A lot of people using the comments to speculate on why I don’t “get” RHCP. I don’t know why… I like stuff that’s simple, I really love listening to a beautiful song arranged minimally. RHCP just doesn’t move me, and it’s difficult to explain why. I love funk; I listen to funk and disco a lot. Tower of Power, The Gap Band, Rick James, Chic. So it’s not that. I love listening to a lot of music from artists that are infinitely more successful than I’ll ever be. Jealousy will never be a factor in my tastes. When you’re a parent, you watch opinions form in your offspring and you can’t begin to imagine where they come from. To try and speculate on the origins of somebody else’s opinion is a complete waste of time! Just to clarify; when I use the term “expression”, I mean vibrato and dynamics (variable velocity) in the lead guitar technique. I’m not suggesting that his playing isn’t expressive, I was using the technical musical term. I’m well aware that without these things a solo can still be emotive and indeed great. I really enjoyed the solo in this song. As I think I clearly stated in the video. Enjoy!
That's fair man. I feel the same about a few famous bands like the Foo Fighters, think they're all brilliant but I just don't get it. But then hardcore FF fans will explain WHY it might be and I guess after that I kinda get it more, but still not enough! I would definitely say watch the RHCP live at Slane Castle DVD and Hyde Park 2004 gigs on CD as a final "give this a whirl".
Beautiful Melodies are what gives this band such a compelling sound. The best way to explain it is, Frusciante can write beautiful melody the way Jimmy Page could write a beautiful riff. They’re never hard to play, in either respect. But they’re good all the same. Then on top of that, Frusciante does backup vocal brilliantly as well.
@@RunningxRiott Yea that's exactly it. It's Ludovico Einaudi, his piano pieces aren't the most technical by far....but listen to Oltremere and that melody is what drives it.
Tower of Power is fantastic. Especially with Francis 'Rocco' Prestia on bass in the early 70's. The rock funk sound that I love from the 70s is the Isley Brothers. Highly recommend for Hendrix style guitar with funk grooves. RHCP started out as a rather weak punk funk metal band that got better and better over the years even through some very rough times. I think their staying power is rooted in Chad and Flea bringing just the right mount of swing to the groove. While I don't find Anthony to be the ultimate front person, he found his thing eventually that no one does as well with rapid fire verses and pleasantly melodic choruses for "so easy anybody can do it sing alongs". I'm his age and I can't fault him for taking off his shirt if he still feels good about it. I know I would if I could!
I had a classmate do a project on that song in 7th grade and it really changed how I felt about music hearing that solo. I went from no interest in music and no real musical taste prior to just wanting to get into everything. I quickly went to buy that CD after.
Can I just say how refreshing it is to have a channel like this where someone puts across their point of view on something really well, in a nice manner and basically says "well thats my view, yours might be different - happy to hear about it". I feel like in this day and age you can't have an opinion through fear of it "offending" someone with a different one.
Mannnn, I get it but that kinda stabs me right in the solar plexus! You were surprised that John expressed feel and vibrato in his solo? John is all about the feel! Wet Sand solo - literally cried when I heard that first time 😭😭🤘
John's solos change during his career a lot..From minimalistic approach on Californication to more expressive style on Stadium Arcadium. As a longtime Frusciante fan, I can clearly see you haven't heard a lot of his solos. Should give it a try :) ..his solo work is great too ...great songwriter + he makes electronic music now, which is unexpected, but very interesting as well!
“Murderers” by John Frusciante. One of the best pieces of guitar I’ve ever heard in my opinion. I think you should watch a bit more of him live too Justin, because I can’t get my head around someone not rating him highly as a guitarist. It boggles my mind!
Isn't murderers just a sped up version of one of the Chili Peppers tracks? Hang on, I'm going to give it a listen. I know I liked Murderers too, but I was kind of disappointed when I realized Frusciante had just taken some of the stuff from his work with the Chili Peppers and changed it slightly for his solo work.
“Murderers” takes a lot of beats and ideas from “Wet Sand” by RHCP. While it is an interesting take on it, “Wet Sand” is far superior to it and is one of the songs I would recommend Justin to listen to if he believes that John is expressing much which blows my mind because in my mind he is one of the greatest painters of his expression on the guitar that there ever was. Now if you listen to the main tracks they may seem a little down beat but you’re not gonna understand the greatness that is RHCP listening to the main tracks. It’s the ones that aren’t as popular that blow my mind
For me… the best example of Frusciante’s brilliance is his work on the Stadium Arcadium album. The tones and tastefully layered overdubs really build the songs. The way his vocal harmonies weave in and out with the lead singer stand out to me. I never considered the chili peppers a great band until that album changed my mind.
I've isolated his guitar in my mind countless times listening to that album. Probably more so than any album he's done with them. He's brilliant on Stadium.
I’d say Mother’s Milk, his 18 yr old debut, is far and away the most impressive work he’s ever done with the band. Dynamic, lots of tasty layering/overdubs, stylistically diverse playing, uninhibited technical prowess on display, not afraid to bring the “rock” to funk rock. I know his opinions on that album and the way Beinhorn encouraged him to play are unfavorable, but it’s really a shame that he eschewed all that for his ‘minimalist thing’ for the rest of their career…
'Could Have Lied' from Blood Sugar Sex Magic has a beautiful Frusciante solo. Expressive and very melodic, worth a listen. To me, he truly is a great. Love your channel BTW.
John is a superb musician. His choice of chords, harmonic notion, melodic notion is off the charts...simple but aesthetically pleasing. I can see why a hardcore metal-head, hard rocker or jazz nut might twist the nose. Guitar habilities aside, he is very well rounded as a songwriter as well. His creative output is variable on references and styles yet consistent, wide ranged and well executed...putting out 6 entirely different albums in 6 months like he did back in the early 2000's is a maelstrom of creativity. Them came "The Empyrian", which to be honest I would say is one of my favourite albums of all time, kind of a pinnacle on his addressing of themes of death, regret, insanity. "Central" is a superbly well crafted song. And he does it while keeping a steady foot in the "pop-arena-rock" field with the RHCP. And in eletronica. Not mentioning his past work with Ataxia, the Mars Volta and so on. The man puts himself out there with a confidence rarely seem. I know Justin Hawkings is a very good guitar player, but there is a difference between playing music to live and living for music.
John also has the Hendrix vibe going on at times too.He switches it up using tones,sounds,chord structures and emotion.I could talk about his playing per song forever.
It’s hard to explain my love for RHCP (when John is in the band). It’s like together they tune in to a frequency. The songs are simple but they also tune in to something primal, meditative, spiritual. I think it’s something people who grew up in beach communities recognise. It’s funny that Flea and Anthony were in Point Break because it’s perfect surfing music. You can feel when the band has hit that spiritual flow and are “transcending” and I think that’s what people see as a return to form. It’s not something that can be intellectually explained or understood. It’s something you either feel or you don’t.
John often had a "less is more" approach, especialy on Californication. You should watch the Slane Castle show, it really influenced me to pick a guitar as a teen. He goes crazy on some of the Californication songs. It might change your mind. For the pedal he uses, I think it's a Big Muff. Cheers!
@@julienchenel1796 lol sorry I know that was a “well actually” moment from me there 😂. There’s a guy called Dave Simpson on here who is great at replicating players if you’re into that kind of thing
Yes, John does take a minimalist approach and Flea even mentioned that recently, great point. Live at Slane castle I’ve watched many, many times myself and I absolutely love Frusciante’s improvised solo at the end of Don’t Forget Me.
I absolutely love the first decade of their career, but they increasingly feel like a band playing it safe. John Frusciante's playing on the first few albums he was a part of the band is really inspiring, especially considering how young he was!
I agree with you. Black Summer was incredibly weak, incredibly predictable & sounded like a below average pop song. I gave up on them a good few years ago, anything after By The Way is average at best i'm sorry to say :( :( :(
I feel they're terribly underrated. One of those bands that we all take for granted, their music always on the radio, and consistently playing in the background of our lives for the last 30 years. Only once I took a step back did I truly realize how amazing these guys are. Hit after hit after hit. To have ONE song stand the test of time, is a truly awesome feat, but these guys have more hits than I can count, off the top of my head. Up until recently, I never appreciated how fantastic these guys are, and I'm sure I wasn't alone in taking them for granted. Overrated? Nope, quite the opposite
Totally disagree. One great album bssm. Every track a banger. "I could lied" " breaking the girl" " suck my kiss" ""under the bridge" etc etc. Mothersmilk was better than anything after bssm as well.
Hey Justin ! Great vid as always- couldn’t disagree more re his solos though. The studio versions of his playing were often reflective of where he was in his life/ what they were trying to achieve sonically as a band at the time- watch John live compilations etc and you’ll see why myself and countless other aspiring guitar players sat there wide eyed being able to hear such different versions of songs. I remember as a kid watching him that I thought ALL musicians changed things live and did these incredible solos and improvisations, massive force in many of our lives that taught us about tone and how to let the guitar speak.
I'd honestly say they are underrated. Seems like the masses listen to their most commercially successful songs. They have a catalogue of 100's of songs, even the most obscure songs are incredible.
For me, they made one incredible album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Everything before then was building up to that record, everything after then was just disappointing.
The solo in Could've Lied on BSSM captures how expressive is Frusciante. And the riff on Snow is extremely hard to play, making F very technically able. Hawkins just hasn't listened much.
I like the lack of vibrato in some of his solo’s, californication being an obvious/popular example. I think it makes it more melodic and something you can really hum as a very memorable solo. The starkness of it makes it quite beautiful. I find it just a bit cooler, I think with the kind of licks he plays, that if you start adding too much vibrato and and things like that, it could quite easily veer off into dad blues territory, so I like how he never does that.
I stray away from the Chilli's every now and then. But, I always come back with the realisation that, they're truly a great, great band. Unlimited love didn't impress me at first. Now, I can't get enough of it.
I love RHCP and I'd openly say that they are a bit overrated to a point. But I think you touched upon something that resonates with me at 10:18 a bit, because when I first started learning guitar, I learned a LOT of RHCP songs, and I absolutely adored it. They were such a formative band for me when I was first learning the guitar, and I think that's why I've had this attachment to them for so long, especially the Stadium Arcadium album.
