Californication

2 for 2 on beach weekend albums. Arguments that this album hasn't aged well are largely out of proportion.

One of the RHCP best albums.

I really liked this one! :) Funky

Pretty good. Did not age at all

The last album of there’s I actually enjoyed.

Red Hot Chili Peppers were one of the bands I loved as I grew up - and I remember eaglery waiting for this album to be released after about four years since 'One Hot Minute' (and eight since 'Blood Sugar Sex Magik'). Well, I hadn't warmed up to it immediately, but over time grew to like it - with some classic songs in there - among their most popular ever released. Given their earlier albums were the ones I loved, this ushered the era of the Peppers that weren't any longer the ones I loved, despite the return of John Frusciante. 'Scar Tissue', 'Californication', 'Other Side' were great hits, but I kind of prefer some of the in-betweeners like 'Parallel Universe', 'Porcelain', 'Road Tripping' and 'Easily'. However, one of the things that I increasingly find jarring in RHCP, the older I grow, is that Kiedis sounds locked into a permanent puberty, even though on this album, like its predecessor, he matured somewhat. Anyway, it's a good album, one of the best the band released, although not my favourite.

j'ai oublié de noter l'album cependant c'était très bien merci

This is a great album. I heard it years back and really liked it.

Like a lot of music, I'm late to RHCP party. Really enjoyed the funk/rock fusion, and added.

Cet album m'a rappelé le jour où mon professeur de guitare Mathis a voulu m'enseigner la chanson Californication de nos amis les Red Hot. Je n'étais pas du tout d'accord avec cette idée et nous nous bagarrâmes jusqu'à la fin de la leçon ce mercredi-là.

The bangers stop it being a three, the filler stops it being a five.

A great comeback record from the fun funky rock collective RHCP. While there are some flaws like its weaker second half, and occasionally I would call this album too safe for them, it's still a fun time with plenty of great tracks to offer. A perfect time to listen here on the summer beach as well. Favorites: "Parallel Universe", "Scar Tissue", "Otherside"

A mixed bag of great tracks and album fillers. Sticks to the RHCP formula to keep the fans happy.

Pretty solid album.

couple of songs i know, but have no interest in delving into the others. if i give you a 4 can i have no more from these guys?

This album has a couple of very good tracks and I generally enjoy RHCP's funky guitar and bass lines. But there are a couple of pretty lame tracks here too and all in all it's a bit too mainstreamy for me. I enjoyed Blood Sugar Sex Magik a lot more.

The hoooks

Better than I remember, some solid sleepers.

Har alltid likt Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Så selv om eg tror at det hadde vært slitsom musikk for jobbing så merke eg det ikkje så mye siden eg har hørt dette albumet ganske mange ganger før. Men RHCP er jo fett. De som ikkje er enige tar feil :P

Blei litt nostalgisk sjølv om eg ikkje hadde hørt heila albumet før

Really enjoyed this album

Flea was the headliner at a local bookshop called Skylight Books in Los Feliz circa 1997. He was part of a reading by several local writers and poets. Flea, being the badass muscle-bound bass player for the CPs also played expendable tough guys in movies. The audience at Skylight was under strict instructions that they would not be able to leave the bookstore once in and they locked the doors right before it started. Flea, for some reason entered from the back of the store and arrived with a bodyguard who stood just offstage, crossed his arms and stared at the audience while Flea read. There couldn't have been more than 40 people there. It was the most ridiculous (and pretentious) thing I'd ever witnessed from a celeb. Especially being that Flea was a resident of Los Feliz, a small relatively friendly community just east of Hollywood where you'd bump into neighbors and familiar faces on Vermont ave or at House of Pies. I could give / take Anthony Kiedis. I always thought he and his hairless nipples were ridiculous. And, that end shot of him running at the end of Under the Bridge was even more reason to hate him. Anyhow, I think this album came after the band had already been replaced by other crappy bands like Incubus, Dashboard Confessional and others. In many ways RHCP had jumped the shark and then they put out this album, which was .... as much as I hate to say, catchy and enjoyable. Even now, more than 10 years later this album is still fun. There's nothing new here, it's the same RHCP, this album doesn't break any boundaries or explore the far reaches of late 90's rock and maybe that's what I like about it. It's less pretentious, almost like an admission by the band ... "Yep, we're old and your parents probably listened to us when they were young, but we can still put together a song with some melodies and entertain you." Since then, Anthony Kiedis put on a shirt, and grew a little caterpillar on his top lip. And, tho I don't know for sure, I'm hoping that Flea ditched the bodyguard and decided to either get his ass beat or fight his own battles when reading poetry. https://youtu.be/GLvohMXgcBo?t=202 but with a little less fanfare and was ridiculous wThis album is similar in that it believes it's very deserving of all kinds of airplay and praise, to be held in high regard it's much better than it is and deserves airplay and praise

I kinda love the RHCP but I know other people hate them (or at least feel very ambivalent about them). I have always enjoyed their more bass driven sound. 1 star off for anytime Anthony Kiedis tries to do that rap-rock thing.

Probably a 3 star album but it has a nice feeling and I'm a bit of a fan, so I'm bumping it up. Fave: Road Trippin'

One of my first rock records. Amazing album

I wasn't crazy about this album when it first came out, as it was stylistically pretty far from the BloodSugarSexMagik-era Chili's that I worshipped at the time. Hearing it again so far removed from that time, it's packed with hits and RHCP classics and is totally part of the Frusciante & the boys legacy of this unique band.

Never quite got to five star territory despite the classics on here

I don't know why, but I find RHCP annoying if I listen to them for too long. I shouldn't, but I do, for some unbeknownst reason. It might be their vocalist, their repetitive style or California looming over almost every song. Anyway, it was hard for me to focus on the whole album. Nonetheless, every song as an isolated entity has a lot of value: guitar & bass are splendid and compositions are live and catchy. Overall: despite my resentment it's a good record. Highlight: Road Trippin' - Frusciante's voice with acoustic setup did wonders here

Może niektóre utwory są mocno przeruchane, ale to tylko świadczy o tym jak mocno ukorzeniły się w muzyce. Jak na 15 utworów conajmniej 4 każdy zna. Może album jest trochę przydługi i piosenki są dość podobne do siebie, to wciąż zasługuje na porządne 4.5.

