'Mother’s Milk' might concievably never have seen the light of day. The death of Hillel Slovak had dealt a major blow to the band. In fact, it caused Jack Irons to quit, leaving the Chili Peppers in search of both a new drummer and guitarist.
One thing that becomes apparent instantly on this album is that the influence of the new musicians. Chad Smith’s driving rhythms provide a harder edge to the Pepper’s sound. Combined with the masterful guitar playing of John Frusciante (only 19 at this stage) it’s put beyond all doubt that this new line up had something special to offer.
The album kicks off with ‘Good Time Boys’, one of the hardest hitting songs on the album. Flea’s fantastic bass line and Smyth’s driving beat provides a perfect backbone for the rest of the band. Frusciante’s guitar skills are instantly shown through a combination of choppy funk chords, Van Halen-type dive-bombing and the hard rock riffing to finish out the song. Lyrically, the band stays in familiar territory for the opener, although the effects on parts of Kiedis’ vocals add a new dimension to the song. From the outset it’s clear that the band are stronger than ever and progressing at an impressive rate. (In three years they would release Blood Sugar Sex Magick, one of the greatest and most inventive albums of the 90’s)
‘Higher Ground’ then makes its appearance, with the instantly recognisable bass intro. It’s the first, and better, of two covers on the album and done in the Chili’s own unique style. From the slapped bass intro, to the sing along chorus and speedy punk outro, this song encompasses everything that made the band so innovative. Their flawless combination of funk, punk and rock made for an individual sound that has often been copied but rarely surpassed.
‘Knock Me Down’ provides a new side to the Pepper’s. Dedicated to Hillel, the lyrics are the most introspective that Kiedis had written up to this point. Frusciante’s vocal line is put to the forefront of the song which serves it better. His style of singing seems more appropriate to this particular song from Kiedis’, despite the personal nature of the lyrics. Frusciante’s influence is particularly evident on ‘Knock Me Down’. His Hendrix-style chord progression to the pop influenced chorus is a far cry from anything the band had written previously. This song is the simplest on the album with no solos and a relatively simple bass line courtesy of Flea, showing the first signs of the ‘less is more’ philosophy the band would employ three years later which would cause the to catapult into stardom.
Other notable highlights on the album would include ‘Stone Cold Bush’ with its driving wah riff from Frusciante and incredible bass solo from Flea providing one of the harder songs on the album. ‘Taste The Pain’ provides a more stripped back style of funk with a chugging violin accompaniment in the verse and an inspired outro from Frusciante, employing some of the most incredible chords to create a dreamy atmosphere showing yet again his influence on the band.
However, as good as the album is, it isn’t without fault. ‘Magic Johnson’, an ode to the basketball legend, really isn’t on a par with the rest of the album’s material and could have been left off without any real loss. It outstays its welcome after a minute and the rapped vocal line of both Flea and Kiedis become repetitive. ‘Subway To Venus’ also doesn’t stand up to repeated listening, mainly due to Kiedis’ vocals which lose their novelty value. These small criticisms aside, this record shows the band in fine form and progressing into new territory.
Flea’s bass playing really takes centre stage on this record. From his finger style funk on ‘Sexy Mexican Maid’ to the demented slapping and popping of ‘Nobody Weird Like Me’ and ‘Johnny Kick A Hole In The Sky’, to the eastern tinged riffing in ‘Pretty Little Ditty’ he puts it shows why he is considered one of the best players to have graced the music scene. His influence can be seen in so many players today but none seem to be able to come up with his feral combination of punk and funk.
I find the main strength of ‘Mother’s Milk’ is in the demented energy of the record and really captures the live atmosphere that the band had at the time. It’s one of those records that has you on edge constantly although there is a brief moment of respite in ‘Pretty Little Ditty’ before you’re driven head first into the frenetic ‘Punk Rock Classic’ The album provided the first indications that the Chili Pepper’s would achieve superstardom, with the addition of Frusciante in particular. His pop sensibilities combined with an incredible ear for melody and song arrangement would provide the band with a new platform from which they would take over the world. If you want a history of the crazy vigour that the band had back in the day, then make sure ‘Mother’s Milk’ is one of your next purchases.
