Who likes Dave Navarro? [Archive]

pir8matt

11-21-2008, 10:17 AM

I got into Janes Addiction probably around 1988/89. I bought that live recording (its called XXX live, I think) and probably didn't take it out of my (tape!) player until 'nothings shocking' came out a little bit later.

I probably saw them live about 10 times after that, a couple times in my hometown (once opening for Love and Rockets, another time for Iggy Pop), 3 times in Chicago, the first Lollapallooza and some other times I can't remember.

I just know that back when Navarro was playing Les Pauls, he was unstoppable. His playing was such a great mix of classic rock riffs and experimentation. I'll admit each subsequent album, I liked what he was doing less and less, and I won't even get into the stuff he did with RHCP, and nowadays he seems like more of a celebrity than anything else, but those early days were something else.

Anyone else a Navarro fan?

http://video.tampabayrealtor.com/ima/navarro.jpg

Butterfly

11-21-2008, 10:25 AM

I bascially agree with everything you just posted. I thought Janes was great and was even on board for the reunion. That said, Dave has flown off the rails IMO--the TV, the whole bit.
To this day tho I try to incorporate some of what I consider to be wildness in his Janes solos in my own.

I wish there were more hi quality boots of Janes out there. I don't know what the new box set is going to bring to the party that isn't already out there.

pickaguitar

11-21-2008, 10:26 AM

I'm a big fan and love what he did with RHCP!

Phil M

11-21-2008, 10:52 AM

nnick

11-21-2008, 10:55 AM

I am a big fan of the Jane's additction stuff he did up through Ritual de lo Habitual. I don't really like anything else he did. The last Jane's album was so bad that I had to get out the first few albums to remind myself why I like them so much.

ethandt

11-21-2008, 10:59 AM

I really wish he would start wearing shirts again.

Man I must be in the minority, I thought the last Jane's album was excellent.

ReddRanger

11-21-2008, 11:04 AM

I'm a huge fan of his early playing and the band Jane's Addiction. I even grew to like their 2003 release. Deconstruction was a cool album as well.

I didn't like him in Chili Peppers (I'm a huge Frusciante fan as well) and I really didn't care for the recent Panic Room stuff.

I consider Jane Addiction's music and his approach to playing rock guitar to be some of my biggest influences when I first started playing ('91/'92).
I pretty much feel the same way, though he wasn't a big lnfluence on me per say. But the original Jane's stuff was damn good.

The Chili's wasn't a good fit. That band and Frusciante belong together.

ShonCAE

11-21-2008, 11:08 AM

Isaiah4Autumn

11-21-2008, 11:21 AM

:AOK who likes Dava Navarro? Boss Roland Company

pir8matt

11-21-2008, 11:24 AM

huge fan here, and for those who dont know, they are back with original bassist Eric Avery and are playing live again... they played last night at a tiny spanish restaurant in LA, and last month at a tiny spanish bar (i was at this show and it was amazing)

the band has been keeping it pretty old with a lot of songs from the first XXX live album, Dave is even playing Ibanez guitars again for most of the set (like he did in that era)

Thats great to hear. I know Avery had always been the holdout, and I think its clear he had a lot more to do with the songwriting that made Janes great than he's gotten credit for.

Maybe they could actually write some great songs again with Avery on board.

pir8matt

11-21-2008, 11:25 AM

:AOK who likes Dava Navarro? Boss Roland Company

Yeah, he like-a da Boss stuff, for sure:

http://www.so-to-speak-if-you-will.com/guitars/guitars-effects.jpg

But hey, if it works, why not?

Phil M

11-21-2008, 11:57 AM

huge fan here, and for those who dont know, they are back with original bassist Eric Avery and are playing live again... they played last night at a tiny spanish restaurant in LA, and last month at a tiny spanish bar (i was at this show and it was amazing)

the band has been keeping it pretty old with a lot of songs from the first XXX live album, Dave is even playing Ibanez guitars again for most of the set (like he did in that era)

That's good to hear...I hope they put out a few decent albums.

OK, 1 album?

1 tour?

INX

11-21-2008, 12:03 PM

Strays was great IMHO. Dave rules. He's a PRS endorser now, but I bet he has all kinds of guitars we've never seen.

pir8matt

11-21-2008, 12:04 PM

That's good to hear...I hope they put out a few decent albums.

OK, 1 album?

1 tour?

I'd be happy with one tour with original lineup, old songs.

