Once upon a time in the year 1991, a band like no other made an incredibly funky album called Blood Sugar Sex Magik. After their big success, their guitarist John Frusciante left the band and got replaced with Dave Navarro for their next album, One Hot Minute. It didn't sell much compared to Blood Sugar Sex Magik, but eventually John Frusciante came back to the band to make a more radio-friendly album combining the hard funk they had before with some beautiful soft music, which inspired their follow-up By the Way. This band is called Red Hot Chili Peppers and the album they made to get back up on the charts was Californication.
The band line-up are:
Anthony Kiedis: Vocals
John Frusciante: Guitar
Flea: Bass
Chad Smith: Drums
Tracklisting:
01. Around the World
Probably the best way Red Hot Chili Peppers have ever started an album. The guitar and drums know where to kick in and the bass is still as good as ever. Then, Anthony Kiedis comes into the song and raps in the verses about all the magnificent places he's been to on Earth. The chorus comes in next, which is soft and Anthony sings "I know, I know for sure that life is beautiful around the world. I know, I know it's you. You say "Hello" and then I say "I do".". The pattern gets repeated again a couple more times, but the verses talk about different places and on the third time the chorus is sung, the second line is replaced with "$%%&*^&$#$@##%&^*(*(&%%^$%$" and the fourth line is substituted with "&*%^$#@#$%^&*&()**%%$#@#$%*%&". In Anthony Kiedis' language, both punctuation enriched phrases are pronounced "Ding dang ding dong ding dang ding dong ding dang". I guess Asian characters couldn't be printed on the album's lyric booklet. Other than that, the bridge is a perfect way to end the song and this is a track on Californication I reccommend.
02. Parallel Universe
After a great funky song comes a relaxing soft song. Anthony's lyrics are strange to fit the parallel universe in this song, but him calling himself a California king in the chorus is where the words really shine. The drums and guitar know how to kick ass though, and that's what I like so much here.
03. Scar Tissue
Definitely the best song on Californication. An acoustic guitar plays and Anthony Kiedis raps on the fact that even though he's had good times with a southern girl in a scarlet bra, with the birds he shares a lonely view. This song was a great pick for a single, combining both the rap elements and the soft elements of Californication nicely. The instrumentation is astounding throughout. The best part though is whenever John Frusciante gets to his electric guitar solo and Chad Smith's drums keep the beat for him. If you haven't head this song, where have you been all this time?
04. Otherside
John Frusciante's guitar plays some darker notes than before and Anthony sings words on the album that sound like poetry a gothic kid would write before committing suicide ("How long, how long will I slide? I separate my side. I don't, I don't believe it's bad. Slit my throat, it's all I ever had."). No matter how depressing the song is though, I still find it very catchy and enjoyable. Chad hits the drums like crazy and John's guitar is amazing during and after the bridge. A Californication classic.
05. Get On Top
A track that sounds like something off of Blood Sugar Sex Magik, but is more radio-friendly even though it still contains some controversy in the lyrical content ("I will linger on your block and give the finger to a cop and pick a lock before I knock, I set you up to get on top".). The bass and guitar produces the most funky sound within Californication and this is one of the best album cuts you would come across.
06. Californication
Here comes the title track that coined up a new term in the English language. I define "californication" as "the feeling you get when the world around you gets consumed by every famous celebrity in California" and what Anthony Kiedis sings within this epic shows my definition of the word quite clearly. The instrumentation is soft and relaxing throughout and just like "Scar Tissue" and "Otherside", John Fruciante continues to pull off some good guitar work. Another track worth checking out.
07. Easily
This is "easily" the turning point of the album. Not as great as the six previous tracks, but this is pretty decent stuff. The guitar is smooth and I like the sound of Anthony's voice throughout the song. The lyrics are hard to decipher, but we know nobody's perfect here. "Easily" is not good, but at the same time not bad.
08. Porcelain
Probably the worst out of Californication's soft songs. All of the instruments don't kick in as much as they use to and the words become more stale than before, comparing a woman to porcelain and a little loon. However, this is a good song after listening to it a few times and doesn't seem to bring the album down in any way, shape, or form.
09. Emit Remmus
If you ask "Why the strange song title?", I will say "You don't know how to read backwards". Yes, the meaning of the song is about enjoying the summer and Anthony Kiedis sings about his an affair he had one summer quite nicely ("What can be wetter than an English girl, American man?"). The guitar is nothing special, but the drums really know their stuff here. Another alright album cut.
10. I Like Dirt
Another funky song, but just not as funky as "Get On Top". Just like "Get On Top" though, the bass and guitar know how to stand out and the song sounds like something off of Blood Sugar Sex Magik. The lyrical content is still as bizarre as anything System of a Down could write, but these words do a good job at describing a sexual encounter while on drugs ("Some come up and some come young, live to love and give good tongue, sit down get down in the sun, rocket to the woman is on the one".).
11. This Velvet Glove
Californication's most forgetable song, but a very enjoyable one when you listen to it. The music and lyrics have not become very unique, but I don't skip every minute of this ballad. There are no changes anywhere in rhythm, yet I wonder how a band like Red Hot Chili Peppers can write a good almost forgetable song. The whole thing is actually decent for a low point, just like "Porcelain".
12. Savior
John Frusciante makes an echo with his guitar at the beginning that really draws you into the song. Anthony Kiedis' voice seems to make the song a big drag throughout, but then there's a big change in the middle and near the end of the song in which the music gets quiter and Anthony sings quicker. The song has so many similarities to "This Velvet Glove" but is a more worthy track.
13. Purple Stain
The guitar, bass, and drums strike into the song at almost the same time and maintain the funkiness you would find in "Get On Top" and "I Like Dirt", yet the flow of the music seems slower than before. As for the lyrical content, Anthony says some strange descriptions on making a sexual fantasy with a girl on her period come true ("To finger paint is not a sin, I put my middle finger in. Your monthly blood is what I'll win. I'm in your house, now let me spin".). Every part of the music sounds like something Primus would do and just like Primus, sometimes the words get strange ("Knock on wood, we all stay good, 'cause we all live in Hollywood with Dracula and Darla Hood, unspoken words are understood".).
14. Right On Time
Every track on Californication has something good about it, but if I had to pick the worst song on it, it would be this one. This song is close to being pure filler and Anthony Kiedis raps and spews out some of the worst rhymes in the album's lyric booklet while at the same time making the song repetitive and outdated ("It's right on time, it's right on time, it's right on time, it's right on time, it's right on time, it's right on time, it's right on time. Lookin' fine, you're lookin' fine, get on 1999. It's right on time...".). However, the very jumpy bass has no filler value and I give Flea credit for saving the day here.
15. Road Trippin'
Now we get to the last song, done on acoustic guitar with a little bass every now and then. The lyrics are kind of confusing ("Blue you sit so pretty west of the one. Sparkles light with yellow icing, just a mirror for the sun".), but John knows how to get the acoustic guitar flowing with Flea's bass quite well. It's a very beautiful way to close the album and is pretty decent stuff for RHCP to do.
Track By Track Rating:
01. Around the World [5]
02. Parallel Universe [4]
03. Scar Tissue [5]
04. Otherside [5]
05. Get On Top [4.5]
06. Californication [5]
07. Easily [4]
08. Porcelain [3.5]
09. Emit Remmus [3.5]
10. I Like Dirt [4.5]
11. This Velvet Glove [3]
12. Savior [3.5]
13. Purple Stain [4.5]
14. Right On Time [2.5]
15. Road Trippin' [4]
Content Rating: Clean (Except for "Around the World", has a little swearing)
sounds horrible.
