Californication

The opening of this album is honestly dynamite, hard to square with my discovered-but-avowed hatred of the Peppers. Some of it's familiarity, as proved by significant sag in the middle. But the band manages to close things out strong. It's pop music, highly of the time and fifteen minutes too long but worth knowing. Intentional listening wasn't too much worse than radio osmosis.

I enjoyed today's album, it had a nice relaxed ending as well

There are some fun hits on this album, and overall, I think was a more mature effort than previous RHCP albums. In my opinion, it has not aged particularly well, however. Another reviewer mentioned the fidelity being terrible, and although I don't remember noticing it at the time, I agree it's a fuzzy mess! And not in a cool lo-fi way. It must have been less noticeable when hearing these songs on the radio in my old 1972 VW bug, flying down the freeway with the windows open ... There are some fun, even good, tracks on this album, especially in the first half, but the second half is boring and unmemorable at least until the last track. It hasn't held up super well over the decades, and what felt subversive in 1999 now feels obnoxious and crude to my (older, more matronly) ears (clutch pearls, lol). Still, I have fond memories, so 3/5.

This album is pretty solid overall, some of the lyrics are a bit goofy, the title track is overplayed/overrated, and I wish it was a little funkier. But despite all that it's got some good singles and a couple good deep cuts. I wouldn't necessarily listen to it in full again, but there are good nuggets here. I dont know why it's become so trendy to hate o this band. There's much better targets for ridicule.

Veel bekende bangers en vroeger dit album al paar keer geluisterd, maar lange tijd niet meer. Daardoor klinkt het wel bekend en misschien beetje nostalgisch maar begrijp dat ik dit toen ik jonger was beter vond. Is soms toch wat eenvoudige muziek en niet meer mijn smaak. Ik laat hem lekker in het verleden liggen.

Voor het eerst helemaal geluisterd en vond het best nice!! Kende eigenlijk al best veel nummers, maar het is nog steeds niet helemaaaal mijn smaak

Klassisk rhcp, både høj- og lavpunkter, flere bangers, men også lidt langt

I can take RHCP in small doses. I was quite ready for the album to end a third of the way through. Up to then I was quite invigorated and then I just got an attack of the tediums. Happy to listen to the singles if they appear on the radio. But a whole album is too much. I like the Road Trippin’ song.

Californication. Good, occasionally poor. Around the World, 2 to gale 3, Scar Tissue increasing severe gale 4. Rough or very rough, later. Rain, thundery showers. Road Trippin' Moderate, remainder of album occasionally very poor.

Le son est mauvais. À l’époque, j’ai acheté cet album et m’en suis débarrassé. Je considérais que ce n’était pas à la hauteur des deux précédents et que beaucoup de pièces m’ennuyaient. À l’écoute aujourd’hui, je remarque que Red Hot est en fait sur une pente descendante entâmé par cet album. Ils sont de moins en moins inventifs et variés dans leur musique. À postériori, c’est probablement leur meilleur album des 25 dernières années. Il y a plein de bonne choses, mais c’est dillué dans de l’ennuyant. Si on enlevait les 5 « fillers », ce serait une excellente galette.

A good album. Frusciante is fantastic, and flea is in great form on this - Kiedis for me is still a cripplingly weak link for the Chillis, and were it not for him this album could potentially be something special

I like the funkier stuff on this album, but to be honest, songs like “Californication”, or “Other Side” fall into the same category as “Jump” or “We Are The Champions”: I’ve heard it so many times on the radio that I no longer feel any joy or positive connection to the song.

I can’t stand the red hot chili peppers

I like a few here, but then a lot of them seem kinda samey.

Two songs already liked on Spotify before listening (Scar Tissue and Californication). Know a few will be liked for sure, like Around the World, Parallel Universe, Otherside and Get on Top. Feels like after the first 6 songs the rest of the album is a write off (except Road Trippin’) Purple Stain would have been better as an instrumental Disliked: Right on Time Hated: I Like Dirt Great band with a terrible frontman

Ehh.. I don't hate it but I don't love it. Like the other RHCP album, it's fine. The good songs are good the bad songs are bad. The album is quite one note and too long and by the 10th song they clearly ran out of ideas. Besides Californication I've already forgotten all the songs. At least it isn't offensively bad like some other albums.

Trudde eg skulle lika da litt mindre

It's hard to review an album you've never heard but heard almost half the songs a million times growing up on the radio. Moving away from their funk sound, these songs appeal to the mainstream audience, with pop structures that align with the dominant alt rock style of the time. Now, I will say I really enjoyed most of the tracks and has a ton of replayability. It's loud and energetic with memorable moments, especially during its most chaotic and melancholic moments. But where I believe this album falls apart is in its production and track ordering. Just like Oasis, this album favors loudness over quality. There's such a large emphasis on the vocals and lead guitar that everything else, especially the drums, sound muddled and often barely recognizable. This is mostly due to the high compression. All the instruments suffer from a fizzy effect which cause it to sound distorted, and combined with the high volume can cause an uncomfortable harshness, especially during the choruses. Another major problem is the sharpness of the cuts between clips, which are really annoying and bothersome one you notice them. From what I hear, most of these problems cannot be fixed by mastering, and so we're stuck with most of these problems, but fortunately due to modern techniques in streaming, they sound a bit better (at least what I'm hearing with Spotify). As for the track ordering, they attempt to put all the massive hits toward the front, and the rest seem to be randomly dispersed. Due to the range of moods and loudness, going from track to track feels conflicting and makes the record sound overall incoherent. The first 4 tracks are fine, but then the mindless dance punk "Get on Top" is placed between two introspective ballads. We get to a fun jam track "Easily" to the dream pop "Porcelain" (sounds straight from Mellon Collie) back to the grungy "Emit Remmus." It continues like this to the very end, and it just feels like a compilation. Despite all, the standalone compositions are amazing, beautiful, and unique, and it is unfortunate to say this is the lowest score I've given where I really enjoyed almost all the songs, even the bonus tracks. There's dream pop in "Porcelain", hip hop in "Purple Stain", disco in "Right on Time", baroque pop in "Road Trippin", and I already mentioned the punk, grunge, and pop rock tracks, making it a very diverse and memorable listen.

7/10

classic

FIRST OF ALL mr. flea on the bass??????????/// no further comments ur honour

Really inconsistent albums a lot of the songs are really fun and groovy and then sometimes it deng ding dong dong ding ding and then there's some questionable mixing/production on a lot of the tracks where it's just weirdly loud.

They polarise people don't they! I liked them a lot when I was young - and there are some nice passages here. I can understand the criticisms but aren't going to join in the pile-on

Notes trial, good album

It brings back a million memories of a summer when I was coming of age and weed was plentiful. It's a good album, the last of their imperial phase from Blood Sugar Sex Magic to this, but the warning signs of the bloat and blandness to come are here too. Still, you can't argue with Scar Tissue and Around the World. Hey, did you know they're from California?

As others have said, the first 6 songs + Road Trippin' are pretty good (some of these I even put on voluntarily!), but then the rest of the album all blends together in meh-ness. What are you left with? 3 stars, I guess.

Red Hot Chilli Peppers is a good band. I like "Scar Tissue".

bien qsy! no es lo mío pero no me disgustó 7,5 / 10

Opening track, Kiedis annoying with his plain-spoken verses with little accompaniment. Like how bass-forward the album is, particularly Scar Tissue and Get On Top. Californication is a great song, well put together. Easily felt messy coming off the back of 4 great songs, but followed up by Porcelain which is a nice reprieve from the album so far. Not a fan of Emit Remmus, lyricism of "animal of California" felt awkward. I Like Dirt was fun and very bass forward, This Velvet Glove and Savior felt forgettable. Purple Stain is funky as hell, probably my favourite song on the album, feels very Hendrix.

Overall solid album. Though it contained many of the classic RHCP songs that I knew from the radio, it's not an album that I'd put on from start to finish. Besides those poppier radio-friendly tracks and a few of the classic-style hard funk tracks later on, the remaining tracks were pretty forgettable. Could have been a really tight, short album maybe.

