News
As you may have heard, Red Hot Chili Peppers are ending their break this fall.
Anthony Kiedis recently told Rolling Stone that they’ve "decided to write some songs," and, “We imposed a two-year hiatus, which we felt we needed, then we went back to the roundtable and the decision was, ‘Let’s do this.’ “
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I hope they don’t go with Rick Rubin as producer again. The band changing their formula somehow would be pretty much the only way I’d get excited to hear another album from them.
Their relevance in the first part of their career is unquestionable, being an accessible alt/funk rock band, grabbing attention with their personalities/image/stunts. When John Frusciante joined, things got better, and when he left, things got pretty bad.
When Frusciante rejoined for Californication, the band seemed to be as inspired as ever. By The Way was okay but more of the same, and I think Stadium Arcadium was, with the exception of a couple of tracks, bloated and bordering on self-parody. If it wasn’t for John’s guitar-playing, I’d have trouble making it through the whole album.
Let’s face it, all members of the band are very talented, but Chad and Flea overplay their instruments and Anthony walks fine lines between entertaining and obnoxious, emotional and just sappy.
Here’s hoping the time apart leads to some real inspiration again.
UPDATE:
I decided to re-examine/further explain some of these ideas. Click here to read the updated post.
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17 Comments
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I couldn’t have said it better.
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I personally prefer By The Way over Californication, and the comment on Stadium Arcadium seems harsh and not any more true than it would be for any other double album. John Frusciante is a very expressive and “tasty” guitar player, but I wish people would stop kissing his ass for five seconds (he probably wouldn’t enjoy that, BTW) – Flea’s bass is more often than not in the same good taste, and I fail to see how a “stick to the groove” drummer like Pepper-Chad can be categorized as “overplaying” (unless it is in contrast to John’s minimalism, which should balance out.)
I believe RCHP to be the product of good old fashioned collective songwriting. We know from John’s solo work that he can get awful artsy, introspective and boring (to the untrained ear). The Peppers are a mixture of different ingredients, and the best we should hope for is a new recipe with some of the flavor we know and love.
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I agree that John Frusciante is an incredibly talented musician (I personally rate him as the best guitar player out there) however i think it is ridiculous for you to claim that he is the only reason the chili peppers are good. Yes One Hot Minute was a very poor album, but for you to say that Chad and Flea overplay the instruments, i think you must be – how to politely but it FUCKING STUPID! There isn’t a bass player alive today who can match Flea for his incredible talent and rhythm. And Chad smith, don’t even get me started. name me two other bass guitarists and drummers who play as tightly. didn’t think you could. why don’t you stop speaking shit on these forums and keep your incredibly silly little opinions to yourself!
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I totally agree with Camilo V. These are some of the top..if not the top four musicians in the world. Saying that Flea and Chad are over-playing is basically putting them down for being so good. Stadium came out in 06 and i am still thourougly enjoying it. I do however agree that maybe a differetnt producer? this could end up working very well or very bad. personally i would like to hear another funk album like BSSM. Of course John’s playing is amazing but the peppers wouldnt be anything without the other 3. Lets just appreciate whatever they release for their next album
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I totally agree with Camilo V. These are some of the top..if not the top four musicians in the world. Saying that Flea and Chad are over-playing is basically putting them down for being so good. Stadium came out in 06 and i am still thourougly enjoying it. I do however agree that maybe a differetnt producer? this could end up working very well or very bad. personally i would like to hear another funk album like BSSM. Of course John’s playing is amazing but the peppers wouldnt be anything without the other 3. Lets just appreciate whatever they release for their next album
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Weel, I have to disagree with you. For me is Blood Sugar Sex Magik their best album but I don’t think that BTW or SA are worst. Of course they are different(BSSM is much more funky album) but I find everything else good, the guitar,bass,anthony’s lyrics and of course chad’s drums. Everyone has different feelings and for me are papers still the best band
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I partly agree with A.M. SA is pretty cool to listen music album with amazing tone but nothing more. There are some really good songs (Dani California, Turn it again, We believe, hey, etc.) but on the other hand too much songs are “nothing special” but John solos (which knock me out) for instance Slow Cheetah, Strip my mind. There are also some good songs ruined by awful “commercial” refrain – Tell me baby – Gosh! I think it could be Rubin’s fault who tried to make this album basically for the widest audience. Next producer should be RHCP or John alone – it worked with his last solo album.
