JANE'S ADDICTION

Has it really been 20 years since JANE'S ADDICTION stood atop the "alt rock" mountain with "Ritual De Lo Habitual" and then split at the top of their game in 1991? There were reunions in 1997, 2004, and 2008 and even a new studio album ("Strays") in 2003, but the late '80s/early '90s JANE'S ADDICTION is what will always be remembered as the period in which guitarist Dave Navarro, bassist Eric Avery, drummer Stephen Perkins and enigmatic vocalist Perry Farrell took the world by storm, launched Lollapalooza and left in its wake classic songs like "Jane Says", "Mountain Song", "Been Caught Stealing", and "Stop!" Those songs and other diamonds from "Nothing's Shocking", "Ritual De Habitual", and 1990's self-titled live album ("Chip Away", "1%", and "Whores") are included on "Live Voodoo", the DVD that captures the band's performance on Halloween night in 2009 at the Voodoo Experience in New Orleans.

Don't let the "alt rock" tag fool you; JANE's ADDICTION was a heavy rock band that owed far more to bands like LED ZEPPELIN that what one was hearing on alternative radio in 1990. More than anything else it was the one-of-a-kind Farrell, some inventive songwriting, and the band's Lollapalooza presence that gave them the "alt" feel. On stage at the Voodoo Experience especially, the hard rock thunders with Navarro's mammoth, gritty riffing and solos that reach pinnacles of unearthliness, all backed by one hell of a rhythm section that alternates between the earth-shaking and the tribal. Farrell continues to be a unique and entertaining front man, but the range and power in his vocals have deteriorated over the years and some of the songs suffer because of it. The female "Jane" dancers that appear in "Nothing's Shocking" cover garb and the invasion of costumed Halloween revelers that occurs during "Jane's Says" enhance the show's spectacle moments. Visually speaking, the production values aren't over the top; simply solid.

While the performances of "1%" and "Ocean Size" in are far more suitable club show in Los Angeles are primal, there isn't much to note about the bonus features. The "NME Featurette" offers a handful of interviews that offer insight about the band and the reunion, but it is far too short. This is one DVD that would have benefitted from at least a medium-length interview with all the members. Otherwise, "Live Voodoo" provides a much-need look at JANE'S ADDICTION's live prowess.