Reviews (page 10 of 15)
i liked the vibe of the album and a few songs
It is what it is. They have a very unique sound, which if you enjoy you’re going to love. It has the same problem I have with most RHCP albums in the sense of I start and think “yeah this is cool” and it gets to the singles and I’m like “yeah this is really cool” and then it keeps going for another 40 minutes afterwards.
Hits are on here, but it also just sounds pretty grating
I love Scar Tissue, It's such a banger. I'll definitely be sharing this with my homies. Either than that, it didn't move me 🤷♂️
SAHINDEWAINDERBAH Well we made it two songs without the Kiedler singing about his favorite subject (underage girls)
Ya know...I dont dislike the pepper boys, but about half this album kinda throws off the vibe of the rest of it.
This screams 2000s. I think that this album doesn’t age quite as well what people think. A few amazing songs in this album but also many stinkers in my opinion. Going to give it a mid 3. Fav song on the album: scar tissue
its alright
It’s not so much music as a vibe. To be fair, it’s a pretty fun vibe though.
This album surprised me listening back for probably the first time since school. I think RHCP have been shite for 20 odd years. But credit where credit is due, this album is ok. There are some really good tracks (otherside, scar tissue, road trippin) and John Frusciante's playing carries it a lot. There are also some fucking clangers (I like dirt) and Anthony Keidis' lyrics are pish. A mixed bag then but not as bad as I thought.
I admire some of the instrumentation and vision, and it succeeds in having a very Californian vibe. However, the vocals can be a bit grating for a whole album, and this is a long one.
I'm honestly a pretty big fan of RHCP, but I've always found this album to be one of their weaker ones. There's some major highlights here for sure, but there's a lot more misses than I'd like. 3/5
i’ve heard this before. haven’t listened to it since like high school though. this album is pretty hit or miss. but the part in emit remmus where he goes “english girl, american man” is one of the most hype things i’ve heard in a song. unfortunately the way he immediately goes to pronounce london pisses me the fuck off. never even realized that’s what he was saying today. i think that section is pretty descriptive of my feelings of this whole album. goes without saying, instrumental is consistently incredible. you don’t get as famous as flea as a bass player for nothing. a bit loud. i have it at like three volume because any louder would genuinely hurt. i can hear everything fine. flea doesn’t get enough props for his melodic playing.
19 year old me loved this album. 46 year old me thought it was OK. Sounded the same especially towards the end. 7.75/10 Top song Otherside
How do I know every song on this album??!? I have no memory of ever listening to it but it was ubiquitous when it came out. For me, this album is all about Flea’s bass playing along John Fruscianti’s guitar. I like their noisier songs, harking back to their older albums. Flea can just embrace the chaos muppet that he is. 56 minutes is on the long side for me.
Haven’t finished it. May not bother. Back in the day, Lady Laplaya and I would have heated arguments about which was the best Chili Peppers album Mother’s Milk (her) or Blood Sugar Sex Magic (me). The argument went (her) “I think the best couple of songs are on Mother’s Milk” (me) “I like the nonstop energy of Blood Sugar.” As I said- very heated. One thing that was never in doubt was, whatever the best RHCP record was, it wasn’t this one. This may be their most successful record. It has some mainstream hits on it. But the whole thing is just that, mainstream and uninteresting. The squares liked it. It maintains one fairly consistent rhythm throughout with mi or changes in tempo. Anthony’s “rapping” is fairly cringe but again, the sort of thing that middle class white people would find to be the perfect balance of fake edgy and accessible. Pablum
This is one of those albums that I don't need to listen to. The ascendancy of their music left me sad, as I couldn't get on their bandwagon... they were party music, but not for parties I went to.
Behållningen är hitsen
I’ve always thought this band was bland and made cookie cutter rock music. I’ll admit, There’s some catchy tunes here and there on this one. But underneath it all, there’s nothing going on here for me. So fucking safe it hurts. (I take gummies and drive a Fiat core) POV: driving with a girl you’ve never hung out with before and are scared to play your real playlist. All that to say, it’s still a solid 6/10. Should’ve given this to me in the actual summer.
- Heroin can create good stuff - Didn’t realize how goofy these guys were - Sounds a little like Tenacious D - Kinda repetitive an then there will be a good song that’s different
Californiacation
Bed cot philly papers?! Red Hot Chili Peppers! https://youtu.be/QT48i51VUBM?si=vk9H4hpSYxJOr0bP I would’ve been excited about this when I was 12, but not anymore.
2.5
Baba Album
Ein paar ziemlich coole standouts.. Ich mag around the world, scar tissue und porcelain!
3 incredibly gifted musicians and whatever that shirtless guy with the microphone is, the weak link is what he is. Being a world class musician doesn't make someone a world class songwriter as the majority of this album proves. Though that could be said for any of the RHCP albums. If we are talking singles this is 4 stars all day every day. As a whole album 2.7.
wonderful sonic variety between songs, rollercoaster feel, leaves you a bit tired, soft, and glowy, fun to place the 2 iconic songs i already knew from this album within the greater narrative of the album
Such an iconic album, a great listen that is filled with bangers. Just what I needed for today's workout. 8/10 [KEEP]
The album that made me really start listening to them with pleasure.
Album#1 ----------- 1) 3.5/5 2) 3/5 3) 3.5/5 4) 3.5/5 5) 3/5 6) 4/5 7) 3/5 8) 2.5/5 9) 2.5/5 10) 2/5 11) 3/5 12) 2.5/5 13) 3/5 14) 2/5 15) 3/5 ----------- This album was a letdown. I had high hopes, but Californication was the only track that really landed for me.
Great hits that are sullied by their rapey-ness. “I Like Dirt” wtf was that?
Man, it has been so many years since I've listened to this album. I used to really dig this when I was entering my rock phase in highschool, thanks to my father having the cd. Nowadays is incredibly rare that, to not say I don't, listen to them. Not that I dislike them, but I am not that crazy about their music anymore and the weird stuff some of the members did that has been surfacing the internet made me distance myself from them. Either way, this album is fun. It starts great with the track "Around the World", a very explosive start that gets super funky and also shows a nice point of silliness. However, the project gets serious with the next bunch of tracks. From "Parallel Universe" to "Porcelain", almost every track has a very mellow or sad tone, with the only exceptions being "Get On Top" and "Easily", which land in the cheerful and very funky side. These songs that are more melodic I also consider to be some of the strongest material, highlighting "Scar Tissue" with its beautiful guitars, "Otherside" being a very melancholic song and "Californication" having the most recognizable melodies of the whole album, and also a nice social criticism. The second half is way more funky and playful, but also the most forgettable. I think they still are incredibly decent and fun listens, specially the super silly "I Like Dirt" or the more melodic but with explosive chorus "This Velvet Glove", but overall, they feel a bit like filler. If the album had a lot less tracks, specially in this last side I mentioned, I would consider giving this a way higher score (even thought I think there is not a bad song in here).
Nogle fremragende numre imellem, men meget fyld trækker ned.
funk rock album som er meget personligt fordi deres gamle guitarist kom tilbage og gav det en mere blød lyd. Det er i slut 90'erne hvor grunge bølgen var ved at dø og alternativ rock skulle finde på en lyd i en mere fragmenteret verden. Det blev til dette som finder sted i californien og går igennem det at blive super kendt og det blev det helt sikkert på dette album. Det er det bedst sælgende og gjorde dem kæmpe store og så populære som de er i dag. De genfandt en anden lyd som er mere stadium orienteret end deres tidligere som var mere funket. Der er en masse gode sange på og jeg elsker lyden af red hot chili peppers. Jeg har aldrig lyttet fra start til slut, jeg har kun lyttet til singlerne tbh, men det er godt at høre det i sin helhed. Det er også fedt hvor danceable nogle af tracksne er, nu hvor man ved det er de mere stille og store arrangementer af sange som er blevet store. Har svært ved at vurdere hvad jeg skal give den her tbh.
I hate doing this, but it's the rules. Plus one for the shout out to Wisconsin in Around the World.
was thinking about giving this 4 stars but had to skip "Get on Top" and "Californication" . and it was downhill from there for me….
