Californication

A few times in this album I thought “I could maybe like this if they had a singer”, and that’s about the best thing I can say, in total, about the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I do have a loose comment though: I wonder if Kiedis still does That Part when he performs Around The World.

🗯 Take a shot every time Kiedis sings “California.” You’ll need an ambulance by track eight. They’re a bit cringe these days, but something about Californication still works. I’ve always loved the players — the extraordinary John Frusciante, Flea, and Chad Smith are an unstoppable trio — almost enough to overlook Kiedis. Almost. As a kid, I inhaled Blood Sugar Sex Magik, so everything after felt like a comedown. This album nearly recaptures some of that spark — smoother, more melodic, surprisingly introspective in parts@and a step further into commercial kingdom. The front half is stacked: Around the World, Parallel Universe, Scar Tissue, and the title track still hit. The back half? Bit of a slog. Otherside in particular has been murdered by a thousand pub covers — I can barely hear it without tasting cheap beer. It’s too long, too polished, and too in love with its own myth — but damn if it doesn’t still carry some California sun. Verdict: Excellent (bloated but blissful; the last time the magic truly felt real) For fans of: Jane’s Addiction, Pearl Jam, funk-rock redemption arcs, and hearing “California” 37 times in 56 minutes

Nice

Good, but not their peak.

They’re not entirely my style but objectively good album

Los Angeles has produced a number of important and influential bands, responsible for the most vital rock records ever made, especially: X, The Byrds, Los Lobos, The Doors, The Go-Go's, Buffalo Springfield, Minutemen, The Beach Boys, The Runaways, Van Halen, The Mothers of Invention, The Mamas and The Papas, Sparks, and Crosby, Stills & Nash, just to name a few.

Standouts Around the World Parallel Universe Scar Tissue Otherside Californication Emit Remmus Road Trippin'

Fairly uneven album that starts strong, sags in the middle but picks up at the end. Not a super long album but like many RHCP albums perhaps has 4 or 5 songs too many. Flea's bass elevates a few otherwise middling songs such as 'Get On Top'. Fave Tune = Californication & Otherwide

so the Red Hot Chili Peppers are actually good…noted

Even though I’m now closer to the Nick Cave position on RHCP, I’m giving this one an honorary three stars for how much I listened to it as a teen who didn’t know better. Scar Tissue is still lovely, though.

Альбом пересушивал очень много раз! Даже был он у меня на виниле!

Man, these guys really like California for some reason. The song I Like Dirt is pretty catchy.

I LOVE THIS ALBUM AND THE CHILI PEPPERS!!!!! looooved listening this was actually my first time ever listening to it straight through and so good omg !!!

Oh this is gonna be good (hopefully) Yeah it's really good, fav is quixoticelixer

The return of Frusciante after the "disaster" with Navarro. Really solid album with classic songs. Some nice messages from Kiedis, but most of all the eargasmic play of Frusciante, Smith & Flea. Even though I am a big fan of their sound before 1990, I think this is their best album made in their entire career.

It’s ok, one star deducted because the lead singer is a creep

I’ve always been a fan of rhcp and some of my favorite songs are on here. I don’t come back to this album often but it was a regular go-to throughout college.

Another time I wish I had the ability to use a half star. I liked this growing up, but as my musical exposure grew, I listened less and less. In recent years, the Chili Peppers have been consistently mocked, and made a joke of. I was expecting to not enjoy this record this time around. However, even past the hits, there are numerous great tracks on here. Their unique style can come off as corny sometimes, but the band offers enough diversity in the track listing that they find a way to win me over. Obviously there are some skips, and honestly, I've heard some of these hits so many times, I don't see myself turning this on again any time soon. That being said, it was a fun commute to work this morning thanks to the Chili Peppers.

Classic

I think of RHCP as a sort of "crowd pleaser" band for people born in the 80s and 90s. Put them on at a party and most people won't complain, but most likely they'll just fade into the background. That's at least true for their greatest hits, but doesn't really apply to this album. The hits on here are indeed great, but the rest of the songs are mostly terrible. Stupid lyrics, recorded way too loud, and too long as well. It's a shame really, because Flea and Frusciante have huge talent that are kind of wasted. Scar Tissue, Otherside, and Road Trippin are great songs though.

Hyvä levyhän tää on pitkästä aikaa. 3,75/5.

This is peak Chilis. Mellow yet funky, outrageous bass from start to finish, some absolute bangers on here. It has a bit of filler which would take it down to a 4.5 but it's balanced out by just how good some of the other songs are.

I won't say it...I won't say Scar Tissue is a bad song...you can't make me. There was a time I was obsessed with this album. I ripped it onto a CD that I eventually wore out from playing in the car too much while delivering pizzas. These days I wouldn't call myself a RHCP fan, but Californication objectively their most cohesive and interesting album, and features each member at their creative peak.

Where are these guys from again?

Trimming like 4 songs off this would have resulted in a four-star rating. Some really great tracks up front, good production, variety, and instrumentation. Does not sound dated at all.

I mean sure, it's a classic.

Honestly the only thing that brings this down at times is the vocals,not to say that i dont like them cause i do.and god the lyrics,i like dirt i like dirt i like dirt 8.5

This was such a big album in the 00s, you couldn’t turn on MTV without seeing a RHCP music video. Some of the songs on this album are good, but the production is horrendous, and way too noisy. RHCP was a band that never needed to participate in the loudness wars, I wish they would have made a stood out and made a statement, but the band just frankly isn’t that great.

Full of hits, but as a whole it's pretty mid quality-wise. Love Road Trippin', though, and it's been a staple of my road trip playlists for a long time now.

full of hits. some of the hits (notably, scar tissue, hit really high points). but the rest of the album is just too inconsistent to be amazing imo (6.5/10)

There are so many bangers on this album, and the guitar & bass work is brilliant throughout. Scar Tissue, Otherside & Californication are the obvious classics. Despite this though there are two or three filler moments and inconsistencies that leave you wanting a bit more. 7/10.

Great RHCP album, but again question the “Must Hear” necessity for this list.

Made me realise I'd been confusing the red hot chilli peppers and black eyed peas for an embarrassing amount of time... 3.

Worse than the Red Hot Chili Peppers goofing off aimlessly and sexually is RHCP not goofing off: tame, sincere, and melodic. Kiedis still can't rap but it turns out he can't sing or write pop songs either - neither the heartfelt variety nor the kind that deals ironically w/ the cultural zeitgeist. The crew merely wanted to have fun before, which they never could do particularly well, but now they're intent on being for real and in touch w/ their feelings, which is foul, especially on the title track w/ the dumb '-tion' rhymes. My least favorite: 'Born and raised by those who / Praise control of population / Well, everybody's been there / And I don't mean on vacation.' When the dust settles, RHCP will be remembered as e'en more than wasted talent.

Not a bad album in some ways and enjoyed some tracks but really don’t get the RHCP

Anything to add? Simply brilliant!

Only a few song didn't hit the mark for me, but it's classic RHCP.

Not as bad as I would’ve expected. Porcelain was the highlight

Yes.

No.

It’s hard to overstate how big this album was for middle school kids in 1999. I distinctly remember sitting in Future Shop listening to this at the CD sampling area. I didn’t fork over the $17 though… I just burned a copy of my friend’s, oops. Buying a CD was a big chunk of my allowance! But I think 14-year-old me was onto something, because while you can’t deny the monster hits on this album, it’s obscenely front-loaded. The second half is ok, but not memorable. I can’t with Anthony Kiedis, so that alone limits the star potential of this album, but it does bring back good memories. Highlights (they’re obvious!): Around the World - The rapping is dumb but if you try to ignore Kiedis and listen to Flea, this is still really fun. Parallel Universe - Apparently this was the last single released from the album? I don’t remember hearing it on the radio but it’s pretty great. Scar Tissue - I feel like this video was a huge image makeover for Kiedis. Before this I thought he was a long-haired old man. I feel like there was sharp early 90s/late 90s divide in the coolness of long hair on men. Whoever told Kiedis to cut and bleach his hair knew what would appeal to the youths. Worked for me. At the time I didn’t know what a creep he was. Love this song still. Even Kiedis sounds great. I love Frusciante’s solos. Otherside; Californication - More proof that Kiedis is best when he’s actually singing and not doing his goofy-ass rapping. Memorable music videos. Road Trippin’ - Closes the album on a good note.

