John Frusciante Gets a Boner

I remember being 11 or 12 years old and paying $20 to get me a VHS copy of "Funky Monks", the documentary behind Blood Sugar Sex Magik by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was awesome to see Chad Smith lay it down (with the greatest drum sound EVER), then switch it up and play somber tunes on the piano. He also left the mansion they recorded in every night to escape the man-grabbing that was going on daily between Flea, Anthony and John. We also got to see how truly terrible Anthony was (and still is, to some extent) as a vocalist, Flea and Chad playing tire irons during "Breaking The Girl" and one of the weirdest things I've ever heard someone say.

During a personal interview with John in his makeshift bedroom, he describes what it's like to get caught up in a good riff, jamming with the band. He says he gets a boner because the jams are so awesome, making him do his thing (hopefully in private...more likely in Anthony). You could easily see from these clips and interviews that this was the start of John's heroin addiction, which later left him Pepperless and replaced by 147 guitarists, including stints by Arik Marshall and Dave "I'm a walking douche bag" Navarro.

With the Peppers on hiatus while Anthony impregnated a 19 year old girl, Chad rocks with many a motherfucker (Glenn Hughes, Sammy Hagar's Chickenfoot, solo projects) and Flea shows up on the new Keith Caputo disc), John is ready to unleash "The Empyrean" thru The Record Collection tomorrow. This is the first solo disc of his since releasing 6 LP'sin 6 months back in 2006. I'd expect more of the same, which for fans of JF is always welcome. Haunting melodies, amazingly simple structures and surprisingly beautiful vocals and lyrics.

For fans of his older work, all of this will inevitably fall short of "Your Pussy's Glued To A Building On Fire" or "Life's A Bath", bt in reality, those are fucking terrible records made by a drugged out lunatic. I'm very happy with sober John. Keep the boners coming, my friend.

"Going Inside" Live, 2000ish:
"Carvel": All Tomorrow's Parties, 2005:

ooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOHHH SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!

When people discuss the vast history and back catalog of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, there always seems to be two distinct camps: Those who "know" Freakey Styley and those who don't. It's as simple as that. There's no denying that the Peppers have gone on to make FAR superior albums since said 1985 sophomore LP, but the point is that this band is clearly divided by their college radio days and their successes since. For the most part it's not the bands' fault. It's preppy douche bags in Hollister shirts that think "Under The Bridge" is old guy rock and jerks off to John Mayer songs in the dark, with a popped collar still on.

I'm a huge RHCP fan and I love all their records (ok, their self-titled debut has only a few gems and quite a few stinkers), but regarless of what trends dictate, they really did make "that" jump with 1989's Mother's Milk and the epic follow-up, BloodSugarSexMagik. To this day I believe that BSSM is the best-produced album of all time. Chad Smith's drums sound like fine-tuned cannons. I love that shit.

Through all the periods of the band (I'm looking at you, Arik Marshall) and regardless of how good I think a certain record is, I always find myself falling back to One Hot Minute. I know it's not nearly as good as BSSM or even as cohesive as Californication or as suprisingly good as the mammoth Stadium Arcadium...But it just kicks so much fucking ass. I think John Frusciante WASTES Dave Navarro. I have nothing against him at all. In fact, I love Jane's Addiction and even resonably enjoy Deconstructed and Trust No One. Really, for serious. I also have all of Frusciante's solo work (yes, all of it...even the drugged-out 2nd LP on Birdman) and I take the good with the bad. His latter work is simply stunning. Check out To Record Only Water For Ten Days. It's incredible what this guy can do.

All that said, One Hot Minute still gets my vote. There's a silent urgency in the songs, a need to be radio-friendly and experimental all at once. That's why there's heartfelt ballads ("My Friends", "Tearjerker"), funky motherfuckers ("Coffee Shop", "One Hot Minute") and the experimental ("Pea", "Deep Kick"). I love the b-sides from these sessions as well. "Let's Make Evil" is one of my favorite Peppers songs (an unreleased track on the "My Friends" German import CD single).

Just check this out and I will accept your apology later. So will Anthony, Flea, Chad and the 700 guitarists that have seen Anthony and Flea do unspeakable things to each other, all in the name of Funkiness.

"Deep Kick" 1996:
"One Big Mob" 1996: