Red Mosquito

Having said that, Anthony Keidis is a terrible lyricist and a bad singer.

Birds in Hell wrote:This thread prompted me to buy the Melbourne 2000 RHCP show available on Nugs/LiveDownloads.

So far, so good. Frusciante is doing some fantastic stuff on this.

Sometimes I really love Frusciante's playing -- usually his rhythm parts -- but too often I find his lead parts clunky and lacking fluidity. There are a few solos on "Californication" and "By the Way" where he sounds like a musical version of someone who types using only his index finger.

tommymtcom wrote:I saw RHCP live in 2003 with Qotsa and The Mars Volta. It was a pretty kick ass show.

I saw them on that tour too. Front row with my dad. It was awesome.

Kevin Davis wrote:

Birds in Hell wrote:This thread prompted me to buy the Melbourne 2000 RHCP show available on Nugs/LiveDownloads.

So far, so good. Frusciante is doing some fantastic stuff on this.

Sometimes I really love Frusciante's playing -- usually his rhythm parts -- but too often I find his lead parts clunky and lacking fluidity. There are a few solos on "Californication" and "By the Way" where he sounds like a musical version of someone who types using only his index finger.

The simplicity of some of his parts on Californiacation is a real highlight of the album to me.

It's not the simplicity of the parts -- it's his lack of grace in executing them. He sounds like he always has a death grip on the neck of the guitar, and it can make his lead parts sound choppy ("Dosed" from "By the Way" is the song that really comes to mind, but there are other culprits). It doesn't hinder my enjoyment of the albums -- I just don't know that I regard him as the great guitarist that some others do.

I do really love that multi-tracked cacophony at the end of "Easily" though.

At first I thought you guys should start a RHCP thread. But then realized that this does indeed belong in Unpopular Music Opinions

tragabigzanda wrote:

Monkey_Driven wrote:

Kevin Davis wrote:

Birds in Hell wrote:This thread prompted me to buy the Melbourne 2000 RHCP show available on Nugs/LiveDownloads.

So far, so good. Frusciante is doing some fantastic stuff on this.

Sometimes I really love Frusciante's playing -- usually his rhythm parts -- but too often I find his lead parts clunky and lacking fluidity. There are a few solos on "Californication" and "By the Way" where he sounds like a musical version of someone who types using only his index finger.

The simplicity of some of his parts on Californiacation is a real highlight of the album to me.

I think he's the last popular guitarist who's sound is immediately recognizable. You hear a couple licks, and you just know it's him. A big part of that is his simplicity, plus the sound of a Fender Strat with the neck pickup.

(Other recent examples would be Tom Morello and Nels Cline).

Josh Homme, too.

I can't easily recall how John's playing sounds on the studio records from that period as, though I've heard them at various points, I've never actually owned them and probably won't unless a more listenable mastering is one day released.

I think his playing on this live recording is just thrilling however, solos and all. Very much recommend picking it up if you're so inclined and can stomach an hour or more of Kiedas's grunting and yowling.

I remember some of the solo albums he released being pretty good. I should revisit those.

Frusciante tickles my happy spot with whatever it is he does to the neck of the guitar.

tommymtcom wrote:Having said that, Anthony Keidis is a terrible lyricist and a bad singer.

I completely understand people being put off by his nonsense lyrics and poetry raps, but amongst the cheese are some real gems. I have a soft spot for the guy.

Me too, I don't find him nearly as off-putting as some do.

His vocal style is certainly an acquired taste but I think it's very well suited to the band.

At about 4:27 of this song is the kind of thing I'm talking about:


It makes me think of a kid feeling his way around scales for the first time -- it's not like the notes don't work, it's just so utterly graceless.

Kiedis's voice I have always liked, though I have no taste for his dumb sex raps anymore.

Kevin Davis wrote:Kiedis's voice I have always liked, though I have no taste for his dumb sex raps anymore.

The funny thing about those is that I was deathly embarrassed and borderline offended by them when I was younger and now I think they're great.

Kevin Davis wrote:At about 4:27 of this song is the kind of thing I'm talking about:


It makes me think of a kid feeling his way around scales for the first time -- it's not like the notes don't work, it's just so utterly graceless.

Kiedis's voice I have always liked, though I have no taste for his dumb sex raps anymore.

As with a thousand Chili Pepper songs, I go from "oh this is ok I guess" to increasingly distracted to "wow so this is still going on huh" all before the 2 minute mark.

There's also something about the Peppers that always makes me feel like I'm perusing the seasonal sales rack for casual wear, somewhere.

listening to m. ward for the first time in a long time and i still prefer transistor radio over transfiguration of vincent