Strays
| Jane's Addiction
Strays
Strays is the third studio album by American rock band Jane's Addiction, released on July 22, 2003 on Capitol Records. Released 13 years after Ritual de lo habitual (1990), the album marks the band's longest gap between full studio albums, although the group had recorded and released two new songs six years prior on the compilation album Kettle Whistle (1997). Strays is the first album to feature bassist Chris Chaney. Regarding the decision to record a new studio album after such a long hiatus, drummer Stephen Perkins stated that the band had already completed two reunion tours performing old material, and that Jane's was ready for "a new challenge."-Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Pitchfork
Judging from Strays, he and the band aren't out to add to the significance of their earlier work; they take the momentous quality of their reunion momentum and aim for the ages. At least they want to rock.
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Rolling Stone
At times the music was glorious, playful psychedelic metal, as Perry Farrell’s avant-gypsy garb, weird eye makeup and prepubescent voice plugged you into the visionary amorality of children.
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Jane's Addiction
The music on Strays has much more produced sound than any of the band’s previous work. This can be directly attributed to the album’s producer Bob Ezrin. Leaked early versions of this album have a much more rough and natural sound that Jane’s Addiction is known for, and some fans prefer the leaked recordings over the final product.
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All Music
Though Strays possesses all these characteristics -- it's undeniably a Jane's Addiction record, and a powerful one at that -- it also illustrates that the group's formidable musical talents have been subsumed by an apparent quest to save its legacy. For Strays is, most of all, a safe record. Farrell's regal, echo-laden vocals are intact (and out in front like never before), as are Navarro's ragged, lyrical guitar solos, but the songs lag far behind.
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The Guardian
The band's sound is an indefinable amalgamation of punk, rock, funk, junk, the sensual and elemental - only this time they bring killer songs to the party, too.
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Diffuser
Although 'Strays' turned out to be much better than many expected, it also pales in comparison to the band's earliest work. A mix of songs written far back in the band's history and completely new compositions, the album (produced by the legendary Bob Ezrin) is far more straightforward and rock-oriented than the music from their original run – it's instantly recognizable as Jane's Addiction, but it lacks much of the trippier, weirder and more volatile elements that elevated the band above their peers.
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Rate Your Music
There are a few standout tracks which work very well based on the terms of this album; as generic alt rock tracks go, stuff like True Nature and Just Because work incredibly well and are very enjoyable, although don't expect anything on the level of Been Caught Stealing or Idiots Rule from prior albums. As an alternative rock record, Strays is a failure. As a Jane's Addiction record, Strays is an atrocity.
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BBC
On Strays Jane's Addiction really do sound like a band enjoying themselves again, doing whatever the hell they like, on their terms, and making some of the most exciting music around today. Normal service resumed then. Jane's Addiction are most definitely back.
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Metacritic
Better than anyone could have predicted.
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Sputnik
What we're hearing here is a pretty self indulgent album. The lyrics don't do the songs any favours, with Price I Pay, Super Hero and Suffer Some in particular coming across as sub adolescent ramblings. But the problems most apparent on the CD are summed up concisely in the title track, which exhibits the same qualities af almost all surrounding it.
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The Music Box
The band’s latest outing Strays — which amazingly is only the third studio effort of its nearly 20-year career — is a tight-knit assault that succeeds where Kettle Whistle, the hodge-podge collection of live tracks and demos that prefaced the ensemble’s first attempts at a reunion failed. Of course, that’s not hard to do, given that Strays, at least, is a proper album.
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Amazon Uk
On Strays, the first Jane's Addiction studio album in 13 years, there's no mistaking Perry Farrell's trademark vocal sound (a nasal goose? a banshee in flight?)
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NME
‘Strays’, is one of the best rock albums of 2003. Why? Well, Perry Farrell reckons Dave Navarro gets all the chicks (currently Carmen Electra) because “he’s the best guitarist in the world right now”. He’s not far wrong. On ‘Strays’, Navarro wails, chugs and funks with a flamboyance hardly anyone tries these days. On ‘Just Because’ it’s morse-code licks, like an ultra-heavy Edge. On ‘True Nature’ its depth-charge riffs intercut with psychedelic soloing, like Led Zep gone nu-metal. Meanwhile Farrell wails away in his weird, reedy voice, always multitracked and out of tune with itself, blathering on about “men of peace, men of war” (‘Everybody’s Friend’) and how nice he’s feeling these days (‘The Riches’).
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Steve Hoffman
There are no long art- rock epics on this album but they aren't really missed.