I liked this album a lot more as a teenager. Now I find the funk rap rock kind of annoying outside of the big 3 songs. Scar Tissue is great. Love that song. Might be my favourite one on the album. Otherside is another great track. And so is Californication. That's 3 classic 90s alt rock songs on this album. It should be a great bedrock to build the rest of the album. But that is not the case. The rest of the album is forgettable or annoying. I'm realizing that the 3 best songs on this albums are all slow alt rock ballads. And I'm also realizing the songs i hate are fast funk rap rock. I even hate Give it away which peak funk rap rock and thankfully is not on this album. I guess i really hate one half of the chilli peppers sound. Based on that feeling and the strength of the big 3... I give this a 2.5... and i'm rounding down. I guess i also didn't hate the final song, Road Trippin'. That was a nice little acoustic track witch some pretty strings. On the other side, i really don't like Around the world. The chorus is fine but those versus are peak shitty funk rap rock. Especially the last verse that's mostly gibberish "ding dong deng." It sounds a little racist? Total bullshit. So ya... 2/5.

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 ⭐️

Not the best RHCP. But good.

6.5/10 Favs: Road Trippin', Otherside

what is this man even saying...thank god the music is good

omg i knew a lot of the songs! i remembered really liking them! they had fun music!

This is another very nostalgic album for me that I haven’t really listened to in adulthood. Specifically reminds me of visiting my friend in Wildwood, MO in the winter and wandering through the creek behind his house for hours.

not very spicy at all

sorry yall i fw it 😭✌️ Fav song: Parallel Universe CHRIST IM A SIDEWINDERRRRR IM A ... CALIFORNIA KIIING!!!!!!!

exhausting.

Some classics, some funky stuff that I can see why I haven't heard of. All RHCP goodness in the end

Veldig chill å høre på - hørt mange av sangene før.

Would be a 4 but I just don't like most rap-rock.

TBH, I could put this whole album on and play it top to bottom on my drumset. It's a great vibe, I love Chad Smith's drumming style. This skews my love for the album, but it's definitely one of their better ones. I can understand why many can't get behind them, Kiedis' vocals are a "brand", but not a popular one. But for me, this one is solid.

There are a couple of filler songs, but largely an excellent RHCP album. It’s got Around the World, Scar Tissue, Otherside, Road Tripping, and the title track (obv). I really love this band

There were a couple of songs that were just ok but overall a great RHCP album.

50% killer 50% dirge. I thought I liked this LP. I was only half right

I actually like this album. But I really can't justify giving it more than a 3, because the bits I like - mostly the softer bits and the harmonies - are only barely worth wading through the plodding 'funk', exhaustingly crushed mix, and well, Kiedis. Even a 3 feels generous, but the bits I like, I really like...

A perfectly cromulent record/band.

Awesome

08/09/2025 A comfortable and solid 5 stars. Although it does have me baffled how they actually have made it so big! Spotify listeners: 40.7 million

It's strange how things come around and go around. This album was everywhere in 1999-2001 and my perception was that it had a pretty watertight reputation as an album that was probably a bit overplayed (not massively helped by having four or five big singles that were on the radio constantly) but universally hailed as a classic. Listening to it 26 years later is much less rewarding and the consensus seems to be that it's not held up. It's still got its great moments, the band is tight, in sync and it's very listenable. I'm a lot less excited about it now than I was then though, and I suspect that's down to my maturing music taste and the fact it's actually quite shallow as an album. Lyrically, it's all over the place. Musically, it's a catalogue of wasted potential; great moments that give way to uninspiring choices at every turn and too many humdrum tracks allowed to creep onto the second half. The opener Around The World sums this whole experience up perfectly. First, it breaks in with that trademark spiky, Flea-driven groove on the verses but then it flops back into a disappointingly middle-of-the-road chorus of 'life is beautiful around the world'. Towards the end of the song, Anthony Kiedis gets so bored of his own lyrics, he just resorts to lazily scatting to fill the bars. Even a signature funky instrumental bridge near the end can't quite save it, despite a lively flourish of guitars and slap bass. And that's one of the 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 of the record. On the album as a whole, we have moments of brilliance (Parallel Universe's swaggering rhythm section, the iconic guitar riff on Scar Tissue, recalling Under The Bridge but falling flat once again on the chorus. The rasping guitar-bass interplay on Otherside and Get On Top) but they give way to far too many forgettable numbers in the second half. 'Easily' is easily skipped and while we're at it, you can quite easily skip the whole run to Purple Stain and not really miss much. I will defend Right On Time to the death though, and Road Trippin' is a solid closer. I saw the Chilis live a couple of times around this era and while I remember them being excellent, I don't really recall much beyond the fact that I was there. And I think Flea was naked at one point. That feels a bit damning. (Not Flea being Flea. The fact I can't really remember much of the shows...) A few months ago I generated Blood Sugar Sex Magik and while I assumed it had 4 written all over it, I ended up giving it a 5 as it had all this but with a lot more edge to it. I'd have said Californication also had 4 written all over it but I'm pretty content rounding down this time around.

Album sucks. Band sucks.

Based cuz I love this band, but I mostly just play their greatest hits, several which come from this album. Was fun hearing the tracks that completes the album. This is definitely the peak of their definitely them sound

Finally something from my genre! I had the album after this, By The Way, but this is also excellent. This has all of what I want: A melodic male voice, guitar solos and hard drums. Full marks, will go into regular rotation!

A fairly decent album let down by their nonce singer scat-rapping

Hard to see this one with fresh eyes, because I’ve heard many of these songs hundreds of times, though I don’t think I’ve ever listened to the album as a whole. I’ve never loved the hard-funk side of the RHCP, but at the same time, the contrast with the other mode — the more melodic, dreamy mode — makes the transitions especially beautiful. Also I paid much more attention to the way the bass texture drives things, and really enjoyed that.

Surprisingly disappointed with this. Wasn't bad but was pretty boring aside from the known hits. Was expecting to love it!

👴🏻❤️

The first half of this album is filled with catchy fun back to back singles. It kinda falls off in the second half, but rounding up. Tracks to Track: Otherside

I just can't do RHCP anymore, sure it's a good album, not for me

Bunch of great songs, and the rest of the tracks are all decent. Probably nostalgia bumping this up some, but this was fun to hear again, it’s been a hot minute. 4.5/5

Pretty fire!

Now, that there’s a lot of hits! RHCP are a confounding group to me - sometimes, they put me in my place. But, right when I’m about to give them some credit, the song takes a turn to some unlistenable scat-rap debacle. Listen to some of these album cuts. Listen to them! Bad bad bad.

I’ll have to go back and see what I wrote for Blood Sugar Sex Magik, but I imagine it’s similar to what I’ll write here. Apart from recognising the title track, this mostly morphed into one vague worse-end-of-the-90s-rock-scene soundscape. Sometimes a song may open with a nice riff or perhaps have a nice solo, but these never seem to coagulate into a full product of a song that’s memorable. The only reason I remember the title track is due to its sheer popularity, although I’m incredibly surprised to see that two other tracks (Scar Tissue and Otherside) also have over 1 billion streams on Spotify. For the most part, RHCP follow the same formula, funky bassline, funky riff, funky drums, funky vocals, and yet no soul. They shall remain to me as they have been, a band that you see in bestselling lists and the like, but never anywhere near a ‘top 10’ list, and the like. They’re no Foo Fighters for sheer blandness, but they’re a more upbeat version of that same blandness.

It really should be a lower rating but I grew up in California in the 2000s. I'm sorry.

When I saw this cover I got flashbacks to the year 2000 when the singles were on tv and on radio all the effing time, and I never want to hear them ever again. To say that I dislike this band is an understatement.

10 de 10

No es su mejor, pero qué hombres

This isn't even the okayest RHCP to choose, but beyond that there is absolutely nothing about anything RHCP ever released that is worthly of being included in a list of anything to do before you die, aside from maybe '1001 artists to ignore before you die because they're not worth the recognition they get'

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. Oh well. I liked "Otherside" for the most part! That's something, right?

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.

Around the World is somewhat deceptive. I did not expect what the rest of the song was like after the rather rocky intro. The other songs are of mixed quality. I enjoyed some, but I disliked others, especially the ones which use rather lack-lustre melodic devices. Well, and then there's Californication, the song which is the namesake of the album. It is completely understandable that this song is the most popular out of the album, as it's actually really good. Other songs such as This Velvet Glove are also pretty decent. To conclude, this album is very much a mixed bag of both decent and mediocre songs.

There's a few iconic songs on this album I actually like listening to. This does not mean I think Red Hot Chili Peppers was actually a good band. In the words of my old guitar teacher "even though their music was bad, they performed naked on stage and that was enough to get them sales"

RHCP was always decent background music for me in the 90s. I think the only album of theirs I bought was *One Hot Minute* but I also think I donated it. I knew the first four songs on here, though, plus the singles, and, well, it's not bad. I think I like it better than their other 90s albums... at least, from what I can remember. "Emit Reemus" was a standout for me during this listen-through.