They r not overrated id say,i think the internet is a problem where you think playing complex melodies and fast solos is the only way, but i actually enjoy rhcp as a simpler rock/funk band,all of mainstream charts is simplistic music,this wasn't even as simple as that,maybe the harmonization and chord progressions are lame and repetitive but they did them well i think,its just a song to relax
I used to be pretty indifferent about RHCP for the longest time (probably leaning towards not really liking them), but few years ago I did a roadtrip of sorts through Sweden with a friend that was really into them and during those hours his enthusiasm catched on. The songs are pretty simplistic at times, but their live performances are something else entirely. They can get really experimental.
Not a massive Chili Peppers fan but I do quite like their stuff. I think the reason Frusciante plays the way he does is partly because its his style (obviously) but also the music is fairly simple and minimalist and doesn't need anything really flashy. I think the simple solos and riffs really suit the band's style.
Frusicante was one of my first guitar heroes. I learned the BSSM album front to back. Learning it had a great influence on my playing. With John’s style, I have always found his songwriting and quirky chord inversions (especially on BSSM) more interesting than his lead playing. Really inventive stuff on that album. I’ve cooled on him a bit since as years have passed. I’ve discovered more music-I’m currently on an Al Dimeola kick- but I can’t deny Frusc certainly influenced my playing. I understand why he has such an appeal.
That’s not true, he does it on the solo for “Californication” but plays completely differently on something like “I Could Have Lied” which is one of the most expressive solos that I’ve ever listened to. You just haven’t listened to enough JF solos to know that 😉
Fact is that he doesn't do that only in 'Californication', he does that on pretty much every solo part of the 'Californication/By The Way' period. If you watch some live footage of RHCP in 1990, you can see John's really impressive. On the other hand, later on around Californication/By The Way time he got rather lazy and dull, it seemed like he didn't care. Sometimes he even struggled to play those few-note lead parts right. Maybe some people are not John's enthusiasts because of that period, maybe Justin himself belongs in this category.
Agreed. To add to this, it's also unwise to equate specific guitar techniques with good playing. Sure, vibrato can be nice, but sometimes intentionally avoiding it can be equally expressive in a different way. The solo in Californication sounds simple, yet it's one that has gotten stuck in many people's heads, and IMO it was the perfect fit for that song. Being able to strip something back to such bare bones and still have it accentuate a song so well is the difference between a musician vs. a stereotypical guitar player. One creates and expresses without limiting themselves; the other might think the number of shredded and tapped notes per song amounts to good music. There are many outrageously skilled guitar players like Vai, Malmsteen, et al.; who didn't have much staying power beyond guitar nerds who worship their dexterity. On the flipside, you have people who aren't quite as technically proficient, but who know how to write tasteful, melodic lines that many people remember and love. Having watched a bit more of Mr. Hawkins' band after this video (sorry, but I too thought The Darkness was a novelty band and one-hit-wonder until today), it seems he's partly of the 80s school of rock guitar, which many people were totally bored with by the time the grunge scene threw it on its head. He should know that it's never a good look to go critiquing other musicians' styles and abilities, because at the end of the day *everything* in music is preference and opinion.
@@400_billion_suns so you're basically stating that it's not fair to say that something is not your thing because it is someone else's thing. If anyone talks about his tastes, it just has to be about the positive ones.
@@edyb2097 I’m addressing the subtly superior undertone his commentary has throughout, just under the surface. He makes several statements in his monologue which indicate he really doesn’t care for RHCP, and that he isn’t familiar enough with their music to be making the generalized statements he does about Frusciante’s playing. It was apparent from the start that he didn’t know what he was talking about, when he said John played a 70s strat with a large headstock (When was the last time we saw that? 1987? He has used the same sunburst strat since he came back in 1999.) Opinions are one thing, but uninformed opinions walk a fine line beside ignorance.
I really love playing it on bass. And I agree, as recently I feel the people who now announce that they don't are like them, are the people in the past, who used to hate on Nickelback , but now seem to love them...it feels like that situation again.
Or maybe Justin is slightly jealous that RHCP are still "cool" and releasing new music, but thing is, The Darkness have real rocking tunes, it's just some people only really know them for I Believe in a Thing Called Love, and not the heavier stuff they have done. But anyway I'm so hyped for the rest of the album, cannot wait 2022 so far a brilliant year!
I do know that frusciante is heavily influenced by hendrix and is very knowledgeable about guitar too. I actually appreicate that his playing has a soulful and funk feel to it and its not just "shredding" . I love the albums BSSM, californication and By The Way especially by the chili peppers and I think his playing just fits the band, not to mention chads fun rock drums and flea with that slap bass, I just don't think other bands sound anything like them. They began quite punk but early on keidis started to try to sing a bit more as they evolved more to funk rock.
"I would say there's a lot of people that love Frusciante, and I think he's got a really lovely collection of guitars." Damn, that's some faint praise.
You definitely need to listen to more of Johns soloing, especially at live shows. The man is all expression. His playing made the musician I am today. And he is tattooed on my arm, but I was not a huge fan of this new song. I’m just praying the album will be good.
That tune does nothing for me either. I do enjoy RHCP but I have to be in a certain mood. Justin does need to listen more to John Frusciante. He is a melodic and rhythmic monster when it's his turn to shine in the song! Some of his live solos are mind-boggling beautiful!!!!!! Thank you Justin for your honest analysis of anyone!
If anyone wasn't for some reason convinced by Frusiante's RHCP work, they should definitely check out _The Empyrean_ with its beautiful, Funkadelic-esque tone.
I think that when John is doing the "basic" part, he is letting the energy from the rhythm section through. Maybe even making space for dancing/jumping around. Granted, the guitar at that moment is pretty forward in the mix, but that might be more a factor of nothing else sounding out in that frequency range. He is simply providing the harmonic structure, but not adding anything that requires attention. Measured. A contrast to the intro and the solo. Also, I think Kiedis' stage presence is and has been largely in the tradition of Iggy Pop. He's always been super physical. PS Looking forward to seeing The Darkness in Chicago!
As a kid who listened to the RHCP, I didn't like or dislike them based on how easy or not it would be to play there songs, just found that the overall sound felt good in my ears, very peaceful at times, melodic, and generally enjoyable to hear...
The key to fully appreciating the way Frusciante resonates so much with many (including me) might be found in an early interview. He talks about being focussed as much on the gaps between the notes as the notes themselves. And that a note played after a short gap is different to the same note played after a longer gap, or played the next day. He has such a deep relationship with the way what he plays should be the right thing to do. Nothing more, nothing less. He doesn’t seem to be proving anything. No need to aim for ‘virtuosity’ if it isn’t part of responding to the moment. No ego. I think that’s key to the simplicity but longevity of Chilli Peppers songs he had a hand in. He’s a f&$@ing special human.
Very interesting thoughts and cool to see your take on it, as always :) Concerning Frusciante's guitar playing; for me it's always the song first, meaning what truly fits for the song is what someone should play, and I think he plays excatly what's needed in this song. He's not the fastest, he's not the most technical, but he's perfect for this band and this song. I'm actually not a huge Chili peppers fan, but have been enjoying their catalogue every now and then through out the years. But this song is really good, was blasting it high in the car the other day and it's easily as good as any of their other hits
It’s catchy, it’s simple! It’s 4 immensely talented musicians who play with their soul and then with technique. This is why they are so successful. They have nothing to prove, they do not over-analyse music, they just play, they have fun and they create music , more than any other “famous established “band would ever dream off! I respect your opinion about John’s “technique” but this is way beyond the mechanics of playing guitar. There are 2 categories of guitarists, the soulful players and the “detailed-calculated-technique virtuoso oriented” ones. John is a soulful player! Great video though. It’s always a bonus seeing other musicians’ point of view on established bands that still create art after so many years. PS. I would love your opinion on SOAD and Daron Malakian’s songwriting including his solo albums with Scars on Broadway. Thanks 🙏
Couldn't have said it better myself🙏RHCP live at Slane castle proves how much of a soulful guitar player John is. For me there is so much emotion in the notes John plays, safe to say The Darkness's music has never made me feel that way at all, no disrespect to them of course, I respect them as a band, I suppose it's all down to a matter of opinion.
1:40 Kiedis's delivery of that 'give it away' is absolutely fascinating. It's compressed into a short staccato burst, almost a trill. Gi-W-D-Way. In fact I've fooled people into thinking I've nailed it by actually slurring a trill in there.
It's actually catchy simplistic but beautiful choruses that 90 percent of bands just can't seem to find...but the Red Hot Chili Peppers find it in droves
flea chad and John are immense musicians who clearly connect with millions of people. I think some people have a problem with Anthony, but surely that's what also makes him great.
john was a kid when invited fir the red hot , he grew up and adiction made him fall more than once but when older he did tried to releases more than one Lp but not interesting at all and adicted has he was not wanting to play with still clean red hot but they also dive again in their heroin/ cocain habbit , but maybe not wanting to play today more than two si.ple songs of one of the best psychedelic-funkadelic , this last being a band not a style but red hot were emerse since the beginning n this style and diano being one if the best guitar players in late 80's ,early 90's but the relation trew them to total anhyalation but a great Lp , john fusciante did return from darkness and again a great Lp came iut but in the next two including stadium arcadium Lp that didn_t sold much but if one forgets other its perfect in the two parts but it was enough of thay guitar sound wich is great and red hot weren't a melidic band but a explosian if youth energy in the 80's , and after their first guitar player overdosed they put a bit of paprica and mither's milk was an entrance in what would be the vest of 99's rock albums blood sugar sex & magic but that's when the cookie crumbles, john grew up and as all wanted the rock'n'roll experience , life wise and red hot were already boiled but again they emerged in ,again and as the lead vocal said to mtv news just out if a dealers place he loiked down as a child and said " the red hot aren't behaving well , we are being bad boys again.....i can't writte now , dinner is served ,i'll continue later. Regards
I was really hoping RHCP were done and Flea could finally play in a supergroup or collaborate with others in some capacity. He's too talented to be stuck with someone who can't sing or write.
What's fun about John is that he came into the band with a shredder influenced background and began simplifying as he aged and combining other influences
Is it just me or does Justin Hawkins sound exactly like Freddie Mercury when he does the little intro/outro tune? Particularly when he says 'rides again'. Quite impressive.
RHCP was the band that got me into rock music. I finally caught them live in London 2022 and it was worth it. I wanted to see them with this line up and while they were all still with us! My musical taste has evolved a lot over the last 20 years but I still have a lot of love for this band.
For me it was just so awesome to see Frusciante back with the band. I grew up listening to them and I have no animosity towards Klinghoffer (I like some of his other work a lot) but that period really wasn't my thing.
The Foxy Shazam shout-out! Would love a video on those guys and why they never seemed to take off considering they had it all as far as a classic rock band goes.
