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Your thoughts on RHCP's " Californication"

#21
I agree about the crappy-sounding production of the album (Chad's drums sound ridiculously thin and I'm not a big fan of the midrangey sound Flea's going for, either, also a friend of mine says the album is ripe with digital clipping). Other than that there are some very decent and well-written songs on it (Easily, Otherside and others) and I like the minimalist arrangements they were going for in most of the songs. I used to listen to the album a lot when it came out but now I'm pretty bored with it due to the way some singles off the album were overplayed and regurgitated in local cover bands. Still, it's a decent album overall with a nice mellow feel to it and I prefer it to their latest effort which I didn't like at all.

Come to think of it, the music video for the title track is pretty dang awful too. :p
 
#25
My favorite album pretty much by them and then BTW is second (BSSM is a great album as are all of their albums but unlike the rest of the bass majority is not my favorite.) Frusciante and Flea just mix together very well and sound great... Californication is my all time favorite song to play on guitar (Yes i do play guitar a good deal i just dig bass more.) and my two favorite songs to play on bass that aren't any of my original stuff is Can't Stop and By The Way. Amazing albums
 
#26
Dave Navaro is awful compared to Fruciante and there is only one song i really like off of that album... which is Aeroplane (and i mean as a song in general not because it has an awesome bass line to it or awesome lyrics or guitar or drumming) it just seem to fit... but navaro screwed it
 
#27
Dylan-palmer said:
I think its a good album. However i don't think it has nearly the edge or raw funkyness of there first few albums. Personally i really dont like any of thier albums after this and think it was the final good album they will produce.

just an opinion others will disagree but i feel they simply lost touch with what made them unique in the first place.
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well they quit being stoners and are now a softer rock rather than the real hard rock... still funky though... i actually prefer their newer stuff...
 
#29
mikeypbass said:
Stadium Arcadium, I can't even listen to it, i dont know why but i just can't stand it

BSSM for the win
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I feel pretty much the same, I blame it on John whose guitar playing is starting to make them sound like any other radio rock band. I predict he'll probably tune down to A for a "heavier" sound on the next record or something. When it comes to "heavy" playing, Dave plain destroys him, in my opinion.
 
#34
Blood Sugar is their best album for me, BY FAR.

I don't know what's up with all the One Hot Minute hating...I thought it was a decent album with some KILLER bass lines, as well as some good overall songs - It's one of my favourites to jam along to.

Californication was cool too, I love pretty much every song on the album.

By the Way was very "different", but not in a bad way - It was kinda good in it's own respect, but the music sounds like it shouldn't be coming from the same guys who made BSSM and Mother's Milk (which I also am very fond of!!).

The latest album is quite hit n' miss for me...Half the songs I like, the rest aren't anything special.

I first got into the Chili Peppers at around the time "By the Way" came out, and I'd heard the singles from Californication a few times when they were out, so I kinda started with the new stuff, then discovered the old. But the first time I heard BSSM I was floored...
 
#35
Californication came out the year I started playing bass, and without it, I honestly don't think I'd still be playing. I listened to that album over and over for a year, and it was my introduction to Flea. I can't listen to it hardly anymore from overexposure, but it'll always be up there for me.

In the talk of RHCP pre-BSSM and post-BSSM, I think it's a matter of energy vs. songwriting. Their songwriting and arrangements are much better now, but I'll admit some of the energy is lost in recent recordings. But I see a glimmer of hope with some of the stuff on Stadium Arcadium, and think that album is the perfect mix of BSSM's energy and BTW's songwriting.

And as far as One Hot Minute goes, I always tell people I feel like it's a great album, it's just not a RHCP album.
 
#37
CapnSev said:
No kidding! I have a lot of bass students that want to learn Flea stuff, and when I ask if they want the "new" Flea or the old 80s crazy Flea, they say "Old 80s crazy Flea?" Then they look at me like I'm stupid. Most people these days don't realize RHCP existed before BSSM. I would dare say that most people under 18 don't realize RHCP existed before Californication.

Me however: All hail the Uplift Mofo Party Plan! :D
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I Wanna Party On Your Pussy Baby..... yeah yeah absolutely :)
 
#40
Wow, almost 10 years already. Can`t believe it happened so fast.

It`s probably my fav RHCP album along with BSSM. Lots of great tunes and basslines. IMO, Frusciante`s comeback was essential to this and his fresh influence is clear. The formula became a bit repetitive with the subsequent albums, so they lost that originality, IMHO.

BSSM, remains as one my reference albums in terms of bass tone.
 

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