Californication (studio album) by Red Hot Chili Peppers

A masterpiece

This is a messy release from RHCP and the filler cuts on here really hold the album back from being the groups greatest. They just can't maintain the consistency on this album with the majority of the back end of the record being insignificant except the closing track. We go from RHCP classics such as Californication, Scar Tissue, Otherside to tracks I would consider below mediocre which is Right On Time and I Like Dirt with the latter being extremely tough to get through when I revisit. I have no idea why they over bloat this release either as there is more than enough material to create a fantastic album so I don't see the point in elongating it. Overall, I love some of the work on here and it arguably has the best few songs in their whole discography but the release on the whole is so disjointed and inconsistent.

Blasting and energetic

Album Rating: 81.13
(1,217/15)

Contains many of their most iconic tracks but slightly marred by length and filler. Easily my favourite RHCP’s album.

1.Around The World. 75
2.Parallel Universe. 96
3.Scar Tissue. 81
4.Otherside. 95
5.Get On Top. 66
6.Californication. 85
7.Easily. 81
8.Porcelain. 80
9.Emit Remmus. 74
10.I Like Dirt. 61
11.This Velvet Glove. 85
12.Savior. 87
13.Purple Stain. 69
14.Right On Time. 86
15.Road Trippin'. 96

Let’s start at the literal beginning. I’ve never listened to this album before and have never previously sought out a RHCP song. Yet I knew, with some pretty solid familiarity, five of the record’s first six songs. Props to terrestrial radio saturation, I guess.

Second, I think the band is tapping into an important theme here. The Hollywood allure and output is damaging to the soul of a nation, but at this point we’re probably too far gone to reverse course.

But…I’m not sure this is the right band to deliver the message. Kiedis’s lyrical style is…jarring? Staccato phrases that give the impression of giving more consideration to the sound of the words than the meaning. “Born in the North and sworn to entertain ya/Cause I’m down for the state of Pennsylvania”

Huh?

Ultimately, the individual components of the band are pretty stellar but the sum of the parts adds up to something less than what feels possible.

From C_Krug2009 04/01/2022 00:29

I don't like the mixing and I don't like the compression when its ripped as an audiophile person but the music is fire. Every single song except right on time isn't great. Gong Li and Quixoticelixer are songs that should have made the album. I love this album much for its chord progressions. The melodies are good on songs like Scar Tissue, Otherside and This Velvet Glove. If you want to study melodies as a musician, this album and By The Way, are great places to start

There are some amazing tracks on this album - Californication, Velvet Glove, Otherside. But there are also some annoying ones like Purple Stain and I Like Dirt. Could've been a great album if they had cut out a few of the filler tracks.

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80.67

Californication es un gran album. Una colección de temazos, sobre todo la mayoría en la primera mitad. Mientras que decaen los hits en la segunda. Las mejores son las más clásicas: Californication, Otherside, Scar Tissue y Around the World. Las dos que más me sorprendieron fueron Parellel Universe y Porcelain. Parallel Universe está infravalorada en el catálogo de RHCP y Porcelain es un enorme contraste a su música en general, que suele ser movida y en esta canción en cambio es apacible y suave.

From sszwalbenest 11/16/2021 21:16

Pleasantly surprised at this one! I hadn't liked the other records of theirs that I heard, but there are some great songs here. A little inconsistent as all of their records are, but the highs are pretty great. Also, phenomenal album cover.