Music
All-Time High (And Low) Scores
Best Of 2009
Best Of 2008
Best Of 2007
Best Of 2006
Best Of 2005
Best Of 2004
Best Of 2003
Best Of 2002
Best Of 2001
Best Of 2000
Upcoming &
Recent Releases
62
50 Cent
70
AFI
65
Air
70
Alice In Chains
52
Kris Allen
78
Amerie
79
Annie
76
Anti-Pop Consortium
75
Arctic Monkeys
82
Atlas Sound![]()
77
The Avett Brothers
67
Backstreet Boys
59
Bad Lieutenant
68
Devendra Banhart
71
Lou Barlow
88
Baroness![]()
69
Basement Jaxx
81
David Bazan![]()
72
Beak>
84
Biffy Clyro![]()
72
The Big Pink
95
Big Star![]()
46
Billy Talent
75
The Black Crowes
72
The Black Heart Procession
68
Blitzen Trapper
75
BLK JKS
53
Bon Jovi
76
A.A. Bondy
65
Boys Like Girls
76
Brand New
73
Tyondai Braxton
83
Brother Ali![]()
72
Ian Brown
75
Michael Buble
77
Built To Spill
61
Colbie Caillat
78
Califone
69
Mariah Carey
81
Brandi Carlile![]()
72
Julian Casablancas
83
Rosanne Cash![]()
71
Castanets
82
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis![]()
64
Exene Cervenka
79
Vic Chesnutt
81
Circulatory System![]()
67
The Clean
84
The Clientele![]()
72
Cold Cave
85
Converge![]()
76
The Cribs
79
Cymbals Eat Guitars
62
Dashboard Confessional
71
Datarock
59
Dead By Sunrise
76
Dead Man's Bones
77
Del The Funky Homosapien & Tame One
73
Do Make Say Think
63
The Dodos
77
Drive-By Truckers
67
Bob Dylan
58
Echo & The Bunnymen
61
Electric Six
44
The Entrance Band
69
Fanfarlo
71
Jay Farrar And Benjamin Gibbard
63
Felix Da Housecat
68
Fink
66
Orenda Fink
79
The Flaming Lips
66
Flight Of The Conchords
79
Florence And The Machine
67
John Fogerty
83
Fuck Buttons![]()
71
Nelly Furtado
47
Gary Go
68
Ghostface Killah
79
Girls
69
Gossip
62
David Gray
66
David Guetta
65
Calvin Harris
79
Richard Hawley
74
Mayer Hawthorne
66
Headlights
79
HEALTH
67
Hockey
67
Whitney Houston
80
Hudson Mohawke
68
Imogen Heap
59
Jack Ingram
79
Islands
74
Jamie T
65
Jay-Z
51
Jet
68
Daniel Johnston
76
Norah Jones
77
Karen O And The Kids
72
Toby Keith
69
Kid Cudi
75
Kid Sister
66
Kings Of Convenience
62
Sean Kingston
64
KISS
63
Mark Knopfler
73
Kris Kristofferson
68
KRS-One & Buckshot
76
La Roux
85
Miranda Lambert![]()
71
Sondre Lerche
56
Juliette Lewis
62
Leona Lewis
82
Lightning Bolt![]()
74
Little Dragon
44
Pixie Lott
83
Patty Loveless![]()
73
Lyle Lovett
79
Lucero
75
Baaba Maal
77
Madness
84
Madonna![]()
85
Manic Street Preachers![]()
61
Maps
73
Mario
55
Massive Attack
57
Matisyahu
62
John Mayer
66
Tim McGraw
65
Brian McKnight
79
Mew
75
Mika
68
Amy Millan
76
Mission Of Burma
75
Molina And Johnson
80
Monsters Of Folk
66
Morrissey
76
The Mountain Goats
62
Múm
72
Muse
66
Willie Nelson
82
Nirvana![]()
96
Nirvana![]()
80
No Age
71
Noah And The Whale
75
Noisettes
79
Nudge
64
OneRepublic
47
Dolores O'Riordan
74
Os Mutantes
78
Osso
67
Alec Ounsworth
81
Owen![]()
73
Paramore
78
Pastels And Tenniscoats
80
Pearl Jam
69
Jemina Pearl
65
Phish
61
Pitbull
79
A Place To Bury Strangers
79
Polvo
72
Porcupine Tree
72
Port O'Brien
79
Q-Tip
79
R.E.M.
