I can't even believe I'm writing this post right now, because I'm so tired and brain fried from early-morning (like, 5am) radio interviews, and non-stop book promotion, and working at my actual job, and doing teacher training, and writing a syllabus, and transcribing notes from another project, all while actually being happy to have all this awesome stuff to do. Besides, this is one of those topics where I'm going to
start talking about it, and then I'm going to get an email from a die-hard Chili
Peppers fan, going "shut up, man....that's the whole appeal of the Peppers. You
don't understand, man!"
So, last weekend I was reading a bunch of search
engine optimization articles for work, and while I did that I decided to listen
to my entire collection of Red Hot Chili Peppers albums. Yes, all of them. In
a row. I had a lot of reading to do, ok, and I really like to listen to
something groovy when I have dense things to read. Also, I have been a RHCP
fan since the NINETEEN EIGHTIES, starting with the Uplift Mofo Party Plan, have
seen them in concert, made a few RHCP references in my novel and in my playlist
for Large Hearted Boy, and so on. I've seen them in concert a few times (always
very entertaining), know someone who works as an engineer with them, and I
always buy their new albums.
That is to say, I am a fan of the Red Hot Chili
Peppers, so think back on this when your finger is trembling to hit "Send" on
the nasty email I know you're composing in your head. Give me a break! I'm tired!
I have noticed, and I don't know if I'm wrong about
this, that as the band is maturing, Anthony Kiedis' songwriting skills actually
seem to be getting LESS sophisticated. How is that possible? I have previously
discussed how ridiculous I think his lyrics are, and that the line "El
Dorado....won the lotto" makes me die a little inside, but stuff like that gets
in on a musical voucher because like I said, I've liked them since high
school. I don't know if it's just the fact that the rest of the band is so
tight, and because Rick Rubin's production just gets better and better, taking
the band in different directions, but it seems like Kiedis' lyric-writing skill
is inversely proportional to the rest of the band-- like, they are getting
better, and he is getting worse. Like, Flea-- just, oh my God. Just when you
think he can't get any better-- he goes and takes music classes at USC, man!
And, John Frusciante, I'm sorry, but he probably saved that band (along with
himself) after he got off drugs. I would have to put him on my list of "sick
guitar players," along with Dave Navarro, Kirk Hammett (from Metallica, if I
even need to put that), and Nels Cline (who I know people either love or hate).
Jimmy Page is obviously at the top of this list.
Now, this could also be a reflection of me-- I'm
getting less tolerant of unsophisticated lyrics (for instance, I will not listen
to that "Spaceman" song by The Killers, because I value words, and I think this
song sounds like a first draft. And, to be fair, I'm not even expecting Anthony
Kiedis to be Jeff Tweedy in his lyric-writing skill. He's not poetic, ok?
Well, not poetic in that he doesn't turn a clever phrase, but certainly poetic
in that he just can't help but rhyme everything ("Hot as Hades......early
eighties, anyone?).
I am seriously wondering-- why don't they have
someone else contribute to the lyrics? I wonder if it's like, "that's his
thing," and they know the lyrics suck but they're relying on his charisma and
natural enthusiasm to take up the slack like they always have. I guess I'm just
wondering if this will keep working in perpetuity.
By the way, why did the Red Hot Chili Peppers stop
mentioning Firehose? Did Anthony Kiedis and Mike Watt have a falling out?
Firehose was the first live show I ever went to, at the Green Door in
Riverside. Yeah, I just threw that out there to further establish my indie
cred.
