Reviews (page 2 of 15)
Amazing
Only RHCP album I like
i think ive unconsciously grew up listening to these songs bc of ninong ewang. like a lot are familiar even tho i haven't intentionally listened to them before this (aside from the famous ones ofc).
"I know, I know for sure Ding, dang, dong, dong, deng, deng, dong, dong, ding, dang I know, I know it's you Ding, dang, dong, dong, deng, deng, dong, dong, ding, dang"
RHCP make me happy. It seems to be cool to hate on them these days, but I can't. I only realised while listening to this today that it's mainly the vocal patterns that tickle me in just the right spot. The music is always uplifting and interesting with many different sounds, but singing along is where the joy is. The only negative point is that all of their albums could do with some trimming, there's always a few tracks that need not be there, even on the albums I love. I really like RHCP, and I very much enjoyed wailing along with this today.
This is the quintessential Chili Peppers, meaning your opinion of this record is totally dependent on your overall opinion of the band. My call is three of the four artists in RCHP are at the top of their fields. Chad Smith on drums drives the beat. Flea on bass is distinctive, and instantly recognizable as the talent he is. And with John Frusciante returning on lead guitar, the musicians really make this album sing. Speaking of singing, though, it falls on your opinion of Anthony Keidis. If you think his scatting and vocal runs marry the California utopia of his lyrics, you'll love this album. If you think he's all show creating a false fantasy of The Golden State, then you won't. I personally like this record for the chance to hear some top-notch musicians jamming. I can appreciate the singles, and take AK for what he is.
I can’t be the only person who thinks this would be one of the greatest bands of all time if it weren’t for Anthony Kiedis. His vocals, in my opinion, ruined an otherwise perfect instrumental album. Of course, this is only one man’s opinion: I also despise Steve Perry’s whiny voice for ruining Journey. I still like this and could listen again and likely will. Flea’s bass is absolutely amazing, as are Frusciante and Smith. 5 stars for the music, and -1 for the vocals 4 stars
I’m a fan of the guitar and the ostinato in around the world. It’s a bit scream heavy throughout the blue. I like the microphone delay at the end of some songs. Ok it might be better to write notes while i listen to the songs. All around the world defo gave some hippy vibes and i dont know why. Did the red hot chilly peppers ever do drugs?? this song gives a 90s hippy doing psychedelics while traveling and enjoying the living hell out of it. (Spoiler: they did heroin and coke --i googled it) Now parallel universe is a full 180 and seems existential and seems like a full juxtaposition. Sidewinders seem to be a type of snake and it kinda feels like a metaphor between a snake and poison and the singer and drugs. Going back to the last song, maybe these both are vastly different comments on drug use? I'm LOVING the amount of space references in this song. It's pretty good!! I am a sucker for space imagery in songs ( Black star by Radiohead LOVE LOVE LOVE). I think i like the placement of it right after around the world a ton. Scar tissue, so far the most accessible song in the album. The motif of the birds feels isolating tbf. ONCE AGAIN is this about drugs???? is the album about drugs? Maybe battle with addiction? Ok once again A 180!! he lowkey sounds suicidal in Otherside ( maybe thats the pint of the title tbh) . Maybe the constant highs and lows with addicts??? The guitar is pretty good on this with the drums. Who is this woman????? wait nvm i think thats HERoin !! There's a pattern with happy wild ass songs followed by the most depressing shit known to man. Californification is definitely giving the american dream being fake vibes--Like everyone is lying to each other to try get what they want. I think the verses are incredibly unique in this song and I prefer them over the chorus. It just feels somewhere between hopelessness and acceptance. God porcelain is heart breaking. It's actually quite upsetting. I read it was about a young woman the singer met at rehab who was separated from her kid but was still so pure herself. The happy and bright songs are kinda goofy and almost give sir mix a lot of energy or the song closer by nine inch nails. THE SHREDDING IN I LIKE DIRT??? lovely lovely electric guitar. I'm a big fan of how much range the songs have in volume, so loud in the chorus but then cut to a quiet verse and it hits a lot harder. (you hear this a lot in savior) it gives you a moment to think and feels almost like crashing after an adrenaline high. Ok purple stain defo gives sir mix a lot LOL 100% reads that way. Overall I really liked the album. It is a rollercoaster of emotions like one moment its so deep and intimate and the next its loud and bright and so full of energy and the next is pure hopelessness. I like how well rounded it is and there seems to be something for everyone. I think it's a good mix of pure liquid energy and calmer and more emotion driven songs. I like the use of motifs, reoccurring sounds and ostinatos and the instrument that stands out to me most throughout the album is the guitar (especially in i like dirt) . I think it sounds hella good in all contexts especially alongside the drums. It's not very accessible I'll be honest and it's not everyone's cup of tea but I think that's the same with most rock/ funk rock bands. Its unique and has a lot of range which is what i appreciate most about the album and the track order of the songs is so important imo because of the contrast between songs like 'around the world' and 'parallel universe' or 'Easily' and 'Porcelain' which really emphasises how vastly different they are and make them hit harder. In terms of themes it's definitely about addiction and I think the song order in the album adds to it by showing the ups and downs with recovery and addiction and the people you meet along the way.This is 100% an album that needs to be played in order as song order is really impactful. However i will come out and say i dont like the ‘funky rapping’ please all of the funky rapping songs sound incredibly similar– the melodic ones??? Those are the ones I definitely like the best. Top tracks: Scar tissue, Otherside,Porcelian, Purple stain Worst track: Fat dance
They’re not entirely my style but objectively good album
Overall, a pretty decent record with some fun songs. It’s got a few filler tracks and skits, and it would be a lot stronger without the faffing about, but it’s better than the “working through his mental health” era of Kanye that started a decade later. 3.5/5
Surprisingly tonefull, this album still hits hard.
Full of bangers. Aside from the obvious hits, This Velvet Glove and Emit Remmus both rocked hard. Little bit of filler in the mid section.
I would rate this 5 stars based on the first half of the album, but the second half is just so plain, bland and full of filler-material that this album does not deserve such praise. Very good still!
Good late stage RHCP album
7/10
The hits from this album have been in the ether to such an extent that it's easy to take for granted its place in the elder-mid millennial pop culture canon. Front-loaded with big hits, it drags in the second half. For better or worse, RHCP certainly have a distinct sound and vibe.
A fine but not great rock album from a good rock band that's a tad past its peak. Some great tracks, some less so, but overall I enjoy listening to Californication from time to time. Most importantly, Californication will forever lie in the shadows of Blood Sugar Sex Magik. And very rightly so.
Would have preferred Stadium Arcadium but this is solid. Anthony has kind of an annoying affectation imo and I've heard some parodies I cannot unhear so this is docked a bit for that lol. Would go 3.5
With the instrumentalists' interplay at an all-time telepathic high and Kiedis peaking as a vocalist, Californication is a bona fide Chili Peppers classic.
Didn't age as well as other RHCP.
Nostalgic, but underwhelming now that I'm not 16.