7.5/10 Yeah, the lyrics are cringe (esp if you know a bit more about Kiedis) and RHCP are way too overrated among a certain demographic, but there are just too many bangers on here. Very nice melodies. Highlights: Otherside Road Trippin Scar Tissue Californication Parallel Universe Right on Time

First half of the album is great then drops off

Better than Coldplay

Many of the lyrics are gibberish, the album is too long by 20 minutes, and the second half is not as great as the first half. But this is still a fantastic album. 4/5 with side 1 being a 5/5.

Not a fan of RHCP. This didn't do much to win me over

I love this album by RHCP. It's hard to get back into these RHCP-era albums, after knowing the lead singer always had a much younger girlfriend. Definitely one of their best albums. Up there with Blood Sugar Sex Magik

Ya lo he escuchado mas de una vez gracias a mi padre, lo he vuelto a escuchar y me ha encantado como siempre. 8,5/10

Jag kommer ihåg hur besviken jag blev när den här kom, som uppföljare till helt fantastiska Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magisk. Den är inte i närheten. Därför är det obegripligt att den är med här! En trea

Time has taken a toll on this one. Kiedis can sing and the 2 last half is absolutely uninspiring. BSSM is really the only RHCP that should be on this list. 2 due to all the hits and the instrumental part of the record..

I actually really like this album - it’s very obviously red hot chili pepper, it’s certainly the sound I recognize by them. I think there’s a good variety of types of songs. I didn’t expect porcelain - it very obviously has a serious subject matter and the music behind the lyrics reflects that, it still has the same hectic vibe as the rest of the album but it has more care. A lot of the songs seem to have the depressive undertones, the lyrics feel very real and raw and are relatable for me - whether they are relatable to the more mentally stable, I don’t know. But those feeling distant and disconnected can feel connected from this album.

Of the songs I've heard before, I like "Californication" and "Otherside". "Parallel Universe" and "Scar Tissue" are also good. Did not like "Emit Remmus" and "I Like Dirt". "Velvet Glove" is good, probably my favorite of the ones I haven't heard before. "Purple Stain" and "Right on Time" are kinda crazy rock funk, interesting but not something I normally listen to. "Road Trippin'" is a nice way for it to end.

I’m a RHCP fan, so I’m biased!

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

An album full of bangers. For my regular listening, it's too smooth and too repetitive.

Not bad, good n funky. 4/5

Although I still wish we could have gotten different RHCP albums in this collections than this one and "Blood Sugar Sex Magick", I *am* glad that I heard this one after "Blood Sugar", as it definitely improves on the latter, both musically and lyrically. It's a bit hard on this album to hear the band that were infamous for wearing nothing on stage but socks on their privates, but it's nice too to see that they managed to evolve a bit from the frat-rock hollow they swam in for years, and songs like "Get on top", "I like dirt" and "Purple stain" are nice homages to their funk past. The only songs that really stood out for me were "Otherside" (in large part due to the silent-movie-style Kafkaesque video) and "This velvet glove" (Frusciante's guitar work is particularly distinctive here). But I can see why their singles were impossible to miss on radio in the late 90s, even if the title track is far too unsubtle for its own good. And while I don't really feel like they earned four stars for this album, I'm happy for them that they managed to find a way out of the rut they had fallen into before this came out.

The songwriting seemed a little weak and forced; the music was strong.

Enjoyed this much more than I anticipated.

5/10 Favorite: Scar Tissue

This is the best output by RHCP. The album came out around the time I was a young and impressionable teen and I connected with these tunes relatively well, given that I was much more into traditional country than the modern rock/pop music of the time. Californication, Scar Tissue and Otherside were all played to buggery on the radio but Road Trippin' was always my favourite.

Favorite band of ALL TIME!!!!!!!!

Peak Peppers.

LOVED THIS ALBUM FOREVER BLISS BEAUTIFUL LOVELY 10/10

Outside of the hits, which are good, the rest lacks in quality.

Tik pradėjau naudotis šia paslauga ir pirmas albumą kurį pasiūlė buvo red hotai. Jaunystėje šis albumas perklausytas dešimtis jei ne šimtus kartų. Tai sakyčiau gan neblogas.

I remember buying this when it came out. Enjoyed it then, enjoyed it now, but not a five star album. Sure, there are some catchy riffs, but...needed some pruning of filler.

A tough one to review. The bangers are great, musically there is a lot to love. But Kiedis singing is horrible in most songs. I feel generous today so it's a 4 lol

Classic 90s album. Not normally into hard rock or rap but the combination of styles is unique and was great to listen to on bike ride

This band infuriates me, I will try to remain unbiased. Blood sugar is their best album, first off. But damn if Anthony can’t write a catchy chorus. Around the world is catchy as hell and fun, only complaint is ding ding dong dong ding dang ding dong ding dang. Parallel universe was awful until they opened it to that noise solo at the end. Scar tissue is a top 1000 102.1 the x song ever. Great riff great use of John that isn’t too much of him just jerkin it on a guitar. I love other side. Inverse here, a very serving the song and fun flea baseline, same with chads drumming. Get on top is the making fun of rhcp formula. Californication is obviously a hit but definitely one of the ones I usually skip when it comes on at this point. I have always liked how John and flea fit together during the verses though. Easily is not great considering the standard they’ve already set on the album. Porcelain hits me as a song I would really like if I was super into this album and listening to it a lot, but on first listen is strangely out of place. Followed immediately by another come to California tourist informercial. I like I like dirt because I found it when I was like 6 and I thought it was funny. Objectively, nothing special. I had to take a break during velvet glove, I have hit peak boredom and there's no hits in sight. I honestly forgot i was listneing to Savior. The end of purple stain was alright. This is a rough back half. I recognize roadtrippin, interesting that it's as popular as around the world but not radio shove down your throaty. In that same idea, it falls into that category of I would like this if I loved the album. I'm torn here because an album with four of the most famous rock singles of the past 30 years should probably minimally be a 4 but everything that is not a hit on here is so average or boring or bad. There is an 8 track run of songs on here that I would be fine never hearing again. There's a review in here that says something along the lines that this is a tragic misuse of musical talent where three of the best musicians are locking in in creative ways just for anthony to aimlessly wander over it and that it's a shame that some of the best earworms of rock history live in this soup. I think that sums up how I feel about this album.

Singles band. Sometimes fun and funky, most of the time stupid and interminable. 2/5, most overhyped band I can think of.

The music and lyrics are very pop oriented, but not much in the way of being unique.

Good album, enjoyable listen. Probably won’t reach for it again

This was very good. Not one song sounded the same as the previous one. I also loved all the lyrics, it sounded very thoughtful and well written.

As much as I TRY to dislike them, I just can’t. 3.5 stars

I think I got served two 5s in a row...dare we make it 3?

Great album

Gets a 3 because the highlights are really good songs. Some real nonsense on here though. They are going down as a greatest hits, not an album band for me.

Boris music for normie dads pretending to be rockers. Not for me. I wish they were funkier. Maybe the first albums... I should try. Listening notes: Me gustó la de "I like dirt", el resto no. La de savior también, más pesadilla.

It's not a bad album by any means, and the hits are the hits but I don't think it aged super well. It just ended up being fairly repetitive and fairly boring for me.

Wow this was awful. Leads voice is at best uninteresting and at worst annoying. The songs are bland and the mix is terrible. Sounds like an underwater speaker half the time. This is the first RHCP album I’ve heard and now confused as to why they’re so famous.

Nope.

more melodic and mature than bssm, my favorite rhcp album. I’m a little peppered out though lol.

A few classics, and a surprisingly strong back half. Fun listen.

If, at the AI prompt, you typed: "soundtrack for jr high school locker room-themed bar n grill", this album would appear.

At some point in their meteoric ascent from the L.A. punk underground, the Red Hot Chili Peppers figured Anthony Kiedis was best deployed in a Sensitive Man role and should actually try to sing. And yet, he’s a dolt, so we get lyrics like “With the birds I’ll share this lonely view” and “A-slittin’ my throat it’s all I ever” to go with his Forever 21 haircuts and his bandmates’ predilection for spastic funk and virtuosic bass lines. I notice that a lot of contemporary alt-rock (or whatever the kids call it these days) has a kind of easy listening quality, and it strikes me that this album may be a figurehead for that trend.

RHCP are one of the most popular bands in the whole freaking world but what does that actually mean.

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.

As time ticks on I find myself having more and more appreciation for Flea and less and less appreciation for Anthony. No hate for the guy but...in the end these RHCP albums were all about the music and Anthony's sorta-sung-sorta-rapped-but-not-really-lyrics were sprinkled on top to make it radio friendly, I guess? (That said the phrase "Young Kentucky girl in a push-up bra" will be forever lodged in the back room of my brain so, point to you, Anthony.) Good guitar, bass and drumming on here. But the album is a bit of a slog. Suffers a bit from the "hey, CDs have 80 minutes...let's fill it up if we can!" thing that was an issue around then. I feel this would have been a much better album if it were cut in half with some judicious editing. Not sure out of all the RHCP albums this one needs to be on the list.