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Flea said after the release of SA “If you don’t like SA, then you don’t like the Chili Peppers”
Why did he say something so bold? Because the chemistry between the band was really at it’s best.
SA is bloated?
What about Flea’s bass line on 21st Century?
What about the amazing funk sex jam session known as Turn it Again?
Jesus dude, Chad’s drumming has only gotten better and some say SA is Anthony’s best vocal work.
I think part of the reason you feel this way about the album is because John really did shine on it.
Crazy solos, extra funk, but I think you’re really, really missing some of the beauty.
You can’t put other members down just because John is kicking ass.
Hey is a beautiful f***ing song…. really beautiful f***ing song and guess what…
the bass part is more complex than John’s chord progressions.
The bass line for C’mon Girl rad!
Anthony’s lyrics for Death of a Martian is deep, beautiful, & as alway complex.
The bass line for So Much I is also awesome.
Look, maybe SA didn’t hit you like blood sugar or californication, but to say that the other members aren’t working as hard is really a shame.
and Again… another sick bass line is Warlocks AND Torture Me!!! God, amazing bass.
Chill dude, I have a feeling their new stuff will tickle your fancy.
Things got bad when John left?
Have you ever heard the song Coffee Shop or Aeroplane or Warped?
Not to mention that with all the B-sides the Chili Peppers have released you could put together a whole album on top of their other B-side album Out in L.A.
HERE’S MY BIGGEST QUESTION TO YOU….
How is a song like “Storm in a Teacup”
be Emotional & Sappy when it features lyrics like “You try to be a lady, but you’re walking like a sour kraut”
I mean that’s classic chili peppers; that’s right up there with suck my kiss.
Trust me, I understand this album his hard to grasp because of it’s size, but much like anthony kiedis’s women you’ll get used to it.
She’s Only 18 is just as good a song as Purple Stain.
I sense some guitar bias from you and I’d like to say that I completely disagree when you say Chad is over playing.
On SA I think he really focused on his playing technique rather than seeing how flashy he can be.
And finally, if this album was self-parody it would’ve sounded more like Californication or Blood Sugar because that’s more definitive chili pepper style and if I’m not mistaken self-parody is the act of adding your signature sound/style without adding much a creative creation on top of it. Which is the complete opposite of what they did… which is take their style and add weird beautiful sounds to it. AND you said earlier in the paragraph that they grabbed attention from fans with their style and stunts, but then you go on to say Anthony is obnoxious?? Do you like the obnoxiousness or don’t you? If you liked it in the past why don’t you now?
AND you told that Jordan guy that you’re disappointed when they don’t meet their talents, but then you accuse Chad & Flea of overplaying. So what do you want them to do?All this aside at least there is new Alice in Chains, Modest Mouse, Wolfmother, Pearl Jam, Weezer, & soon Beastie Boys coming out.
I look forward to reading your review of RCHP’s next album.
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Some people can’t appreciate Stadium Arcadium because there too focused on hearing another album by the RHCP like BSSM or californication. But the fact is as artists they have continued to change and reinvent there sound. If they didn’t do this each album would sound the same. I can honestly say they each album they have made sounds different whether anyone thinks its for the better or for the worse. For this reason alone they deserve alot of credit.I think the reason why there music has changed is because there taste in what they consider to be good music has changed. They also try and incorperate the sounds and styles from the artists who have influenced them into their own music for example on stadium arcadium john’s guitar playing is obviously strongly influenced by Jimi Hendrix. Too many people are unaware of how much work RHCP put into stadium arcadium like the fact that they spent a year writing and recording a 2 disc 28 track album. The funny thing is all there doing is making what THEY consider to be good music whether anyone likes it or not. They are not trying to please the masses they are just being creative not repetitive just open up your minds and ears.