I was excited about the 'relapse' tour 10 years ago or whenever it was (good god, it was 10 years ago - yikes), but then I saw some footage and it looked more like a fashion show, and of course they always showed them playing 'Jane Says', with the steel drums. I never really even liked that song all that much, but with the steel drums it became unlistenable to me.

Pigs in Zen!
1%!
Whores!
Stop!
Ted, just admit it!

Those are the killer Janes songs, IMO.

pir8matt

11-21-2008, 12:06 PM

Strays was great IMHO. Dave rules. He's a PRS endorser now, but I bet he has all kinds of guitars we've never seen.

I had read he sold a lot of his old Les Pauls when he was strung out on the 'H'. Who knows, though?

I personally saw him play a black les paul custom, a maple neck Les Paul of some variety, a paisley tele, and some others. After that he started playing those Ibanez's. I never really cared for those.

pir8matt

11-21-2008, 12:25 PM

Ah, youtube. Always a good source to find the old stuffs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2Z7ti1lOxg

Paul Conway

11-21-2008, 12:48 PM

Huge fan of the first 3 albums (inc. 'xxx'). Especially 'Nothing's Shocking.' I used to have the lp with the ribbed rubber sleeve...

..but in recent years Dave's become what he once seemed to stand in opposition to, i.e. cliched rock star. And 'Strays' was awful.

Still, we have to honour them for past achievements.

Born2Blues67

11-21-2008, 02:06 PM

I bought " Nothing's Shocking " when it first came out. Just floored by
the fat sounding tone he achived. " Three Days " sounds so thematic
the way it builds.

pickaguitar

11-21-2008, 02:19 PM

Dasein

11-21-2008, 03:32 PM

Chilies and Jane's - two of my fav bands. Dave's a monster player on both -- very solid, very signature.... he's a bit of a douche (maybe always was - who knows) but as a player he has more than earned his seat at the pantheon.

pir8matt

11-21-2008, 03:33 PM

I don't see how anyone could say Navarro wasn't good for the Red Hot Chili Peppers with songs like Aeroplane & My Friends.
IMO those songs are some of their best work...not that there aren't many others as well :)

Well, I'm not gonna tell anyone what they should or shouldn't like. I just didn't dig it myself, and it would seem that RHCP didn't either, since they parted ways.

The kid can play though, thats for sure!

ReddRanger

11-21-2008, 04:11 PM

Well, I'm not gonna tell anyone what they should or shouldn't like. I just didn't dig it myself, and it would seem that RHCP didn't either, since they parted ways.

The kid can play though, thats for sure!
To add...I think both the Chili's and Navarro realized it wasn't a fit. They're all still friends as far a I can tell and Flea did those Jane's tours.

One Hot Minute wasn't a bad album on it's own IMO. I did dig songs like Aeroplane and My Friends. But the album leaned more on rock with Navarro, when really the band is based in funk. Leaning on rock wasn't bad, but Navarro sounded out of place when they wanted to lean back on funk.

Just my opinion.

(I take some of that back...I just did a little Wiki reading and realized Navarro was indeed fired....hmmm...)

haymaker

11-21-2008, 04:32 PM

His work on Nothing Shocking made me seriously want to sell all my gear and quit. That has honestly only happened to me twice in my life. That stuff was so frickin' new and fresh - it blew me away. Ritual was f'n good too.

he lost his "balls" after Ritual . . . and I've yet to hear that he's found them . . .

Phil M

11-21-2008, 05:00 PM

svenhoek

11-22-2008, 04:53 AM

I've always admired his work with JA. But it was the unit that made them what they were. Without Eric, they were lost, IMO.

I highly recommend Eric Avery's latest solo album. It's clear where the melancholy voice of Jane's originated...

Cheebatone

11-22-2008, 05:09 AM

I worked for a band that supported JA on all of the Britsh dates of the Ritual de la Habitual tour. It was, quite literally, the time of my life. :cool:

That having been said; Dave was not very approachable, Perry was out of his mind and Eric was a very quiet and private person. Stephen was a great bloke though. As for Dave's playing, I like it so much I'll even sit through the Panic Channel album to hear it... :eek:

amigo30

11-22-2008, 07:09 AM

I got into Janes Addiction probably around 1988/89. I bought that live recording (its called XXX live, I think) and probably didn't take it out of my (tape!) player until 'nothings shocking' came out a little bit later.

I wore that one out as well. Sympathy, Rock'N'Roll, Jane Says...There is no turning it off once that section of the album starts playing...