Surprisingly good. Thought I hated this band, and although the hits got a bit samey. Some great production and fun to listen songs
I actually think some of the songs would be a lot better with some punk shouting over them rather than whatever Anthony Kiedis is doing. I feel like RHCP is a 3 band for me so this gets a 3. I don’t hate it but I will never love it.
momma always told me the rhcp were demonic. anyways, solid album!
Two things off the bat. First, we're used to it having heard it so much from this album and, separately, a TV show, but Californication is a goddamn stupid title. Second, the initial funk/thrash blast of "Around the World" gets me absolutely amped. It's sort of a drag that the song itself isn't that good and is an exemplar of some of Kiedis's worst faux-rap. BUT THEN, "Parallell Universe" IS the song you'd hope "Around the World" would be. Song rocks so, SO hard. Flea and Frusciante are both incredible musicians. When the band figures out how to deploy Kiedis (generally, singing, even though he's a bad singer), it really, really works. But when he gets all white-boy-rap, boobadopadeeCALFORN-YA it totally loses me. This album (along with the By the Way) was inescapable at the end of high school and into college. I still feel it, but it's incredibly inconsistent. Best tracks: "Parallel Universe" "Scar Tissue" "Otherside" "Porcelain" "Road Trippin'"
This was better than I remembered.
It has a ton of radio/MTV hits. I guess it’s a good enough album but truthfully I’m kind of tired of hearing these songs.
Has classics but surprised how uncohesive this is
I'm not an RHCP guy--I loved Under the Bridge when I was in elementary, but never really paid them much attention after that. Of course I encountered their music, but it never stuck. So, in my mind they were basically the parody that everyone thinks of when they think RHCPs. However, this is a pretty fun album! I don't think I'd ever just throw it on, but I have a greater appreciation of them as musicians.
Listened to this one in CD form on my Walkman. Thank goodness big JNCO-style jeans are back in, otherwise I wouldn't have pants with a pocket big enough for a portable CD player! This album has so much interesting guitar playing from Frusciante — a great example of how tone comes not just from pedals/amps/pick-ups but also how you "attack the instrument," as Les Claypool would say. I remember learning "Californication" on guitar as a kid and having my guitar teacher avoid explaining the name, which is just funny to me in hindsight. It's probably not just me, but I find it really hard to tell what the lyrics actually are on a lot of these tracks. I had to look up "Parallel Universe" to be able to hear Kiedis singing "Christ, I'm a sidewinder." Sometimes it sounds like he's really forcing the lyrics to fit the melody by putting emphasis on weird syllables. On top of this, I don't find the lyrics to be particularly poignant on any of the tracks on this album.
I would've rated this higher when I was younger, but it has grown a bit tiresome for me. Especially the lyrics/vocals. So much stupid innuendo. Actually the rest of the band is tight, so it's mostly just the vocals that I don't love. There are lots of iconic singles on this album that are definitely overplayed, such as Scar Tissue, Otherside, and of course Californication. They all seemed great to me when I first started listening to this album in high school to be fair. The rest of the tracks on the album never really grabbed me 10 years ago and they still don't. Giving this 3 stars because of nostalgia and catchiness of songs.
This is a nice, thoughtful collection of songs, with the usual Peppers edge and some snarl, but not the bite of their earlier albums.
จุใจจัด ๆ but not a fan of funk
Hay canciones que las he de escuchar mas veces para q me gusten, las otras m encantan
For every sick jam, there is an equally ridiculous wreck of a song. Scar Tissue - I Like Dirt
It's alright but these were never my guys
Meh, 2-3 gros morceau le reste de l'album est mid, la voix d'anthony kiedis me gonfle
The singles on this album were so wildly overplayed that despite them being fundamentally good, unique, and interesting songs I can't really deal with them anymore. They're just not fun to listen to and I can't focus away from Kiedis's voice, which is easily the worst part of the Chili Peppers. He takes far too much of a center stage on this album. I remember when this came out that everyone was pissing their pants about how good Frusciante is on guitar and how he radically changed the sound of the Chili Peppers. He is an excellent guitarist and he did change their sound, but I still think One Hot Minute is their best album and even though Dave Navarro is a weirdo, that era of this band was better. I know it's a hot take but I stand by it. There are some actually great tracks on here like Parllel Universe, and out of the singles I do still like Scar Tissue precisely because of the Frusciante guitar line, but the rest of this...eh. It's not as great as everyone thinks it is. Like so many other rock albums of the time I think it was so popular because there was just so much bad rock music being pumped out at the time and this is different. I don't hate it, but I dont' need all of this.
Some fantastic chili peppers material. What a start to a record. I love some of the funky stuff on this record. They really make their start into their poppy sound on this record too and the poppy singles and a couple of others are really great. It does have a distinctive sound and it feels thinner than their previous records. I don't love it at all but I don't think I hate it as much as others. Flea is too low in the mix in parts. It's a bit overlong for me. I think it could loose some of the poppier content in the middle of the second half and be a tighter record
Yeah it's cool
The album art here is stunning, some very basic color theory, coupled with some pretty stunning composition. I think it fits well with the timeless singles the album has to offer, but it's overkill for the overall production. Turns out this is not my favorite RHCP record, though it's a project that leans into the talent and I can definitely appreciate that. I also appreciate the execution at a conceptual level, really focusing on that Cali culture which serves as an introspective tool and a sweet focal point for the new listener. It's a record where they're really talking about themselves and why they sound like they do. The lyrics haven't aged very well, especially the style of them, we're definitely not Shakespeare here. A lot of times the songs are just on the verge of being boring or skippable. There's hits spaced out just right, it's impressive in that sense. I'd only put the record on again for those few tracks though, so not a lot of replay value, but I know this isn't the last time I'll hear this record. 3.4/5
Ughhh. Valjda na najbl zaseden dan. 18.22 končno začenjam. "Around the World" je sicer hud začetek za album. Sam fak, kok sm over Kiedis & all his shit, da koj k začne whatever the fuck on dela, me kr mal mine. Naslednji, "Parallel Universe", mi je instrumentalno prou hud, minus vokal. Nekdo, ki je prisiljen poslušat z mano, se strinja, da je Rick Rubin na tej točki mal zgubu the plot, ker mix zveni horrible. Fak, ta stran albuma je prou single after single. In za vse mam nekak enako mnenje do zdaj. Muska mi je kul, itak me jebe tud nostalgija, besedila so velikrat fakin bedna, pa Kiedis me annoya. Ni stalno annoying, sam k pa je, je pa ful (trenutno poslušam "Savior" & omfg, kok je tip whiny!). U, za "Californication" morm rewatchat videospot, čeprav je verjetn ful dated dons, sam se spomnim, kok mi je bil hud takrat & sm si želela, da bi bla taka igra zares. "Road Trippin'" je fajn. Evo, done. Skor eno uro kasneje.
yawn
I’d probably rate higher had this band not been shoved down our throats for so long.
Favorite track(s): Scar Tissue, Otherside, Get on Top, Californication Heard before Previous rating: 7/10
3 de 5. Lo escuche cuando salio, lo tenia tototo. 1-esta muy buena para levantar a un muerto jaja, pero no la busco para escucharla pero si aparece en la radio la escucho sin problema. 2-mmmm esta ok, pero ni la dejaria si aparece en la radio. 3-la amo, la tenia grabada en spoty 4-muuuy buena, guardada en spoty claramente 5-no me gusto 6-uhhhh que temon! re guardada. 7-meh 8-cancion tranqui, no la tenia. bien, pero no la guardaria. 9-mmm no me gusto 10-mmmm no 11-meh 12-meh 13-mmmm no 14-no 15-uhhhhh siiiiii que TE MON! re guardada.
I love the Chilis. Flea , Frusciante and Smith rock and hard. And they funk and hard too. Kiedis is kind of the weak link for me, but they’ve kept him round for 40 years, so what do I know? The question is do they need more than one album on this list? 2.5 till I work it out.
muitos hits, a primeira metade é super empolgante e boa, com um final entre legal e ok.
I like chili peppers on a song by song basis, solid album but not my favorite by them!
Nice!
