Reviews (page 9 of 16)
My current feelings for Anthony Kiedis make it very hard for me to love RCHP anymore. Also this was far from their best work anyways.
2.5
A bit too intense
Really liked this album. Some absolute bangers of songs on here. Gets a bit white boy rap at points but it doesn’t completely take away from it. Specific rating- 4.5 Fav song- Californication Least fav- I like dirt
I can imagine how this might be good if one wanted to turn it all the way up and have no room for thoughts, however, it's thoroughly mid at a reasonable volume and I'd rather listen to fall out boy if I were in that mood, so I'm afraid it's not for me...
Really enjoyed the first half but by the end of the album felt like I was just waiting for it to be over. Favourite: Scar Tissue
Damn the chilis love singing about California and Flea really knows how to make a funky bass line. I grew up listening to this album. Not sure if i like ‘Around the world’ much but my favs are still my favs: Scar tissue, Otherside, Californication
Ruck RHCP
I cannot with this band. I really did try to listen to it but I abhor RHCP and just couldn't do it.
Nice!
❤️🔥
An easy 5
Turns out I really like red hot
Not bad, a bit too rap-like for me but still fine, better than Ragged glory but not as good as seventeen seconds, 4.39
I've heard the hits a million times, and they're still good. Parallel Universe is great, too. The others are...fine.
Einfach gut!
I have no idea what they're singing about, but I love listening to it. Great band. Great album.
Absolute belter.
Still a great album! I remember my brother buying this when it came out. Scar tissue was part of the soundtrack of my summer that year. Really fond memories
Not awful. But I’m just over most of these songs and the RHCP, so it’s his isn’t a fair review.
A really good album that I enjoyed all the way through nothing to complain about really.
Better than I remembered....
Classic
Strong comeback, but not a fan of the production.
It doesn't matter how old or new a song is.. something about Anthony Kiedis' voice is just so nostalgic
Liked most of it. Prefer the more poppy ones rather than the slap bass traditional RHCP sound. Scar Tissue in particular
Damn, the first half of this album is like a “best of” collection which delivers banging tune after banging tune. Energetic rock at its most digestible. It fades badly in the latter stages with only road trippin’ bringing up the rear and saving it from mediocrity. All the same, I’d always be happy to listen to this on a 20 minute car journey and forget the second half existed.
I’ve always been lukewarm on RHCP’s singles, and the album tracks all sounded like worse versions of those singles, so this was never going to be a winner for me. The last third was a real slog.
I have a great distaste for RHCP except for Flea, but this album is fun in the way that hair bands are fun. It's a good time but if you listen too long everything starts the same. I wish I could ignore the members of this band, their fans, and how many times I've heard 'Scar Tissue' on the fucking radio to give it a truly objective rating, but alas, here we are.
The first 12 songs and I'm thinking...This is like a best of album. Goes downhill a little for the last 3 songs but wow, what an album. Feels like I'm 16 again.
I think this album is a microcosm of RHCP as a whole. There are a couple of legitimately great tracks here, a couple more decent ones and... a bunch of annoying shit. I mean, even some of the better tracks are annoying. "I know, I know it's you / DING DING DONG DONG DING DING DONG DONG DING DING" Also, did you know that these guys are from... California? All the name drops are a bit much. The exception is the title track, which isn't exactly profound, but a solid enough song. "Scar Tissue" is amazing, with its trio of guitar solos. Fav tracks: Around the World, Scar Tissue, Californication
Great album, has some of their best work on it -Scar Tissue -Parallel Universe -Californication -Otherside
Pretty good, a bunch of songs I NEVER HEARD
A good mix of mainstream rock going on, on this album. All the best songs are popular for a reason but some horrible songs. It gives off Australian summer vibes which I grew up on so it’s almost nostalgic. Some favourites include Otherside and Californiaction and I like dirt can smd cuz that sucked. A lot of 10/10 songs and 1 or 2 3s on this album but the good ones make up for it and just for that reason I would give it a 7.7/10 3.8/5
In late 2021 I listened to a good amount of RHCP including this album and I added some songs to my Liked Songs, mostly the hits. Listening to this album 3.5 years later I would agree with my impression of the band. I enjoyed the hits a lot, but there are only three. The rest is Anthony Kiedis trying to rap which kind of sucks.
Red Hot Chili Peppers r so mid that I think they r bad bc I feel like theres too many ppl on the other side saying they r good so I'll be a hater to even it out.
7/10 - Red Hot Chili Peppers kind of go hard. All of the hits are fantastic plus I liked Parallel Universe. I understand the rapping was not the best but the rest of the songs were fantastic.
This is a tough one, because there are parts of this album - and even entire songs - that I do really like and think are quite good. However, Anthony Kiedis is the worst (pretty sure he bragged about sleeping with a 14 year old as an adult, and is just generally not a great dude) and his rapping is comically bad and makes some parts of the album unlistenable. So I guess this album gets a 3
Classic
Meh. A couple of decent songs and a bunch of rappy garbage.
Svo ljótt cover. Scar tissue er virkilega flott, Road trippin er mjög fínt, Around the World lika (fyrir utan aðalriffið), dittó Otherside og titillagið. Svo þetta gæti verið fjarki, en Jesús hvað það er mikill filler með. Frekar ofspiluð en nostalgísk, en þið vitið, samt fín.
Half is great. Half is absolute shit.
Have always like RHCP was happy to see this pop up
Classic. love it.
10/10. I fw this massively. Definitely being noted.
If you paid any attention to music in 1999, you’ll remember this album was literally unavoidable. That said, I happen to like RHCP, although I’d never listened to this album in full. The singles are so good but I’d probably need a few more listens of the full thing to truly appreciate the other tracks.
Bangers n classicsssss
When do they sing about California?
John Fruciante's tone makes me want to get rid of my strat. Highlights: Purple Stain Road Trippin
The Hits are exzellent But the Song in between Them just Sound Like the Same Hit Remade a Bit worse
The bands best album. In my opinion, yeah. They have the perfect mixture of their own craziness while being dedicated to the craft in a way they had ignored on previous projects. They’ve grown just enough to expand and improve on their own sound while still staying true to themselves. The psychedelic guitar solo at the end of “Savior” is, in my opinion, the best example of this. Some songs don’t work. “Emit Remmus”, “I Like Dirt”, “Purple Stain” are all a little trite and taxing. You’ll notice that all of those songs are on side two and all the giant smash hits like, “Around the World”, “Scar Tissue”, “Otherside”, and “Californication” all take up side one. Horrible arrangement there. I also think that, although original and occasionally interesting, the decision to focus on a theme of trying to schedule the American dream in California is, ultimately, a very niche one. Other than that, these songs are laid back fun. Lyrics are occasionally inspired and insightful. Other times not so much. Instrumentation feels energetic or relaxed when it needs to be either. Fresh sound for them, but works well. 4/5
I don’t have anything against anyone who likes this album. I also don’t understand the level of hate this band gets. I think Blood Sugar Sex Magik is an awesome album and I really like most of what this band did before that album. And I don’t like much of what they did after. I will always have love for Point Break era Flea and Anthony Kiedis. That buys them enough good will for me to consider this album.
The Peppers topped out with Blood Sugar Sex Magic. This record is okay!
Tracks 2-4 are undeniably good songs. Unfortunately the other 12 songs are a Red Hot Chili Peppers album.
Heard it before. Dang dong dang dong dang dong ding deng 4/5
They're great but I was done by the end of it
Great - very spicy
4.5/5
One of the best album in the world music history not only from RHCP. 10/5
The greatest of albums! Probably one of the most important in my life and certainly the biggest culprit why I started listening to rock. It came out when I was finishing elementary school and enrolling in high school, so all these songs (yes, even the B-side) are very familiar to me, I knew all the lyrics by heart. I can't even count how many times I've listened to some of the songs: Otherside, Scar Tissue, Californication, Road Trippin', Around the World, Parallel Universe, Emit Remmus... And here I am now - the first riffs of Californication give me goosebumps! The only thing that annoyed me then, and still annoys me now, are Anthony's rap sections. By the way, this is the album with which RHCP change their sound from more funk-oriented to more melodic rock and that brings them the greatest commercial success in their career, although I still think that Under the Bridge is their most famous work. A beautiful beginning, a beautiful end to the album! An incredibly well-rounded album that is rarely found. The title track is one of the songs with the most ingenious lyrics I have ever heard in my life. One interesting thing that I remember commenting on a lot and that was mind blowing at the time - read the title of the song Emit Remmus upside down. :D Now listen to it again - all the guitar parts are recorded upside down. ;) I have much, much, much more to write about Californication, because it is an album that not only marked their career, but also marked a period of my life from which I have many memories. Masterpiece! If only ten out of five were possible, that would be too little!