Favorites: Get On Top, Road Trippin

Rating: 6.5/10 The highlights are amazing, the rest of the album is mostly okay with a couple of decent songs.

A solid rock album. I'm not a fan of all the songs, but it is a worthy listen and has some songs that push the boundaries of rock to the next stage. A little. 4/5

Anthony Kiedis is the biggest fraud in modern rock music.

A few surprisingly good tracks. Scar tissue is good. But the rapping can be juvenile.

I've been a fan of the Chili Peppers since the 80s with Mother's Milk came out, as I just loved Knock Me Down and their version of Higher Ground. And then they followed that up with the amazing Blood Sugar Sex Magik record, which just reaffirmed my love for this band. They had so many great songs in the 90s and beyond. I would encourage anyone to go find Go Robot and Dark Necessities off of The Getaway album, two great tunes. Back to this record, as this album was a punctuation mark on their domination of the 90s. When you listen to it, you understand why. Personally, my favorite tune on this record is Parallel Universe, a song that just drives throughout. A great, great tune. Really, though, all of the singles from this record are excellent, from Otherside to Scar Tissue to Around the World to the title track. These five are all part of the first six songs on this disc, which is an incredible start. Yes, the record wanes a bit from there, but it would be nearly impossible to match that amazing front half of the album. Even then, there’s still a ton of great music in that back half. These guys have a massive amount of great tunes, but this record is probably their best, most complete one. A five star effort.

It was fine, it didn’t make me a fan or anything.

The most oversaturated grossing music album of all-time.

Una de mis bandas favoritas

fu

I find it quite easy to forget how much I love this album. It's just banger after banger, with each song still being completely unique from all the others around it. The guitar riffs are absolutely killer, and of course I can't go without mentioning how legendary of a bassist Flea is. While I ultimately prefer By The Way, this album is still one that has a lot of memories attached to it just from being obsessed with it when I was younger, and I love being able to revisit it like this and still think it's amazing.

Everyone I know likes this band, but nobody can tell me exactly why. I've never once heard someone articulate what exactly they like about this band other than screaming, HEEEEYYYYY OHHHHHH! This album is extremely Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. On one hand there is a lot of interesting mid 90s rock in here with some pointed cultural criticism - and on the other hand it's some weird bastardization of hip-hop. I think they make total fools of themselves during those songs. More misses than hits for me on this one, unfortunately.

No termine todo pero son ellos y si

Groovy. It executes a vibe so perfectly. Also was the first album I listened to when I first got to California, so it holds sentimental meaning to me. It FEELS like California if that makes sense. It's warm, layered, complicated, but fun, even with the issues that the songs try to bring forward. I like it a lot. 5 stars.

This album is sort of an interesting guilty pleasure for me, which isn't to say I think it's bad or anything, there's just a lot here that could annoy me, and some of it does, but I manage to enjoy this album nonetheless. Honestly, a lot of my complaints center on Anthony Kiedis, which is an extremely common opinion in music spaces. Although, I will say I can't imagine anyone else singing for The Peppers. I actually kind of like his singing, it's a touch melodramatic, but it *is* compelling, and I do like a lot of the melodies here. Although I do *not* love his kind of rap delivery that he gets into, it just sounds goofy as hell. Also, he has a lot of terrible lyrics across this album. There are a few good lines, but wow, when he gets it wrong, he gets it *wrong*. He has all sorts of goofy little -isms in his writing that bug me, but I think the worst example across this album is "Do you smell like a girl when you smile" off of Porcelain, which is otherwise such a tender, sweet song, and this just feels creepy, whether it was supposed to or not. It is also worth noting that even though I am sort of reluctantly willing to put up with Kiedis here, I still do think there's kind of a talent gap between him and the rest of the band. Chad Smith is an incredibly solid drummer here. Flea's slap-bass is iconic and super animated, he is a big reason this album is a space that makes sense for Kiedis, it just kind of works. And, last but not least, the guitarist here is John Frusciante, and I honestly think he's kind of the secret weapon here. He left The Chili Peppers after Blood Sugar Sex Magik, and became increasingly lost to a truly frightening heroin addiction. This was the first album he recorded after getting clean, and he basically had to teach himself how to play guitar again (Note: He also recorded a couple of fascinating solo albums before getting clean, they were lo-fi, intense, and *extremely* sad: I bring them up just because I happen to enjoy them for what they are and I feel that they are chronically overlooked, but explore at your own risk). The result is minimalistic, expressive, almost stylized, and often very sad-sounding playing. He is the sole counter balance to Kiedis' "Hip Bippity Bop California" flows and Flea's kinetic slapping. Without someone like him, I honestly think this would be like drinking a cup of simple syrup, but he adds so much emotional depth and complexity to the themes here through his playing that the album slots together *just right*. The songs here also just work, this was way more consistent than I remember. The first half is pretty much a laundry list of hits. Around The World, Parallel Universe, Scar Tissue, Otherside, and the mighty Californication kind of feel like they should sound overdone and cliched, but when I here these songs, I just like them. They're honestly sort of undeniable. Then the deep cuts in the second half bring everything together. The great songwriting and emotional range on songs like Easily, Porcelain, Emit Rennus, This Velvet Glove, Savior, and Road trippin' just work for me. Even if I'd like to think I'm too cool for The Chili Peppers, the fact of the matter is that this album just rocks. And while I have complaints, I *am* having a great time, so I won't complain.

Otherside is still great. Also like Purple Stain but I’m scared to say that.

Awesome album. Total classic.

Fun classic!

Classic 90's rock. Lots of the RHCP hits are on here, and there's a reason those songs have been played to hell and back. That having been said, they never quite were the top tier of music for me. And the album has quite a lot of filler, too. And I think they have better albums than Californication. Oh and I'm just realising the pun in the name may not be what I always thought it was. I always thought it was California and Vacation, but there's another word that fits with California that seems to fit better... Still, I have enjoyed them a lot over the years. Which means that here we have an album that is hard to rate. An album which I recognise is a good album, and that once I would have said I loved it. But in 2025 I have well and truly outgrown this album, too. But does that mean it's a good album that no longer fits me? Or does it just means it's mediocre? Either way this is probably the most polished album they've produced.

I have never given this album a proper listen as I went off RHCP before this one came out for multiple reasons and have had quite a negative view of them since, plus the obsession with a US state was boring to someone from another country. When I put aside my attitude, I do have to admit this is a good album, though.

Ai. Esse vai doer. Eu ouvia muito RHCP e especialmente este álbum na minha infância, lá por volta dos 11 anos de idade. Eles eram uma das minhas bandas favoritas, e portanto, reconheci grande parte das faixas desse disco imediatamente, mesmo que, durante a infância, eu não costumava ouvir álbuns. Isso nos mostra a quantidade de hits e músicas reconhecíveis que este álbum possui. Mas por que eu disse que isso ia doer? Revisitar algo que você gostava muito durante seus anos formativos é sempre uma experiência assustadora. Você nunca sabe se vai ficar surpreso e feliz de retornar a algo que você gostava tanto, ou se vai se assustar e questionar o seu próprio gosto durante sua fase de desenvolvimento. A banda em si não é ruim. Frusciante é um ótimo guitarrista, Chad é um ótimo baterista, Flea pode ser superestimado mas continua sendo muito bom no baixo, e Anthony têm seus momentos. Às vezes ele irrita e frustra, mas às vezes até impressiona. Agora, o que dizer do disco em si…? Primeiramente, é impossível me desprender do imenso viés que tenho com ele. Durante minha fase de RHCP este era o meu álbum favorito deles. Reavaliando-o hoje percebo que ele possui alguns defeitos. Todo mundo o usa como exemplo de uma mixagem terrível, produto do tal brick walling dos anos 90. Sim, isso é claro, e acho impressionante que a banda nunca lançou uma remasterização dele. Rick Rubin de fato fez um estrago grande aqui. Ouvir esse álbum com fones bons chega a ser fisicamente doloroso em alguns momentos. Bem triste. Além disso, a ordenação das faixas deixa um pouco a desejar. É um disco bem desigual, sua primeira metade é recheada até a borda com hits (com exceção de Get On Top), mas sua segunda metade é bem desértica nesse quesito. Também acho a duração do disco bem maior do que precisava ser, facilmente daria pra cortar umas 4 ou 5 canções da lista final. Enfim, muita gente deve ter dado uma nota bem mais baixa pra esse álbum, e eu entenderia o porquê. Em alguns momentos, ele chega a ser doloroso. Mas como eu já deixei bem claro aqui, eu tenho meu viés nostálgico pelo grupo e por esse álbum em específico. Não consigo deixar isso de lado. Também não consigo lhe dar um 5 completo pois eu deletaria facilmente várias faixas de sua tracklist. Mas as que eu gosto, eu gosto muito, e canto elas gritando. 4/5

classic

Some good songs on this one.

another album that i've listend to a milion times. so many great songs on it

2.87

I have fond memories of this one but now looking back its not as great as I remember. Not bad just ok

Great album, trash mixing, no dynamics tho; lost in the loudness war

Slick peppers with their hogs outin socks

Aight

Une grosse cassure dans le style des chili Peppers. Passage à une musique plus mainstream et consensuelle mais à la longue était-ce pour le mieux?

not the most my style but californication is iconic

I don't really know what to say. The first songs were good. Type of music i would listen during a car ride.