There are album bands and there are radio bands. RHCP is a radio band. Love hearing a Peppers song once every few hours during the day and they are almost always good. But sitting through a whole album is not where this band comes across the best. It’s grating and the white-boy hip hop is terrible.
first half was good and then i was just waiting for it to end
An overrated album
There's no denying the monster hits on this album, although the quality drops off considerably in a lacklustre second half. The more I listen and read, the more Kiedis feels like the weak link; Flea, Frusciante and Smith are excellent musicians.
Somewhere between a 3 and 4. Some decent tracks, but then some bogus tracks.
Started growing on me
This was okay. A little long and samey, not my favorite vocals, but generally unoffensive (other than the gibberish bits in the opening track, that pissed me off for some reason). I recognize and enjoyed a handful of the songs.
i have always liked many of these songs and yet i get kinda bored after the first few. none of the tracks are *bad* but they really don't do much to hold my attention. had they cut 4-5 songs from this album i probably would have rated it 4 stars
It’s a good album with some great songs. I’m only rating lower because I’m not a big fan of the style.
This album has a bunch of good songs but all together don't equal the sum of its parts.
I think this album is very much a case of less is more, especially with this deluxe version. For me, about 30% of the tracks are genuinely worth listening to, the rest are rather samey and uninspiring. I can see why The Greatest Hits album did much better as a collection of their better work simplified into one record.
Not my thing but not bad.
Pennsylvania mentioned??
All over the place, had multiple good songs, I likes scar tissue and others that sounded similarly
another one of those good ones that dont stay at that level for the whole album unfortunately
This band has not aged well for me. But they still have some great songs on this record. Terrible ones like I Like Dirt bring it down.
Никогда не был фанатом рхчп
This album contains some of my favorite songs (scar tissue, otherside, californication), so I was excited. I liked the rest, it was easy listening but nothing else stood out to me and with the songs all reasonably short, this album dragged on way too long.
Some of this is really thoughtful and mature. Some of it feels like it was written by horny teenagers. Confusing
This type of music speaks to me, and i like it but ngl it's been too much of the same thing with this list and i'm kinda sick of it. Album sounded superb until the song after porcelain. Should have ended there imo.
One of those albums where despite not being a fan I somehow know most of these songs? I expect that'll be a common thread for many of these classics. MELLOW/VIBEY/CHILL/COOL/NINETIES
A couple bangers, mostly misses tho
Didn’t understand the hype around this album until over halfway through it. It starts with the hits that I think most people are more familiar with (Scar Tissue, Otherside, Californication), solid catchy songs that play everywhere. Once you get past these, there’s a string of songs I would call misses (Easily through I Like Dirt) before picking back up with songs I hadn’t heard before but enjoyed much more, particularly This Velvet Glove and Purple Stain. Overall I think the album has too many misses or mid songs for me to call it great. The whole thing feels like a rubber band flinging back and forth between great instrumentals and interesting vocals to repetitive and boring. I can see how some would enjoy this album more, but I don’t think the Red Hot Chili Peppers are for me. 3/5 overall, some great songs but gets old fast for an 18 song album.
I used to listen to this album quite a bit, but eventually got tired of it. This is my first time listening to it start-to-finish in more than 25 years. ...And now I'm remembering why I got tired of this album: Anthony Kiedis. Otherwise, Flea, John, and Chad are really solid on this album. The other day, I was just thinking about the conflict over this album and Mr. Bungle's "California" ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_(Mr._Bungle_album)#Red_Hot_Chili_Peppers_conflict ). I feel Mr. Bungle's album is the better one and has had more staying power for me.
genuinely, genuinely, no idea what the lead singer is saying at any point in this album. of course I had heard the red hot chili peppers before. It was about what I expected! Vibey and likely very good road trip music while driving contemplatively through hilly plains. I liked it but it wasn't anything life-changing. Maybe if I had listened to it in the early 00's? Alas, I was not alive for that. Otherside or the eponymous Californication were probably my favorite. Easily was also really good!
Historically I am not a Red Hot Chilli Peppers fan. They have a few great songs, but are largely not a band I enjoy all that much.
I don't really like Kiedis' singing voice. Really fun album though. I feel like everyone knows the singles from this one. Cannot understate how strong of a starter "Around the World" is as well
Album has some really good songs on it, super unique sound but not totally for me
Overt creative choices that demand respect. Aggressive sonics - guitar playing and vocal sounds strong. .
For a band so messy, this is a surprisingly clean and well constructed album. Around The World Scar Tissue Otherside Californication
That's funny, I just saw a Chili Peppers cover band last week, and I think they actually started with Around the World. Really fun intro really with a wacky chorus, but Parallel Universe switches up to a more post-punky vibe that continues on Otherside. Scar Tissue is easily their sound, but at its most refined for radio, which is a good thing. Not a big fan of Get On Top, it kinda screams filler to me from the especially lazy Keidis lyrics to the repetitiveness of the rest. Don't know why the cover band had to play this song too, though. They sounded better than this album though, and that's all thanks to Rick Rubin, who decided that every instrument should have clipping distortion when played loud enough, and none of these four do anything quietly besides for two songs, Porcelain and Road Trippin. I really like the contrast between the former to the rest of the album, such a beautiful level of control. Compare that to Easily, which to me, contains audio frequencies being shoved through cheese graters. The crash cymbals that open that song sound like some industrial machine, and then when Keidis starts singing the whole thing sounds like it's ran through a wah pedal left on near the top position. Just awful. It's hilarious that Metallica caught more hate from the decibel boosting than these guys when it ruins the Chili Peppers' music more. This Velvet Glove is my favorite song on the album, it's just a fun composition. My favorite song on this album is not on this album, Quixoticelixer I can honestly just leave this album behind in high school though, P!ATD is less embarrassing to listen to than this nowadays.
it's a classic rightfully so am i gonna come back? probably not but im happy i got to experience it "porcelain" new song on a loop
The sound of California, a sound I feel that I've outgrown as I've gotten older
It’s strange for its nonsensical lyrics this album felt like a coming of age album for the Chilli Peppers. Yes they’d had tracks like Under the Bridge long before tjis, but across a whole album it just felt more sustained. Obviously that view is undermined to some degree by the ding, donging of Around the World but if nothing else the instrumentation feels tighter, led by Flea’s bass. Parallel Universe feels like you’re in a speeding car hurtling toward the age of a cliff, which i’m not sure i enjoy as much as a 48 year old as i did when the album originally came out. Scar tissue is however still a great song. The guitar sound is just so chilled and chimes like a sweet bell. It shows that RHCP had the ability to deliver great songs when they slowed the high energy impulses down a tad. Otherside maintains this momentum and feeling of slight nostalgia of sunny days. Get on top is more traditional RHCP fare but you cant knock Frusciante’s guitarmanship. Californication is another ageless, beautiful track with its chilled instrumentation and more laid back Kleidas vocals building to “Dream of Californication”. After this there is a definite dip with songs like I Like Dirt and Purple Paint just unnecessary filler. Road Trippin makes for a good close, but overall not as good as I remember.
I discovered during this listen that 56 minutes of Anthony Kiedis's singing in one go, is too much Anthony Kiedis for me. His vocals are distinctive but pass over into annoying very easily. However there are some really good songs on this album. Scar Tissue is the highlight of the singles for me, but I also like Californication a lot. There are some pleasant enough album tracks too. Then there are some absolute stinkers. I mean, did the world need Get On Top or I like Dirt? I suspect RHCPs think they're sexy as hell during some of these songs, but they were in their mid to late 30s during this period and it's just cringey. Overall, I think this is just scraping a 3/5
While the album certainly didn't live up to my recollection of it from the first time I listened to it 10 years ago, it's still a pretty good album. The sound returns to this mix of funk and alternative that made them popular, boosted by the return of John Fusciante, who's guitar playing defined the band in the early days. They also dare to become spiritual, turning away just from lyrics of innuendo and jokes. Of course, there is only so far that goes, and listening to RHCP again it's fairly obvious that Anthony Kiedis is the weakest member of the band. This album has the same problem a lot of albums l. The first half is very good, and the second half is notably weaker. Now, I understand what they were going for in the second half, trying to be more spiritual and critical, but to me RHCP work best when they are full of energy, not really in their slower moments. The title track is an obvious exception to this, along with Saviour to a certain extent, but this doesn't change this from being an A-side album. But what an A-side it is, hit after him, more focused than the other albums of theirs that I've listened to. For the first 8 tracks alone the album us worth it, though the back half let's it down. Highlights include Parallel Universes (which may be my favourite song of theirs now), Scar Tissue, and Californication.
fun!