Some bangers but ultimately enjoyable until we hit Savior and then I hated it all until the last song
Not a big RHCP fan, so no surprises here in regards to my thoughts… The hits from this album were extremely well done - so “Scar Tissue”, “Other Side”, and “Californication”, but other than that there’s really nothing special here IMO… I tend to enjoy more complex compositions, and a lot of what is on here is pretty meat-and-potatoes as far as I am concerned – which is fine… Musically, all the songs were well-done, so I guess it was the vocals that dragged it down for me… And I’m definitely NOT a fan of Anthony Kiedis “scat rap” crap that he seems to think he’s good at (i.e. most of it is just nonsense that happens to rhyme, but that’s just me…). I know it’s hard to find a decent vocalist and frontman, but he is sort of the weak link in the band for me, as the guitars, bass, and drums were all excellent… “Porcelain” sucked total ass – so not sure what that was doing on this album, and it seemed like there were a couple of short songs that really would have been awesome as instrumentals/// Unfortunately, it seems that Mr. Kiedis felt he needed to be involved on every track – which basically ruined some of those for me… The one that really stuck out was “I Like Dirt” – and I was trying to imagine it as a jam – which would have been very interesting, but Mr. Kiedis’ 3rd rate sexual inuendo lyrics that litter the track just really ruined a good thing for me… Would probably give it a 2.50 if I was being critical, but I enjoyed the musicianship – especially John Frusciante’s guitar work, and the hits were really well done, so I’ll be generous and bump it up to a 3…
Nr. 8/1001 Around the World 3/5 Parallel Universen 4/5 Scar Tissue 5/5 Otherside 5/5 Get on Top 3/5 Californiacation 5/5 Easily 4/5 Porcelain 3/5 Emit Remmus 2/5 I Like Dirt 2/5 This Velvet Glove 3/5 Savior 2/5 Purple Stain 2/5 Right on Time 1/5 Road Trippin' 4/5 Average: 3,2 Has some great songs in the first half, but overstayed it's welcome for me
this album was a stark disappointment to the chili peppers' earlier album, blood sugar sex magik. i do try not to compare either previous or future albums, but i was so looking forward to this album that i cannot help but feel some dissatisfaction. in some ways, this album seems like almost a caricature of bssm instead of standing on its own. that doesn't mean that californication was bad, but boy did that second half of the album fall flat quickly. on the plus side, "road trippin'" absolutely saves the second half from ruin. i'm not quite sure what it is. even when rhcp are at their weirdest, their songs can be so catchy and i can't resist loving them regardless. but i couldn't get behind "purple stain" or "i liked dirt." i enjoy their funk more, that's for sure. i think, with this album's shift toward alternative rock, it wasn't so much for me and my tastes. still, for all of my negative aspects, there were some really great bangers here, and they made up for considerable lost ground. 3.5
red hot chili predators 👎
I've been dreading this day. When I was a teenager in the 80s I really enjoyed the RHCP punk-funk thing. It was energetic and funny and silly and rockin' and kinda awesome. I played Mother's Milk until the record turned gray. And Blood Sugar Sex Magick was amazing -- one the best releases of a groundbreaking year. It was funky and playful and slightly less dumb than their usual schtick. I saw them live at the Hordern Pavilion in '92 or '93, and they were a terrific live band. But... Blood Sugar Sex Magick also had Under The Bridge, which was the beginning of the end as far as I was concerned. It gave Anthony Kiedis the mistaken impression that he was deep and soulful with profoundly emotional and poetic things to say. And that he could carry a tune. None of those things are true. The Roling Stone review described this album as "spiritual and epiphanic" which is just delusional. The NME was more on the money when they asked "Can we have our brain-dead, half-dressed funk-hop rock animals back now, please?" And my heart turned against them after about 1993. I began to despise the Chili Peppers. I avoided their subsequent albums as much as I could even though the singles from Californication were ubiquitous, and they turn up on the radio and cover bands and my kids' playlists even now, nearly 30 years later. Anthony Kiedis makes me angry. When he gets to that bit at about 2:42 of Around the World where he is just singing "ding dang dong a-ding a-ding dong" it is clear that he doesn't even care about making sense. It's just gibberish. Really, the whole album is gibberish dressed up as profundity. Listening to it makes me feel stupid. I made the mistake of reading Kiedis' autobiography, and I just don't have time for this tone-deaf, junkie, rapist idiot. I hate everything about Anthony Kiedis; his fucking awful lyrics, his faux sensitivity, his marginal singing, his truly terrible lyrics, his age-inappropriate dating habits, atrocious lyrics, and long-standing reputation for sexual harassment. I know I keep harping on about his dumb lyrics, but it is his misogyny (particularly his long and self-admitted history of predation and sexual assault) that I really cannot abide. He just seems like the most appalling human being, and I can't get over it. I did struggle through this whole album, and I will concede the band are damn good and some of the choruses are cracking tunes. I would love to hear a version where they ditched Kiedis and let Frusciante write some lyrics and sing them himself. Or even an instrumental version. _That_ I would have time for. Flea and Frusciante and Chad Smith are all great musicians and seem like stand-up guys -- I note that even Nick Cave has come around to them (https://www.theredhandfiles.com/red-hot-chili-peppers-flea-bear/) -- and so I too will try to overcome my prejudices of the past 30 years. But I just can't get past Kiedis. His presence on this otherwise fine album offends me greatly. This is a potential 4-star album, but I have to take 2 off for Kiedis. I don't even want to get into the world "loudness wars" issue.
one of the best ways to get any audio setup to sound like a Motorola RAZR
Dream of making better records
dnf - I can’t get down with the red hot chili peppers
I must be in the minority with cringing every time I hear Anthony Keidis's voice because these guys have been huge for what feels like my entire life. I remember when this album came out and the world was obsessed. +1 star for Flea being an absolute beast on the bass, but then -1 star for his seeming inability to keep his dick covered up.
Feeling slightly attacked by the top comment for this album lmao. I did actually listen to this in my VW Golf while drinking a caramel machiatto... but I was not wearing lycra and I didn't have bikes on a roof rack I do agree it was catchy in parts, but on the whole this was the equivalent to a plate of unseasoned chicken and rice Also the singer gives me major creeps and I've never liked them. Wanted to give this album a chance but the lyrics about putting fingers in and monthly blood was the final straw 2 ⭐️
Before this list, I never listened to a full RHCP album. And I've learned that basically every RHCP song that isn't played a billion times a year (which they still do on Los Angeles radio) is like, uh, how do I put this, not good. As with my review of BSSM, the bass, guitars, and drums are five stars and those guys seem cool. But Anthony Kiedis is now confirmed for me as the singularly most annoying singer in all of rock, on every level.
These guys are chief offenders in the waaay too long album stakes since whenever. This is waaaay too long and even if were shorter the smell of mediocrity is overpowering. Another band with too many entries on this list.
Back in the day yes. Now… too much going on
Dream of the early 2000s but then realize it was a moment in time that you aren't interested in repeating.
I was nine years old when this was released, so by the time I reached my teenage years this album wasn't exactly new. While I didn't consider myself a RHCP fan back in those days, the titular track was absolutely impossible to escape and I, like most of my peers, must have heard it a hundred times without ever sitting down to actually listen to the album. So even though I hadn't done a full listen-through until now, this one was a nostalgia blast for me personally. It pulled me back to middle school summer breaks and high school house parties. Having listened to the entire album now, I can't say I love it. If my scale is... 1 Star - I actively loathed it and was counting down the minutes until it was over 2 Stars - It wasn't a bad experience, but this is only time I'm going to listen to it in its entirety 3 Stars - It was pretty good; I'll probably think about it some other time in my life and be in the mood to listen through it again 4 Stars - It was great. The only thing keeping it from a 5 is that I'll have to be in a certain mood to queue it up again, but this one's sticking with me and it's inevitable I'll listen through it again. 5 Stars - Absolutely fantastic; this is 100% going on my revisit list, I'll never question throwing it on when it comes to mind, and it would take an unreasonable amount of re-listens for me to get tired of it. ...then Californication is a 2.5 for me. If I never listen to it in its entirety the rest of my life I won't feel like I'm missing out, but it'll probably forever be kind of there for me just because of nostalgia.
A gator bit your arm, you got an amputation, Politicians fighting hard against immigration, And Mickey's high on crack, it's Floridafication. Strip malls and highways, miles of traffic and congestion, What once was a park for kids to play, is now a new gas station, Fake cowboys in pickups, pushing for Texasification. Rent keeps going up, propelled by speculation, Icebergs melting fast, causing wildlife devastation, Forget it all and smoke a bowl, it's Canadafication. These lyrics write themselves, just like masturbation, And sometimes they are painful, like anal penetration, But anyway you look at it, it's all just fornica--tion...
The only issue I have with this record is Kiedis. The lyrics are weak and all I wanted while listening to the album was for him to hush so I could focus on the terrific instrumentals.
Skappa Bappa Boo Pa Meeta Geeya, Heet Slappa Doosa Gurba Beesta, Dippa Skabba Heya - Anthony Kiedis
Literally the definition of mid, maybe a little below. Singer is annoying, guitarist is meh, drummer is a standout, and Flea is rad as hell. Some of the songs were offensively bad/annoying. 4.5/10
I spent my entire teenage years knowing all the singles of this album, and never paid attention to the rest. Clearly i haven't been missing much. Too long, too much of the same. Only knowing the singles was enough.
The singles are really the only songs on this album worth a second listen, everything else is boring with how similar it all sounds.
This album had its time and its place, however its place should not be on the 1001 albums list.