3.5

1. Around the World - 7 Good sound. The guitars sound great but some of the lyrics are very very weak on the track, particularly in the opening verse and in the bridge. Could have been a lot strong but the flow of the track is fantastic. 2. Parallel Universe - 10 AMAZING sound. The vocals do so well and the guitars are absolutely stunning. Just a great track. 3. Scar Tissue - 9 Great sound. Lyrically the choruses are amazing and the guitar in the bridge is absolutely superb to listen to. 4. Otherside - 11 I sung this song all throughout uni. Absolutely belter. Lyrics and instruments all sound excellent. Brilliant track. 5. Get On Top - 4 Lyrically this track is absolutely awful. Guitar sounds excellent on it but it's not enough to look past the bad lyrically performance. 6. Californication - 10 An all time classic. Brilliant vocals, especially in the verses. These are met with an excellent undertoned guitar in the verses and a crescendo of awesome rock sound in the choruses. 7. Easily - 5 It's an average, okay song. Lyrically it's a bit simple. Instrumentally it's not as loud and enjoyable and unique as the previous tracks. A pass over track. 8. Porcelain - 4 It's just an average middle of the road slow song. 9. Emit Remmus - 3 The rifts on this are excellent but lyrically it's very boring. Vocally it doesn't sound very good. 10. I Like Dirt - 1 Lyrically it's the weakest track on the album. Very lyrically a pointless a track. 11. This Velvet Gone - 8 Much better track. Love the verses and the choruses, especially the way the guitar goes from chord to chord. The drum's percussions leading the undertone of the song through the verses is brilliant work. It adds to what a chorus really should be: the main message of a song that is meant to be bellowed out louder than the rest. Solid work. 12. Savior - 7 Guitars at the opening are an amazing sound. Drumline is led brilliant by the deep base that helps build in and out of the lower bridge at the beginning. Sleigh bells probably don't need to be one the track however. It makes the bridges feel really out of place. 13. Purple Stain - 1 Pace of the song is painful to listen to and the lines about California are toothless. Verses are the worst part of the track. 14. Right on Time - 1 Way too repetitive and the lyrics are insanely hard to keep along with. Worst track on the album. 15. Road Trippin' - 7 Chords and the bass are the highlights of the track. They're absolutely brilliant and the addition of the strings is absolutely perfect. Lyrically okay, the sound of the vocals and the range used is excellent. Solid ending to the album. Average Rating: 5.87 Adjusted to a 5-Point Scale: 2.93 Rounded Up: 3 Stars

Interesting experience listening to this one. I remember when this came out, I remember hearing the singles on the radio, and I remember understanding that this album was something special. 25 years later, it holds up. Nostalgia glasses off, I don’t know what makes it more exceptional then other Chili Peppers releases, or other albums from this year. 3/5 I guess

I don't quite get the hate for RHCP, although I got no love for them either. I guess i understand when people liked their youthfull, filled with spunk, attitude, how cheesy and grating it might be. But a 'mature' version of the Peppers feels sterile and dare I say boring.

Landmark album for the Peppers. Good listen all the way thru.

Jedinica iz principa. // Bila bi četvorka jer ovo nije jedan od njihovih najboljih albuma i ima baš baš dosta fillera.

Fantastic album. One of my all time favorites

## In-Depth Review: Red Hot Chili Peppers' *Californication* ### **Context & Background** Released on June 8, 1999, *Californication* marked the return of guitarist **John Frusciante** after a six-year hiatus plagued by heroin addiction. His reunion with bassist Flea, vocalist Anthony Kiedis, and drummer Chad Smith revitalized the band, shifting their sound from funk-metal (*One Hot Minute*) toward melodic alt-rock with psychedelic and folk undertones . Produced by Rick Rubin, the album became RHCP’s best-selling studio release (15+ million copies worldwide), driven by hits like "Scar Tissue," "Otherside," and the title track . --- ### **Lyrics & Themes** **Maturity and Vulnerability**: - Kiedis moved beyond sexual innuendo to explore **addiction ("Scar Tissue," "Otherside")**, loss, and existential reflection. "Otherside" references former guitarist Hillel Slovak’s fatal overdose, while "Porcelain" depicts a heroin-addicted mother at a YMCA . - **California as Metaphor**: The title track critiques Hollywood’s artificiality ("Dream of Californication") and cultural homogenization, linking Kurt Cobain’s tragedy to fame’s pitfalls . - **Love and Melancholy**: "This Velvet Glove" and "Road Trippin'" showcase Kiedis’ poetic growth, balancing raw emotion with subtlety . **Criticisms**: - **Inconsistency**: Tracks like "I Like Dirt" and "Get on Top" revert to juvenile funk-raps ("Ding, dang, dong..."), undermining the album’s depth . --- ### **Musical Composition** **Strengths**: - **Frusciante’s Minimalist Genius**: His guitar work prioritizes melody over technicality. "Scar Tissue" features haunting slide solos; "Californication" uses sparse, oceanic chords; and "Otherside" blends arpeggios with a hypnotic bassline . - **Rhythm Section Mastery**: Flea’s bass on "Around the World" (complex slap patterns) and Chad Smith’s dynamic drums ("Parallel Universe") anchor the album’s funk-rock core . - **Genre Fluidity**: Psychedelic layers on "Savior," folk acoustics on "Road Trippin’," and U2-inspired ambience on "Porcelain" reveal expanded versatility . **Weaknesses**: - **Formulaic Funk**: "Purple Stain" and "Emit Remmus" rely on repetitive grooves, paling next to melodic standouts . --- ### **Production: Triumph and Tragedy** **The Loudness War Controversy**: - The original 1999 mix prioritized **volume over dynamics**, causing distortion ("clipping") on louder tracks ("Get on Top," "Around the World"). Compression flattened Flea’s bass textures and Frusciante’s solos, drawing criticism from audiophiles . - **Remasters**: 2012 (vinyl) and 2014 (streaming) versions improved clarity but retained traces of compression, leaving the album a cautionary tale in production ethics . **Studio Innovations**: - Recorded live on analog tape with minimal overdubs, using vintage microphones (Neumann U47s) and Neve consoles for warmth. The "dry, punchy" aesthetic suited ballads like "Porcelain" but clashed with high-energy tracks . --- ### **Influence & Legacy** - **Commercial Impact**: Six singles dominated alt-rock radio; "Scar Tissue" won a Grammy (2000). The album spent 80+ weeks on the Billboard 200 . - **Cultural Symbol**: Soundtracked California’s late-’90s identity—sun-soaked yet melancholic—influencing bands like **Arctic Monkeys** and **Tame Impala** . - **Band Resurrection**: Cemented RHCP as stadium-rock icons, paving the way for *By the Way* (2002) and *Stadium Arcadium* (2006) . --- ### **Pros vs. Cons** | **Pros** | **Cons** | |-------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------| | Frusciante’s melodic guitar work | **Production flaws** (clipping, distortion) | | Kiedis’ lyrical depth on key tracks | **Weak second half** ("I Like Dirt," "Savior") | | Genre-blending experimentation | **Cringey lyrics** on funk-heavy songs | | Unified themes of redemption/California | Overlong (15 tracks; could trim to 10) | | Timeless singles ("Scar Tissue," "Otherside") | Navarro-era fans miss heavier funk | --- ### **Verdict** *Californication* remains RHCP’s **most impactful work**, balancing raw emotion with accessible rock. Its flaws (production, filler tracks) stem from era-specific pressures and artistic reinvention, yet Frusciante’s return birthed a songwriting alchemy that defined 2000s alt-rock. As one critic notes: "While previous albums were spirited, *Californication* dares to be spiritual" . **4.5/5** > ✋ **Fun Fact**: The "Californication" music video featured RHCP as PlayStation avatars—a nod to gaming’s rising cultural tide in 1999 .

Pretty good album. Production is a little jarring but the songs are there and that’s what’s important.

