What Makes a Kettle Whistle? What Makes Gold Precious?

In the years between the band's break-up in 1991 and the Relapse reunion of 1997, Jane's Addiction had already laid the ground work for the alternative music scene. Months after the band's break-up in September of 1991, the alternative music scene was now the hottest scene as Nirvana knocked Michael Jackson out of the top spot in the U.S. album charts. For the members of Jane's Addiction, the band were already splintered into different side projects. Vocalist Perry Farrell and drummer Stephen Perkins formed Porno for Pyros with guitarist Peter DiStefano and bassist Martyn LeNoble where the band debuted at the 1992 Lollapalooza Festival that Farrell co-founded the year before. While the band would release their debut album a year later to some success. Farrell and Perkins' former Jane's Addiction bandmates in guitarist Dave Navarro and bassist Eric Avery formed their own project called Deconstruction with drummer Michael Murphey.

Though the Deconstruction project was acclaimed, the album only lasted one album as Eric Avery refused to do a tour to promote the album. Dave Navarro meanwhile, raised his profile more where he joined the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1993 as he was a suitable replacement for John Frusciante following his departure in early 1992. With Navarro playing for the Chili Peppers, Farrell and Perkins released a second Porno for Pyros album entitled Good God's Urge in 1996 that featured Navarro and Chili Peppers bassist Flea on a song. It was around that time that Navarro, Farrell, and Perkins were considering to renew Jane's Addiction but bassist Eric Avery declined due to his focus on his own projects while feeling that the reunion is motivated by financial reasons.

With Porno for Pyros on hold due to Peter di Stefano's brief bout with cancer, Farrell and Perkins decided to do a Jane's Addiction reunion with Navarro as Flea was invited to play with the band with the Chili Peppers also on hiatus due to personal problems relating to vocalist Anthony Kiedis' drug addiction issues. The Relapse tour would be a moment for fans to catch Jane's Addiction again with Flea on bass while the band also decided to release a compilation of material filled with rare live tracks, out-takes, and newly recorded material with Flea entitled Kettle Whistle.

Kettle Whistle is a compilation of material spanning the band's period from 1986-1991 of live rarities, demos, out-takes, and two new songs featuring Flea on bass. Produced by the band with the title track produced by Perry Farrell and Harry Gregson' Williams and another new song produced by Farrell and Dave Fridmann, both of which were written by Farrell, Dave Navarro, Stephen Perkins, and Flea. The album is filled with lots of material that hardcore fans to enjoy along with live songs from the band's hey-day including a song from the first Lollapalooza festival. Though it's not a perfect compilation with material that doesn't live up to its hype, Kettle Whistle still has some fine rarities for fans to enjoy.

The albums opens with its title track, a mystical seven-minute, forty-five second cut with swooning, atmospheric production with slow, soft rumblings from Stephen Perkins' drums and cymbal crashes. With Flea's grooving bass lines and Perry Farrell's high-screeching vocals that is followed by Dave Navarro's soothing, arpeggio-laden guitar melodies. With Farrell's dark lyrics that plays up to the song's atmospheric, esoteric feel, it's a song goes back and forth into its section with a momentum-building sound of rumbling drums, flourishing guitar melodies, and soothing bass lines. Then comes this crashing portion of slapping bass lines, thunderous drums, and thrashing guitars that would later have Navarro's wailing guitar solo. It's an excellent song that shows great chemistry from the band though Flea's funk-style, slapping bass style is very different to the sturdy, simplistic work of Eric Avery. Next is a 1988 demo of Ocean Size with its thrashing guitars, pounding rhythms including Avery's twangy bass lines and Farrell's wailing vocals. Though the recording is a bit rough, the energy and chemistry of the performance is there.

My Cat's Name Is Maceo is a demo originally recorded in 1987 with some additional production and new trumpet work from Maceo Parker. The upbeat, funky song with Avery's melodic-grooving bass lines, Perkins' cadence-like drumming, and Navarro's swanky guitar is about Farrell's cat that shows the band's sense of humor and musical versatility. Parker's bouncy, swooning saxophone adds flavor to the demo which is a real standout to the album. Next is 1988 studio out-take of Had A Dad that contains the same intensity of the final studio recording with its loopy bass lines, pulsating drums, and wailing guitars. The difference is that it's a bit rough in the vocals while Navarro's guitar work isn't as proficient and as exciting in final recording.