This is where I object to the idea that I HAVE to listen to this album before I die. I really don't. I've heard as much of RHCP as I want to in my life. This is exactly what you'd expect from one of their albums, but at least scar tissue is pretty good
I had my RHCP epiphany while I listened to Californication: when you sandwich the "linger on your block and give the finger to a cop" goofball funk rock sex rhymes between your softer songs about the Hollywood lifestyle and addiction and all that, it just makes one sound about as earnest as the other. It's like, come on, LL Cool J, are you Bad or do you Need Love? I'm certainly not buying both. The starting track says it all for the album (and the band): the verses and the chorus try to have their two admittedly well-crafted sounds co-exist, but one inevitably comes at the expense of the other. In this case, they're both disposable fluff, but at least one tries to have a little fun—even if said fun was better earlier in their careers. Key Tracks: Around the World, Get On Top
Heard Before? Unavoidable, so yes. Notes: - i tell everyone about 1001 and always add the caveat: be prepared to spend a lot of time with music you hate. - the very first note could be the start of a drone-metal album i would actually enjoy. - listening deliberately and carefully for the first time ever, i was pleasantly surprised at the stylistic variety, even if their takes on ballads, funk workouts, mid-tempo rock and (especially) rap don't resonate with me. - why are the vocals the centrepiece of the production? why, lord, why? irritating to begin with, this makes it just that much harder to ignore the truly awful lyrics. - as mentioned elsewhere, the mix and master job is garbage. yuck. - the lizard-brain takes over on "I Like Dirt" which is dumb fun that i actually danced to. - "Porcelain" is such a lovely (although conventional) ballad that i would like to pretend it's from another album. - everything else is some sort of combination of overplayed, competent and cringe. Verdict: Surprisingly varied and ambitious, with dull songs, horrendous vocals and ugly production. Listen Again? Don't tease me.
I’m not even listening to it because I know it sucks. Red Hot Chili Peppers is the worst band of all time
Anthony Keidis is a creepy pedo.
White boys who live and die by the sword of funk. On top of that, this gets huge radio play among the Gen-X "back in my day, not in my backyard" crowd. This is Rage Against the Machine, if the machine was taking a bath. The music would kill at a monster truck rally and the poetry would slam hard at a meeting of people with IQ scores from 84-97. I'm sorry to the fans of this music (and monster truck rallies). You know, if the frontman wasn't Anthony Kiedis, I would probably get more out of (some) of this. Put anybody else in his spot. Anybody. Tiny Tim. Gilbert Gottfried. Me. Somebody who isn't that weird, greasy, pseudo-intellectual creepy uncle you have to endure once a decade at family reunions. His vocals are abhorrent, his attitude is an insurmountable obstacle to enjoyment, and his lyrics are completely asinine. I still don't really care for the music, but he is the absolute worst part of this. Remove him, and we can have a conversation. Maybe prop up a box with a stick and put a picture of a 17 year old girl in there. For now, this stinks worse than a gathering of the Juggalos mosh pit. 1 HIGHLIGHTS: People really liked putting highlights in their hair back then. Bleach inhalation might explain a lot of this.
Bland. A couple of ok songs but nothing special.
F the RHCP.
Once I got past the singles, this was a grind to listen to.
As white rappers go, I think we as a culture were too hard on Vanilla Ice when Anthony Keidis is still embarrassing himself into his 50s. Is that ding ding dong dong part in the first song supposed to mimic Chinese? Awful dreck. The fact that there is another RHCP album on this list makes me hope I do in fact die before it comes up in the rotation.
From the Reddit thread linked in this article: https://www.smackmedia.ca/news/rhcp-assaults-problematic-industry Early in their career, Flea allegedly asked a 13-year-old if she was backstage “to give all of [them] head.” In Scar Tissue, Kiedis’ 2004 autobiography, he admits to having sex with a 14-year-old girl. Kiedis wrote “Catholic School Girls Rule” about her. The song was most recently performed in 2007. He also admits that he began dating Ione Skye a few days before her 16th birthday. Within a few months, they moved in together. While driving to rehab, he drove erratically and frightened Ione. He describes his behavior in their relationship as “emotional terrorism.” In Japan, he said that he had sex with someone after “about five hours of nonstop subtle loving coercion.” He had sex with Jaime Rishar when she was 17. Also, the book has a topless photo of Ione that might have been taken before she was eighteen. On April 21, 1989, Kiedis allegedly touched a woman’s face with his penis after a concert. The band also allegedly stole her car. Kiedis said that it was "blown way out of proportion by both the media and the prosecution. It was a playful thing that happened backstage -- there was never any harmful intention. Speaking for my band and myself, we're all very friendly people who would never want to hurt anybody or make people uncomfortable." In May 1990, Flea and Smith were arrested after grabbing a fan while taping a Spring Break segment for Club MTV. Flea picked up a female fan and placed her over his shoulders. Smith pulled down the woman’s bathing suit bottoms and began spanking her. The woman fell, and Flea knelt on top of her and demanded she perform oral sex on him. According to police she was bruised. Flea was charged with battery, disorderly conduct, and solicitation to commit an unnatural and lascivious act. Smith was charged with battery. They plead guilty and were each required to pay $5,000 to a rape crisis center. The band discussed the incident in an interview with Rolling Stone. Flea said that it was wrong of him to yell at the woman, but that he “did not assault anybody, and it was not sexual. It had nothing to do with sex.” Smith said that, while he was not trying to avoid blame, they were trying to make an example of them. “The way it came out was that it was a real malicious thing, that we tried to beat this girl up.” Julie Farman was sexually harassed by two members of the band in 1991. She went into a storage room with two members of the band, who pressed up against her and “told [her] about all of the ways [they] could make a super sexy sandwich.” She was an executive at Epic Records. While the band was never signed to Epic Records, they were attempting to negotiate a contract with the label at the time.
No. From the punning album title via the hyperactive bass playing and the pedestrian drumming and the singer who can't sing, or rap, and writes the worst lyrics to the dreary ballads. Just no.
I absolutely dislike this
Most of the songs contained repeated lyrics, especially the word California to the point where it was overkill. Also hated this weird voice that the singer would do on occasion that sounded like he was mocking the stereotypical Asian accent. Only liked one or two songs.
My favorite album from one of my favorite bands, what else is there to say? This is an album packed with my favorite songs, the reasons why I fell in love with the Red Hot Chili Peppers in the first place, and the reasons that I keep coming back. Signature songs like Around the World, Otherside and Californication were and are absolutely everywhere, for good reason. The explosion of Around the World is immediately followed by the slow burn of Parallel Universe leading up to another big bang of its own. Easily and This Velvet Glove and Savior and Purple Stain all have the makings of massive hits without ever seeing the success of the other hits on here. Road Trippin' is right up there with my favorite album closers. The album moves through dynamics like a breezy wave on the California coast, it manages to be fun, funky, thought-provoking and awe-inspiring. I find it hard to describe how perfect the album is for me, but the feeling that it gives me is beyond description. And Scar Tissue, damn. Put my life on the line and ask me to pick a favorite song of all time, and it's Scar Tissue. The song that first made me realize the massive impact that great music can have. Hits every time. *Record Collection
Cover geil, Gitarre geil, Bass geil, Schlagzeug geil, Gesang... passt Einfach iconic und von Banger bis Ballade einfach stark
Sometimes i think they are so cringeworthy and then you hear this masterpiece.
One of their best albums. Amazing opening with the bass line in Around the World. Otherside - first RHCP song I heard! This album has some of my first forays into slap bass. I somehow forgot about Purple Stain, loved playing that.
Офигенная Классика
Classic
Porcelain is one of the best songs of all time, as is Californication! Around the world has an epic bass line too
Favorite songs: Around the world Otherside Californication
9/10 Super banger. This one's going to be in rotation for a while.
Mein meist gehörtes Album, mit Abstand, auf Kassette gezogen und dann jeden Schulweg gehört. Jetzt, mit guten Kopfhörern, kann ich verstehen warum so über die Soundqualität gehatet wurde. Macht nichts, wenn die Songs so gut sind, gerade die zweite Reihe: Get on Top, Right on Time, Easily, I like Dirt sind alle Hits.
i’m so split between a four and a five right now. you know what would be great? if i could give it a four and a freaking half. but alas. i gotta go with five just from sheer downloads alone. friends, we are looking at seven new downloads (to go with my preexisting download of californication). that means we have over half the album downloaded. if you are spending precious gigabytes to ensure that more than half an album is accessible to you at all times, regardless of internet conditions, then how could it get a simple four? a five it is. though it ain’t as good as oasis!