Initial thoughts on this album is that it is right up my alley, its rock and has catchy tunes on it. Nice baselines, groovy drums. Music to my ears! (No pun intended). Definitely one to add to my playlist.
great album. classic. cali rock
I listened to Californication in my office and it took everything in me to not belt out “How loooonnngggg, how long will I slide”. It may not be the cool opinion but this is RHCPs best album. The first side is banger after banger. It does cool off a bit on the second side and it’s a little too long. It’s so rare for a band to completely reinvent themselves after 15 years and they can probably go for another reinvention as it’s gotten old. 8.8/10
Physically impossible for me to smash the one-star button any faster
Not for me
This is pretty good if you can tune out Anthony Kiedas. Luckiest son of a bitch in rock and roll history.
Smoother and softer than earlier RHCP albums, mostly to good effect. This is a weird album because I think they became kind of boring and milquetoast after it, but here, the synthesis between their early party-funk sound and their later adult-alternative sound works for me. Best song: Otherside
This was the Summer Playlist while sitting at the beach. A Classic!
Wish I could be as enthusiastic about this as others are. I actually find most of the songs actively annoying with the occasional good one thrown in. 2/5
Really uneven but there is enough that clicks here.
The back half negated the front
I was not looking forward to giving this a 5. Luckily, it's a 3.5. Rounding down for pedo-factor.
Impossible to divorce from my nostalgia (which is a toxic impulse IYKYK). Millennial is gonna millennial unfortunately.
Was going to give this credit because I like “Scar Tissue” and “Otherside” but the new lows that it reaches on the back half are literally like a -2.
A band where they have some absolutely banging singles but I lose my interest having to listen to a full album. The mixing on this is awful as well!
One of my favorite groups loved it
One of my favorite albums. I love each and every song. 1/2 of them are masterpieces. This album is the ultimate come back. John rejoined, brought magic and chemistry back. (and tears to my eyes, the story behind it is really heart melting) Album produced 5 huge hit singles. 1999 was the year of Californication. Asked my mom to buy the cassette. listened to the otherside on repeat. Later when I picked up the guitar I was blown away how simple but genius guitar parts were. The album cover is very beautiful. Will never understand folks saying they r 2 commercial even comparing them to generic rockers and making tasteless assumptions. In reality they r incredible musicians who speak in universal music language, battled toughest addictions, lost Hillel to it, almost lost John (had overdose - blood infection and lost all of his teeth), survived and made people fall in love with their music again (and inspired kids like me to pick up an instrument). Sad I didn’t get to see them in their prime. Still the energy is high with all the dancing, jumpin, jamin between song, never repeating solos and each member amazing performance. This makes rhcp one of the greatest live acts. Many bands today try to replace it by telling jokes, being friendly and cute (like it’s 3h standup) which people appreciate much more nowadays than the actual music.
Yes. 5/5. No comment really. Great album with huge impact.
An old fave
A great album with great hits that takes me back to a simpler time. The hits are definite hits, but I was a little surprised that there wasn't much else that interesting on the album. Not like the non-hits are bad, but I don't think there are any hidden gems on this album which is a little disappointing. Overall really good and catchy, with a nice energy. Top tracks: Parallel Universe, Otherside, Californication
Repetitive but ok
This is a tough one! This album turned up at a particularly complicated period in my life and as such it’s a soundtrack to some wild, amazing, awful, fun, depressing, lonely, crazy, sexy, isolated, hedonistic, excessive, destructive times! Listeniy to this album multiple times over the past 24 hours instantly transported me back so I don’t know wether to love or hate it!! I love every track on this album, especially the first side/half. I’m not a massive RHCP fan but there are a few albums in my collection. I also decided I didn’t like Anthony Kiedis after reading his memoir ‘Scar tissue’ an awful publication that highlighted what a selfish twat he is. A deplorable human being who thinks it’s cool to gloat about drug abuse and pedophillia. His awful behaviour continues today, as a 61 year old man, he is currently dating a 19 year old girl. Yuck. I had to get that off my chest because I’m giving this album 5 stars and wanted you to know that I’m. It doing it for him, but for the music of the band. He is an absolutely disgraceful cunt who should be in jail. Flea is awesome!
The first half of this album is really enjoyable, except for Road Trippin' (amazing track!) the rest is a bit meandering. The music is fun, the lyrics are not particularly deep or interesting but fits with the vibe - Ding ding Dong dong. Lots of nostalgia for this album (and RHCP in general) Flea is a machine on the bass and I have really great memories listening to them over the years. Reading Scar tissue with my bestie started off the greatest book club of all time. 4 stars for the music, minus 1 for Kiedis being a pedo
lots of hits on this one. Opening Track "Around the World" is one of my favorite RHCP songs. second part of the album just falls flat for me.
A blast from the past that I really enjoyed
Love the Chili Peppers
Loved the radio hits off this album when I was a teenager but not stoked to listen to this whole album. Pretty over RHCP. Having listened, this is the first album I’ve come across that I want to rate a 4 and 2 equally. Some of the songs are great (even if nostalgia plays a part) but some are straight up embarrassing, and the mix sucks. I guess it’s a three.
4/10
Front loaded. Gets a little bit monotonous toward the end but it’s solid. The radio stations in LA definitely overplayed this but it’s LA, they pretty much have to.
HEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAOOOOOOHHHHH!!!!!!!!!
Started out good but got really boring half way through.
《Californication》不错，确实会柔和和旋律。 第一盘红辣椒诶 《Californication》在美国公告牌 200 强专辑榜上最高排名第三。 这张专辑标志着乐队风格的重大转变：《滚石》杂志的格雷格·泰特指出，“尽管红辣椒乐队以往的所有作品都充满活力，《加州淘金梦》却敢于触及精神与顿悟的层面。”另一位评论家、来自《公告牌》的保罗·维尔纳提到，与乐队之前的六张专辑相比，这张专辑展现了“乐队更为柔和、旋律化的一面”。
Really enjoyed it!
I'm not sure if I can really pinpoint why I'm enjoying this album. At least not exactly. It's really good, each song is varied and stands out on its own, while still clearly being a part of the album/sound/style of RHCP. Actually, I think that's really most of it, but it's also just done at such an incredibly high level, musically. The back end of the album definitely isn't up to the same level of the first half, but the majority of the album is excellent. I ended up not loving the whole album as much as I thought, but the first 30-45 minutes of the album are worth listening to over again. Favorite Song(s): Parallel Universe, Otherside, Californication, Porcelain
AHHHHHH
All time classic.
Pretty good and pretty catchy all around Album
# Album Name: Californication # Artist: RHCP # Rating: 4/5 # Comments: This was rather a big album when it came out. The songs were everywhere. I've always been more drawn to the style of JF's soulful guitar tones than i have for flea's funky bass. The first half of this album is good. Tracks 1-7. Then the 2nd half drops off a cliff. Its a tale of two sides. The second half has not aged well. I'd give this a 3.5 if i could. So i will round up to a 4. Its done enough not to warrant a 3. # Top Tunes: Tracks 1-7 and road trippin. # Would I listen to it again? Yes
This album isn't horrible but I keep feeling as if every single song is something I've heard another, better 90s band do a lot better and more interestingly. It doesn't help that this thing is 15 songs long and most of them oscillate between fucking around and maybe a nice melody being compressed to shit. Still has Otherside for whatever it's worth
This album did not get off to a good start with the rapping. Thankfully there was not a lot of it on the rest. The highlight here is the rhythm section. Flea and Will Ferrel do a great job keeping it funky. Best track: Otherside
i actually was surprised at how much i lkked this, however. so. long. i don’t know why this felt so long but it was. and also i was like oh yay all the songs don’t sound the same and then i was on like song ten and i was like oh… anyway. i did genuinely like this a lot. low 4
Pre-listening thoughts: wait isn't one of the RHCP a total asshole? Oh yup, that's Anthony Kiedis. Sex with a 14 yr old girl before AND after learning her age. Jesus christ. Post/during listening thoughts: Around the World is like kind of racist. Scar Tissue still goes kind of hard though. This album just has really poor sound quality in a way I can’t quite pin down. I told my parents I listened to this album today and they both shook their heads in disappointment. Enough said. 4/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: no Fav tracks: Scar Tissue, Otherside Least fav tracks: Around the World, Get On Top, Porcelain
Was one of my faves all time in high school. Now it honestly feels like it needs an editor. Some great tunes. A lot of middling jams. Pretty good, not great, in hindsight
Pretty good but I didn’t finish it
Este álbum fue tan bueno y tan sonado en su época que hoy da un poco de flojera escucharlo. Es un fenómeno extraño. Me la pasé bien, pero es de esos que me daría una flojera inmensa escuchar de nuevo, aunque me parece muy bueno. Misterios.
