Red Hot Chili Peppers Albums (10)
'Stadium Arcadium'
Release Date 5/5/2006
Tracks 28
Label Warner Bros.
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Indulgence has long been a way of life for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, yet they resisted the siren's call of the double album until 2006's Stadium Arcadium. Sure, 1991's breakthrough Blood Sugar Sex Magik was as long as a classic double LP, but such distinctions mattered little in the era when vinyl gave way to CD, and they matter less now, as the CD gradually gives way to digital-only releases. In fact, like how Blood Sugar was the tipping point when the LPs ceded ground to CDs, Stadium Arcadium could be seen as the point when albums were seen as a collection of digital playlists. Yes, it's pressed up as a two-disc set -- including an extravagant but pointless special edition housed in a clunky box that includes a make-yer-own-spinning-top -- but this is an album that's designed for you to mix and match, create your own playlist, rip and burn on your own. It's designed for you to sequence its 28 songs in some kind of cohesive manner, since the band sure didn't take the time to do that here; it's the first major album by a major band that makes as much sense on random as it does in its proper sequencing. Well, that's not entirely true: the official 28-song album does begin with "Dani California," the clearest single here, the one thing that truly grabs attention upon first listen and worms its way into your subconscious, where it just won't let go, as so much of Anthony Kiedis' catchiest melodies do. After that, 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. And there needs to be something to break up the monotony, not because the music is bad but because it all exists at the same level and is given a flat, colorless production that has become the signature of Rick Rubin as of late. Rubin may be able to create the right atmosphere for Flea and John Frusciante to run wild creatively -- an opportunity that they seize here, which is indeed a pleasure to hear -- but he does nothing to encourage them to brighten the finished recording up with some different textures, or even a greater variety of guitar tones. As such, the bare-bone production combined with the relentless march of songs gives Stadium Arcadium the undeniable feel of wading through the demos for a promising project instead of a sprawling statement of purpose; there's not enough purpose here for it to be a statement. That fault is down to the band not forming the raw material into something palatable for the listener, but there's also the problem that as a lyricist Anthony Kiedis just isn't that deep or clever enough to provide cohesive themes for an album of this length; he tackles no new themes here, nor does he provide new insight to familiar topics. To his credit, he does display a greater versatility as a vocalist, cutting back on the hambone rapping that used to be his signature and crooning throughout the bulk of this album, usually on key. That said, he still has enough goofy tics to undercut his attempts at sincerity, and he tends to be a bit of a liability to the band as a whole; with a different singer, who could help shape and deliver these songs, this album might not seem as formless and gormless. But there is a fair amount of pleasures here, all down to the interplay between Flea and Frusciante. While drummer Chad Smith does prove himself quite versatile here, gracefully following the eccentric turns and meanderings of the bassist and guitarist, the string instruments are the reason to listen to Stadium Arcadium. That's always been the case to a certain extent with the Chili Peppers, but here it's especially true, as they push and pull, rave and rumble, lie back and rock out -- pretty much spit out anything they can do on their instruments over the course of 28 songs. As good as much of this is, there is a little bit of monotony here, since they're working variations on their signature themes, and they haven't found a way to make these variations either transcendent or new; they're just very good renditions on familiar themes. These tracks rarely betray their origins as studio jams -- more than ever, it's possible to hear that the track came first, then the song -- and while that can result in some good listening, it all does kind of drift together. That