Identifying the Red Hot Chili Peppers : It’s the Red Hot Chili Peppers

Love-Hate relationship with RHCP. Some great songs followed by all just more of the same. Starting with this album. Inoffensive but unremarkable. I actually find Stadium Arcadium the most interesting post One Red Hot Minute album other than the 2 hour length.

a couple of good hits but Im not a huge fan of their sound

I have this game where I try to figure out how a release from the past will be received today. If it is d genuine classic or not. No idea where californication as a whole would land. Good listening fun though

I can't quite put my finger on what it is about this band I don't enjoy. I appreciate their honesty, but something leaves me flat with this band. As in the case of "Otherside" — I was thinking, "hey, this is a really nice tune," but before the song was over, I was less smitten. Kind of emblematic of how I feel about the RHCP. There are plenty of great moments, and while Anthony Kiedis is a singular presence as a vocalist (and Flea as a bassist), I prefer him when he goes with a "less is more" approach, and that's not usually his style. I also wasn't knocked out by the guitar work. I guess this is just not a band I love. I've had bandmates (bassists, specifically) who love this band, and they've been on my radar from early on (1985's Freaky Styley), but I've never been drawn in. I like them on a song-by-song basis, but not enough to go all in.

Liked some, not so much the rest

This album was such a commercial success I was very familiar with several tracks. I still find the melody of Otherside to be very catchy or ear-wormy anyway. But overall, I’ll not that enamored of this effort. It certainly has plenty of Flea-driven funk and all that but I guess for me it just starts to sound like the RHCP formula at work. I don’t know. Just not as much a fan of this album as of some others.

Some genuinely good stuff on here. Bits I’m not into as well. Dunno if just the Apple Music mastering but wildly different volumes across a couple of tracks.

rhp is hit and miss for me, and this album is more miss than hit. this album could have been half the tracks and under 30m. after easily, you can smash skip until "right on time". i'm not mad at californication being a hit, but it's sooooo long, and for what? my ★★★★☆ cut of this album: Around the World Parallel Universe Scar Tissue Otherside Get on Top Easily Right on Time Road Trippin'

Half good songs. Half lame funk rap. Just buy a greatest hits to avoid the dross.

I think everyone has heard this. This was probably the last album of theirs I truly enjoyed. Full of great songs.

First time of listening to whole album. Enjoyed but not a convert.

I've always had mixed feelings about the Chili Peppers. I feel like I should like them more than I do, but I find it difficult to care about them at all. I feel the same way about he Eagles - like the the whole is less than the sum of its parts. Like, Anthony is a great front man, Flea's amazing, John (and Navarro before him) are solid rock guitarists - but, still, I get bored listening to them after a while. All that to say, this album is probably their best and deserving of being on the list. Unique, recognizable sound that's solidly executed. Put any one of these songs on and I'm rocking out right along with them. Put 2 or more on in a row and I'll zone out.

Some of RHCP’s better work, but its appeal is still limited.

En vrai pas fou fou hein

There are some pretty good songs here but it's about 25 minutes too long

It's more of the same RHCP you know and love, some good some not. Lots of radio hits here, but deeper cuts like Savior are a really pleasant listen. I'm not a huge fan, but it gets the job done.

It's kinda fun but also grating. 6/10

For the most part, a pretty average alternative album, though I enjoyed some of the songs. Didn't appreciate the hip-hop/rap bits in a couple of the songs either.

Best Song: Parallel Universe. Not a full ballad but still slow enough that Kiedis needs to sing, not rap, which I prefer. Also a track that didn't reach the stratospheric heights of the other singles here, so it doesn't feel so overplayed. Worst Song: Porcelain. Why include such a slow, lullaby-style song in the middle of the album? Overall: No one else sounds at all close to how the RHCP sound, but sometimes they don't sound all that good. Despite Kiedis not having a conventionally strong singing voice, I really prefer his singing to the kind of staccato, Beastie Boys-esque rapping that he favours. Although I was a bigger fan of them when I was younger, listening to them now I can't help but feel like they are the musical equivalent of the TV show 'Friends': difficult to hate (unless you're outright trying to be contrarian), but also so strongly of an era that they become less relevant with each passing year.

I propose cutting this album down to tracks 1-7 plus Road Trippin’. There’s too much uninspired sounding filler in between. I would rate that album one star more…addition by subtraction.

3 20+ years later and still not feeling this is somehow their best, notorious as it is for the start of the Loudness Wars in mastering. BSSM and Mother's Milk are so much better. So much padding. It ends well, though... Even so would not miss it for another twenty years.

I use to like the Chili Peppers, Mother's Milk was pretty good, they were funky, edgy and different than most of the stuff on the radio or MTV and they put on amazing live shows. But something happens when you sell a gazillion copies of a record, chart high on the charts and attract the attention of celebrities and a mainstream following of teenage girls and loser hipsters. They're live shows are probably still a spectacle with the help of a much bigger budget and same with their music, big budget, accessible radio-friendly music so another bazillion people can stream it on Spotify or whatever. Kind of makes me sad...

The slippery down slope of a great band. At least it made them some greenbacks

Bops

Meilleur que BSSM, beaucoup plus de hits de mon genre, mais ça reste 1h de RHCP, ça devient lassant vers la fin.

When a legit album starts to sound a lot like a parody of the band, you have to worry for the direction the band are taking. Kiedis’ lyrics are frequently gibberish (sometimes literal gibberish) and the man has nothing to say- all non sequiturs and Dr Seuss rhyming and A level poetry) and renders the whole project a disappointment, despite the talents of Frusciante and Flea. That isn’t to say there aren’t highlights and a lot of it is catchy but for a band with our attention they sure waste an opportunity.

Strong 3, I see the appeal

I knew most of the songs on this because it was so big at the time. Not my thing but I listened start to finish in the cat or the freeway. Enjoyed it but don’t love it.

3/5 nice but not enough.

The guitar riffs are great, the bassplay is amazing, the lyrics are as non-sensical as always. But the whole thing is flat. From production to songwriting, it's safe and a bit empty.

So played out right now

Disappointed

On kyllä kiimaisia äijiä :D Tykkäsin tästä enemmän kuin Blood Sugar Sex Magicista, mutta ehkä jätän silti 3/5. Letkeetä ja onneks muitakin ok biisejä ku loppuun saakka kulutettu nimikko, jota en oo jaksanu moneen vuoteen.

A very good, but very… long record.

Californication by Red Hot Chili Peppers (1999) Incorporating elements of hip hop, prog rock, and funk, this album seems designed to broaden the commercial appeal of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ well established and diverse musical explorations of sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll. I can imagine that some diehard fans of RHCP’s earlier work might have been disappointed in this development. Anthony Kiedis’ squeaky but clean lead vocals are layered over good, elaborate rock arrangements. Guitarist John Frusciante returns to the RHCP lineup, after a hiatus from 1992-1998 (during which time he had been replaced by Dave Navarro, formerly of Jane’s Addiction). This fundamental change has made a great impact on the sound of Californication. What we get is more mellow, with a predominance of relatively soft grooves—a suitable accompaniment to the widely referential and geographically diverse lyrics, but I’m not sure it improves the art. Solid and melodic bass lines by Flea, and splashy cymbal-heavy drum work by Chad Smith provide musical quality and sonic texture. The album’s diversity sustains interest, but the variety seems aimless. The track “Savior” could be interpreted in a way that inspires thought, but it falls short due to exaggerated ambiguity lack of depth. The sound of the closing track “Road Trippin’” is refreshing, with acoustic stylings and accompanying string ensemble. It almost makes the serious listener want to start the album over again. Almost. It’s good background music, but none of the tracks stand out as immediately gripping (with the possible exception of “I Like Dirt”, which is quite entertaining, with its funky wah-guitar stylings toward the end). I think if one listened to this album a dozen times one could grow to love it, but on first listen, it’s not top shelf. Am I the only one who thinks it’s too long? 3/5

I understand why this album was so popular, but it's just not for me. The songs are good and funky, but end up sounding the same. Some cool bass lines and good melodies.