Interesting to hear the whole album, the singles stand out probably mostly because I'm more familiar with them so I do tend to like them more then the songs I haven't heard before
I feel like this is the official “breakthrough “ album by them. Being a lifelong Chili Peppers fan until this point, that’s what I feel. In my opinion, Blood Sugar is a far better album but we are here to talk about this one. This is good, as much as this music snob wants to bash it from start to finish, I can’t. I mean, come on, there’s 4 chart making songs here. Possibly #1’s but I’m not doing my research on that one. And when I thought maybe they got rid of the sound that they originally became known for, that white boy funk and soul, they return the album to their roots with “Get on Top” which I would assume is one of the least favorite song of the commercial Chili Pepper fan. I will also hand it to them, where I wasn’t going to give them another chance because again, I consider myself a music snob, these guys still touched on the sounds from their earlier albums. As noted in the later songs of this album. I’m pleasantly surprised. The Chili’s aren’t sell outs.
A lot of these are really strong, others wear out their welcome really fast. Overall it all blurs together, but it's mostly a good time. I like the peppers in moderation! Just have to pretend I don't know anything about their personal lives... 3.5
I’ve never really liked RHCP and I still don’t. I’ve tried to get into them before, largely because one of my friends is a fan, but ultimately I don’t enjoy the sound of his voice nor the structure, cadence, rhythmic patterns, whatever you want to call it, of the songs. And there’s only so many times you can hear the word California! Scar Tissue is good though, and I didn’t mind Purple Stain or Right on Time either. (1.5 stars)
I'm sorry Red Hot Chili Peppers. This album has such a great, unique funk rock flair to it, but to my ears it sounds so dated and cliche! Purely a function of me associating it with my younger, cringe years I think. 3.5 stars.
Great album
Great album - many happy memories invoked by their passion of spin classes in my younger years fancying the teacher who played this each class ;))
Have always loved this RHCP album. It’s also the album that made my classic rock loving husband become a RHCP fan.
Californication itself is pretty good. Some other good songs but the last three songs I didn't like.
Had to skip the first track half way, not a good sign. Parallel Universe was alright actually, similarly the others didn't already know were all more enjoyable. The famous ones just have seeped into my skin too much over the years of exposure
Awesome album. I’ll be coming back for more
I have mixed feelings about this album. In a sense it's a pretty good album. But it also represents peak new Chili Peppers, basically the type of sound that started with Under the Bridge has nearly completely dominated their sound. The funky rifs are all but gone at this point--only maybe Purple Stain and Around the World have that old Chili Peppers sound. I don't love Scar Tissue or Californication, they sound too generic, like just worse remixes of Under the Bridge. Other Side sounds like that too a little, but the haunting melody in that one gives it a little more merit for me. So all in all, this is great for people who began listening to the Chili Peppers because they liked Under the Bridge. Not so much maybe for the fans of funked up rap-punk OG Chili peppers. It kind of reeks of sell-out in that sense. But 25 years later, I'm sure they don't care, the Scar Tissue side of them is what defines most of their career at this point.
RHCP
Surprisingly tonefull, this album still hits hard.
These guys are chief offenders in the waaay too long album stakes since whenever. This is waaaay too long and even if were shorter the smell of mediocrity is overpowering. Another band with too many entries on this list.
Didn't age as well as other RHCP.
Back in the day yes. Now… too much going on
Dream of the early 2000s but then realize it was a moment in time that you aren't interested in repeating.
Better than I remembered
If the album was only the singles it would still be a 2/10.
Scar Tissue and Otherside instantly transport me back to the age of 17-18, skiving off college and playing Darts and Pool in the Grantham Arms. Possibly more than any other songs, it hits me with a wave of nostalgia - happiness for the times we shared and sadness for friends lost. It could make me cry if I stopped to think about it. Musically its pretty meh and really tails off but 3 stars just for the memories.
It's that unmistakable Chili Peppers sound. Some variation here and there but you instantly know it's them. 'Porcelain', 'Scar Tissue' and 'Road Trippin'' are all really lovely songs but in different ways, like different sides of the same coin. The first is slow and sad, the second is uplifting and the last one is very sombre. 'Get On Top' is probably a throwback to their earlier stuff and it works, it's funky as hell. 'Emit Remmus' is the heaviest track here and is also very good. Flea is a great bassist and I'm actively trying to pick him out to hear it. Frusciante is so good as well. The solos he does can be short, sweet and subtle like on the title track, but can also be soaring and distorted, and they both sound good. The drumming on 'Savior' is almost tribal. Anthony Kiedis shows off his vocal prowess here too. Speaking of Kiedis, he is somewhat of the weak point. I love his vocals, he's got a great singing voice that I really enjoy. The rapping is slightly hit and miss though. I feel like when it's on funkier tracks and it's very over the top like on 'Right On Time' it works and fits well. On more traditional rock tracks though like the opener 'Around The World' he holds back and I don't enjoy it half as much. Also what the fuck is the "ding ding dong dong" all about? I swear these guys just spout utter nonsense in their songs! That's the only negative I can find though. It's a cracking album. Every song has a little earworm. A catchy vocal line, a singalong chorus, a solid riff. 15 tracks, nearly an hour long and I wasn't bored for a single second.
Pretty cool but can sound a bit samey at times.
I really wanted to give this a five. I was willing to overlook Around the World, which is one of the stupidest songs I have ever heard. So many bangers. But probably 4 songs I would skip every time I listened to this album. Still, the hits are excellent.
muy bueno
very good
I think it's inferior to BSSM in pretty much every way. I prefer the energy, the riffs, the bass, the guitar tone, etc. on their other album on here. The only thing the same is Anthony's voice, which has definitely grown on me more and more I listen to these guys That's not to say that Californication is bad by any means. It's still a great album. It has its songs, like This Velvet Globe and Emit Remmus, but the highs aren't as high and the lows are lower.
Not to be confused with the Red Hot Chilli Pipers. The Red Hot Chilli Peppers did a good job on this album. The singles are excellent, especially the title track. I remember the music video for the latter well. "I Like Dirt" is the worst of the album. 4 stars for "Californication".
They are good but they make some terrible songs 2.8
Honestly, it's fine. I've heard the singles so many times on the radio that I'd be perfectly okay without having to hear Scar Tissue or Californication until the end of Trump's term. The other tracks are classic Chili, which again, are fine. It's a competent record but Californication<Blood Sugar Sex Magik
A modern classic!
Tough to rate for me. I think the instrumentation is great… at times. When the songs get into psychedelia I think there’s a big drop in quality. I also find Anthony Keidis’ voice to be annoying and the lyrics can be very bad.
I know I’m in the minority on this one but man I’m not a fan of this band. The instrumentation is fine, even great at times, but I just can’t stand Anthony Kiedis
Proper nostalgia trip, possibly the first album I bought myself - the first 7 songs (excepting Get on Top) are flawless. Second half is hit and miss. Road Trippin and Savior are great, Purple Stain is pretty hideous. Good times 4.25/5
Love this one a lot
The Chili Peppers pretty much lost me after Mother's Milk (which damn well better be on the list because it's a fucking masterpiece). Blood Sugar Sex Magic was great, but I could see the direction they were going and it didn't interest me. I just find most of post BSSM Peppers to be boring. Californication, not unlike their live performance, rocks for a few seconds, but then settles into an hour plus of mild funk and weird ballads. No thanks. 3
Amazing album. Bought back a lot of memories 5/5
4 out of 5. Lots of nostalgia with this album too but it does sound a little dated.
1/24/25. One of my all-time favorite albums by my favorite band. I can play this at any time for any situation, never skipping a track. The mix of funk rock, melancholy, and well-crafted songs makes this a hit for me.
Oh, the nostalgia of being back in the glory days... Hadn't listened to this album through in full in decades, but it still brings the same funk. Definitely a good trip down memory lane and some solid iconic 90s rock tracks, but it will probably be quite some time before I listen to the full album again.