Big Boss Man

11-22-2008, 04:04 PM

I like One Hot Minute. I think too many people expected him to sound like Frusciante.

pir8matt

11-22-2008, 04:20 PM

I worked for a band that supported JA on all of the Britsh dates of the Ritual de la Habitual tour. It was, quite literally, the time of my life. :cool:

Lucky dog! Got any pics from that era?

somedude

11-22-2008, 04:21 PM

You mean he does more than pose with PRS and Boss?

More seriously, I like Janes, but I never realized they did anything past the early 90s.

pir8matt

11-22-2008, 04:24 PM

I wore that one out as well. Sympathy, Rock'N'Roll, Jane Says...There is no turning it off once that section of the album starts playing...

Yeah, that album has a great continuity to it. You just put it in and everything goes together perfectly.

They were good at that live, too. They used to do those cover medleys where they'd play one song but Perry would sing lyrics for a completely different one, or they'd mix together a bunch of different songs, I think one of the recorded ones was 'LA medley', which had the Doors 'L.A. Woman', X's 'Nausea', and the Germs 'lexicon devil'.

But I saw them do other medleys with various songs live, can't remember exactly what songs, though.

pir8matt

11-22-2008, 04:26 PM

You mean he does more than pose with PRS and Boss?

Sure he did! You never saw his awesome TV show?

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51TR5XVWM8L._SL500_AA240_.jpg

Mike Fleming

11-22-2008, 04:31 PM

I remember when Nothing's Shocking came out and it absolutely blew me away. I came home, put it on and didn't move once until the first side was over, just sitting there dumbfounded. There are so many things that are great about that record but Dave's playing and his HUGE sound are some of the highlights.

Huckleberry

11-22-2008, 04:31 PM

Sure he did! You never saw his awesome TV show?

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51TR5XVWM8L._SL500_AA240_.jpg

My wife & i loved that show, and have the DVD! I've been a fan of Dave's for decades now. As a Frusciante fan, I was sad to see him leave the Peppers. As a Navaorro fan, I was psyched to hear he had replaced Frusciante! On Hot Minute sounded exactly how I thought it would. Still: I thought Strays was more where Dave is at as a player.

He snuck hot guitar playing into the alternative movement of the 90's, and for that I thank him.

jackaroo

11-22-2008, 05:08 PM

Loved his playing on Nothing's Shocking. That tune, "Summertime Rolls" is just spectacular as is 99% of that record. Ritual has "3 Days" arguably their best work, but the tones are a little thin and harsh...cool, but less "listener friendly". Jerdens production was pretty great right about then too. Those drums on NS sounded really cool at the time. I wonder what they sound like now?

I saw them play a few times and have met Perry a bunch. He's nice and pretty friendly actually- very open. I loved that band, and they helped me figured out what I liked in music a lot as an 18 year old.

Once the PRS entered Dave's world...I passed...co-incidentally I might add.. Not on him so much as the whole scene and the writing seemed less immediate and impassioned. He's a bit of an ass with the whole "glam" persona thing he's been rockin' for the last 10 years, but he does play the rock star pretty well.

Overall...well done!

J

michaelvincent

11-22-2008, 07:46 PM

Jane's changed my outlook on music. I instantly went from listening to Slayer and Metallica to listening to Jane's, Bauhaus, the Cure, the Butthole Surfers...all after hearing Nothing's Shocking for the first time.

After Frusciante quit the Peppers I remember a friend and I talking about how Jane's had just ended and it might be cool if Navarro turned up in the Peppers. And sure enough he did. One Hot Minute had some cool stuff on it, though it was a dark departure for the Peppers. I believe both Anthony Keidis and Navarro both relapsed during that time which explains why that album is so dark.

Now though...sigh...it's hard to even think of the guy as a guitarist anymore. Jane's doesn't really have the magic they used to, though it definitely helped when Eric Avery started turning up again, but to me Navarro is just a TV star that happens to play guitar now.

Cheebatone

11-24-2008, 09:49 AM

Lucky dog! Got any pics from that era?

Unfortunately not. Being the sound and/or lighting engineer, chief roadie, pre-show guitar tech (and occassional drum tech) and the only person 'in' the band who knew anything about all the MIDI gear, left absolutely no time for casual photography.

Plus, I didn't have a camera.

RickC

11-24-2008, 10:14 AM

Dave recently did a guest spot on the IFC's "Z Rock", a comedy about a semi-fictitious band from Brooklyn. He played himself, or more to the point a great overblown caricature of himself. It was fun seeing him poking fun at his "image".

