Friday, February 22, 2013

With the birds I'll share this lonely view...

Artist: Red Hot Chili Peppers
Album: Californication
Released: June 7, 1999

I tend to forget sometimes that Red Hot Chili Peppers have actually been around for quite a while.  The band formed about 30 years ago and has had steady success, lots of hits, and many fans; yet they have been just edgy and alternative enough that they haven't been fully embraced by the mainstream pop scene.  They haven't really had that one big hit that defines their career; I suppose "Under the Bridge" somewhat fits that description, though it's not usually mentioned among the biggest hits of the '90s.

The band has always been hit or miss with me; I can't say that I like everything I've heard from them.  They hit a lull in the mid '90s; honestly, I don't know what the heck they were trying to do with their cover of "Love Rollercoaster".  But they did come back pretty strong with Californication in 1999, producing a few memorable hits that still get radio time today.  In fact, this ended up being their biggest selling album, and they've put out a couple more successful albums since then.

This band is known for their punk/funk brand of rock, though with Californication they went a little more mellow and alternative.  In fact, this really sounds more like it came out in about 1995 than in 1999.  There is a mix of easy and upbeat on this album, sometimes even within one song.  "Scar Tissue" is one of the more laid back songs; it was a big hit and also one of my favorites.  I really like how they used this formula with a few other songs on the album.  "Emit Remmus" is another example of this.  It has more of a raw grunge sound, and I really like how it turned out; though not nearly as well known as "Scar Tissue", I would say that these are my two favorites.

The other two radio hits were "Other Side" and "Californication", which have the post-grunge sound of the mid '90s.  They're both good, but I prefer the former.  Though not included in the big hits, the band's earlier sound shows up quite a bit, including the first two songs.  "Around the World" has that mix of punk and alternative that I alluded to before, though I think they pulled it off well.  "Parallel Universe" has the upbeat pace, and they also did a good job with it.  This sound is revived towards the end with "Right on Time", which is catchy but not among my favorites.

For me, the album does tend to drop off after my favorites, especially towards the end, but this is at least made tolerable by the fact that there is some variety.  Their funk/psychedelic background shows up in songs like "Get on Top", "Easily", and "Savior", which are all decent but not standout tracks.  I have to say by the time we get to "Purple Stain", this gets a little old.  I think they once again did a good job with the mellower sounds on "This Velvet Glove".  I think the much slower "Porcelain" is a good break in the middle of the album.  As many other rock bands, they tried their hand at acoustic with "Road Trippin'".  I can't say that I was impressed, but I've heard worse efforts in this regard.

Maybe you could say that Red Hot Chili Peppers had "arrived" when they appeared on The Simpsons back in 1993; Moe tried to get them to change their lyrics to be less offensive, and Barney chanted, "We want chilly willy!"  But with Californication in 1999, the band redefined their career and set course for a steady path of success for years afterward.  I'm never going to consider it among my all-time favorite albums, but there are some great tracks on there that I always enjoy.

Track #, Name of Song, Duration, My Rating
1. Around the World (3:58) - 9/10
2. Parallel Universe (4:29) - 9/10
3. Scar Tissue (3:35) - 10/10
4. Otherside (4:15) - 10/10
5. Get On Top (3:18) - 8/10
6. Californication (5:29) - 9/10
7. Easily (3:51) - 8/10
8. Porcelain (2:43) - 8/10
9. Emit Remmus (4:00) - 10/10
10. I Like Dirt (2:37) - 8/10
11. This Velvet Glove (3:45) - 9/10
12. Savior (4:52) - 8/10
13. Purple Stain (4:13) - 7/10
14. Right on Time (1:52) - 8/10
15. Road Trippin' (3:24) - 7/10

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