Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik
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Free Music Notes for Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Free Music Review: "Under the bridge downtown, is where I drew some blood..."
Hit: 5 Stars
While Mother's Milk may have been their first commercial success, Blood Sugar Sex Magik catapulted the Red Hots into the stuff of rock legends. Songs like "Under the Bridge" and "Give It Away" have been radio staples ever since this albums' release, but there's more inside. It's also worth noting that with this album (along with the works of grunge artists like Nirvana and Pearl Jam), "alternative" music was embraced by the mainstream. Now on to the review!
1. Power of Equality: A spectacular way to open such a great album. Anthony Kiedis delivers some furious rapping about racial discrimination accompanied by scorching insturmentals, making this song a politically-powerful slice of high-powered funk.
2. If You Have To Ask: The pace is slowed down a little from the fury of the previous track, with highly-creative rapping snakeing it's way through the verses, accompanied by some minimalist insturmentals the fit the vocals like a glove. The chorus is a true standout, with guitarist John Frusciante singing "if you have to ask" with an unbelivably high voice and Anthony singing "funky mother****ers will not be told to go". The song closes with a nasty-sounding guitar solo accompanied by an applause for John.
3. Breaking the Girl: A track completely unlike the previous two. This is a beautiful love song, with the vocals accompanied by a flute, creating a sound that never fails to touch me with its pure beauty. Chad Smith has a superb (and bizarre) drum solo where he bangs on scrap metal.
4. Funky Monks: A slow-burning funk song that almost appears to be multi-layered (or multi-segmented) with the insturmental solos in between the chorus, which features John's trademark high singing. It may appear to drag on for some, but that adds heavily to the intoxicating funk of this song. It's basically the sonic equlivalent of a long walk through the desert (without the negative aspects).
5. Suck My Kiss: The fast-pased mayhem funk returns to the forefront with this track, featuring aggressive rapping and pounding insturmentals that add to the intensity. There's also an awesome guitar solo in this song, which needs to be heard to be believed!
6. I Could Have Lied: At first, it cools you down from the chaos of the previous song, but tells a sad, moving tale of rejection with somber insturmentals to moisten the tear glands a little.
7. Mellowship Slinky In B-Major: Opens (and closes) with some pounding insturmentals, but switches to minimalist funk insturmentals (accompanied by a piano) that speed up with the chorus and in between the verses, which feature Anthony rapping some nicely creative rhymes (peppered (pun unintended) with well-placed literary refrences).
8. Rightous and the Wicked: A politically-powerful song about the Gulf War, which features some true-to-life lyrics about the state of the world, and one rockin' chorus. The insturmentals truely stand out on this track, with some very impressive guitar work.
9. Give It Away: You've heard this one before. This song is basically an audio riot, with fast-passed rapping and funky insturmentals which reach down to the primal level, forcing you to paint yourself silver and go out to the desert and dance like a wild man (or woman).
10. Blood Sugar Sex Magik: Opens with a low and lewd guitar solo followed by some low and lewd vocals, which lead to the fiery chorus. The insturmental work is best described for this song as atmospheric, like riding out into the sunset on sound waves.
11. Under the Bridge: Perhaps the defining song of this album (along with Give it Away). This is a slower-paced (compared to say, Give it Away) song about Anthony's drug addiction, and his search for friendship. The song that also introduced me to the Chili Peppers. The song closes with John's mother singing harmony vocals and an atmospheric and haunting outro.
12. Naked In The Rain: A quirky song about escaping to nature, which features some very remarkable bass work.
13. Apache Rose Peacock: Funk at its finest. A cute story about meeting a girl during Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The instrumentals feature a trumpet played by Flea, and in between the chorus is a chant of "doo doo doo doo doo", adding to the festivity and fun of this song. The track closes with some faced pased insturmentals.
14. The Greeting Song: A very fast song to charge your batteries. Features some very good insturmentals which accelerate the pace of the song.
15. My Lovely Man: Like "Knock Me Down" on Mother's Milk, this is a rockin' tribute to former guitarist Hillel Slovak, which has fast-paced insturmentals complement the sad lyrics. The chrous of the song changes the pace, with more subdued insturmentals and sad lyrics.