Starts strong, but loses steam after the title track, and only returns to form at the last one. Funky and a summery vibe, but lower half drags everything else down with it.

3/01/22

#15?

While the return of RHCP's impressive guitarist definitely influenced their turning point album, "Californication", I think the irresistible groove and kicks of it should be credited more on the amazing and now one of my favorite bass player, Flea. And of course, I am expecting the single that boasts that infamous video game themed music video. It's as good as I remember (although "Otherside" is personally better). Aside from being a nice title track, the song "Californication" is also the last great song in the entire album. I could consider the closer "Road Trippin'" decent, but anything between it and the title track is personally monotonous and uninteresting. That is disappointing because as I listen to the first five tracks, I thought that I'll have another five star album. Still, I love the unique funky flavor of it. I get the hype around these guys. But if I would listen to it again, I would stop right after the title track.

I'm old enough to remember when this came out, and was absolutely everywhere, and I absolutely hated it at the time. Listening to the whole album reveals it's not too bad; it has a certain ADHD energy and Kleidis is a surprisingly sharp lyricist. But every song relies on the same formula, which wears a bit thin, and it's far too long.

Classic Chili Peppers. I like the harder funk style of BSSM better, but this is a close second

Some songs aged well, others didn’t. The Album as a whole is a good sum of that era.

A whole different album beyond the singles that have been played to death on alternative rock/mainstream radio. Pleasantly surprised by the more hard-driving uptempo tracks on this one, as they push well beyond what's expected from an RHCP song. The slower, ballad-like tracks come out of left field as well, but balance some of the more indulgent energies on the rest of the LP.

This album started off really strong. If this album ended after 7 songs or so it would probably be a 5 star album. It really dropped off pretty hard after that though. Most of the songs in the second half of the album just felt like uninspired filler. First half - 5 stars, second half - 2 stars. 3.5 total.

First half is an 8/10, second half is a 5/10.

Entertaining

A bit long. 3,5/5

De va bättre än ja trodde

Shout out to everyone in the band that isn’t Anthony Keidis… he’s not even that bad

För långt och Anthony Kiedies stinker FR! Dock mycket fler legit bra låtar än på blood sugar sex magik.

Listening to a bunch of RHCP songs back to back made me wonder if it wasn’t for Flea how long they would have been relevant or if they would even be relevant in the first place. The songwriting abilities of the members are…lacking and Antony doesn’t have that great a voice, although I appreciate him trying out a lot of different styles. The distinctive groove of Flea’s bass is really the only great thing about RHCP. He clearly has a lot of funk and disco influences and his skill never fails to shine through. Overall, a listenable album but I don’t think it really holds up that well in comparison to the albums of rock giants they were up against at the time (if I want to hear rapping over a groove baseline then I’ll listen to RATM) Best tracks: Californication/Scar Tissue Worst tracks: Road Trippin’/Get On Top (Also points deducted for Antony being a nonce)

I grew up with California radio so the singles from this are deeply ingrained in me, but boy most of the deep cuts don't work at all to my ears.

Thank god they stopped him rapping on every song. The rapping was so bad as to make any of the songs with raps on unbearable. The slower songs were the highlight for me. A really inconsistent album.

Some great songs on this album but not all.

die rache der hotdogbude

sì i quattro pezzoni, il resto è superfluo. Male le ballatone

It’s alright. Cali pop rock. It’s is very much a classic album with a shit ton of popular songs from very popular musicians. My favorite is “Porcelain” It’s just not my music

I think the non single songs were pretty great. The singles I’ve heard ad naseum so they were def skips for me.

Decent album. I like the hits songs fairly well...Scar Tissue is a top 3 RHCPs song IMO. Feel like some of the album serves as filler. 3/5

3.75

Listened to years ago. Not take my bag but some fun

hmm

Enjoyed more than expected

Has its moments

I remembered there being more energy in this album than this. Not quite blood sugar sex magic.

White guy funk! Flea is sweet with it.

It was fine, not really sure why it was on a list of albums i need to hear before i die

I<m not a big RHCP fan, this is the first album I listen to from front to back. But it has quite a few high quality moments. My favorite moments are the poppier ones I find their Funk freak outs a little distracting though the skill of the playing is undeniable. Lots of good stuff. Not quite a four but surprisingly close. 3.75 stars

It's a "cleaner" version of Blood Sugar Sex Magik. The music is a formulaic repetition of mainstream stereotypes (that they already used in the previous album). (5/10) Favourite Tracks: Road Trippin', Otherside

Hoewel ik John Frusciante als 1 van mijn favoriete muzikanten zie, heb ik nooit heel veel brood gezien in the Red Hot Chili Peppers; Onrustig allemaal maar, met hier een daar een aardige of zelfs goede uitschieter.

I‘m indoctrinated by regular exposure during my teenage years.

This album is very nostalgic to me.

It’s catchy as hell.

The Californication music video terrified me as a child.

Much better than I expected. The good stuff (the singles and a couple of other tracks) are very good, but possibly I'm a little jaded about them due to their ubiquity at the time of release. The weaker elements are pretty good, making an overall pleasing and engaging listening experience. But they really should have invested in a few shirts.

this album is okay. I understand the hype but to me it's alrighttttt

Surprisingly fine. Didn't hate it. A little long.

It aight

It’s no Blood Sugar Sex Magic. I get this is Frusciante‘s triumphant return on guitar after he left back in the early 90s but I dunno. This record is a bit too tame for me. The singles are all ok, but overall the rest of the album is just fine. It’s not terrible, it’s not great. I feel like it’s like the zenith of just regular ass RHCP songs. There’s nothing here that grabs me like their earlier stuff. Probably a good listen for someone just diving in but the old stuff is better. Hate to be that guy but it’s how I feel.

Couple classics, lot of stuff that sounds generically like the RHCP

Questo album suona veramente malissimo, distrutto da compressione e limiting. Non mi fa impazzire lo stile del cantante, anche se i testi son belli, ma in generale molte cose del gruppo mi piacciono. Nel voto finale sono stato influenzato negativamente dal suono.

When The Good Place took a stab at Red Hot Chili Peppers indicating that fandom of this band was a ticket to "The Bad Place" I had one of those moments where I looked around and mouthed "Me?" while pointing at myself. Honestly on this album I think I understand that jab a bit more than when it comes to Stadium Arcadium (an album I'll defend with my dying breath). Nonetheless, Californication and a few other songs are indisputably good jams. His rock rap just threw me a bit at times.

Enjoyable upbeat album. RHCP isn't my favorite but this is their best work I think. I don't know if it's fair for me to ding it for being overplayed but it's my ratings and I will do what I want.

Not sure I've heard the whole album before so didn't know that the chili's were so varied in style, still liked the classic 'californication' type ones the best.

More melodic than I remembered

Liked their style…..good tunes

Saved Prior: Scar Tissue, Otherside, Californication Saved Off Rip: Parallel Universe Cutting Edge: Easily Overall Notes: Other than the three songs I knew already, the other songs kinda sounded the same. I wasn't able to devote full attention to the album so maybe I just wasn't listening close enough, but nothing especially stood out in a positive way. Will probably come back to this one.

weird album. some absolute unforgettable slaps like otherside, californication and parallel universe but some really weird songs that dont work at all like around the world and get on top

Pretty dull really. Should be a 2.5. Plumping for a very generous 3 mainly on thee grounds of the singles on the album. The rest not so good.

Nice album, shame that Rick Rubin clipped it to hell and back.

The beginning actually reminds me a little bit of the Kidrock album from last week. I guess that was a sound for that time period. I like the rest of the album (after the first track) better, though I still wouldn’t buy the album.

