All My CDs, pt 94: Californication

Forgive my lateness.

Californication - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Here’s another CD that entered my collection by way of my brother’s, when we were kids and I was relatively new to the concept of contemporary music. I don’t usually list Red Hot Chili Peppers among my “favorites,” but I’ve enjoyed them more consistently than many other popular bands, and I don’t foresee losing interest any time soon.

Shortly after putting this CD on for the first time in a few years, it struck me that the music is surprisingly sensitive and vulnerable for an all-male mainstream 90s rock band. Subconsciously that may have been a reason for my consistent draw toward their music; it’s emotional but still appealing in a less superficial way as well. The guitar-playing and harmonies are just complex enough that you know that these are skilled musicians, and the deeper meanings of the lyrics are just an extra bit of value if you’re in the mood to delve into them.

This is one band that is very good at fast-paced, high-powered rhythmic music. The album has a good mixture of “fast songs” and “slow songs,” and the fast ones have enough complex, interwoven rhythms to keep them interesting over many many listenings. Just the refrain of “Right On Time”, where the instruments stay fast and the vocals slow down, then another set of vocals come in on quadruple-time repeating the same phrase, is intoxicatingly textured. I think it’s all the more pleasurable to me because I know I’d never have been able to produce that effect myself. I have no innate sense of rhythm to speak of.

Albums like these are the reason I’ll never be a true hipster.

Next: Infrawarrior