I’m a huge RHCP and Frusciante fan, but I love Justin’s gentle and friendly critique, it makes the analysis enjoyable even if you don’t see eye to eye with Justin 🙂
Seems overly smug and plain ignorant of a person who has not even bothered to research his video subject... He can't even name a single song properly on Blood Sugar Sex Majik, and claims he has not actually listened to them. I'm British, a lot of Americans can't spot a c*nt because they are mesmerised by the accent and sensibility. But we can spot one easily.
This is a band that their guitarist is literally a musical genius. Quite hard to find another musician so creative and disciplined like John Frusciante.,i mean how lucky they are..
Its funny how people perceive genius in music. I hear the opposite in them. Not a diss to them, but I definitely don't hear genius, though they're solid writers and they know what they do well. To never break out of pentatonic shapes seems to me like it could never be seen as genius
I'd say Frusciante is the weakest in the band. Chad is one of the greatest drummers on the planet, his ability to groove is incredible. Flea is one of the most talented bassists of all time. John is great but not one of the greatest. Unfortunately, it seems to me that the rather bland music doesn't make the best use of all the talent.
Yeah, there is great variety to what John Frusciante has done with the Chili Peppers, and even more so with his solo albums. He's a music obsessive, and always seems to be shifting his influences, which are extremely wide ranging. I'd encourage anyone to go read or listen to an interview with him, or delve into his solo work. He's also had a fairly eventful life, which adds to the depth of his music.
@@stevec6427 flea most talented of all time? thats fucking hilarious. and he would back me up. chad is a solid drummer but he is average as far as the greats go.
John really isn't a genius. I'm a fan of his, I have a John tattoo, but never considered him a genius. His blood sugar era playing was truly exciting to me, all his stuff since guitar wise to me is meh
Frusciante's work has a delicate introspection to it. There's something quintessentially Californian happening when Frusciante plays, it's like Laguna waves are swirling between the cords. "Scar Tissue" for example just takes me to calmer shores. I love his sound.
I’ve never heard anyone say Frusciante is a boring player and doesn’t use vibrato? He is regarded by most to be a fantastic guitarist precisely because of his feel and expression. Then you play a video of him and he’s using vibrato within the first bar of his solo haha. Man, talk about being proved wrong. Where would Justin even get that rediculous accusation? Especially being a guitarist and a professional musician himself. I’m not a RHCP or Frusciante fanatic but as a guitar player it’s blatantly obvious what John brings to the table as a guitarist.
I always remember a review of Ry Cooders' Paris, Texas soundtrack, which described his guitar playing as carving out the desolate desert landscapes of the film all, on its' own. The Chili's mix funk, rock, punk and supposedly the desolate existence of their generation. Keidis's dead inside lyrics and vocals driving this. For me, the Ry Cooder comment is better reflected by Frusciante's guitar work on Scar Tissue (And Californication) which is exquisite in it's simplicity and cool emotiveness. Carving out the desolation of the songs lyrics. Playing guitar isn't just crescendos and power chords. I find his more thoughtful work is unadorned (desolate again), soulful and emotive. But each to their own.
Listen to Especially In Michigan. Ant and Chad are from MI. The poetic metaphors in that song are brilliant. "lions and tigers come running just to steal your love" is about the Detroit Lions and Detroit Tigers. I'm not from MI but I took the time to learn what all the metaphors mean. I love that song btw. Apache Rose Peacock is about New Orleans. Most of their songs are about sex and relationships actually.
Anthony Kiedis might not be the greatest ever vocalist, but hes penned some of the most badass songs in rock. Dani California Californication, Give it away, Cant Stop , Scar tissue etc etc
And to be fair, he's had an interesting life. HIs old man was drug dealer to the stars of the day. Kiedis would have met all the weirdos, famous or not and seen way too much, way to young. Cher was a surrogate parent to him for a while. There was probably very little in the line of a normal job he'd be fit for after that upbringing!
For me personally, it's their live performances that elevate RHCPs to one of my favorite bands. It's an amazing show to catch. Seen them a half dozen times, first time at Woodstock 94'. Saw them last year in Boston at Fenway and it was easily in my top 3 shows ever....and I've been to a lot of shows.
i would say that only chad and flea are musically and technically skilled with their instruments. anthony is out of tune and john is sloppy he also has his guitar out of tune really often and his bends are out of tune.
I loved them growing up. When they're good they're great but it can be formulaic when it's bad. I love funk, funk rock etc and sometimes like a lot of artists in that idiom the emphasis can be on a good groove and the songwriting becomes an afterthought.
Having just watched them for the first time last week. I can tell you I was blown away by how great they are live. The sound fantastic, have lots of energy still and have a great lighting/video editing on stage. Let the haters hate I guess.
Your ability to write click-baity titles that hook musicians is second to none 🤣 really having fun watching the videos and excited for the next show in Florida!
The RHCP's will forever be one of my all-time favourites and have influenced so many greats. I just don't think they're as innovative / as good as they once were.
Hey Justin. There’s plenty of excellent solos by John F that hit the feels button. Try ‘I could have lied’ off BSSM and ‘wet sand’ from Stadium Arcadium. I think you’ll find depth and feeling within. P.S. No one does a simple chorus like RHCP. ‘Goodbye Hooray’ is glorious!
I love ONE record by RHCP, and that's Freaky Styley... it dropped while I was in hi-school and didn't sound like anything else around it, or anything they've done since... like some have noted, you're quite gracious in explaining why they don't work for you... cheers, & ~RIP~ Hillel Slovak
My post has nothin to do about the RHCP, I've now watched a few of your videos and i find them remarkably funny, insightful, and honest to you. You're probably never going to see this but your amazing. Your voice, pitch perfect and guitar playing is spot on. Rick Beato and you are amazing and i cannot wait to hear you two talk music. Thank you for your content.
For me there are two main periods of RHCP: Everything before John leaving the band and after. Perhaps, BSSM was already a bit of a transition to what their sound would become later on but for me it is funk rock vs. mellow alternative rock. There are some cool bangers among their older tracks but I really like the warm and melodic tone on everything since and including Californication. Justin might not be into that too much but I really think that warm, reduced and atmospheric guitar sound is what lets their songs shine, By The Way is my favourite record.
I like them and I like this track, but I would definitely agree that it is fairly basic and feels a touch bland, the chorus feels lazily flat and repetitive. I would have hoped that at this stage in their careers they would take some more chances in the type of songs they put out. They lost their edge.
There's an article from NME in which the RHCP tell that Black Summer is the first song John wrote right after rejoining the band, and after not having made rock music in over a decade lol I think they kept it in the album and made it a single because of its emotional significance and stuff like that. The rest of the album is fking crazy according to NME's early review.
I mean the irish singing is enough,idk i dont expect much its a typical chilli song I think their peak was Mothers Milk/Blood sugar sex magic/one hot minute
This is by far the most disappointing Frusciante single they've released. The lyrics are interesting & do address the times we live in. But I wish they spent more time on this one. It's so noodly & lacks bite.
At last we have a band making real music, not behind some laptop or mucking around with autotune, putting in a drop here and there and calling it music. Look forward to the album being released. Cheers.
Californication is one of the pinnacle albums of my favorite period in music. The turn of the millennium had some of the most important and amazingly innovative music in my opinion. Radiohead, Deftones, Modest Mouse, The White Stripes, Weezer, System of a Down, Incubus, Tool, Sigur Ros, Glassjaw, Blink-182, The Strokes, Eminem, Queens of the Stone Age, Audioslave, Korn, etc were all at their peak and the music that came out of that period from ‘98 to ‘02 will always be the closest to my heart.
@@kingnotail3838 Do you know how absolutely useless that comment is? Some user name on YT doesn’t like some of the bands I like? Am I supposed to care? Was there nothing of substance you could have added to possibly give me a reason to take your opinion seriously?
I was one of the people that was over the moon when John's return to the band was announced, but i think he really shines as a solo artist. The Empyrean is worth a listen, a spiritual psychedelic concept album, it has some of Frusciante's best work.
the empyrean is a phenomenal album and probably the most "commercial" of John's solo projects. sadly i've played that to death (have most of his solo stuff tbh)
@@Shard3432 me too, i've had to leave it alone because it would start feeling stale, which shows how brilliant it is. Really liking his most recent album, Maya. It's put him on the map as a electronic artist i can take seriously for me.
Check out John playing ‘Snow’ live. Definitely not basic, he is a beast! Also in most bands you don’t even notice the bassist is there, but in chillis flea is arguably one of the best bassists of all time. Songs like scar tissue and californication John keeps it more simple to give him room to breathe which leads to a really unique interplay between them. Give them another go Justin :)
Yes, agree. Rarely do we see that sort of chemistry between guitar and bass. John's minimalistic guitars and Flea's opulent bass lines go so well together.
A good guitar solo / riff / part / lead is not always defined by it's difficulty, but rather it's expression and / or representation of the mood or direction of the song... John Frusciante's guitar playing is a reflection of this... his playing isn't flashy or over-the-top... but the music certainly doesn't suffer for this... IMO!
I mean he also has alote of tracks where he is has solos my all time favorite is Hey solo not hey oh lol but that solo is amazing. I never heard anyone say that John has no expression in his playing lol 😂
I really like The Peppers, I like You Justin, subbed your channel, I like how You have your own sincere opinions on genres and particular musicians. Fun to watch and I must admit that You're so talented! You just listen to a tiny bit of song and immediately find the right key and play it. Just amazing! Keep up the good work. Cheers mate!❤
John Frusciante was the #1 guitarist who's music really inspired me to start playing guitar when I was a kid. He definitely isnt a crazy riff salad type of lead guitarist by any means but in his defense, I don't think he ever really tried to be
He lost something. Fluidity, phrasing, conviction, something. His guitar work on Mother's Milk and BSSM are incredible and he hasn't really touched that since. Californication and Stadium Arcadium are good, but not on that level in my opinion.
@@uglytuco3829 I saw an interview with him once where he explained in the days he was using smack heavily he sold all his guitars and didn't pick one up again for a good amount of years. By the time he was clean and back in the band he basically had to relearn the guitar and take a minimalist approach.
I must say, everyone is entitled to their opinion. But this is a man passing judgement without any knowledge of a bands back catalogue. Their sound has evolved so much over 30 years and some of the guitar is mind boggling.