And yes, I love his work on the first two Jane discs too.

/rick

prsnstrat

11-24-2008, 10:22 AM

I really wish he would start wearing shirts again.

Man I must be in the minority, I thought the last Jane's album was excellent.

You're not. I thought it was great as well.

With Janes, I think Dave N is in his element. With the RHCP, it was a matter of looking good in theory and not translating well in practice. That said I'm a big fan of Navarro, and have been since the late 80s.:RoCkIn

prsnstrat

11-24-2008, 10:25 AM

Yeah, that album has a great continuity to it. You just put it in and everything goes together perfectly.

They were good at that live, too. They used to do those cover medleys where they'd play one song but Perry would sing lyrics for a completely different one, or they'd mix together a bunch of different songs, I think one of the recorded ones was 'LA medley', which had the Doors 'L.A. Woman', X's 'Nausea', and the Germs 'lexicon devil'.

But I saw them do other medleys with various songs live, can't remember exactly what songs, though.

Amazing live band. I loved the "cooler jams".

TNJ

11-24-2008, 01:07 PM

I'm a big fan and love what he did with RHCP!

Yep...TWO BIG THUMBS UP on 'One Hot Minute'.

S.
j

rickd

11-24-2008, 01:14 PM

Love JA. Their music literally changed the way I listened to music. Saw them in '91 right before they broke up. Best show ever.

I don't think Dave worked in RHCP because it's not his bag. He was a fill-in. He's into blazing leads, not so much funk.

bkd_guitarist

11-24-2008, 02:35 PM

Based purely on cranial size, no one measures up to Navarro.

"HEAD! PAPER! NOW!!!!"

Paul Conway

11-25-2008, 03:14 AM

Cheebatone

11-25-2008, 07:50 AM

I'm pretty sure I saw them at the Bristol Bierkeller on that tour....:RoCkIn

I don't remember going to Bristol...? That's not to say we didn't go ...they were 'heady' days, after all. :o

I remember the Subterania gig in London pretty well (the band I worked for signed their publishing deal on the strength of that show, so it was a special evening), I also distinctly remember playing Edwards No.8 in Birmingham because everyone at the venue was deeply unhelpful and King Tut's in Glasgow because it was the complete opposite and the staff couldn't have been more helpful and happy to see us - even the Englishmen! :eek:

Can you remember much about the support act you saw at The Bierkeller? If the singer looked like a Kate Bush drag act, the guitarist looked liked a very grumpy Ming The Merciless, the drummer looked like Neal Peart's manic skinhead brother, the bass player looked like a lost surfer who'd wandered onstage by mistake and been handed an instrument - and there was one extra guy who was tuning the drum kit, changing amp valves, hitting a very uncooperative Akai S950 with the biggest mallet he could find, whilst swearing a lot and leaping between the sound and lighting desks with a look of sheer joy/exhaustion writ large across his face ...that was us. :)

Paul Conway

11-25-2008, 08:32 AM

I don't remember going to Bristol...? That's not to say we didn't go ...they were 'heady' days, after all. :o

I remember the Subterania gig in London pretty well (the band I worked for signed their publishing deal on the strength of that show, so it was a special evening), I also distinctly remember playing Edwards No.8 in Birmingham because everyone at the venue was deeply unhelpful and King Tut's in Glasgow because it was the complete opposite and the staff couldn't have been more helpful and happy to see us - even the Englishmen! :eek:

Can you remember much about the support act you saw at The Bierkeller? If the singer looked like a Kate Bush drag act, the guitarist looked liked a very grumpy Ming The Merciless, the drummer looked like Neal Peart's manic skinhead brother, the bass player looked like a lost surfer who'd wandered onstage by mistake and been handed an instrument - and there was one extra guy who was tuning the drum kit, changing amp valves, hitting a very uncooperative Akai S950 with the biggest mallet he could find, whilst swearing a lot and leaping between the sound and lighting desks with a look of sheer joy/exhaustion writ large across his face ...that was us. :)

Not sure....after all, as you say, heady days indeed. And I generally avoid support bands (or got there too late)...but I definitely remember seeing Jane's Addiction in a stinking dive where the sweat rained from the ceiling..that pretty much sums up the ol' Bierkeller. :dude

Michael T

11-25-2008, 09:15 AM

I like what Dave used to be. I think the current media whore that Dave has become needs to be punched.

buddastrat

11-25-2008, 09:29 AM

Not a fan of his playing. I did like some Jane songs.

pickaguitar

11-25-2008, 09:32 AM

I like what Dave used to be. I think the current media whore that Dave has become needs to be punched.
He likes money too! So do I

Michael T

11-25-2008, 09:44 AM

He likes money too! So do I

I love money....have no problem admitting that.

