Californication - Red Hot Chili Peppers > Reviews > Changing The Future Of Music... For The Better

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Groundbreaking
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Outstanding
Value for Money

Advantages:	Most songs are strong and of new acquired quality
Disadvantages:	Couple of songs do not fit the bill

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

The Red Hot Chili Peppers were reasonably well recognised before the release of "Californication" (the album "Blood Sugar Sex Magic" was quite big) and their popularity was going to change dramatically after the release of this album. The album is 15 tracks long and 56:26 minutes in length.

The track listing:
1. Around The World
2. Parallel Universe
3. Scar Tissue
4. Otherside
5. Get On Top
6. Californication
7. Easily
8. Porcelain
9. Emit Remmus
10. I Like Dirt
11. This Velvet Glove
12. Savior
13. Purple Stain
14. Right On Time
15. Road Trippin'

"Around The World" enters with a strong guitar riff and heavy bass line. The clever lyrics of Anthony Kiedis are exercised in very melodic singing parts, others in a talking to the beat style. The man who goes by the name of “Flea” plays the bass, and his ability shines through the whole of the song (and album for that matter) and so does the guitar playing of John Frusciante. The drumbeat is not very complicated, but is kept steady and played skilfully by Chad Smith.

"Parallel Universe" also starts with a strong guitar riff and heavy bass line. Kiedis' voice is so powerful and melodic in this song, it is astounding. The song reaches peak, where the guitar becomes loud and Kiedis sings his heart out, then quiet, then loud. The overall tune is catchy and you cannot help yourself from joining in (like I am now!).

"Scar Tissue" starts off very slow, with just the guitar playing very softly. The tone of the song is very quite and a little melancholy. Overall it is very soothing and one of the best to sing a long to and "chill" with. The guitar solos of Frusciante are slow, yet very influential and well suited to the music. The track is 3:37 minutes of heaven for your ears.

"Otherside" is also quite slow, and the lyrics and voice of Kiedis are stronger than the guitar and bass, giving the song more strength. Frusciante backs up Kiedis, and the sound of these two voices combines a great harmonic sound. The singing stops about halfway through, and the guitar become stronger, being played a few notes higher, and the song reaches a height of greatness. Could it get better than this... yes.

"Get On Top" is much more hard-hitting and Kiedis puts his all into the intro of this song. The music is very "beat" orientated and the tempo is very quick. The singing is very quick and again imaginative and clever. The bass and guitar work very well together here, and the sound combined at such pace is wonderful. Very different to "Otherside" and "Scar Tissue", making the variance very wide. This probably what I like best about this album, the range of different music, showing how spanned out the talents of the band are.

"Californication" is where the album can make or break itself (usually about track 6, 7 or 8) and this album reaches its full greatness here. The song is very relaxed, but the riff is an almost archetype (something that is recognised universally) of sorts. The song is very moving and all round very tasteful. The music moves slowly, but the lyrics quite quickly. The "oooooh" of Frusciante helps this song to turn into a masterpiece, then the solo creates a whole new world of music for the 21st century and onwards!

"Easily" is probably one of my favourite tracks, because it has not been heard that much by others and it is a little different to the rest of the album. The message is that, anything can happen, and if you want it to, it can. The pace of the song changes, and so does the voice of Kiedis, he changes from more of a "hip-hop" style to a very soothing voice. All instruments combined, fit perfectly.

"Porcelain" really makes you thin "WHY!!!!!!” Toward the end of the album, you want the songs to get a little better, so that the listener can get full enjoyment of the hour he/she is spending to hear each and every song, but this is not the case. There is just the tiniest of guitar sounds and the soft voices of Kiedis and Frusciante. Nothing you would expect from the Chili's and should be deleted from history!

"Emmit Remmus" has a strong sound of bass for intro and the guitar notes are prolonged for a high-pitched noise. The singing is very slow and very much in tune with the rest of the song. A great one to sing along with!

"I Like Dirt" is a little shorter than the rest (2:37) and is a quick paced song with more of an "MC" style or "hip-hop" side to it. The singing is very quick and so is the guitar and drum beat. Not something that really suits the album but is a good song, especially with the unique sound of the guitar at the point of the start of the solo.

"This Velvet Glove" is much slower and mellower than the previous song ("I Like Dirt").
The chorus is hugely influential and stirs up your musical spirit. The sound of all instruments and voice is magical, and throws the end of the album into a spiral of greatness.

"Savior" (no I am not a Yank, but this is how it is spelt on the album) is a little different to the rest of the album. It is quite long (4:52) and is not really like a usual Chili Peppers song. It is very melodic and just generally relaxing. The range of songs is amazing, and that is why I do like this song.

"Purple Stain" has strong references and is full of sexual innuendo. The song is not really of my taste, but the beat is quite catchy and may appeal to some people. The voice of Kiedis sounds a little dozy, as if he has just woken up or something, and could have been a lot better!

"Right On Time" is very slow and heart warming in places, then Kiedis starts blasting out lyrics and 100 miles to the minute! The use of funk with guitar is very original, and probably why the Chili's are so successful.

"Road Trippin'" involves one acoustic guitar, and a violin as far I can tell, and the two voices of Kiedis and Frusciante. It is very slow and quiet, but the guitar work is very clever. Not a great ending to such an amazing album, but that is how they wanted to end it.

The Red Hot Chili Pepper's popularity and success is growing and growing. The release of Californication was greatly praised by most music critics all around the World, and fans were going crazy with live performances. The answer was "By The Way", the album that was produced too quickly, but still got some good reviews. The reason for their success, is that they appeal to almost everyone. All th people that I have talked to, like the Chili Peppers!

If your looking for a classic to add to your shelf, suitable for personal use, or parties, find this!

Thanks, DaveG.