It’s not a perfect album but the bangers like scar tissue other side and californication make up for all the duds. Also the second half has some like psychedelic sounds or something but it’s cool

Cd

Good stuff! I particularly enjoy their slower stuff, like Scar Tissue, Otherside, Savior and Road Trippin'.

Some bangers on here, good stuff by them. 8/10

Not a fan of the band, but this album was a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed that it had more melody and harmony rather than their style of rapping and funk I tend to not like. All 4 members are great musicians and it is really evident with the album’s production that highlights it.

Great album with some massive hits. Liked how they reduced the funk sound which is ultimately what made the album more enjoyable to me

4.5

This was a proper gateway album for me so it's hard to be critical. These days I can't stand what the chilli peppers are or do, but for some reason this album was a sliding doors moment where what they produced happened to be what I needed. It's an alright listen. Probably more about the memories it invoked than it being quality.

Chilli behind the foreskin is a lovely, sexy birthday treat. Try it.

I liked it at the time and still like it now. There's some filler of course, but generally pretty good. Incredible video for Californication too. I think since the success of this, they've tried to make this same album over and over again, without much success. By the Way is good too to be fair.

I generally don't like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and this is definitely a Red Hot Chili Peppers album. The white boy funk is present, the terrible lyrics are present (just naming places does not a lyric make), the whinging songs about drug addiction are present and yet it is far more bearable than anything else they have ever done. This was John Frusciante's first album back with the band after he went all in on the smack for most of the '90s. His guitar sound on this album coupled with the Rick Rubin production is massive. It's a shiny big pop-rock album that even manages to make the sporadic bursts of rap-rock listenable.

Was lucky enough to see the Red Hot Chilli Peppers at T in the park 2006 one of my all time favourite live performances. This is one of these albums I really like, from Around the World to Californication is brilliant, with Otherside being one of my favourite songs, but the second half is such a let down I usually never get to the end of the album, which is a shame as the album ends on road tripping which is a great song. The mastering on this album is also very poor, these two points make it hard to give this album full marks, but a very good 4 star album that is one of my personal favourites.

I don't love every song but as a whole the album is solid pepper.

The first half of the album is so good, and a couple of nice songs on the second half. Overall, this is a great album.

Good album. Still sounds ok.

What is there to say? Have listened to it a hundred times and it holds up. The second half drags a little bit but the first half is all fire.

A favourite. Such ridiculous bass and lyric decisions.

Most excellent

Great album.

An old stand-by for me. I love RHCP. Bass player is one of the best there is, and this is one of my favorite albums of theirs.

Truly a great album. Some real classics on there. I'm not sure about the funk stuff though - does anyone actually like that?

A lot of people give RHCP hate, and especially this era onward when they got super radio friendly, but I always liked it. Solid songs, if a little overplayed, and a lot of fun. It could maybe slim down a bit, but what album in the late nineties wasn't kinda bloated lol.

loads of sings you can't help but already know, it's good, guitar solos are boring though

I'm always a Chili Peppers fan. Lots of great songs on this one, but some of it gets a little weird so only 4 stars.

Always a good listen

Def woke me up this AM - it's been a while since I heard this album

Pretty good.

Have heard most of these songs a bunch of times when I was younger. Didn't notice some cool things like the polyrhythms on the opening track until just now. I forgot about porcelain, what a nice and sad song. Back half of the album isn't as strong as the first, but still good.

not a fan of RHCP but have to admit this is a pretty good album. even the songs that aren't top 40 hits are solid. like it more than I expected.

Back in '99-'00 I was almost sick and tired of this album as it was pretty much everywhere and that's a sure way to make me run away from an artist. However, I've always been a RHCP fan and I just gave this album time to cool off. How long? Some 15 years x-D ...I still think Bloodsugarsexmagik is their peak achievement and I resented a bit that they lost a huge chunk of their funkier side, not entirely, but just enough. Guess they've reclaimed some of it since, but, anyway, Californication is a huge album.

Haven’t heard it in full for a while, not as good as I remembered it but it is a classic alright, another one from the golden era of MTV, remember the videos it came with? My good did they went the extra mile for that, back then hit records needed hit videoclips and californication was a superb example of that, cinematic Impressionism in Scar Tissue, concept video with otherside and of course, state of the art technological advance show off with Californication, me and my siblings would spend hours looking a those clips and even downloading them from the internet, good times. Now the record: it’s maybe too long and tries to keep the funk from BSSM even though they were in a completely different place by then, some songs are just too out of the concept even if they sound Peppers AF, the word californication sound just silly nowadays but let’s remember that this is the album that gave us Scar tissue and Road trippin which are both classics for the ages.

Solid album. Starts off strong, first half is absolutely killer. 2nd half a little more filler but no bad songs

Good stuff

Ok, a bit low bass though.

8/19

Great album. I had listened to it before but it had been awhile. Still a lot really good songs. The first half of the album is better than the second half.

This sounds exactly like what you would think it would and somehow more. It definitely has way more depth than I initially gave it credit for. Definitely can only gain from more than one listen.

This is probably a three star album, let's be honest, but I've got a massive soft spot for it, so bumping it up to four. I'm a John Frusciante fanboy, for sure. A lot of these tracks made great karaoke tunes, too. Fave track - "Otherside", maybe, or "Parallel Universe"

The return of Frusciante meant the return of RHCP period. It’s easy to forget that by 1999 they had become a somewhat forgotten band. In Californication however they delivered an absolute monster of an album - the chemistry was back and the band were reborn. The singles were massive; Scar Tissue, Californication, Otherside and Around the world were all huge. But it’s when you get past the big hits where the real joy of this album lies. There is still lots of old school raw RHCP funk but blended increasingly with the more mellow, melodic side of the band (for me this is where more of the stronger tracks on the album lie). Keidis’ vocals are his strongest yet, Flea and Smith are an absolute force of a rhythm section and Frusciante sprinkles the magic on top.

One of my favourite Chillis albums but the back end has some filler. First half is absolutely banging.

Delightful

Excellent first half carries a weak back half.

Iconic, Similar, Classics.

Some great songs mixed in with old school RHCP funk. Not their worst album.