I just think Dave has become a complete parody of himself.....his music career seems over. He now has to rely on other means. That is sad cause he used to be pretty damn cool. He never recovered, musically, after the peppers fired him.

pir8matt

11-25-2008, 05:27 PM

I love money....have no problem admitting that.

I just think Dave has become a complete parody of himself.....his music career seems over. He now has to rely on other means. That is sad cause he used to be pretty damn cool. He never recovered, musically, after the peppers fired him.

Yeah, I think that Dave just saw that he could parlay his celebrity status and image into money-making ventures, and ran with it.

Its fair enough, I guess, he did try to make a solo effort (Rexall), which was pretty much a commercial flop, and I think he even got back together with Eric Avery after Janes and re-released some heavier stuff that they had done together pre-Janes, which also didn't really get him anywhere.

I think Dave came from pretty meager beginnings, and did what he had to do to keep making a living with music, even peripherally, since a lot of what he did post-Janes was just be a celebrity.

Though you do have to admit, Kirk Hammett should have to pay Dave royalties for the 'look' he got after Metallica got their stylist makeover back in nineteen-ninety-whatever-it-was.

Unclemeet

11-25-2008, 08:21 PM

Slash inspired me to play guitar in "88 and Dave inspired me to make music in 90-91.
I've always said that GNR kicked me in the balls and Jane's made my heart ache with regards to music.
I just had to come back and edit my post to add this:
Most of the early 90's (I was in high school and a music geek, not good with girls etc, probably like most of us here...) I spent consumed with Jane's I mean completely consumed like some would do with Zepplin. I bought my first PRS in 93 because of Dave. This thread caused me to dig into my Ipod and listed to tunes that are reminding me of how much I enjoyed MUSIC back then for all reasons, not just from a guitar perspective but what the music made me feel.
I am forever grateful.
Those were some times I will never forget and Jane's was instrumental in my musical and personal development. To this day, regardless of what I am listening to, Jane's is always in my top 3. This may be TMI, but 3 Days was playing in the background during my first romantic interlude. The band meant that much to me, not the girl.

I'd love to get an Ibanez RG like the one Dave had with the cover of Nothing's Shocking airbrushed on it.

Thanks Dave, Perry, Eric and Stephen. I owe you guys big time.

mojojasons

11-25-2008, 08:26 PM

I hate that dude!

Three Words: Rock Star Supernova.

A-Bone

11-25-2008, 08:28 PM

Another big admirer of Jane's Addiction here; they were one of the great American bands of the late 80s. Enough so that I will always cut Dave Navarro a little slack -- and hold out hope that he will produce more worthwhile music.

Chuck King

11-26-2008, 09:45 AM

I hate that dude!

Three Words: Rock Star Supernova.

Clearly, Dave should go on Dancing With The Stars next season---it gave his co-bimbo Brooke Burke some actual credibility.

RickC

11-26-2008, 10:39 AM

Some of you guys crack me up. I'd take Dave's shallow, sell-out, celebrity lifestyle in a second; so would you.

Okay, maybe not, but I don't begrudge him it for a moment. Face it, he's having a ball.

/rick

rickd

11-26-2008, 10:46 AM

Since we're piling on Dave for selling out, might as well pile on Perry too. He's been doing the Pontiac pre-game jingle for college football as of late. :jo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWraQ0lZKro

sugarlou

11-26-2008, 11:20 AM

I believe he's creative and talented, but his lead playing doesn't do it for me.

?&!

11-26-2008, 11:34 AM

I was a clone of him at age 17/18. Dressed like him, played like him, had the same crappy processed tone. I began playing as a classic rock/proto-shred kid at 13, then got into darker stuff like Bauhaus, Sisters of Mercy, the Cure, Depeche Mode, etc., where that style of lead playing wasn't really needed. Navarro was really the first guy that managed to put real deal rock lead playing in a so-called "alternative" band. As a kid, he showed me that it was possible to make music in the style I enjoyed listening to, while playing the style of leads that enjoy I playing. For that, I will always appreciate Dave.

He's a douche now, however.