A classic of my youngster days
Good stuff. Peak commercial rhcp
Best Track - "Scar Tissue"
Objectively it might not be the best album, but this is truly my childhood so I really have to give it a boost. Who am I kidding, this is a 5. Not in quality perhaps, but every track fucking slaps.
Hit after hit. Takes some chances, some big swings. Other side was always incredible. A great album. Road trippin was a great way to end the album, really good.
Well this was always gonna get 5 stars - love the Chillis, love this album, glad of the excuse to listen to it again... still as good as it always was.
All time great album
Great instruments. Great guitar, bass, vocals. This is music.
Muy guay, ya era de mis álbumes favoritos
Great album, some of their best songs no doubt!
Me gustaron casi todas las canciones, un clásico.
5 for nostalgia sake. I loved this album when it came out. Not what I listen to now but it sure had its moment in my life.
This album is insanely good! Honestly, one of RHCP's greatest. It's got hits like Californication, Otherside, and Scar Tissue. It combines funk and hard rock with elements of rap because of the fast half-rapped vocals. Amazing! Truly one of the greatest albums of all time!
I think this album is really good like one of there best that u for telling me to listen to this x
full of bangers
Finally, an album I own and love!
Chilli’s best 5
Long ass album but it does have a lot of bangers, “Californication” and “Scar tissue” being the best.
one of the best
ese bajo de flea es una joya 💎✨✨
De mis favoritos
Más allá de que es largo las canciones no aburren, tienen un sonido muy particular y me encantó.
I own this album but never listened all the way through. Chili peppers were one of my first favorite bands. Around the world is classic peppers. Funky bass line and guitar. Great songwriting. Not the catchiest chorus but good. I like how it ends with the guitar solo. Partellel universe is much more rocky. Cool guitar riff. Good songwriting again. Way better solo on this one. Guitar is soso good. Followed by scar tissue which is a classic. Really Cathy chorus. Simple but effective background track. Guitar solo is good, but not complicated like I’d describe the last one as. It works but doesn’t add anything. Otherwise is in the top 10 of my favorite songs of all time. I don’t know how to put it into words but it’s a perfect song. There’s a reason everybody knows this song. It’s also so easy to sing along to which I think adds to the commercial success. At least for me. Never heard of get on top. This is a change of pace. Back to heavy rock. Really cool guitar/bass combo. Not as much substance as the others but it’s still well written I. A rythm/flow sense. And another really cool musical solo. So much more than just a guitar solo. And then followed by the title track which is another all time classic. What a stretch of 4 songs. Californication is the best written so far. Guitar riff is cool but not complicated. Sick bass line again. Cool vocals/lyrics on easily. Catchy chorus. A little generic but still a good song. Wish the guitar solo was longer. Porcelain is a massive Change of pace. Love how the guitar works with the soft vocals. Needed this variety. It’s my least favorite so far but it’s a needed song. I just don’t tend to like slow songs. Back to normal with remmus. I’ve never heard an album with so many unique bass lines. And they all work. Love the contrast of this one vs porcelain. Back on track. I like dirt is fine. Well written and good flow, not impressed with the background track aside from the guitar. I like the acoustic guitar a lot on the velvet glove. Works so well in tandem with the electric. This is an awesome song. I like the poppy ones better than the rock heavy songs. But also I like how all songs have elements of both. Another sick bass line on savior. Rest of it is good but nothing special until the change of pace around a minute 30. From here out it’s a cool song. Awesome guitar solo to close it out. Really good writing on purple stain. Rest of it is eh. Don’t like how right in time begins so abruptly but the song as a whole is really good. Road trippin is another wild change of pace. So well written. Cool acoustic guitar. A great way to close out the album. I love the peppers so I knew I’d like this album. If you like their style/sound then you’ll love this as much as I did. 4.6/5 stars. Would’ve been a 5 with a little more continuity
Like U2, Red Hot Chilli Peppers is renowned for having three different hit albums in years apart (‘Blood Sugar Sex Magik,’ ‘Californication,’ and ‘Stadium Arcadium’ for the Red Hots; ‘Joshua Tree,’ ‘Achtung Baby,’ and ‘All That You Can’t Leave Behind’ for U2). Both bands are polarizing and I enjoy both, including this album. ‘Californication’ starts hot with “All Around the World,” has some mellowness with the title track, some oddness with “Scar Tissue”—this album is complete and even though it kind of peters out towards the end, it’s still a five stars for me. Top tracks: “All Around the World,” “Californication,” “Scar Tissue,” “Otherside,” “Parallel Universe,” “Emit Remmus”
Superb
один из самых любимых альбомов. в одно время заслушал, неделями гонял песни только с него. прекрасно 100/5
I saw someone online say that this album is to my generation what the Eagles were to the generation before.
Id give it 6 stars if I could. I love the peppers. Generational.
Great album with some of my favourite Chili Pepper songs including Californication, Otherside, Around The World And Scar Tissue, I also enjoyed the songs I hadn’t head before, especially Porcelain
Takes a big place in my heart ..
A certified classic. This album has jewels like Otherside, Scar Tissue, and Savior. Really great album that's as iconic as it gets. Chad Smith is a legendary drummer.
i love this one its one of my favs
This album highlights just how distinctive each member of Red Hot Chili Peppers is. Even in the more experimental second half, their individual styles remain clearly recognizable, especially the interplay between John Frusciante’s dry, minimal guitar work and Flea’s fluid, melodic bass lines. Tracks like Scar Tissue, Otherside, and Californication showcase the band’s more restrained and introspective side, while still retaining a strong sense of identity. The closing track, Road Trippin’, feels very different from the band’s usual sound, yet it still unmistakably sounds like them.
Aeesome
I shouldn't like this as much as I do but nostalgia is one hell of a drug
OK ! Est-ce que j'ai vraiment besoin de présenter cet album la ? Les Red hot chili peppers - Californication. J'dois vous avouez de quoi... J'avais jamais écouter l'album au complet. C'est maintenant chose faite ! Vraiment bon du début jusqu'à la fin. J'crois que ça va etre ma plus grosse note à date. J'ai de la misère à dire de mauvais mot dessus. Y'avais une toune que j'ai trouver moins bonne (porcelain, meme si ça avais quand même du style), mais c'étais anecdotique.
Loveeee this album. Chuck it on all the time
One of the greatest rock albums of my childhood and generation. It's a new sound for RHCP moving away from the raw funk sound to something for fully formed. Also one of Rick Rubins best albums
Magnum Opus of RHCP
One if my faves, such a good one
01) Around the World - 10,0 02) Parallel Universe - 10,0 03) Scar Tissue - 10,0 04) Otherside - 10,0 05) Get on Top - 9,0 06) Californication - 10,0 07) Easily - 9,5 08) Porcelain - 9,5 09) Emit Remmus - 9,0 10) I Like Dirt - 9,0 11) This Velvet Glove - 9,0 12) Savior - 9,5 13) Purple Stain - 8,5 14) Right on Time - 8,5 15) Road Trippin' - 10,0 TOTAL: 9,43 (94/100)
Se non il migliore dei rhcp, il secondo dopo blood sugar sex magik, che però ha avuto un successo decisamente maggiore
RHCP known for embodying what it means to live in California during the 90s, known for catchy riffs, known for thoughtful lyrics such as "Ding ding, dong dong, ding ding, dong dong, ding ding". Respectfully, this whole album is stinky nasty. It's so refreshingly creative and subverts your expectations. The weird instrumental sounds, wacky baselines, popping drums, and how they somehow strip naked during every live performance. Keep on keeping California Red Hot.10/10
A lot has been said about RHCP over the years. A lot has also been said about this album which many consider to be their magnum opus. I am convinced that some of the songs on it will forever be remembered. They are anthems that mean a lot to many people. I was one of these people. While I was in high school, this was one of my all-time favorite bands. Nowadays I don't listen to them as much but they will forever be in my heart. They manage to capture a specific type of warm melancholy dressed in a fuzzy fashion that can really touch your soul. The combination of Frusciante's masterful guitar riffs and Flea's punchy groove become a playground for the stories that Anthony Kiedies wants to tell on top of the rhythms of Chad Smith. It's one of those rare examples of a band fully complementing one another and working to achieving a unified synergy. I have only two main critiques for things that don't really work for me in this album. First is the song "Get on Top". It breaks the flow of a nearly perfect run and then the transition from it to "Californication" is terrible. The second one is that besides the one mentioned, there are some other filler songs in the latter half that to me only pad the duration of the album. It is still an iconic landmark in modern music. At the end of my comment-reviews, I usually pick out my favorite songs but here I will do something different. I will highlight a few lesser known songs, outside of the usual suspects. Songs that are often overlooked but pretty good from this album include "The Velvet Glove", "Savior" and "Porcelain". And just for the record, my all-time favorite from this album is "Scar Tissue".
