Jane's Addiction - Strays????

[Brian L]

I got a cut from this disc as a freebie from iTunes, and I liked it enough to check out the rest of the set.

Based only on the 30 second samples, I really am liking what I am hearing. I am really not a huge fan of the band, and the only Cee Dee I have is Ritual, but this one seems to really kick ass.

So, I did search here and didn't find much discussion on this. Anyone got it? How are the sonics? I am SOOOOOO sick of buying discs that I like musically only to have it be poorly recorded/mastered.

Come on JA fans, I know you are out there. What's the word on the street for this one?

BGL

 

[LarryDavenport]

I bought it the day it came out and I still haven't listened to it. I'm kind of scared it will suck.

 

[Todd H]

Strays is actually very good. Don't be afraid...give it a listen.

 

[Brian L]

So far so good. I could only listen via PC speakers so I can't comment on the sonics, but I really like the songs, not really a bad one in the bunch.

I look forward to giving it a listen on the he-man rig in he living room.

BGL

 

[Kevin C Brown]

I didn't like Ritual. I really liked Nothing's Shocking. Strays is more like the latter. Really, really good, IMO in other words.

 

[Jack Fanning]

I like it alot....some killer Dave Navvaro solos.

 

[Brian L]

Gave it a full listen via the iPod/Senheisers (320K AAC...so its not too badly mangled), then a partial listen on the main rig.

As for the songs....killer stuff.

Funny thing. Its still guitar/bass/drums/voice, but there is something unique about the sound and the tunes that does not leave me thinking that its just so much derivative crap, like a lot of other new music. It all sounds original to me. I guess Perry just has a very distinctive voice and vocal style.

Sonics....well, its a mixed bag. The overall blend is a bit rolled off on the top. The bass and drums do have great impact, and the guitars are prominent in the mix, but as usual, the cymbals can sound a tad harsh and congested on certain tunes. Not the worst offender, that's for sure, but it could be better.

But overall, I like it a lot. And yes, there are some really cool guitar solos, but always in service to the song. No gratuitous wankery at all.

BGL

 

[Mike Broadman]

Musically, the album is solid, but not as adventurous as Ritual or even Nothing's Shocking. It's a good rock 'n' roll record which is a nice consistent listen but never reaches the heights of their previous efforts.

Sonically, I feel it's quite awful. It's compressed dynamically cut or something like that. Painful to listen to for more than 30 minutes.