Jane’s Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell has just released The Glitz, The Glamour, a box set covering his non-Jane’s work, and tucked away within its tracklist is a cracking album that you’re gonna wanna check out if you haven’t already.
In 2005 Perry released Ultra Payloaded, the debut album by Satellite Party, a band which also featured Nuno Bettencourt and his extreme bandmate Kevin Figueiredo, plus Nuno alumnus Carl Restivo on bass and Etty Lou Farrell on backing vocals. It started as a project between Nuno and Farrell, although Nuno left in 2007, and the album featured plenty of guest stars. Why did it fall apart? “I have always felt uncomfortable with the direction of the lineup and live show,” Nuno said at the time. “I truly do believe in the songs and music on the album, and I wish Perry Farrell and any musician that remains on tour all the best.” Nick Perri stepped into the open guitar position.
Ultra Payloaded makes up Disc 2 of The Glitz, The Glamour, and it kicks off with ‘Wish Upon a Dogstar’ featuring some very Peter Hook bass playing from …Peter Hook. Hooky also turns up on track 4, ‘Kinky,’ and both songs are overflowing with gothy post-punky vibe.
There are also appearances from Peter DiStefano, Fergie, Hybrid, Jack Irons, Suze DeMarchi, session legend Tim Pierce and more – but for me the big one is track 3, ‘Hard Life Easy,’ which features Red Hot Chilli Peppers bandmates Flea and John Frusciante locking together over a super solid groove. It’s some of the sweetest Frusciante guitar and Flea bass playing you’ll ever hear.
And of course Nuno is godly on this thing, even though he’s more restrained here than with Extreme or his various solo and side projects.
Although the box set is beautiful, if you can’t spring that sort of dough you can find the tracks on streaming services.