Great
fuck it 5 stars you guys are just scared of being basic
10/10
Easy
Fenomenal rock album
Great album. Had heard Californication and Scar Tissue, which are great, but really enjoyed it as a complete thing. The instrumentation is top class. Amazing bass playing and drumming is great. Overall, really enjoyed listening to it.
Such a classic and how great to see Flea’s new album out now
5 sterne
Excellent.
Great album! Love it!
I’m obsessed
It’s just banger after banger. Shame the By The Way album isn’t on the list as well which surprised me. Californication is a brilliant album, start to finish.
What more could you ask of an album? Fun, energy, sleazy, sophisticated, gut wrenching lyrics, belters, immaculate guitar…songs to listen to on a sunny terrace watching the world away, songs to jump up and down and shout to, songs for a long road trip, songs to lock eyes with your best friends and enjoy the nth dimension of musical paradiso. Truly uplifted me. Made me reconsider whether By the Way remains my favourite RHCP album, excellent contender.
I knew I would like it but not this much!
Really like this album, has quite a few chart songs in it. A couple of weaker ones but still an overall 5 from me.
God, this rocks. Usually, I wouldn't like his voice, but this album absolutely slaps and I needed to add Around the World immediately to my liked songs. The bass and the drums also really get me. Just a really good grungy feel that scratches parts of my brain.
Stadium Arcadium & By the Way rank higher for me, but Californication still gets a bronze. Fun album, sick guitar riffs, love the vocal style and variation. I find it funny how people hate on the lyrics. Yes the lyrics dont get too deep and are pretty silly at times but who the fuck cares. Like honestly, too many artists are out there making lyrics about all this deep shit, all about loveee, all about being sad cause you got beoken up with, all about blah blah blah. Like go read a poetry book or some shit instead of expecting deep lyrics from every damn song on every damn album that has lyrics to begin with. Anthony uses his voice to its fullest potential by rapping, singing, belting. He's using it as an instrument and paying attention to sylables and rhyme schemes and flow, the lyrics make enough sense to not just sound like pure random gibberish. Go listen to Mr. Dylan puke out haiku lines, or go listen to a Kendrick album if you want some deep meaningful heartfelt lyrics. You listen to the RHCP to rock out, to groove and get into some lovely melodies, fast paced lyrical styles, crazy good bass & guitar riffs, and the vibes. 9/10
Always loved RHCP. This was a wonderful listen.
Bien
¡¡Ame profundamente!!
Incredible album. Favorite songs were Scar Tissue, Get on Top, Californication
wow amazing i lop old rock
keren, lagunya ada yg gua suka dan salah satu lagu yg gua dengerin pertama waktu kenal rock
Sublime
One of my favorite albums. Literally not a single bad song!!
nostalgia
Обожнюю цей альбом
Great album. Lots of hits.
An all time banger, road tripping is one of my favorite finger picking melodies
Rating: 4.7/5 Short Review: Melodic, introspective rock that trades the band’s earlier chaos for something more emotional and expansive. It balances vulnerability and groove in a way that feels both polished and personal. Favorite Track: Scar Tissue. The guitar lines are simple but expressive, and the laid-back feel gives the song a sense of healing and reflection.
The goat!
Classic album, no skips, Flea and Frusciante at their finest. Around the world is one of the best album starters and this remains one of the best albums in the Funk-Rock genre. Rick Rubin did some incredible work on this album.
Some music just gets better. This is another easy 5 for me - 2nd time for the Chili Peppers. I appreciate them more now that at the time (I was probably studying and working too hard to listen to them much). Alternative music just dominated for the whole 90s. They added Funk to Punk and defined hot hard energetic rock for a decade, and then came back with this to prove they still had it. I don't think anything comes close to being as iconic and energetic for the period: still conveys all the fun energy and mayhem talented musicianship it always did.
A sun-soaked party starter. Funky basslines, catchy riffs; warm, lively, and buzzing with energy. It might not be as cohesive as their earlier stuff, but it sure is a good time. Spins: 3 Playlist Additions - Around the World - Parallel Universe - Scar Tissue - Otherside - Californication - Easily - Road Trippin'
Great Album! When I was in college we would listen to this all the time.
People like to rail on RHCP, maybe they have a point, but it still won’t change the fact that RHCP’s music is catchier than the numerous std’s Anthony Keidis has probably contracted in his lifetime. Californication is a great album, still holds up since the first time I heard it. Almost every song is an earworm that’ll stick in your head for days. Actually, while listening to this album I realised I’d had the bassline from Emit Remmus stuck in my head for years
amazing listen to it everyday
great album well worth 6 stars
Full of bangers.
I'm glad this 1001 albums resurfaced these songs for me
This was a formative album for me. My brother had a huge booklet of cds that I would listen to, this one being a huge influence on my musical taste. Honestly, of everything so far, I'd say this is the gold standard for a flawless, well rounded album. Unique songs that all deliver incredible musicality, diverse and clever lyrics, and range from heartfelt ballads to whatever 'i like dirt' is. This is a gif reminder of what a true 5/5 looks like
Still great
Banger
Yes yes yes!!!!
Еще один рай для миллениалов. Мало какая группа настолько определила эпоху и была настолько для меня важна в то время. Количество хитов в одном альбоме здесь просто незаконное. Альбом конечно важен и благодаря триумфальному возвращению Фрущанте, который снова обрел человеческий облик после страшной зависимости. Хотя его пальцы все еще не вернули былую подвижность, поэтому многие партии и особенно соло здесь вынужденно простые, но это удивительным образом пошло на пользу музыкальности альбома. Ну и их былая связь и взаимопонимание с группой как будто и не терялись, хотя без него было совсем не то. В итоге к записи альбома почти 40-летние дяди (кроме шкеда Фрущанте), которых все уже трижды списали и забыли, подошли на пике творческой формы, что вылилось не только в россыпь культовых бэнгеров, но и в достаточное количество сильного материала, которого хватило для того, чтобы альбом не воспринимался набором синглов с пустыми треками рядом. Чего только стоят крайне недооцененные Right On Time, Easily, Porcelain, Savior, This Velvet Glove. При этом им удался отличный баланс между фанковыми запилами и лиричными треками, переносящими в жаркую калифорнийскую пустыню. Ну и дальше больше. 10 Хэнков Муди из 10.
Лучшая песня: Scar Tissue Худшая: Purple Stain Динг-динг-донг-дэнг-дэнг
californication хотел уже пропустить, но вытерпел и прослушал альбом целиком, ну это 5
Нравятся эти ребята. Хорошая музыка, приятный голос, несколько бэнгеров и калифорнийское звучание, выкрученное на максимум.
music is love
this being the first album is actually funny. lmao girl i cannot!
Right up there with Blood Sugar Sex Majik. No misses throughout the entire album.
A classic Red Hot Chilli Pepper Rec, if I'm not wrong this is probably the most known album? The flow in each song is so unique, one of the better recs!!
holy jumpscare at the end, but otherwise banger album: The guitar was gr8
one of my fav albums of all time its really good cant wait to revisit it allwjfkajlkjlakjfl
Great Album
Great vibes and some real bangers
There are not that many albums I've been listening non stop for the past 25+ years <3
One of my favourite albums. There are so many good tracks that I grew up with and they bring so much nostalgia for me.
gg mdr 10/10 j'ai rarement vu ça
For years I’d thought this was a pretty good album but nothing could compare to Blood, Sugar, Sex Magic. After another listen, my first cover to cover in years, I’d say Californication flirts with the same stratosphere.
