A Cabinet of Curiosities (Bonus Video Version)

iTunes Review

Jane’s Addiction entertained an interesting position in the alternative rock scene by the end of the ‘80s. They established themselves as an elaborate arena-rock-ready group in an “alternative” era that shunned much of that pretense. Where other bands piled into vans and played rough, gruff, offensively loud and aggressive music, Jane’s Addiction orchestrated precise arrangements dependent on tight dynamics and an artsy dramatic view of the world that meshed Led Zeppelin (whose “Whole Lotta Love” gets a live workout) with the doom and gloom of Goth. This extensive collection of mostly unreleased demos and live material proves just how careful this band of outlaws really was. The demos are close to their album counterparts and the live versions are animated but clearly part of a larger atmospheric gestalt. Fans, however, will obviously clamor to hear these tracks in all their carefully mixed and mastered glory, whether it’s the echoed halls of the demo of “Classic Girl,” demo and live version of “Summertime Rolls” or the live version of the band’s most famous track “Been Caught Stealing.”