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Song Meanings
"Strays" as written by Perry Farrell, David Michael Navarro, Stephen Andrew Perkins, Robert A. Ezrin and David John Haskins.
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Billboard
Peaked at #4 on 8.8.2003
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Drowned In Sound
'Strays' is less dark and intense in it's tone, with Perry Farrell having fun with his natural showmans exuberance. You get the impression, from the relatively guitar dominated sounds that Dave Navarro has a lot more say than previously. Chris Chaney has a different set of influences to the dub-rooted original bass player, Eric Avery, and that makes the music feel more diverse from the bass angle, and gives Steven Perkins an even bigger palette on which to show that he has no real peer in modern rock drumming.
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Deezer
The band reformed in 2001 for the Jubilee tour and released the US Number 4 album Strays (2003).
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Louder Sound
Theyʼre not just lyrics you can sing along to, theyʼre not even lyrics you necessarily empathise with, theyʼre just him in prose. Theyʼre lyrics in which, if you want, you can see colossal political significance.
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UCR
The LP disappointed diehard fans, but still but has its moments, like this single’s from-the-mountaintop chorus.
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Pop Matters
Strays is an expertly crafted rock album, noticeably lacking much of Jane's earlier alternative sensibilities. Gone is Farrell's shrill tormented wail, replaced instead by rich impassioned vocals; Navarro's original scattershot playing has matured into ornately heavy riffing reminiscent of Slash's best work; Perkins' drumming is complemented by Chaney's studio expertise, making for a precise rhythmic foundation. Add to the mix Bob Ezrin's stellar production talents, and the end result is Strays.
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Best Ever Albums
Strays is ranked 4th best out of 8 albums by Jane's Addiction on BestEverAlbums.com.
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Music OMH
With Strays, Jane’s Addiction rediscover their sound as easily as flicking on a light switch, while adding a healthy dose of primed Y2K production. It is their most accessible, varied work to date, and, from the OTT chomp of opener True Nature, to the hedonistic, acoustic number, Everybody’s Friend, absolutely everything is here. Perry Farrell’s eternally youthful vocals are flabbergasting, as is axeman Dave Navarro’s array of bastardised Page and Hendrix string work.
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Last Fm
Jane's worst album or not, it still kicks ass.
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Play Google
Strays is the third studio album by American rock band Jane's Addiction, released on July 22, 2003 on Capitol Records.
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Austin Chronicle
Strays -- Jane's first true album since 1990's festival-spawning Ritual de lo Habitual -- illustrates how fine the line between innovation and formula can be. On the surface, the album is a real sonofabitch, stocked with the sort of hard chargers that should light up the faces of everyone who thinks rock has been in steady decline since Nothing's Shocking's epochal "Mountain Song."
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Rockapedia
Strays is the third studio album by American rock band Jane's Addiction, released on July 22, 2003 on Capitol Records. Released 13 years after Ritual de lo habitual (1990), the album marks the band's longest gap between full studio albums, although the group had recorded and released a handful of new songs 6 years earlier on the compilation album Kettle Whistle (1997). Strays is the first album to feature bassist Chris Chaney. Regarding the decision to record a new studio album after such a long hiatus, drummer Stephen Perkins stated that the band had already completed two reunion tours performing old material, and that Jane's was ready for "a new challenge."
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Entertainment
”Strays”’ songs are pithier than some of Jane’s epics of yore, but that just means the group has packed more into less space. Fortunately, they haven’t tossed away their best asset, the ability to be aggro and spaced-out at the same time.
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Metal Reviews
"Strays" is the first Jane's Addiction album in over six years. Due to their recent reunion for another Lollapalooza tour, it was only natural that the band write and record some new material. What we have is 3/4 of the original lineup creating an album that rocks! The music is much more straightforward over all than songs from "Nothing's Shocking" and "Ritual De Lo Habitual". A track like "Price I Pay" reminds me of "Ain't No Right" from "Ritual de lo Habitual". "Just Because" can be compared to "Had A Dad" from "Nothing's Shocking". Jane's Addiction seems to have favored the hard rock formula that they used on some of the songs from the last two albums, using the melodicism of power pop and the constant riffing of metal. There are some clean and chorusy yet dreamy and psychedelic guitar parts at times but they are not to over shadow the main focus of the music. There's even a nice acoustic track with some string arrangements called "Bring The Mood". The music that Jane's Addiction creates today sounds a bit like a cross between Warrior Soul and Filter.
