Perry Farrell "Satellite Party"
I didn't know what to think about P's new concept album.
I saw Porno for Pyros. And Jane's Addiction in two Lollapalooza's. This new band.......good drummer and bassist, Nuno on guitar from Extreme, Fergie from Black Eyed Peas, and P's wife (Jane's former belly dancer) on backup vocals. And Perry wanted this album to sound like a DJ mixing on a satellite, revolving around the Earth, having a dance party. Naturally.
But he stresses in interviews how Rock music has currently moved itself very far away from what the DJ's play in clubs. That's 100% true as a DJ myself. As a big Rock fan, I love to DJ say Modest Mouse. But if the Black Eyed Peas (or even Dr. Dre) are the hip hip hop, it's hard to mix those two songs based on the beats and the basslines. So Perry thinks he can make this album Rock, yet be mixable in between popular dance music and a good Guitar Rock song (wherever you are on the planet). OK.
But I like it. Not at the start of each song though. As soon as each song kicks into it's riff, and you get used to that riff, they switch into something either fast, unexpected, or both. I'm very critical of Nuno's soloing because he played in the cheese-ball 90's metal band Extreme. But I will say this......... he is wickedly talented. He is a virtuoso, but he works better with direction. On his own he just shreds ridiculously some type of Beethoven. But not money making. Whenever I doubt where Perry is going on any song, it switches into something I like.
This is a good concept album I recommend to any Perry fan who is curious. It grows on you fast. Perry actually got the rights to use a vocal sample of Jim Morrison on a track "Woman in the Window". And it sounds just like the Jim I love, but totally modern. And you almost can't tell it's mish-mashed over many years. It's cool. The album is all good because of the intricate song progressions they switch into to prevent any one thing from getting too boring. This album also has a great modern recorded sound. 5 out of 5 thumbs.