My favorite version of the Chili Peppers is the one where John Frusciante came back to the band after rehab (which starts with this album) and encouraged the band to lean in to the California Pop sound. I love it when the Chili's embrace the harmonies like the Eagles and Beach Boys would do. They do that on the better songs from this album, and really fine tune that element on their follow up album, "By The Way", which is my favorite RHCP album. I always waver between calling the band the Chili's and the Pepper's. They surely don't give a shit. But my wavering is somewhat fitting. Sometimes Kiedis goes all in with the harmonies, but other times he realizes he's got an epic bass player in Flea who just wants to funk out all over the place. And that's not a bad thing at all. There's great beauty in a song like "Porcelain" that sits just fine with Flea slapping that bass all over on "Around The World" and "Emit Remmus". I'll never understand why a song like "I Like Dirt" exists among these gems. Makes me wish Rick Rubin would have tightened up the number of songs a bit.

Både funky og stille. Dejlige album, med 3-4 sange for meget

Not my favorite RHCP album but some great music on there.

Drugi najbolji RHCP album, ako ne i najbolji. Definitivno veliki klasik.

After the first initial tracks it get a little dull but it holds only drops to a 3.6.

4/5

Echt een tof album. Die eerste zes zijn echt killertracks maar ook daarna blijft het supergoed. Ik zal nooit fan van Kiedis worden, dus kost ze altijd een ster.

Nooit een enorme Chili Peppers fan geweest, maar dit is toch best wel een lekker album.

Oei, twijfelgeval. Eigenlijk iets te gelikt naar m’n zin. Nou vooruit, een 4. Ik heb het ook te vaak gehoord. Ik word trouwens oud als dit uit 99 komt.

Another classic from my youth that aged spectacularly well...except the funk stuff which I never got. All together a great album though from top to bottom with some of their best songs and concepts.

Good bops from high school

Вдобавок своему фанк-металл стилю Перцы смогли добавить спокойные и расслабленные композиции (их больше чем обычно), но при этом динамика альбома не теряется. Интересные темы вдохновленные реальными проблемами участников и прекрасно побранные партии инструментов делают каждую композицию удивительным.

This album is a quintessential 90's record. The poppy upbeat vibe just resonates with me. Most every song has me grooving at my desk, and singing along. There's a heavy dose of nostalgia to this one as well, but I'm trying to temper it as much as I can. Still this one is a gem.

Fun album. Not every song is the best lyrically, but I think this is their best album

Quanti ricordi! Estate 1999, avevo 15 anni. Ero rimasto talmente colpito dai soli di Frusciante nel videoclip di Scar Tissue che davano su MTv, che comprai quest'album a 5 mila lire dal marocchino al mercato, una copia pirata ovviamente. Secondo me Californication funziona. È bilanciato e variegato. Ci sono alcune tracce che passano in sordina ma non per questo meno valide. Darei un 5 emotivo, ma il mio album preferito rimane One Hot Minute, che forse è l'album che suona meno RHCP degli altri (purtroppo non è in lista).

An album that truly showcases the Chili’s sound.

Classicalifornication

Great album, badly mixed.

I have listened to this album many times before, and it was just as good this time as the first time I heard it. In my opinion a real classic, a more or less a timeless album. I do find myself enjoying the more calm/slow songs a lot more than the more rock/punk songs. There is a lot of things to say about this but to keep it short: A fucking good album.

Still good.

Red Hot Chilli Peppers back to great form and one of their better albums. So many great songs stand out here that I can always come back and enjoy

Classic RHCP! I prefer some of their other songs but it's a good album

In Conclusione: Conosco molto bene questo album perché è uscito quando ho iniziato a suonare la chitarra e lo ascoltavo letteralmente a ripetizione. Non lo ascoltavo ormai da almeno 10 anni (ogni tanto ascolto giusto Road Trippin'). Riascoltarlo per intero mi ha fatto un'impressione inaspettata. All'epoca era snobbato un po' come l'album commerciale dei RHCP e in un certo senso è effettivamente anche vero rispetto per dire a Blood Sugar Sex Magik, però devo dire che l'impressione che ho avuto riascoltandolo oggi è molto diversa. Sarà un po' perché il commerciale di oggi è sicuramente molto peggio del commerciale di ieri però io invece l'ho percepito come più accessibile e sintetico. Sicuramente ha perso un po' della parte più energica e grezza aggiungendo i ritornelloni un po' pop, però allo stesso tempo mi ha creato un mix coerente dove le parti più pop e cantabili sono incorniciate comunque dagli assoli oggettivamente brutti ma che in qualche modo funzionano di Frusciante così come il basso spinto di Flea e le vecchie parti più funky/fusion. Diciamo che non hanno perso di spontaneità e anzi in qualche modo mi arrivano come più vulnerabili. Capire i testi (quando lo ascoltavo non capivo niente) mi ha fatto strano, non mi aspettavo che fossero così onirici e un po' filosofici, mi aspettavo una cosa molto più diretta. Ho apprezzato certe immagini ma ho anche avuto l'impressione che il criterio principale della scrittura dei testi fosse il suono delle parole più che il senso. Sicuramente non mi aspettavo riferimenti a Cobain o a Star Wars in Californication. Una cosa che mi ha colpito negativamente è la produzione, all'inizio pensavo che le cuffie bluetooth mi avessero switchato in mono tanto è chiuso il mix a livello spaziale. Nonostante questo mi piace la batteria che invece non avevo mai notato più di tanto, Chad suona tutto coi rimshot e devo dire che gli dà una bella spinta in più. Penso di aver apprezzato di più anche le sfumature del cantato di Antony. Un pezzo che non apprezzavo da adolescente ma che invece ho rivalutato come uno dei migliori dell'album è Porcelain. Diciamo che a me non dispiace quando i gruppi diventano un po' più accessibli anche se è un po' una unpopular opinion. Gli darei un 5 solo per la nostalgia ma penso che la produzione, alcune parti un po' incerte a livello compositivo e certe svolte pop di troppo mi fanno scendere il voto a 4. Comunque Road Trippin' per me rimane un gran pezzo. Strano eh, ma una gran pezzo.

Scar tissue

done

I like these guys. Road Trippin most of all, can't wait to get back on the road. Been to long.

