song yet to be sung

He’s never been short of ideas, has Perry Farrell. Whether it be his bands (Jane’s Addiction, Porno For Pyros), his festival (Lollapalooza) or his multi-media work, Farrell has always dealt in the big picture. Song Yet To Be Sung is a largely unintelligable concept album that staggers under the weight of its author’s ideas (both conceptually and musically) before finally staggering to a deathly halt.

The album attempts to meld world music, the dancefloor and left of centre (way left) rock but ends up sounding like an unholy mess. The title track is a reasonably effective attempt at dub (the Mad Professor is one of the assorted selection of producers) but elsewhere ex-Jane’s man Dave Navarro’s guitar jars horribly with the drum ‘n’ bass rhythms and techno stylings.

Above it all warbles the man himself, delivering the supposedly mystical lyrics in THAT voice, still nothing short of an acquired taste.

Like much of his work over the years, Song Yet To Be Sung is a good idea on paper, it’s just a shame it ever got off the page.

Phil Udell 4