Succinctness has rarely been a strong suit of Jane's Addiction, a pioneering alt-rock quartet well-steeped in the L.A. tradition of being fearlessly larger than life. This is true of this elaborately packaged but bloated box set: Amid early blueprints of Nothing's Shocking and Ritual de lo Habitual classics, only a wailing 1986 rendition of "Jane Says" and the folky "City" add anything to the original lineup's skimpy yet hugely influential output. Frontman Perry Farrell's absurd outfits and acid-addled charisma drive a DVD of videos and live clips, but a ferocious 1990 live set argues more forcefully that too much of a beautifully fucked-up thing is never enough; the rest of this set, not so much.

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BARRY WALTERS

(Posted: Apr 13, 2009)