I've followed the Chillis for years until more recent stuff. When I was younger I loved their energy and it resonated with my more hedonistic years, but as I've got older their music just doesn't move me any more. One Hot Minute, which got largely panned, I thought was one of their most emotionally laid bare albums and I liked DN's influence on them. Shame they and others didn't.
Your opinion mate but honestly stadium Arcadium is their most moving, emotive album. Try 'Hard to Concentrate' and 'Wet sand'. Unbelievably beautiful songs.
John Mayer said it best. The simple songs are for the crowd and the complex stuff is for him. The simple stuff gets the crowd moving and the ease of playability also helps. Most people don’t want to listen to crazy solos all day I know I don’t.
RHCP have written some "easy son" but a lot are really complex in their structure... sir psycho sexy, zephyr song, charlie, in the snow, eddie, it's only natural
John might not be the most technical player but he has written a ton of memorable guitar parts. Snow, Can’t Stop, I Could have Lied and Under The Bridge come to mind immediately. I’d probably agree he is overrated purely as a technical guitar player but as a songwriter the list of mainstream hits speak for themselves.
For me, Frusciante's playing is more about the melodic simplicity, not everyone's cup of tea of course but he's one of my favourites. A great example is his lead break in "The Sides" by Ataxia
@@BillShears2010 Yeah man, it's Frusciante with Joe Lally from Fugazi and Josh Klinghoffer, they just did a few albums not sure if they toured or carried on. His solo albums are another deep dive too, very intimate feeling like its just him enjoying recording himself on a 4 track.
I kindly disagree of your takes in JF style. It doesn’t look like you’ve heard Stadium Arcadium or his solo stuff (or even too much RHCP tracks beside the hits), there are really more “complex” stuff going on there.
@@paulharrisonadventuregearm5457 You must be seeing some really crappy bands then. First off the RHCP don't even play a full set?? Who does a stadium tour and only plays for an hour and a half at most??? That's pathetic and not even worth the hassle of getting to and from any stadium. The ticket prices were insanely high especially with their whole stage being cheap.. Simply put, it was the worst show I had seen this year and it was the year of concerts!! Roger Waters blew these guys outta the water and he's almost 80 years old!! Metallica is always much better. Smashing pumpkins and Janes addiction had them beat. RHCP are good at playing their instruments, Anthony is certainly a studio singer as he sounds like crap live.. I could go on but you get the point. They are a studio band. When the crowd leaves a show their should be energy!!! At a RHCP show I think people are more disappointed than anything.
RHCP are one of the best bands ever in my opinion. They have helped me through some hard times and always releasing new music, when other bands from their era have become nostalgia acts. Anthony Keidis granted isn’t the best or most talented singer but he’s positive energy and gusto is always uplifting.
You know, i really love their latest album, The Getaway. It has some duds but for the most part it is a really great album. Actually sad they dropped Klinghoffer as his guitar playing on The Getaway really appeals to me.
Yeah I think Klinghoffer made them really interesting again and now they've just returned to exactly what they were doing before. This could easily be a By The Way B-side. To be fair they've not grown as dull as other great 90s bands like Pearl Jam (RIP) but this is a big step backwards from the stuff they were doing with Josh. Dark Necessities was a hell of a single and had so many musical elements that will never exist with Fruschante back in the band.
Was fascinating to watch this episode Justin, as a fan of frusciante. hearing someone who's not into his playing objectively analise it and come to the conclusion that it's because it's so simple, it goes straight in, thats what I love about frusciante, his playing almost minimalist in approach, something all of my favourite songs have, I can see /hear this in Kelly Jones of Stereophonics, and Kurt Cobain, get rid of everything that isn't that song. Like vocalists, all guitarist have there own "voice". And they're no to everybody's taste. Your playing and singing are awesome BTW, thanks for doing this video, really enjoying your channel! 🙏❤️
Enjoyed your analysis. I performed vocals in a chili pepper tribute and have been playing guitar for 25 years. Some of the technical things you are looking for are painted along their career but frusciantes playing shifts between Joni Mitchell to Jimi Hendrix to Jimmy Page. And yes the vocal melodies can be very easily spelled out on a piano/guitar and that gives it the wide pop appeal
Remember reading John Frusciante wanted to express himself by minimising the amount of notes he played in the solos on Californication. Not overly keen on it sometimes, but it seems to be a stylistic choice that can work. Sounds much more like their older stuff - Seem to be a 'Marmite band'. I generally like them.
Appreciate your take and I can see where you're coming from. However you always tend to sprinkle a bit of elitism in there which makes you look a bit salty. :-)
Frusciante’s live playing and technical prowess will always have their critics but his songwriting skills to create memorable sentimental tunes/ melodies is undeniable. None of the ex guitarists of RHCP had that magic.
Good video here, Justin. Very personable approach to the camera. I’m going to subscribe. I can’t say I agree with your point of view though; lifelong Chili Peppers fan 🌶. Re. John’s guitars. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him playing a large headstock strat or tele. Maybe in the early 90s, but not since. Pretty sure this one in the video is a ‘62 slab board. He also has a ‘55 maple fretboard Stratocaster, and a pair of 1961 fiesta red and white strats. He also used to play a 1962 tele with white binding. In the early 90s most of his guitars were sunburst strats from circa 1966… I think.
Saw them live in Auckland . They were awesome . One good thing is Anthonys voice sounds exactly the same live as it does recorded . Flea absolutely rocks :)
A lot of people using the comments to speculate on why I don’t “get” RHCP.
I don’t know why… I like stuff that’s simple, I really love listening to a beautiful song arranged minimally.
RHCP just doesn’t move me, and it’s difficult to explain why.
I love funk; I listen to funk and disco a lot. Tower of Power, The Gap Band, Rick James, Chic. So it’s not that.
I love listening to a lot of music from artists that are infinitely more successful than I’ll ever be. Jealousy will never be a factor in my tastes.
When you’re a parent, you watch opinions form in your offspring and you can’t begin to imagine where they come from. To try and speculate on the origins of somebody else’s opinion is a complete waste of time!
Just to clarify; when I use the term “expression”, I mean vibrato and dynamics (variable velocity) in the lead guitar technique. I’m not suggesting that his playing isn’t expressive, I was using the technical musical term. I’m well aware that without these things a solo can still be emotive and indeed great.
I really enjoyed the solo in this song. As I think I clearly stated in the video.
Enjoy!
That's fair man. I feel the same about a few famous bands like the Foo Fighters, think they're all brilliant but I just don't get it. But then hardcore FF fans will explain WHY it might be and I guess after that I kinda get it more, but still not enough!
I would definitely say watch the RHCP live at Slane Castle DVD and Hyde Park 2004 gigs on CD as a final "give this a whirl".
I don't get it either man. It's not for everyone.
Beautiful Melodies are what gives this band such a compelling sound. The best way to explain it is, Frusciante can write beautiful melody the way Jimmy Page could write a beautiful riff. They’re never hard to play, in either respect. But they’re good all the same. Then on top of that, Frusciante does backup vocal brilliantly as well.
@@RunningxRiott Yea that's exactly it. It's Ludovico Einaudi, his piano pieces aren't the most technical by far....but listen to Oltremere and that melody is what drives it.
Tower of Power is fantastic. Especially with Francis 'Rocco' Prestia on bass in the early 70's.
The rock funk sound that I love from the 70s is the Isley Brothers. Highly recommend for Hendrix style guitar with funk grooves.
RHCP started out as a rather weak punk funk metal band that got better and better over the years even through some very rough times.
I think their staying power is rooted in Chad and Flea bringing just the right mount of swing to the groove. While I don't find Anthony to be the ultimate front person, he found his thing eventually that no one does as well with rapid fire verses and pleasantly melodic choruses for "so easy anybody can do it sing alongs".
I'm his age and I can't fault him for taking off his shirt if he still feels good about it. I know I would if I could!
I'm not a huge rhcp fan but I do remember the day I heard the solo in 'I could have lied'.. the expressiveness in this is mindblowing.
lol what expressiveness?
I had a classmate do a project on that song in 7th grade and it really changed how I felt about music hearing that solo. I went from no interest in music and no real musical taste prior to just wanting to get into everything. I quickly went to buy that CD after.
I feel like anyone who watches the live version of "don't forget me" will understand why people love Frusciante
He killed River Phoenix …. Real cool guy …
@@HEATSEEKER00 off you pop
YES
@@HEATSEEKER00 you should go do the long jump in the Olympics, you're great at jumping to conclusions
Exactly right man
John’s solo albums … especially “Curtains” and “Empyrean “ are absolutely beautiful
And the will to death!!
They're superb.
This guy wouldn't appreciate them.
Empyrean is one of my all time favourite albums
and Shadows Collide With People
and To Record Only Water for Ten Days too
Can I just say how refreshing it is to have a channel like this where someone puts across their point of view on something really well, in a nice manner and basically says "well thats my view, yours might be different - happy to hear about it". I feel like in this day and age you can't have an opinion through fear of it "offending" someone with a different one.
that's offensive
F4k RHCP
Mannnn, I get it but that kinda stabs me right in the solar plexus! You were surprised that John expressed feel and vibrato in his solo? John is all about the feel! Wet Sand solo - literally cried when I heard that first time 😭😭🤘
John's solos change during his career a lot..From minimalistic approach on Californication to more expressive style on Stadium Arcadium. As a longtime Frusciante fan, I can clearly see you haven't heard a lot of his solos. Should give it a try :) ..his solo work is great too ...great songwriter + he makes electronic music now, which is unexpected, but very interesting as well!
The solo on Hey gives me stank face.
@@paulmcgrath6118 some of John's solo stuff is top notch, hes probably my second favourite guitarist to listen to (buckethead being #1)
I love Johns solo work all the way up to Empyrean. I cant get on with his electronic stuff and have yearned for his return to the guitar
@@cactusjackhausen8508 yeah im not really about that either tbf, however as a musician that was something he wanted to do and i can get behind that.
His guitar work in mother's milk is extraordinary... No one ever talks about that album anymore. It's their best album 🤷♂️
“Murderers” by John Frusciante. One of the best pieces of guitar I’ve ever heard in my opinion. I think you should watch a bit more of him live too Justin, because I can’t get my head around someone not rating him highly as a guitarist. It boggles my mind!
Isn't murderers just a sped up version of one of the Chili Peppers tracks? Hang on, I'm going to give it a listen. I know I liked Murderers too, but I was kind of disappointed when I realized Frusciante had just taken some of the stuff from his work with the Chili Peppers and changed it slightly for his solo work.
“Murderers” takes a lot of beats and ideas from “Wet Sand” by RHCP. While it is an interesting take on it, “Wet Sand” is far superior to it and is one of the songs I would recommend Justin to listen to if he believes that John is expressing much which blows my mind because in my mind he is one of the greatest painters of his expression on the guitar that there ever was. Now if you listen to the main tracks they may seem a little down beat but you’re not gonna understand the greatness that is RHCP listening to the main tracks. It’s the ones that aren’t as popular that blow my mind
@@mattrobles9935 RHCP B-Sides are more creative. Eskimo, Million Miles of Water, someone etc...
@@mattrobles9935 you do realize that murderers came about 8 or 9 years before wet sand ?🤣🙄
I also don't think Murderers is in any way a song to hold up as a rebuttal guitar wise.
Good melody but for of expression?
For me… the best example of Frusciante’s brilliance is his work on the Stadium Arcadium album. The tones and tastefully layered overdubs really build the songs. The way his vocal harmonies weave in and out with the lead singer stand out to me. I never considered the chili peppers a great band until that album changed my mind.
I've isolated his guitar in my mind countless times listening to that album. Probably more so than any album he's done with them. He's brilliant on Stadium.
I’d say Mother’s Milk, his 18 yr old debut, is far and away the most impressive work he’s ever done with the band. Dynamic, lots of tasty layering/overdubs, stylistically diverse playing, uninhibited technical prowess on display, not afraid to bring the “rock” to funk rock.
I know his opinions on that album and the way Beinhorn encouraged him to play are unfavorable, but it’s really a shame that he eschewed all that for his ‘minimalist thing’ for the rest of their career…
The rip offs on that album tho... it's unreal.
By The Way , Followed by Stadium
I went on that tour in Paris, they were something else. JF was on fire!
'Could Have Lied' from Blood Sugar Sex Magic has a beautiful Frusciante solo. Expressive and very melodic, worth a listen. To me, he truly is a great. Love your channel BTW.
It's hard for me as a guitar player, to understand how any other guitarist wouldn't love John's playing. To each their own though...
John is amazing but RHCP is his least interesting playing. Its like a having a ferrari only to drive it to the shops
#jealousy
@@tinnitussoundtherapy Yep. His solo stuff is absolutely incredible.
John is a superb musician. His choice of chords, harmonic notion, melodic notion is off the charts...simple but aesthetically pleasing. I can see why a hardcore metal-head, hard rocker or jazz nut might twist the nose.
Guitar habilities aside, he is very well rounded as a songwriter as well. His creative output is variable on references and styles yet consistent, wide ranged and well executed...putting out 6 entirely different albums in 6 months like he did back in the early 2000's is a maelstrom of creativity. Them came "The Empyrian", which to be honest I would say is one of my favourite albums of all time, kind of a pinnacle on his addressing of themes of death, regret, insanity. "Central" is a superbly well crafted song.
And he does it while keeping a steady foot in the "pop-arena-rock" field with the RHCP. And in eletronica. Not mentioning his past work with Ataxia, the Mars Volta and so on.
The man puts himself out there with a confidence rarely seem.
I know Justin Hawkings is a very good guitar player, but there is a difference between playing music to live and living for music.
John also has the Hendrix vibe going on at times too.He switches it up using tones,sounds,chord structures and emotion.I could talk about his playing per song forever.
It’s hard to explain my love for RHCP (when John is in the band). It’s like together they tune in to a frequency. The songs are simple but they also tune in to something primal, meditative, spiritual. I think it’s something people who grew up in beach communities recognise.
It’s funny that Flea and Anthony were in Point Break because it’s perfect surfing music.
You can feel when the band has hit that spiritual flow and are “transcending” and I think that’s what people see as a return to form.
It’s not something that can be intellectually explained or understood. It’s something you either feel or you don’t.
I feel that bro. Definitely, I can't always explain why I like them so much but I really do
Oh and Anthony was in point break don't think flea was, flea was in big Lebowski I know that for sure
@@conorsmith8551 oh true lol, it’s been a while since I’ve seen it and in my mind they’re everywhere together 😂
@@TheWrightVibes love both those films !! Proper Los Angeles slice of life haha
I like this. I think you're right.
John often had a "less is more" approach, especialy on Californication. You should watch the Slane Castle show, it really influenced me to pick a guitar as a teen. He goes crazy on some of the Californication songs. It might change your mind. For the pedal he uses, I think it's a Big Muff. Cheers!
It’s usually a 62 strat on neck pickup into a Boss Ds2 on turbo all dials on full into a Marshall amp that’s also past break up.
@@clynekm good to know. Thanks
@@julienchenel1796 lol sorry I know that was a “well actually” moment from me there 😂. There’s a guy called Dave Simpson on here who is great at replicating players if you’re into that kind of thing
@@clynekm LOL... no worry.
Yes, John does take a minimalist approach and Flea even mentioned that recently, great point. Live at Slane castle I’ve watched many, many times myself and I absolutely love Frusciante’s improvised solo at the end of Don’t Forget Me.
I absolutely love the first decade of their career, but they increasingly feel like a band playing it safe. John Frusciante's playing on the first few albums he was a part of the band is really inspiring, especially considering how young he was!
I agree with you. Black Summer was incredibly weak, incredibly predictable & sounded like a below average pop song. I gave up on them a good few years ago, anything after By The Way is average at best i'm sorry to say :( :( :(
They always were a band playing it safe, every song sounds the same.
@@Liofa73 Have you listened to BSSM. lol
@@tonywelsh3709 Idk man, I think they just play what they want and like to play
@@Liofa73 playing it safe? are you sure you aren’t confusing them with someone else?
I feel they're terribly underrated. One of those bands that we all take for granted, their music always on the radio, and consistently playing in the background of our lives for the last 30 years. Only once I took a step back did I truly realize how amazing these guys are. Hit after hit after hit. To have ONE song stand the test of time, is a truly awesome feat, but these guys have more hits than I can count, off the top of my head. Up until recently, I never appreciated how fantastic these guys are, and I'm sure I wasn't alone in taking them for granted. Overrated? Nope, quite the opposite
The rhcp are not underrated at all what age are you like 17? 😂😂
@@MrDilkington15 ummmmmm yeah, I guess you missed the part where I said "the last 30 years", thoughtful reply though, keep up the excellent work 👏
@@corkystclair7475 I'm not mad at you or that don't start crying cause I said that now you really are about 17 😂😂 calm down sweety😂
Totally disagree. One great album bssm. Every track a banger. "I could lied" " breaking the girl" " suck my kiss" ""under the bridge" etc etc. Mothersmilk was better than anything after bssm as well.
I think they are overrated af tbh. Amazing bass and drums… the rest, bleh
Hey Justin ! Great vid as always- couldn’t disagree more re his solos though. The studio versions of his playing were often reflective of where he was in his life/ what they were trying to achieve sonically as a band at the time- watch John live compilations etc and you’ll see why myself and countless other aspiring guitar players sat there wide eyed being able to hear such different versions of songs. I remember as a kid watching him that I thought ALL musicians changed things live and did these incredible solos and improvisations, massive force in many of our lives that taught us about tone and how to let the guitar speak.
I'd honestly say they are underrated. Seems like the masses listen to their most commercially successful songs. They have a catalogue of 100's of songs, even the most obscure songs are incredible.
100%
Yea I agree.
I think they're less listened to stuff is underrated. But I don't think you could extend that to the band in general.
Urm no.
For me, they made one incredible album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Everything before then was building up to that record, everything after then was just disappointing.
The solo in Could've Lied on BSSM captures how expressive is Frusciante. And the riff on Snow is extremely hard to play, making F very technically able. Hawkins just hasn't listened much.
Yes!!! One of my favorite all time spine tingling solos!!! 👍
Watch the live version of Dont Forget Me.
ua-cam.com/video/fV9IJVoFR_Q/v-deo.html
Hawkins opinion coming from ignorance. Probably based on the Californication stuff. He obviously hadn't heard stadium Arcadium.
I 2nd that.
BSSM is just a killer album. Amazing, unique and eneegetic playing from all of em.
@@bendagostino2217 hahaha, some subtle sarcasm there, well done.
I like the lack of vibrato in some of his solo’s, californication being an obvious/popular example. I think it makes it more melodic and something you can really hum as a very memorable solo. The starkness of it makes it quite beautiful. I find it just a bit cooler, I think with the kind of licks he plays, that if you start adding too much vibrato and and things like that, it could quite easily veer off into dad blues territory, so I like how he never does that.
His lead work is reminiscent of the way George Harrison approached guitar solos.
I stray away from the Chilli's every now and then.
But, I always come back with the realisation that, they're truly a great, great band.
Unlimited love didn't impress me at first. Now, I can't get enough of it.
I love RHCP and I'd openly say that they are a bit overrated to a point. But I think you touched upon something that resonates with me at 10:18 a bit, because when I first started learning guitar, I learned a LOT of RHCP songs, and I absolutely adored it. They were such a formative band for me when I was first learning the guitar, and I think that's why I've had this attachment to them for so long, especially the Stadium Arcadium album.
They r not overrated id say,i think the internet is a problem where you think playing complex melodies and fast solos is the only way, but i actually enjoy rhcp as a simpler rock/funk band,all of mainstream charts is simplistic music,this wasn't even as simple as that,maybe the harmonization and chord progressions are lame and repetitive but they did them well i think,its just a song to relax
Same, self taught
I used to be pretty indifferent about RHCP for the longest time (probably leaning towards not really liking them), but few years ago I did a roadtrip of sorts through Sweden with a friend that was really into them and during those hours his enthusiasm catched on. The songs are pretty simplistic at times, but their live performances are something else entirely. They can get really experimental.
Frusciantes playing on BSSM
is beautiful, funky, expressive, raw…imo there’s no doubting his all round ability. But that was 30 years ago.
Not a massive Chili Peppers fan but I do quite like their stuff. I think the reason Frusciante plays the way he does is partly because its his style (obviously) but also the music is fairly simple and minimalist and doesn't need anything really flashy. I think the simple solos and riffs really suit the band's style.
A lot of it isn't simple though. The main guitar part in Snow is extremely difficult to play.
@@Forestgravy90it's difficult to play but it is very simple. It's literally just chords haha
Frusicante was one of my first guitar heroes. I learned the BSSM album front to back. Learning it had a great influence on my playing. With John’s style, I have always found his songwriting and quirky chord inversions (especially on BSSM) more interesting than his lead playing. Really inventive stuff on that album. I’ve cooled on him a bit since as years have passed. I’ve discovered more music-I’m currently on an Al Dimeola kick- but I can’t deny Frusc certainly influenced my playing. I understand why he has such an appeal.