Los tengo tatuados no puedo decir algo malo de este album. Si puedo opinar que no es el Top 1 en la discografía, eso lo dejo a debate
LOVED LOVED SO GOOD
Um obviously i have already listened to this... so much so that i have it on VINYL.... :O
This is one of those special albums I'm looking fowrd to re-listining to so I can double check i haven't missed anything
IS THIS the best album released in 1999? I think so.
Durante muito tempo só conhecia as músicas pelo número
Álbum é um sólido 4, mas nostalgia é 5
I was already familiar with this álbum. I love it, though
ㅈㄴ 좋네요 1도 몰라도 명반삘이 오네요
Absolutely nothing to be said that hasn't been already. Favorite Track: Otherside
Easy 5 stars. I bought this when it was released and played it to death. It's been a while since I've listened to it, so it was like welcoming home an old friend that's been away for a while. 5/5 SuperCALIFORNICATIONexpialidocious
A perfect album front to back.
Helpoin 5 tähän mennessä. Vihdoin levy jonka pysty kuuntelemaan omasta vinyylihyllystä. Niin paljon huikeita biisejä joita on luukuttanut puhki yläkouluajoista asti.
Don't try to read into the lyrics too hard. It's all about the energy.
This is the best peppers album imo
this gets a 5 solely because it's the album of my childhood (i rarely listened to albums before this project) so i'm biased
muse vibes
I've definitely listened to this album before, and I absolutely love it. I know it feels weird to give 5/5 to albums you've listened to before, but there's a reason I've listened to it before.
Full disclosure, I am a RHCP fan, especially their 90s-00s stuff. Went into this listen expecting greatness, and was not disappointed. Front half of the album includes songs that are still regularly played on the radio today, and which I enjoy. It was the back half in which I hoped would hold up, and I ended up liking it more than the greatest radio hits of the past 25 years. As a whole, listening to this album as a youngish adult hits home. The thought of striking it out on your own, in a big stunning (and scary) place such as California is what I'm sure a number of people tried in the 90s, as they continue to today. What this album uncovers, through alternating frenetic loud jams and quiet soft ballads, is the seedy underbelly and how easy it is to get sucked into that. By the end, you can hear and feel the disdain and disappointment of trying to live like you're invincible, and having to admit that you've failed. Say what you will about the questionable backgrounds of the members of RHCP, say what you will about their post-stadium arcadium music, but Californication holds up today as it did in 1999, and it's a beautiful album that tells a story so many have experienced
I like it very much
love
Otherside
Ken Chutney taught Flea everything he knew about both playing bass and being naked. 4.5 1/15 Around The World
Ностальгия. Хоть и попса попсовая.
Офигенная Классика
Always forget how much I love them. Great album
Another great RHCP album. Like most 90s albums, it would be perfect after cutting out 3-4 tracks of filler. 4.5
ok
Goated and will stay goated
Great album. Ive not listened to them in a while.
Perfect album with both funk-rock and melancholic songs. Great mixing
Ain't nothing like cruising around in the summertime listening to this album. Essential.
Already heard it plenty of times before and it is a great album
Around the World - “I know, I know for sure Ding ding, dong dong, ding ding, dong dong, ding ding” Otherside* Some really classic childhood bangers that I did not understand when I heard these on the mini van radio Easily* can we take a moment for the suuuper 90s guitar moment I like Dirt! I like dirt! Savior * guitar solo ROCKS I looove unexpected instrumentation
Great album that i heard many evenings at work in the 90s.
I’m not big into the Chili Peppers, but I really like this album. I think Parallel Universe—the second track—was when I realized that I would. The title track is one of my favorite songs, and it has some of the best lyrics I’ve ever heard. Dystopian, human, and specific while still capturing the big picture. The rest of the album does this really well, too. Otherside is a beautiful song. Easily is a banger with a punk melody. The Velvet Glove is amazingly introspective. Oddly enough, much of the lyricism on this reminds me of something off of Celebrity Skin by Hole. Which is not a comparison I ever expected to make. Californication also seems sort of like a Hotel California for the 90s.
Nice to get an album I'm already familiar with every once in a while. So funky and diverse for the 90s punk scene. It benefits from being a preferred genre of mine but I really find this to be an incredible record. The use of harmony is very tasteful, the songs don't try too hard, the bass is amazing, the guitar riffs are delicious. There are a few track I didn't quite remember but I'm very happy to have found them again. 4.5/5
Struggled to listen to it due to the lead singer admitting to fucking kids. Still, a largely great record.
None
I saw these cats in 1989 in Hollywood with the Butthole Surfers and Mary's Danish opening. Good times The killer tracks on this album are really killer and the filler tracks are really filler. John Frusciante is master player and he elevates the whole thing in my opinion. Road Trippin' is easily the best song for my money.
A classic, no notes.
Patiko, kaip nepatiks.
I knew some songs from this album before listening now but a lot of it was new-ish to me!! Absolute banger of course Fave of stuff that was new-ish to me was easily
Che figo, è tutto bello.
yippee
Absolute banger of an album.
Classic album so many good ones
Their most mature and best album
PUTA DE BANGEEEEER
Real banger, 11/15 songs ended up in my playlist. - Knew Californication, Otherside and Scar Tissue beforehand. - Porcelain is probably the one that stands out the most by it's style yet it's really cool. Day 1 of cursing Spotify for refusing to play albums without Premium.
i wish california was real
este es el álbum que más me hace acordar a mi hermano y a mi infancia con el :) porcelain es como un lullaby
Generally I think that RHCP’s songs are typically either carried or ruined by the vocals. As for californication I think the vocals are good but definitely nothing amazing however this entire album was lifted up and carried on the backs of flea and chad, with some of the best bass in any album of this era if not ever. And the simple but amazing drumming from chad really tied the album together. Now do I think that the album is perfect, No, however I think giving it 4 stars is a disservice to some of the incredible instrumentals. A very light 9 out of 10
Talk about back to back bangers my god, I cant say I dream of californication though, things look a little rough in America if I'm being honest
Very very good. Both Frusciante and Flea are untouchable. Such amazing instrumentation. Perhaps less solid in the second half but I think the vocals actually picked up here which lead to a really nice change in pace instead of a dissapointment. I had written a nice long yappy review about this album but it was accidentally overwritten. :( Weak 5/5, but hard to argue for me that this deserves a 4.
Listened to a few songs before but excited to hear the whole album
Was heavily into this moving to CA. Was fun listening fully through again, but perhaps better on a nicer day or on a beach
10/10
Great fucking album! This is the pinacle of music.
There's nothing like a bit of Californication after a liberal dose of Blood, Sugar, Sex, and Magik, so I'll be keeping this excellent album in my library for when I feel the urge for more.
Fire album
banger after banger. bons solos, boa melódica, excelentes letras
oh i more than get the hype for this album now
12/26/25. Nostalgia makes this a 9/10.
4.5 stars. Some of the best alt-rock out there. Catchy, easy to listen to, nice funk twist though it still has a bit of an edge to make it actual rock and not just pop. Frusciante and Flea do a lot of the heavy lifting but it's great all around. Filled with hits. Latter part of the album tails off a bit beginning with "Emit Remmus" (with the exception of fantastic closer "Road Trippin'".
probably their best in the entire catalog
Banger.
10/10
I FORGOT ABOUT THIS SONG OMGGG
Smooth, sunny, cali
One of my favs
yes!
Iconic, man. One of the most popular alternative rock albums there is. The album cover is immediately recognisable and easily one of the most iconic of that era. Probably one of the best albums RHCP ever created. I already knew Around the World, Scar Tissue, Otherside, and Californication, which are massive hits. I’m much more familiar with the A side of the album, but I enjoyed the B side as well, just not as much since it has fewer hits and felt less recognisable. I enjoy their sound, it’s very uniquely goofy and particular, which makes them stand out as an alternative rock band. Parallel Universe, Scar Tissue, Otherside is an incredible 1-2-3 combo. Longevity in rock music is very rare especially with modern rock bands compared to bands in RHCP’s prime, and this album has without a doubt withstood the test of time musically. This album feels like a turning point for them, as it’s much more melodic and reflective compared to their earlier, more chaotic funk rock era. The energy is still there, but it’s channelled into mood, atmosphere, and songwriting rather than wildness. The production is very spacious and lets Flea’s bass lines breathe and really stand out which is the core of their songs. Frusciante’s guitar stays simple and melodic, and Chad Smith’s drumming remains tight perfectly matching Flea’s energy. John Frusciante’s return on this album was huge for the band, his minimal, soulful guitar work completely reshaped their sound. The album cover is iconic. The pool and sky interchanging imagery perfectly match the glossy, and hollow vibe of the music. My favourite tracks are Around the World, Parallel Universe, Scar Tissue, Otherside, Get on Top, Californication, Easily, Porcelain, I Like Dirt, The Velvet Glove, Purple Strain, Right on Time, Road Trippin', Fat Dance, Over Funk
A classic from my younger days. Shocking how parts of this have not aged well, but just as shocking how good so much of it sounds going from middle school to middle age.
