To celebrate the return of the legendary John Frusciante to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, this week’s ‘Stephen’s Selects’ is dedicated entirely to his greatness!
John Frusciante is one of the greatest guitarists of all time and is often underrated. In this week’s list, I wanted to include some of the classic Red Hot Chili Peppers tracks you’ll know and love, along with some of his lesser known but equally brilliant works.
So, now is the time to check it out…
If you still want to listen to last week’s tracks, you can see what was included here.
If you like what you hear, then please hit that ‘Follow’ button on the playlist on Spotify and follow along!
Remember – I’ll also happily include your music, so please send links my way!
Now, without further ado, here’s the breakdown of Stephen’s Selects #12: December 16th – 22nd…
- John Frusciante – ‘Going Inside’
This is the title track from Frusciante’s second EP. It was released in 2001 between Californication and By The Way. While there is a Chili Peppers sound to ‘Going Inside’, it’s uniquely John and is a lot more experimental and lo-fi than a Chilis record. The production sounds quite “rough” but it’s great music… sampled drums, Frusciante chords, weird lyrics, great riffs. It feels like it’s a home recording and that anyone can do it. Anyone can! - Red Hot Chili Peppers – ‘Funky Monks’
The first of the tracks from Blood Sugar Sex Magik to be included in this playlist. ‘Funky Monks’ starts out with an unplugged electric guitar riff. That often threw me when I was first figuring out guitar because I wasn’t sure if it was a bass guitar or an electric guitar. Flea’s bass notes are kept simple while the guitar is working its magic in the verse. The chorus employs a more complimentary bass line to work with what the guitar is doing. Lots of production work to learn from and mirror. - Red Hot Chili Peppers – ‘Snow (Hey Oh)’
The “impossible” guitar riff. It’s panned right from the get-go. Why do you think that is? Leave a comment down below and we can open up a discussion. There’s so much in this song that I’ll dedicate an entire article to it. - Red Hot Chili Peppers – ‘Knock Me Down’
This is a classic Chili Peppers sound. The lyrical content is all about the dangers of addiction and the death of Hillel Slovak – a departure from former subjects. The guitar riffs are heavier than what was to come in Blood Sugar Sex Magik and Californication and the bass is more aggressive. John’s playing is also clearly heavily influenced by Jimi Hendrix. If you listen closely to ‘Knock Me Down’, you’ll hear that John’s vocals are much more pronounced than usual. They actually overpower Anthony Kiedis. That is actually a mixing mistake and an accident. However, the end result still sounds great! - John Frusciante – ‘Song To Sing When I’m Lonely’
‘Song To Sing When I’m Lonely’ is a very simple theme and a simple song. To boil it down, you have very nice synths, arpeggios, acoustic guitars, simple vocals and a simple drum beat. The song also features classic John Frusciante backing vocals, except this time he’s backing himself instead of Anthony Kiedis. - Red Hot Chili Peppers – ‘Turn It Again’
This song features a great funky guitar riff that is well complimented by the bass. The heavier riff is then doubled and panned wide. For the most part in the heavier sections, the bass guitar is hammering root notes with some tasteful runs. There is a real contrast between sections.The prolonged guitar solo is some of john’s finest work. There are multiple effects and layers in use. It’s very tidy playing and mixing, which Frusciante mixed in himself. The whole time the various guitar solo layers are playing, the bass and drums keep moving and backing him while he goes. The solo then finally evolves into another riff with low undertones. By far one of my favourite Chilis tracks.
- Red Hot Chili Peppers – ‘Under The Bridge’
‘Under The Bridge’ is an all time classic. It’s influenced by the thumb-over-the-top melodic Hendrix style. It’s Frusciante’s ‘Little Wing’. The tone is beautiful and the playing is even better. The production is kept simple for the most part. There’s no slap bass and a very simple backbeat on the drums. It’s Anthony and John’s show.In the chorus, we hear more of a walking bass style to support John’s chords. The drums finally enter after the second chorus and the song builds to a huge outro, accompanied by the higher vocals from the choir. One of my favourite parts of the entire production is the single piano note at the end.
- Red Hot Chili Peppers – ‘Scar Tissue’
The ‘Under The Bridge’ of Californication. However, it’s much more of a pop song and more about the vocals. The intro is shorter and John’s backing vocals are used more. The slide guitar solos are epic. When played live, the slide guitar isn’t always used for the final solo and John really opens it up. The Slane Castle performance is a perfect example of that and one I highly recommend you check out. - John Frusciante – ‘Murderers’
‘Murderers’ has a hip hop beat that reminds me of Dilla. The programmed drums and John’s guitar style work very well together. There are strange guitar tones and melody choices that combine nicely with orchestral synths. It’s an interesting direction for his music. - Red Hot Chili Peppers – ‘Venice Queen’
I first heard ‘Venice Queen’ at a live Chili Peppers gig at Landsdowne Road in Dublin in 2002. The haunting swells started it all off and had my attention from the start. By The Way had yet to be released, so this took me entirely by surprise.What I love about this song is how nicely the guitar arpeggios and bass guitar blend together.
Some other highlights are the lovely vocal melodies, the showcase of different guitar styles and the consistency of the snare drum.
In terms of production, it’s a dream because it combines multiple different styles and techniques in one evolving song.
So, that’s week twelve of Stephen’s Selects.Click here to listen to the full playlist on Spotify!
(Please note that the link will send you to the playlist of the current week and might not feature the tracks listed above!
Remember that if you like what you hear, then please hit that ‘Follow’ button on Spotify and follow the playlist!
If you’d like to have your song featured or have any recommendations, drop me a comment below or email. Let’s talk more about the music we’re listening to and share our ideas!
Now, I’d love to know…
What are you listening to this week? What are you working on? Have anything you’d like to share?
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