Album Results
Album Reviews
The Red Hot Chili Peppers' eighth studio album finds the California foursome exploring the more melodic freeways of harmony and texture, contrasting the gritty, funky side streets of their early days. Luckily, with this more sophisticated sound, the Peppers have not sacrificed any of their trademark energy or passions for life, universal love, and (of course) lust. Although they recorded the spiky Abbey Road EP in 1988, this album actually sounds a lot closer to the Beatles' Abbey Road, with a little of Pet Sounds and elements of Phil Spector's lushest arrangements all distilled through the band's well-traveled funk-pop stylings. Harmony vocals and string arrangements have replaced some of the aggressive slap bass that the group was initially recognized for, but fans of both the gentle and the fierce Chili Peppers styles will embrace the title track and first single, "By the Way." In fact, this song on its own could almost be a brief history of everything the Red Hot Chili Peppers have recorded: fiery Hollywood funk, gentle harmonies, a little bit of singing about girls, a little bit of hanging out in the streets in the summertime, some rapid-fire raps from Anthony Kiedis, some aggro basslines from Flea -- the song plays like a three-and-a-half-minute audio version of Behind the Music. Overall, the album leans more toward the melodic end of their oeuvre, but they have grown into this kinder, gentler mode organically, progressively working toward this groove little by little, album by album. What once were snapshots of a spastic punk-funk lifestyle have grown into fully realized short stories of introspection and Californication. Though the pace of the album falters at times (particularly in the verses; the choruses are all pretty spectacular), it is refreshing to see that as the four Chili Peppers continue to grow older and more sure of themselves, their composition and performing skills are maturing along with them. ~ Zac Johnson, All Music Guide
Track Listing
| 1. By The Way |
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| 2. Time |
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| 3. Teenager In Love |
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| Featured Review | |
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Use Somebody Kings Of Leon |
| When Kings of Leon were announced as one of the headline acts of Glastonbury last June, it was accompanied by a cloud of doubts. Questions about the bands legitimacy for such a prestigious slot were all answered when the Followill's delivered, what was for many, one of the highlights of the festival. As well achieving this milestone the band completed a sold out world tour and, in "Only By The Night", released one of the defining albums of the year. "Use Somebody" captures the band at their most reflective, revealing a desire to turn away from philandering ways and settle down. Could it be that the band's notorious womanising days are behind them? Whether the lyrical content is autographical or not is irrelevant, the track is just another example of how the band provides mainstream rock that doesn't, fortunately, fall into Snow Patrol territory. Anthemic without ever feeling overblown, "Use Somebody" is the sound of the band fully hitting their stride. Expect a sea of lighters when this gets played live and while you may feel a bit cheesy for complying, with songs of this standard it's perfectly acceptable. ©2008 Shazam Entertainment Limited. All rights reserved. | |
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