said, there are no bad tracks here -- it's all of a relatively high quality -- but there are no standouts either, so it takes a very dedicated fan to start sorting out the subtleties between the tracks (not the wheat from the chaff, since it's all wheat). And while those hardcore fans may certainly enjoy the make-your-own-adventure spirit of Stadium Arcadium, it's hard not to feel that it's the band's responsibility to take this very good repetitive album and mold it into something sharper and more effective. So call it the rock version of Peter Jackson's King Kong: there's something pretty great and lean buried beneath the excess, but it's so indulgent, it's a work that only a fanboy could truly love. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The Red Hot Chili Peppers' eighth studio album finds the California foursome exploring the more melodic freeways of harmony and texture, contrasting the gritty, funky side streets of their early days. Luckily, with this more sophisticated sound, the Peppers have not sacrificed any of their trademark energy or passions for life, universal love, and (of course) lust. Although they recorded the spiky Abbey Road EP in 1988, this album actually sounds a lot closer to the Beatles' Abbey Road, with a little of Pet Sounds and elements of Phil Spector's lushest arrangements all distilled through the band's well-traveled funk-pop stylings. Harmony vocals and string arrangements have replaced some of the aggressive slap bass that the group was initially recognized for, but fans of both the gentle and the fierce Chili Peppers styles will embrace the title track and first single, "By the Way." In fact, this song on its own could almost be a brief history of everything the Red Hot Chili Peppers have recorded: fiery Hollywood funk, gentle harmonies, a little bit of singing about girls, a little bit of hanging out in the streets in the summertime, some rapid-fire raps from Anthony Kiedis, some aggro basslines from Flea -- the song plays like a three-and-a-half-minute audio version of Behind the Music. Overall, the album leans more toward the melodic end of their oeuvre, but they have grown into this kinder, gentler mode organically, progressively working toward this groove little by little, album by album. What once were snapshots of a spastic punk-funk lifestyle have grown into fully realized short stories of introspection and Californication. Though the pace of the album falters at times (particularly in the verses; the choruses are all pretty spectacular), it is refreshing to see that as the four Chili Peppers continue to grow older and more sure of themselves, their composition and performing skills are maturing along with them. ~ Zac Johnson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Many figured that the Red Hot Chili Peppers' days as undisputed alternative kings were numbered after their lackluster 1995 release One Hot Minute, but like the great phoenix rising from the ashes, this legendary and influential outfit returned back to greatness with 1999's Californication. An obvious reason for their rebirth is the reappearance of guitarist John Frusciante (replacing Dave Navarro), who left the Peppers in 1992 and disappeared into a haze of hard drugs before cleaning up and returning to the fold in 1998. Frusciante was a main reason for such past band classics as 1989's Mother's Milk and 1991's Blood Sugar Sex Magik, and proves once and for all to be the quintessential RHCP guitarist. Anthony Kiedis' vocals have improved dramatically as well, while the rhythm section of bassist Flea and drummer Chad Smith remains one of rock's best. The quartet's trademark punk-funk can be sampled on such tracks as "Around the World," "I Like Dirt," and "Parallel Universe," but the more pop-oriented material proves to be a pleasant surprise -- "Scar Tissue," "Otherside," "Easily," and "Purple Stain" all contain strong melodies and instantly memorable choruses. And like their 1992 introspective hit "Under the Bridge," there are even a few mellow moments -- "Porcelain," "Road Trippin'," and the title track. With the instrumentalists' interplay at an all-time telepathic high and Kiedis peaking as a vocalist, Californication is a bona fide Chili Peppers classic. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
'Blood Sugar Sex Magik'
Release Date 1/1/1991
Tracks 17
Label Warner Bros.
