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Porno for Pyros (album)

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Porno for Pyros
Studio album by
Porno for Pyros
ReleasedApril 27, 1993 (1993-04-27)
Recorded1992
StudioCrystal Sound (Hollywood)
GenreAlternative rock
Length39:17
LabelWarner Bros.
Producer
Porno for Pyros chronology
Porno for Pyros
(1993) 		Good God's Urge
(1996)
Singles from Porno for Pyros
  1. "Cursed Female / Cursed Male"
    Released: 1993
  2. "Pets"
    Released: 1993
  3. "Meija"
    Released: 1993
  4. "Sadness"
    Released: 1994

Porno for Pyros is the debut studio album by the American alternative rock band Porno for Pyros, released on April 27, 1993, by Warner Bros. Records. Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro and bassist Eric Avery, battling substance abuse issues, had left the band in 1991 in an attempt to stay clean, though the other half of the band wished to continue creating music. The remaining members of Jane's Addiction, Perry Farrell and Stephen Perkins, were joined by guitarist Peter DiStefano and future Jane's Addiction bassist Martyn LeNoble, and continued under the new band name Porno for Pyros.[1] The band (and album) name is a reference to the 1992 Los Angeles riots, which are mentioned throughout the songs on the album as a recurring theme.

The album was certified Gold in the US by the RIAA and contained the No. 1 Modern rock single "Pets".

Music

Before the album's release, the musical direction and focus of the band and album were said to be "laid-back", "ethnic-influenced" and "edgy and experimental".[2][3] Critics often compared the sound of Porno for Pyros to that of Jane's Addiction upon its release, noting many parallels in song structure and overall sound.[3][4] Many of the songs on the album were written in Jane’s Addiction.

Such comparisons may be unavoidable; three of Porno for Pyros' founding four members (Farrell, Perkins and LeNoble) have either been past or are current members of Jane's Addiction. In addition, a number of songs on Porno for Pyros, namely "Blood Rag" and "Bad Shit", were written during the pre-1992 Jane's Addiction period,[5][6] although they would remain unfinished and unrecorded until the Porno for Pyros album.

The songs "Cursed Female" and "Cursed Male" were released as the album's first single.[7] The songs appear on the album as two separate tracks. In addition to the two respective album versions, the single also included the two songs together in medley form as a single track.[7] This medley was also released on the album's second (and highest charting) single, "Pets".

Another non-album B-side, "A Little Sadness", was released as a track on Porno for Pyros' fourth and final single, "Sadness".[8] Recorded during the album sessions but left off in favor of its namesake, the song was a complete reworking and rerecording of "Sadness". "A Little Sadness" featured primarily acoustic guitars, subdued vocals, bongos and saxophone, a sharp contrast to its electric progenitor. In an unusual move, a video was created for the B-side rather than the album track.[9]

"Porno for Pyros", "Packin' .25" and "Black Girlfriend" all referenced or were inspired by the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
Robert Christgau(dud)[11]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[2]
Los Angeles Times[3]
Rolling Stone[4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[12]

Newsday noted that "the playing is a little more minimalist than Jane's Addiction, with Perkins's percussion often spare and subtle (though prominent in the mix), while DiStefano's guitar is decidedly more earthbound than that of Jane's often adventurous David Navarro."[13] Trouser Press opined that "the relentless stupidity of Farrell's wishfully scandalous dilettantism ... adds to the misery, but that’s nothing new for him."[14] The New York Times wrote that "songs jump from drifting ballad to wah-wah funk to blaring power chords, from bluesy rock to Perkins's hard-rock version of Latin rhythms... The volatile, turbulent music scrabbles at emotions that rock rarely touches."[15]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Porno for Pyros

No.TitleLength
1."Sadness"2:33
2."Porno for Pyros"3:06
3."Meija"3:13
4."Cursed Female"3:24
5."Cursed Male"3:50
6."Pets"3:36
7."Bad Shit"2:58
8."Packin' .25"4:08
9."Black Girlfriend"4:33
10."Blood Rag"3:29
11."Orgasm"4:27
Total length:39:17

Personnel

Porno for Pyros

Additional personnel

Technical

  • Matt Hyde – production, recording engineer, mixing
  • Perry Farrell – production
  • Rob Seifert – recording engineer
  • Damien Wagner – assistant recording engineer
  • Chris Bellman – mastering

Artwork

  • Tom Recchion – art direction, design
  • Bill Hofstadter – artwork, photography
  • Perry Farrell – artwork
  • Barrie Goshko – lettering
  • Cecil Juanarena – computer imaging

Charts

Chart (1993) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[16] 35
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[17] 16
UK Albums (OCC)[18] 13
US Billboard 200[19] 3

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[20] Gold 50,000^
United States (RIAA)[21] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Porno for Pyros Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Browne, David (May 7, 1993). "Porno for Pyros". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Gold, Jonathan (April 25, 1993). "ALBUM REVIEW". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 23, 2013.
  4. ^ a b Berger, Arion (July 8, 1993). "Porno for Pyros: Porno for Pyros : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 15, 2007. Retrieved February 23, 2013.
  5. ^ "Blood Rag". janesaddiction.org. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  6. ^ "Bad Shit". janesaddiction.org. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  7. ^ a b "Cursed Female / Cursed Male". janesaddiction.org. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  8. ^ "Sadness". janesaddiction.org. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  9. ^ "A Little Sadness". janesaddiction.org. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  10. ^ Prato, Greg. "Porno for Pyros – Porno for Pyros". AllMusic. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  11. ^ Christgau, Robert. "CG: Porno for Pyros". Robert Christgau. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  12. ^ Cross, Charles R. (2004). "Porno for Pyros". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). New York City: Fireside. p. 646. ISBN 978-0-7432-0169-8.
  13. ^ Robins, Wayne (April 25, 1993). "Jane's Recovery". Newsday. Melville, New York: Times Mirror Company. p. 19. ISSN 0278-5587.
  14. ^ Robbins, Ira. "Porno for Pyros". Trouser Press. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  15. ^ Pareles, Jon (May 2, 1993). "RECORD BRIEF". The New York Times. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  16. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Porno for Pyros – Porno for Pyros". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  17. ^ "Charts.nz – Porno for Pyros – Porno for Pyros". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  18. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  19. ^ "Porno for Pyros Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  20. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Porno for Pyros – Porno for Pyros". Music Canada. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
  21. ^ "American album certifications – Porno for Pyros – Porno for Pyros". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
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