I've been tossing around ideas about this review for weeks. A part of me wants to say that nothing much has happened since Blood Sugar Sex Magik...but that's not it. The thought is really closer to "I haven't gotten off on much of their stuff since BSSM." And while that may be true, it's not the whole story.
See, the Chili Peppers is one of those bands that I resisted. They were getting airplay from Mother's Milk ("Higher Ground", no doubt) and I just did not get it. Then Blood Sugar Sex Magik came out. This was the Peppers' London Calling, their Dark Side Of The Moon (and hopefully not their Frampton Comes Alive). The funk was undeniable: killer guitar riffs and powerful in-the-pocket drumming, all anchored by Flea's kinetic and soulful bass.
So one day at work I'm listening to BSSM and a co-worker asks me if I've heard the 'real' Chili Peppers. He offers up his LP copies of Uplift Mofo Party Plan and Freaky Styley. Cripes, this stuff is nuts! Now I can see how Mother's Milk made its way to Blood Sugar Sex Magik. These early records are all about the Peppers' roots.
Now, while I was pretty psyched to have discovered the Peppers' early funkitude, I was just a little suspicious of my co-worker's motives. This was a guy who only liked a band's early (and obscure) material. So if a band makes it big, they've 'sold out'. Sorry, but I think that's crap. "Give It Away" and "Under The Bridge" were pretty big hits. Does their popularity somehow diminish the actual music?
Don't think so.
So now that I've defended the success of the Chili Peppers (sure, like they need me to defend them) I've gotta wonder just what the heck was goin' on when this pile of "hits" was chosen. The 'older' material choices are fine(you'd be crazy to leave off "Give It Away", "Under The Bridge", "Higher Ground" or "Suck My Kiss"), but there's just too much mid-tempo stuff from Californication. All those sorta-power ballads and somehow they fail to include the killer funk of "Around The World". Similarly, One Hot Minute is represented by "My Friends" instead of "Aeroplane". Very curious.
I'm not ready to write these guys off. They've survived more than their fair share of VH-1 Behind The Music-moments. The bonus tunes added here, "Fortune Faded" especially, hint at future possibilities. We'll see. Maybe they've got another Blood Sugar Sex Magik in 'em.
(First posted on Mark Is Cranky)
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Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - jadester
Greatest Hits albums are, by their very nature, extremely hit and miss. You can take the best band in the world, with tens or hundreds of truly great tracks available, but pick the absolute worst and throw them together in a "Greatest Hits" album.
Greatest Hits ablums always say more about the people who compiled the album than the band itself.
2 - Phillip Winn
What does "greatest" mean, exactly? I like compilation discs labeled clearly as "The Hits" or "Our Most Popular Songs." When you say "The Best," well, you're just asking for trouble. Popularity is easy to measure by sales (more or less), but "the best" is just too subjective.
3 - Eric Olsen
I love the Chili Peppers, each phase including the current, I think they've matured remarkably well, but these suckers have more collections than studio albums between EMI, WB, B-sides and covers. It's just CRAZY.
Seeing the track listing this only goes back to Mother's Milk, and only for "Higher Ground." That leaves off all the EMI greats other than HG - this should be called Best of WB Years, or something similar.
4 - Eric Olsen
BTW, I am prejudiced because I knew these guys in the early to mid-'80s when they wore socks on their willies because they couldn't afford pants.
5 - Jonathan
I adore the Chilli Peppers.
Such fun music, so great.
The two new tracks are pretty awesome too
6 - Tom Johnson
This is the second hits collection for them, right? I'm thinking of What Hits? Doesn't that cover more of the early years?
That said, I've never been able to get into these guys. I think Flea's an amazing bassist, but I just can't get into their music. Perhaps it's my loyalty to Mr. Bungle. I don't know the specific incident, but there was reportedly some bad blood between the two bands because of some accusations that one of them ripped off the others' sound. I seem to recall something about Anthony Kiedis refusing to play if Bungle were allowed to play on the same bill, or something ridiculous like that. I could be entirely wrong. I just know that if you like Bungle, you are forbidden by law to enjoy the Chilies.
7 - Tom Johnson
Ah, here we go, I just looked it up:
8 - Eric Olsen
Um, I vote Chilis, although that's a very petty thing to do if it really came down like that.
