New Music – Red Hot Chili Peppers and Wilco
Could it possibly be true that this album, I’m With You, is The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ 10th album? And that Anthony Keidis is 48? Where does the time go? And how is it possible that these guys are still able to play shirtless? Are the tube socks coming out next?
This album is the first in 15 years without guitarist John Frusciante, and it’s been five years since the bloated Stadium Arcadium was released, so this effort has a lot of pressure on it right out of the gate. Luckily, although Frusciante can never really be replaced (as the band already found out years ago), the new guitarist, Josh Klinghoffer, is very good and wisely lets the rhythm section, bassist Flea and drummer Chad Smith be the stars of the show. Keidis has never been much of a singer, but that’s not his role in this band, he’s more of a rhythm to vocals translator.
This is not the best Chili Peppers album ever, but this is a band that hits it out of the park only one or two times per album anyway, and in that sense this album ranks in the upper third of the band’s oevre.
Those of you who are fans of Wilco can stream their new album, The Whole Love, here. My sense after one time through is that it’s very good.
Posted on September 4, 2011, in Music and tagged I'm With You, Red Hot Chili Peppers. Bookmark the permalink. 16 Comments.
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All I know is that anytime Anthony Keidis wants to play shirtless, I support that…
The fact that the video is a public concert from a rooftop is also pretty hilarious. If it was any other band, you’d say it was a pretentious cliche, but these guys can pull it off.
They are one of those bands that I always think: “meh” but then realize I know every word and really do like them.
I’m not sure the Chili Peppers really know from pretentious cliche.
On your 10th album, you get the benefit of the doubt.
I guess that means David Hasselhoff started getting the benefit of the doubt about four albums ago.
Usually any 10th album is a pale shadow of what came before. There are a few exceptions (say someone prolific yet constantly impressive like Eric Clapton) but it’s easy to find this to be the rule.
Wasn’t their last album a double album that most people found lacking?
Kinda bummed they didn’t have any of the Venice Beach regulars in the video. At least I didn’t notice any.
You’re seriously comparing the Chili Peppers to Hasselhoff?
I was just saying that if a group like the Chili Peppers survives this long, they deserve some leeway.
I would never say that every group that has a 10th album is making a pale shadow of what came before. This album is definitely worthwhile, for example.
As I mentioned in the post, their last album was bloated, meaning that it was too big and unfocused. It still had a couple good songs though.
Has anyone listened to this album or the Wilco album?
I liked my listen through the Wilco album. I’ve been wanting for them to get a bit more crazy (noisy/high energy) more often, and the first track definitely did that. That one got me very excited for the rest of it. Turns out that that was the high water mark for crazy, but the rest of the album was pretty great. There are some songs that reminded me of Summerteeth a little bit in that they were pop-y with a lot of production and layers of sound. The last few albums have been pretty simple as far as production effects go. This one definitely breaks from that. I think I’m going to really like this album. Could end up being a top 3 or 4 Wilco album for me.
Thanks, Tom. I agree.
I’ve only been listening to the new Opeth (very much a departure) and the new Jesse Sykes.
Sorry Susan, this is a thread for RHCP and Wilco. Any further threadjacks like that will be deleted.
That was a joke, BTW.
LOL
Haha. The Jesse Sykes is a departure for her, too. Maybe I’ll do a thread on albums that were departures…