88
Raekwon![]()
69
Rain Machine
75
Dizzee Rascal
74
The Raveonettes
79
Real Estate
81
Rodrigo Y Gabriela![]()
66
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
78
Russian Circles
69
Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions
78
Say Anything
61
Sally Shapiro
78
Shudder To Think
70
Simian Mobile Disco
58
Simple Minds
80
Slayer
61
The Slits
58
Spiral Stairs
55
Steel Panther
75
Sufjan Stevens
52
Rod Stewart
68
Joss Stone
83
Barbra Streisand![]()
77
A Sunny Day In Glasgow
74
Susanna And The Magical Orchestra
79
The Swell Season
80
David Sylvian
83
Taken By Trees![]()
80
Tegan And Sara
68
The Temper Trap
78
The Dutchess & The Duke
71
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
74
Them Crooked Vultures
72
Themselves
82
They Might Be Giants![]()
66
J Tillman
69
Times New Viking
57
Tokio Hotel
67
Trey Songz
73
Frank Turner
71
The Twilight Sad
60
Carrie Underwood
56
The Used
68
Various Artists
69
Various Artists
77
The Very Best
70
Kurt Vile
65
Vivian Girls
71
Volcano Choir
73
Rufus Wainwright
78
Wale
57
Weezer
81
White Denim![]()
76
Why?
83
Wild Beasts![]()
80
Wildbirds & Peacedrums
69
Robbie Williams
59
Andrew W.K.
65
Wolfmother
84
The xx![]()
79
Yo La Tengo
83
Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band![]()
52
Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson
59
Zero 7
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
Strays

Generally favorable reviews
Based on 19 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 28 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Capitol
Release Date: 22 July 2003
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Alternative, Rock
Summary
A reunited Jane's Addiction (sans bassist Eric Avery) is back with their first studio recording in 13 years.
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Playlouder
It really is like they've never been away; their glee and enthusiasm can be heard coursing through every bar.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly
An ambitious, exuberant effort that moves through hard-rock cave stomps into swaggering funk and loopy folk, ''Strays'' sounds like the work of a committed band intent on hanging around longer than the current Lollapalooza life span.
Read Full Review >PopMatters
Perhaps a sign of the group's growth as artists, perhaps merely a hint of the changing times, Strays is an expertly crafted rock album, noticeably lacking much of Jane's earlier alternative sensibilities.
Read Full Review >Q Magazine
This is a band consolidating their talents rather than simply showcasing them. [Aug 2003, p.108]
Uncut
Nothing too shocking, then, but their old magic surges through: you won't be disappointed. [Sep 2003, p.112]
Rolling Stone
Jane's Addiction have finally come up with music that can stand alongside their previous albums.
Read Full Review >Alternative Press
Better than anyone could have predicted. [Sep 2003, p.112]
Mojo
They sound great on it. [Aug 2003, p.90]
Filter
What was once so fresh is now a little tired. [#6, p.80]
Stylus Magazine
It's good in its own right, but perhaps you're better off listening to it in isolation from the rest of their canon. It's not quite there, but it is definitely a good record.
Read Full Review >ShakingThrough.net
Bereft of the force of ideas, the swelling of potential, it largely settles for a pleasant, high-calorie buzz of guitar heroics and sonic familiarity.
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle
The songs rock -- and ferociously -- but that's pretty much all they do.
Read Full Review >Dot Music
New frontiers for rock aren't exactly broached, but then that was hardly the point.