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What The Critics Say
The Red Hot Chili Peppers' best album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik benefits immensely from Rick Rubin's production -- John Frusciante's guitar is less overpoweringly noisy, leaving room for differing textures and clearer lines, while the band overall is more focused and less indulgent, even if some of the grooves drag on too long. Lyrically, Anthony Kiedis is as preoccupied with sex as ever, whether invoking it as his muse, begging for it, or boasting in great detail about his prowess, best showcased on the infectiously funky singles "Give It Away" and "Suck My Kiss." However, he tempers his testosterone with a more sensitive side, writing about the emotional side of failed relationships ("Breaking the Girl," "I Could Have Lied"), his drug addictions ("Under the Bridge" and an elegy for Hillel Slovak, "My Lovely Man"), and some hippie-ish calls for a peaceful utopia. Three of those last four songs (excluding "My Lovely Man") mark the band's first consistent embrace of lilting acoustic balladry, and while it's not what Kiedis does best as a vocalist, these are some of the album's finest moments, varying and expanding the group's musical and emotional range. Frusciante departed after the supporting tour, leaving Blood Sugar Sex Magik as probably the best album the Chili Peppers will ever make. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
A pivotal album for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, 1989's Mother's Milk turned the tide and transformed the band from underground funk-rocking rappers to mainstream bad boys with seemingly very little effort. Mother's Milk brought them to MTV, scored them a deal with Warner Brothers, and let both frontman Anthony Kiedis and the ubiquitous Flea get back out into a good groove following the death of co-founding member Hillel Slovak. With a new lineup coalescing around the remaining duo with new drummer Chad Smith and guitarist John Frusciante, and with producer Michael Beinhorn again behind the boards, the band took everything that The Uplift Mofo Party Plan hinted at, and brought it fully to bear for this new venture. If anyone doubted the pulsating power that leapt from the blistering opener, "Good Time Boys," it took only a few bars of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' outrageous, and brilliant, interpretation of the Stevie Wonder classic "Higher Ground" to prove that this new lineup was onto something special. Wrapping up with the aptly titled and truly punked-out "Punk Rock Classic" and the band's own punched-up tribute to "Magic Johnson," Mother's Milk was everything the band had hoped for, and a little more besides. Effortlessly going gold as "Knock Me Down" and "Taste the Pain" careened into the charts, the album not only set the stage for the band's Blood Sugar Sex Magic domination, it also proved that funk never died; it had just swapped skins. ~ Amy Hanson, All Music Guide
'The Uplift Mofo Party Plan'
Release Date 1/1/1987
Tracks 12
Label EMI
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What The Critics Say
In a perfect world, the Red Hot Chili Peppers' breakthrough album wouldn't have been 1989's Mother's Milk, but 1987's The Uplift Mofo Party Plan, and the history of this groundbreaking rock/rap band (and likely the entire subgenre it created) would've been drastically changed. But the Chili Peppers created most of the imperfections in their world, especially in the late '80s, and the unusual scenario of four original bandmembers recording together for the first time on that band's third album would tragically prove to be a one-shot deal. Veterans Anthony Kiedis (vocals) and Flea (bass) had welcomed back original guitarist Hillel Slovak for the preceding Freaky Styley album after using Jack Sherman on their self-titled 1984 debut, doing the same at this point for original drummer Jack Irons, who replaced Cliff Martinez. The energy of having these four friends from Los Angeles back together jumps out of the opening anthem "Fight Like a Brave" and the experimental "Funky Crime"; tracks like the autobiographical "Me & My Friends" and closing "Organic Anti-Beat Box Band" would stay in the group's live repertoire for the next decade or more. Kiedis' barking rap delivery drives the cover of Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues," and Flea's ahead-of-their-time slapping basslines stand out in "Behind the Sun" and "Walkin' on Down the Road," but Slovak and Irons brought things to the Chili Peppers that no one else ever has. The drummer's pounding funk backbeats left a blueprint for his successor, Chad Smith, and the manic intro to "Skinny Sweaty Man" sounds like Buddy Rich playing James Brown material. Slovak is at the height of his powers on the rap-rock reggae "Love Trilogy" and funky "Special Secret Song Inside," which gained some notoriety for its anatomical undertones. But Slovak would die of a heroin overdose the following year, with Irons quitting the band afterward from the depression of the loss. Kiedis and Flea would come to grips with their own drug habits and return with Smith and guitarist John Frusciante on Mother's Milk, breaking into the arena circuit with a hit cover of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground" -- and leaving Kiedis and Flea to wonder what might have been. ~ Bill Meredith, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The closest the Red Hot Chili Peppers ever came to straight funk, Freaky Styley is the quirkiest, loosest, and most playful album in their long and