That’s not true, he does it on the solo for “Californication” but plays completely differently on something like “I Could Have Lied” which is one of the most expressive solos that I’ve ever listened to. You just haven’t listened to enough JF solos to know that 😉
Yes, I also commented that he should listen to I Could've Lied. That solo gave me intense goosebumps.
Fact is that he doesn't do that only in 'Californication', he does that on pretty much every solo part of the 'Californication/By The Way' period. If you watch some live footage of RHCP in 1990, you can see John's really impressive. On the other hand, later on around Californication/By The Way time he got rather lazy and dull, it seemed like he didn't care. Sometimes he even struggled to play those few-note lead parts right. Maybe some people are not John's enthusiasts because of that period, maybe Justin himself belongs in this category.
Agreed. To add to this, it's also unwise to equate specific guitar techniques with good playing. Sure, vibrato can be nice, but sometimes intentionally avoiding it can be equally expressive in a different way. The solo in Californication sounds simple, yet it's one that has gotten stuck in many people's heads, and IMO it was the perfect fit for that song. Being able to strip something back to such bare bones and still have it accentuate a song so well is the difference between a musician vs. a stereotypical guitar player. One creates and expresses without limiting themselves; the other might think the number of shredded and tapped notes per song amounts to good music.
There are many outrageously skilled guitar players like Vai, Malmsteen, et al.; who didn't have much staying power beyond guitar nerds who worship their dexterity. On the flipside, you have people who aren't quite as technically proficient, but who know how to write tasteful, melodic lines that many people remember and love.
Having watched a bit more of Mr. Hawkins' band after this video (sorry, but I too thought The Darkness was a novelty band and one-hit-wonder until today), it seems he's partly of the 80s school of rock guitar, which many people were totally bored with by the time the grunge scene threw it on its head. He should know that it's never a good look to go critiquing other musicians' styles and abilities, because at the end of the day *everything* in music is preference and opinion.
@@400_billion_suns so you're basically stating that it's not fair to say that something is not your thing because it is someone else's thing. If anyone talks about his tastes, it just has to be about the positive ones.
@@edyb2097 I’m addressing the subtly superior undertone his commentary has throughout, just under the surface. He makes several statements in his monologue which indicate he really doesn’t care for RHCP, and that he isn’t familiar enough with their music to be making the generalized statements he does about Frusciante’s playing. It was apparent from the start that he didn’t know what he was talking about, when he said John played a 70s strat with a large headstock (When was the last time we saw that? 1987? He has used the same sunburst strat since he came back in 1999.) Opinions are one thing, but uninformed opinions walk a fine line beside ignorance.
Hurts to hear anyone not into RHCP as I love so many of their songs! Venice Queen is my favourite album closer track.
Yea Venice Queen is a masterpiece.
Indeed, a masterpiece
“Venice queen” is brilliant .. I love the haunting intro and massive change up! Great tribute song to a friend of the band!
I really love playing it on bass. And I agree, as recently I feel the people who now announce that they don't are like them, are the people in the past, who used to hate on Nickelback
, but now seem to love them...it feels like that situation again.
Or maybe Justin is slightly jealous that RHCP are still "cool" and releasing new music, but thing is, The Darkness have real rocking tunes, it's just some people only really know them for I Believe in a Thing Called Love, and not the heavier stuff they have done. But anyway I'm so hyped for the rest of the album, cannot wait 2022 so far a brilliant year!
I do know that frusciante is heavily influenced by hendrix and is very knowledgeable about guitar too. I actually appreicate that his playing has a soulful and funk feel to it and its not just "shredding" . I love the albums BSSM, californication and By The Way especially by the chili peppers and I think his playing just fits the band, not to mention chads fun rock drums and flea with that slap bass, I just don't think other bands sound anything like them. They began quite punk but early on keidis started to try to sing a bit more as they evolved more to funk rock.
Here's a lovely bit where he talks about developing something from Hendrix:
m.ua-cam.com/video/_pxMTXadCqI/v-deo.html
Thought Hendrix at about :50 of the new song
"I would say there's a lot of people that love Frusciante, and I think he's got a really lovely collection of guitars." Damn, that's some faint praise.
Well deserved faint praise!
'Throw away your television' live at Slane version should change your mind on Frusciante. One of the best live solos in my opinion
I was not a huge fan of that song until I saw it live...the rest is history
You definitely need to listen to more of Johns soloing, especially at live shows. The man is all expression. His playing made the musician I am today. And he is tattooed on my arm, but I was not a huge fan of this new song. I’m just praying the album will be good.
What do you think of an album now? :)
That tune does nothing for me either. I do enjoy RHCP but I have to be in a certain mood. Justin does need to listen more to John Frusciante. He is a melodic and rhythmic monster when it's his turn to shine in the song! Some of his live solos are mind-boggling beautiful!!!!!! Thank you Justin for your honest analysis of anyone!
I know Iam like da fuck ! Never head anyone say John doesn’t have expression. Does this man want a vibrato left and right
If anyone wasn't for some reason convinced by Frusiante's RHCP work, they should definitely check out _The Empyrean_ with its beautiful, Funkadelic-esque tone.
I think that when John is doing the "basic" part, he is letting the energy from the rhythm section through. Maybe even making space for dancing/jumping around. Granted, the guitar at that moment is pretty forward in the mix, but that might be more a factor of nothing else sounding out in that frequency range. He is simply providing the harmonic structure, but not adding anything that requires attention. Measured. A contrast to the intro and the solo. Also, I think Kiedis' stage presence is and has been largely in the tradition of Iggy Pop. He's always been super physical.
PS Looking forward to seeing The Darkness in Chicago!
As a kid who listened to the RHCP, I didn't like or dislike them based on how easy or not it would be to play there songs, just found that the overall sound felt good in my ears, very peaceful at times, melodic, and generally enjoyable to hear...
Also, it's great fun listening to Flea doing all kinds of funky shit on his bass
The key to fully appreciating the way Frusciante resonates so much with many (including me) might be found in an early interview. He talks about being focussed as much on the gaps between the notes as the notes themselves. And that a note played after a short gap is different to the same note played after a longer gap, or played the next day. He has such a deep relationship with the way what he plays should be the right thing to do. Nothing more, nothing less. He doesn’t seem to be proving anything. No need to aim for ‘virtuosity’ if it isn’t part of responding to the moment. No ego. I think that’s key to the simplicity but longevity of Chilli Peppers songs he had a hand in. He’s a f&$@ing special human.
Very interesting thoughts and cool to see your take on it, as always :) Concerning Frusciante's guitar playing; for me it's always the song first, meaning what truly fits for the song is what someone should play, and I think he plays excatly what's needed in this song. He's not the fastest, he's not the most technical, but he's perfect for this band and this song. I'm actually not a huge Chili peppers fan, but have been enjoying their catalogue every now and then through out the years. But this song is really good, was blasting it high in the car the other day and it's easily as good as any of their other hits
I’ve always liked the space the chili peppers leave in their songs and JF has instantly recognisable sound
The first 3 seconds on new song you know its John
It was actually weird to me hearing overdubbed guitars on the new song! A lot of their tunes are just one guitar I think.
It’s catchy, it’s simple! It’s 4 immensely talented musicians who play with their soul and then with technique. This is why they are so successful. They have nothing to prove, they do not over-analyse music, they just play, they have fun and they create music , more than any other “famous established “band would ever dream off!
I respect your opinion about John’s “technique” but this is way beyond the mechanics of playing guitar. There are 2 categories of guitarists, the soulful players and the “detailed-calculated-technique virtuoso oriented” ones. John is a soulful player!
Great video though. It’s always a bonus seeing other musicians’ point of view on established bands that still create art after so many years.
PS. I would love your opinion on SOAD and Daron Malakian’s songwriting including his solo albums with Scars on Broadway.
Thanks 🙏
Couldn't have said it better myself🙏RHCP live at Slane castle proves how much of a soulful guitar player John is. For me there is so much emotion in the notes John plays, safe to say The Darkness's music has never made me feel that way at all, no disrespect to them of course, I respect them as a band, I suppose it's all down to a matter of opinion.
1:40 Kiedis's delivery of that 'give it away' is absolutely fascinating. It's compressed into a short staccato burst, almost a trill. Gi-W-D-Way. In fact I've fooled people into thinking I've nailed it by actually slurring a trill in there.
It's actually catchy simplistic but beautiful choruses that 90 percent of bands just can't seem to find...but the Red Hot Chili Peppers find it in droves
flea chad and John are immense musicians who clearly connect with millions of people. I think some people have a problem with Anthony, but surely that's what also makes him great.
I dont rly like Anthony as a person,but i think his voice is pleasant to listen to,thats why this chorus sounds good,his voice is suited
john was a kid when invited fir the red hot , he grew up and adiction made him fall more than once but when older he did tried to releases more than one Lp but not interesting at all and adicted has he was not wanting to play with still clean red hot but they also dive again in their heroin/ cocain habbit , but maybe not wanting to play today more than two si.ple songs of one of the best psychedelic-funkadelic , this last being a band not a style but red hot were emerse since the beginning n this style and diano being one if the best guitar players in late 80's ,early 90's but the relation trew them to total anhyalation but a great Lp , john fusciante did return from darkness and again a great Lp came iut but in the next two including stadium arcadium Lp that didn_t sold much but if one forgets other its perfect in the two parts but it was enough of thay guitar sound wich is great and red hot weren't a melidic band but a explosian if youth energy in the 80's , and after their first guitar player overdosed they put a bit of paprica and mither's milk was an entrance in what would be the vest of 99's rock albums blood sugar sex & magic but that's when the cookie crumbles, john grew up and as all wanted the rock'n'roll experience , life wise and red hot were already boiled but again they emerged in ,again and as the lead vocal said to mtv news just out if a dealers place he loiked down as a child and said " the red hot aren't behaving well , we are being bad boys again.....i can't writte now , dinner is served ,i'll continue later. Regards
I was really hoping RHCP were done and Flea could finally play in a supergroup or collaborate with others in some capacity. He's too talented to be stuck with someone who can't sing or write.
@@suburbanindie supergroups dont have the feeling most times,and people will look back on prime RHCP days
@@suburbanindie he is also in a band "Atoms for Peace" with Thom Yorke
What's fun about John is that he came into the band with a shredder influenced background and began simplifying as he aged and combining other influences
Just like Morellos story.