I guess I should start rating these... Out of 10, with 4 being average 7/10 The first half is great, but then it becomes uninteresting, the songs mid album just don’t catch my attention much. Favs: Parallel Universe, Scar Tissue, Otherside, Californication, Road Trippin’

Нормально музло. Старше потенциального слушателя лет на 15-20, конечно, ну да и хуй бы с ним. С Parallel Universe прокачался нормально. Around the World, Californication, Otherside, Road Trippin' - хорошие, крепкие треки. Остальное не бесит. Хотя мусора тоже завезли, что выкинуть можно. Сюда мог бы отнести и Scar Tissue, которая вроде как самый популярный трек с альбома, получивший Грэмми. Вообще пустышка попсовая. Но в целом годный попс, который способен наравне с Coldplay послужить примером.

норм

This one is a total burner and will go in my permanent rotation.

Californication is a bona fide Chili Peppers classic.

Awesome stuff

Dude great album.

I knew some RHCP songs before this album, but I'd never listened to a full album before. I didn't really get it. Started this album thinking it would be a 3 and moved it to a 4 after repeated listens. It's a very masculine album that embodies the so cal attitude. It's an album made for roadtripping, playing video games with the guys, and just hanging out in the summer. It accomplishes a lot without seeming to try very hard. I respect it for that. four stars well-earned.

Prefer their hit songs

I think this album is probably better than Blood Sugar Sex Magic. Well rounded, rockers and cruisy vibes, but it all flows.

tied for second best album by the ole chili peppers. road trippin and purple stain are the unsung heroes of the album

lots of bangers, most of them I already knew

Fantastic mix of upbeat rock and more composed songwriting. Californication and Scar Tissue are obvious favorites but them and the rest of the first half make the second half pale a bit in comparison, so I rounded this 4.5 down to a 4. Saved: Around the World, Scar Tissue, Californication Easily, Road Trippin'

Their best album. All downhill from here.

This is likely a 4, but let's listen to the whole thing. I generally like the sound... Lots of familiar songs, but not ones that I love -- it is soul-searching, and that kind of overshadows the good funky sound that I like. It would really be like a 3.5, so I'll go ahead with 4/5.

Funk rock cross over. Best Tracks: Around the World, Parallel Universe, Scar Tissue.

Good album,can't believe its 22 years old!

Good album.

Pretty darn good. 4RS

this being a newer album....looks, 1999 WHAT THE FUDGE! Love me RHCP - I saw them in concert with Tammy in 2018. I give this album four argyle socks

I don’t love all of it but this is still a top chili peppers album for me.

Solid 4. Lots of good songs that I would enjoy if they came on, but not much I would seek out on their own

Fun and familiar. Always love the bass

Loved Scar tissue, The Other Side, Get On Top. They are so comfortable switching from rock to ballad to rap to pop. Very talented band and when they lost a member the replacement filled the big shoes so seamlessly. “Get On Top” was a look at how versatile they were with a rendition of a Rap Rock song in the early years of rap. Well done gentlemen. Keep these amazing artist coming. I was ready to jump ship last week this week

Great album overall but has some weaker tracks. 8

Liked it! Fell off a bit at the end but still gets an 8

Yesterday I worked on updating the interior framing schedule, pulling details over from Train A and developing a detail at the stair door intersection. What cant be said about this album... I was probably more motivated by this album then any other ive listened to thus far. My top song was Around the World although I could probably listen to any song on this album no problem.

Low 8 overall. The first half was great, even if the songs sounded kind of similar. But the second half was a lot weaker, and there wasn't even really a strong ending. Should have probably been shorter.

I wasn’t always a pepper head but on one of our road trips my wife and I listened to almost all of their albums as we traveled through Utah and Arizona and I was converted. It was the perfect soundtrack and this album was one of those so it always brings me back to Sedona and the beautiful landscapes and cruising down the highways and byways. This isn’t my favorite pepper album but it is still really good. There is a magical quality to this group, maybe due to the drugs or the skills but their songs are so unique and unlike anything else. They were never afraid to go crazy. My favs are Around the World, Parallel Universe, Scar Tissue, Otherside, Get On Top, Californication, Porcelain, and I Like Dirt. The album cover is iconic and always makes me want to sit by the pool, though idk if I’d swim in it if that was the color.

Cool

Imprescindible para comenzar el siglo XXI. Rock and roll comercial + un poco de fusión + mucho postureo = un clásico

It’s got classics but a lot of it is mediocre or annoying. 8

8/10

Iconic sound of 90s alt-rock. Really enjoyed!

So many great songs that I forget are on this album. Makes me want to see them live. Fades in the second half... If I could do half stars, this is 4.5

El arranque es genial: Around the World, Parallel Universe, Scar Tissue Otherside y luego Californication. Gran cierre a los 90 por porte de RHCP.

I knew some of these but had never listened to the whole album

Emoji Monday: 🌶🍃💆🍃

The first album I've been given that I've heard of before (even if I've never listened to it the whole way through). The title track is as good as it's ever been, and the whole album mostly succeeds in keeping the atmosphere alive. I think it drags a little bit toward the end and if somebody told me this was their favorite album ever, I'd look at them sideways. With that said, it's definitely a good album with a few standouts, it's just not exceptional.

Ok. Not bad, but not my favorite. Bass is pretty badass.

Buenardo

This was the turning point of RHCP before they went rather downhill. This still had the cool classic funk elements

vecchia conoscenza... sempre particolare

Reminds me of high school

SO many hits on this album. I may have burned myself out on a lot of them at this point but I won't knock the album down for that.

Fav song: Californication

Better than I remembered.

something about the red hot chilli peppers is that in almost all their songs something seems … off, but they’re just still so good and I keep coming back to them over and over <3

Go on. Dream of it.

Nostalgi redux

I mean... yes, this is good

Packed with hits. Too good to ignore

Kinda nice, some singles stand out, more of a 3,5/5

Amazing 5 singles, some of the best RHCP ever made. The rest of the album is fine, nothing very memorable outside of those hits, but everything kinda just fits together.

Snazzy bass!

7

First half was much better than the second half.

That was hip! I looooove Flea's sound

Tempted to give a 5 but I’m the end I did find getting to the end of the album a bit of a drag. Interesting to read that it was Frusciante’s return (from skag) that have the band the more mellow and melodic edge. Did not know it was their 7th album and I would have guessed earlier than 99. The biggest surprise though? Kiedis and Mel C! 😮

I never give the peppers enough credit, their shit slaps

Man some really killer songs, classics even, but I think some of the deeper cuts are just kinda meh. Great stuff tho.