This is fkd up, making me listen to RHCP two days in a row... This album was more enjoyable than I thought it would be, given I've always hated Scar Tissue, never cared for Californication, and really dislike Around The World (yeah, the song where he rhymes "my johnson" with "woods of Wisconsin"...), but it does have Otherside which I love, and some of the deep cuts were very likable. They're showing some growth; normally I see RHCP as rather one dimensional but thought the non-funk rock tunes were better than before, Anthony Keidis' vocals have improved (a lot) , and I was really surprised by Road Trippin'.

Es malo de cojones

Banger, had heaps of hits

Tolles Album, Klassiker der Jugend-Zeit

Sehr gutes Album, das aber eine Stimmung braucht, die ich selten habe 😂

This is an album of my youth so I went into it already knowing every word. Not listened to it in years and forgot how much I loved it. The earlier stuff they did is a bit shouty and then they suddenly released an album full of that same energy but with cool songs with melodies. Felt like I wanted to give it 5 stars but held back as I think some of that is just nostalgia 😂

First half much much better than second half. I don’t hate this as much as pop culture makes it seem like I might? 2/5

A classic!

I liked this album - instantly recognisable as Red Hot Chilli Pepers, I could see the influences which would later inform the album By The Way, which is the album I’ve heard before from the band. I felt like the last few tracks weren’t quite as strong as the first three quarters of the album, but the first 8 tracks easily earn 4 stars.

Around the world made me laugh. Californication is catchy but gets old after a while. Very repetitive. Felt like almost every song had the same beat/groove. The random speak singing rapping was weird. not my cup of tea.

One of the best rock albums I’ve ever heard Right on Time and Road Trippin’ were two of the defining tracks for me, with the former bringing a ton of energy and life to the album and the latter being a vulnerable closer that felt borderline cinematic Some of the songs started to blend together as I got deeper into the album, but didn’t really feel any of them were bad (except maybe I Like Dirt but I’ll give it a pass) Favorites: Scar Tissue, Get On Top, Road Trippin’ Honorable Mention: Right on Time

Uh... First Justified yesterday, and then Califonication today, rough two days. Very generic dad rock, I didn't realize how dull the filler tracks were on this one outside of the singles, which are only slightly catchy, but nothing like some of the other albums on this list so far.

Oh hell no. 1/5, 1/10

I don’t know how to feel about this, I used to like RHCP but it feels dated and their style can be so exhausting. It’s got good hits but I’m tired of them so I’m not sure I can listen to this honestly. But ding ding dong dong

6/10

I thought I liked the Chiles, but it turns out I had just never listened to a whole album. They need a producer who can be a serious editor. Every album I hear from them is bloated with too much filler. A tighter album would serve them much better, because there are great tracks here. Like the little girl with the curl right in the middle of her forehead - when it’s good it’s very good, but when it’s bad, it’s horrid.

This album is a big step up from "Bloodsugarsexmagic" just based on songs like "Scar Tissue," "Otherside," the title track, and "Road Trippin." There are a few others that are really good too but it definitely falls off in the second half. Definitely a more mature, interesting album and the best overall album I've heard from them (including their more recent stuff).

Much better to my ears than Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Kiedis is still pretty annoying, dont know what the hell he's saying half the time, but when I do understand him he's not always singing about his sexual prowess, and Californication is a lot more nuanced and interesting. Used to listen to this one a lot and a bunch of these songs hold up for me, especially Scar Tissue, Otherside, and the title track. It does fall off in the second half into more of a samey, bland sound, but ends strong with Road Trippin. If not for this album I would kind of hate RHCP, but its a pretty good one

Man, I really love the Chili Peppers, and this album was probably at the height of their music in my opinion. The B/S/S/M period had a little harder edge which I maybe preferred a little, but this album is also just really good with no skips. Five stars, easily.

I was in my final year of school when Blood Sugar Sex Magik was released, and I was already aware of RHCP as a funk-rock crossover band that generally got lumped in with the metal acts of the time, which made them seem something of a novelty outfit. By the time I was in college, Under The Bridge and Give It Away had exploded and I had plenty of friends who swore they were the greatest band on the planet. I thought they were ok at the time, but still reeked of novelty as far as I was concerned, and probably went into steady decline directly proportional to my interest in them right after that track they did for the Coneheads movie soundtrack (which I later realised was a BSSM outtake). Fast forward to now, and Californication is an easy album to hate, partly because it is full of songs which have been bombarding your ears - uninvited - for the past 25 years. And therein lies the problem, I was all set to give this album a scathing review - it contains all of the worst of the Chili Peppers traits, worst of all, but not limited to, Keidis's reliance on a handful of very similar melodic phrases and god-awful lyrics. But the thing is, it also contains much of what made people fall for them back in the late 80s/early 90s. It has just become cliche and unexciting through years of over-exposure. The fact is, all of the criticisms leveled at this album do stand up to scrutiny, but I didn't find myself hating it as much as I had expected. Forty-plus years since they formed (yes, forty-plus!!) their most loyal fans still swear they are the bee's knees. They are not, and neither is Californication, but it did sell by the bucket-load and spawn enough hit singles (still in fairly heavy radio rotation) to suggest it is not quite as awful an album as some would have you believe.

This album has aged remarkably poorly, which is saying something considering there are probably only a handful of singles from the album that were worthwhile in the first place. This album is greatly let down by the lyrics and vocals, and even the big hits are tired from years of radio play. There's nothing here to draw me back to this album. I expected something much better. The album art is nice, though. Favorite track: "Otherside" (but I would rather listen to the track of the same name by Lena Raine)

Red Hot Chili Peppers is a band that, despite its popularity, is nothing really special nor amazing. This album is a good one, some tracks are really nice, but there is some filler there also. It would have benefited from being shorter... or more inspired at least. At least the last song ends the album in a great way.

I really like this for 15 minutes at a time, but listening to the whole album started to drag on and started to all sound the same. 8/10

I am extremely biased since I can still vividly picture my burned copy of this CD when I was in about 5th grade. It was one of the first albums I owned and I listened to it nonstop. I still love it and still listen to it very regularly. While this isn't my favorite album by them (By The Way), it still hits.

This is one of those albums that makes me realize how old I am. This album and their later works were sensations during my childhood, and it came out in 1999. That's a long time ago. I was five! I would have guessed I was ten when this came out. It's not on this album but "Zephyr Song" is the first song I remember being aware of playing on the radio. It played constantly and I loved it. I can picture images of car-rides where the song was playing, and there are very few songs that have that effect on me. "Around the World" is a full showcase of the classic Chili Peppers sound. This song captures them almost entirely. "Scar Tissue", "Otherside", and "Californication" is such a crazy lineup of absolute bangers. These songs are all so instantly recognizable. A third of the songs on this record are played out because of the levels of popularity they reached. The back half of the album falls off a little bit and it gets a little single-tone. They could have ended the album at "Emit Remmus" and lost little I think. This album has vocals that are synonymous with California and the 90s/00s. The basslines and riffs are out of control and must have inspired countless people to pick up guitars. Unfortunately, I have to assess the album as a whole. The first half contains four or five of the 90s/00s most played songs, but the back half could be cut down by more half probably. In light of that, it's going to have to be less than it could have been. The album would be an easy nine if it was just the first half. 8/10

Some albums have that 'one, two, three' hit thing - for my money the best is tracks 4-9 on 'Is This It?' by the Strokes. 3-6 on this would be up there if they'd binned Get on Top. This also drops off, massively, in the second half. To a really, really noticeable degree. Just couldn't get into it, but I've never been that much of a RHCP fan.

One of my first CDs, so of course it was on repeat all the way through my childhood. But then my mum went to see them a few years ago, so they have automatically become uncool. Sorry guys, I don't make the rules.

Funky boys get moody but still frat house cruise control. No thanks.

To my ears it has not aged brilliantly it would in the past have been a go to album but not it sounded jaded.

Bop after bop. Love the chilis - such infectious energy and grooves! Big fan

The first album in this project I already knew cold. The first five or six songs are etched indelably in my memory. We can tease the Red Hot Chili Peppers for every song being about California (and it does feel like every song on this album is about that), but my God, the good ones on this track are stellar. Even ones like "Around the World" and "Parallel Universe" that aren't as well known are stone-cold classics. Strange tone poems to the powerfully felt but poorly understood emotions.

this velvet glove,parallel universe and californication are my favs just a cool sing along album

A few years ago this would be a 5 for me. The first half of the album is still great, but the second half is kind of a dud and a little too long.