Kind of a shame too…I think Mother’s Milk is still his finest work to this day!!
@@JazzzRockFuzion It's outstanding work and captures Hillel's spirit while adding so much flavor to the broth.
Is it just me or does Justin Hawkins sound exactly like Freddie Mercury when he does the little intro/outro tune? Particularly when he says 'rides again'. Quite impressive.
RHCP was the band that got me into rock music. I finally caught them live in London 2022 and it was worth it. I wanted to see them with this line up and while they were all still with us! My musical taste has evolved a lot over the last 20 years but I still have a lot of love for this band.
For me it was just so awesome to see Frusciante back with the band. I grew up listening to them and I have no animosity towards Klinghoffer (I like some of his other work a lot) but that period really wasn't my thing.
The Foxy Shazam shout-out! Would love a video on those guys and why they never seemed to take off considering they had it all as far as a classic rock band goes.
It always blows my mind how underrated Foxy Shazam is. I got to see them twice and both shows were insane!
I’m a huge RHCP and Frusciante fan, but I love Justin’s gentle and friendly critique, it makes the analysis enjoyable even if you don’t see eye to eye with Justin 🙂
Seems overly smug and plain ignorant of a person who has not even bothered to research his video subject... He can't even name a single song properly on Blood Sugar Sex Majik, and claims he has not actually listened to them. I'm British, a lot of Americans can't spot a c*nt because they are mesmerised by the accent and sensibility. But we can spot one easily.
This is a band that their guitarist is literally a musical genius. Quite hard to find another musician so creative and disciplined like John Frusciante.,i mean how lucky they are..
Its funny how people perceive genius in music. I hear the opposite in them. Not a diss to them, but I definitely don't hear genius, though they're solid writers and they know what they do well. To never break out of pentatonic shapes seems to me like it could never be seen as genius
I'd say Frusciante is the weakest in the band. Chad is one of the greatest drummers on the planet, his ability to groove is incredible. Flea is one of the most talented bassists of all time. John is great but not one of the greatest. Unfortunately, it seems to me that the rather bland music doesn't make the best use of all the talent.
Yeah, there is great variety to what John Frusciante has done with the Chili Peppers, and even more so with his solo albums. He's a music obsessive, and always seems to be shifting his influences, which are extremely wide ranging. I'd encourage anyone to go read or listen to an interview with him, or delve into his solo work. He's also had a fairly eventful life, which adds to the depth of his music.
@@stevec6427 flea most talented of all time? thats fucking hilarious. and he would back me up. chad is a solid drummer but he is average as far as the greats go.
John really isn't a genius. I'm a fan of his, I have a John tattoo, but never considered him a genius. His blood sugar era playing was truly exciting to me, all his stuff since guitar wise to me is meh
Frusciante's work has a delicate introspection to it. There's something quintessentially Californian happening when Frusciante plays, it's like Laguna waves are swirling between the cords. "Scar Tissue" for example just takes me to calmer shores. I love his sound.
The zephyr song intro = Californian sun rays
I’ve never heard anyone say Frusciante is a boring player and doesn’t use vibrato? He is regarded by most to be a fantastic guitarist precisely because of his feel and expression. Then you play a video of him and he’s using vibrato within the first bar of his solo haha. Man, talk about being proved wrong. Where would Justin even get that rediculous accusation? Especially being a guitarist and a professional musician himself. I’m not a RHCP or Frusciante fanatic but as a guitar player it’s blatantly obvious what John brings to the table as a guitarist.
I always remember a review of Ry Cooders' Paris, Texas soundtrack, which described his guitar playing as carving out the desolate desert landscapes of the film all, on its' own.
The Chili's mix funk, rock, punk and supposedly the desolate existence of their generation. Keidis's dead inside lyrics and vocals driving this.
For me, the Ry Cooder comment is better reflected by Frusciante's guitar work on Scar Tissue (And Californication) which is exquisite in it's simplicity and cool emotiveness. Carving out the desolation of the songs lyrics.
Playing guitar isn't just crescendos and power chords. I find his more thoughtful work is unadorned (desolate again), soulful and emotive.
But each to their own.
Wow! I like the Paris, Texas reference. Takes me way back.
They're legitimately the best band that can't write a song without mentioning California.
Haha I noticed that too!
There's plenty of songs where California isn't a word or in the title
@@standardofexcellence Exactly, sometimes they also do songs about Los Angeles
Listen to Especially In Michigan. Ant and Chad are from MI. The poetic metaphors in that song are brilliant. "lions and tigers come running just to steal your love" is about the Detroit Lions and Detroit Tigers. I'm not from MI but I took the time to learn what all the metaphors mean. I love that song btw.
Apache Rose Peacock is about New Orleans. Most of their songs are about sex and relationships actually.
@@Lexwell_Lavers Michigan was a metaphor for California... jk
Anthony Kiedis might not be the greatest ever vocalist, but hes penned some of the most badass songs in rock. Dani California Californication, Give it away, Cant Stop , Scar tissue etc etc
@Bloom Tik Bloom yep
His lyrics are catchy and sound fun
And to be fair, he's had an interesting life. HIs old man was drug dealer to the stars of the day. Kiedis would have met all the weirdos, famous or not and seen way too much, way to young. Cher was a surrogate parent to him for a while. There was probably very little in the line of a normal job he'd be fit for after that upbringing!
You've become my new favorite channel. Great content. Well done sir. Tip of the cap to you.
For me personally, it's their live performances that elevate RHCPs to one of my favorite bands. It's an amazing show to catch. Seen them a half dozen times, first time at Woodstock 94'. Saw them last year in Boston at Fenway and it was easily in my top 3 shows ever....and I've been to a lot of shows.
No, they are not overated. They are amazing musicians, maybe Anthony not so much, but together they create awesome songs.
anthony is a genius lyricist tbh
@@goininside he really isn’t. Every now and then he puts something together very good though
That's what they keep saying but do you honestly think they would of been anything big without the dude?
i would say that only chad and flea are musically and technically skilled with their instruments. anthony is out of tune and john is sloppy he also has his guitar out of tune really often and his bends are out of tune.
They used to create awesome songs….
I'm not a massive RHCP fan but Blood Sugar Sex Magick is one of my all time favourite albums.
It’s a brilliant album.
I loved them growing up. When they're good they're great but it can be formulaic when it's bad. I love funk, funk rock etc and sometimes like a lot of artists in that idiom the emphasis can be on a good groove and the songwriting becomes an afterthought.
It's nice to see em but it seems they are covering old ground
Went to your channel and your music is great! Awesome stuff 👏👏👏
@@American-Dragon I've seen them 5 or 6 times over the years, I probably don't need to go again
@@indie_keegan Cheers Indie, working on my first record of original music at the moment, watch this space
At 8:49 you said "cheeky little fanfare" and the song Fanfare happens to be my favourite from John Frusciante's solo work. Great video!
Having just watched them for the first time last week. I can tell you I was blown away by how great they are live. The sound fantastic, have lots of energy still and have a great lighting/video editing on stage.
Let the haters hate I guess.
Lame music for lame people with a lame taste in music.
Your ability to write click-baity titles that hook musicians is second to none 🤣 really having fun watching the videos and excited for the next show in Florida!
The RHCP's will forever be one of my all-time favourites and have influenced so many greats. I just don't think they're as innovative / as good as they once were.
Absolutely agree, the most energetic band I've ever seen.....
name some of the "greats" they have influenced.
@@13christbane how many days have you got ?
@@charliepayne9248 You haven't answered the question!!
Hey Justin.
There’s plenty of excellent solos by John F that hit the feels button.
Try ‘I could have lied’ off BSSM and ‘wet sand’ from Stadium Arcadium.
I think you’ll find depth and feeling within.
P.S. No one does a simple chorus like RHCP. ‘Goodbye Hooray’ is glorious!
John F killed river Phoenix how does that hit your feels button?
@@paulmcgrath6118 he gave him a line of pure heroin and said it was coke ….. nice guy
I love ONE record by RHCP, and that's Freaky Styley... it dropped while I was in hi-school and didn't sound like anything else around it, or anything they've done since... like some have noted, you're quite gracious in explaining why they don't work for you... cheers, & ~RIP~ Hillel Slovak
My post has nothin to do about the RHCP, I've now watched a few of your videos and i find them remarkably funny, insightful, and honest to you. You're probably never going to see this but your amazing. Your voice, pitch perfect and guitar playing is spot on. Rick Beato and you are amazing and i cannot wait to hear you two talk music. Thank you for your content.
For me there are two main periods of RHCP: Everything before John leaving the band and after. Perhaps, BSSM was already a bit of a transition to what their sound would become later on but for me it is funk rock vs. mellow alternative rock. There are some cool bangers among their older tracks but I really like the warm and melodic tone on everything since and including Californication. Justin might not be into that too much but I really think that warm, reduced and atmospheric guitar sound is what lets their songs shine, By The Way is my favourite record.
I like them and I like this track, but I would definitely agree that it is fairly basic and feels a touch bland, the chorus feels lazily flat and repetitive. I would have hoped that at this stage in their careers they would take some more chances in the type of songs they put out. They lost their edge.
There's an article from NME in which the RHCP tell that Black Summer is the first song John wrote right after rejoining the band, and after not having made rock music in over a decade lol
I think they kept it in the album and made it a single because of its emotional significance and stuff like that. The rest of the album is fking crazy according to NME's early review.
I think too early to judge on the edge part
I mean the irish singing is enough,idk i dont expect much its a typical chilli song
I think their peak was Mothers Milk/Blood sugar sex magic/one hot minute
@ghost mall One hot Minute is underrated it was after that
This is by far the most disappointing Frusciante single they've released. The lyrics are interesting & do address the times we live in. But I wish they spent more time on this one. It's so noodly & lacks bite.
At last we have a band making real music, not behind some laptop or mucking around with autotune, putting in a drop here and there and calling it music. Look forward to the album being released. Cheers.
Rhcp = kings of the jam
Californication is one of the pinnacle albums of my favorite period in music. The turn of the millennium had some of the most important and amazingly innovative music in my opinion.
Radiohead, Deftones, Modest Mouse, The White Stripes, Weezer, System of a Down, Incubus, Tool, Sigur Ros, Glassjaw, Blink-182, The Strokes, Eminem, Queens of the Stone Age, Audioslave, Korn, etc were all at their peak and the music that came out of that period from ‘98 to ‘02 will always be the closest to my heart.