Great album

I really enjoyed this album. My knowledge of RHCP was fairly limited, knowing some of the bigger hits including the lead track “Californication” and it’s video. This was a good opportunity to explore the band’s music to more depth- and hear the more spiritual and melodic sound which critics spoke of.

Nice to recognize a couple of songs. It was a pretty good album. 3.5?

1/18 Great Rock album. Standout Tracks: Scar Tissue, Otherside, Californication, Emit Remmus, Road Trippin’

RHCP:tä tuli kuunneltua tähän levyyn asti, tämä ei enää resonoinut samanlailla kuin edelliset. Meni liian stadionrockiksi ja radioystävälliseksi, vaikka soitto on mahtavaa. Mun mielestä biisit tasapaksuja ja levyn hittejä tuli kuultua liikaa radiosta.

Kiedis' vocals still grate but this has the band in a rare form - exhausted - which I like.

Only listened to it once. Did not get a perfect listen so I'm not suited for a review. Know some of the songs and liked them.

John Frusciante spent the years between Blood Sugar Sex Magik and this album in a Hollywood house with no running water, no electricity, and a heroin habit that nearly killed him. His teeth fell out. He recorded albums in his bedroom that Rolling Stone described as some of the most unlistenable music ever committed to tape, which he released anyway because he had stopped caring about anything except survival. Then he got clean, called Anthony Kiedis, walked back into a studio, hit his first chord, and everyone in the room reportedly felt something shift back into place. Rick Rubin booked Cello Studios on Sunset Boulevard and arrived to find four Red Hot Chili Peppers on time, sober, and professional every single day, with three Harley Davidsons parked neatly outside. The day long pot sessions and various indulgences that had defined previous recording were gone. They recorded everything in three weeks. The sobriety shows in the music, which is either a compliment or the honest explanation for why Californication sounds like a band being careful rather than a band being dangerous. It sold more copies worldwide than Blood Sugar Sex Magik, which is the kind of fact that tells you everything about commercial success and nothing useful about greatness. Blood Sugar was a band on fire. Californication is a band that survived the fire and made something genuinely beautiful from the aftermath. Both things are true and they are not the same thing. Scar Tissue, Otherside, and the title track are three great songs. The rest of the album is good in a way that Blood Sugar never settled for being merely good, which is the honest reason this is a 3 while that one is waiting in the wings for its 5. 3 out of 5. One star for Scar Tissue. One for Frusciante hitting that first chord and everyone feeling it. One for showing up sober with a Harley and meaning it. The remaining two stars are on Sunset Boulevard, waiting for Blood Sugar Sex Magik to arrive and claim them.

I enjoyed this. Probably more my mind if thing then their earlier stuff. The singles are a lot better than most of the other tracks.

This was pretty good. The melodies in this record kept me interested. Favourite Track(s): Californication, Road Trippin' Least Favourite Track(s): Around the World

I wish I hadn't read the reviews before listening to this album in its entirely because now that I had, I cant stop thinking about how stupid the lyrics are. This is my first "1001 albums" of the day so I will be sure not to read reviews first moving forward. This album is what you thought was "cool music" before you discovered cool music. I never looked at the cover art that closely and thought the pool was filled with lava. Scar Tissue is insanely catchy. I learned Otherside's guitar riff in 2021 because my guitar lesson teacher made me. That is all.

I've heard half of this album so many times that I barely processed the rest.

Don't enjoy it half as much as I did back then. And I did not particularly love it outside of the hits.

They were mostly around age 36 recording this. I was hoping they might back off the creepy lyrics... and they have to some degree... But still a lot of creepy stuff. The instrumentation is phenomenal but the album sounds compressed.

I'm sure there's some universe out there where Red Hot Chili Peppers is actually fun to listen to, but in our reality, this album is bloated with the blandest margarine-tasting FM rock ever produced. Even the hits all sound the same. The song "Californication" is nice to listen to once in a while, but a whole album of "Californication" wannabes is too much. Some songs try to be different, like the ones incorporating rap elements, and some even manage to be fun and groovy, but the annoying whiny-ass voice ruins it all. The very last song, with its folk roots, is actually the nicest of the bunch. Can't even say this album is bad, it's just the epitome of mid.

This was huge when it came out and I was amongst it at Warner. However is has not aged well. Anthony Kiedis singing and lyrics are insufferable. The only redeeming factors are Fruscanti’s guitar playing and the tight rhythm section.

creo que es el único álbum de rhcp que he escuchado completo y también en vivo. me quedo con que es un clásico, buenas canciones y un tono que siempre ha destacado a la banda.

I guess it’s fine if you can get past the doucheyness.

it was an okay album was a few songs i enjoyed properly. The rest i guess i enjoyed but it was like there good enough to have in the background not like i must play this on loop kinda good

Starke 3. Musikalisch Super aber Vocals von der Präsentation bis zum Inhalt eher meh.

I don't think I realised before the lyrics in the opening song literally include "ding ding, dong dong, ding ding, dong dong, ding ding". It's then more horny funk. Lots of putting things in other things. Didn't dislike it as much as Blood Sugar Sex Magic, though.

Trotz Anthony Kiedis ein passabeles Album.

The hits are good, but the rest just didn't lure me in.

Thought I’d lIke this a bit more. Still, 3.5 rounded down.

It’s a canonical experience: you like the singles so you buy the album and realize you hate the rest of the album. 27 years later, I’m still wondering who let Anthony Kiedis write these lyrics. (Okay I did like “savior,” too.)

Reviewed Blood Sugar Sex Magik not too far back, and copying and pasting the statements would save time. The formula used almost matches that album with a tinge more of the introspective selections and a few less of the Peppers’ original rap-funk-metal. Blood Sugar Sex Magik’s big hits are better as “Scar Tissue”, “Californication” and “Otherside” lack the emotional punch of “Under the Bridge.” I found the latter song outright boring. The musical trio of the band match prog-rock and fusion bands in terms of talent and overplaying. Even on the mellower songs, John Frusciante and Flea noodle too much for my liking. The more “traditional” Peppers’ songs “Purple Stain”, “Around the World” and “Parallel Universe” would not send me into a mosh pit. Anthony Kiedis dials his persona up and down. He comes to the edge of Limp Bizkit frat boy rap-rock and self-pitying reformed sinner. He avoids being objectionable in a style that usually annoys me. Is there one more Red Hot Chili Peppers album to come? A supposedly late career, overlooked gem? The “groundbreaking” early album, Freaky Styley? I utter a deep sigh, then reluctantly listen.