16. Sir Psycho Sexy: A true funk epic. The first five minutes or so of this song feature some of the most sexually-explict lyrics ever to seduce my eardrums. It's almost like audio pornography, but in a good kind of way. The last three or so minutes star an absolutely sublime insturmental solo, which entrances listeners in its sonic majesty. But that's not all...
17: They're Red Hot: A Robert Johnson cover recorded at 2 AM outside the Hollywood Hills mansion where the album was recorded (listen for the sounds of traffic and crickets chirping). The calm of the late night is not just broken, but evescerated by Anthony singing in hyperspeed and Chad playing with only his hands.
Despite my attempt in this review, there really is no way to properly describe the heavenly (and devilish) sounds of this album with words. Thus, you must buy this album and discover the Blood, the Sugar, the Sex, and the Magik for yourself, as well as any other Chili Peppers album.
Free Music Review: The album of all albums
Hit: 5 Stars
So yes, we live in a world where rock fans soak up corporate mess and other bands that thrive on attitude but not necessarily good songwriting. In this case, Blood Sugar Sex Magik would be too intelligent of an album for all of you. It's an album that is a complete microcosm filled with musical styles from hardcore funk metal to New Orleans jazz. It is a different sounding sort of rock and there is a reason why this is the summit for anyone that is a true Red Hot Chili Peppers fan.
Forget Californication and By The Way. This is the album that gave the Red Hot Chili Peppers something they had lacked for a long time before this -- an identity. Gone were the days of wild drug habits, band engimas, fights with producers, and minimal creative control. This is where four creative and ingenuous musicians -- Anthony Kiedis, Flea, John Frusciante, and Chad Smith.
There are two things worth noting on this album. Every track was recorded live and was not overdubbed or anything -- you can hear Rick Rubin's voice before "The Power of Equality" and "Suck My Kiss" and the crickets chirping at the end of "Sir Pyscho Sexy" and "They're Red Hot". In other words, this is how the album was intended to sound without the remastering or anything. The dirt is right there and it makes you feel like you are actually in the studio with them recording these songs in the summer of 1991. Another thing is, each band member wrote their own part of their song, so the creativity behind each of the songs is stronger and the songs sounding more pure.
They always say Anthony Kiedis's lyrics are unintelligent. I highly dispute that...drugs, globalization, sex, life, relationships, attitude, humanity, war, politics, peace, human rights...all of that is discussed in this album. So you tell me if Kiedis cannot write unintelligent lyrics. I don't think unintelligent lyrics are supposed to make you think.
As for the songs, there are absolutely no fillers in this album unlike their later albums. In fact, this is the last album that would not contain fillers in my opinion. It starts off with
"The Power of Equality" a politically charged high energy song with Kiedis doing very impressive rapping and Flea delivering a top notch bassline.
"If You Had To Ask" is a humorous song about Kiedis's life in L.A.
"Breaking The Girl" , which is about broken relationships, is a type of song where their funk meets classical music in a way.
"Funky Monks", is a song about every man and woman out there, including themselves. I could not believe John could actually sing that high on chorus, and Flea's suging bassline is the best bassline you will ever hear besides the following song.
"Suck My Kiss" is an ode to sex and society and it is impressive how Flea and John combine their instruments to create one sound.
"I Could Have Lied" is pretty much the saddest song you will ever hear as it also touches on broken relationships.
"Mellowship Slinky in B Major" is all about Kiedis's life as it is very lighthearted and provides a very heavy funked up guitar riff by John.
"The Righteous & The Wicked" is another politically charged song as it refers to the Gulf War. John's guitar work is impressive here. Kiedis' vocals add to the dynamics of the song.
"Give It Away" is their first number one hit and also amongst the best on this album. The juice harp was pretty well pared with John's guitar and Flea provides a very very addictive bassline. Chad's drumming also helps move the song along pretty well.
"Blood Sugar Sex Magik" might be their weakest song on the album, but nonetheless still a quality listen. Very erotic guitar by John. Great drumming by Chad.
"Under The Bridge" is about Anthony's heroin stage forshadows the way they would do ballads for here on out. Comes as a stand still on the album and it is pretty good. Amazingly nearly did not make the album due the fact Anthony originally stashed the lyrics away and Soul To Squeeze was going to be put on here.
"Naked In The Rain" is pretty much about society and escaping to a utopia. Not one of the more popular RHCP song, it still deserves to be on the album and it is pretty good. Nice bassline by Flea.
