mail: daniel_fjall@hotmail.com
|
californication by the way
Californication Californication was played a lot on the radio, and it probably deserved it. The songs here are divided into two categories. First one being they heavy, but yet not aggressive and the second category is very laid back and the singles of the albums belongs to that category. “Scar Tissue” and “Other Side” are great songs and sounds like afterparty material. Not something that you would want to listen to after a long night out, but how you feel after a long night out. Tired and torn and can’t wait to lie down, but also calm, relaxed and hovering above the street lights. No matter if Anthony Kiedis is delivering soft melodies or rap singing in a white, 80’s way the album is held together by bassist Flea’s fluent riffs and John Frusciante’s tasteful guitar work. Frusciante had left the Peppers back in the early 90’s and spent most of his time being a hardcore heroin addict. He had played a big part in making Red Hot Chili Peppers a commercially successful band with songs such as “Under The Bridge”, and now when he returned you can tell how much he meant for the group’s sound. And now, being a little bit older, a new kind of maturity was added to the sound, which makes half of Californication sound like “Under The Bridge”. Only superior. The guitar is fantastic, in a minimalistic way, throughout the album. They haven’t fully developed their sense for melody yet, as they would on By The Way, nor the vocal harmonies, but they do make a couple of attempts. Successfully too, if not as amazing on the 2002-album. Californication’s strength is in the slower, nearly under-arranged material such as “Velvet Glove”, “Other Side” and “Scar Tissue”. Great songs, even if I do like the rainy and nearly jazzy ballad “Porcelain” better, as well as closing “Road Trippin’”, which sounds more organic and breathing because of the use of acoustic guitars and cellos, instead of the dry electric instruments on the other numbers. The faster songs doesn’t quite manage to run you over in the way the should, but they are all at least enjoyable. A huge success, both in a commercial and artistic way. That is something very rare in these modern days.
By The Way Red Hot Chili Pepper had been popular for years, but found a new fanbase when they released Californication in 1999. An album that atracted both the old fans and the naive teenagers. That album made Red Hot Chili Peppers true superstars and quite naturally, the band follows the commercially successful concept on the follow up album, By The Way. Which means they sell-out. But in a good way. A band that used to rely on fast riffs, cool rhythms and some sort of white trash rap is suddenly laid-back, extremely melodic and clearly has a solid insight in classic pop and rock from the 60’s. Songs such as “Dosed” and “Universally Speaking” clearly witness of a fondness for acts in the same vein as the Zombies and the Byrds, whilst the melodies often reveals a Beatles-fascination. It is tempting to mention Brian Wilson as well, but I would not stretch it that far. I’m sure the boys listened a lot to him and his surfing friends and probably were inspired, yet I would not claim that they tried to copy his vocal arrangements. The harmony vocals instead reminds of Beatles, Zombies and Byrds. And that’s not me trying to put down the groups’s vocal harmonies. The harmonies are accomplished, but it doesn’t sound like the Beach Boys, as many critics and reviews are trying to make us believe. Enough about that, though. Everything here sounds great and the only complaint I have is that the album is a bit too long. There are many songs that needs to sink in and it makes the songs float into each other and it can be hard to tell one from another. However, when you have passed that problem, which you eventually will, there’s nothing stopping you from enjoying By The Way from beginning to end. Make sure to pay attention to “Tear” towards the end. It’s an amazing ballad and one of the best songs of 2002. Fantastic vocal harmonies arranged in a beautiful way and works perfect with the lead melody and really emotional. Strange it wasn’t released as a single, but I guess it is too good for that. Speaking of singles, the title track was the first single and is one of few songs which slightly reminds of the band’s earliest efforts (“Throw Away Your Television” and “Can’t Stop” falls into the same category as well) thanks to the heavy part that sneaked into it, surrounded by the new appreciation for melody and pop arrangements.
|