Nothing's Shocking
Encyclopedia
Nothing's Shocking is the first studio album by the American alternative rock
band Jane's Addiction
, released on August 23, 1988 through Warner Bros. Records
. Nothing's Shocking was well received by critics upon release and is often cited as the band's best album. Despite this, it peaked at number 103 on the Billboard 200
. The single "Jane Says
" reached number six on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks in 1988. The album was ranked #309 on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All-Time."
It is certified by RIAA platinum and by BPI silver.
This album is downloadable content for the Rock Band
series.
, whose work as engineer on the David Byrne
and Brian Eno
album My Life in the Bush of Ghosts
frontman Perry Farrell
appreciated. Jerden said he "jumped" at the chance to work with the group.
During the recording sessions, Farrell stated he wanted 50 percent of the band's publishing royalties for writing the lyrics, as well as quarter of the remaining half for writing music, adding up to 62.5 percent total. Bassist Eric Avery
said he and the other band members, guitarist Dave Navarro
and drummer Stephen Perkins
, were stunned by Farrell's demands. Farrell refused to compromise. One day Jerden drove up to the studio to find Farrell, Navarro, and Perkins leaving; Farrell told him that the band had broken up and that there would be no record. Warner Bros. called an emergency meeting to resolve the situation. Farrell got the royalty percentage he sought, and the other band members received 12.5 percent each. Avery said the incident had a profound effect on the band, creating an internal fracture.
Not long after the royalties dispute, Farrell and Avery (who had formed the band together) had a falling out. This was the result of Avery's newfound sobriety as well as an incident where Farrell believed that the bassist had drunkenly tried to pick up his girlfriend. Tensions existed in the band between all the members during recording except for Perkins, who got along with Navarro, Avery and Farrell.
sitting on a sideways rocking chair with their heads on fire. Farrell said the image, like much of his artwork, came to him in a dream. Farrell hired Warner Bros. employees to create the cover sculpture; after learning how to create sculptures by watching them closely, he fired the Warner Bros. staff and created the artwork himself. Farrell hired someone to help create a full body casting of his girlfriend for use as the sculptures. Retailers objected to the album's cover. Nine out of the eleven leading record store chains refused to carry Nothing's Shocking, and the record had to be issued covered with brown paper.
Nothing's Shocking was released in 1988. "Mountain Song" was released as a single; however, MTV
refused to air the song's music video
due to a scene containing nudity. Farrell then decided to release the music video commercially; twenty minutes of live footage was added to create the Soul Kiss home video. Due to lack of airplay on MTV and modern rock
radio, the album only sold 200,000 to 250,000 copies in its first year of release.
In 2006, Q magazine placed the album at #32 in its list of "40 Best Albums of the '80s". Music critic Piero Scaruffi includes Nothing Shocking at number 5, just after Guns N' Roses
' Appetite for Destruction
and before Napalm Death
's From Enslavement to Obliteration
, in his classification of the best metal albums of all times.
, Dave Navarro
, Eric Avery
and Stephen Perkins
.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band's original line-up featured Perry Farrell , Dave Navarro , Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins . After breaking up in 1991, Jane's Addiction briefly reunited in 1997 and again in 2001, both times...
, released on August 23, 1988 through Warner Bros. Records
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
. Nothing's Shocking was well received by critics upon release and is often cited as the band's best album. Despite this, it peaked at number 103 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. The single "Jane Says
Jane Says
"Jane Says" is a song by alternative rock group Jane's Addiction. It was first released in live format on the group's 1987 live debut album, Jane's Addiction. It was re-recorded in the studio for their first studio album, Nothing's Shocking...
" reached number six on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks in 1988. The album was ranked #309 on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All-Time."
It is certified by RIAA platinum and by BPI silver.
This album is downloadable content for the Rock Band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
series.
Recording
Warner Bros. gave Jane's Addiction a list of producers to choose from. The group chose Dave JerdenDave Jerden
Dave Jerden is an American record producer, engineer and mixer who mostly works with artists in the alternative rock, punk rock and metal genres....
