By the Way

by

Red Hot Chili Peppers

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Lately I have heard many MANY people slinging mud at the Red Hot Chili Peppers calling them everything from "sellouts" to "no fun anymore". While earlier outings such as "The Uplift Mofo Party Plan" and "Mother's Milk" are what got me into the Chili Peppers in the first place, if they were still trying to churn out the same exact funk-punk that they did in the 80's I am certain I'd be bored to tears with them by now. I relish the fact that no two Chili Peppers albums really sound the same, and even appreciate the greatly panned "One Hot Minute" for its own unique style (I certainly wouldn't have minded hearing a second album with Navarro on guitar before he took off). As far as them being sellouts...whatever. I used to be one of those brainless sheep that called every band with a hit single "sellouts" until I read Henry Rollins's "Get in the Van," where he said that Black Flag were considered sellouts for (among other things) cutting their hair, not playing every single song the audience requested, playing songs that were longer than 3 minutes, and...horror of horrors...RELEASING ALBUMS. People who accuse bands of selling out should be taken every bit as seriously as an Anna Nicole Smith film festival.

This album, while maybe not as close to the typical idea of "fun" as albums where the boys rapped about sex and partying, is indeed a treasure. I'll admit I wasn't too crazy about it at first, but upon repeated listenings I found myself unable to listen to anything else for weeks. My personal favorites are the block of "This is the Place," "Dosed," and "Don't Forget Me." Other gems include the Living Colour-esque "Midnight" (seriously, imagine Corey Glover singing the chorus), the Latin-flavored "Cabron", the irresistably bouncy "On Mercury", and of course the two singles "By the Way" and "The Zephyr Song." The only thing about this album that I was a bit upset about is the fact that Flea's bass gymnastics have completely taken a back seat this time around. His contributions are much more subtle than on previous records and his breathtaking slaps and pops are sorely missed. This is an Anthony and John album all the way. But on the plus side...this is an Anthony and John album all the way! Anyone who's heard and enjoyed John's stunning 2000 solo effort "To Record Only Water For Ten Days" (easily one of the best albums of that year) knows what an unrivaled genius John is now that he's said good riddance to heroin. His sublime guitar play and experimental synth work snake their way all over this album in the aforementioned tracks and others such as "Warm Tape," "Venice Queen," and "Tear."

No fun anymore? I suppose that all depends on your idea of fun. If you're looking for something to blast at your next house party amidst kegstands and random hook-ups, look elsewhere. By the Way affects you in a much different way, but is by no means boring or not fun. Pick it up and listen to it at least twice before you pass judgment.

I've been a monster Pepper fan for years but I'm very disappointed with this new CD. You would think the boys would know by now that Flea's bass is more beautiful and transcendant than all these conventional harmonies and layered vocals combined (has there ever been a bassist who conveyed so much emotion on his instrument?), but he's barely even heard here. John's a great guitarist but he tinkers way too much on this one. It's like he took the time to experiment with all these different instruments - keys, vocoder, etc. - but forgot how to play leads. His style has gotten too minimalistic for me lately, expecially in his lead playing, and he's gone overboard pushing the ubiqutious, overwrought harmonies. Flea's 'voice' just does not come through enough here.

Compare "By The Way" with their masterpiece, Blood Sugar. The reason BSSM is so great (one of the reasons, anyway) is because everyone's voice comes through equally. John, Flea, Chad and Anthony weave their magik in and out, over and around, and through each other in a perfect balance, with each player taking the lead at times, and everybody playing off and complimenting the other. On BTW it sounds like Flea and Chad are merely hired guns, there to sit it the background and sheepishly comment on the dominant guitar and vocals. Of course, one can never really expect another Blood Sugar. That one simply had it all: energy, passion, funk, punk, humor, sadness, joy, delicacy, aggression, brains, muscle and iconoclasm. Then you have Californication, which is more classically structured but still retains a nice Pepper mix of understated beauty, thoughtful lyricism, and well-placed rock/funk energy.

"By The Way," ultimately, is a one trick pony. Yes, it's packed full of catchy melodies and pretty hooks, but it lacks not only power (excepting the title track), but even subtlety (excepting Tear). There's a few bright spots (especially This Is the Place) and there's dashes of tasty color sprinkled here and there on top of the cliched melodies and overwrought harmonies. But the record is simply too damn conventional. Period. This is not Chili Pepper music. I feel like they should have changed their name for this album. I'm amazed to hear myself say it, but I actually find this record boring. I heard recently that John has come to detest Mother's Milk. That's insane. The grooves on that record are downright stunning. I hope the Peppers haven't forgotten that a killer rhythm can always be as beautiful as a good melody. I've always felt close to these guys in a way, like friends really, because of the way my soul connects with their music. I think that was my biggest disappointment with BTW. It didn't happen here.

Anyway, the last thing I want to comment on is the unbelievable promotion this record has received. Here in NY it was constantly advertised on the radio. For a few weeks all I saw on VH1 were Pepper specials...I even noticed there was something about the Peppers on that horrific channel MTV. Now, I'm sure this album will bring many new fans into the RHCP camp, but I'm equally as sure it's going to alienate many of us who've been with them all along. For us tried-and-true fans it's not hard to do the math: mix an increasing disregard for the original Pepper style, add a progressive movement toward accesible, radio-friendly tunes, a massive dose of heavy promotion, and it all begins to smell a little bit like a sell-out. Don't get me wrong, I'm still a fan. For now anyway. The only way they could sever all ties and forever cut me loose would be to use "Give It Way" to sell cars & perform with In Sync (hey, they have some nice melodies!) at the Super Bowl.

Then their metamorphosis from punk-rock classics to "industry Joe's in a biz called show" would be complete, and I would be long gone.