Har aldri vært en del av RHCP-hatbølgen, selv om jeg anerkjenner hvor teit de kan være. De fleste av låtene på plata er såpass ihjelspilt, at det er vanskelig å ikke kjede seg litt. Sterk 3'er.
Some all time classic songs. Album overall is a bit bloated though. Plus Anthony Kiedis is a real gross dude and by far my least favorite part of this band. Could’ve been a 5 star otherwise.
It's weird how nostalgia can be a key factor in determining whether you enjoy an album or not. Within the first seconds of “Around the World,” I am immediately drawn back to one particular warm and lazy summer when I was in my early teens. All my friends were away on holiday; I spent my days lying in the grass or biking around the neighbourhood, beginning to dig deeper into music and hanging around in our smalltown record store. Time did not seem to pass at all; the days blended into each other, and for the last time in my life I felt free of responsibilities (or, to put it more drastically, I was bored in the most positive sense — a state of boredom that cannot be replicated when you're an adult and your mental load tends to be so overwhelming that you count the days until your next day off). Californication soundtracked a lot of these days. In short, this album gives me a feeling that's impossible to describe in just a few words (and, most importantly, a - positive - feeling that I will most likely never be able to revisit, even though it is a state of mind I thoroughly long to be in again). Reminds me of the good old madeleine that drew Proust into a swirl of memories thought to be lost to time. Is Californication a great album? Nah, I don't really think so; not at all. It has so many duds (mostly the lyrics and/or the boilerplate drumming + guitar playing), and its runtime should have been generously trimmed (oh, the ’90s / they could have cut more than half of the tracks on the second side), but still, Californication is an album where profound criticism would feel out of place for me. Because I like it for reasons other than the quality (or lack thereof) of its songs. Of course, Flea's bass playing and Kiedis's idiosyncratic vocal style mayke this fun to listen to listen to. I cannot recall listening to the record with the utmost attention back then (especially since my English, as a non-native speaker, was terrible at the time and I understood onyl a few words at best), so I was pretty surprised that even the most remote details felt familiar when I put it on today. Long-term memory… you fascinating phenomenon. It seems I know Californication's first half "better" than some of the records I actually call my favorite albums of all time. Haha.
as musicas calmas sao boas
Waffled between a 3 and 4. I've never really been a big RHCPs fan, but know and enjoy a lot of their singles. Going with a 3, since purportedly they have better albums and that'll give me some wiggle room if any of them show up on this list.
It's like how Sugar Ray hit it big with that one song, and then proceeded to change their entire sound on every subsequent album. I mean, it took RHCP a little longer to sell out because they still did a few interesting things up until this alterna-pop cash in (I contend that One Hot Minute is pretty decent in places.) But man, this all feels like variations of all their prior hits because clearly they were tired of being poor.
Didn’t care for the rap/rock. Guitar was good though.
I like every musician on this band except for the vocalist. First half of the album is fine, but gets repetitive quiet fast (Porcelain and further). Last song (Road Trippin') is fine, Around the World is fine, title song not so much. Generally, a very overplayed album. Still worth a listen, i guess.
Classic RHCP album, has massive hits and underrated songs on the album
The singles were fine, the rest was okay. Not the biggest rhcp fan.
It's ok
I should not read the reviews. Relax folks. This is supposed to be fun. I enjoyed the album. The musicianship is exemplary. Some of the tunes are spectacular. Some are meh.
Não é a minha cena. Consigo perceber porque é que algumas músicas são hits e as outras nunca tinha ouvido na vida.
I have listened them before, around my childhood/early puberty, so it brought me a lot of nostalgia from those times in which I used to listen this genre on the radio when my mom drove me to school. I still listen to the song "Californication" and a cover of "Under the Bridge" by an Irish girl who participated in The X Factor years ago.
Not bad, pero siento que todas son similares?? En el recuerdo x lo menos
No lo escuché entero. No es mi tipo, pero destacó su gran desarrollo musical. Bastante funky, trashy, de todo. No me hallo con la voz de él pero creo que es cosa mía. El uso que le dan al bajo realmente destacable, no se escucha algo así todos los días. Mi puntaje en realidad es un 3.5 pero redondeado para abajo
did not hate this as much as I thought I would.
Inconsistent lyrically but Californication and Otherside both really good
6/10 Too long, too thumpy. Stand out tracks stand out
one of the most imbalanced albums I've heard. A little over half is complete dogshit, but then songs like Scar Tissue and Savior are sweet. Some seriously annoying songs on here.
What can I say, a lot of people like this album; for me its not my favorite of theirs and I never could get into RHCP like others could. At the point this album came out, it kind left a bad taste in my mouth with the overplay they were getting, for songs that weren't and still aren't that great. You can say what you want about musicianship, but it all just feels like it exists to me. I'll be happy if I never hear another song about California thanks to these guys. Biggest Hit - Scar Tissue Biggest Miss - Emit Remmus Bonus Hit - Parallel Universe
Tross alt mye bedre enn den forrige, et par udødelige låter. Men mye tull også.
I used to love the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but long ago stopped listening because everything started to sound the same. I have to admit.I enjoyed some of these songs more than I expected to. Still good musicians, just too repetitive for me anymore.
Laitetaan ⭐️⭐️⭐️ kun saatan tarvita muuttoapua viikonloppuna tässä ryhmässä olevilta.
Not my type
When this came out, I thought it was a bit middle of the road and not up to Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Listening just over 25 years on, I still agree with the first part, but not the second. Lyrically, there are still some awful moments. Around the World and Get on Top are particularly bad, but Otherside and Scar Tissue are genuinely good, if safe songs. Overall, as an adult, I much prefer this to Blood Sugar Sex Magik, although I still don't think it's a great album.
this album was kind of mid for me honestly. maybe im just not really a big fan of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I did enjoy Californication more than I enjoyed Blood Sugar Sex Magik though?
It's a classic, but I prefer the Red Hot Party Peppers than the Orange Meditative Repetitive Peppers. And when all your hits are on one side you probably don't need to pad it out to 15 songs, just make them count.
Even though it's overcompressed human slop I really can't stop listening. I should not be enjoying this album as much as I do. Blood Sugar Sex Magic is a much better album, but this record has some bangers.
Es muy entretenido de escuchar porque tiene buenos clásicos que todos conocemos. De este álbum me pasa que me gustan más las canciones tranquilas que las movidas. I
First of all, the audiophiles are correct. Horribly mastered album. But honestly, I can't bring myself to love the RHCP. Don't misunderstand me here, I don't think they're a terrible band, nor is this a terrible album. But I often anticipate giving popular albums higher reviews as albums are typically popular for good reason. Californication really isn't perfect. The singles are catchy in typical RHCP fashion, but that's about it.
Not as good as remembered but done bangers
Eu estava inicialmente crendo que iria das 5 estrelas pelas memórias afetivas e sua história na minha jornada musical, com fones de ouvidos de boa qualidade, percebo que esse mal foi muito mal gravado, talvez pela época, equipamentos e etc... As letras são meio bobas e as críticas só aumentam. Vou parar nas 3 estrelas. Porque poderia descer mais.
like yeah! some bangers but like...long live sublime more
There's so many amazing songs on this, like the first third is absolutely insane stuff that everyone should hear. But this is a 15 song album, and everything after Californication really kinda falls apart. It's not bad, but it isn't very interesting and it all kinda blends together. It's still good though, but it's just not on the same level. Favorites: Parallel Universe, Otherside, Californication
it just isnt that good,its alright but i eamn naww
BOOM BAP BOOM BAP BOOM CALIFORNIA BOOM BOOM BAP *bass riff* GOIN TO CALIFORNIA TO SEE CALIFORNIA BOOM BAP BOOM BAP CALIFORNIA WOMEN AT THE SHOW 3/5 I really like RHCP and this is one of their weakest albums imo but still good. half the shit on this album did not need to be there tho there was no reason for it to be an hour long
Nice album. I liked "Scar Tissue" and "Purple Stain" the best on first listen!
