I used to absolutely love the Red Hot Chili Peppers and now
I pretty much hate their guts.
I don’t really hate everything about them, but
I’m numb to a lot of their music. Let me explain. I have worked for Alternative
Rock radio stations for quite a few years, starting in the mid-90’s. I have
involuntarily flipped the switch on the same Red Hot Chili Peppers songs
thousands of times, plus as a civilian have been overexposed to their music just like anybody else.
I’m not going to tell you which one, but I used to work for a radio
station that played the Red Hots every hour and fifteen minutes. That is not an
exaggeration. Every hour and fifteen minutes that radio station would play one
of ten songs from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Why you ask? Because they always
“tested well.” My chosen profession had drained all the joy from a band I once
loved. But enough about all that bologna.
Fun fact; Blood Sugar Sex Magic and Nirvana’s Nevermind were
released on the same day. September 21, 1991 was a great day for music.
Back in 1991 when I was in love with this band, I was
listening to this album a lot! I knew every note and with a few exceptions I
thought the whole album was wonderful. This listen was eye opening.
We're gonna chuck the hits out the window and talk about the rest
this record. Yeah yeah, we all know how great “Under The Bridge,” “Give It
Away,” “Breaking The Girl,” and “Suck My Kiss” are and how they’ll be on the
radio forever. I want to take a look at the rest of this rather meaty album. There
is forgotten brilliance here and there’s some shit Rick Rubin should have
buried in the backyard with the word “def.”
“Sir Psycho Sexy” used to be my jam! Lewd and crude! An
oversexed 8-minute powerhouse! Back then I loved it, now it’s a little dated
and corny. I still enjoyed it though.
As a liberal college student, “The Power Of Equality”
delivered a strong message of equal rights and that was right up my alley!
Still sounds great!
Why the hell wasn't “I Could Have Lied” a single? It’s like
the lost RHCP’s ballad.
“The Righteous & The Wicked” and “Naked In The Rain”
both could have been singles too!
I’m going a little long here, so I’m not even gonna dump on
the falsetto choruses that ruined songs like “If You Have To Ask.”
I always wonder if Weezer would have been as big had Spike
Jones not directed their Happy Days clip fueled video for “Buddy Holly.” Who
knows? But, this is another album that hit the big time and I hated that because
I loved Weezer before everybody else… those stupid jerks!
“My Name Is Jonas,”
was the first single from this album and the only place I was hearing it was on
CFNY, a once great radio station out of Toronto. I was moved by “Jonas” to buy
the disc and it was glorious! Then I had to reluctantly share them with, not
only the world, but with all those crybaby emo fucktards that site this album
and Weezer’s Pinkerton as the reason they wrote their screamo anthem for some stuck
up bitch that never liked them. Bad times.
A few years ago I saw Weezer play this album in its entirety
at a show in New York City. It was euphoric! At the time, I couldn't remember
being happier at a concert in my life! I had seen Weezer play at least ten
times before that show and I’m almost positive I never heard them play my
favorite song… “The World Has Turned And Left Me Here.”
I broke my leg in the summer of 1997 and by mid-August when
I was entering the dark and isolated stage of sitting around my apartment
alone, I used to listen to “The World Has Turned,” do heroic numbers of bong
hits and brood. Good times. (Don’t even compare me to those emo asswipes!)
This is a flawless album of epic dork proportions.
 |
| I was on the original cover of the album, but they edited me out. |
Back in the 80’s we used to have things called titty movies.
Mindless stories about young men trying to do something, and tits. “Hot Dog The
Movie,” “Spring Break,” and “Fraternity Vacation” are three of my favorites.
There’re some funny parts and there’re at least 20 tits in each movie.
I mention
them because they never really had “hit music” on their soundtracks. Usually just
no-name bands and somewhat catchy songs, or if there was a band you knew on the
soundtrack, it wasn't a popular song by them.
Inevitably, in these movies, the main characters would end
up in a situation where a band was playing one of the C grade songs "live." Usually in a bar or at party or after a wet t-shirt contest. That totally could have been Free Energy in any one of those
situations! Free Energy would have cleaned up in the titty movie
soundtrack industry of the 80’s!
When this album wasn't reminding me of titty movies, it was
boring the piss outta me.
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