Review 9 of 10

scottonopolis writes:

4of 5 Stars

the red hot chili peppers are a great band-a rock band but quintessentially a funky band!and its the absence of funk in many of the songs here that keeps it as merely very good compared to the brilliance of follow-up by the way-where the funk was more prominent.kiedis certainly shows he can do soulful but that's no reason to put so many drull symphonies on here.in my opinion-that's also where they've gone wrong on recent release stadium arcadium.the quick funky verses, the catchy hooks and riffs, the mesmeric choruses, they appear here (californication,scar tissue)but not enough.gloria,velvet glove, porcelain are merely filler compared with the real chili music of right on time, get on top, otherside and parallel universe.a good album-but sooner or later-after the 50th listening to of those four you'll strive for something more, some...erm...umph!the answer lies in by the way.

Jul 18, 2006 06:04:41

Review 10 of 10

nairb454 writes:

5of 5 Stars

Who ever said that altering your sound is a bad thing? With Californication, the chilis worked again with returning guitarist (who should be respected as one of the greatest of all time) John Frusciante. It is obvious that he is the musical genius behind the band. Although "One Hot Minute" was a solid album for the chilis standards, it was a step down from the classic "Blood Sugar Sex Magik." With Frusciante back in the mix, the table was set for the chilis to return to the throne as rock kings of California. However, it seemed as if drugs, women, and the strenuous life of a rock star had changed the persona of a band who had been known for sexually explicit lyrics and doing shows with nothing but a tube sock covering their dongs. In "Californication," the chilis took some of their funk, and used a Beatles-esque technique in terms of mixing psychedelia with rock and pop. It turns out that whatever they did, worked. Although I would put this album slightly below "Blood Sugar Sex Magik," it is still a masterpiece. The title track is something that comes along only once every four or five years. A song that defines a band, proves its musical genius. My personal favorite, "Parallel Universe," could have one of the best solos I have ever heard (Frusciante, although highly respected, is still underrated in terms of what kind of innovations and new sounds he has made with his guitar). The rhythm section couldn't be tighter on this album. And although Flea steps back from the limelight in "Californication," his baselines still take great songs and turn them into classics. All in all, you can't remake a BSSM, so the chilis knew they had to keep moving foward, and that they did, with another classic album.

May 13, 2006 08:08:00