winding catalog. It's also one of the best, if least heard. A year earlier, in 1984, they'd made their self-titled debut with a stiff album produced Andrew Gill of Gang of Four fame. The album had its share of good songs, most notably "True Men Don't Kill Coyotes" and "Get Up and Jump," but Gill's cold and tinny production riddled The Red Hot Chili Peppers with the same sort of problem that made Gang of Four's early-'80s albums so distasteful. Namely, the production sucks all the life out of the music and makes it seem distant and unapproachable, as if you were listening to the album in a long tunnel with reflective metal walls. Here on Freaky Styley that problem is thankfully solved: enter producer extraordinaire George Clinton. The funk legend not only gives the Peppers the sort of warm and loose-limbed production that had graced many a Parliament/Funkadelic album over the years, but he also seemingly gives the band some serious inspiration. For instance, a pair of covers of funk classics instantly stand out -- "If You Want Me to Stay" (Sly & the Family Stone) and "Africa" (the Meters), the latter retitled "Hollywood (Africa)" here -- and they're made all the more standout with the addition of Maceo Parker and Fred Wesley on horns. The Peppers also write a number of strong songs of their own. If none stand out, per se -- with the exception of the two covers, that is -- that's because they're all fairly good, relatively rough songs. Sure, some are slight, no question about that, but they help the album flow from one song to the next, because the songs are all more or less different from one another in subtle ways. And they're performed with vigor, as original guitarist Hillel Slovak is thankfully back aboard (replacing Jack Sherman, who played guitar on The Red Hot Chili Peppers and co-wrote the bulk of these songs), and he makes a major contribution to practically every song, playing straight funk here more so than the funk-metal that would characterize the band's subsequent album, The Uplift Mofo Party Plan. And to make mention of that 1987 follow-up, the Peppers would move on to a new producer, making this their one collaboration with Clinton. They'd never quite recapture the pure funk sound of Freaky Styley again, likely as a result. That's one reason why this album is so special, but it's also because the Peppers have a good clutch of songs to work with in addition to excellent production. And too, they seem relaxed and at ease here, playing quirky songs without any self-consciousness, a quality lacking on their debut. It's a quality lacking on subsequent albums also, though to a lesser degree, when the Peppers would begin sharpening their pop smarts and crafting catchy songs rather than just fun jams like these. So if you're feeling adventurous and are drawn to the idea of the Peppers and Clinton together in the same studio back in 1985 without any pop-crossover ambitions, give Freaky Styley a listen by all means. It's a cult classic of sorts and a world apart from the where the band would go in later years, for better and for worse. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
'The Red Hot Chili Peppers'
Release Date 1/1/1984
Tracks 11
Label EMI
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What The Critics Say
This eponymously titled long-player from the Los Angeles-based Red Hot Chili Peppers firmly establishes the quartet's trademark in-your-face synthesis of heavy metal and no-nonsense funk. However, the musicians who participated on these recordings were only half of the original foursome. Presented on these 11 sides are core members Flea (bass) and Anthony Kiedis (vocals) as well as former Captain Beefheart drummer Cliff Martinez and Jack Sherman, who had previously contributed to the debut release from Coup de Grace. The latter pair replaced Jack Irons (drums) and Hillel Slovak (guitar), who had split to form the short-lived What Is This. As Flea muses in his liner-notes essay for the 2003 reissue of 1984's Red Hot Chili Peppers, "In retrospect, the smart thing to do would have been to keep Jack and Hillel there at least for the recording process to keep the original raw and rollicking rockin' feeling we had at the time." The five demos that accompany the original album on the CD reissue serve as evidence that the incipient ensemble offered a much tighter and funkified sound, also showing off their immaculate sense of slippery syncopation and tricky time signatures. That's not to say that the personnel on this platter don't get the job done, because they most certainly do. Right out of the box, they demonstrate a musical versatility and range some fail to develop over a period of decades. This is evident from the vivid imagery ("Ridin' wild on a paisley dragon") and aural assault of the early RHCP anthem "True Men Don't Kill Coyotes" to the trippy and languid "Grand Pappy du Plenty." Between these extremes is ample evidence of the band's obvious affinity for screaming electric guitar metal and involuntary body-propelling funk. "Get Up and Jump" could have easily been a Prince-derived groove, while "Why Don't You Love Me" offers glimpses into their Wonder Bread rap style that would resurface later on sides such as "Give It Away." The sexy "Mommy Where's Daddy" is altogether different, offering up a bopping jazzy vibe that is notably augmented by a tight horn section and vocals from Gwen Dickey. The 13-second thrash throwaway "You Always Sing the Same," while somewhat inane, is also a brief exercise in the Peppers' skin-tight rhythms and innovations. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
