Ritual de lo Habitual
Janes Addiction
1990: Warner Bros. 9 25993-2
The question then (following up on consideration of Nothings Shocking) is this: Is Ritual de lo Habitual a perfect album? All I can say is that I cannot think of another album in my collection that quite reaches this level of perfection every song contributing, in order, to the powerhouse construction of this assembly of musical and conceptual might.
Originally I didnt think so. But that was in the early 1990s, when my first copy of this was a dub onto cassette which didnt have room for the final track in its entirety. And without Classic Girl, the album does in fact end wrongly; with it, incredible power. Perry Farrell isnt so much singing on this album as playing harmonized jet engines, its so amazingly strong and precise even in its furious disregard for exact notes. I listen to it with skeptical scrutiny and can only concede in the end that Obvious is the albums weakest track. Well my GOD, consider that, Obvious as a weak track .
Ritual de lo Habitual is a mind-blowing album, far and above anything else Ive ever considered. Ive heard better music, better songs, more beautiful evocations but this ensemble shot the moon and didnt miss. I cannot listen to this CD with any semblance of indifference, and hearing only one song from it seems like a rip-off. Also, as Kate Bushs liner note for The Dreaming suggests that the album is meant to be played LOUD, Ritual de lo Habitual should ideally be played loud enough to shatter your windows; if it doesnt sound like Perry Farrell is the conduit for a solar flare, youre not playing it loud enough.
Comments © 2005 Mark Ellis Walker, except as noted, and no claim is made to the images and quoted lyrics.