OCTOBER 19,1990 — THE DECREE — PAGE 3
Ideas, not words earn disc its label
ByMARKBRETTT
What, exactly, are “explicit”
lyrics? What hidden moral watch
men make these determinations?
And, more importantly, who
watches the watchmen?
Consider these questions as,
once again, your humble reviewer
climbs upon his soapbox, this
time to examine Jane’s
Addiction’s “Ritual de lo Habit
ual” and record labeling run ram
pant.
“Ritual de lo Habitual” is a
labeled disc. I count only seven
instances of profanity here, all of
them using only two “explicit”
words. While these terms may not
exactly be polite, they’re nothing
you couldn’t hear on an average
day in any high school in Amer
ica. The album contains no
graphic sexual images at all, nor
does it deal with violence in any
thing other than a negative light.
Neither Geffen Records nor
Jane’s Addiction is likely to label
just to sell records. So why the
label?
Review
The disc opens with “Stop,” a
fast-moving end-of-the-world
rave-up, and one of the strongest
tracks on the disc. Music and lyr
ics fuse beautifully to convey a
real sense of urgency in the be
ginning: “The world is loaded.
It’s a lit to pop and nobody is
gonna stop.” There’s peace in the
post-apocalyptic center: “One
come a day, the water will run,
no man will stand for things that
he had done... Hurrah!” And fi
nally in the end: “Gimme that —
your automobile, turn off that
smokestack, and that goddam
radio-hum.”
“Stop” is followed in quick
succession by two rough-edged
Anti-Blues Heavy Metal numbers
that leave the listener reeling. First
is “No One’s Leaving,” a song
about racial understanding that
includes the wonderful line,
“Wish I knew everyone’s nick-
Get off Dr. Steve's back
and show a little patience
(Continued from Page 2)
often their backs go out and how
often I can look forward to my
deformed shape.
“Yes,” someone said to me the
other day as I was trying to lower
myself into my car, “you’ve got
weeks of agony ahead of you.
You’ll never be the same again.
Why, I won’t even lift a suitcase
any more, but I still spend weeks
every year flat on my back. Yep,
you’re getting old, no doubt about
it.”
And there, of course, is the
main rub. Mortality. As I wake
up every morning and before I at
tempt to move, I hope for less
pain than the day before and al
most weep when it is the same or
more. As I struggle to a sitting
position and propel myself toward
the bathroom, I know what old
age will feel like and I know why
older people move more slowly.
The joints seem fused.
I intend to use this body for
quite a while yet, and I can’t help
but worry when I hurt this much
and don’t deserve it. I’m too
young to be a grumpy old man,
but I’m getting in some good
practice.
By the way, Rachel Dormagen,
who’s recently had a back opera
tion, probably still needs some
cheerful support. Stop by and
encourage her. As for me, if
you’re waiting to show up for an
appointment, give these old bones
some extra time. I’m coming.
name, all their slang and all their
savings.”
In contrast, next comes “Ain’t
No Right,” a sharp, amoral song
with this chorus: “Ain’t no wrong
now, ain’t no right. Only pleas
ure and pain.” The first hits hard
with its intense caring, and the
second hits equally hard with its
intense selfishness.
After these wrenching tunes,
the listener is given a break with
the endearingly obscure “Obvi
ous,” a meandering little track that
must have made some kind of
sense to the Addiction when they
wrote it
Next is “Been Caught Steal
ing,” a delightfully loopy song
about the pleasures of shoplift
ing. Beginning mth a chorus of
barking dogs that bleeds neatly
into guitarist David Navarro’s pat
ented heavy metal-reggae riffs,
this song gives us Jane’s Addic
tion in one of their rarest moods:
happy.
“Three Days” is very dream
like and runs at about ten min
utes. While the songs includes lot
of good lines, including one ^ut
an “Erotic Jesus,” it is perhaps a
bit too easy for the listening to
lose himself in the tune which
causes problems for the rest of
the disc. “Then She Did” is even
dreamier, and so lethargic that it
might give the Cure a run for their
money.