Next is a new song called So What!, an electronic-driven track with programming by Bauhaus/Love & Rockets drummer Kevin Haskins, keyboards by co-producer Dave Fridmann. With Farrell's wailing vocals and mystical lyrics along with Navarro's screeching guitar. It's a track that doesn't entirely work with the electronic beats sounding very dated while it has sections that tries to be arty with acoustic portions with Flea even bringing a trumpet ast it's a song that doesn't work as a whole. From the first show at the first Lollapalooza Festival on July 24, 1991 is a live rendition of Jane Says with its calypso like rhythms, acoustic flourishes, and Farrell's wailing vocals filled with melancholic lyrics. The live version is another standout of the record as it's the song performed at its finest at a tumultuous though great time for the band.

A 1986 demo version of Mountain Song arrives with Avery's thundering, swirling bass lines as it leads to the same, intense performance of monster drums and growling guitars. Farrell's vocals sound hollow in the demo along with difference in the lyrics and Navarro's wailing guitar solo that doesn't have its screeches but it's still an impressive demo. Next is Slow Divers, a song that is performed live from the 1986 show that was recorded from the band's first live debut album. Featuring some newly recorded bass from Flea, the acoustic-flavored song with tribal, conga beats and mystical lyrics, it's one of the band's great rarities with Flea adding a nice groove with his bass along with flute-like backgrounds. The next four tracks are live performance from the band's December 19, 1990 show at the Hollywood Palladium. First is the epic Three Day that is as intense and as sprawling as its original recording. The live version is the album's highlight with its layers of performance including Eric Avery's loopy bass lines, Dave Navarro's heroic guitar work, Stephen Perkins' hypnotic drum work with polyrhythmic fills, and Perry Farrell's wailing vocals as he plays a 12-string guitar accompaniment.

Next is the punkish, aggressive Ain't No Right with its thunderous rhythms, sprawling guitar, and Farrell's screeching vocals that is followed by a rant by a guy who threw a shoe at him. Up The Beach from Nothing's Shocking is an instrumental that begins with Avery's melodic-looping bass lines with a slow-building momentum that later arrives with crashing drums and Navarro's wailing guitar that plays to Farrell's wailing vocals. Stop! is a fast, upbeat song with crazy, intense polyrhythmic beats, thrashing guitars, and pounding bass lines to Farrell's screeching, intense vocals. Next is a 1989 studio out-take of Been Caught Stealing that begins with Farrell ranting from a live show about stealing that leads to the out-take. Though the quirky presentation featuring Avery's loopy bass lines and bouncy rhythms are there. The song isn't as fully realized with Farrell's vocals not in top form and Navarro's guitar solo isn't featured as much while its mix isn't that great either.

Next is Wh*res from a 1986 show at Pyramid at Los Angeles where Farrell gets a girl named Roxy to dance as it features Avery's thundering bass lines, Navarro's thrashing guitars, Perkins' crashing drums, and Farrell's screeching, echo-laden vocals. Though it doesn't have the full power of its original live recording from the live debut, it's still got the same intensity and charge of the song. The album closer is City Song from the 1989 Soul Kiss VHS home video. It's essentially an acoustic song performed by Farrell and Navarro on an acoustic guitar as it's a simple song that pays tribute to Los Angeles in all of its beauty and chaos. Also featured on the album is liner notes from Henry Rollins about the band as a live act as he describes the sheer beauty and chaos they brought.

Released in November of 1997, the album was a hit with fans though some of the rarities had previously appeared in an imported rarities album as well as B-sides to some singles. At the same time during the Relapse tour, Dave Navarro had a drug relapse of his own that would eventually lead to his departure from the Chili Peppers. The Relapse tour ended in 1998 with Flea returning to the Chili Peppers while Farrell, Navarro, and Perkins each went on to do their own individual projects before reuniting again in 2001 with Pornos for Pyros bassist Martyn LeNoble.

Kettle Whistle is a fine compilation from Jane's Addiction though it doesn't offer much for casual audiences. Hardcore fans will be glad to hear the out-takes, rarities, and live material though the new songs doesn't entirely live up to the band's great catalog. While some of the highlights includes some unreleased songs and material from the December 1990 Hollywood Palladium show (which is now fully released in the box set A Cabinet of Curiosities). The record does leave fans wanting for more to its fans. In the end, Kettle Whistle is a good but not a great compilation album from Jane's Addiction.

Jane's Addiction Reviews: Jane's Addiction (live) - Nothing's Shocking - Ritual de lo Habitual - Strays - NINJA 2009 Tour Sampler EP - (A Cabinet of Curiosities) - (NIN/Jane's Addiction/Street Sweeper Social Club-5/10/09 Atlanta, GA Hi-Fi Buys Amphitheater)