Know his record too well!
One of RHCP's best albums, it marked a banging return for Frusciante and delivered numerous hits, making history.
Easily their best start to finish in my eyes.
This is one of my foundational albums that made me the music lover I am today! I can't tell you how many times I e listened to this record and how much my friends and I did everything did to this album! Every so gnis a banger and it's no wonder this is their greatest album, but this was also the transition to the more pop friendly wide which some don't like as much, but the chili peppers will always be one of my favs and the is the album that I go to to show people a great album
I think these guys are from California.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers are very much a band that have risen, then fallen, then risen even further, then fallen just as far, before ultimately rising up again, and the best example of this rise/fall/rise pattern is their trajectory throughout the 1990s. They opened the decade with what many consider their magnum opus, 'Blood Sugar Sex Magik', before they lost guitarist John Frusciante to a debilitating heroin addiction (and Kiedis relapsed, but he stuck around) and brought in Dave Navarro from Jane's Addiction for the commercially and critically disappointing 'One Hot Minute' (criminally underrated record btw) before pulling Frusciante back from the brink to record this very album, 'Californication'. And they wasted no time in announcing their return. 'Around the World' rocks harder than anything the Chili Peppers had done previously, complete with a furious bass line from Michael 'Flea' Balzary competing with Frusciante's own guitar wizardry and held together by Chad Smith's outstanding versatility on the drums. Anthony Kiedis; well, he does his thing, rapping and singing around whatever's thrown his way. As an opening track, 'Around the World' is a clear standout. But there's plenty else to love here: the solemn, reflective one-two punch of 'Scar Tissue' and 'Otherside', the intense 'Get On Top', the journeyed title track where the meme of Kiedis mentioning California at every opportunity was born, the infectious groove of 'Easily', the furious, punky 'Right On Time' and the perfect road trip track 'Road Trippin''. 'Californication' is everything the Chilis had done well in the past and a great indication of where they were heading sonically. To be quite honest, I think Kiedis is a pretty average singer and front man, but that band behind him in Frusciante, Flea and Smith is one of the most gifted groups of musicians in popular music, and Kiedis admittedly has plenty enough charisma to sell the smoothness of the Chilis sound, and he's a good lyricist too. 'Californication's' lyrics range from celebrations of their home state, to travel, suicidal ideation, love and perceptions on life, and Kiedis has always had a gift for making seemingly dumb lyrics actually fit together rather well and evoke plenty of meaning. But here's the million dollar question, which album is better out of 'Californication' and 'Blood Sugar Sex Magik'? They're clearly the two best Chili Peppers records ('Stadium Arcadium' would be in the same conversation too had it been one album) but are brilliant in different ways. BSSM is more straight-out funk jams with the odd ballad here and there, but 'Californication' is tighter, heavier and more diverse. I flip-flop between which of these records is the definitive Chili Peppers record all the time, and while BSSM is no doubt their most complete all-out funk rock record, I actually think 'Californication' is more nuanced and more interesting and daring musically, so I'm going to say 'Californication' is it for me. It's also the album that got me, and so many people my age, into the Red Hot Chili Peppers, so it's very special for nostalgic reasons. It also incorporates the darkness of 'One Hot Minute' and mixes it with BSSM's party-hard funk to create something even more refinied, so I stress the underratedness of 'One Hot Minute'. "I know, I know for sure....fing dang ding dong ding dang ding dong ding dayyyyng" Best songs: Around the World, Scar Tissue, Otherside, Get on Top, Californication, Easily, I Like Dirt, Purple Stain, Right On Time, Road Trippin'
Banger
I don't even need to say anything here. The music speaks for itself.
We have arrived at the first album I've already heard in it's entirety many times. Wow. I absolutely love this album. I own it on vinyl. The Red Hot Chili Peppers are one of my favorite bands and this is one of my favorite albums. It all started a year and a half ago when my mom randomly said, "Hey, do you want to go to a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert." I had never gone to a concert before, but I had heard a few of their songs, so I said yes. It was the Unlimited Love tour. I looked at the common setlists and saw it was mostly songs from their main albums including Californication. I listened to those popular ones before the concert, then the rest in the days after. Since then, I've listened to them so much. They were just my #1 artist on my YouTube Music Recap. The songs from this album I heard live were Californication and Scar Tissue. What makes RHCP so good? It's everything. Chad Smith, Flea, John Frusciante and even Anthony Keidis are all at their best in this album. Anthony receives a lot of hate for ruining the band, but if you take any member, especially him, out of the band, it just isn't the same. His nonsensical rambling, his weird lyrics, I wouldn't change any of it. Every song on this album is a 10/10. Around the World is a great start possibly the most RHCP song ever made. Some of my favorites are the fast and loud ones. Get On Top, I Like Dirt and Right On Time fit that category. They are just fun. Then of course there's the sad ones that bring us into the life of Anthony. Scar Tissue, Otherside, Savior. It's impossible not to mention the title track, Californication. This song is amazing. The lyrics of this song are some of my favorites in their whole discography. It's not necessarily my favorite song on the album, that would be too hard to choose, but it might be their best song. When I finish the list, this likely won't be chosen as my favorite album, but that's because I want to choose an album that I wouldn't have heard if it wasn't for the list. Just know that this is one of the best albums ever made.
Okay so I’ve heard every reviewer on this godforsaken website gets one very long rambly review that barely connects to the album. Here’s mine. I’m nostalgic for the Peppers. In the way the child of two people who were really into them would be. Long after the glory days, right on time for ‘The Getaway’ to debut and hear my mom complain about it. I was born after the age of shitty sounding stereo and right in the age of hooking up a laptop to the TV and playing By The Way on loop without understanding a single world. I remember claiming RHCP as my favorite band because I didn’t know other bands, I remember the corpus of a long dead friendship raising and falling for a last time while analyzing “Californication” (the song ) in class, I remember phone pranking my friends whose English was worse than mine with these lyrics. So. I guess this is a long time coming. I’m not fully blinded by nostalgia. Half these songs sound awkward, half these songs sound confused and yet. I don’t really care. I think Californication (the song) towers far over everything else this album presents. All the awkward stuttering, starting and stopping of the beat and the always pressing vocal constipation evaporates to leave one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard. It might just be nostalgia but there hasn’t been a single day in my life where I would have not wanted to listen to Californication. An ivory tower in my memory and nightmare for everyone listening to me reasoning that “first born unicorn” is actually the perfect metaphor for the American dream. In a way this is probably the rock that led me down to the favorite bands that would come after. Also he literally likes Dirt guys
Love it. I knew I would but man it’s great
After a significant sea change in style, this is a real pleasure and a collection f songs that reminds me of the best live music experience I ever had. Reading Festival - late afternoon, following Beck in the summer and then a truly transporting musical journey that moved between the 'hits' but linked with the kind of generous jamming that didn't leave the audience behind. What beautiful individual tunes and what a collection! Gorgeous.
Probably their finest moment
One of my favorites and absolutely loaded with great songs! They were hitting on all cylinders on this one. Radio hits galore... "Around The World", "Parallel Universe", the humongous "Scar Tissue" and equally huge "Otherside" and "Californication" plus "Road Trippin'". Then you throw in really good glue songs like "Easily", "Get On Top" and "Porcelain" The guitar work is catchy, innovative and drives these songs. The rhythm section is second to none. Keidis sings with emotion and can do the bangers as well as the softer tracks. They're excellent live and deliver. The second half of the album doesn't have as much impact as the first, but in 1999 the more songs on an album helped move units so they made it 15 deep. The only real throwaway track are "Emit Remmus" which is redundant on this album, "Savior" which is boring and too long & "Purple Stain" which sounds like it's from an older album. This album is loaded with tracks you hear every day on modern rock and alternative stations. The title track has almost 2B listens! Followed closely by "Scar Tissue" and "Otherside" at over 1.3B listens. No track on the album has under 25M listens. This one stands up well, it's influential, has the hits and bridged generations. 5 stars for the firepower!