"Apache Rose Peacock" is by far the funkiest and the best song on the album. Being about a girl Anthony saw in New Orleans creatively and allegorically referred to as the apache rose peacock, it features very addictive bassline by Flea and Anthony's random lyrics make it the party on the album.
"The Greeting Song" is amongst the fastest songs RHCP ever made. A very surging and refreshing ride from start to finish.
"My Lovely Man" is the ode to Hillel Slovak and features a tearjerking melodical bass play by Flea, followed by as surging solo by John.
"Sir Pyscho Sexy" is pretty much the dirtiest 5 1/2 minutes you'll ever hear followed by the sweetest 2 1/2 minute instrumental RHCP has ever done. It was to be the original closing to the album.
"They're Red Hot" was a goof off recorded at 2 AM on the hill outside the mansion they recorded the album. It serves as a funny way to end the album, almost like an throw in scene long after the end of a play. Pretty good. Features Chad playing with only his hands.
It's a great album, I love it, it means the world to me and you should get this album to really know how a real band creates music and creates an album.
Free Music Review: BloodSugarSexBrilliant
Hit: 5 Stars
Red Hot Chili Peppers-BloodSugarSexMagik *****
Long considered the essential Red Hot Chili Peppers album, BloodSugarSexMagik really is the ultimate Chili Peppers album, well until Stadium Arcadium that is. Gangling guitars, funky bass, nice groove filled drumming, good vocals and lyrics and lots of energy. Sounds like every other Chili Peppers album huh, except this is better then all the others. Never sticking with one style of music for way to long this album jumps from funk to punk to hard rock to soul and every thing in between. It's impossible to get bored with this album because it is all over the place. Anthony Keidis' vocals are great here and his lyrics are some of his all time best in places. John Frushanti plays amazing guitar as always, Flea tares up the bass as usual, and Chad Smith dominates the drum set.
The album opens up with `The Power Of Equality' which starts of with a nice intro and then dives right into the album head first. Great rocker with nice bass and it is a awesome way to start off the album. `If You Have To Ask' is next. A song filled with great guitar and a killer solo by John. The chorus is very, very catchy. It is sure to be one of your favorites on the album. `Breaking The Girl' slows things down a little bit for a nice change of pace. Before buying this album most people have no idea that the Chili Peppers have this side to their music, it is a slower acoustic ballad with some of Anthony Keidis' best lyrics and an all time favorite. `Breaking The Girl' is one of the bands all time best songs. `Funky Monks' has one of the coolest guitar riffs of all time. It is nothing short of amazing. It is so funky it hurts. The semi autobiographical lyrics are a nice touch to a fun song. Once again the band knows how to write a catchy chorus, one that will for sure be stuck in your head in the morning. Next is the first hit single off the album, `Suck My Kiss.' This song is still all over the radio to this day. Lyrics that only Anthony Keidis could create make this song an essential listen. A heavy bass line compliment this track perfectly. A personal favorite is next. `I Could Have Lied' is simply put one of the very best songs every written and recorded. The lyrics are extremely beautiful and the slow acoustic music is excellent for the atmosphere. The electric guitar solo's over the acoustic guitar is perfect one of John Frushantis' bigger shining moments as a masterful guitar player. This is one song you will press repeat for. `Mellowship Slinky In B Major' sounds like a throw back to the classic funk days of the 1970's with Parliament Funkadelic with Bottsy Collins and George Clinton. A great song that really show the band influences. `The Righteous And The Wicked' is a killer song. One of the better songs on the album. Great background vocals, and another great chorus. The whole band plays together perfectly on this track. Next is another classic Chili Peppers song and a major hit single in it's day. `Give It Away' is a fast paste song with really great guitar and out of this world bass. Chad Smith's Drumming is the heart of this song if you ask me though. Keidis' rapping ability comes through here and it's funny because he is actually really good at it. The killer title track is next, `BloodSugarSexMagik' is one of the bands all time best songs. The chorus alone is worth the price of this album, It's a personal favorite, one of my all time favorite songs. It's hard to explain because it is one of those songs that must be heard to appreciate. Next is a little song called `Under The Bridge' which is only really the bands essential song and the one that made them the massive rock starts that they are today, and for good reasons it is one of the most amazing songs ever written. The lyrics are absolutely beautiful, blissful. John's guitar playing will most likely never top this song. This is one of the all time best riffs ever, very few players will ever create something so amazing as this. The use of the choir in the end is genius and really makes the song twice as good as it would be with out it. Truly a classic. `Naked In The Rain' is a cool song, but it kind of reminds me of `Suck My Kiss' but it is still a really good song. `Apache Ros Peacock' is a strange song about New Orleans, its really a nice song with some great backing and group vocals. `The Greeting Song' is a great high energy fast paste song with loads of great guitar. It doesn't really stand out along with the rest of the album but the bass is some of Flea's all time best playing that is for sure. `My Lovely Man' is another great song and it really sounds like nothing the band has ever recorded before. Im not really sure how to describe it but it is a really good song with nice guitar playing, it really stands out. Ok, um.. `Sir Psycho Sexy' is one of the dirtiest songs ever. Someone was horny when they wrote the song, very sexual charge. It is a fun song to listen to and don't let the length worry you the song never gets boring it only gets better as the song goes along. The album closes with Robert Johnson cover, yes I said Robert Johnson the king of the Delta Blues. I really don't like it but I think they just did it for fun.
