Ever since John Frusciante came back to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, I’ve found this stuff something of a guilty pleasure without the guilt. It was as if the whole band went on vacation for a decade while John shacked up in a cave and wrote songs. Californication knocked me over, and By the Way was even better. Staying true to the red hot funk roots they’ve always been known for, the music started tapping into other areas that are largely John’s doing. Particularly two-part vocal harmonies. They kill me. (Note to anyone: When I lose Kona, please don’t let me hear Dosed for at least fifty years.)
My buddy just floated me this year’s Stadium Arcadium, a double album. Not surprisingly, the stuff continues to shine. Like the finer art on the planet, you get the feeling that it’s effortless. It just happens. Naturally.
You ever have those mornings where you wake up with a song in your head and it doesn’t go away? For me, today, it’s a little hypnotic thing called “Hey”, which is the last track of the first disc. Love it, love it, love it.
