out the Spin’s
version of “Driver 8. ” All four
members of the group are
talented musicians able to use
their abilities to keep their
covers interesting.
Other memorable
numbers in the Spin’s set
included a powerful version
of the Beatles’ “Back in the
U.S.S.R. ” and especially the
Rolling Stones’ “Dead
Flowers. ” Anybody who
covers this song is OK in my
book. The guys do a great job
of this one with solid guitar
and rhythm work plus some
good harmonizing on vocals.
Review by Shane Hall
Meanwhile, against the
thundering of instruments,
vocalist Perry Farrell sings
interesting and insightful lyrics
in his gutsy voice. “Ted, Just
Admit It... ” is a look at today’s
visual media where the news is
“just another show with sex
and violence. ”
“Jane Says” is another great
track and the best example of
the band’s lighter, folkier side.
Navarro strums an acoustic
guitar, backing Farrell’s vocals.
Although the music is of a
lighter nature, Farrell’s lyrics
are not. On “Jane Says,”
Farrell gives a disturbing look at
a drug addict.
“Nothing’s Shocking” is one
of the year’s best albums.
However, with the bizarre
picture of flame-headed
Siamese twins on the cover,
the album may be
innappropriately titled. The
music inside is shocking only in
the sense of how good it is.
Review by Shane Hall
saw ¥?
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