Jane's Addiction

When this release was recorded at the Roxy in 1987, Jane's Addiction had not yet become the icons of alternative rock culture they would soon become. The L.A. band's unorthodox fusion of hard rock, dark Velvet Underground-ish imagery and stream of consciousness art rock wasn't as focused or confident as it would be on their commanding latter releases. Regardless, the band showed considerable potential. As erratic and self-indulgent as this set gets, many of the songs are quite irreplaceable. Lead singer/composer Perry Farrell was always fascinated with the dark side of the human psyche, and that fascination is quite evident in 'Pigs in Zen', 'Whores', and the timeless rock favorite 'Jane Says'.