Some great stuff, plenty of stuff I'm not super drawn to. Favorite song: Porcelain
It was nice. Definitely good music I just unfortunately find it a little boring :/ idk I think with some relistens there will be songs I like but for now only porcelain stood out
this is an album that shows how far i've grown musically. i thought this was the best thing i ever heard in 2012 and it's alright in 2025. also goddamn you could only listen to this through the default apple headphones
not my thing
A bit played out at the time. Doesn't have great continuity with more recent music - not to say it won't come back round... Some of the guitar work suggests John Frusciante could do more but then this phase RHCPs seems they set the acceptable bar quite low. Flea and Chad Smith have both done more interesting things too. Anyway, I used to really like this album but it's fallen to a 3.4
think i liked two songs off there, but it wasn’t terrible
Trodde eg skulle lika da litt mindre
There are the archetypal RHCP styles on showcase in this album: Frenetic guitar based (Around the World, Parallel Universe) Slow, story/vocals driven (Scar Tissue, Californication, Porcelain) Frenetic, vocal and bass heavy (Get on Top, Easily) You then also get some stuff in between. The first two tracks got me going only to be robbed of the momentum by Scar Tissue (not a bad track but jarring). The more I hear the bass and vocals dominating the less I enjoy it, but there’s a good amount of decent tracks on here and less of the silly / meaningless stuff you get a lot of with RHCP. Not bad.
Interesting album as was a popular record of its time even in the mainstream it probably cut some musical divides. I don't normally like particularly funk-based songs neither the slightly high energy shouty stuff that goes with it that had no real dynamic. Its "lucky" they did offer some variation in the songs else I would probably slam this. I find at times it grates on me but then it turns a corner and redeems itself. OK it will never achieve mastery status in my eyes or a regular on my list. Like when I was younger it caught my eye, but I don't think as a whole it holds much against the might of 1001. Interesting notable mentions would be "Porcelain", "Savior", "Road Trippin" as shows a more melodic side which is needed in the funky vocal mundane of songs like "Get on Top" or "Right On Time" which is dross. Silly funky skatting. Then you have the classics like "Scar Tissue". I mean its a reasonable package of songs but just not ON top for me.
I will always enjoy this album because, at release, I was at the age where I had started looking for my own music tastes. At that time, RHCP were some of the only music played on mainstream channels that I would enjoy. There are a couple of tracks like "Scar Tissue" and "Californication" which are indelibly etched into some childhood memories. Unfortunately this album was one of the casualties of the loudness wars. Listening on my old tinny headphones at 10 years old, I wouldn't have noticed. Now with better gear its immediately obvious that the production of this album is utter dogshit. RHCP are not exactly a subtle band, but the complete lack dynamic range in this master makes it sound so flat and tinny. At normal volumes, it sounds like they are playing from the bottom of a well. An enjoyable album that I would probably listen to a lot more out of pure nostalgia if it hadn't been so butchered by the production process.
i remember liking this album waaay more when i was younger
The album got some classics, but i feel like the tracks are getting a little bit repetitive. I LOVED "parallel universe" though
Red Hot Chili Peppers best album definitely found their sound
Not the world's biggest RHCP fan - I enjoy each individual member's performances but for some reason the overall vibe is always a little corny to me...but this is kind of their peak. Pretty much every song is a hit and feels familiar/memorable, at least on the first half. Second half falls off a bit and they get dumb with songs like "I Like Dirt". But the music videos from this album were dope, especially the title track, also remember "Otherside" and "Scar Tissue" and associate them all with the days when I actually watched MTV. "Californication" has a great, simple melodic guitar solo that every beginner player can and should learn. I'd go 3.5 and round down to be a contrarian.
Scar Tissue and The Other Side. Pas grand chose de plus.
Yeah. A lot of hits on this album. I don’t really need to hear this anymore. The second half of the album ain’t bad
Not bad
not my fav rhcp but still the same sound
Like 5 Amazing songs. Most is filler, a few too many songs on here. The B-side probably shouldn’t exist as it drags down the a-side
The Chili Peppers have a few songs that are pretty good, including “Otherside” from this album. I also enjoyed the last track on the album, the mellow “Road trippin’”. A couple other tracks made it as singles too, but I didn’t enjoy those too much.
I enjoy a lot of the songs on this. It’s just a shame that on a few of them the mixing truly sucks. It actually reeks. ‘Get On Top’ is one of the most compressed, tinny songs I’ve ever heard in my life. And then immediately after that Californication is perfectly fine? Fuck were they doing in that studio dawg. Album also feels a little top heavy? Some serious filler in the 2nd half (Emit Remmus, I Like Dirt, Right On Time). Regardless, still enjoyment to be had!
RICK RUBIN: So Anthony, what have you been writing? Anything like Under the Bridge or anything? ANTHONY KIEDIS: Yeah, I think my writing has matured somewhat. ANTHONY hands his notebook to RICK proudly. RICK: (mumbling as he skims) Around the World is one of those cliche city listing songs. Californication is a fun play on words if you're a frat boy. Otherside not bad. Scar Tissue, eh. RICK: Sigh! Half of these have some sort of Cali reference. Do you have anything that doesn't have any references to California? ANTHONY flips through the notebook. ANTHONY: All I got is I Like Dirt! RICK: Have Flea put a phat funky bass on that & John come up with some riffs. And we got something! Where's Chad? FLEA: Oh! He's gone. Will Ferrell has control of the body this week. RICK: What?! The Saturday Night Live guy? Why?! I don't care. Does he play Drums? FLEA: Not well but I hear he plays a mean Cowbell.
Loved it….added a lot to dad rock playlist
asta chiar mi-o plăcut seamănă cu celălalt insa e mai bun, îi dau un 6,50
Never realized why people hate so much on Kiedis until sitting through an entire album of ding dong dang dung. The hip hop remixes on youtube using the instrumentals are killer though.
Feel like I can almost hear clipping on this. It's like tinny and over-compressed. The mixing overall is kinda shitty on here. It's similar to And Justice For All where if the mixing was better, the record would be better (though still nowhere near as bad as Metallica's album). It's not baaaaaad, but it's like too much the same. Like I feel like I'm done after 3 songs.
finally an album i've heard of. Californication is fine. I'm not the biggest chilis fan but I appreciate what they did for 2000s rock. 3.5 stars.
When I saw today's album was RHCP I audibly groaned. I thought that I genuinely hated them, turns out I was only half right. Not to be that guy, but as a bass player, Flea is one of the greats, I truly think that I only rate this album as high as I do because of him. Anthony Kiedis' rock/rap vocal style is so grating and corny. It sounds like if the Beastie Boys took themselves too seriously. The worst part is that there is a good (more "traditional") 90's/00's alt rock band in here (led by their strong instrumentals, see the title track). Good news is there is enough of it that this album is re-listenable!
Wanted to give 2.5. I’m not a big chili peppers fan and still not after this. Hard to get through the whole thing but I can’t deny they cool. White guy rock rap. Opening track was actually banging
Completely forgot how many radio hits there were on this thing. Not a huge RHCP fan but this reminded me of some good times in my 20s
Fun stuff!
I have heard these
The front half is all bangers but the back half is all duds. Mixed album
too long
6.53
nostalgia wants me to put this as a 4, reality of modern listening puts it at a 2. Will sit at a 3
Not really my taste, still good. I do love scar rissue
A parte de los singles la verdad es album no es tan memorable o en mi opinión bueno. La verdad hay canciones que tienen potencial pero por alguna razón integran elementos que las arruinan.
The album you've heard a thousand times and still hits hard. I just wish the mix wasn't horrible.
