Jani Lane: Back Down To One

JANI LANE
BACK DOWN TO ONE
Released 2002 (Z Records)
Track List:
01. Funny
02. Better Than You
03. Nothing
04. How A Girl
05. Back Down To One
06. Hooked
07. Oh Yeah
08. Don't Trust Me
09. Twilight
10. 6 Feet Under
11. Sick
Band:
Jani Lane - vocals
Matt Cleary - guitar
Mark Matthews - bass
Adam Mercer - drums
Additional Musicians:
Dave Brooks - vocals
Production:
Produced by Shawn Hackel and Jani Lane.
Review:
Those familiar with Jani Lane who are expecting his solo CD Back Down To One to be in the same vein as his former band Warrant are in for a fair amount of disappointment. Although the CD is largely guitar driven, Lane has left the high energy, big-haired swagger of Warrant behind.
What the album does offer is a collection of catchy, well-written tunes that would fit nicely into any pop or mainstream rock station's play list. Lane achieves a less aggressive sound than what fans may be used to. "Hooked" begins with a haunting acoustic riff, then swells to a vocal melody reminiscent of Jellyfish. The CD is filled with catchy hooks � the kinds that stubbornly plant themselves into your consciousness whether you want them there or not.
The themes of most of the songs center around relationships. There are songs of lost love, found love, and love that was never really there at all. Lane writes as though he has a wealth of relationship drama from which to draw universally relatable lyrics. Perhaps this is what makes the album work. Each song paints a picture of a situation that nearly everyone has experienced or witnessed. "Better Than You" outlines basic ways to keep your partner happy, while "Don't Trust Me" warns that there is often truth to a bad reputation.
Overall the CD makes for a good listen if you like a bit of rock edge intertwined with pop hooks and agreeable melodies. However, those looking for raunchiness and sleaze would be better off dusting off their copies of Cherry Pie.
janilanemusic.com - www.zrecords.net
Reviewed by Stephanie for Sleaze Roxx, December 2006.

[@BatistaBabe2000]

Jani was an amazing person and an even more amazing musician...I grew up on the music of Warrant, Poison and all the other great 80's hair metal bands...Jani singing always was & still is my lullabye at night, i just love the sound of his voice!! He's another great musician that is gone to soon!!! He'll be greatly missed but will live on forever through his fans and those that loved his music!! R.I.P. Jani...You'll be missed!!!!

[@javiesteves4230]

That Ángel voice that gone 😢😞

[@spool1968Z]

awesome tune from a great record ...

[@archieferrari]

RIP Jani Lane

[@mydesire3306]

This is really good!!!!

[@mikal]

In-fucking-credible.

[@bethblodgett5080]

Love him

[@diningroomdiva]

Goodbye Jani :(

[@joesaviano5049]

👍👍

[@kyogofurahashi]

i had all first 3 warrant albums, dog eat dog is my most fev!

[@jasonreese4573]

I just got Dog Eat Dog today! Rocks!

[@kyogofurahashi]

@@jasonreese4573 I used to listen to sad Teresa everyday after school!

[@jasonreese4573]

Gonna give that a listen right now

[@jasonreese4573]

Today I discovered an unreleased song of his called "I cant help myself." Wow, what a gem!

[@TerryMalibu]

I’m with you man. Dog Eat Dog is my favorite as well.

[@barrybabbot7481]

Is that everlong???

[@johnnyrocker7495]

Good song but that snare drum! WTF?!

[@waysofthewalrus]

Ya what a shit mix on it

[@jasonreese4573]

Agreed

[@brosispodcast3725]

@@jasonreese4573 produced by St. Anger

[@done1675]

"Hey guys - How about we take the chords to Everlong, mix them up, and write a new song with them?"

[@genghiskhanii6646]

I feel that is an unfair assessment considering that Jani was only a few years older than Grohl, so they're from the same generation, and as such would naturally have a proclivity to sounding largely within the same circle of sounds.. Additionally, it stands to reason that as a working musician Lane might've re-tooled his sound to be at least ostensibly more appealing to the era of the time (late 90s/early 2k). It's not like he expected the musical world to do a complete 180 a few years prior. Guy was trying to make a living at what he did best. Lastly, I don't think this sounds in any way harmonically similar to Foos, notwithstanding the awful drum mix. If anything, Dave borrowed alot of musical cues, both dynamically and harmonically, from many of the so called hair bands of the mid to late 80s as Foos evolved. Every band does this. I'm no massive fan of either but reducing Lane's effort here (esp while he was earnestly trying to re-inventing himself while simultaneously battling some fucked up demons) down to merely aping one pop-centric Foos song is kind of unfair.

[@darinkasaboski6829]

Well he ripped off Janes Addiction Jane Says for Hollywood So Far So Good why not do it again