Review: Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt [Frusciante Countdown]

Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt- John Frusciante

[Countdown to Enclosure]

by: Sabrina G

With a new John Frusciante release on the horizon, I decided to do a countdown of sorts: review each LP in his solo discography. And starting with the debut release is only appropriate…

Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt is an album that isn’t easy to love.  Though it is one that I consider a personal favorite, I will admit that it’s bizarre.
Some fans don’t like the content… and some dislike the album due to the events surrounding its release. It was put out in 1994, during the height of Frusciante’s drug addiction. It’s odd that this album gets flack for that; if anything, Smile From the Streets You Hold is the ‘drug album’ within his discography. The album was initially recorded in the two separate chunks, hence the ‘and’ in the title. The ‘Niandra Lades’ half was recorded during a time when Frusciante’s drug use was a non-issue, as a result the tracks sound a bit more put together. The ‘Usually Just a T-Shirt’ half, however, has a diminished production value due to heavy heroin and cocaine use. Either way, Frusciante has said that he “was stoned for every single note [he] played on the album”.

Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt is the epitome of an experimental album. It was written in a stream of consciousness style, which can be heard clearly throughout. The vocals are haunting, occasional nonsensical screams and odd effects punctuate the tracks. Every step of the albums production was done by John, which makes it, in my opinion, a lo-fi classic.

The lyrics, for the most part, are hard to decipher into anything that a listener could interpret as deeply meaningful. Regardless, they still hold value and have a genius poetic quality to them. Alright, I guess ‘Your Pussy’s Glued To A Building On Fire’ doesn’t fit that description on first glance. That song is definitely one of the stranger tracks on the album. However, I hear the most discussion surrounding ‘Untitled #8’. The guitar on the track is beautiful, but that gets overlooked by the voices and random sounds throughout. There’s everything from a slew of cursing to screams to mildly pornographic sighs. It certainly raises a lot of questions and has actually generated a few theories as to what the background noises are. If you can get past the slight discomfort that the track may give you, it’s honestly quite beautiful. ‘Untitled #2’ might be my personal favorite on the album: two guitar tracks, one reversed. Reversal of a track is something commonly found on the first two Frusciante releases, and it’s always pulled off seamlessly. This track really showcases the diversity and beauty of John’s playing in a unique way (on that note, please reference ‘Untitled #4’ and prepare to be blown away). In fact, the whole album does just that. I could go on and on about every single track on the album, there honestly isn’t one that I dislike.

Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt isn’t necessarily the album I’d recommend for a first time listener of John Frusciante (though it was my first and I loved it). It’s one that might take a bit of getting used to and really does require an open mind. It’s unconventional but, in a way, it’s incredibly beautiful. It’s one of the most unique, raw, and honest albums out there. It’s simply a testament to John’s pure creative energy and mind blowing musical talents. Do yourself a favor and check it out. You might not like it… you might love it. But you’ll never know until you expose yourself to this bizarre and genius masterpiece.