Nick Cave: “I’m forever near a stereo saying, ‘What the fuck is this garbage?’ And the answer is always the Red Hot Chili Peppers.’” Besides the fact that the Chili Peppers are overrated, I try to not contribute to anything that benefits abusive men like Anthony Kiedis, Flea, or Chad Smith.
One of my favorite albums of all time. I listen to it all the time.
I'm a simple man. I see RHCP. I rate 5 stars.
If you look Around the world, head Deep inside a parallel universe, turn left and go all the way to the otherside, you’ll find a lonely view to share with the birds and a place where you can dream of Californication. After that, this albums really falls off.. I remember really enjoying this in its entirety in my head but as l listen.. I’m consistently disappointed after the first 6 songs.. of which 5 are certified bangers.. i went in thinking it was going to be 5 stars but I walked away with only 3 to give
I have heard this album 1000000 times
Painfully 90s
This album meant to me a lot in my teenage years. While all other girls were listening to BsB or the Spice Girls, I was a cooler girl with my Californication CD. I loved the singles, especially Scar Tissue and Otherside, and the clips were creative as well. Fast forward a quarter of a century, I don't really love this music anymore. The singles still make this album quite ok, but from the second half, the quality drops. I like Frusciante's or Flea's work on it, but Kiedis' singing style is a bit too much as the album goes on. The ending, Road Trippin' is nice, so I give it a 3, but more wouldn't be deserved.
“I’m forever near a stereo saying, ‘What the fuck is this garbage?’ And the answer is always the Red Hot Chili Peppers.’” --Nick Cave I hate California a lot and I hate it more after listening to RHCP, but Flea is an amazing bassist and some songs are catchy 3/5
Some great hits
I knew that at some point a RHCP album would appear on the list, but didn't expected to be this soon. I don't like RHCP. But regardless, I try to listen to this album with open ears. Maybe this would change my opinion. Maybe. It didn't. There were some moments where I was enjoying what I was hearing, but never a full song. Their style is overpowering and it seeps through every track. And I'm talking only about the music. Because at no point I enjoyed Kiedis' voice. Not when he does that shouting rap, not when he does the quiet singing, not when he goes from highs to lows, and certainly not when he does the ding ding dings and dangs rang dangs. The production was a mess, too muffled and weird. I thought there was an issue with my headphones, but no, it's supposed to sound like that. A complete mess and the confirmation that RHCP is just not for me.
chilly
Really catchy, but that production is so off-putting. The only album on the list so far that has clipping artifacts I can hear with my good headphones.
Childhood classic for me. Nostalgia is impossible for me to remove, but I still think they are good songs. Don't like the production though. So slammed in the loudness wars, its almost uncomfortable.
Hmm
Scar Tissue and Californication are classics. The Velvet Glove is great too 4/5
I guess I like dirt.
Pretentious parading as cool. The entire album sounds like it’s being played at full volume through a blown speaker at a mall arcade.
One of my high school favorites
they told me they sounded like Californication but they never mentioned they sound like Parallel Universe i thought they were supposed to be uncool
Zwar catchy aber echt nicht gut Ziemlich lang(weilig) und die Hits sind Hits für ein virgin ohr Eig geübteres sieht da nix besonderes
A slog. 2 stars
Favorite Track: Around the World
Wasn't into the Peppers as much as I could have been since I grew up during this era, but always enjoyed their music, even when I was younger. This record has some fun grooves and rhythms throughout and keeps its appeal after all these years. This band certainly set themselves apart from what else was out in the scene and rose to prominence because of it. Really a great record - almost every song is a hit.
This is an all-timer. RHCP is one of the best American Rock bands of my generation. This album has so many great tunes.
I already knew and liked 3 of the songs from this album (Scar Tissue, Otherside and Californication) but for some reason I did not think I was going to like the album as much overall, but I was pleasantly surprised. I liked the first half of the album better but I'd give it a 4.5/5 overall. Best Song: Californication Worst Song: Right on Time Underrated: This Velvet Glove
Superb album!
Prefer the "B-Sides" on this one to the ones that got more airplay.
I was nine years old when this was released, so by the time I reached my teenage years this album wasn't exactly new. While I didn't consider myself a RHCP fan back in those days, the titular track was absolutely impossible to escape and I, like most of my peers, must have heard it a hundred times without ever sitting down to actually listen to the album. So even though I hadn't done a full listen-through until now, this one was a nostalgia blast for me personally. It pulled me back to middle school summer breaks and high school house parties. Having listened to the entire album now, I can't say I love it. If my scale is... 1 Star - I actively loathed it and was counting down the minutes until it was over 2 Stars - It wasn't a bad experience, but this is only time I'm going to listen to it in its entirety 3 Stars - It was pretty good; I'll probably think about it some other time in my life and be in the mood to listen through it again 4 Stars - It was great. The only thing keeping it from a 5 is that I'll have to be in a certain mood to queue it up again, but this one's sticking with me and it's inevitable I'll listen through it again. 5 Stars - Absolutely fantastic; this is 100% going on my revisit list, I'll never question throwing it on when it comes to mind, and it would take an unreasonable amount of re-listens for me to get tired of it. ...then Californication is a 2.5 for me. If I never listen to it in its entirety the rest of my life I won't feel like I'm missing out, but it'll probably forever be kind of there for me just because of nostalgia.
Let's be honest there are a lot of absolute duds on here. I think if they dropped the 5 tracks from the back half of this album and shaved 20 mins of the runtime it would have been much better. 4 stars seems a bit high and 3 stars seems a bit low.
pretty solid and now have a new song from them that I like.
Pretty solid. And I found a new song I like
Classic. We all herd it. Pretty good.
Really enjoyed this one! Loved the great percussion throughout. Found the lyrics a little difficult to hear. Favorite: parallel universe Least favorite: get on top 6.5/10
4.5 ! Loved this!!
One of the best albums of all time <3<3<3 My favourite tracks in order (all 5/5): - Otherside - Scar Tissue - Californication - Road Trippin’ - This Velvet Glove - Porcelain - Easily (I love this song because it could be on Stadium Arcadium and nobody would notice, I love that we could hear that sound 7 years earlier here)
This is tied to a very specific time period in my memory. Some absolute monster hits. I feel fairly ambivalent about it. It has some great moments of musicality and some /real/ questionable lyrics.
The first album I've gotten in this project is an album I've listened to many times before, by a band that I was a rabid fan of for some time in my early teenage years. Needless to say, I have a strong nostalgic attachment to the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I can remember buying this on CD along with Max Payne 2 on PS2 on a weekend morning in 8th grade and spending the day playing my new game and listening to this album, which I had heard most or all of already. The chemistry between Flea & John Frusciante really carries Californication - especially the title track but really just about every track. I really love the outro jams on Easily and Purple Stain. Chad's drumming on the latter track is some of his best. As usual, Anthony Kiedis' singing and lyrics are the albums weak point. If I didn't have such nostalgia for this group, I think this would end up as a 3 for me, but the strong musicianship on displaying combined with my deep seeded attachment to this group despite them not aging as well as other groups I listened to in my younger days (though certainly not aging the worst) makes this a 4.
beatiful combination of chill and drive sound. goat album
Californication might not be the band’s best album, but it’s packed with so many memorable songs that it’s impossible not to give it 5 stars. It perfectly balances their energy, introspection, and melody, making it an undeniable classic.
Oh for fucks sake. Took about 20 seconds to start hating this with it's intense red hot chilli peppers-ness. At least there are a couple of nice melodies across the record when they aren't ruined by Keidis's incessant shit rapping and too much slap bass. See the opening track for the ultimate example of this. And that's even before he starts going "ning nong ning nong" which just made me piss while I was typing. Scar Tissue is probably the only song where this is tolerable. Other half-decent songs, Otherside (notably Keidis behaves himself throughout) and the title track. Get On Top one of the most annoying songs ever made. I start off at a 2 and see what happens, being aware that it's nearly an hour long. Gets 2 because I quite like 3 songs. After the title track the album may as well stop as the following 9 tracks simply rehash ideas from the previous 6 songs but less goodly. Somewhere during Right on Time I was forced to consider if 2 is too generous. Then Road Trippin' rode to the rescue to finish things with one more half-decent song.
Not what I was expecting after the hype I’ve heard about it but it’s ok.
3.8
Iconic alt rock. I feel a little weird enjoying it knowing how nasty Anthony Kiedis is
Not the biggest RHCP fan. I liked the singles.
