Porno for Pyros (album)

Porno for Pyros
Studio album by Porno for Pyros
Released April 27, 1993[1]
Recorded Summer, 1992
Genre Alternative rock
Length 39:17[1]
Label Warner Bros. Records
Producer Perry Farrell,
Matt Hyde
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: June 1993
  3. "Meija"
    Released: 1993
  4. "Sadness"
    Released: March 1994

Porno for Pyros is the eponymous debut album by Porno for Pyros, released on April 27, 1993 through the same label as Jane's Addiction, 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.[2] 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 has been certified Gold in the U.S. by the RIAA and contains the #1 Modern Rock single "Pets".

Music

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[3]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[4]
Los Angeles Times[5]
Q[6]
Robert Christgau[7]
Rolling Stone[8]

Before the album's release, the musical direction and focus of the band and album was said to be "laid-back," "ethnic-influenced," and "edgy and experimental."[4][5] This ultimately proved to be inaccurate of Porno for Pyros, though the 1996 follow-up Good God's Urge eventually made good on the assertion. 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.[5][8]

Such comparisons may be unavoidable; three of Porno for Pyros' founding four members (Perry Farrell, Stephen Perkins, and Martyn 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,[9][10] 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.[11] As they appear on the album, the songs are two separate tracks. In addition to the two respective album versions, the single also includes the two songs together in medley form as a single track.[11] This medley was also released on the album's second (and highest charting) single, "Pets". "Pets" is the only primarily acoustic song on the album.

Another non-album b-side was released as a track on Porno for Pyros' fourth and final single, Sadness, titled "A Little Sadness."[12] Recorded during the album sessions but left off in favor of its namesake, the song is a complete reworking and rerecording of "Sadness." "A Little Sadness" features 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 album track.[13]

"Porno for Pyros," "Packin' .25," and "Black Girlfriend" all reference, are inspired by, or allude to the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Porno for Pyros (Perry Farrell, Stephen Perkins, Peter DiStefano and Martyn LeNoble). 

No. Title Length
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 musicians
Recording personnel
Additional personnel

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Canada (Music Canada)[14] Gold 50,000
United States (RIAA)[15] Gold 500,000

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Year Chart Position
1993 Billboard 200 3

Singles - Billboard (North America)

Year Single Chart Position
1993 "Cursed Female" Modern Rock Tracks 3
1993 "Pets" Mainstream Rock Tracks 25
1993 "Pets" Modern Rock Tracks 1
1993 "Pets" The Billboard Hot 100 67

References

  1. 1 2 Porno for Pyros (1993-04-27). "Porno for Pyros: Information from". Answers.com. Retrieved 2012-01-07.
  2. ↑ "Porno for Pyros". Allmusic. Retrieved 2012-03-05.
  3. ↑ Porno for Pyros (album) at AllMusic
  4. 1 2 Browne, David (1993-05-07). "Porno for Pyros Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2013-02-23.
  5. 1 2 3 Gold, Jonathan (1993-04-25). "Album Review (Porno for Pyros, Porno for Pyros)". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2013-02-23.
  6. ↑ "Porno for Pyros CD Album". CD Universe. Retrieved 2013-02-23.
  7. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "CG: Porno for Pyros". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved 2013-02-23.
  8. 1 2 Berger, Arion (1993-07-08). "Porno for Pyros: Porno for Pyros : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2007-10-15. Retrieved 2013-02-23.
  9. ↑ "Jane's Addiction Resource: Blood Rag". JanesAddiction.org. Retrieved 9 Jun 2013.
  10. ↑ "Jane's Addiction Resource: Bad Shit". JanesAddiction.org. Retrieved 9 Jun 2013.
  11. 1 2 "Porno for Pyros Discography: Cursed Female / Cursed Male". JanesAddiction.org. Retrieved 9 Jun 2013.
  12. ↑ "Porno for Pyros Discography: Sadness". JanesAddiction.org. Retrieved 9 Jun 2013.
  13. ↑ "Porno for Pyros Resource: A Little Sadness". JanesAddiction.org. Retrieved 9 Jun 2013.
  14. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Porno for Pyros – Porno for Pyros". Music Canada.
  15. ↑ "American album certifications – Porno for Pyros – Porno for Pyros". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
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