9 - Jonathan
I hate artist rivalrys or when they have little feuds. It's just really annoying to me. So pointless, then the fans all decide to hate the other guys fans and it's all a bunch of stupid trash.
10 - Mark Saleski
hmmm, interesting. i've never been able to get into either Faith No More or Mr. Bungle.
tho i do like Patton's solo stuff...all those weird, uh...mouth noises (you can't call that stuff "singing")
11 - jadester
i must admit, i only got into the chilis in their recent "phase" because before then i wasn't into music, period.
I tried to resist initially - several of the songs from "By The Way" were being played over and over on the radio, and on Kerrang TV. I kept thinknig "this is nothing special. It's ok, but not great" then, before i knew it, one day i realised i actually like them. The Zephyr Song (that video is sooo cool), By The War, Scar Tissue, Universally Speaking, Can't Stop - the list of great recent tracks goes on. I hope they keep it up
12 - Eric Olsen
I agree they have really found their songwriting touch 20 years into the game and that is a terrific and welcome surprise, but don't neglect their previous harder, funkier, groove-based stuff that made them heroes in the first place.
13 - Normal person
I am a normal person who like red hot chili peppers and admire anthony but...
He is no match for Mike Patton he does not have as much talent in his voice
14 - paula
i just cant wait to see them in concert if they come to phila this summer
15 - sheri
Love the Red Hot Chili Peppers. But californication glazes my eyes over, like a boring converstaion with a bored person.
16 - J.Sanchez
First of all what person in their right mind would take Faith no More over the Peppers. also, why are there so many people hating on their new stuff just because its more mellow. Lyrically, their new stuff is better and John and AK have really matured as artist.
17 - kyle
heres the deal chilis are 10 times better over fucking stupid and pathetic faith no more mike patton is a total dick he took this piss out of the chilis dead guitar player what a total arsehole he really is mike patton sucks ass all night long chilis rockkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk forever woooooooooo so fuck u all who think tht mike patton or faith no more is good cause theyre just dick who suck ass
18 - leeeeb
woo yeah kyle!!!!!*grinsss
19 - Malicious
AK is a joke with his prancing too-cool-for-school bullshit performances.
RCHP is music to trade at garage sales.
Flea is talented - clearly, just such a shame about the front man.
20 - leGo for the ppl
I like some of RHCP´s songs, but as a whole, they are boring.
Faith No More on the other hand is VERY interesting. You just dont get tired of their music, you allways find something new on their records. Great work guy!
PS: Mike was, is and always will be a much better front man/performer/artist than Anthony.
21 - Cha-Chi
Big bungle/fnm fan here... Anyone that compares a legitimate amount of AK's live/studio/etc abilities against MP's and picks ol heroin junkie is lying to themselves. I LOVE, and i mean LOVE old chili peppers. From 82 or whenever they started up until about 92. After that i cant get into any of it. HOWEVER, Kiedis's vox are always offkey, painfully apparent live. NOT the case with Patton, always fun to hear/see him. If AK had more range and could stay in tune for half of his show i wouldnt even type anything.
22 - Mr,BungLE
FUCK ALL OF YOU!
MR.BUNGLE OWNS THE PEPPERS!! :D
23 - Dave
first of all faith no more are crap, mr bungle are good, RHCP are good not just flea, flea and john fruciante are most probably better musicaians than any one in any of the bands mike patton has ever been in, mike patton did steal AK style look at the epic video AK over reacted and guess what it doesn't fucking matter there both great and 2 of my favorite bands
24 - evil ernie
everybody knows that Faith No More (the Jim Martin years) shits all over RHCP any day of the week so why does it matter if Patton improved what RHCP had already done. i mean everybody in the 70s-80s used the same ideas for their videos, so why does RHCP have to be so anal about it? tards.
25 - Evil Ernie
the zephr song is gay, pointless and just gay. the frontman (dunno his name dont care) is just no, not really no.
Patton makes better noises with his butt. Weird Al does a better version of RHCP and he's taking the piss. RHCP are so old they are like gay old men that cant sing.
Flea is kinda cool, the band brings him down somewhat