Good! But start is godawful "I'm Anthony Kiedis and I'm here to say, We fuck in California in a major way"
- Cheio de hits, porém certos momentos não empolgam - Início, meio e fim bem conectados
3.5 Stars, rounded up. California mentioned on tracks 1, 2, 6 and 9 Californian places mentioned on 13 (Hollywood) and 15 (Big Sur) Around the World: Really interesting guitar riff that sounds kinda off. Not sure Syncopation is the correct term. The lyrics are pretty eh. Parallel Universe: Decent. The heavier guitar is not like what we're used in a RHCP record. Good stuff. ♡ Scar Tissue: This one has this deep nostalgia to it. Almost like it's reminiscent of a sad time. Appropriately named song. A nice slow jam to balance things out. The solo is good. ♡ Otherside: The first Misheard song I head. It's really good. The intro is a classic Guitar Beginner Tune :tm:. When the rest of the instruments enter it get really full. Good Stuff! Get on Top feels like an LLM generating a RHCP song and forgetting to add the word California. ♡ Californication: I really like the way the lyrics flow on the title track. It's a really good song. Easily: I could probably play it with the lyrics of Parallel Universe and someone not paying 100% of attention would not realize. Porcelain: Pretty cool Bassline, it also sounds very different from everything else in the album. I kinda liked it. Emit Remmus: Some nice high pitched guitar + a bass riff holding the harmony. The guitar is almost a drone and it causes a funny feeling. ♡ I Like Dirt: Really funky guitar and a groovy bassline. The Repeated I like dirts in the chorus are really cool. Damn, I really like this song. This Velvet Glove: The lyrics are good, the song itself didn't hit it off for me. Savior: Whatever until the counterpoint enters. Then it got my attention, but still not enough to make me like it. Purple Stain: Start really funky, I like it. He does mention Hollywood, so technically a California mention? I decided not to count, though Right on Time: Starts at 100%, which is pretty funny, specially after the slow ending of the previous song. Flea is peak in this song. ♡ Road Trippin': This one is an absolute classic.
I've listened to the album before and will listen again in the future.
A recognizable and popular album from the 90s
The music is pretty good, especially Flea. But Anthony Kiedis sounds like a doofus. This is the music that white boys sing at full volume, when alone in their cars. It’s alright. But the arrangements are pretty basic.
Excellent
Yeah!
Good effort by them
Ugh... College... Not sure I can be impartial about this one given my personal association, but I'll try... I guess, all-in-all, it's not a bad album... The singles are strong, even if they do bring me back to the dorms... The non-singles are also fairly decent, for the most part...
I’m pretty sure this is something my brother listened to in high school in between blink 182 and linkin park. He wouldn’t listen to the full cd though. Just the five songs that were also over polluted on radio. Probably still does listen to this album actually. I cringed through this entire album.
I hate that I even typed in that dumb title to listen to this album. It took 30 seconds for this to turn to shit. In order not to recognize the talents of a band that doesn't deserve it, I'm referring to them as Jalapeno Peppers That Were Neutered by a Tech Bro so They Have No Heat. This album starts with a cool bass line, because Flea on his own is rather talented, but once the singer takes over, it's all JPTWNbaTBsTHNH as usual. The first song isn't over and I'm getting Sepultura ready to clear my head afterwards. What the FUCK is with that fake-Chinese?-mimicry? You know what? I'll go ahead and say all the instrumentation is fine. Anthony Kiedis fucking sucks. Completely destroys anything credible. I take that back. The rest of the band are enablers. They all fucking suck. "How long how lonnnnnnnonnnnnnnnnng" will I have to listen to this fucking album. You can tell Kiedis is a sex pest because he writes nonsensical lyrics he as a thirtysomething at the time would think teenaged girls would like. Sure enough I googled and found an article from the mid-2010s (AFTER this album was made) where he was dating a 19-year old.
Wow... This stinks. It's almost completely lacking the ONLY thing these guys ever (even remotely) did well, sophomoric punk influenced funk. The few times it shows up, it's a neutered version of its former self. This is a record FULL of the pretentious songs I hated most on their previous albums. Musically this is a guy in clown make-up screaming to be taken seriously. Fuck this trash.
Unreal opening 1-4 and 6. Singles way better than album tracks. Lost interest in second half. Too long.
The singles on this album stand amongst the greatest rock songs of all time, but there is little else of note that distinguishes the other tracks. Maybe it's because I'm more tuned in to this kind of thing from just hearing 'Blackstar', but I felt that the influences of jazz were especially noticeable here. Pleasant listening, but I wouldn't mind if I never heard this album again. (5/1001, 13th Jan. '25, 0954h.).
Not my favorite RHCP album, but still pretty good. Clean and polished. Some all time anthems for sure. And Flea as always is the highlight.
Yeah, its a great album, despite how much Kedis annoys me occasionally. I love Flea and John... Lots of songs remind me of my teenage years and having a good sing along. Good times
A major come back, reuniting with John Frusciante after the failed Dave Navarro experiment. This album picks up where Blood Sugar Sex Magik left off, and eclipsed One Hot Minute. Stand out tracks, which are now classic Chili Peppers …. Around The World, Scar Tissue, Californication. A 4 star album. 4/5
Classic and exceptional album. Love it. So many bangers. What a mix of funk and rock and soul - never gets old.
I'm not big into the 80s RCHP funk but this album is a core teenage memory. Tracks 1-7 (Easily at 7 is a banger) are on fire. I do think this is an album probably best enjoyed in a car, on a sunny day, listened LOUD. Yes...Anthony Kiedis drags the whole thing down but he also gives RCHP their flavor. For 90/00 rock instrumental section, I'd put Flea, Frusciante, and Chad Smith up with anyone. I also like when they let Frusciante have his George Harrison songwriting moments with "Road Trippin'"
Great opening track, showcasing my favorite aspects of the RHCP (punk funk?). For reference, Give it Away is my favorite song of theirs. What i don't like about RHCP are the songs that really put them over the top and are the hits off this album. Something about those minor key's and sad lyrics I can't latch onto. Shutting down emotionally when i know the artist wants me to reflect. Like Will Hunting resisting Robin Williams... it's not your fault!!! I wasn't abused, I just don't like sad feelings. I also do feel a lot of these songs are structured in a very similar way - many starting with a distinct minor chord riff or chord on guitar. Another thought I keep coming back to in this exercise is that many of these bands and albums stand out because they are blending genre's - in this case there are a few but I would say hip-hop, rock and funk stand out. I've been contemplating the future of music as we run out of distict genres. A lot less low hanging fruit to create a unique sound. Has anyone blended blue grass and metal? There are many HITS on this album, but a lot of dead weight on the second half. As is often the case, deserving of more stars but two for my taste.
Hard to deny the energy and uniqueness of this album. I’ve always kinda hated on RHCP because Keidis gives off date rapist energy and their California skater dude schtick is just not my thing. But now I think that might’ve just been snobbery on my part. Enjoyed this (particularly the first half) way more than I thought I would. Their sound and attitude doesn’t always appeal to me, (particularly the tuneless white boy rapping) but more often than not I was bobbing my head to this
I can see why this is the best selling RHCP album (although I did initially think Stadium Arcadium would be). This album is loaded with hits and has some deep cuts that are memorable too (Velvet Glove and Savior). Its too much a part of my childhood to not give 5 stars, but I can understand the hate against songs like I Like Dirt lol
I mostly joined this exercise to discover music I’d never heard before, but it’s also resurfaced music I love that I haven’t listened to in forever. This is one of those. This album came out when I was emerging from the cocoon of listening to whatever my parents listened to (mostly the Beatles) and figuring out what I liked. I love this album. Having trouble distinguishing between nostalgia and objective preference, but man this album takes me back. The music videos for Californication (video game) and Otherside (black and white art hellscape) are burned in my memory. God bless this exercise
I probably won’t be the only one to point out how eerie it is to randomly see this album art today of a California coastline pool on fire. I loved this album when it first came out, in like 5th grade, and while a lot of it probably went over my head at the time, Frusciante was one of the guitarists who made me want to start learning guitar. Listening to this again now, I see why his style appealed to me even at an early age, it’s impressive but so simple and melodic, so many of the most memorable guitar riffs and solos of the 90s/2000s are on this album. I eventually became less interested in pure alt rock, and got more into jamband, jazz, and indie rock, and honestly kind of wrote off the Chili Peppers as something I was no longer into. I still think some of their more recent stuff is probably not quite for me, but holy shit the first 8 or more tracks from this album are an absolute onslaught of great great songs. Otherside was and still is my favorite. Back half of this album is less etched in my memory, but enjoyed Porcelain and Savior. Will definitely be adding this back to the rotation, what a fun revisit.
