It’s
been four years since the formation of Porno For Pyros, the group that
rose from the ashes of Jane’s Addiction, one of the most influential bands
of the decade. In that time, PFP has earned its own reputation for extending
the expressive and emotional horizons of modern music, first with an incendiary
string of live performances, including appearances at Lollapalooza and
Woodstock, then with the release of their debut Warner Bros. Records release,
Porno For Pyros. The band most recently headlined Australia’s Big Day Out
Festival in January.
In
mid-1994, the group disappeared from public view to begin a long and sometimes
arduous recording process at Shangri-La studios in Zuma Beach, CA (best
known as the place The Band and Eric Clapton recorded some of their finest
work in the early ‘70s). This house/studio has ‘a very strong vibe,’ and
the band believes that the ‘good spirits’ in the house made their presence
known on Good God’s Urge, their current release. A seaside location was
particularly appropriate, as much of the album was inspired by the band’s
frequent surf trips to Bali, Fiji and Tahiti.
Some
interesting guest musicians make appearances on Good God’s Urge, including
Chili Peppers’ Flea and Dave Navarro (“Freeway”), all of Love & Rockets
(“Porpoise Head”), and bassist Mike Watt, who plays on two tracks (“100
Ways”), and “Good Gods://Urge!”). Watt, formerly of the Minutemen and firehose,
replaced bassist Martyn LeNoble during this process of creating and recording.
LeNoble lent his sexy bass playing to “Bali Eyes”, “Tahitian Moon”, “Dogs
Rule The Night”, “Kimberly Austin”, “Thick Of It All” and “Wishing Well”.
Good
God’s Urge, the new Porno For Pyros album, is the result of a year and
a half of writing, fine-tuning and studio-crafting the new songs. In a
recent interview, group members Perry Farrell, Peter DiStefano, Stephen
Perkins and Mike Watt discussed the making of Good God’s Urge, as well
as related matters of the heart, mind and soul.