Pretty front loaded, 4 of the first 6 songs were major radio hits. That being said, Anthony Kiedis must be one of the least talented rock stars in the history of rock music. Thank Christ for Flea’s bass playing. Overall some catchy stuff here, but most of it is largely forgettable. I guess it sold a lot of copies tho…

Good album, often underrated.

top

This is a tough one. The band are so so good. Their playing, the warmth and emotion in their harmony is impeccable. Respect to john, chad and flea. When Antony sings and gets it right, the songs are about as good as it gets. Scar tissue and others are straight fives. But when the tempo goes up and the rap style delivery kicks in it really doesnt work and the songs fall down. And the mixing and production are awful, its so all over the place that it really affects the enjoyment of the music.

best rhcp album

I love Red Hot and this is probably their best album

Love these guys

Me ha sorprendido 😯

Can't believe that I got two Red Hot Chili Peppers albums in the first 35. I find it even harder to believe the need for two Red Hot Chili Peppers in this list. This album does nothing Blood Sugar Sex Magik doesn't. The first half is ok, with some cool moments, the second half is plain boring. That's just talking about the music, the lyrics are terrible all over. I really hope it's the last Peppers album I'm gonna get.

I own this album & consider it one of the Peppers better ones (not that they have any bad ones). I would put this as probably my 4th favorite Peppers’ album. Great songs, love Frusciante’s guitar & his return.

Classic album, my favourite of theirs is Stadium Arcadium but so many amazing songs here too

Lots of good high Lots of good low High 3

Like the band, heard the album before, but their uptempo songs do sound like a parody of themselves...

Californication is great. Good songs buried in here and the sound that makes RHCP known. I’d put this at 8/10 because I like it but I can’t constantly listen to it for some reason. Small doses are better

Ya hmm ok I like the 'hits' but the other stuff is a bit samey samey

Blessed the ears

I actually quite like a lot of RHCP stuff, especially Mother's Milk, but this is soooooooooooooooooooo fucking bad. Two stars because there are a few songs where they let Flea remind them this is supposed to be - to some extent - funky and punky.

Pretty good

Class

I like the red hots, but never have been all in. Some songs good, some meh.

Heldigvis bedre enn BSSM, men fortsatt skuffende.

Don't view this as a cringe album. It is southern california rock at some of its best. Yes some of the songs are extrememly overplayed and yes it might not be the most technical playing you've ever heard, but since when are those the markers of a good album? You are lying if you say that this album doesn't rock and if you can't see yourself riding a boat listening to these tunes on a lake somewhere in the United States, you have never done it before. 8/10

having never listened to this album before, I've had almost every song on it forcibly inserted into my ears for the last 26 years by society at large. it's fine.

Honestly it slaps

First half good like a 4/5 second half is like a 2/5.

Maybe their best album, though these are their songs I’m most sick of. Road Trippin’ maybe isn’t the best song on it, but is such a solid closer that I think it left the strongest impression on me. I have to echo another review about subpar recording quality. I actually had to go in and make sure I didn’t have low quality streaming enabled (I didn’t). My opinions about this thing are all over the place, which fits the music - 9/10

Amazing album. Classic! 9/10

I spent the whole time I was listening to this album doing the jerk off gesture because I was so annoyed by it. This was too long, and every song sounded the exact same, and unfortunately I have had Californication stuck in my head all day which is not helping endear this album to me. If I was listening to this in a vacuum and had never heard any RHCP before I could see where this could be interesting, and I don't mind the occasional RHCP song on the radio, but as a full album this was just self-indulgent frat music.

Nice, it's been a while.

Know all da wordz

Loads of bangers, bit long

yes, wieder einmal richtig gute musik! diverse titel kannte ich, das album war mir aber als solches nicht mehr in erinnerung - die band rockt!

Eins der besten Alben, ever! Wo sogar das Schlagzeug mitsingt!

it got really fun and interesting in the last half, i really enjoyed listening to all the songs and i even added a couple to my playlists.

Perfect, perfect, perfect! Masterpiece!. I like it. Listening easily as if it is just single track. Complete harmony!

Another classic. Im not all that into the peps these days but how can you deny this shit? Side A might be one of the strongest half of a recors of all time. Every song is a smash hit platinum banger. Its crazy. Even the less know songs are great. Porcelain was a surprise hit with me. Flea is a great bass player obviously. The guitarist who's name I'll butcher, freciante, is a great player. And the drummer who I should know wraps it all up in a little bow. Then there is keadis. That guy's lyrics show that sound is more important than substance. In the first song the Bing bong shit is insane but it works. I couldnt see peps with anyone else even though I dont really care for his style. Its a classic, listen to it

As an instrumental album this would be four stars.

1st half is amazing. 2nd half, not so much

The first half of this album is a no-doubter 5 with great tunes in diverse tones, but the second half of this album was one 30-minute funk rock jam sesh with Anthony Kiesdis ad-libbing in the mic and I'd give it a 3 for musicianship. So, I guess that makes this a 4, though with the great songs that are on here, you could certainly make the argument that it's still a 5.

The first half of the album is a no-doubt 5, but it kind of tapered off towards the end. I'm going to round up since I enjoyed the hits Scar Tissue and Californication so much, and the back half was still pretty good.

On track 1 he already ran out of words and reverted to ding ding aling dong as a verse lyric? A bit sketch there. But no matter, it's hard not to listen to this and want to be in the band, and if not in the band, at the show up front and in the mix. I knew the many hits from this but enjoyed some of the deep cuts even more. Porcelain was a nice interlude I'd not heard before.

It’s all right.

Crap

Good album with great highlights

Not the Chili Peppers best work

Fave

Before we even get started on the technicality of Californication as album, I would like to add as a precursor that I have an emotional attachment to RHCP and I am aware I have some bias opinions. (I am also aware that Anthony Kiedis is a piece of shit). That being said, this album has always and will always be a top 10 for me. Longevity in rock music I find is very rare, more so in current rock bands then back in RHCP prime. This album has without a doubt withstood the test of time musically (technically), John Frusciante is undoubtedly a much better fit for the band then Dave Navarro ever was. John Frusciante brings an excess of real emotions with his guitar, he effortlessly switches from the funky "I Like Dirt" to the sculpted feedback of "Emit Remmus" to the beautifully lovely "Porcelain" to the clever, stadium- worthy solos. The biggest obstacle of enjoying RHCP is unquestionably Kiedis' stupidly absurdly horny (but unsexy) lyrics, e.g "To fingerpaint is not a sin/ I put my middle finger in," etc. Alas, diving further into the the Californication of it all, to fully understand this album is to understand the shallow, sunny, fun, and tragic world of L.A (I do not). I feel I have gotten off track, I love this album, the end. - HF 4.85/5 Talk about all killer no filler, opening track for this album we're introduced to the all familiar damn right filthy bass riff of the legendary Flea. Everything about this album fits together so well, Fleas popping basslines play off so well with John Frusciante mixture of mellow clean and harsh distorted tones, all held together with Chad Smith's funky, tight drums. The first half the album is definitely the stronger half of the album with more well known tunes like Scar Tissue, Around the World and of course the title track. However this doesn't take away from tracks like I Like Dirt and This Velvet Glove. Overall, one of my favourite RHCP albums and an easy listen for a Monday - MTW 4.2/5

Ikoniskt o så men låtskrivandet är typ dåligt på vissa ställen?!

These boy's catch a lot of flak, and rightly so. Nevertheless sometimes homeboy's lyrics are the right kind of stupid, and they craft pretty memorable songs. I wasn't even remotely into them when this was ubiquitous and I could still sing along for a lot of it. Then of course you've heard all the songs you know and there are 9 left! Not too horrible but only the london sticks out. not necessarily in good ways.

This was marginally better than Blood Sex Sugar Magik but not by much. Awful lyrics and vocals that totally detract from how funky the music can be at times. I don’t mind the singles but don’t feel like I’m missing anything at all from never having dived deeper into this album. Made me really want to play GTA though.

I'm surprised it took several months before I got an RHCP album on this generator. Classic album, not my favorite from them, but it has some absolute bangers on it.

three very talented musicians distract anthony kiedis from children

Rating (1-5): ✩✩✩ Higlighted songs: Californication Idk, basic aaah music to me heheheh. Sounds really good though

Californication has some great songs in theory, and the production value is excellent. The problem is, I’ve grown bored of all the major Red Hot Chili Peppers hits and just don’t enjoy them much anymore. They all sound very samey to me, and it’s a sound I no longer connect with.

Fuck rating albums. Just let me listen.

I'm not a bonafide RHCP hater. This album is good. Catchy songs, big hits. As with much of their catalog, it suffers from some songs being too similar, or Kiedis being downright annoying. Flea's basslines and Frusciante's feel are fantastic throughout.

Refused to listen. Just not my shit.

Best Song: Scar Tissue Bing ding dong and ringing a ling a dong, California. - RHCP lyrics. Anyway, this was basically a soundtrack to the first couple of years in the 2000s. A good album, it had a few songs that could have been cut and made it a banger.