, whose work as engineer on the David Byrne
David Byrne
David Byrne may refer to:*David Byrne , musician and former Talking Heads frontman**David Byrne , his eponymous album*David Byrne , Irish footballer*David Byrne , English footballer...
and Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
album My Life in the Bush of Ghosts
My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (album)
The album was recorded entirely with analogue technology, before the advent of digital sequencing and MIDI. The sampled voices were synchronized with the instrumental tracks via trial and error, a practice that was often frustrating, but which also produced several happy accidents.Also according to...
frontman Perry Farrell
Perry Farrell
Perry Farrell is the frontman for the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction. Farrell created the touring festival Lollapalooza as a farewell tour for Jane's Addiction in 1991; it has since evolved into an annual destination festival. Farrell continues to produce Lollapalooza with partners William...
appreciated. Jerden said he "jumped" at the chance to work with the group.
During the recording sessions, Farrell stated he wanted 50 percent of the band's publishing royalties for writing the lyrics, as well as quarter of the remaining half for writing music, adding up to 62.5 percent total. Bassist Eric Avery
Eric Avery
Eric Adam Avery is an American musician and is the former bass player for the rock band Jane's Addiction. Avery played in Jane's Addiction initially from 1985 to 1991, and rejoined the band in 2008 before departing again in 2010....
said he and the other band members, guitarist Dave Navarro
Dave Navarro
David Michael "Dave" Navarro is an American guitarist who plays in the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction and cover band Camp Freddy. He has also played with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Panic Channel, and many others.- Early life :...
and drummer Stephen Perkins
Stephen Perkins
Stephen Andrew Perkins is an American musician and songwriter. A drummer and percussionist, he currently plays with Jane's Addiction and Hellflower....
, were stunned by Farrell's demands. Farrell refused to compromise. One day Jerden drove up to the studio to find Farrell, Navarro, and Perkins leaving; Farrell told him that the band had broken up and that there would be no record. Warner Bros. called an emergency meeting to resolve the situation. Farrell got the royalty percentage he sought, and the other band members received 12.5 percent each. Avery said the incident had a profound effect on the band, creating an internal fracture.
Not long after the royalties dispute, Farrell and Avery (who had formed the band together) had a falling out. This was the result of Avery's newfound sobriety as well as an incident where Farrell believed that the bassist had drunkenly tried to pick up his girlfriend. Tensions existed in the band between all the members during recording except for Perkins, who got along with Navarro, Avery and Farrell.
Music
The songwriting process for Nothing's Shocking varied from song to song. Navarro noted, "Some came from Eric's bass lines, some from guitar, some came from Perry, some came from drum riffs, and some just came from free-form jams. There was really no formula." Eric Avery wrote several songs, including "Mountain Song", "Had a Dad", "Jane Says", and "Summertime Rolls" (the latter two of which he also created the guitar parts for). With his songs, Avery came up with conceptual ideas for lyrics that Perry Farrell would then create the actual lyrics for; for example, "Had a Dad" dealt with Avery discovering he had a different biological father.Packaging, release and reception
Perry Farrell created the cover image to Nothing's Shocking, which features a sculpture of a pair of nude female conjoined twinsConjoined twins
Conjoined twins are identical twins whose bodies are joined in utero. A rare phenomenon, the occurrence is estimated to range from 1 in 50,000 births to 1 in 100,000 births, with a somewhat higher incidence in Southwest Asia and Africa. Approximately half are stillborn, and a smaller fraction of...
sitting on a sideways rocking chair with their heads on fire. Farrell said the image, like much of his artwork, came to him in a dream. Farrell hired Warner Bros. employees to create the cover sculpture; after learning how to create sculptures by watching them closely, he fired the Warner Bros. staff and created the artwork himself. Farrell hired someone to help create a full body casting of his girlfriend for use as the sculptures. Retailers objected to the album's cover. Nine out of the eleven leading record store chains refused to carry Nothing's Shocking, and the record had to be issued covered with brown paper.
Nothing's Shocking was released in 1988. "Mountain Song" was released as a single; however, MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
refused to air the song's music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
due to a scene containing nudity. Farrell then decided to release the music video commercially; twenty minutes of live footage was added to create the Soul Kiss home video. Due to lack of airplay on MTV and modern rock
Modern rock
Modern rock is a rock format commonly found on commercial radio; the format consists primarily of the alternative rock genre...
radio, the album only sold 200,000 to 250,000 copies in its first year of release.
In 2006, Q magazine placed the album at #32 in its list of "40 Best Albums of the '80s". Music critic Piero Scaruffi includes Nothing Shocking at number 5, just after Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
' Appetite for Destruction
Appetite for Destruction
Appetite for Destruction is the debut studio album by American rock band Guns N' Roses, released in July 1987 on Geffen Records. It was well-received by critics and topped the American Billboard 200 chart...
and before Napalm Death
Napalm Death
Napalm Death are a death metal band formed in Birmingham, England in 1981. While none of its original members remain in the group, the lineup of vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway, bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mitch Harris and drummer Danny Herrera has remained consistent for most of the band's ...