Not a duff track on this, solid throughout even if the lyrics are sometimes... less than? But it's just the funk rock reference for me and I've listened to this about 6 million times when I was 14 and re-listening to it now (in fact, having listened to it a few months ago) it's just so good. The ultra-compressed sound makes it a little fatiguing but it gives it such an energy.
This is hard to rate as it's one of the first albums I loved at a time in my life when I was developing my own taste in music. But damn, it hits. A nice bridge between RHCP the funk band with sweet melodic influences and RHCP the alt rock band with a funk legacy. Flea at his best with counter-melody basslines. Love it, no notes.
Absolute favorite!
Classic dad rock bangers
Banger quintessential RHCP. Front to Back Bangers, and will listen to this again and again. I love RHCP, lyrics be damned
This album spoke to me in a very deep, meaningful way at a time of great personal change and the loss of my father. I was always a fan but this was a different level.
I was a huge Red Hot Chili Peppers fan, going back to the Mother’s Milk album. Blood Sugar Sex Magik is one of my all-time favorite albums. I listened to it so much I can barely stand it now. I just got burned out. Which may explain why, when Californication came out, I wasn’t really into the Peps anymore. One reason I may have fallen out of love with them is that their guitarist, John Frusciante, left the band after fame started messing with his head. The group added Dave Navarro, of Jane’s Addiction, to the band and recorded One Hot Minute. At the time, One Hot Minute was panned by critics, and even I didn’t like it upon first listen. Navarro brought more of a metal edge to the Peps, which I should have liked, but the funk was pushed to the back burner. But, after re-listening to One Hot Minute, I can see now it’s a really good album; it’s just different. So, after a scary battle with heroin addiction, Frusciante rejoined the Peps for Californication. But I didn’t rejoin the band. I was an idiot. As I sat at my desk yesterday, I was blown away at how great, yes, great, this album was. It made me realize that all the members are talented, but Frusicante is the special sauce because his guitar and backing vocals shine throughout the album. Plus, this album wasn’t just nonsense and funk….Well, with Anthony Kiedis as a lyricist, you’ll always get nonsense, but the album has more Under the Bridge than Sir Psycho Sexy. Of course, the genius, Rick Rubin, produced the album, who also produced Blood Sugar Sex Magik. It was like the band was, legit, back together again. The album has 15 songs and is almost an hour long, but as it finished, I was a little disappointed there wasn’t more. Frusciante’s guitar playing in places melts your face and reminds me of Jimi Hendrix. Kiedis does an admirable job sounding a lot like Glenn Danzig on several songs and the rhythm section of Flea and Chad Smith may be the best in rock. I’m adding this album to my regular rotation, and it’s made me want to go back and listen to BSSM and One Hot Minute again. I’m not sure I’m back in love with the Peps as they stand today, but I definitely love the late 90s/early 2000s version. As I finish this, I’m listening to the song Porcelain, and it’s so beautiful and heartbreaking. Kiedis wrote it about a young mother he met at an AA meeting. She was living at a YWCA with her baby and struggling badly with drug addiction. Just an incredible song. Maybe I should give Keidis a little more credit with his lyrics.
One of their best.
Their best record, always made their best stuff with Frusciante in the band. Some huge hits on this one.
Goated
So funky
Credit where it's due, that was good.
90s nostalgia Favorite track: Californication other picks: otherside, road trippin, the velvet glove, scar tissue
Demasiados himnos para no ser 5*
Legendary
Brought back some good High School memories.
Such an amazing album! From the lyrics to the melodies to the guitar riffs- just fantastic. Good to reminisce on some old goodies from my HS years and find some new ones.
Had the pleasure of seeing them play live in Curitiba in November 2023, and they opened the concert with “Around the World,” the first song on the album. I’ve loved it since my teenage years. 10/10.
Conocía algunas de las canciones, pero no las asociaba ni al disco ni a Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Me ha gustado y recordado a The O.C. Suena a California novelero.
As a child of the 90s, Red Hot Chili Peppers are GOATS. What's wild to me is that this very strange band just kind of just existed and everyone thought it was normal music. This music and this album are so weird and so varied. You can hear the Bad Brains punk influence, but they're really ramping the funk inspiration throughout. Flee is such a driving force in this band that none of it really works without him, his brain is able to comprehend and punk, rock, funk, r&b, and psych. Which is what makes this so cool. But really everyone in this band is so dialed and so sharp. And it comes out so crisp in this entire record. I think what's impressive is that no one is ever really outshining the other. There are songs (mainly ballads: Californication, Porcelain, Otherside) that are all Anthony, then there songs where songs where John is just tapped into a different dimension and he's taking that guitar to new worlds (Get On Top, Parallel Universe). Chad is such a good drummer, he keeps things tight and keeps this thing grooving. This record rocks. I like almost every song. If I had any critique, its that its about 2 songs too long. I think thats just a symptom of the CD era. All 90s albums are 2 - 3 too long. This one is no different. After "I like Dirt" you have a few forgettable tracks. If I was being picky, I would give this a 4.5. But there's no doubt how impactful this record is. I love it, and I love this band, so round up to a 5!
finally some good food
А что тут надо написать? Ну это буквально современная классика. Я до этого не особо как-то проникался RHCP, но в этот раз послушал и проникся, мне очень понравилось и очень хорошо легло на сегодняшнее настроение, не смотря на диссонанс между осенней погодой и солнечным настроением альбома. Лиричный, но оставляющий надежду саундтрек к жизни, так бы я это назвал. Как он звучит вы и так знаете, а если не знаете - вы наверное Диоген.
Oh my. Probably a 4. I think another 5.
Funky as rock
Incredibly great album. Packs a lot of energy, and there’s just no filler at all. I only knew Scar Tissue off this album, and I might’ve heard bits of the title track here and there. So it was a real surprise to me that I was loving the entire thing for the whole hour. Fantastic music.
Very enjoyable
I don't think this one needs an introduction. Peak rhcp
Great album, many hits and well know tunes as well as some great, lesser-known deep cuts. These guys were absolutely their own thing with their own sound when they broke out, and still stand alone in so many ways. Really amazing instrumental playing and vocals. It's got rock for days, grungy, funky, rap elements... such a cool fusion and sound. The hits certainly had their popular appeal as well, but there's a lot here to dig into.
Amazing album, now my favourite chili peppers album.
Never listened to the album in full before but it did give the world all the classics. Favorite songs: Around the World, Scar Tissue, Otherside, Californication, Easily
Bangers up and down & a true set it and forget it album... just press play. The perfect way to wrap up 1999. Grunge had already "died" and remember not thinking they still had a great album in them due to age/drugs/etc. Californication and In Rainbows always stand out as perfect albums released late in a band's career. First time seeing them was Bonnaroo 2006 and think I'm up to 3 or 4 now... the sound is always off... always.
que de bons souvenirs
10/10 really enjoyed the vibes and all the instrumental and vocals everything is just it
I love this album as much as Anthony Kiedis loves California.
9/10… funk rock / alt.rock
Full on 5
Despite all its flaws, my nostalgia goggles tell me this album still slaps and is a staple of 90's alternative
This is #day424 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… Californication was a significant part of my later school years (mid-to-late 2000s). Those were the CD-R years, like when someone with a PC in your class had an album on their hard drive, ripped from hell knows where, and you'd come over to burn your own copy. Or, if your parents gave you some allowance and you were lucky enough to buy a licensed CD (like American Idiot), you became the source for ripping. Anyway, this album (along with By the Way and Stadium Arcadium) holds memories, and always will. It's a great record, though dragged down by a bunch of fillers. I think, however, Blood Sugar Sex Magik is greater and more essential. Still, this is a 5 out of 5. Looking forward to #day425.
Hilariously quintessential RHCP. Listening to new songs off this album feels like I'm reading a meme making fun of RHCP. But at the same time, this shit rips so hard. I'm a simple boy. I love this shit.