Scar tissue (Red Hot Chili Peppers) (LP 3615 - 3617)

Red Hot Chili Peppers   Californication (CD, Warner Bros. Records, 1999) ****  

Red Hot Chili Peppers   Greatest Hits (CD, Warner Bros. Records, 2003) *****  

Red Hot Chili Peppers   Stadium Arcadium (CD, Warner Bros. Records, 2006) ***  

Genre: Rock, Alt rock 

Places I remember: The Warehouse, Hope's Collection (Stadium Arcadium)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Californication

Gear costume: Otherside

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5

Active compensatory factors: I used to own a few other RHCP albums on cassette but got rid of them when CDs appeared and the Greatest Hits album covered all the important territory like Suck My Kiss, Under the Bridge, and their cover of Higher Ground.

Californication is their seventh studio album and their most successful one commercially. It's chock-a-block with now classic Red Hot Chili Peppers' songs: Around the World; Parallel Universe; Otherside; and the title track.

 

John Frusciante's reappearance is a crucial factor, along with a more melodic approach. His guitar skills and variety of approaches is one x-factor, along with Flea's funky bass, Chad Smith's fluid drums and of course Anthony Kiedis' distinctive vocal style. 

Stadium Arcadium was their ninth studio album - a double. The problem with double CD albums is they are like triples in old money - so huge and sprawling. In fact, this was supposed to be three different albums released one after the other, but they decided on a double CD package instead. 

I find it hard to listen to a triple CD album. There are 28 songs on Stadium Arcadium. As AllMusic pointed out - it's a long, winding path of alternately spacey and sunny pop, ballads, and the occasional funk workout that used to be the Chili Peppers' signature but now functions as a way to break up the monotony.

Where do they all belong? Good to have these, but that's enough already!  

Omission (John Frusciante) (LP 269)

John Frusciante Shadows Collide With People (Digital download - original release 2004) ****

Genre: American pop/rock

Places I remember: This is Tom's current choice for MNAC  

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Song To Sing When I'm Lonely




Gear costume: Regret, This Cold, Time Goes Back, Omission

Active compensatory factors: Known principally as the guitarist in Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Frusciante has also had a prolific solo career (twelve albums since 1994, this one is the first of three in 2004 alone). I don't own any of them, nor have I heard any of them, so Tom's current Monday Night Album Club choice is a welcome one.

The spectre of RHCP looms large as Frusciante is obviously a key ingredient to their sound - there are echoes all through this (very very very) long record. Chad Smith and Flea also make appearances to good effect.

Those RHCP sounds are immediately apparent in opener Carvel with it's repetition motifs and there are Under The Bridge style sound shapes at times (Song To Sing..). 

Along the way, the electronic treatments add some prog depth to the enterprise (although I could cheerfully live without 23 Go In To End, O O Ghost 27 and Failure 33 Object which feel like indulgences) and then, of course, there's the distinctive rock guitar by Frusciante (Second Walk being a fine example of his innovative style).

Something I wasn't expecting was how good the vocals would be - either by side kick Josh Klinghoffer or Frusciante.

Overall, this is an easy album to like. There is a warmth and comfort that permeates throughout (except for those pesky electronic experiments). So much so that Song To Sing When I'm Lonely actually works as a perk me up!

My only slight problem is with the length. Self-editing (less is more) is a concept that many musicians struggle with and Frusciante is no exception.  

Those indulgences I spoke of also break up the flow of the album. I'd cut them (even though they're possibly Tom's favourite tracks) and a few others to make a killer single album.

Where do they all belong? If you're a RHCP fan but haven't listened to Frusciante generally, or this album specifically - you're in for a treat.