An immensely accessible and american alt rock album with many groovy rock tunes along with some duds. The first half is solid with tracks like Around The World, Parallel Universe, Scar Tissue (favourite), Otherside and the hugely popular 90s alt rock classic Californication. Just like California, it's a very sunny and optimistic sounding record. The second half could've been better. Except the crescendo of Purple Stain and the very melodic closer Road Trippin, all were boring. At first I thought the production was really good as it sounded very sharp. A bit of digging online showed me that it's actually an album known for it's terrible production due to the 'Loudness wars' of the 90s. It was only after that I felt it somewhat flat. Maybe I'm still not a music nerd after all.
Loved their early music, tuned out around here. Glad to revisit the record.
6/10
When kiedis sings and holds a note most chords sounds the same, solid album with great hits on it, would give 3.5
В меру живая и чувственная для рока. Scar tissue, Otherside отличные. Emit Remmus блестяще
Full of bangers. Aside from the obvious hits, This Velvet Glove and Emit Remmus both rocked hard. Little bit of filler in the mid section.
You know, other than the hits most of this album is dogshit. Not too surprising from heroin addicted california junkies.
groovy
le doy un 7.6/10, es un clásico con varios éxitos y sin duda, increíbles temas, pero también con algunos que no llegaron al mismo nivel de los otros.
I can't do it. They're trying about 12 times harder than I want them too and it's bumming me out.
Side B falls off so hard. 3/5
The first half of the record is much better than the second half. I think that Flea/Frucasante (spelling lolol?) are very talented musicians and I enjoyed a lot of their bass lines and guitar work here. Especially Flea on bass. Some of the melodies rock but I sort of find Kiedis on juuuuuuust this side of obnoxious. Lyrics shallow. Also, there was a song on here...can't remember which one because I was vacuuming but god damn if it didn't belong on a Limp Bizkit record (derogatory). Didn't add a single song to my playlist! Ah!
Sunday morning listening
RHCP are at their best when sticking to their psychedelic rock style, and at their worst when venturing into funk, rap, or punk. But still, I can appreciate they tried to innovate, and when it hits, it hits. (Scar Tissue, Otherside, Porcelain, Savior, Road Trippin’)
Their biggest album and maybe strongest as a whole album? Strong first half, the singles, a bunch of songs that could have been singles. Second half falls off though not as strong. Could have been a 5/5 kept to like 35-40 minutes, instead it’s a 4/5.
it ight
➕otherside, porcelin ➖get on top, easily another mainstay in my life and memories. my mom and sister adore rhcp, and i know so many more songs from this album than i thought i did. its odd because i feel like i SHOULDNT like them, but i find myself singing along a lot. maybe its the nostalgia. the first half of the album is a LOT more memorable than the second though.
this is one of the best albums ever
This was my first time listening to RHCP. Liked it a lot, but did seem to go a little overlong for my tastes. Standouts include all the singles.
Nostalgic, but underwhelming now that I'm not 16.
shama lama ding deng dong
Best: Californication Worst: I like dirt Liked songs: 60%, 9/15 Mid to strong 2 The real theme of the album here is the guitar clutches up while the vocals drag it down cuz the guitar riffs are for the most part really good but when I like a song I feel like it's usually in spite of the vocals. Definitely dated, can very much tell the era it's from (though tbf i thought i would've placed it before 99 that seems hella late). Also the peppers are assholes so that's gotta drag it down a bit. Ok and I just realized what Cali"fornication" means which reminded me that the lyrics are fucking weird why is everyone so horny for either people or california bro it was not clever enough to make it the title of the damn album the signs of the peppers being assholes were all here man.
A good rhythm section does not automatically translate to a good album. The vocals are nasal, the melodies are pure whine, and the lyrics are a melodramatic mess. 2 stars for Flea.
this album was rough. there are some funky grooves on here but they are drowned out by vocals produced by a high school kid working at a mcdonalds drive through who is frustrated that you had the audacity to order a burger. with a different vocalist and better mixing this couldve been a great album.
Ding dong ding dang
Jeg var usikker inden albummet startede. Frygten for at blive skuffet lige som tidligere. Men hér er albummet som var mit Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Jeg opdagede det først i 2004, men der var jeg også moden nok til at tage imod dem. Other Side, og Road Trippin gav kuldegysninger.
Det er godt nok lang tid siden jeg sidst har hørt den plade. Men i det øjeblik den kommer på bliver jeg katapulteret tilbage til Ryes Kasserne og min værnepligt tid i ‘99/‘00, hvor den var i heavy rotation sammen med Hooray for Boobies af Bloodhound Gang og Smashing Pumpkins Machina album. Og med de to albums i mente var jeg virkelig nervøs for hvordan dette gensyn skulle blive. Alt i alt blev det et glædeligt gensyn. Jeg kunne genkende alle numre, synge med på de fleste. Og så er der virkelig nogle af RHCPs bedste skæringer på dette album. Around the World, Otherside, Scar Tissue, Californacation og Road Tripping står ud, men der er små perler smidt rundt omkring på hele pladen. Særligt skal Purple Stain, I like Dirt og Emmit Remus fremhæves for deres up-tempo party funk rock der bare fyrer den af. Mens Porcelain er en lille (glemt) perle af en ballade.
I did not expect Red Hot Chili Peppers to have another appearance on this album. But I guess I won’t necessarily complain. I’m not one of those people who really despises this band. The hate gets pretty real for some people, but not me. While Blood Sugar Sex Magik was ultimately the real commercial breakthrough for the band, Californication marked the true beginning of their placement as one of alternative rock’s biggest icons at the time. In the eight years between those two albums, only one other record was released. And this was likely because of John Frusciante’s exit from the band. This gap was briefly filled by Dave Navarro of Jane’s Addiction, but it’s clear John had made his mark. And once he made his return, the band would create their biggest success yet. This record alone contains three of their most popular songs ever. And it definitely abandons some of the goofy funk, almost heavy metal, rock they were working with previously. Not completely though. I actually really like Around the World as an opener, because it encapsulates the sound of the album pretty well. It has super funky and loud instrumental sections at the beginning, middle and end, but also contains more normal alternative rock bits in the verses and chorus. Everything I said about these four in my previous review is still true, maybe even more so. The musical charisma and partnership between Smith, Flea and Frusciante is next level, and the one thing consistently amazing in every song no matter what. And of course Kiedis continues to bring songs down more than elevate them with his unflattering voice and ridiculous sexually charged lyricism. Those nice singing bits on Under the Bridge that I mentioned before are more present here though, like on Porcelain and Road Trippin', and it’s where he shines the best. I do appreciate that this is where John’s backing vocals start to play a bigger role, because he genuinely has a more tolerable voice than the lead singer. I’m reminded of when I first heard Black Holes and Revelations by Muse. Because I found myself enjoying this so much more than I thought I would, or than I really should be. This is definitely a front-loaded record, with five of the first six songs all being singles. And after a certain point, some of the deeper cuts just don’t hit the same. But man, that first half is probably some of the best alternative funk rock you can get from the turn of the century. So kudos to RHCP for having another album I actually like. Rating: 8/10
👍🏼
Outside of the main hits, the songs are very loose and blend into each other.
bangers across the board
The more RHCP albums i listen to in full, the more I realize I really don't like them. Anthony Keidis might be the worst lyricist of any largely popular band ever. The band is musically talented but I just hate the funk rock aspect of this album.
I'd never listened to an RHCP album in full before. I'm more familiar with their general musicianship, and Frusciante, Flea, and Smith do sound pretty good here. I'm partial to Flea's bass work in particular. I had trouble with the vocal performances and the writing, unfortunately, which is big for me. The rapping is rough, man. Like, embarrassing to listen to. Dated. The top line melodies blur together and there aren't a lot of middle-eights. I was a little surprised to see that three songs from this thing have over a billion streams. Not abysmal but not great. A 'not for me' album from what is more than likely a 'not for me' band. Other reviews mention them having better albums, so I guess I'll wait for BSSM and see.
Never quite did get into this band- not that I don't like a lot of their tracks across the years but I'd never sat down to listen to an album. Well it's a bit more laid back than I though. Quite mellow in fact. I think this will take a lot more listens.
87% Best: Around the World; Parallel Universe; Scar Tissue; Otherside; Californication; Emit Remmus; Purple Stain; Road Trippin' Must-Hear? Sure
People talk shit about RHCP and it'sa very uncool to like them, but this and One Hot Minute are amazing albums full of bangers.