Read Full Review >All Music Guide
The power of Jane's Addiction is undiminished by Strays (this is still a band creating music unlike any other artist), but the imagination, bravado, and songwriting smarts apparent from previous classics is sadly missing.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club)
Strays masterfully re-creates the surface of Jane's Addiction's sound, but in the process neglects to capture the band's vulnerability, its many idiosyncrasies, or even the all-important sense that Farrell has much left to say.
Read Full Review >Pitchfork
Strays lacks what what made the band great in the first place: believable songs and lyrics.
Read Full Review >Blender
Too much of Strays settles for the pedestrian. [Aug 2003, p.126]
What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 9.2 (out of 10) based on 28 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Mike gave it a10:
This is the best album in years. Sadly without Eric, but still brilliant.
jyo_tirmaya d gave it an8:
Yeah! This album rocks real good. Perry comes up with good strong lyrics and the music is fresh and rejuvenated. Why does Perry Farrell keep wandering off to solo projects or Porno for Pyros? Just get a new bass player to replace the replaceable Eric Avery and stay with Jane's.
Joris V gave it a10:
Every -once huge- band with a comeback album will get tons of critisism thrown over them like rubbish, but those reviewers aren't listening to the songs, the music "in se" anymore. All -and I mean all- songs are kick ass songs that with amazing vocals, riffs and uplifting drums. Sorry I have to say but this is slightly better, IMHO, than Ritual de lo Habitual. Most rockbands can only dream of being capable of writing such strong songs. My favourites: The Riches, Just Because, Hypersonic and The Price I Pay... and then there's that hauntingly beautiful psychedelic bridge in True Nature. Chapeau! A 9,5
Andy gave it a 10:
I think it's generally wrong to judge a band on the basis of their previous work. So, granted, it may not be quite on the same level as Nothing's Shocking or Ritual de lo Habitual...but it's still the best rock album of the year - and better than many from other years as well. Even though it's been more than a decade since they made a CD, they've still got it.
Krunk Purplemonster gave it a 9:
Jane's is, was, and always will be a righteous band. I give it a 9 because something has to differentiate it from the stuff I've been listening to for 12 years, which are all easy 10's. This one will withstand the test of time, too, but it's only a few months old right now. Powerful songs, great riffs, amazing drums, props to cool chris on bass now, and although perry's voice has aged and the screams are lacking the ability to soar like they once did, and despite the fact that someone decided not to make perry's vocals so echoey and bouncing off of everything like they used to (bad move) - the spirit is still exactly where it was in 88. fucked-up, nuts, and like a genius, gifted child on acid. speaking of acid, the only other drawback for me was that while i'm glad they boys aren't h-addicts anymore, there's a definite lack of the original albums' "drugged-out" quality - which actually gave it an edge. still, these guys have progressed and matured and blossomed into this - and this rocks.
astridd gave it a 10:
I wasn't even going to buy this album because I didn't want to be disappointed but as soon as I listened to it in the music shop i HAD to get it. All the pple who say it isn't as good as their old stuff can get fucked. Who wants a band to keep sounding the same?? Pple who say it "lacks sublety" and the lyrics are shallow are just wankers trying to sound like they know about music when they know fuck all. The lyrics and music are as good as ever only more current for today. what more can u ask for? I'm in love with Janes!!
Sy DIEleanora gave it a 10:
This album is the only album that is out there right now, that can helped the lost and confused( the weak), and its not just me its you too,(including Janes Addiction for 13 years) and if you cant hear what they are saying, well then you dont get it. read into it, and you will find that this is one of the best albums ever created. Bob Ezrin can I boink you in the butt? If you love me dont answer that. The words are brilliant, its whatever you want it to mean, as long as it means something positive. Its time to live in the moment people. Thats what it means to me, take all your bullshit music and thoughts and put it to the side. No 14 yr old rapper or country girl can tell me what I dont already know, Im only 30. I thought that was a pretty good review Perry......You friend from Mountain Aire.