“Of Course” is the sole saving
grace remaining to the disc. With
East Indian rhythms and a per
verse view of western culture (“Of
course this land is dangerous! All
of the animals are capably mur
derous”), this song is the listener’s
last chance to awaken before the
finale. “Classic Girl” is that fi
nale, a slow, sweet-sounding song
that misses the mark a bit.
“Ritual de lo Habitual,” while
not as strong as it could have been.
is still an excellent disc. With it,
Jane’s Addiction takes some
chances and expresses a beauti
ful alternative world-view (more
than can be said for most young
hard rock groups), which may
help to explain the label.
The lyrics are not particularly
explicit, but they are anti-status
quo. Perhaps it’s not the language
being labeled here, but the ideas.
Take a Tear
When you take a tear
And break it down
To all points of control
What do you find
When you look inside
Is it really whole?
Or is this tear a fragment
Of your ever living soul
A part of you and the things you do
A segment of your goal?
Suppose a person never cried
Never shed a tear
What would become of such a person
What would be their fear?
Isn’t it amazing that one drop of water
Can bring such tremendous grief
But one drop of water also spurts
The growing of a leaf
So when you cry
And don’t know why
There’s really no reason at all
Just remember, every seed needs water
To make the growing whole.
— Angela Boone
He came to play, glad to stay
(Continued from Page 2)
you and what you can offer the
organization. Fraternities, sorori
ties, Student Government, and
Student Activities are all looking
for people. In particular, the Dis
senter, our yearbook, and The De
cree, our newspaper, are in dire
need of interested and dedicated
individuals. They are cunrently
made up of some good people, but
they could always use some more
people to assist them, experienced
or not. The yearbook and newspa
per are central to life at Wesleyan,
and if we are not careful we could
lose them altogether.
As many people do, I had
thoughts of leaving and going
somewhere else. I guarantee you
will ask yourself often, if not every
day, if Wesleyanis therightchoice
for you. Friends of mine who go to
other schools ask themselves the
same question. This question is
not unique to Wesleyan. A profes
sor of mine once told me that
students he talked to who transfer
into Wesleyan found it to be much
more satisfying than the schools
they previously attended.
However, one of the most
importantfactors thatkept me here
with the faculty; after all, we are
here to get an education. They are
really in touch with the students
and are eager to help you succeed.
Professors like Dr. David Jones
and Dr. Steve Ferebee are two
such people. They may be diffi
cult teachers, but that is only be
cause they want to see you be
come a successful student. I
couldn ’ t count the number of times
theu- words have meant my stay
ing here. I’ve found myself asking
them questions about general life.
not just classwork, and I trust their
opinions and their advice. If it
weren’t for the faculty and the
friendly people here, I would not
be standing here today.
When it comes down to it, it
really depends on what is inside of
each of you. The activities, clubs,
and organizations all have a place
for you. The upperclassmen here
realize that they were once in your
shoes, and want to see your time at
Wesleyan be as good as, if not
better than, their own.
As with life in general, if you
want to be miserable, you are going
to be miserable. If you get in
volved and want to m^e your life
challenging and fun, you could be
very successful. Here at Wesleyan,
your choices and chances of
making it all possible are much,
greater. Particularly because of the
size of the college, your efforts are
recognized and often applauded.
In closing, Wesleyan is home
and will be for the next two years.
I only wish I had enough hours in
the day to do all that I want to do.
Your time at Wesleyan will be
brief, and what happened a month
ago will seem like yesterday and
your summers will seem like a
week. So it is up to each individual
to make the best of each and every
day.
A book I read over the summer
entitled, “You Can’t Afford the
Luxury of a Negative Thought,”
really hits it on the head. Be posi
tive, look for the good in life, and
accomplish all you can.
I came here to play soccer.
But I stayed to be a student.
This column was one of the
addresses at this year’s Opening
Convocation held at the begin
ning of the semester.