First half fucks. Or, californicates, if you will. Second have left me Edinbored. Creepy lyrics and whiny voice, and I'm Lon-done. "What could be wetter than an English girl and American man ?" lmao ew
Great white people music. I see why people like them. The album gives talyor swift - Good mediocrity.
I grew up singing the songs, really good. A long album though so not all are winners.
Another album that I'd heard all the hype about, but not got around to listening to. And in this case I've missed out. It is a very good album. From the well known tracks to the not well known ones it sits together very well. Certainly one I'll look out for when perusing cd's. A solid 4 for this.
Let’s get the BIG negative out of the way first. The lyrics. They are either complete nonsense and/or very slightly morally questionable. And song writing and story telling is a big part of what makes a great artist. Musically, I absolutely love the album. Flea’s bass just slaps throughout and has his distinctive funky energy turned right up. I’m a big fan of Chad Smith’s drumming. And the band are at their best when John Frusciante decides he wants to turn up for work. Thankfully the quality music is enough for me to see past the artist that is Anthony Keidis and appreciate the art. Would be a clear 5 stars if they outsourced the lyrical part of the songwriting.
By far the worst Reading Festival headliner I've seen all the way through. There was just no energy, AK had to keep resting in between songs and Flea brought on his (grand?) children to do cartwheels. WHY? That said, that event will not cause any unconscious retrograde bias for this album. I knew the singles and very good they are too (for them). The rest kept my attention well enough nit a big fan of Fleas bass playing but Frusciante's guitar playing is exceptional. They certainly aren't a go-to band at all for me, (in fact there are very few US bands that are) but I may play my CD in the car again sometime in the future.
i like dirt, i like dirt, i like dirt, i like dirt, i like dirt, i like dirt, i like dirt, i like dirt, i like dirt, i like dirt, i like dirt, i like dirt
I genuinely have a hard time thinking of a more uninteresting and boring band than RHCP. Everything about them is bland and blah. I cannot fathom how anyone could put this on and unironically enjoy it.
Embarrassing if you're over 16 and like this
I would rate this 5 stars based on the first half of the album, but the second half is just so plain, bland and full of filler-material that this album does not deserve such praise. Very good still!
Geweldig album met toch wel hun beste hits op. Ik ben vree aan het twijfelen tussen een 4 en een 5, maar vind ze toch wel een 5 sterren verdienen met den deze. Maar afgerond dan. 4.6
Hahaha. Yeah. It’s the Red Hot Chili Peppers alright.
I've always preferred BSSM and By the Way to this one. The first half I was thinking "Wow, this is better than I remember! 5 stars!" and then the second half I was just waiting for it to be over.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO okay i just listened to it. it wasnt too bad
6/10 Better than most RHCP albums. The guitar work is great. 12-16-2024
Listened to the deluxe edition, previous have heard scar tissue, otherside, and californication. 3/5 is my current rating, a few great hits but a lot of average.
Huch! 4x Iggy Pop. Haben die keine Anziehsachen? Das erste Mal habe ich die RHCP Mitte der 80er beim Loreleifestival gesehen. Da trugen sie Socken, und zwar nur ums Gemächt. Mit der Mode kann ich nichts anfangen aber die Musik gefällt mir.
I mean, yeah, Red Hot Chili Peppers, yeah, Flea, yeah, the bass. Who's even here for other stuffs. Album is average cool (however this might be my favorite RHC album, idk, I like it more than BSSM.) but as a bassist it's always a pleasure to listen and play their songs, so 4/5.
A few cracking tracks - Scar tissue, Californication, Road Trippin & Parallel Universe - and a lot of bang average/ poor fillers inbetween. I definitely lean towards the Frusciante influenced tracks rather than more traditional BSSM slap bass funky tracks... Scraps a 4 due to the strength of the above songs.
First half is decent enough, but there's just something deeply unserious about RHCP, particularly whenever the lead singer decides to start rapping.
I always heard it as "sarcasm is to know it all"
Dull dull dull - like a gummy dog trying to slurp apple sauce! They were better on the drugs to be fair
Granted, they have some decent songs over their vast catalogue, but they are a band I just don't like and never have. Californiacation is one of the worst songs I've ever heard.
Classic late 90s
My only experience with the RHCP was in hearing them on the radio as a kid, and then also my dad playing their Greatest Hits album in his car when he had visitation. It feels like that sums up my opinion of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Lol. I grew up seeing this band as a really whitewashed, commercial example of rock music that was really for "straight white dudes" and didn't speak to anything relating to my own experience. In fact I think one of my first "ick" moments with my ex was when he pulled out a guitar and started playing Under the Bridge. I feel like Funk/Punk/Rock can be applied only when you really underscore the Punk part like RATM, Primus, Fishbone et al. otherwise its the musical experience equivalent to eating the really dodgy fusion food at an airport. I am pleased to say that my opinion hasn't really changed - with a couple of notable exceptions. There's actually a lot of unexpected punk energy from the bits of this album that didn't get commercial releases. I quite like Right on Time and I never realised they had more depth than the songs I heard non stop on the radio. Listening to and properly absorbing the lyrics of even commercialised tracks such as Californication it was surprising to see how much they actually chastise the very machine they existed (and flourished) inside. It is extra ironic that this was the stratosphere-launching album for them and it was about how overrated and materialistic Western culture was. Whether it was a cruel twist of irony from record companies in the 90s, or whether counter culture was something that they were very self aware in their exploitation of. (There's a third option where everyone involved was somehow unaware of the irony of the lyricism but..... cmon..........). Apparently part of the reason the guitarist left the band and struggled hard with addiction was his inability to come to terms with what came with 'rockstardom' and 'selling out'. You can kind of imagine that this album is somewhat a salve for him in a lot of the lyricism. Track by track Around the World I never appreciated the technical musicality of this song. While the overall sound is SUPER fuckin 90s and not in the way I personally like, the way that the instruments all come in would have taken a serious amount of collaboration. Which is interesting given the guitarist only just came back after leaving the band for an album. Parallel Universe I think this song has made me realise a lot of my distaste for RHCP comes from the bass licks - sorry Flea. The funk just does not work for me. I do like the darker more distortion heavy break in this track. You can tell these dudes have been through some shit lol Scar Tissue I've heard this song so many times my dad was obsessed with it so I am struggling very hard to listen to it objectively lol. I just don't think it is very good. Otherside I quite like the melodies of this song, and didn't get sick of it despite the extreme amount of play it got in the corolla. Finding out it was about death and grappling with the concept of it means I am incredibly predictable as a person. I did not know that it was dedicated to their former guitarist Hillel Slovak who died of a heroin overdose (were they all on heroin??? it feels like they were all on heroin). The duality of it being interpreted as either a swan song of sorts or an attempt to communicate with those who they've lost is pretty neat. Ok, maybe they don't completely suck. Get on Top Yeah there's the fuckin bass lick. JFC. THE 90S ARE NEARLY OVER GUYS. Wikipedia tells me this song was a jam session right after they finished listening to Public Enemy and that's so fuckin true and kind of emblematic for how I feel about RHCP in general. Californication The only way I can describe how I feel about the message of this song is that it is pre 9/11 political dialogue - it ultimately says nothing but sounds nice doing it. I wanna know if they are moon landing deniers or if its just a fun "We Didn't Start the Fire" for the 90's line. Easily I like the drum line in this track. I don't like Kiedis' voice. What are they tryna do here this song just says a bunch of nothing to me. They could have left this one on the cutting room floor. It's just flailing around without an identity. There are moments with the chorus where it begins to do something interesting but then it just......... fails to deliver. Porcelain Is this the only time they ever did this time signature in a song? I actually kinda like it. It's a really delicate sound which fits. Notably the bass isn't being fucking obnoxious (sorry Flea enjoyers). I heard they recorded the entire album together simultaneously rather than layering tracks etc. Imagining them doing that for this one makes me feel emotional for some reason, especially knowing the addiction battles they've all fought and only very recently overcome at the point of this recording. Emit Remmus This song is basically the slightly better cousin of Californication but I cannot enjoy it because Californication is all I can hear. It doesn't mean that I think this is a good song. Apparently it is based on Kiedis' romance with Sporty Spice and also is just Summer Time spelled backwards. DEEP, BRO I like Dirt I'm gonna copy paste what the Genius lyrics say about this song: "...the first impression this song gives is strange, childish, and simple. Don’t be fooled, it’s about sex, as things with a sexual nature a called “dirty.” This song is also crawling with innuendo." ............................. I don't have anything else to add to this. This Velvet Glove Musicality wise, I really enjoy this song. In terms of the content and lyricism, unfortunately it's