So in the end this really is the best thing they boys have ever done. I think the Red Hot Chili Peppers will make a better album then this some day but for now this is the best place for people to start with the band so don't hesitate order now!
Free Music Review: the chili peppers zenith
Hit: 5 Stars
First off, I'd like to state that I'm not a RHCP mega-fan. Having said that, this album is my favourite album, by anyone, ever. It's also worth saying that if you consider yourself an avid Chili Peppers fan on the basis of 'By The Way' then don't bother with this album. You will have probably heard 'Under The Bridge' and read that this album is their greatest offering, (which is true) therefore will expect more of the same mellow type material as heard on 'By The Way,' and the aforementioned mega-hit off this album. You will be bitterly disappointed. This album is funk metal through and through, and the singing is mostly in the rap style. So....if you're open minded, and want to know what the true Chili Peppers are all about, read on.
The Chili Peppers first 2 albums, (self titled and Freaky Styley) sound to me like nothing more than kinda enjoyable but very amateurish funky jam sessions. It came together in a big way with 'Uplift' with far superior melodies and actual songs! That album, and the subsequent 'Mothers Milk' (which was the first album with the current line-up, and the same line-up as on BSSM) had many a highlight, and I love those albums too. However, BSSM was a giant leap in every respect. With Rick Rubin at the production helm this album sounds like real funk rock pros who know they're at the top of their game, and they set out to create their greatest work. They succeeded totally.
Every single track, with the exception of 'They're Red Hot' (which was obviously intended as a joke throwaway, so it's forgivable) is a 10* winner. Tracks 1 & 2 flow seamlessly together to create an amazing opening medley of pure funky rock with soaring choruses, and cutting lyrics. Flea slapping his base like never before, John playing in a far heavier style than we're used to now and Chad anchoring it all down with some of the clearest drumming ever recorded. Along with 'Under The Bridge', (and to an extent 'I Could Have Lied') 'Breaking The Girl' is the other all out "slow" track and is equally as great as its more famous cousin. The lyrics aren't as good, but the music is better, with Chad banging out a solo on scrap metal. Bizarre but perfect, it's a beautiful track.
I'm not gonna review every track, but suffice to say, most of the rest of the album continues in the same funk rock vein as set out in the first 2 tracks. 'Funky Monks' is one of my favourites, with an explosive guitar solo from John, which I relish all the more, cos I know he'll probably never lay down such a sound again, (here's hopin with Stadium Arcadium!!). Of course everyone knows 'Give It Away' and it is undeniably superb, but IMHO not the best funk rock song on this album by a long shot. For me, the title track outstrips it, as does 'The Righteous And The Wicked' with its ace bass riff and powerful chorus. 'My Lovely Man' is another highlight, as it's a lyrically beautiful tribute to the late great Hillel Slovak, their original guitarist, and sonically a great rocker, with John yet again unleashing an amazing extended guitar solo. Also of note is 'Naked In The Rain' which is unremarkable, compared to the rest of the album, (which means that it's still great) but it does contain an awesome slap bass solo from Flea, which really rocks. Hard.