I have a soft spot for the band, Mothers Milk and BSSM were instrumental to my adolescence and the development of my musical taste. This one feels a little like they overstayed their welcome a tad. Seems to lack a little of the funky madness I liked so much in the early work. Now that y'all mention it the sound quality is a little brutal, what's up with that?

Minus one star due to the runtime

This was actually a really good album. The first half of it gave it a 4/5 star. But the second half dragged it down to 3/5. Overall its a perfect album for a long ride.

It might be unfair, but I can't get over how bad the production sounds with its compression and distortion. Otherwise, I think the RHCP did an ok job here: the music and lyrics are catchy enough, even if they lack any real depths (then again, it's the RHCP).

Reallt surprised that I didn't love this. This album really out wore its welcome. It was like 5 songs too long. After the title track every song just made me want the album over more and more.

Good in parts (particularly the first half) but got bored as the album progressed. Sounds very much of its time now.

The first half I enjoyed, but got a bit bored by the second half.

3.5

cuando arranco la primera canción me dieron ganas de aprender a andar en skate, disco copado, muy del verano y la tarde.

Back in 2020, Scott Aukerman and Adam Scott made one episode of a podcast to discuss RHCP's discography before switching to a different band. They chose Talking Heads, but really any band would do.

By coincidence I just listened to this all the way through for the first time like a week ago. Pretty enjoyable, bursting with that characteristic RHCP scraggly funkiness, with some tracks that suffer from being overplayed. Back half certainly weaker than the front. Not bad!

I was really surprised to find out there is only one album between bloodsexsugarmagic and this one. The peppers really took their time between albums, probably drug related I assume. They are an interesting band as they kind of created their sound pre-grunge and alternative but then they kind of skip through that to this album which does sound in many ways like a natural progression from BSSM and it’s like grunge never happened and they almost became the pre-eminent early 2000s band. Overheard scar tissue and californicstion so many times now it’s hard not to just feel tired of them. It’s on Ok, pretty uneven album in my opinion but they have their moments (around the world is the strongest song in my opinion)

3.5 As a 15 year old trying to learn bass, this record got a fair bit of play and going through this listen reminds me on how much stuff I have forgotten over the years. Anyway for this review, the album sounds horrible; idk if the levels are cranked and it distorts everything, but I found it annoying to listen to (Kiedis doesnt help either). My bro and I went to a show from the Arcadium tour, got tickets from a scalper and did a poor job of negotiating a price. Floor seats, pretty cool when the band gets into a jam live. Im giving this another listen as I write the review and bumping up the score for a bit, just for nostalgia's sake.

Album #1 The singles stand out, the other songs not so much. But it might be that I've heard most of the singles before.

i like this album way more than the other rhcp album i had before

It's 3.5

I didn’t realize how many hits this thing is stacked with right from the beginning. Solid drumming. The vocals aren’t saying much, but good closing track. 3.2/5.0

kennt man natürlich, stabile californian vibes, aber die band gibt mir irgendwie einen bösen vibe...

Licht wel lekker in het gehoor

I felt so conflicted about this album. It starts extremely strong with some of RHCPs best songs with the first 6 tracks (minus track 5). It then dives off a cliff and because absolutely nothing till the last song which might be the best RHCP song there is. Feast and Famine. 3.5, also because they have one of the most annoying singers there is.

Four men take their shirts off and speak nonsense for an hour

I’m not the biggest Chili’s fan. Overall a solid album. Some really good songs and some I wouldn’t think of again after listening to.

A lot of these songs have been big since I was aware of music. I remember a classmate discussing the merits of this album in fourth grade. The songs that a great are great the songs that aren't are kind of silly.

To finger paint is not a sin...

I listened to this album all the time as a kid. It holds up to today’s ears, mostly. Their behaviors as humans is another story.

The first half or so is actually pretty strong, but the second half gets a bit repetitive and boring. Still probably their best album

This album has some good moments on it, particularly the title track, but for whatever reason it didn't blow me away. I think part of the reason is I don't enjoy Anthony Kiedis' vocals that much. Still worth a listen though, and there's some tracks I'll come back to. I like this band more than Nick Cave apparently does.

Iconic album, but i dont really care anymore about them

Never much cared for this band. Too overplayed in my youth

A decent start with some heavy bass and catchy tracks however.. My god the second half of the album felt so generic and bland, like a band going through the motions but putting out a safe easy album. I listened twice thinking I was missing something what with the band being global megastars but this wasn’t a global megastar album at all. Decent first half bumps up to just above average 6/10 Best track- ‘scar tissue’ Worst track- ‘purple stain’

Kind of a guilty pleasure for me. 3.5

"Californication" may be one of their best album. This album includes their hit songs "Otherside", "Californication", and "Scar Tissue". I feel first half of the album has good track but I feel some second half track filler and it makes album feel longer. I feel the production level of this album is very bad. Overall, good album of Red hot chili peppers but some track feel out of place and also bad production with sh*t audio quality

Not my thing unfortunately, though liked the odd bit.

I can't fault Flea's funky base, and there are some obvious big hitters on here, but I like a bit more chaos in my RHCP

Surprisingly catchy, surprisingly more… laid-back?… than I expect the Chilis to sound. The lyrics are all inane dip-my-wick business, but Pepper music has always been about the energy of the moment. I don’t follow the Reds. I can only tell you that Flea is in the band but not what instrument he plays. Is Dave Navarro part of the band? I don’t know. Anyway, decent album, too long, goodnight.

So many of the songs on here sound exactly like all the rest. As many others have commented, the first half is really good, but the album begins to get tedious after Californication, and I can only take so much of Anthony Kiedis' voice. Otherside is easily my favorite on this album.

Introlåt kan man säga att den var ”tramsig i stunder” men ändå bra Obv har man hört scar tissue, otherside,californiacation, Men en standout som jag tyckte var bra var parallell universe. Några få bra låtar

A super mixed album that was overplayed in my teenage years. Some songs are great, but some are terrible and it's a super random jumble.

everything after this album lost me

White boys unite!

This band is growing on me. Road trippin' had always been my favorite since I found it.

Solid stuff, had heard the hits but not the rest. Nothing too gripping for me but not hard to listen to.