For some reason this album really makes me laugh. I want to hate it but I really just can't, its as fun as it is stupid. I wouldn't necessarily call this butt-rock since its just a slight peg up, making this taint-rock. The first song and "get on top" really reminds me of this https://youtu.be/LYjqm9HIGtQ. This album feels like how the band members look, greasy, kind of overtly sexual in a gross kind of way. Maybe I can't shake the fact that this music was made by pedophiles and rapists but I don't feel clean listening to it, even though the music really is pretty fun and kind of hilarious. I did get really tired of the singing after about halfway through the album though, he really does sound the exact same on almost every song. But the album picks up again in the last bit with some unique songs. Still, part of me can't totally get into these songs because they almost sound like a parody of something else with how played-up and samey they are. Overall, the album was good but there are a lot of things that put me off. Favorite track: Right on Time Least Favorite track: Otherside

Listened to this album a ton when I was younger, loved it then, not as much into it now.

rhcp were never really my thing

Ok

Not my jam. Their earlier work has inspired me more.

What’s up with the lame white boy rapping over rock? They stink. But I suppose it’s not a horribly produced album, and creatively it’s got some merit. And people really like it. So 3 starts.

Never been a big fan

2.5 rounded up for the sheer amount of singles and Road Tripping. IDK how I ever loved this band. Lyrics are yikes and production is bad (no dynamic range).

listened to about half, its the chili peppers. cant go wrong

I just can't get on board with RHCP. Yes their singles are bangers but it's all the same to me, slappadabass, some fast rapsinging then a bit of slow singing and repeat. I also just don't like his voice. I don't think they are bad but just not what I want from life.

Can't hate these Chili Peps, it's not a crazy-win for me, but an enjoyable listen especially those base-lines. Not as goofy as I remember them being, and with some iconic tracks. All of it sounds similar to me, but not in a terrible way. I will say that Californication itself is overplayed and not my fave song in the world.

A mixed bag of an album, the singles are fantastic but some of the album are incredibly cringey. Took me back to being a teenager and watching Kerrang! TV though.

It was okay.

Easy listen, better in concert. Not many occasions where I am in the mood for this.

Decent - a little long for me. Very 90s feeling.

Just can't really get into the RHCP.

not as good as Joni Mitchell’s Blue

No thank you.

i kind of understand why red hot chili peppers is so popular but this is not my taste of music at all. all the songs on this album just sounded the same to me it all blurred together. it’s Okay.

Red Hot Chili Peppers. Funk for your boomer mom.

The thought of listening to this gives me the boak. The soundtrack to mtv2 and every crap gathering for about 5 years, this is one of the go to albums for people that don't like music. The safe option with some catchy sing along hits. Kind of like the grandfather of Kings of Leon or the Killers. As much as they annoy me, at least the early albums had some grit.

Teenage drivel, sehr sehr wütend, anstrengend, alles sehr ähnlich

Very tight and some catchy singles, but Anthony really lets the team down. Blood Sugar Sex Magik was great, but this is not anywhere near that level.

awful mix

I really like the lead singers voice. Road Trippin is the song I liked the best, more melodic, the harmony was smooth and the swell of additional instruments was a nice and different choice from the other songs on the album.

𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 is an album I like more for what Flea and John Frusciante are doing than for the songs themselves. Their playing gives the record most of its personality, especially when the band slows down and lets the bass and guitar create some atmosphere. Anthony Kiedis is the part that wears me down. On several of the singles, his nasal delivery, phrasing, and vocal melodies start to feel almost interchangeable, which makes the album more repetitive than it should be. Some of the later tracks break away from that formula and are more interesting because of it. Even then, 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 feels oddly ordinary for an alternative-rock album from 1999. There were plenty of records around that time taking bigger risks or developing more distinctive sounds. Flea and Frusciante keep this one afloat, but not enough to make me want to return to it.

Flea and Frusciante are good enough musicians that not even Kiedis can fully drag them down by himself… unfortunately he’s getting help from some of the shittiest mixing known to mankind

Some truly nice alt-rock songs severely outnumbered by more RHCP unlistenable white boy funk rap bumpers. Still I can’t hate them.

Not a fan of the any song besides Californication.

The lyrics on this album are so lazy. Rhymes porn with unicorn. At one point he just starts saying ding ding dong instead of actual words. I bought this album for my high school boyfriend as a joke when I was 16 because he loved it and I thought it was trash. Knowing I bought it on a CD means it's likely actual trash now and that makes me kinda happy. All that being said, I love the Chili Peppers and have seen them live twice and it was a great time. I just don't like any of the songs from Californication.

Dull

I think I heard this once upon a time, but I'm more familiar with his third album, Pink Moon. I'm sure Pink Moon will pop up later. I think I'm going through a bit of a rough patch at the moment, not least because I'm quite ill. I can't see out of my right eye at the moment, and I think I'm getting depressed again. When I'm depressed, the phrase "Black Dog" always jumps into my head, which is what Drake used to refer to his bouts with depression as. As I take my paroxetine every morning, I think of him. There's only so much heavy lifting a little pill can do, when everything else seems to bring you do that much. ────────────────── Nick Drake with full orchestration is kind of magical. That's the first thing I noticed. I'm so used to hearing him with just his acoustic guitar behind him, invariably in some tuning I haven't tried out myself. The strings and the horns work perfectly with his voice, it's like listening to a more mature Van Morrison. It's odd to hear such a young voice with such a fully realised project (Nick Drake was 22 years old when Bryter Layter was released), but it's fantastic to hear something so enrapturing from such an old soul. The flute parts dotted about this album in particular are wonderful - it's almost a call back to the parochial songs that Molly Drake would have raised him on. ────────────────── When I was 22 years old, I had recorded an album called Action Figures, and I had been waiting for years to release it. Mixing takes time, but not as much time as I was expecting. It was 2020, the year everything was covered in a thick film of fear and the stench of alcohol. I was working in a supermarket, I was going running four times a week, I was moving away from the coast to a sad little town in the Midlands. We thought it would save us money, but with nothing to spend money on, we still managed to waste it. I thought it would have happened to me by then, and it still hasn't happened to me now. I was scared of dying, and reticent to download TikTok. Crucially, I was away from everyone I had spent the past four years playing music with, and no venues were open, not even an open mic night. I felt stuck. I am stuck. ────────────────── I wonder who Hazey Jane was. Who inspired these two wonderful songs? Was she real? Did Nick read about her? Was she him? One of my favourite things musicians do is write to themselves, or a part of themselves - epistolaries especially. A card or a letter to a fraction of their brain, awaiting a response. One wonders if Jane ever wrote Nick back. Maybe that's what the rest of the album is. One Of These Things First is a true stand out on this album; it allows his acoustic guitar to shine through everything, even with a truly miraculous piano part going wild in the background. And it's bristling with possibilities. I wish Nick Drake had had the time to be anything he wanted to be. ────────────────── I wish I had found the time. ────────────────── 8/10 Stand Out Tracks One Of These Things First Hazey Jane II Sunday

Yes, it is a sin: I don't like the RHCP

4/10

Stopped listening at track called ‘I like dirt’. Title track will always be good though

Hilarious a bunch of men approaching their 40's made this album. Still baffles me that John Frusciante continues to be in the Red Hot Chili Peppers when he is clearly so much more talented than anyone else in the band. In a perfect world, he would have gone ahead and actually joined the Meat Puppets. Anthony Kiedis should be in prison.

Väldigt långt album, många låtar väldigt lika och jag blir less på sångarens röst efter tag vilket inte riktigt är bra betyg. Topplåtarna "Californiacation" och "Scar tissue" tycker jag håller måttet och är riktigt bra, men allt annat känns lite samma. Overall bra producerat men nej inte för mig, idag blir det en tvåa på detta album

what's this a racist caricature of chinese? "ding dong" (sung with a lilted accent) they know how to run a bassline. scar tissue and otherside are bops. they have a formula for a song, and it works. the strong bassline and drums. rhythm guitar. the vocals, it's all musically well balanced and the album is cohesive. it's just so freaking cheesy tho. deduction for having an album over 47 minutes. savior should be the last song. the electronica / disco beat from right on time is nice nice acoustics on road trippin' it makes sense that the bassist and singer are the only constant members of the band because the vocals and the bass are the most distinct parts of their music. i think i gotta deduct one for how corny it is and one for being too long EDIT actually this deserves a 2/5. kudos to them for figuring out their formula, but their music ain't that good.