For me, the real last track of the set, and the best, is 'Sir Psycho Sexy' and it's a brilliant way to finish. Yes, the lyrics are pornography in an audio form, but even on 'By The Way' the lyrics are pure filth, (not to this extent, granted) so it's what the Chilis are all about, only on this track they take it to the extreme! The first half of the song is a funk rave-up, in the style of most of the rest of the rest album, but then just over half way through, it breaks down into for me what is the most beautiful music on the whole album, (not acoustic like 'Under The Bridge' etc. but simply music that floats, in a tripped out manner). It's a classic Chilis song.
Again, I implore you to steer clear, if you're a hardcore 'By The Way' fan and expect this to be similar. It isn't really anything like 'By The Way'....having said that, if your favourite track off 'By The Way' is 'Can't Stop' then you may want to give this a spin. It's a long album though, and heavier than 'Can't Stop' but don't dismiss it; endure and hopefully you'll get to love it as I do. It angers me to some extent how few songs were included off this album on their Greatest Hits album. You'd be better off buying 'What Hits!?' 'Greatest Hits' and BSSM. This really is their best album.
A seminal release. Cheers for reading.
Free Music Review: The best and worst thing ever to happen to the RHCP
Hit: 5 Stars
First off I am not a kid, I just don't quite feel like joining Amazon yet, but anyway lets go to the review.
In 1991 the RHCP were a pretty crazy band. In the past decade they had gone from nobodys to a record deal to George Clinton to deaths to heroin addictions and finally they recruited Chad Smith and John Frusciante and made Mothers Milk, the album that had their first actual hit Higher Ground, and by hit I mean it actually charted on billboard(Hollywood-Africa and True men don't kill coyotes were not "hits") and gave them new fans, that album was certified gold before BSSM ever came out so the RHCP had a pretty good fan base by the time 1991 was around. Their funky white-boy frat band sound was very original at a time when Rick James was the biggest name in funk.
So then 1991 came around and BSSM was released. Under the Bridge, Give it away, and Breaking the Girl were released as the singles and this album was just getting pulled off the shelves and people discovered this whole album was just flat out amazing funk, the best album the RHCP could ever have put out... and that is why this is the worst thing that ever happened to them. The success of this album gave them lots of instant money and fame that particuarly affected John Frusciante and drove him into a 7-year drug hiatus. The RHCP were blown off the map by this album and could literally never top it.
So what do you do when you release the perfect album, why go on? If you made another perfect album people would doubt the first, and the RHCP couldn't push the boundaries of funk any farther. So in 1995 they tried to make a new album with Jane's Addiction superstar guitarist Dave Navarro. The album was built around their crossover hit Under the Bride on BSSM and was for the most part a very good album, not great but songs like My Friends and Aeroplane are good hard-rockin tunes. The RHCP are not a hard-rockin band. They aren't Jane's Addiction and they don't rock out, they funk out. So it was clear they needed to go in a new direction and grow up. One Hot Minute, the Dave Navarro album, is the sound of the RHCP going into puberty, its criticism overshadowed the fact that although some of their songs weren't great they could try to head in a new direction. Then came 1999 and Frusciante was back with a new album called Californication.
That album divided their fan base. BSSM fans who didn't like Under the Bridge now had to choose whether to support the old Chili's or give this new band a chance. Surprisingly most remained ignorant and still hold that, like Metallica, they haven't done anything good since 1991. However that didn't matter to the RHCP, with songs like Scar Tissue, Californication, and Otherside taking off on the radio this album was flying off the shelves faster than BSSM, and that really angered old fans. It's easy to hold to a bands glory days when they are over, but when a bands glory period lasts for like... 15 years you get some pretty crucial fans arguing over which album is best.
By the Way was a very important album in that fans anticipated it highly, old fans wanted to see if they would revert back to 1991 form and new fans wanted another dose of californiaction. Newer fans got what they wanted to the 10th degree. By the Way, the Zephyr song, and Can't stop solidified to the world that this band was here to stay in this form, love it or leave it. However, that album didn't quite lay the smack down like Californication did and left many fans speculating if the Chili Peppers were through, once again the old BSSM fans came back through saying that when the funk was done so was the band.
Then about four months ago the Chili's came out of a four-year break and released Stadium Arcadium the ultimate Chili Peppers album. It contained some of the best Californication-type music thy had put out and also contained their first funk music since 1991, and that album finally silenced the BSSM critics and gave them what they wanted, if you haven't checked out that album already buy it, buy BSSM too if you haven't yet. All their music is just great.