A classic, but the non-classic songs are not my speed. 3 feels fair

In case of career emergency, call Rick Rubin.

Un classique, mais pas trop trop ma came 3/5

Would I listen again: yes High 3, I like the guys voice and the less rocky songs were actually my favourite

Enjoyed the first half - it opens with a great run. After the title track it meanders a bit after for me and never really makes it all the way back with the exception of This Velvet Glove and Purple Stain, which are highlights on the back half and it does end on quite a nice, mellow note. You could probably chop a fair few songs of this album and improve it. Still, not bad overall imo. An acquired taste but I think it's quite good fun, particularly the rhythm section

I loved this listen. I knew so many songs from this album but had never listened to them all in order. The seamless genre blending of rock, rap, and funk is more cathartic than any noise wars album deserves to be called. It stood out to me for the first time how much "Around the World" sounds like "Gangsta Gangsta" by NWA. I haven't seen this connection made in any other commentary.

scar tissue fire. got bored after that…. sorry… boring vocals?

i know its a classic, but i dont have fun listening to this album Maybe these songs are a bit too well-known

Impeccably front loaded. Every single big hit is hitched to the front of this album, every one of them a solid banger. A shame I lose interest once we move past Emit Remmus but it’s no slouch. It’s just the alternating gimmick of sex plus addiction/depression and Kiedis sing rapping has worn itself out long before Road Trippin’ arrives.

El album es bueno, iconico en algunas aristas, podes juntar a mucha gente y si esto suena de fondo todos estarian a gusto. Lo que si, se siente mucha brecha entra algunas canciones y otras.

I do like RHCP a good bit, but I’ve always felt that they are fundamentally a singles band rather than an albums band, which leads to quite a lot of fluff dragging down the overall quality. The hits are undeniable but you could easily trim 10-15 minutes off this and lose nothing of any real value.

This album sounds like Los Angeles, for both good and ill. Even the melancholy songs are sun-drenched. It opens with an all-time stretch of radio classics, a streak that is rudely interrupted by the abrasively juvenile “Get on Top”. The less said about those lyrics, the better. In general, these songs have really great instrumentation but are brought down by shallow off-the-cuff lyrics that sometimes feel like a joke at the listener’s expense. I also think on some songs (like on “Easily”) this band falls too in love with certain guitar riffs, where they stretch a song past the point of tedium and have me reaching for the skip button. It’s hard to argue with that initial streak, from the energetic syncopation of “Around the World” through “Californication”. And I sure do like the cover art. I think this is a really uneven album, but it definitely achieves a consistent mood similar to what the cover art evokes. This is a band who live and breathe LA and this only could have been made there.

This album just isn’t my kind of music, it was just okay, I’ll give it a 5/10

idk had a hard time getting into it. Some bangers but didn't grab me.

starts hot but front loaded. right on time is the only one worth it on the second half

The album after One Hot Minute. I heard plenty from this album in 99 and the early 00s. It's RHCP in decline in my opinion. The songs are all radio friendly and the album was a victim of the loudness wars. And brutally so to the point that it's tough to listen to. I didn't dislike it, but it certainly isn't one I'm going back for.

Couple of bangers, lot of filler. Really good production overall.

3.25? rating albums that feature both songs you definitely fuck with and songs you find simply unpalatable always feels like an impossible feat to me, and yet it’s often how it goes with RHCP… gotta keep on rocking on songs i liked most: - parallel universe - scar tissue - californication - this velvet glove - savior - right on time - road trippin - quixoticelixer songs i found hard not to skip )': - emit remmus - fat dance - easily - purple stain

Amazing 4 song run to open the album. Weak B Side. Mastering makes the album sound very teeny like its playing from a cheap portable speaker. Should be a 3.5. One of my favorite albums when I was 15.

I was looking forward to this as I'd never listened to it as an album before. Found it all a bit breathless. Which is OK.

3,5

I admit to losing interest in the Chili Peppers after the early 90's but loving some of the one off hits. This album justifies that stance. The hits are still strong, if lyrically, ahem, Kiedies won't ever get confused with Keets, but the rest of the album, especially the back half, is very weak.

Would be better with 4-5 less tracks.

like, it's catchy, i get it. it's innovative and defining of a time. i just can't unlearn what i know about this band hahaha. the only thing that draws me to this album is the nostalgia and the bass.

Pleasantly surprised - the opening track didn’t do much for me, but have to say that after that it was pretty good.

A decent sound. Some good, some not so good tracks

More Chili Peppers sounding like the Chili Peppers. Not sure what else can be said.

I don’t know how a band with this much talent makes albums that are so mid. It can be fun to listen to the funkier tracks…but the softer more melodic songs just seem awful.

It’s a classic RHCP album. The first half is great, but it does drag a bit in the back half. It would be better if it was tightened up a bit, but it’s fine. 3.5/5

The singles from this album are great, but the rest of the album doesn't really grab me.

I'm a pepper.

The best of the chili Peppers albums in terms of hits per album. I feel conflicted in them as a band there are some undeniable songs that are still fun to hear.

Amazing rhythm section, interesting and varied guitar parts, and then the dumbest shit you’ve heard in your life being yelled by a pervert

Some really good songs, some just generic boring songs. Could have been great.

Listenable. I quite like some RHCP tracks but a full album doesn't do much for me.

Really falls off after the title track.

There's some catchy songs, but the naughty Dr Seuss lyrics are just so bad!

Det er fint, synes der er nogle bangers på, som trækker op. Men mr. Anthony Kiedis' vokal bliver til sidst en anelse trættende og træls for mit vedkommende.

Jeg er ikke fan af Red Hot Chili Peppers om end jeg må erkende, at der er nogle tracks på det her album som er svære at komme udenom. Den får en 3'er, fordi alle numrene som ikke er bredt anerkendte som værende bangers er lidt ligegyldige.

Jeg har lidt svært ved at være i den helt utroligt dårlige lyd. Ellers scorer det højst på nostalgi og et par gode hits

Good album with a lot a good songs.

Not bad but definitely overrated

This is an album that I owned on CD back when it was released, so I've definitely heard it a lot before. I'm not totally sure that it actually belongs on the list of 1,001 albums to hear before you die, since while it might be the best RHCP album it's probably a less important RHCP album than Blood Sugar Sex Magik. As to Californication itself, it's pretty good. We have three musicians wringing some great tunes out of their instruments, and also Anthony Kiedis is there. There's less of a funk influence on this album, and I think that's reflected in the best tracks being the singles "Scar Tissue" and "Otherside," also Flea's bass on "Around The World" is pretty tasty.