A great band undermined by tepid songwriting and Anthony Kiedis's tepid singing
From previously hearing several of their singles and knowing a little of the band's complex history, it hardly surprises me to hear RHCP delivering a gaudy, meandering, innuendo-streaked album for this stage in their career, but there were depths to this album that I wasn't expecting to mine here. For all of John Frusciante's freewheeling talent, and Anthony Kiedis' inimitable zeal, the rhythm section is absolutely what gives this album its polish, and the chemistry is palpable across the whole record. Snappy, open snares from Chad Smith on tracks like 'Get on Top' and 'Purple Stain' really put the pep in the Peppers, and Flea's bass is brilliant as either a driving force or a foil for the rest of the band all over the record, but particularly in the first half. The RHCP secret formula is in full effect on the heady, sun-bleached title track as well as the swaggering, almost effortless 'Scar Tissue'. 'Savior' is an interesting back-to-back outing of grunge and New Age folk that just works somehow, and 'Purple Stain' is a real funky cut with an intense breakdown, though the sexually-charged lyrics are far from subtle. This album has more than one or two uncomfortable listens, however. The cold fusion of funk-punk and disco on 'Right On Time' in under two minutes creates a nauseating sound clash that belongs on a completely different album. The Beavis and Butthead wet dream of 'I Like Dirt', with its sexless, ska-punk-adjacent rambling, should have been left on the cutting room floor entirely. Not to mention the declension in the lyrics on 'Around the World' from verbose beat poetry into lazy geographical rhymes and borderline offensive vocalisations makes for a highly bizarre choice for an album opener. Considering how exhilarating Kiedis' poeticism and delivery can be, it is often disconcerting to think about what Kiedis thinks is romantic and/or sexy when given his output to publicly examine here. They say a stopped clock is right twice a day, though all in all, this album brings to mind a patchouli-soaked potpourri bowl - intoxicating for a time, but could easily leave a listener queasy and unsettled if exposed to it for too long.
3.6/5 leuk wel, het begin vond ik beter dan het eind liedjes die ik leuk vond: parallel universe, otherside, scar tissue, californication, quixoticelixer quixoticelixer vond ik echt heeeell leuk wand dat was dus de laatste, en ik had er eigenlijk genoeg van, en toen was het toch nog een pleasant surprise
Scar Tissue, Otherside, and Californication are the big hits, and are all great. Never heard Around The World, the opener, but I thought it was also great, will definitely revisit. I more so enjoy their funkier earlier stuff a bit more, like Mother’s Milk, but that isn't completely gone on this album. I’m glad I’m not the only one who realised the heavy compression on this thing which makes every instrument sound at the exact same volume. I feel like that hinders some tracks here.
I can appreciate the significance of this album, it being a turning point for RHCP, and the success of it. However, RHCP has just never been my jam.
The hits are great, the rest is the rest
It was good.
muy interesante ding dong ding ?
Around the world - Funky cool vocal and guitar. Some of the lyrics are Chinese or something. Parallel universe - again really like the vocals. Good drums. A little bit repetitive. Guitar bit in the middle was cool. Scar tissue - heard this one before. I like the layered vocals. Cool guitar riff. Otherside - vocals on this one kinda annoying and emo. Get on top - Right on Californication - not much to be said. you know its a very good song. Easily - I really like the guitar on this. I feel like I could say the same for a lot of these. For me its a 3.99
I'm not that much of a RHCP fan, but liked Blood sugar sex magic a lot and this album was quite enjoyable also. The songs are bit unsurprisingly RHCP, but there were good tunes on this and some groovy playing by Flea, Frusciante and Smith. Maybe this could have been bit shorter.
A perfectly decent album, but back in the day the singles were played so much on the radio that this doesn’t really make much of an impact. The songs are good, but they lack the wilder feeling of earlier RHCP.
Nothing wrong with this album at all… other than the fact that I listened to it soooo much 25 years ago that my brain still refuses to forget the lyrics.
I'm an old school RHCP fan, liking their stuff up to about Blood Sugar Sex Magik and even that is starting to get a little too diluted. The mentioned above or Mothers Milk are my most listened albums of theirs, tho I did spin quite a lot of Uplift Mofo Party Plan and Freaky Styley too. After that it feels way too polished, produced and clean, yet again the feel of committee music, instead of an ambitioius band moving forward.
Kind of corny, but obviously a classic. 3.5 stars
3 stars I thought I’d like this more than I did. I’m quite familiar with the singles and would even say they’re among my favorites from the group, although I don’t consider myself a huge fan. The only album I’ve listened to all the way through is By the Way and I still prefer that over this album. It was their follow up to this and they finally took the “risk” of avoiding the cringy funk rap nonsense. Where the return to it on Californication it sounds like teenagers trying to recreate that sound and does not fit well with the maturity shown in their more melodic songs. Even the non-funk rap non singles are kind of throwaway. But the strength of the opening half (minus “Get On Top”) is enough to hold a steady 3 stars.
its a good album but alot of songs i feel are better listened to on like a vinyl or radio, i feel like the overall sound and outcome of it would be better.
Makes me feel like Jess Mariano (gilmore girls) walking on the venice beach boardwalk for the first time in a black leather jacket surrounded by unique characters and the orange California sky. Despite the most popular songs, scar tissue and californication, taking place in the beginning of the album, I believe that the album really shines towards the end. The end of the album showcases the personality of the band and truly shines in songs such as Savior and Over Funk.
favorite song first listen is savior, a lot of creative elements that are different that the overall composition of the album
Solid first half of the album. The hits are still hits. A bit repetitive in the second half. The second half world be better without the lyrics
I think there are some great songs on here but just as many duds. Very talented musicians, hit and miss songwriters imho
A great album for the time, but a bit tame by the Chili Peppers standards.
Exactly two years into the process today and so far managed to review albums on every day without any break. 359 albums to go so finishing, all being well, next Christmas. Last year I celebrated my one year landmark by noting my average star score then was 2.58. Today it’s 2.62 so obviously more albums I like have come my way in the last year. Will that trend continue with today’s selection? I bought this album on the strength of hearing the lead single Californication on MTV. Which by coincidence, has disappeared from UK television this week. No great loss to me other than I cannot think of any other piece of music MTV introduced me to. But it is a long time since I tuned in due to the trash it subsequently transmitted. Not a lot more to shout about other than the aforementioned single which is excellent. 3/5 2/1/26
soundtrack of a guy driving to the beach in giant jorts. universally liked, safe to curate a vibe in the car
Not a bad album just not really my music. Kinda sound a bit the same most of the songs, but I can tell why people like them, they of course have some good songs and a very distinct sound So 3 Stars From Me 1st Of January 2026
Aangenaam verrast door de tracks die ik nog niet kende zoals This Velvet Glove
Averageication.
Overall pretty good, I tended to like the more chill/emotional songs more which checks out because i’m not a huge rock girl. Fun to listen to while i’m in California!
Some really good songs. Some really bad ones. Kiedis oscillates between being a decent singer and a clown. The musicianship is superb
Latin lækker, men ikke min stil. Vil lidt for meget. Får 3 stjerner for lækkerhed.
7/10 cool álbum lived californication and purple stain but had to turn off fat dance
The novelty of their sound wore off very quickly. The songs aren’t bad but something about their sound grates.
Certaines musiques sont entraînantes
ok
Meh
I generally find the RHCP to be one of the most overrated bands on the planet. They’re the Billy Joel of modern rock, which I guess is a compliment because of their pop appeal. This album I think shows off their true colors. Sure there are pop rock songs with good bass lines and catchy choruses but half the album is mostly fine not great with a couple of clunkers thrown in. When this album dropped my young ears listened to it a lot, but it’s not aged well. Frankly it’s just ok.
Not my favorite of their albums but definitely one of their more focused albums. Having John back was great for the guitar sound.
