Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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90 of 94 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
some revelations on Three Days and Then She Did, February 27, 2003
first off, I'll say that I find Ritual to be a more musically interesting and challenging album than Nothing's Shocking. the band takes more risks and tries to accomplish more, and it's a breathtaking, mind-boggling achievement for a group of musicians. that being said, I prefer Nothing's Shocking because I find that one to be a more powerful and affecting album. but they're both works of genius, and belong in the collection of any serious fan of music. note that I said music, not rock or alternative or punk. because the two albums are significant and masterful enough that they can't be limited to a genre.now, then. there's been a lot of talk in these reviews about Three Days and Then She Did, and I feel compelled to share some knowledge with my fellow Amazon customers. Three Days is not just a song about a heroin-fueled weekend with two girls. it's a memorial of sorts to a girl that Perry loved, a girl who was a budding artist, who ODed before achieving her promise. yes, some of the lyrics are about one lost weekend, but it also commemorates everything about his lost friend ("we miss you, my dear Xiola..."). this theme was carried forth into Then She Did (the original title was Then She Died) and Perry addresses his dead friend in the last stanza, asking her to say hello to his own dead mother when she gets to heaven: "will you say hello to my ma, will you pay a visit to her, she was an artist just as you were, I'd have introduced you to her..." that's pretty powerful stuff. this album was clearly not intended to please rock critics and semi-literate music dilettantes with short attention spans. the two songs I've discussed are songs with a purpose, a message to convey, and emotions to share with the world. and they are epic works of musicianship. Three Days is like four distinct songs weaved together into one amazing masterpiece. it always carries enough power to justify its length, and it never gets dull. none of what I've said here is intended to convert people who don't like the songs. nor should it affect your opinion. I do believe a song should stand on its own merits without a five-minute explanation. the songs clearly stand on their own and have power and meaning, without justification. but maybe, for the people who already love the songs, love the album, and actually get what the band was trying to do, these bits of information will add to your appreciation of the work and show you some more of the depths of their achievement.
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22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just Brilliant, July 29, 1999
By A Customer
This is one of my favorite albums of all time. However, in response to the review at the top of the page, I would just like to say that anyone who finds the song, "Three Days" boring, should just stop listening to music altogether, because they just don't get it. That is one of the most powerful, interesting, and moving songs I have ever heard. It starts out really mellow, and just builds and builds for about 8 minutes, and then explodes in a magnificent frenzy. I absolutely love all eleven minutes of that song. Also, "Then She Did" is another of the most moving songs I have ever heard. It is so powerful that everytime I hear it, I get goosebumps. It is my all time favorite Jane's Addiction song, with "Three Days" being 2nd. Those 2 are by far the best songs on this album, and are more than worth the price for this album alone. Other great tunes include: Stop, Classic Girl, Of Course, Ain't No Right and the song that was played to death on the radio and MTV, Been Caught Stealing. This whole album is brilliant, but "Three Days" and "Then She Did" are beyond comparison. I assume the reviewer must have a very short attention span. For I can think of no other reason for such ludicrous comments.
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32 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
You ain't alternative unless you own this album! (Part 2), October 29, 2003
If you listen to bands like Nickelback, Puddle Of Mudd, and Staind, chances are two things are the case: a), you're a complete lame-o and you need to stop letting mainstream radio tell you what to think, and b), you've never heard "Ritual de lo Habitual." This is yet another of those albums that I regret not having gotten a lot sooner. Long before the bands mentioned above were making the genre look bad with their manufactured angst and laughably tedious songs, Jane's addiction were playing music that made the term "alternative rock" mean something. If you've just heard the uber-catchy hit "Been Caught Stealing," you've only heard the beginning of what the guys achieved here, as this album displays virtually limitless amounts of talent and creativity. In the singular vocalist Perry Farrell and staggeringly underrated guitarist Dave Navarro, Jane's addiction were led by doubtless one of the great one-two punches of our time. Dave's searing riffs and blazing solos are the kind that get stuck in your head for days after you hear them, and Perry's demented wail remains distinctive and instantly recognizable to this day. What's most impressive about "Ritual de lo Habitual" is that its nine tracks are basically split into two different, if equally great, albums. The album starts out with five hard-driving rock songs with a psychedelic feel, equal measures explosive, trippy, and funky. "No One's Leaving" and "Been Caught Stealing" are the obvious standouts among this first batch of songs, but each one displays the band's own mix of manic, frenetic energy; intricate songwriting; and astounding technical skill. These songs have the sound of a group of guys who truly enjoy what they're doing, a commodity that's becoming increasingly rare in today's mainstream climate. It's after "Been Caught Stealing" that the band throws a series of changeups, showing a commitment to diversity and experimentation that truly separates the artists from the hacks. The last four songs on this album are typically slower and quieter than their predecessors, but by no means lacking in power or craftsmanship. You've got to respect a band that would follow up a string of hard rock songs with the mountainous epic "Three Days," the slow-burning "Then She Did..." and "Classic Girl," and the captivating, Eastern-tinged "Of Course." Unfortunately, history hasn't been quite as kind to this album as it was to the likes of "Ten" or "Nevermind." I don't think it gets the recognition it deserves as one of alternative's defining moments, but discerning fans should be able to appreciate its greatness pretty quickly. "Ritual de lo Habitual" gets my highest recommendation.
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