Culturally significant but not for me.

Oregon will forever be better than california. its good and I know its iconic but its missing something. This one is the same situation as watching shrek without lord farquad, its there and still funny but I don't know what its trying to prove. continuing with the soda theme this one is akin to an orange fanta from the can thats been left out in the california sun but youve just been working away in the heat. so the warmness of the drink,although making you slightly uneasy, still satisfies some inner craving

Meh

Wild to put on an album and know 40% of the tracks because you lived through the years 1999 and 2000. Kiedis presents a double-edged sword: on one side he's singing more, and the other side he's rapping more.

what a strange experience

Basically see my review for the previous RHCP album on this list. This album, however, is way more consistent than the other and not nearly as much of a slog. Has some surprising spots and really seems like an excellent representation of bone headed alternative rock.

I learned a new song! Good album.

It is popular (and fun) to rip on RHCP for their nonsensical lyrics and their singer being a freak. But these guys had a choke hold on pop culture for a minute there. Californication was everywhere in the early 00's. Around the World, Scar Tissue, and Californication were huge. I didn't know Parallel Universe before and it was a jam.

I hate the Red Hot Chili Peppers so it says a lot that I like so much of this album. If it was cut down to 10 tracks, it would be a triumph, but there are too many crap funk rock songs with terrible lyrics that sink it.

Good vibes. It has some classics like "Around the World", "Scar Tissue" and "Californication".

Best lache om een keer in een dolle bui aan te zetten. Scar Tissue heeft een van de slechtste hooks die ik ooit gehoord heb en sommige nummers willen me doof hebben volgens mij.

singable songs for some of them i guess. i grew up on this

I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. I am a huge fan of Blood Sugar Sex Magic but for some reason never gave this a listen when it came out. Maybe because the singles were mostly mellow or maybe because BSSM is Chilli Peppers perfection and has satisfied me for life. This album's got some funk, Frusciante's guitar work is outstanding, Flea and Chad Smith are obviously a killer rhythm section. I just don't fully jive with Anthony Kiedis' vocals on this (and later material I've heard). The funk of BSSM fits his vocals so well but here the songs require that he earnestly try to sing well and that only works for me in smaller doses. Although, I do like his falsetto on Porcelain. 3.5/5 stars, rounding down 3/5 because I don't think I'll ever put it on for a full listen again. I added Around The World and I Like Dirt to my 1001 playlist

Some real jams on here. But also some truly bad songs (looking at you I Like Dirt and Fat Dance). This album was constantly on the alt radio stations while I was growing it up, and always love it for that. And Flea is the fucking man. But overall, it’s a 3.

I rather liked the instrumentals but maybe the singing wasn't to my tastes. Easily is a non-single highlight

Beloved by many, but not by me

When the Chilis are good, they're so fucking good! The filler on this album really drags it down though, it really outstays it's wrlcome

A couple of good tracks but not a patch on "Mother's Milk" or "Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magic"

Better than their sex album!

RATING: 3.5/5, solid not my favorite genre but i would listen again. FAV SONG: Californication, i know the title song is my favorite how cliche! and Porcelain, i like the pace change and the softer vocals are nice! DATE: 16/05/2026

I had this album in high school so I have a lot of feelings about it. Objectively, it’s a great band (particularly the bass and drums) and a bad front man. He’s charismatic, but man can someone help him write some lyrics. That being said “fat dance” was my playlist pick. Haha

After some years and listening thrice or more times, I understand, why it's not so bad.

I was about 12 when this album came out and I'm pretty sure this was when I thought I was becoming more "serious" in my music tastes. This album was in permanent rotation for my discman for so many years. Listening to it today makes me laugh, I instinctively started to skip the songs I always skipped after humming or singing the first couple words but managed to stay my hand this time. I was right to skip a good chunk of the songs all those years. The singles of course are pretty good, but you can leave everything else at the door. Also it made me realize how overstimulating this whole band can be, just wonky sounds all over sometimes, the funk rock hip hop vocal style wore pretty thin by the end. All that said, I can see why 12-16 year old me loved it!

Another album by the Pep peps. The singles are great, the rest is annoying hippie poetry over sick bass lines. I just don’t think the Pepsters are for me

Obviously a classic but it definitely can get annoying fast. I was listening to this while I was packing like all day for my summer internship and it was fun at first and I felt like any random dad on an afternoon but then the vocals and sharp guitar kinda hurt my ears. Overall still a fairly good listen and does have a bit of variety.

A lot of songs on this album I'm very fond of (scar tissue, other side, californication), and a lot that I violently hate (around the world, I like dirt). Weird listening experience.

OK, the first sound pretty solid start, of course this is a classic, some of the songs are complete classics, but definitely transported to the late 90s even though I was juts a baby lol A little bit too much hetero sounds for me but i guess is ok once in a while.

I would probably love this if it wasn't for Anthony Keidis' insufferable vocals and how generic a lot of the songs are. The guitar work is great but it's mostly stereotypical rock and nothing special really

--Around the World…”ding ding dong dong deng deng” fuck this --Parallel Universe…bass run is nice. yes, we know you love California, Anthony --Scar Tissue…decent pop --Otherside...my hatred of Kiedis is counterbalanced by fondness for Frusciante and Flea. great guitar tone here --Get on Top...they return to their funkier roots. Flea laying down something nice. lyrics--shockingly--are real dumb --Californication...is California paradise? hell? both? Kiedis is happy to tell you all about it. other than a surprisingly weak guitar solo, this track is pretty complete --Easily...simple but solid rocker --Porcelain...Kiedis' voice actually isn't bad on this LP (relative to his other work), but this is a step (or three) too far for him --Emit Remmus...something a little different. sounds like it could be better if they spent more time workshopping it. as it is now, this feels like four musicians stapling four interesting but disparate parts together --I Like Dirt...the funk is back. seems to be their comfort zone --This Velvet Glove...Flea providing a decent groove but LP is starting to feel long --Savior...definitely repeating themselves at this point --Purple Stain...dammit, Kiedis --Right on Time...don't like the intro at all. Flea saves it as he so often does --Road Trippin'...they throw a curveball with something folky. I appreciate it