RHCP is not for me.

00:15 into around the world - WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR Its a shame it only lasts 10 seconds cos it just gets worse from then on.

The only good Chili Peppers album is Blood Sugar Sex Magik, which this album is not.

“I’ve never been, like, running to Kiedis to answer life’s questions.” – Pat Finnerty

Sweet, sweet nonsense with a side of tinnitus. There is very little there here. Not to say I don't enjoy this (ninth-grade me REALLY enjoyed it)! Why does it feel like RHCP never lived up to their collective potential? Why is Ethan Risser selling home security systems in a Ponzi scheme? Well, some very talented people are destined to accidentally make a ridiculous side quest their main adventure. If you think about this as funding for John's solo albums, it gets a thousand times better, lol.

Nothing crazy about it

The musicians in this band are all extremely talented. However, I do not like the "funk rock made for radio hits" style. The guitarist, bassist, and drummer have all done different projects I like, but I just don't think this style of music is great, especially when distilled down to the lowest common denominator for radio hits. Also, I have never been able to stand the singing, even if he was saying intelligent or actually good lyrics (which isn't always a deal-breaker for me). That all being said, the production is obviously very good, especially with the remaster, and there are some parts of the music I do like, but it's just parts of songs, and it always goes back to the main parts of the song being the stuff I don't like.

This got rid of a lot of what I liked about Blood Sugar Sex Magik (the funky drums and guitar) while keeping a lot of the stuff I hated (goofy lyrics). Oh well, at least a lot of the white-boy rapping was dropped too. BSSM was weird and sometimes annoying, but at least it was never bland like Californication often got. I can't really rate this a one; I have too much nostalgia for the singles on here since my older cousin would play them all the time in the car, but overall not an album I was gripped by.

3 days in a row of mediocre radio rock. I really paid 20 1999 dollars for this? The bass, guitar, and drums are all pretty good. There were also some memorable music videos that came from this album. Otherwise I just feel meh about it. Kiedis just ruins what could otherwise be a good, even great band. Judging from the other reviews on this I don’t think I’m letting my memories of being a cringey teenager bias me too much. It’s really an indictment of the recording industry that this was one of the biggest albums at the turn of the millennium.

I've never really liked RHCP. I haven't voluntarily listened to them in decades. The opening notes of Scar Tissue and Otherside sound like me trying to find another radio station in my 96 Honda Civic.

AROUND THE WORLD: i loveeeeee the riffs and rap-style lyric delivery PARALLEL UNIVERSE: the drums clearly shine in this song, the guitar solo at the end is so fire SCAR TISSUE: the way he sings push-up bra scratches my brain, i like it OTHERSIDE: more sad, but the pacing of lyrics in the beginning with such a beautiful riff is gorgeous GET ON TOP: "right on" is soooo cringy, shows the age of the album CALIFORNICATION: clever play on words, clearly the song that they put the most time in so far on the lyrics EASILY: feels punk PORCELAIN: very modern, slow, i like EMIT REMMUS: interesting title and i like the contrast between american man and english woman I LIKE DIRT: cheeky and funny while still being poetic THIS VELVET GLOVE: good riff at the beginning but this feels like every other song i've listened to on this album SAVIOR: varies throughout the song and is a clear standout - like the bridge, yes ma'am PURPLE STAIN: these lyrics are lowkey making me throw up like dude idc about what you do at night but i do like the "we all live in hollywood part" that's fun RIGHT ON TIME: holy whiplash oh my gosh this is better then coffee for waking someone up and not in a good way ROAD TRIPPIN': croony FAT DANCE: ew OVER FUNK: funk is the right way to describe it QUIXOTICELIXER: sounds like everything else on the album

not a bad album, but it was unlistenable for me at some points and didn't enjoy most of it

Cruise ship band music. This is the type of music drunk dads in their 40-60s think is good simply because it's easy to digest, easy to sing along to, easy to understand, easy to forget. The instruments are nice enough; clearly they're talented and follow the right formula to create popular music. The vocals, I'm not too excited about though. And perhaps that's just a me-problem because I've been around too many socially ambitious office workers that speak the way this dude sings. I feel the same way about the songs as I do about the show Friends--I understand the popularity but don't feel enough depth in the water to dive into the pool.

Not getting into a whole Chi Peps thing again. Some songs are fine, most aren’t. Dumb lyrics.

bleh...

Top Songs: - Otherside - Californication - Emit Remmus - Road Trippin‘

Artist David Hockney -who died last week- was known for his images of swimming pools. They looked inviting and made the viewer want to dive into the picture. The same can't be said for the pool on the cover of the Chilli Peppers album. It looks like a tumultuous sea of molten lava. As uninviting as that sounds, it might actually be preferable to listening to this. Terribly produced, and featuring a lot of Kiedis spoutung gibberish over leaden funk filler tracks. Scar Tissue is one of the only RHCP songs I think is any good but even that can't save this from a 2.

If you go and read my review for Blood Sugar Sex Magik you will know how I feel about Anthony Kiedis. When I was doing research for that review I found out that he and Mike Patton and a lot of it had to do with the fact that around this same time Mr. Bungle put out California. I do remember the 'beef' from that and at the time and today I am going to pick Mike Patton over Anthony Kiedis and now more so since we know Anthony Kiedis is a pedophile. Also as of this writing we don't know but I'm pretty sure that Mike Patton has not had sex with a child. Only two good songs on here so two stars.

Lyrically this is probably ine of their better albums but i just find it boring as fuck. I’m not a hard devotee of their earlier punk-funk stuff so this isnt a reaction to a change in direction that this album seems to have been. I just find musically the ideas are largely 1 dimensional and not expanded on. It feels like they sat around with an acoustic guitar, strummed a few chords, blurted some nonsense words on top, said right go write some deep lyrics to that melody then we’ll record it. I get there is a bit more to it than that, but not a lot.

Dreadful

One word that’s always come to mind with this band is “underwhelming,” and having finally sat through a whole album… I still largely agree. I respect the distinctness of their sound, I get the appeal, especially in the 90s, and Flea is fun to listen to. There are big hits on this one, Otherwise has always been one I enjoyed, and Porcelain was a cool track to discover. But otherwise the album mostly alternates between “hit song” and the “funk/rock song”, without either a sense of cohesion or any real journey. The funk stuff is ok but, the players never go that hard, vocal delivery is distinct but boring to me, and the lyrics don’t help. If you’re gonna rap, have something to say. So ultimately in the end these “fun” tracks just have a hollowness to them. I’ll stick with catching a song of theirs on the radio once in a while, albums do not seem to be their forte

The older I get, the less I like the peppers. They are a band I’ve outgrown

This is the when the chili peppers completely lost me. This album is awful boring.

A great guitar player, a drummer with the most infuriating snare this side of Ulrich, a pedophile, and a bassist who's great in interviews walk into a funk/rap/rock heroin bar and make a bajillion dollars off of people whose deeply rooted racism make them incapable of listening to music that their parents didn't bone to in 2003. Yeah, I didn't care for this one.

Amazing musicianship and songwriting completely undermined by Anthony Keidis' ridiculousness.

just not my kind of music.

Tripe! What happens when a California surfer dude tries to access his sensitive side? You get a lot of weird sexual imagery under the guise of I’m a man that has feelings ugh. The bass and the guitar was alright

This is a must-listen only for those born too late to have had it constantly shoved into their ears. This album was everywhere and could not be stopped. Too bad RHCP's best music was already long behind. Another nail in the coffin of 90's Optimism.

I hate RHCP, not sure why. They just dont sound good or interesting to me.

2/3

I had an ex that tried to argue that I should like Red Hot Chili Peppers because they had a greatest hits album prior to the release of Blood Sugar Sex Magick. Which I always found to be a preposterous argument. I've since learned she wasn't even correct (it was released after that album). This has always colored my opinion of the band. Trying to come into this album with fresh ears, I recognize that the singles which were played to death for me are not bad, but that I am still not a fan of the band or the album. While I can see why people enjoy this style of music it has never resonated for me. So while I give it two stars as it was massively popular and does give insight into music at this point it's just not that good of an album.