's From Enslavement to Obliteration
From Enslavement to Obliteration
From Enslavement to Obliteration is the second album by grindcore band Napalm Death, released in 1988.-Background:From Enslavement to Obliteration is the only Napalm Death album to feature Lee Dorrian as the sole vocalist, where he offers the low, grunting vocals and from time to time in songs, he...
, in his classification of the best metal albums of all times.
Track listing
All songs credited to Perry FarrellPerry Farrell
Perry Farrell is the frontman for the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction. Farrell created the touring festival Lollapalooza as a farewell tour for Jane's Addiction in 1991; it has since evolved into an annual destination festival. Farrell continues to produce Lollapalooza with partners William...
, Dave Navarro
Dave Navarro
David Michael "Dave" Navarro is an American guitarist who plays in the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction and cover band Camp Freddy. He has also played with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Panic Channel, and many others.- Early life :...
, Eric Avery
Eric Avery
Eric Adam Avery is an American musician and is the former bass player for the rock band Jane's Addiction. Avery played in Jane's Addiction initially from 1985 to 1991, and rejoined the band in 2008 before departing again in 2010....
and Stephen Perkins
Stephen Perkins
Stephen Andrew Perkins is an American musician and songwriter. A drummer and percussionist, he currently plays with Jane's Addiction and Hellflower....
.
- "Up the Beach" – 3:00
- "Ocean Size" – 4:20
- "Had a Dad" – 3:44
- "Ted, Just Admit It..." – 7:23
- "Standing in the Shower... Thinking" – 3:03
- "Summertime Rolls" – 6:18
- "Mountain SongMountain Song"Mountain Song" is a song by Jane's Addiction released on their 1988 album Nothing's Shocking. The song was also named the 71st best hard rock song of all time by VH1.-Music Video:The music video was shot at the Scream in August 19, 1988...
" – 4:03 - "Idiots Rule" – 3:00
- "Jane SaysJane Says"Jane Says" is a song by alternative rock group Jane's Addiction. It was first released in live format on the group's 1987 live debut album, Jane's Addiction. It was re-recorded in the studio for their first studio album, Nothing's Shocking...
" – 4:52 - "Thank You Boys" – 1:01
- "Pigs in Zen" – 4:30
Personnel
- Perry FarrellPerry FarrellPerry Farrell is the frontman for the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction. Farrell created the touring festival Lollapalooza as a farewell tour for Jane's Addiction in 1991; it has since evolved into an annual destination festival. Farrell continues to produce Lollapalooza with partners William...
– vocals, piano - Dave NavarroDave NavarroDavid Michael "Dave" Navarro is an American guitarist who plays in the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction and cover band Camp Freddy. He has also played with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Panic Channel, and many others.- Early life :...
– lead and rhythm guitars - Eric AveryEric AveryEric Adam Avery is an American musician and is the former bass player for the rock band Jane's Addiction. Avery played in Jane's Addiction initially from 1985 to 1991, and rejoined the band in 2008 before departing again in 2010....
– bass guitar - Stephen PerkinsStephen PerkinsStephen Andrew Perkins is an American musician and songwriter. A drummer and percussionist, he currently plays with Jane's Addiction and Hellflower....
– drums, percussion - Mike Shatz – steel drum and congas on "Jane Says"
- Angelo MooreAngelo MooreAngelo Christoper Moore is an American musician, best known for his work as the founding member, lead singer and saxophonist for the Los Angeles alternative rock band Fishbone. Moore also performs and records spoken word poetry under the stage name of Dr. Madd Vibe.-Biography:In 1993 he released a...
– saxophone - FleaFlea (musician)Michael Peter Balzary , better known by his stage name Flea, is an Australian-American musician and occasional actor. He is best known as the bassist, co-founding member, and one of the composers of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers...
– trumpet - Christopher Dowd – trombone
- Dave JerdenDave JerdenDave Jerden is an American record producer, engineer and mixer who mostly works with artists in the alternative rock, punk rock and metal genres....
– (producer) - Ronnie S. Champagne
- Andy Harper
- Jeff Piergeorge
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Billboard Top 200 | 103 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | "Jane Says" | Modern Rock Tracks | 6 |