It’s a decent album with some bangers but after a while I do get a little bored
Beste Lieder: Scar tissue, This Velvet Glove Lieder Playlist:0
The albums strong suits were definitely in its instrumentation
6.5/10
As one of the most controversial band for me, I'll go thesis by thesis here 1) Flea looks to me like a cool guy, I respect his musicianship even ff it's not my cup of tea. (Applies to this album too) 2) Chad Smith and John Fruscante look to me like a cool guys with good musicianship, even if not all what they do is my cup a tea (Applies to this album too) 3) Don't like personality, frontmanship and voice of Anthony Kidies at all (Applies to this album very much) 4) Californication and Scar Tissue were so overplayed in my youth, that I can't listen to them at all without being annoyed to the edge 5) Around The World was overplay too, but it's fun though, even if the main riff is a rip-off from "Breadfan" by Budgie 6) Savious is a nice song 7) I rarely defend heroin addicts, but Hillel Slovak is the man. It's a shame that his influences are not prominent in the band's more mainstream output 8) If I want to put RHCP for myself, it's usualy The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Freaky Styley or The Uplift Mofo Party plan. Not my quite my music, but musicianship is great and energy is infectious. I don't get why they are hated by a lot of their fans and not included in this list, because there's so much more personality and style to them. Even if I'm not a big fan of funk or the band, each one of them would get 4 or 5 from me, 9) Playing live shows wearing socks only is funny and cool thing to do in my book (it's my sence of humor, and you don't have to agree with me) (Not that it would mattered, but anyway...) 10) Since John returned in 1998 the formula is pretty much the same, each album has 15% of good songs, 15% of band songs, and 70% of songs that I could live without, but don't mind them existing. 11) I still don't get why they are as big as they are After giving Californication another relisten, I'll guess I'll go with 3, as it seems that it's only rating for them from me that would made sence
This album is the best and worst of RHCP. It's where they decided to mostly focus on the type of song that they knew everyone really liked, and did a bunch of them-Scar Tissue, Otherside, Californication, This Velvet Glove, Savior-along with tossing in some more of the stuff that their "real" fans wanted just to possibly keep them interested. The problem for me is that all of it ends up sounding the same. The songs I really like (the ones I'm supposed to like) have this very clear style. It's great for what it is, but they never really waver, other than adding a bit more funky stuff in to a few of them. Ultimately it's what makes this a tolerable album but not really a great one. They really do the thing they do well, but it's all pretty much the same song over and over again. Kinda like how I'm repeating myself over and over again describing it.
Better than Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Could do with being a bit shorter but not as bad as I expecting. This was the start of the sort of cliché sound they are known but in context is fairly good in parts. 3.5*
Has some of their best songs, sadly they are ruined by the god-awful production.
Back then it was everywhere but, as with pretty much every RHCP record, this one overstays its welcome with too many inconsequential songs
Why is the compression SO BAD. Some bangers for sure but it just sounds so cheap.
Some songs were great, most were fine.
2 songs added to my favorites. Would listen again if asked to.
Pretty alright, some nice stuff, not amazing
A very high three but not quite cracking a 4 for me.
Great rhythm section, average guitar, drivel for vocals
Not my favourite Chili Peppers album … but still quite good. Marked down to 3 due to length.
Great band work and musicality but singer lets them down
Alright. Will listen again.
Great to hear this album again Home to three of their classic tunes - Californication, Scar Tissue and Otherside
CAlifornication sounds fun! Side is good, gotta a few smash hits. Side B is weak with plenty of skippers. Maybe a little too much Weird Al and feedback. L = (2.75*s) L Like Dirt and Purple Stain are just plain stupid songs. First side is good, B side is lame and brings the whole album down. J = (3.1*s) Not much of an RCHP fan, agree that CAlifornication is list worthy. Actually liked Road Trippin’ as the finish.
As much as I've consider myself an RHCP fan for many years I've found that my fondness for them has been waning as I age. I've started to understand people's complaints about them or why Kiedis' vocals would annoy someone. I still enjoy a handful of singles but they don't hit the same way they did in my teens and 20s. This echoes my thoughts on Californication. This album was huge and I recall being inundated with the singles when they being released. The front side of the album is loaded with singles and all the best songs that still hold up really well today. Unfortunately, once you get past the first half the remainder of the album is a little lackluster. After the opening bang it leaves you hanging for 30 minutes just kinda shrugging your shoulders. A solid album that deserves its entry on the list but when it wrapped I was a little underwhelmed after storming out of the gates. I'll surely come back to Californication in the future, but might pull the ripcord after side A. Perhaps if they had re-sequenced and not front-loaded it so much I may have given it higher marks. Still a worthy entry no doubt. 3.49 stars
Better as an album then just heating the hits on the radio. Rad at times and cringey at times. A bit samey.
This album is fine. Kind of nostalgic for me, some of their best singles of their career. Crazy how long they have stayed relavent.
Starta bra, litt kjedeligere etter hvert. Litt dårlig miksa må jeg si, ihvertfall om man hører med headset.
Helt ok, har jo noen hits men litt kjedelig ellers
Could only be improved if Anthony Kiedis would've told us which state the band is from.
Low 3. The quieter tracks and far better. Second half of the album drags a bit
this album absolutely fell off a cliff on the B side, I couldn’t move for this band when I was a teenager so I know the A side really well, and I enjoy the instruments but detest his vocal affectation, lyrics and demeanor. I think frusciante is a great guitarist and flea certainly knows his way around the bass which I can never be angry at. Overall ended up being a low 3 for me.
Je pensais aimer ça bien plus que j’ai réellement aimé ça, mais c’était pas tant le fun que ça, finalement. C’est pas mauvais, mais plutôt tranquille. Je m’attendais à un peu plus de funk et de groove.
started off strong
Great for pulling lines from to use to wind up your Californian boyfriend but much too long
Like many other bands, Red Hot Chili Peppers declined in quality after a major album - Blood Sugar Sex Magik in this instance. Califonication represents a change in direction for the band following BSSM which takes them further from their roots established with Mother's Milk. This is not a terrible album, just one that hasn't satisfied my tastes for them as a band, even with the major hits this album produced. 3/5
Parallel Universe
California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California
Sigh, this band used to be really good. This one is OK I guess. Most of the songs have the same goofy cadence and why do they all seem to be about California? Parallel Universe is pretty good, otherwise I would have given this one 2 stars. Emit Remmus and Savior are pretty good too.
It was fine.
Without judgment, I say that it sounds like an RHCP album. That is all.
Before: The radio hits on this one are super nostalgic to me. Around the age of 5 or 6, this California and even larger west coast rock aesthetic really dug it's heels into my brain. I slowly began to love bands like the chili peppers, incubus, green day, sublime. I think my love for rock music can be traced to a lot of these bands even if I mostly only had access to them via radio. Excited to dig deeper on this one! After: A bit disappointed by this. There are some absolutely rocking moments, like the opening of the album which reminds me a lot of the opening of heart of the sunrise by Yes. The guitars and drums all over this thing sound great. He has his moments for sure, but most of the time when Anthony Kiedis opens his mouth, I find myself wishing he would just let the instrumental ride. ("Ding dong ding dong ding dang dang") The radio hits are undoubtedly the strongest tracks on the whole record, especially Scar Tissue and Californication. Californication works really well as a seeming thesis of the album. It's really where the song writing has the most to say and Kiedis' performance is the strongest. Porcelain is a nice surprise to me, it shakes up the sound of the rest of the album, and the metaphorical lyrics vibe a lot better with me than some of the more literal songwriting. Overall, it might be mostly nostalgia talking, but I don't think I was missing much having already heard and loved Other side, Scar Tissue, and Californication.
Very soft 3. I like RHCP but wouldn't say I am a big fan.
3.5/5 album, the second half is kind of a snooze fest.
Chili Peppers at their peak popularity. Certainly not my favorite of their projects but undoubtedly the album I listened to the most as a teenager. Bleak lyrics of addicts dealing with their popularity. The band has really settled into their stereotypical sound by this album. Only a few outliers that keep it from being one cohesive sound. As the hands of time marched on and the members—in their own words—recounted sexual escapades with minors during this and earlier eras, my love for the band waned. I tried listening to this album with fresh ears. Remembering how well they played together. Songs that sound like a party but hold a deep sadness in their lyricism really spoke to me in my youth. Extremely pleasing vocal harmonies on a number of the tracks. Flea’s bass tone is one of the best. RHCP will always have a place in my heart, even with them being one of the harder artists to separate from the art.
Too bad there is no way to take out Anthony Kiedis’ vocals out of this album. The rest of the band was solid. It’s the vocals that just get annoying after a while. I’m surprised that Flea never put out a jazz fusion album that I know of because I would rather listen to that than this album.
Great songwriting (especially the music). This album is a classic without a doubt. However, it's very difficult to listen to self-acclaimed nonce Anthony Keidis sing about "girls" so much. Also, what is up with the distortion during the loud bits??? So distracting!
There's a few cool song, but it's far from their best album. Probably why I didn't buy the CD when it was released.