Jeg har altid syntes, at RHCP er så vanvittigt irriterende, så se bort fra mit rant, hvis du er fan RHCP lyder sådan her https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VE5JMEu5hZA Man gad godt have fat i kraven på den tumpe, der har mastered det her album Write an RHCP song without mentioning California challenge LEVEL IMPOSSIBLE RHCP er Maroon 5, hvis de var lige så obsessed med deres hjemstavn Kiedis er så utroligt irriterende, at jeg ikke kan begribe det jeg bliver heated nu sorry Burde det være 1 stjerne? Ja, det gjorde det nok, det virker bare så brutalt, at det skulle ligge nede ved Robbie Williams. Jeg lærte at spille soloen til Californication, da jeg var barn, så det trækker op. 2 stjerner for de stakkels Logitech 2.1 højttalere, der troligt har spillet det her gennem tiden 1.8

It didn't do much for me. It's just... so... plain. Yeah I know what the title track is about and I read its lyrics

Gear: ZMF Auteur Classic LTD Shedua Artwork: 💦💱🔥 Production: 🎧😖💩 Music: 💥📉😕 Rating: 🌴🌴(🌴)/5

They're very good instrumentally but the singing and lyrics are awful. If they got themselves a decent singer I could see them making it big.

Absolutely trashy album imo. Only giving this a rating at all at is because when I was a kid the first song I learned on guitar was Californication, I taught myself how to read music after that but never really liked RHCP.

This is a difficult record to rate. On one hand it's iconic, catchy and has some genuinely amazing hooks and songs on it. On the other hand it also has some stinkers on the second half and is mixed atrociously. I just wish a it would be remastered from the ground up because it could be a great record, but I just can't listen to a lot of the songs, even the good ones without kinda hurting my ears. A real shame. 4/10

This made me realize I actually just don't like the red hot chili peppers. Musically they're pretty good, but the vocals sound like a guy who desperately wants to be found more cool than he is, and the style of music supports it. Moreover the entire album seems to be built around one song (californication), while everything else feels like filler. At least the drums aren't done by Will Pharrel.

A one star album I’m giving two stars because Otherside, Scar Tissue and Californication are etched so deeply into my bones, I sing along like a possessed horror movie character committing atrocities against their will.

Just so MEH

a good album, but not for me

Of all the RHCP albums why this one?

I must say it was a hard listen overall (the production on this record is baffling and SO LOUD) and I cannot take the lead vocal's mannerism seriously. I like the (most popular?) track 'Californication' but I wasn't crazy about anything else I've heard.

"Up to my ass in, alligators, Let's get it on with the alligator haters" Fuck this stupid chud album Instrumentals are kinda good but the lyrics are so shit sometimes

ew

I went off it quite quickly

Not as mind-numbingly awful as Blood Sugar Sex Magik (perhaps only because it's shorter and more ignorable) but still not good

Alright. Kinda dull after a while.

If it was on in the background I wouldn't be mad about it, but I wouldn't be deliberately listening to it either.

Nostalgic to the max but has too many weak tracks to weigh out the very few good, or actually pretty great ones.

The hits hit but overall this is forgettable and the songwriting is garbage

Poorly aged in quite literally every department.

A 2 for a few of the bangers but actually most of the album is crap and fuck Anthony Paedis

As a 17 year old I liked this album more than I should but then to be fair I was 17 and it appears I probably skipped more than half of the tracks. Cant deny that Scar Tissue, Other side and Road tripping are great tumes but the rest is pretty monotonous. The worst thing about all Chilli’s output is always Anthony Kiedis his purile sex raps are awful, he can’t write lyrics and can’t sing so is an interesting choice of frontman. I am sure he thinks that Emit Remmus was a genius subversive move to avoid the cliche of having a song called Summer Time….. but then he is a Latot Tnuc. 2.3

fav songs: scar tissue californication bland, samey, limited 40/100

FOR ME, there were only like 3 good songs, and the rest were just massive duds. I can see why it’s so beloved, and I’m sure if I’d listened to it at another point in my life I’d maybe be more down for it, but it’s just not it atm

I never found myself interested in this band, disliking their whole sound and approach, Higher Ground cover notwithstanding. Nothing has changed. There is an instrumental break late in Right On Time that I like. I enjoyed Road Trippin, the closer. Overall, they sound like them, which doesn't work for me. Good example of an album I will gve two stars, because I can well believe that those who partake will like it. It's not their fault I don't want to listen to SoCal what have you, etc.

Halfway through this record and it's already a struggle. The word that keeps coming up is "tiresome." Each song seems too long, and few of them are interesting. And there are too many of them. Years ago I observed two facebook friends get in a massive fight about this band in the comment section on someone's post. I cannot imagine caring that much about this group. I know this album was very well-received and is generally admired, but I prefer the older RHCP. Whatever this genre is (Bro Rock?), it's not for me. It's not offensive, but there's not a single song on here I would ever deliberately choose to listen to again.

I like the popular songs and its catchy, but I am just left a little empty after this. I think the bass is good, and this is very easy listening, but I don't get it, maybe. I think the main singer just has the 90s Jane's Addiction vibe that I can't stand. I think this is more palatable. I think musically it is not that interesting sonically, and the songs that try something are not the hits, and they are the slog. Savior has an old-school arena rock vibe to it that feels different and engaging. I want more of that strangeness instead of I like dirt, what in the 90s is that? ska jazz fusion does not work for RHCP. I will leave with scar tissue and Californication on my list of songs to recognize at Karaoke with my millennial friends

Нет.

Not a fan. Sorry. Meh.

This album belongs to John Frusciante. All of the best moments on here are his: the guitar freak out intro of "All Around The World," the backmasked guitar of "Emit Remmus," the simple melody of "Otherside," all of it belongs to him. Flea and Chad Smith prove themselves to be an incredibly solid rhythm section throughout the album, but of course the thing that ruins this record is Anthony Kiedis. The man's lyrics are like the smeared shit on the wall from a mental patient who will try telling you that the dried feces are the poetics of a master lyricist, but his lyrics are just that: shit. You know you have a problem when the guitarist's backing vocals are better than your lead singer's, and while John and the rest of the band are sometimes able to salvage these songs through the instrumentation alone, there are just too many instances where the songs can't be saved.

Decent 2,5

I hope they put one of their good albums on this list too

I mean, I liked some.

Not bad but I'd consider it very "average". Not in a good or bad way.

first track is cool, the rap parts sound like white ice cube i like the track californification too, reminds me of dirt rally 2. the rest is kinda boring, there's not a lot of variation in there, it's just the same instruments with different chords and arrangements. btw everything is clipping bro

meh

Boring, the shit youd play in the background, with some cool exceptions in some moments.

Nice

mira, uno fue adolescente y le tiene cariño a algunos temas. También recurdo a los abusones de colegio que acabaron de polis o violadores. Otros, lo hicieron en bandas como los Red Hot. Y el peor de todos siempre era el cantante. Dos estrellas por nostalgia y por Frusciante, que seguro que era el yonki que no se metía con nadie, aunque bien que coleguea con agresores

Eventhough this usually would not be my go to album, there were some parts that were catchy and I enjoyed. Still i am not a fan of the vocal style, after a while it felt monotonous and nothing really stuck with me.

The Chili Peppers had enough musical talent and melodic songwriting chops to write a hooky, funky alt rock album. But this, like all of their albums, is not that. There are some good songs here! Like usual, the more mellow songs like "Scar Tissue" and the title track are the best, though "Otherside" is also pretty good. The louder songs often feel clumsy, with riffs and choruses that feel sudden or out of place; the back half is full of interchangeable tracks like that. And of course this is very loud, to the point where Frusciante's riffs get lost in the noise. As for the lyrics: Kiedis's stream of unconnected topics works well on "Scar Tissue," but elsewhere - like "Get on Top" - it's ridiculous (the title track falls in the middle). If this was pared down and more restrained it would be fun, but as it is the good moments are lost in the noise.