what a straight white dude in the 90s considers to be deep. So, yknow. Savior Sounds like AI tried to create a Tool inspired song. Drumming is at least good? The funkadelic guitar solo is good I'll give them that. Purple Stain This is a classic RHCP song. It's got the syncopation. It's got the bass. Now let me take a look at the lyrics an- WHAT THE FUCK GUYS Right on Time Ok some frenetic energy, cool. Again I've never heard this song it's not so bad. It's not good necessarily, just not bad. The lyrics are good. A solid 6.5 Road Trippin' This is gonna sound really mean but whenever they are singing songs that aren't about their battles with addiction they just have................ no substance to them. Maybe its just because their life experience is something I've heard a million times over in entertainment. At first I was quite offended that this was the track they chose to end their album with....... something that says nothing at all about either the band, their beliefs, or even really their sound. But maybe that means it's kind of perfect? Fun facts I learned: - The film clip for Californication was inspired by Crazy Taxi and they approached Naughty Dog to use the Crash Bandicoot engine. It was too expenny so they hired someone to do it all and then he ended up working for Naughty Dog anyway lol. So I guess its actually a playable game? Or at least the animations exist? - They approached David Bowie to produce a more electronic music inspired album and got rejected so they did this album instead. Glad David Bowie and I had something in common. - I do not like the Red Hot Chili Peppers Gonna keep track of which artists in this challenge have got Allegations by googling the name of the band and then Scandal and seeing what pops up and uhhhhhhhhhh ANTHONY KIEDIS GROOMED A 14 YEAR OLD WTF BURIED THE FUCKIN LEDE HERE JFC
Reminds me of my early teen years. Good stuff, but not necessarily mind bending
From the Reddit thread linked in this article: https://www.smackmedia.ca/news/rhcp-assaults-problematic-industry Early in their career, Flea allegedly asked a 13-year-old if she was backstage “to give all of [them] head.” In Scar Tissue, Kiedis’ 2004 autobiography, he admits to having sex with a 14-year-old girl. Kiedis wrote “Catholic School Girls Rule” about her. The song was most recently performed in 2007. He also admits that he began dating Ione Skye a few days before her 16th birthday. Within a few months, they moved in together. While driving to rehab, he drove erratically and frightened Ione. He describes his behavior in their relationship as “emotional terrorism.” In Japan, he said that he had sex with someone after “about five hours of nonstop subtle loving coercion.” He had sex with Jaime Rishar when she was 17. Also, the book has a topless photo of Ione that might have been taken before she was eighteen. On April 21, 1989, Kiedis allegedly touched a woman’s face with his penis after a concert. The band also allegedly stole her car. Kiedis said that it was "blown way out of proportion by both the media and the prosecution. It was a playful thing that happened backstage -- there was never any harmful intention. Speaking for my band and myself, we're all very friendly people who would never want to hurt anybody or make people uncomfortable." In May 1990, Flea and Smith were arrested after grabbing a fan while taping a Spring Break segment for Club MTV. Flea picked up a female fan and placed her over his shoulders. Smith pulled down the woman’s bathing suit bottoms and began spanking her. The woman fell, and Flea knelt on top of her and demanded she perform oral sex on him. According to police she was bruised. Flea was charged with battery, disorderly conduct, and solicitation to commit an unnatural and lascivious act. Smith was charged with battery. They plead guilty and were each required to pay $5,000 to a rape crisis center. The band discussed the incident in an interview with Rolling Stone. Flea said that it was wrong of him to yell at the woman, but that he “did not assault anybody, and it was not sexual. It had nothing to do with sex.” Smith said that, while he was not trying to avoid blame, they were trying to make an example of them. “The way it came out was that it was a real malicious thing, that we tried to beat this girl up.” Julie Farman was sexually harassed by two members of the band in 1991. She went into a storage room with two members of the band, who pressed up against her and “told [her] about all of the ways [they] could make a super sexy sandwich.” She was an executive at Epic Records. While the band was never signed to Epic Records, they were attempting to negotiate a contract with the label at the time.
This record has really held up well over time. I enjoyed listening to it back in the day, and it's still a fun listen now. At this point in their career RHCP wasn't inventing anything new but they know how to make a good song.
Lots of songs you’ll know
Good late stage RHCP album
The album is carried by its few excellent tracks. It wasn't a no skip album. Constant California motifs help keep it consistent.
I fully expected to despise this, but somehow I didn't. It wasn't great, but it wasn't quite as bad as I was expecting. The vocalist is awful, but I somehow managed to put that aside and found enough enjoyment for a bland 3 stars.
8/10, not really my taste tbh but it has a few good songs and sounds great wowiwo
classic
No. From the punning album title via the hyperactive bass playing and the pedestrian drumming and the singer who can't sing, or rap, and writes the worst lyrics to the dreary ballads. Just no.
-surprisingly I hadn’t actually listened to RHCP before, like not a single one. This album feels sort of long but is very consistent in quality imo! Flea’s guitar work is honestly phenomenal especially in Around the World -Favorites are Around The World, Otherside, and Californication
I actually liked this record when it first came out but grew to loathe the hits over time. On this listen I didn’t hate it quite as much as expected and got a twinge or two of nostalgia for sophomore year of high school. Flea’s bass playing is always fun too. Nonetheless I’m good with never hearing it again.
Lo mejor que RHCP logró alguna vez y de los mejores trabajos de Rick Rubin. Sonidos excelentes acompañados de letras mejorables, es imposible no gustar de Californication
After a few years testing different styles and making their punk-funk fussion style, they finally hit the mother load. Although I prefer earlier albums personally because of their rawness and singularity, this album marks the balance between their fussion in a way that could be played in radios and commercialized. This is their best album as they explore deeper themes and they finally get to that boilling point of creativity. Their best album both commercially and as musicians. Frusciantis return was the final piece of the puzzle to launch them into legend status. Everything is great here, the B-side songs are very good as well. Easily is a great song that never got played. Probably top 10 album of the decade at hand.
I haven't listened to this album in probably 20 years, which is weird to say and makes me feel old. I'm only part way through Around the World, and what a shit track this is. I liked it much better when it came out. Parallel Universe is off to a much better start. Flea's bass break/the instrumental section was a treat, for sure. This is maybe the worst mixed/produced album I have encountered on this list. I'm not even listening on great gear, and I'm having a hard time listening because of all the artifacts and compression. It's a shame even the remaster is bad because there is music on this album I really like. I tested both versions on tidal. I still love Scar Tissue Otherside has always been one of my favorite RHCP songs. Still true today This album is SO FUCKING LOUD. Get On Top and Around the World, especially so Californication is always a treat Emmit Remus wasn't super enjoyable This Velvet Glove: if someone had never heard of RHCP and asked what kind of music they played, this would be the song I'd play for them. Not in any sort of negative way, though. I quite liked this song Road Trippin': I have always liked this easygoing guitar and soft vocal track. I can't give this album 4 stars, but it's just the slightest bit south of 4. 3.99
Damn that’s a lot of bangers in one album.
I'm getting this one 25 years post it's release. I personally don't love it, but it's hard not to hear all of the influence it had on a generation of artists. You can hear something from this album in almost every song played on alt Nation today. It's really amazing.
Love this album, but there are some tracks I like less. 4/5
I actually thought I might enjoy this more having listened to it a lot when I was younger. On this listen, it really is only the front 1/3 that really stands out. The backend of this record sounded like songs that didn’t make the cut for BSSM or Mothers Milk
Classic rock funk combination with so many hits on one record
He's not a bad singer but it really isn't my style. That aside, they clearly have talent and a unique style and direction and make sense to be on the list. Rhythm section is sold. Otherside has a strong standout energy.
The amount of times i have had to hear most of these songs is nauseating. The musicianship is solid but the vocals not so much. This is an instance where I would not go with a trumpet to replace the vocalist, I would go with a cello.
Fav song: Porcelain Amazing singles!! I think RHCP are at their strongest when singing instead of doing that weird funk rapping. Scar Tissue is one of their best songs ever.
I had this album when it came out and thought I listened to it a lot. It turns out that I managed to blank roughly 2/3 of this album out. If I never hear the hits off this album again, it will be too soon. There are some good funky bits in here that harken back to older RHCP, but overall this album is not good-it marked the definite end of this band for me.
I've listened to this from start to finish many times throughout my life, so giving it a 5 is easier for me now than it would have been the first time, given the sheer volume and variety of songs contained. I truly believe all the tracks hit, and range from fun and inconsequential to touching and poignant.