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First of all saying that “chad and flea over play there instrument” is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard because thats the complete opposite of what they do because when they were recording blood sugar sex magik Flea started to play what he felt the song needed, but if you were talking about their albums previous to blood sugar then I guess you can say he overplayed his instrument, but EVERY bass part that Flea has performed and recorded is GREAT and mind blowing. If you were to categorize the Red Hots they would probably be considered Funk Rock and if you’ve every heard true funk like the meters or even james brown listen to the drum parts and how complex and difficult they are to play and thats almost what all of chads drum parts are like, he just plays louder and harder which makes it somewhat more noticeable, so saying that chad overplays the drums is crap because he plays funk rock and he sounds like what funk rock should sound like, so you’ve obviously never heard funk music and don’t know anything about playing drums or bass so WHO ARE YOU to say that they overplay there instruments. And above all the chili peppers are one of the most skilled musicians in the world.
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First of all saying that “chad and flea over play there instrument” is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard because thats the complete opposite of what they do because when they were recording blood sugar sex magik Flea started to play what he felt the song needed, but if you were talking about their albums previous to blood sugar then I guess you can say he overplayed his instrument, but EVERY bass part that Flea has performed and recorded is GREAT and mind blowing. If you were to categorize the Red Hots they would probably be considered Funk Rock and if you’ve every heard true funk like the meters or even james brown listen to the drum parts and how complex and difficult they are to play and thats almost what all of chads drum parts are like, he just plays louder and harder which makes it somewhat more noticeable, so saying that chad overplays the drums is crap because he plays funk rock and he sounds like what funk rock should sound like, so you’ve obviously never heard funk music and don’t know anything about playing drums or bass so WHO ARE YOU to say that they overplay there instruments. And above all the chili peppers are one of the most skilled musicians in the world.
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First of all saying that “chad and flea over play there instrument” is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard because thats the complete opposite of what they do because when they were recording blood sugar sex magik Flea started to play what he felt the song needed, but if you were talking about their albums previous to blood sugar then I guess you can say he overplayed his instrument, but EVERY bass part that Flea has performed and recorded is GREAT and mind blowing. If you were to categorize the Red Hots they would probably be considered Funk Rock and if you’ve every heard true funk like the meters or even james brown listen to the drum parts and how complex and difficult they are to play and thats almost what all of chads drum parts are like, he just plays louder and harder which makes it somewhat more noticeable, so saying that chad overplays the drums is crap because he plays funk rock and he sounds like what funk rock should sound like, so you’ve obviously never heard funk music and don’t know anything about playing drums or bass so WHO ARE YOU to say that they overplay there instruments. And above all the chili peppers are one of the most skilled musicians in the world.
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That band needs to get back on drugs immediately.
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Adam,
I. First, I wish your article would have been longer or more detailed. I’m sure a lot of people read the headline or first three lines and had visions of how they wanted to harm you, but I don’t think that your opinion is horrible or an affront to the universe haha. Thanks for writing your opinion.
II. Next, I apologize in advance for how verbose and overwritten my response will be, and I hope you’re not bored enough at the end to write a response. I will try to keep it short and sweet.
III. “Relevance in the early part of their career…” needs more qualifiers/evidence. Relevance to the LA scene? Relevance to the Billboard chart? Relevance to music? Google/youtube the video “2007 vpro documentary rhcp”. I think you will fall in love with the band at all stages. However, they didn’t really have any breakthrough singles until Mother’s Milk (John’s first album, released in ’89), and didn’t reach national attention until BSSM. If I may, I would say that you wouldn’t see stupid 14 yr old girls that are materialistic and buy a CD “because I love that one song” buying any RHCP until post-BSSM when MTV latched onto their tattoos and lifestyles. If you read biographies and articles, RHCP started in LA in ’83 and they had a totally new sound, merging punk and funk. On a side note, listen to The Uplift Mofo Party Plan. Great effing album.
