Here are some customer reviews of
Nothing's Shocking
: Their 2nd blew the idea of sophmore slump completely out fo the water. A concept album that covers the life and Perry Farrells thoughts on killer Ted Bundy, this album is a beautifully bi-polar in the lush and dreamy ballads to their relentless and agressive guitar tracks. It easly gives one the impression of a car wreck under a blooming dogwood tree.
This cd is so great, and so much better than ritual de lo habitual, which a lot of people say they like more than this. There's something about all the songs here, and the record itself, that makes is seem definitive, a powerhouse, an epic record that only comes along once a decade, I'd rank this in the top 5 greatest albums ever made, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Clube Band, Second Edition, Loveless, Spiderland, Nothing's Shocking. This record showed just how exciting and enticing "alternative" music was in 1988, back when "alternative" meant something. It's very imaginative, and dangerous sounding, you can really inhabit this cd, see through Perry Farrell's eyes for awhile, the music is rock, like nothing since Led Zeppelin's IV, it's really that album for the 80's, a late 80's version of Zoso. Jane Says is an incredible song, the centerpiece for the album, like stairway to heaven was for Zoso. If you like records that you can get really attatched to, that can take you into another world view for awhile, and change you, buy this record today, it's very solid, and will stand as Jane's masterpiece, and one of the truly great albums of the rock era. If you don't believe me, rolling stone has placed this in it's "essential 200 albums of all time". Spin decided not to put ritual in it's top 90 of the nineties, saying something like "we almost had a staff walkout over not including ritual de habitual in the list, too bad it nothing's shocking was released in 88". Perry Farrell is a generation X icon, and this album is a huge reason why, this is a sick album, like all great albums are, where you will feel sick to your stomach because the music is too penetrating, it'll change you forever hopefully as it has me, I wish I could put it into words, the absolute beauty of this record, it is EPIC.
This album is simply a masterpiece. You want to get away for a while? I mean far, far away? Just listen to "Summer Time Rolls" & "Mountain Song" with the eyes closed and you may not come back.
There's no 'Three Days' here, but overall, this is not only Jane's best album, but one of the best hard rock albums of the 80s. Nevermind the funk/metal/punk labels, Nothing's Shocking twists, turns, and cooks from start to finish as one song segues into the next. The album is loaded with guitar cuts, rolling basslines (esp. 'Mountain Song), frequent shrieks from Perry, and Of Course Steve Perkins' fantastic thrasy/jazzy/tribal drumming technique. Flea, and Chris Dowd & Angelo Moore of Fishbone help the band on 'Idiot's Rule.' Every song wails except maybe the one minute interlude "Okay Boys" toward the end of the album- which only serves as a chance for listeners to take a breath before the final bomb drops. Into Led Zeppelin? Guns/Roses? Pumpkins? You'd better own this record.
This is by far Jane's best work yet. Although Ritual de lo Habitual may slightly edge out this album musically, it is really too close to call. The one element that makes this album supreme is the lyrical and emotional content. Perry Farrell is at his absolute best content-wise and in his delivery of these incredible songs. The varying grooves on this album keep you guessing, which is what Perry does best. As for the instrumentals, they are absolutely soaring. The music literally takes you into another world atmospherically. Jane does this like no other band...ever. As for Dave Navarro, what can I say? He is simply the best around. Nothing's Shocking is Jane's best work.
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