21st August - Jane's Addiction's Ritual de lo habitual

Artist - Album: Jane's Addiction - Ritual de lo habitual
Released: 21st August 1991
Sounds like: The drugs don't work

Ok, so I know I'm way behind the curve here, but I have just discovered Breaking Bad. Without any TV or internet yet set up in the new flat, my flatmate and I have resorted to gorging on each other's not insubstantial DVD collections. On Sunday I watched both main series' of Alan Partridge, Monday was spent with the second edition of Blackadder, whilst in the last twenty four hours I have demolished the entire first season of Breaking Bad. It's awesome. With writing comparably to that holy grail of television, The Soprano's, the show excellently intrigues and, if I may say so, makes being a Chemistry teacher - and, yes, a drug dealer - unquestionably cool.

Luckily, today's album has come around just in time to remind me that drugs are bad, mmmkay. Although not necessarily chemistry teachers. The second half of Jane's Addiction's Ritual de lo habitual is dedicated to a close friend of Perry Farrell's Xiola Blue, who died of a heroin overdose aged 19. Blue was a beautiful young girl who the band adored, and they were clearly deeply affected by her accidental death. If that's not enough to put you off drugs, then 'Three Days' and 'Then She Did...', the glorious but sprawling and overlong epics devoted to her, just might.

Don't go thinking this is an album composed entirely of ten minute proggy jams though. The first half is fantastically funky metal rock - 'Stop' and 'Been Caught Stealing' are both excellent - and keeps the whole thing fresh. Explosive!

Analbumaday... rating: 8/10

1. Stop! - 4:14
2. No One's Leaving - 3:01
3. Ain't No Right - 3:34
4. Obvious - 5:55
5. Been Caught Stealing - 3:34
6. Three Days - 10:48
7. Then She Did... - 8:18
8. Of Course - 7:02
9. Classic Girl - 5:07

Listen to 'Been Caught Stealing': www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpRpt0ynnfA

Also released on 21st August:

1997: Oasis - Be Here Now

Also released on 21st August:

2006: The Mountain Goats - Get Lonely

Also released on 21st August:

2007: The New Pornographers - Challengers