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Music Stack
Long-suffering Jane's fans are rejoicing everywhere with the advent of this album of all new material from the alt metal godfathers. Dave Navarro's guitar playing is as funky, freaked out and downright mean as ever, and Perry Farrell sounds like he's communicating with the space aliens again. That's very, very good news.
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NPR
The band that helped kick-start the "alternative" rock movement.
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Blabbermouth
"Strays" was produced by Bob Ezrin (PINK FLOYD, KISS, LOU REED) at Henson Recording (formerly known as A&M Studios) in Los Angeles. The album, the group's first for Capitol, features founding members Perry Farrell (vocals), Dave Navarro (guitar) and Stephen Perkins (drums).
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Clutch Fans
Navarro's guitar solos are cool. perry's voice sounds suprisingly fresh (but his lyrics are not what they used to be).
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The Gear Page
Always loved his tone and especially his use of delay, killer player.
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Minneapolis Music Blog
The album has a far more modern sound than their previous groundbreaking albums of the time but taken for what it is, Strays is a solid record. The singles “Just Because” and “True Nature” are great and helped push the album all the way to #4 on the Billboard 200 in 2003.
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The Globe and Mail
Strays, the band's first studio album since 1990's Ritual de lo Habitual, does a brilliant job of showcasing the near-symphonic scope of Dave Navarro's guitar, but never quite expands it into memorable music. Instead, we're left with mere moments: The chorus to Just Because, the throbbing central from True Nature, the chattering groove beneath Suffer Some. Perhaps they should have named the album Shards.
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HPB
Farrell's art-school intelligence and originality made the band interesting, while Navarro's and Perkins' background in heavy metal (they're both significantly younger than Farrell) gave the band punch, adding the melodicism of power pop and the constant riffing of thrash. Strays is undeniably a Jane's Addiction record, and a powerful one at that. Farrell's regal, echo-laden vocals are intact (and out in front like never before), as are Navarro's ragged, lyrical guitar solos. This set of majestic jams is influenced by Farrell's second Porno for Pyros LP, Good God's Urge, a mystical mishmash of musical feelings and textures.
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The Baltimore Sun
There are enough essential elements - churning guitars, ebullient choruses, explosive rhythms and Perry Farrell's high tenor - to make these 11 songs better than one might expect.
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Get Song bpm
This album has an average beat per minute of 111 BPM (slowest/fastest tempos: 92/140 BPM).
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NY Daily News
There are enough essential elements -- churning guitars, ebullient choruses, explosive rhythms and Perry Farrell's high tenor -- to make these 11 songs better than one might expect.
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Gainesville Sun
Jane's continues its trademark ferocity on “Strays” and “Just Because,” ... polished, Jane's retains its sound and identity throughout the album.
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Anandtech
I must say it's awesome, Perry never ceases to amaze me!
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Independent
The nasal-voiced singer comes across as a complex, fascinating and slightly camp figure; a big-hearted maverick who has mellowed while retaining his edge and mystique. One minute, he is expanding on the environmental themes that run through Strays; the next, he's telling me how a visceral new song,
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IGN
Strays presents an interesting challenge in that it needs to not only meet the unbridled expectations of the Jane's faithful, but also open up the minds and ears of those folks too young to remember when Perry Farrell and company ruled the world of post '80s modern rock. To this end, the 11 tracks contained within both succeed and fail.
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Base
The eleven track album reunites Farrell, Navarro and Perkins with new bassist Chris Chaney. Produced By Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd/AliceCooper/Lou Reed) 'Strays' finds the band expanding its sound fusing an innovative amalgam of punk, indie, prog rock andfolk. Includes the lead single 'Just Because'.
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Prefix
"Just Because" is a perfect road trip song, and once every couple hours I was beating my hands on the steering wheel to its infectious guitar. While clearly not as blunt as "Get your fucking piss cup out of my fucking face," the message in "Just Because," one of overwhelming optimism, urges us all to help our fellow man. Not for any motive; just because.
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Nz Herald
Strays sure does sound like a Jane's Addiction album. One that reminds that they were and are a hard-rock rarity - a band that delivered grandiose, intense, often funk-laden epics and managed to sound infectiously happy in their work.
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Turn Up The Volume
On Strays Jane’s Addiction really do sound like a band enjoying themselves again, doing whatever the hell they like, on their terms, and making some of the most exciting music around today. Normal service resumed then. Jane’s Addiction are most definitely back. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll run out and buy yourself a modern masterpiece right now.
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U2 Interference
It's just a thoroughly intense and interesting record.
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