2 only cause I love flea

I've never really been into this band. I was surprised how many tunes I knew, Scar Tissue is a standout. I get the playing is really good, I think it might be the singer and that slightly out of tune strangulated singing style. What I'd say deadbeats is it is very much a case of whether it floats your boat or not.

If Red Hot Chili Peppers has no haters then I'm dead.

it was ok

Ret tæt på 3 tbh men Anthony Kiedis og filler trækker den ned. Der er nogle virkelig dygtige musikere i det her band

Bandet er virkelig tight! Svært at forstå hvorfor de gider spille sammen med Kiedis som er pissetræls at høre på

Yes bro i listened to this in high school!!!! Ive been thinking about this album recently since people have been hating on RHCP, and i think they may be on to something. while anthony kedis is a terrible piece of shit, their music is also.. just okay. i did dig this when i was a teenager but looking back theres only a few standout tracks. The bands style becomes oversaturated by this point but i think it is their strongest album. After this is by the way which i did consider my favourite by them but i really dont think i enjoy their music anymore because i no longer need to get into every single band from the 90s anymore.

This is a good album. Fun group to listen to if you're an OG fan or new to their tunes.

The best songs here are dumb fun: accessible pop melodies with a touch of funk. My favorite is Scar Tissue. The worst songs are just dumb: the nadir is Get On Top, which sounds like a bad RATM b-side. Lots of forgettable shit in between those extremes.

It makes me a bad American but I just can't get behind RHCP. A few songs I like but still you hear them twice a week just existing in society because they get played so much. I find the vocal performances kind of annoying, album was a bit of a slog to get through.

how about next time you try dreaming of some volume dynamics

First time listen Cookie cutter, radio safe idea of what "funk" ought to sound like. Really sterile and uninteresting for the most part. It's got a couple of their big tracks on here but I've never been a huge Red Hot Chili Peppers fan anyway, so the added fluff in this album make it pretty dull for me. Favorite Tracks: Californication, Scar Tissue Least favorite: Porcelain, Get on Top 2/5

Couple of tunes, some awful filler too.

Musical interpretation of a circle jerk

With the exception of Scar Tissue and Otherside, this is one of the more annoying RHCP records. There are some songs that are kinda gross lyrically and annoying vocally (Get on Top, ugh) and there is not much in terms of interesting production really. The bass lacks a good groove, the guitars are pretty plain overall. And the vocals are some of the worst in the bands discography. The massive hit Californication stands out for being surprisingly beautifully written and poetic considering its RHCP. But unfortunately most of the album is not worth the hype.

I've been trying to catch up on the albums on this list and had been avoiding this one like the plague. But here it still sits. Although within a few seconds I was like wait I think I already listened to this for my prior list. Which I had. This is a really wonderful moment. But I'm not giving it any more stars. 5 star band, 1 star lead singer. Which equals 2 stars.

The loudness wars took many casualties, but few met as gruesome a fate as this.

Ugh I didn’t like this. The lead singers voice was too whiny and the songs were all so commercial. There was some good guitar work, but it was overshadowed by the annoying vocals.

Some of the songs were okay, but the only songs I would actually choose to listen to are Easily and Porcelain. The songs that weren't okay were just outright terrible.

It's kinda bland

Hahah wooof.. Hørte på denne på en gåtur igjennom sentrum. Måtte faktisk le høyt av første låta, det er det sykeste jeg har hørt. Hvordan ble dette populært? Kom meg ikke forbi Get on Top. Lol.

An album of extreme contrasts between shitty and excellent elements. On the positive side we have a group of outstanding musicians with great chemistry. Some of the tunes have great hooks and the funky rhythms are sometimes fun. On the shitty otherside (see what I did there?), Kiedis rapping/jiving is horrendous, the singing is better but not by much. The production on this album is terrible, even a remaster couldn’t save it. How did a band with this much money make such a poorly produced record? I think I’d enjoy this album a lot more as an instrumental, but even then, I suspect the cappy production would ruin it for me.

I dont get it

I am not a RHCP fan. I think there’s a bunch of very talented musicians backing up one of the most mediocre vocalists of all time. I think I’d love them if they did just instrumentals. Then their hits - of which there are several on here - got overplayed on the radio and they sound different than their “core” sound. If you have heard the hits you don’t need to hear the rest of it.

**An ok Album.

Just not my thing. Second RHCP album on the list and I just find it uninteresting.

- weak writing, some good playing, doesn't hold interest .... 2.5 rounded down cause it's so ..... disappointing. -

The opening blast of Around the World is one of the best opening noises to an album ever... that last about 15 seconds, the rest of the song is one of my least favorite RHCP songs of all time. Parallel Universe is a great jam. Otherside might be the best non-Blood Sugar Sex Magik song RHCP ever made. Easily is pretty dang catchy. After Easily? This album falls off a cliff. The entire rest of the album is terrible. Anthony Kiedis tries to croon, tries to rap, tries a bit of everything...and it's all bad. Musically, it's also all over the place and their attempts at funk just fall SO flat. How did this make the list?? It's not a great album by any stretch. California.

Wow this band is much better as a Greatest Hits album, super annoying weak tracks (Emit Remmus) drag down the nice singles (Scar Tissue) Also, saying the word "California" in every song becomes very annoying after a while.

Gotta say, not very excited for Red Hot. I don't think I'll hate this, but I probably won't loooove it either. I'll keep an open mind. It is a bit long though. Starts off heavier than I expected. The chorus feels disjointed from the rest of the song. I don't hate is though. Why is he singing ding ding dong dong These first two songs are fun enough, and I didn't quite expect the rock aspect (I only know the band from the singles sorry), but nothing life-changing. Really like the second one's ending. Scar Tissue and Otherside are very much coworker music core, but I can't be mad at them. They're good! Hate Get on Top. The chorus is too repetitive. The instrumentals feel disjointed again, but it doesn't work as well this time. Californication is the same case as the other two hits here, but it might be my favourite. Pretty good. Why does every non-hit track here feel like three different songs mixed into one. Easily has its nice moments (the chorus mainly), but then they're followed by some nonsensical choices. Porcelain is a complete tone-shift, going in a sadder territory. Not that successful to me. Not much else to say for the tracks after that one. All fall flat for me. Man this second half is just dud after dud. Even the ending's underwhelming. This album has three huge hits and a couple other good tracks. Everything else is forgettable. The second half is so boring and drags on so much. But oh well, this is inoffensive at its worst and good at its best. Can't be too mad at it. But can I just say, that album cover is horrendous. Like, if I was undecided between two scores, that would be enough to make up my mind (but I'm not).

Jesus Christ, the fucking Red Hot Chili Peppers. It's true, I kind of got into Mother's Milk when I was 16. And yes, it's true that whenever I hear the opening bars of Under the Bridge, I get super nostalgic for the 90s. And it's true that I kind of wish I had seen them back in the day, when I was a teenager, when they were still "alternative" so that I could hop into the crazy mosh pit and get that huge rush of adrenaline. And yes I....hang on...do I like the Red Hot Chili Peppers? No, I do not. Because are they are SUCH twats. And their music is........it's fine. But just hearing Anthony's voice makes me want to punch him. And they're such twats. And their music is fine. But also, rock funk is the worst genre, unless it's Sprawl. I hate the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Two stars because I didn't hate this as much as I thought I would.

Legit question: Would I like this band if Anthony Kiedis weren't in it? Because musically there's stuff on here I appreciate, and these dudes are obviously all excellent players. Then there's Kiedis. The 1,001 book boldly proclaims, "Californication also produced new levels of vocal talent from Anthony Keidis." 1) LOLOLOLOL. 2) That's not how you spell his name. Oh well. I liked "Otherside" for the most part! That's something, right?

Annoying sry

There are classics on this album—songs I remember hearing a lot as a kid—but some of the deeper cuts here are painfully annoying

A sleek, highly controlled version of the band that trades chaos for consistency. The songwriting is polished and accessible, but many tracks blur together emotionally and structurally. It works well as mainstream rock, yet feels cautious compared to their more unpredictable records.