I heard that this album was compressed to shit, but I wasn't expecting it to be this bad... It's loud for no good reason. It doesn't sound powerful, just dirty and unpolished. Loud mastering can sound good but not when it removes so much detail and sounds so peaky. This album certainly has its moments, but it's greatly held down by how ear-blastingly loud and overcopressed it is. The songs also were a hit or miss for me. And most of the better ones are not even that good (the title track is great, though). I got kinda bored during the second half. Overall, this album is not bad, but I won't listen to it again.

Not a huge fan but the slap bass and stand out tracks makes it a good album.

This is the first Chili Peppers album I owned, and it's on my personal top 100 albums. Just fun as heck and filled with songs you've probably sung to on your hometown alt radio. Although I have a sweet spot for Stadium Arcadium, Californication is probably the quintessential Chili Peppers experience.

Already one of my favorite albums, may have listened to it 1001 times already.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A solid album and probably their first widely accepted commercial success. Now difficult to separate the art from the artist(s) the album has aged better than the band themselves. A couple of tracks that feel like older RHCP and I’m unsure if listening to it now I still enjoy it because it’s good or because it evokes a lot of nostalgia. 3/5

Not great

Strong front half, bad back half

One of their greatest albums, no doubt. Fat and funky bass licks, superb funk rock guitar riffs, great vocals and drums you can vibe too. Some of their best hits. It's an all around winner.

not for me at all. once was a great band

Just a great album. Remember it well from my youth

I can’t stand Frank Black.

I thought I liked the RHCP but it seems I was wrong. The whole album sounded like it was the same stuff regurgitated. The same sound. The same lyrics. Repetitive 'California' everywhere. I think it may improve giving it another listen with headphones but I just can't feel the urge to even be bothered. It's not you it's me. I'm not angry just disappointed. We move on. 2 Edit: So the weather has got a bit cooler and I'm not so tetchy. I did listen again and it's growing on me. But not that quickly. Now a 3

Yes, the guitarist is one of the best alive. But I cannot stand the lead singer's vocals.

__________________________ Song title | ?/5 | ____________________|_____| Around the World | 5/5 | ____________________|_____| Parallel Universe | 5/5 | ____________________|_____| Scar Tissue - | 5/5 | ____________________|_____| Otherside | 5/5 | ____________________|_____| Get on Top | 5/5 | ____________________|_____| Californication | 5/5 | ____________________|_____| Easily | 5/5 | ____________________|_____| Porcelain - Fortunate it's the first track on side C so it can easily be skipped ____________________|_____| Emit Remmus | 5/5 | ____________________|_____| I Like Dirt | 5/5 | ____________________|_____| This Velvet Glove | 5/5 | ____________________|_____| Savior | 5/5 | ____________________|_____| Purple Stain | 5/5 | ____________________|_____| Right on Time | 5/5 | ____________________|_____| Road Trippin' | 5/5 | ____________________|_____|

So this is one of many bands I was "too cool" for in my high school years, preferring Bob Dylan, the Beatles and toher artists approved by my siblings (who actually also liked RHCP, but I didn't know that). Eventually, Alex had this record at home when we were roommates and I got very into it, so I finally came around to. This album rocks. Listening notes: -lol who are we kidding this will be a 5 star review. -An early version of this review had a long paragraph on the centrality of california in the American imagination and the way its failures (currently) and heyday (at the time of this album) are both deeply reflective of something about America. But I guess I didn't save it. Suffice to say, this album actually feels like it instinctively has something to say that gets at the contradictions self-evident in the Californian and American dream. I think the title track is much deeper than the radio rock it appears to be. -Love the genre variation of this. The funk/rock mix (with just a bit of the talk-singing in places) works really well here. -In keeping with the 80s rock tradition with which they are in conversation, RHCP are weirdly horny on several tracks, but unlike GNR or van Halen they keep it contained. -Something I generally think is a mark of a great album: the non-famous album tracks are also really good. Savior is a great song. overshadowed but imo inarguably better songs, but really solid. -I don't love Purple Stain. Musically solid but it's a weird treatment of the topic of menstruation, particularly as it only considers the male experience of it. I'm not sure I've listened to it well enough to give a thorough critique, but it definitely leaves an odd taste in my mouth. -A song as repetitive as right on time shouldn't go as hard as it does. But they did it. -Road Trippin' is so good. I am not sure what it's all about, but the ability to switch so neatly into a mellow song to finish such a high-octane album (not including Porcelain, which does little for me) is really impressive. 5 stars was known before I started, but I'm surprised to say this is rounding up rather than an unqualified 5 stars. The album loses substantial steam on the back half. The back half would still be a solid album but it doesn't live up to the standards it sets for itself on the front half.

There is one good song (the title track). Otherwise, I'm not sure why people like the Red Hot Chili Peppers - or at least why this is their album that gets the most attention.

I know cool girls like the red hot chili peppers ,but this is where I tearfully admit that I am not cool, and am beginning to think i may never be cool. I like this album and found moments to be striking and fun. I do wonder if some part of this is that the sound is so seminal that I am unable to pick out the fact that they originated it. I do appreciate that they recorded this whole album in one room in five days, which is punk rock in its own right. This is probably something that would benefit from my understanding what people say when they're singing

I know it's a meme to make fun of anyone who like the Peppers, but they really did kill this. It's unfortunate that I'm far too much of a New Englander to get any of the California Commentary

I both like and hate this album. Definitely overhyped. I like everything except these funk/hip hop elements, with Around the World leaving a particularly bad taste in my mouth. I’m pretty sure it influenced nu metal and I will never forgive it for that. The title track is a banger tho

Hodne staraproverena klasika

half good, half usual chilli peppers. 2.5

Nice, nostalgisk

Not my favorite. RHCP are sorta not holding up to the test of time.

Great musically, Kiedis rapping can be annoying

muy bueno son 4.5 estrellas, el q canta m parece un banana pero el bajo y la guitarra compensan

Muy bueno

These guys are my age... so, i should like them right? when i first saw them, they were doing a song called "real men don't kill coyotes"... and the song was pure punk... the video wild as heck... and i thought they were a novelty act that would have one video and be gone... but, i was wrong... that song was so un-tuneful, that i figured that's what they were all about... as more of their songs were released, i started to hear a really tight, groovin' band... that were influenced a lot by funk... and R&B... the lead "singer" is basically a rapper... but he's a TRUE front man with attitude... and that goes a long way... the other three guys are top musicians... "Around the World" is a great opener... "Parallel Universe" really gives Flea, the bass player, a showcase... "Scar Tissue" is one of those songs that stays with you long after it is played... a radio HIT... "Otherside" is another killer song... "Get On Top" is like "Real Men Don't Kill Coyotes" in that it's punk but a lot more groovin'... a bad ass band... gettin' down... and the singer tells you he's the big bopper... lol... and get on top! lol... right on... the title track "Californication" is a mellow ear worm... a little acoustic guitar in there to give it that Cali vibe... "Porcelain" is a sweet ballad that breaks the record up nicely... "I Like Dirt" is a pure R&B funkified workout... "Purple Stain" prove what i said before... the front man is a rapper... like a hard rockin' Jamiroquai... "Road Trippin'" is the closer... let's go get lost... let's go get lost... what are those? strings??? lol... by the end of this record, you realize the singer is a pretty darn good lyricist... FIVE STARS... a star for every member of the band... and one for good luck...

Occasionally enjoyable hard funk(ish) that sounds like 90s alternative radio to me. Pretty monotonous. A few things: I find the lead singer insufferable in terms of his croony affect and his often dumb ass lyrics. Also, these 90s records often really drag and I wonder if they would have benefited from being released in the vinyl era. CDs can hold too much, and the 45ish max minutes of an LP might have helped them edit. Pass.

I had heard a lot these in ether in summer of 1999. Unfortunately, never had been a Peppers fan. I see the appeal, but not for me. Meh.

I only knew the hits off this album, and I liked this more than I thought I would but am not into the punk / hardcore / rapping thing that Kiedis does.

Está bueno. Hay algún skip pero banco mucho las partes funky del album, tipo I Like Dirt, Around The World (temón) y Purple Stain, además de los temas que todo el mundo conoce. This Velvet Glove está bueno tmb. Me gusta como trata temas de adicción a drogas y tipo todo el tema hollywood y tal. Overall bueno pero no me resulta super impresionante. Detallito pero se nota el tema de que el rango dinámico es medio chico porque se masterizó para tener el mayor volumen posible, y hace el album un poquito peor. Le pondría tipo 3 y media si pudiera probably.

Verrrrrry close to a 5-star album. The chili peppers, more mature, with John Frusciante back is magic.

I obviously knew the hits going into this, but had never heard the full album so I didn't know what to expect to get from the unheard tracks. I enjoyed the first half, but somewhere in the second half this lost the spark it had earlier. Ultimately leading it to ending without the spark I was hoping it would bookend with.