June 8, 1999 - Californication

On the same day as my last release and nearly four years since "One Hot Minute", Red Hot Chili Peppers released their seventh album "Californication" on June 8, 1999. Guitarist Dave Navarro was only on their last album as he left the band following that tour. Replacing him on guitar is the return of John Frusciante, who went through rehab and has now come to terms with the fame that comes along with being a Chili Pepper. This is a really great development and I'm thrilled to see their (in my opinion) best guitarist back in the fold. This of course meant the style shifted back towards a more melodic and sometimes lighter style, but there is definitely still some funky, classic RHCP stuff. Let's check it out!

The album begins with the second of it's five singles "Around The World" and Flea kicks us off with some pretty wicked bass. Chad Smith falls in on drums and then Frusciante plays a catchy and cool guitar riff to cue up the verse. Anthony Kiedis sings a fast verse that also sounds really catchy and Flea'a bass is phenomenal even though it's in the background. The chorus is slower but very smooth and pop-y and it's very easy to see why this was a single. Frusciante doesn't solo, but there's a nice faster part in the middle and after a final verse and chorus they nicely jam things out 'til the end. A great opener! Up next is "Parallel Universe" and it's got a slower pace despite a decently fast main guitar riff and Kiedis sings perfectly to match the mood in a smooth and catchy verse. Things get louder in the chorus, but it's pretty similar, which isn't the worst thing. Flea plays some pretty cool bass as you'd expect and even though they don't stray far from the main riff it was still a solid song. Track 3 is the album's lead single "Scar Tissue" and Frusciante leads the way with a light and breezy guitar riff that sounds pretty good. Smith and Flea provide the perfect rhythm section to match and Kiedis sounds great singing the verse and the chorus. Flea adds backing vocals in the chorus and things sound very catchy and smooth indeed. Frusicante's solo midway through is simple, but it sounds really epic and cool. After a final verse and chorus Frusciante plays a longer solo right until the end of the song and this one is super smooth and catchy. This song is undeniably smooth and it's no wonder it was a gigantic success. The next track was also a huge single and it's called "Otherside". Frusciante plays another light and super smooth guitar riff and Kiedis sounds pretty great once again as he leads a catchy verse. They are just exploding with riffs and verses that are pop-y, smooth and pretty catchy, but each is unique and cool in their own way. Midway through Flea plays a cool new bass riff that takes us in a new direction and after a nice setup by Kiedis, Frusciante plays some nice epic guitar before they finish things off with a nice final chorus. Another perfectly packaged single! Track 5 is "Get On Top" and it's a nice upbeat song with some pretty cool guitar and bass throughout. I love the funky and fast feel to things and everyone sounds great. There is certainly no let up so far, every song has been pretty sweet! Up next is the title track "Californication" and it's yet another massively succesful single with yet another smooth and catchy guitar riff by Frusciante leading the way. Kiedis sings a nice high verse with all the words that end in "ation" and things are undeniably smooth and cool. Flea's bass is pretty cool as usual and the chorus is simple but it's nice and loud and very easy to sing along with. Frusicante's guitar solo is also really smooth and sounds pretty good and RHCP are just rolling out the megahits on this album. Another pretty cool song! Track 7 is "Easily" and it's got a nice upbeat main riff with some fast guitar and some solid fast vocals by Kiedis. Flea's bass sounds awesome as usual and they segue nicely into the more melodic chorus that also sounds pretty good. Frusciante plays a short but cool sounding solo and after another verse and chorus he delivers a final longer solo that takes us to the end of another solid tune. The next track is "Porcelain" and it's by far the slowest song yet at a snail's pace and also the sappiest. Kiedis sings very lightly and slowly to match the mood and things sound quietly epic, but it's such a drastic shift and unsurprisingly not my favourite. It's a shorter one as well and it's the first song on this album to not be well above average. Gotta take a slow break I guess! Track 9 is "Emit Remmus" which is just summer time spelled backwards. Flea plays a really catchy bass riff that drives things along as Frusciante plays some nice trippy guitar and Kiedis sings nicely overtop. It's a little repetitive, but it's still pretty good and Frusciante plays some pretty sweet guitar at the end. Up next is "I Like Dirt" and Kiedis sings a pretty catchy and cool verse overtop another catchy and funky riff with some typically cool bass. Frusciante plays possibly his best guitar solo sp far as he sounds awesome and it carries over to make the final chorus even better! A pretty sweet little song! Track 11 is "This Velvet Glove" and Frusciante plays a light but catchy guitar riff and Kiedis sings softly overtop to nicely match the mood. Things get louder in the chorus and Flea steps up his bass as they nicely move into this solid chorus. They don't start from this verse/chorus combo which is a little drab but like the rest of this album, it's still a decent tune. The next track is "Savior" and it's got a slower main riff with some decent guitar and bass, but it's not very funky and not as smooth as others. After a round through they shift to a light new riff that sounds pretty pop-y, and then they hit reset and do it all again. Things sound quietly epic, but it's another lesser one for me (don't get me wrong, it's still a good song, just lesser for the high bar set on this album). Track 13 is "Purple Stain" and Frusciante plays some cool stop-and-start guitar while Flea plays some nice funky bass and Kiedis sings nicely overtop. I love this old-school funky feel and the smooth and catchy chorus somehow goes great with the funky verse! Frusciante plays a short but cool solo and the final minute of the song is a nice jam with Frusciante leading the way on guitar and Smith playing some solid drums in the background. Up next is a little two minute track called "Right On Time" and they kick right into this fast-paced riff with some cool guitar and bass and Kiedis singing quickly along. The mood shifts to light for the chorus but Flea's bass is pretty phenomenal the whole time. It's short, but it's pretty sweet too! The final track on the album was also a single and it's titled "Road Trippin'". Flea and Frusciante both acoustic on this one and Flea's bass still sounds cool as Frusciante leads the way with some nice acoustic guitar. Kiedis sings lightly overtop and things sound pretty cool. We hear some strings that add to the quiet epicness and this is an unusual route for RHCP, but of course they still sound pretty good, even in this setting. It's an interesting choice for a single, bit I see the broad appeal for sure. It's also an interesting way to wrap up this long album.

That is the end of "Californication" and I thought it was a pretty sweet album! Aside from only a couple lesser songs (and there were 15 songs) most of this album was very well done with a great mix of high energy tracks and slow and smooth ones. Having John Frusciante back in the band is a very big plus and he plays all kinds of smooth and silky guitar riffs. I think it's so good that we go right to asking the question: is it better than "Blood Sugar Sex Magik"? They are both really good albums and I think it's really, really close. I give the slight nod to this newest effort though as "Californication" takes the Chili Peppers top spot. Where will they go from here? With John back in the mix i'm sure it'll be great!