IV. “Overplaying” is a yes and no for me. Chad pretty much has two speeds, loud groove and louder groove, but then again, thats his sound and his style. Nobody got mad at Miles for underplaying…Whomever made the point of listening to the old Meters/JB/Pfunk records and then Chad had a good idea. To illustrate Chad’s power and ability to groove, listen to the outro groove of “Sexy Mexican Maid (original long version” on the MM re-release. To listen to the subtleties of his playing, listen to “Sir Psycho Sexy” on BSSM. Given the last statement in III, I would say Flea could be guilty of that, BUT, when the band started in ’83 (listen to their demos and read about them), Flea had already played in FEAR (crazy LA punk rock group) and came up with the bassline for “Out in LA”. Slapping and popping at breakneck speeds IS crazy, but Flea did say during the making of BSSM that he didn’t feel obligated to s & p anymore…I think SA is almost too incoherent of an album to get a definite picture of Flea and Chad’s playing. John provides a lot of the different textures that you simply can’t do with a bass or drums, or a guitar, for that matter.
V. Self-parody probably pissed off a bunch of people, and I think it might be a bit too harsh, but I definitely vibe with what I think you’re trying to say; maybe the inspiration or the cosmic goodness that once was RHCP has left the building. Bloated I do agree with because, after reading countless interviews with John, he orchestrated countless overdubs and textures on the record. “Stadium Arcadium” sounds very experimental when compared to earlier works (not that it is or is not, just in comparison to fornication or BSSM). On every single track, there is often a lot more going on than just guitar, bass, drum, and vocals, and some great pepper albums/songs have relied on simple, successful formulas.
VI. Stunts and antics and Anthony’s sappiness…I think “hard to concentrate” is such a beautiful song, listen to how anthony sings the word “finally” during the chorus, and reeaally listen in the background to John’s emotional solo during the final chorus, hell, even Chad plays soft and supportive. Stunts and antics is somewhat true, but watch any and all concert videos you can of RHCP between 1988 (once John joined the band in 88 that is) and late 1990 when they stopped touring for Mother’s Milk to start rehearsing for BSSM)… would you not want to be there to experience those events? the way the band thrashes the stage and goes balls to the wall is only surpassed by the audio element. I do think its hard to like Anthony’s rapping or dancing when he’s hitting the mid 30s, point taken. Its hard to age gracefully when you’ve made your mark as a hard hitting punk-funk band…compare Anthony’s concert persona in the mid/late 80s with it now, and I see what you’re saying
VII. I do enjoy a lot of the tracks off of 1HM, but I think moreso than John’s guitar saving the band, John coming back saved RHCP because the interplay between the 4 of them is something special, cosmic, and supernatural. I don’t think with any level of education, talent, or experience, you could find 4 musicians and put them in a studio and get something so profound as RHCP’s best work. Yes, they too have their “forgettables” but U2 made “Pop”, Dylan went electric, and No Doubt let Stefani pop their s**t out of popularity haha…nowadays every f…ing reality TV star also has a record deal. Do people realize what is happening to our culture when people like Heidi Montag and Miley Cyrus and Britney f… me in the ears Spears make music?
VIII. Yes, I hope the t
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I have got to say in my opinion – songwriting wise- by the way and californication are the chili’s finest moments . BTW is a classic and is thier pet sounds. And as for tell me baby – what a great funky pop song ! if commercial means having a good tune then i am all for it . I think SA is a good album but not quite as good as the other two , and yes john is great on it but so are the other guys . Any way interesting thread !
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First of all, everyone has a right to their opinion. But just like any long running band, as time goes by you change…theyre not going to be as punk and rebellious in nature with their music anymore – period. They’ve all gone thru so much, especially John and Anthony – theyre turned that anger and rebellion into beautiful melodic music thats about love. I know…love is cheesy…I get that. Personally I enjoyed By the Way, it is totally their Pet Sounds…some of those songs make me cry for joy and being alive. I can imagine the breakthrough John had after his addiction and how unbelievable it is that this band is still playing together. We will never get the feeling of that 1st time you heard the chilis – but that doesnt mean theyre not relevant and important to music anymore.
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