Not for me.

Godawful

Vissa majs gitarrdelar men gillar inte deras sound overall alls, och jag tål fan inte Kiedis

I assumed going in that this was one of those safe 3/5 albums that I knew because everyone knows and it’s a stone cold classic. But it’s not! I actually don’t like this album at all. The hits are fine, the rest is jarring and lyrics make me feel a bit ill. There is nothing exciting about this album.

Sometimes I toy with the hot take that RHCP were good actually, like this is really well produced and there's some good stuff here. But then I hear the opening track on this record and it's just a horrible mess of aural dickswinging. 'Rompin and a stompin 'cause I'm in my prime'? Really? It's way too frat energy for this sensitive boy I'm sorry. Often it's a bit of a plod but THEN there are some legit good songs on here like Parallel Universe and even Californication, and he's got a nice voice on a chorus or two, but then he starts rapping and it makes me want to throw my headphones into a canal and then throw myself into a canal. Emmit Remmus is one of the worst songs of all time, from then onwards this was a reaaaaallll slog. Still just can't make my mind up on them but giving this a proper listen has made my opinion worse. Maybe they should just stick to ballads and go to sex therapy.

Trying to be objective here. I despise this band but there’s no denying they are competent musicians. The production is good too. Personally I wouldn’t listen to this at all but it seems petty to give it a 1, so for those reasons I’m giving it a 2. It’s fucking horrible though.

This is a decidedly average, pedestrian album that is inexplicably popular. Perhaps it’s because it is average and pedestrian.

Few alright songs, didn’t like most of it

it's the one with californication on it

Fundamentally unable to get past Anthony Kiedis. Flea and Frusciante are doing amazing stuff, even on some of the most overplayed songs of the late 90s, but Kiedis is just so fucking annoying, so ever present, that it just can’t breathe. This band is immensely frustrating because they can genuinely make amazing music but their frontman might be one of the worst to ever do it.

This really has aged poorly. Don't think i would ever voluntarily choose to listen to this album.

Tastes like: Theme Park Chilli Dawgs / Gas Station Nachos on a summer's evening after breaking up with your first ever girlfriend and deeping it slightly but only slightly because your emotional balls haven't dropped yet. (especially Road Trippin') Anthony Kiedis enunciate challenge - I dont know what your songs are about because you don't say real words, brother. It sounds like he's on a theme park ride and the wind/motion sickness has made his mouth stop working properly. I don't think he should be allowed near a microphone tbh. I liked the ideas within Scar Tissue and Porcelain but they kind of never get deep/poetic enough for me to properly connect with the ideas enough to ever feel emotional. Get on Top is kinda funky (I fw it in the same way I fw with Limp Bizkit) and I liked the punctuation within I Like Dirt and Purple Stain. Chad Smith on all accounts is a great drummer, but there is cymbal overkill at times for me. His solo in Purple Stain absolutely rocks though, good job Chad. I can't see myself listening to anything again outside of the title track every time I go to karaoke. A lot of the album is pretty forgettable for me, and a bit too 'suh dude'.

Bland and samey… not as melodic as the singles might have suggested

This album suffers from two things for me: 1. Overplay when it came out 2. Weirdly racist lyrics “ding dong ding” in around the world. Really?

Not for me. Some good tracks but the others are forgettable.

Two good songs and a lot of annoying ones

Jesus Christ... I had terrible taste when I was 16. There's like two good songs on here the rest are the worst, to the point of distraction, stupidest lyrics ever.

Holy garbled nonsense Batman, those lyrics are godawful.

Honestly couldn’t listen to it, it didn’t resonate with me, it didnt stick. Maybe others like it but, as for me, it didnt stick.

fav song: Otherside, Get on top least liked song: Emit Remmus, I like Dirt, Fat dance Overall ranking: 2.33/5 Personally this genre isn't for me but lowkey some of the songs are growing on me!! But i don't think i'd likely listen to most of this album again😭😭 Though i do love the guitar in the background. I just don't think i can get behind some of the lyrics lmao. Individual song ranking: Around the World - 'Ding, dang, dong, dong, deng, deng, dong, dong, ding, dang' - Me if i ever had to write a song 2/5 Parallel Universe - 'I'm underwater where thoughts can breathe easily' 2/5 Scar Tissue - 'Autumn's sweet, we call it fall; I'll make it to the moon if I have to crawl' 3/5 Otherside - 'The ashtray's full and I'm spillin' my guts' 4/5 Get on top - 'I'm an ass killer' - Oh.. ! WHAT IS THIS MELODYYY??😝 4/5 Californication - 'Be my very own constellation' - Idk how i feel about the melody but i do quite like the lyrics 2/5 Easily - 'The story of a woman on the morning of war' 2/5 Porcelain - 'Are you wasting away in your skin?' - I like this cause it feels lowkey depressing - "what the fuck was that" Illya Rozanov, 2025 (Heated Rivalry) 3/5 Emit Remmus - No fav lyric but i do enjoy the way he says "london in the summer time" it makes me giggle 1/5 I Like Dirt - I actually don't like dirt! The only good things are melody and guitar riff, otherwise, i dont like it bcs of the lyricisms to be honest 1/5 This Velvet Glove - 'I wanna taste the taste of being face to face with common grace" or "Disasters are just another star falling in my yard" 2.5/5 Savior - 'Your hero's destined to waver' 3/5 Purple stain - 'Cause we all live in Hollywood' + 'Up to my ass in alligators' -Icl i had to look at the genius about section and OH! 2.5/5 Right on Time - 'supercalifragilistic' + 'Joan of Arc reincarnated, maybe we could be related" -I love the tempo of the song and the guitar in the background?? 3/5 Road Tripping' - 'Just a mirror for the sun' 2.5/5 Fat Dance I am at a loss for words! 1/5 Over Funk Idk it feels sort of underwhelming compared to some of the other songs 1.5/5 Quixoticelixer - 'Dedicated mind did a medicated state; Is a highly overrated fate' 2/5

I went into this open minded and optimistic. The band are not terrible, quite solid actually. They have some very pretty, Beatles-esque melodies as well. However, this album falls off a cliff after about 5 songs. The singles are memorable and tuneful. A lot of the second half of this album is quite hard to listen to due to irritating vocals and aimless jamming from the band.

svidelo mi se, chill je muzika, malo podseća ma twenty one pilots, ali ne bih slušala sad svaki dan osim californication ta pesma budi neku nostalgiju u meni

Red Hots were red hot when I was in college. I never got into them. Why? I forgot. Until today, and I played it. It's not the music. It's the singing! Good grief that is bad. With a quality singer this band might be of interest to me. But as it is, a few songs are tolerable, some just plain "turn the dial, NOW" 3.5 for instruments. 0 for vocals. 1.75 rounded to 2.0

Some songs were quite good. I liked "Road Trippin'" at the end and a few other slower ballads. But other songs were quite bad. More bad than good, so two stars.

Not for me I fear

nicht meine art von musik...... ist mir zu stressig/hektisch

The mix on this is so unbelievably ass. This was never meant to be listened to outside of shitty radio stations and supermarkets.

Not successful.

I wish I enjoyed the RHCP, but I’ve never really been able to get into them. Yes, Flea is an incredible bassist and some of their songs are good, but overall they just don’t do enough to move the needle for me. This album is okay, but that’s it, I’ll be generous and round up to 2 stars.

It’s interesting how our tastes evolve over time. I remember loving this music when I was in my early teens. I absolutely recognize that the hits on this record are great. Scar Tissue, Otherside, Californication to some degree. But Anthony Kiedis’ silly little raps just sound hilarious and dumb to me now. The rest of the band is killing it, mostly not my thing musically but of course Flea + Frusciante are a killer duo and Chad Smith holds it down really well. Songs like Get On Top just kind of make me laugh and not in a good way. The Red Peppers are not for me anymore sadly.

ambrosia salad