I can feel that. I'm 39 now
At least half those bands you listed are terrible.
@@kingnotail3838 Do you know how absolutely useless that comment is? Some user name on YT doesn’t like some of the bands I like? Am I supposed to care? Was there nothing of substance you could have added to possibly give me a reason to take your opinion seriously?
Bro. Have your heard Dosed? Wet Sand? Hey? Desecration Smile? Venice Queen? How can those not move a person?
I was one of the people that was over the moon when John's return to the band was announced, but i think he really shines as a solo artist. The Empyrean is worth a listen, a spiritual psychedelic concept album, it has some of Frusciante's best work.
the empyrean is a phenomenal album and probably the most "commercial" of John's solo projects. sadly i've played that to death (have most of his solo stuff tbh)
It's a wondrous album.
@@Shard3432 me too, i've had to leave it alone because it would start feeling stale, which shows how brilliant it is. Really liking his most recent album, Maya. It's put him on the map as a electronic artist i can take seriously for me.
Check out John playing ‘Snow’ live. Definitely not basic, he is a beast! Also in most bands you don’t even notice the bassist is there, but in chillis flea is arguably one of the best bassists of all time. Songs like scar tissue and californication John keeps it more simple to give him room to breathe which leads to a really unique interplay between them. Give them another go Justin :)
Yes, agree. Rarely do we see that sort of chemistry between guitar and bass. John's minimalistic guitars and Flea's opulent bass lines go so well together.
A good guitar solo / riff / part / lead is not always defined by it's difficulty, but rather it's expression and / or representation of the mood or direction of the song... John Frusciante's guitar playing is a reflection of this... his playing isn't flashy or over-the-top... but the music certainly doesn't suffer for this... IMO!
I mean he also has alote of tracks where he is has solos my all time favorite is Hey solo not hey oh lol but that solo is amazing. I never heard anyone say that John has no expression in his playing lol 😂
Whenever I tell people I don't like RHCP they always look at me as if I'm some sort of arse hole. I'm glad to see I'm not alone.
I really like The Peppers, I like You Justin, subbed your channel, I like how You have your own sincere opinions on genres and particular musicians. Fun to watch and I must admit that You're so talented! You just listen to a tiny bit of song and immediately find the right key and play it. Just amazing! Keep up the good work. Cheers mate!❤
John solo on ‘could of lied’ is top tier!
John Frusciante was the #1 guitarist who's music really inspired me to start playing guitar when I was a kid. He definitely isnt a crazy riff salad type of lead guitarist by any means but in his defense, I don't think he ever really tried to be
He lost something. Fluidity, phrasing, conviction, something. His guitar work on Mother's Milk and BSSM are incredible and he hasn't really touched that since. Californication and Stadium Arcadium are good, but not on that level in my opinion.
@@uglytuco3829 I saw an interview with him once where he explained in the days he was using smack heavily he sold all his guitars and didn't pick one up again for a good amount of years. By the time he was clean and back in the band he basically had to relearn the guitar and take a minimalist approach.
You should listen to his guitar solo on Turn it again. Come back and see what you think
justin, your channel has been my best find on YT for ages. informed, good topics, funny, entertaining and interesting. keep doing it.
I must say, everyone is entitled to their opinion. But this is a man passing judgement without any knowledge of a bands back catalogue. Their sound has evolved so much over 30 years and some of the guitar is mind boggling.
John's work on the Mars Volta albums is really killer.
I've followed the Chillis for years until more recent stuff. When I was younger I loved their energy and it resonated with my more hedonistic years, but as I've got older their music just doesn't move me any more. One Hot Minute, which got largely panned, I thought was one of their most emotionally laid bare albums and I liked DN's influence on them. Shame they and others didn't.
Your opinion mate but honestly stadium Arcadium is their most moving, emotive album. Try 'Hard to Concentrate' and 'Wet sand'. Unbelievably beautiful songs.
@@Ben-nr2rm that’s also an opinion buddy
@@Ben-nr2rm I agree .. Venice queen and she looks to me .. great songs too
John Mayer said it best. The simple songs are for the crowd and the complex stuff is for him. The simple stuff gets the crowd moving and the ease of playability also helps. Most people don’t want to listen to crazy solos all day I know I don’t.
RHCP have written some "easy son" but a lot are really complex in their structure... sir psycho sexy, zephyr song, charlie, in the snow, eddie, it's only natural
LOVE your talks/videos!! Just discovered them recently! Well done, they’re really good and enjoyable! 👏👏👏👍
John might not be the most technical player but he has written a ton of memorable guitar parts. Snow, Can’t Stop, I Could have Lied and Under The Bridge come to mind immediately.
I’d probably agree he is overrated purely as a technical guitar player but as a songwriter the list of mainstream hits speak for themselves.
For me, Frusciante's playing is more about the melodic simplicity, not everyone's cup of tea of course but he's one of my favourites. A great example is his lead break in "The Sides" by Ataxia
Hey thanks for the shout out with this Ataxia song, its pretty cool, are these guys a Frusciante' side band?
@@BillShears2010 Yeah man, it's Frusciante with Joe Lally from Fugazi and Josh Klinghoffer, they just did a few albums not sure if they toured or carried on.
His solo albums are another deep dive too, very intimate feeling like its just him enjoying recording himself on a 4 track.
I kindly disagree of your takes in JF style. It doesn’t look like you’ve heard Stadium Arcadium or his solo stuff (or even too much RHCP tracks beside the hits), there are really more “complex” stuff going on there.
Fucking agree 100 %!
It is truly sad for anyone to not be able to understand why the RHCP are a brilliant band. Too bad they suck live.
I find them unimpressive and bleh with a few exceptions. But don't feel sad for me, I'm ok with it. So much better shit out there. So much.
@@icepick1514 I feel ya.. They are certainly a studio band. My comment was before their concert.. After that.. Screw these guys, I'm going home! Lol
@@icepick1514 like who????
@@TrentonTrent lol ya kidding me? They blow 95% of all bands out if the park live. Very few are as good as the Chili Peppers
@@paulharrisonadventuregearm5457 You must be seeing some really crappy bands then. First off the RHCP don't even play a full set?? Who does a stadium tour and only plays for an hour and a half at most??? That's pathetic and not even worth the hassle of getting to and from any stadium. The ticket prices were insanely high especially with their whole stage being cheap.. Simply put, it was the worst show I had seen this year and it was the year of concerts!! Roger Waters blew these guys outta the water and he's almost 80 years old!! Metallica is always much better. Smashing pumpkins and Janes addiction had them beat. RHCP are good at playing their instruments, Anthony is certainly a studio singer as he sounds like crap live.. I could go on but you get the point. They are a studio band. When the crowd leaves a show their should be energy!!! At a RHCP show I think people are more disappointed than anything.
Love that you brought up Eric Nally! Foxy Shazam is one of my favorite bands and they are criminally underrated.
They were one-trick ponies thirty years ago, and apparently they've had no new ideas since 1995.
RHCP are one of the best bands ever in my opinion. They have helped me through some hard times and always releasing new music, when other bands from their era have become nostalgia acts.
Anthony Keidis granted isn’t the best or most talented singer but he’s positive energy and gusto is always uplifting.
I wholeheartedly agree with every word of your comment
You know, i really love their latest album, The Getaway. It has some duds but for the most part it is a really great album. Actually sad they dropped Klinghoffer as his guitar playing on The Getaway really appeals to me.
Encore is one of the most beautiful songs in their oeuvre
Yeah I think Klinghoffer made them really interesting again and now they've just returned to exactly what they were doing before. This could easily be a By The Way B-side. To be fair they've not grown as dull as other great 90s bands like Pearl Jam (RIP) but this is a big step backwards from the stuff they were doing with Josh. Dark Necessities was a hell of a single and had so many musical elements that will never exist with Fruschante back in the band.
its generally regarded that the getaway and i'm with you are the worst RHCP albums.
@@Shard3432 By whom? Diehards who can't bear anything without Fruschante?
@@Timothy_Dalton33 sales, reviews, just general public.
John wasn't the guitarist on all RHCP albums so.
John's guitar sound is unique to him, it's his style, and the chilli peps sound that I like, that's for sure
Was fascinating to watch this episode Justin, as a fan of frusciante. hearing someone who's not into his playing objectively analise it and come to the conclusion that it's because it's so simple, it goes straight in, thats what I love about frusciante, his playing almost minimalist in approach, something all of my favourite songs have, I can see /hear this in Kelly Jones of Stereophonics, and Kurt Cobain, get rid of everything that isn't that song. Like vocalists, all guitarist have there own "voice". And they're no to everybody's taste. Your playing and singing are awesome BTW, thanks for doing this video, really enjoying your channel! 🙏❤️
Enjoyed your analysis. I performed vocals in a chili pepper tribute and have been playing guitar for 25 years. Some of the technical things you are looking for are painted along their career but frusciantes playing shifts between Joni Mitchell to Jimi Hendrix to Jimmy Page. And yes the vocal melodies can be very easily spelled out on a piano/guitar and that gives it the wide pop appeal
Remember reading John Frusciante wanted to express himself by minimising the amount of notes he played in the solos on Californication. Not overly keen on it sometimes, but it seems to be a stylistic choice that can work. Sounds much more like their older stuff - Seem to be a 'Marmite band'. I generally like them.
i think part of the marmite is Kiedis, i don't think many people like him, and thats fair, hes reported to be a bit of a diva.
Appreciate your take and I can see where you're coming from. However you always tend to sprinkle a bit of elitism in there which makes you look a bit salty. :-)
Dude! He is British! Have some worldly culture. This is how they act, you have to take a tiny grain of salt
They have been snobby, and snooty for centuries! Taha
Frusciante’s live playing and technical prowess will always have their critics but his songwriting skills to create memorable sentimental tunes/ melodies is undeniable. None of the ex guitarists of RHCP had that magic.
Good video here, Justin. Very personable approach to the camera. I’m going to subscribe. I can’t say I agree with your point of view though; lifelong Chili Peppers fan 🌶.
Re. John’s guitars. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him playing a large headstock strat or tele. Maybe in the early 90s, but not since. Pretty sure this one in the video is a ‘62 slab board. He also has a ‘55 maple fretboard Stratocaster, and a pair of 1961 fiesta red and white strats. He also used to play a 1962 tele with white binding. In the early 90s most of his guitars were sunburst strats from circa 1966… I think.
Saw them live in Auckland . They were awesome . One good thing is Anthonys voice sounds exactly the same live as it does recorded . Flea absolutely rocks :)