Idk much about RHCP previous work, but I really enjoyed his vocals, the guitar work and the bass. Overall, very jammy and safe sounding. Really liked listening to it. I saw people talking about his “rapping” but for me he is just speaking in the rhythm, calling it rapping would offend even Post Malone. Fav: Parallel Universe, This Velvet Glove, Around the World.
Classic. Reminds me of childhood, of course Scar Tissue and Californication are top tracks.
Pre: live hate relationship with rhcp these days but owned this cd and loobed as teen Post: great album still but corny at times
Started off hot (ah hah hah hah) then half-way through just became fairly generic 90's rock. Porcelain was a nice change of pace, I just felt that it could have been better executed and it frankly did not really flow with the album. Favorite song: Parallel
Some beautiful moments but let down by meandering long dull length, lack of cohesion and boredom.
This is surely the band’s best work. “Otherside,” “Scar Tissue,” and especially the title track are good, if not quite great, songs. The lyrics are often heavy-handed and juvenile. And Kiedis’s vocals are sometimes just a bit short of, well, musical or interesting.
Haven't heard this in years but it quickly came flooding back. Great album.
3.5/5
Fuera de los singles poco y poco. Aún así es disfrutable. Nota: 3.4
Yah this album is interesting to talk about legacy wise. So right off the bat, this album is HUGE, and for them, it might be their most important album for becoming a household name. If I was giving a rating based off of how culturally important this album is it would get a 5, no question. But for my personal taste, I think it’s alittle lopsided on the A side. Nobody remembers the b side tracks on this album because most are skips, the only huge stand out is purple stain which I enjoyed. But honestly think as a whole this is a horribly overrated pop rock album that wows u with huge hits upfront and then meanders for the remaining 30-40 mins. Iconic rock album, with an ok tracklist.
3.5 rounded down because side B is really a big comedown from the first half
I actually like some of the songs on here but they suffer like almost all bands with a famous bass player, too much bass in the mix.
It's good, but not as good as Blood Sugar Sex Magik. The lyrics are better, the music is good but somehow not quite as good.
I can dig it. I originally gave this a 2, but came back two months later and changed it after incorporating it into some of my daily mixes. It’s great for what it is, late 90s-early 00s hard pop rock. Maybe it’s nostalgia, but this album has held up better than a lot of others on here.
I’ve never thought this album was anything special—it’s just alright. Sometimes it even sounds like they’re making fun of themselves
Was this the beginning of the end of RHCP or were they already done?
The first 6 tracks all sound great. There is some cheesy rapping and other things that would be easy to hate on, but it doesn’t matter because it sounds great and is very catchy with nice melodies. However, the second half falls off a bit and has the negatives without the highs.
I have to hear these songs on indie radio everyday it’s crazy they must be paying this station or something
Kind of like the Chili Peppers in general, this album for me is an example of the whole being less than the sum of its parts. Some real standout songs - Scar Tissue, Otherside, Around the World, Parallel Universe, and Purple Stain are all solid - but as a full album, it doesn't quite get there for me. And this is coming from a decently big Chili Peppers fan. Love a lot of what they have done, but I don't think they have any great full albums outside of Blood Sugar Sex Magik.
Some great songs, and lots of terrible ones.
🗯 Take a shot every time Kiedis sings “California.” You’ll need an ambulance by track eight. They’re a bit cringe these days, but something about Californication still works. I’ve always loved the players — the extraordinary John Frusciante, Flea, and Chad Smith are an unstoppable trio — almost enough to overlook Kiedis. Almost. As a kid, I inhaled Blood Sugar Sex Magik, so everything after felt like a comedown. This album nearly recaptures some of that spark — smoother, more melodic, surprisingly introspective in parts@and a step further into commercial kingdom. The front half is stacked: Around the World, Parallel Universe, Scar Tissue, and the title track still hit. The back half? Bit of a slog. Otherside in particular has been murdered by a thousand pub covers — I can barely hear it without tasting cheap beer. It’s too long, too polished, and too in love with its own myth — but damn if it doesn’t still carry some California sun. Verdict: Excellent (bloated but blissful; the last time the magic truly felt real) For fans of: Jane’s Addiction, Pearl Jam, funk-rock redemption arcs, and hearing “California” 37 times in 56 minutes
Good, but not their peak.
Fairly uneven album that starts strong, sags in the middle but picks up at the end. Not a super long album but like many RHCP albums perhaps has 4 or 5 songs too many. Flea's bass elevates a few otherwise middling songs such as 'Get On Top'. Fave Tune = Californication & Otherwide
Even though I’m now closer to the Nick Cave position on RHCP, I’m giving this one an honorary three stars for how much I listened to it as a teen who didn’t know better. Scar Tissue is still lovely, though.
Man, these guys really like California for some reason. The song I Like Dirt is pretty catchy.
I’ve always been a fan of rhcp and some of my favorite songs are on here. I don’t come back to this album often but it was a regular go-to throughout college.
Another time I wish I had the ability to use a half star. I liked this growing up, but as my musical exposure grew, I listened less and less. In recent years, the Chili Peppers have been consistently mocked, and made a joke of. I was expecting to not enjoy this record this time around. However, even past the hits, there are numerous great tracks on here. Their unique style can come off as corny sometimes, but the band offers enough diversity in the track listing that they find a way to win me over. Obviously there are some skips, and honestly, I've heard some of these hits so many times, I don't see myself turning this on again any time soon. That being said, it was a fun commute to work this morning thanks to the Chili Peppers.
Classic
I think of RHCP as a sort of "crowd pleaser" band for people born in the 80s and 90s. Put them on at a party and most people won't complain, but most likely they'll just fade into the background. That's at least true for their greatest hits, but doesn't really apply to this album. The hits on here are indeed great, but the rest of the songs are mostly terrible. Stupid lyrics, recorded way too loud, and too long as well. It's a shame really, because Flea and Frusciante have huge talent that are kind of wasted. Scar Tissue, Otherside, and Road Trippin are great songs though.
Where are these guys from again?
Trimming like 4 songs off this would have resulted in a four-star rating. Some really great tracks up front, good production, variety, and instrumentation. Does not sound dated at all.
I mean sure, it's a classic.
Full of hits, but as a whole it's pretty mid quality-wise. Love Road Trippin', though, and it's been a staple of my road trip playlists for a long time now.
full of hits. some of the hits (notably, scar tissue, hit really high points). but the rest of the album is just too inconsistent to be amazing imo (6.5/10)
There are so many bangers on this album, and the guitar & bass work is brilliant throughout. Scar Tissue, Otherside & Californication are the obvious classics. Despite this though there are two or three filler moments and inconsistencies that leave you wanting a bit more. 7/10.
Great RHCP album, but again question the “Must Hear” necessity for this list.
Made me realise I'd been confusing the red hot chilli peppers and black eyed peas for an embarrassing amount of time... 3.
Not a bad album in some ways and enjoyed some tracks but really don’t get the RHCP
Not as bad as I would’ve expected. Porcelain was the highlight
It’s hard to overstate how big this album was for middle school kids in 1999. I distinctly remember sitting in Future Shop listening to this at the CD sampling area. I didn’t fork over the $17 though… I just burned a copy of my friend’s, oops. Buying a CD was a big chunk of my allowance! But I think 14-year-old me was onto something, because while you can’t deny the monster hits on this album, it’s obscenely front-loaded. The second half is ok, but not memorable. I can’t with Anthony Kiedis, so that alone limits the star potential of this album, but it does bring back good memories. Highlights (they’re obvious!): Around the World - The rapping is dumb but if you try to ignore Kiedis and listen to Flea, this is still really fun. Parallel Universe - Apparently this was the last single released from the album? I don’t remember hearing it on the radio but it’s pretty great. Scar Tissue - I feel like this video was a huge image makeover for Kiedis. Before this I thought he was a long-haired old man. I feel like there was sharp early 90s/late 90s divide in the coolness of long hair on men. Whoever told Kiedis to cut and bleach his hair knew what would appeal to the youths. Worked for me. At the time I didn’t know what a creep he was. Love this song still. Even Kiedis sounds great. I love Frusciante’s solos. Otherside; Californication - More proof that Kiedis is best when he’s actually singing and not doing his goofy-ass rapping. Memorable music videos. Road Trippin’ - Closes the album on a good note.