Californication

hoo man, I thought I was neutral to mildly positive on RHCP, was never sad to hear one of their songs come up randomly, but holy moly they become grating *fast* when listening straight through an album.

I think it might be kind of a meme to give mild credit to Flea while criticizing the rest of the band, but yeah the bass is usually very good, even when the full songs are mostly mediocre.

Ugh. This was massive wasn't it? Absolutely HUGE.

Snare + slap bass + nonsense "oooby lass too bingy bingy bong boo" lyric

(bonus star for Scar Tissue though)

When I was 14 and this came out I loved scar tissue the first few times I heard it and got the album. I was disappointed in how bad the rest of it was, but that was common with 90s radio bands' albums: full of filler. Then I heard scar tissue 500 times a week on the radio and stopped liking that one song too. Then Californication was played out even more and I can't even here a note of this band without instinctively reaching for the car radio knob. So, it's been a long time since I revisited this album but good to know that my 14 year old self was correct: there's one good song on here ruined by overplay and the rest is boring dreck. Embarrassing little raps, self-parody level slap bass, the most vapid lyrics imaginable, and annoying whiney vocals. Some pretty guitar bits and solid drumming apart there is basically nothing here. BSSM was goofy and fun, this is somehow goofy and self serious. How is this band so big? America's Coldplay.

I loved this at the time, which may be clouding my judgement slightly! Some songs have aged poorly (or were never that good) but the opening salvo is up there with the very best. I love the Chilis, and this and the follow up (by the way) are are my favourites of their albums. It was always likely to get full marks, but listening again confirmed it for me.

not the biggest fan but deserves a light 4

Listened to this loads when it came out. Relistening now, I'm still enjoying the music - lyrics are as cliché as ever. First half is funky good, second half meh. 3.5

Ding dong ding dang indeed.

Pros: Flea can play the Bass.
Cons: Anthony Kiedis' awful voice and attempts at rap.

For the nostalgia (and the singles)

The return of John Frusciante is certainly a boon to the group and likely resulted in the more mature sound found on this record. That seems like a bit of an oxymoron for the Chil Peppers, but we'll get to that in a minute. Frusciante's influence, and the weight of his recovery from addiction, seems to have tempered the chemistry of the group. Not only does he bring his earworm guitar lines, but there is also an increased use of backing vocals that brings some more sophistication and beauty to the material. Flea is one of the few truly iconic bass players in modern rock since the late 80s. He is certainly flamboyant, but never seems to overplay. It's just that he has the ability to play so much more than your average bassist, and he uses that ability to support the songs. His relationship with his partner in rhythm, Chad Smith, is obviously essential to their success. He, like many drummers, seems to be the silent glue that holds everything together. Then we get to Anthony Kiedis and this is where it gets more complicated. His voice is an integral part of the Chili Pepper's sound and I do appreciate his soulfulness and even playfulness. But it's the lyrics that get to me sometimes. There are some nice poetic moments here and there but there are also these groan worthy awkward phrases throughout that prevent it from being truly great. It's like he never grew out of being a teenager and his cringeworthy thoughts are on full display. I know they sort of embrace that to a certain degree but it still doesn't make it go down easier or age more gracefully. This is a 3.5 for me and I will round up to 4 since I did enjoy this more upon it's initial release and I remember the vast majority of these catchy songs quite well and relatively fondly. However it just as easily could have been a 3 just for the lyrics.

Mostly good, but loses a point for round the world

After Blood Sex Sugar Magic I wasn't expecting much, knew there would be some standout highlights, but they really impressed me. Much less of trying to force a rap career and elevated musicality. The whole album hit right.

I've always had a soft spot for the Chili Peppers in spite of being something I'd usually have disdain for. This album is just really gorgeous melodically, especially Kiedes's vocals.

My favorite RHCP album, and song!! Awesome!!! I am a big fan of the Chili Peppers, and have listened to them for years.

Californication is a bit of a departure from their regular upbeat music, for a slower, more intimate feel. I can distinctly remember seeing the music video for Californication the first time. It was so futuristic!! The whole video looked like a video game, and was visually unlike any other video of the time.

I love the funky bass driven grooves achieved by Flea. He is a hell of a bassist! RHCP have been known to be a bit weird (shooting music videos with socks on their cocks, or Flea playing a live show completely nude). This is part of their shtick, and is part of what separates them from other bands of the genre.

Overall, an amazing album. Some filler on it though. The first half of the album is stacked with hits, but the rest is good, but not of the same caliper. Not my, first listen, and I will absolutely listen again!

Favourite songs: Californication, Scar Tissue, Around the World, Otherside, Right on Time, This Velvet Glove, Purple Stain, Fat Dance, Parallel Universe, I Like Dirt, Road Trippin'

Least favourite songs: Porcelain

4/5

I heard it enough as a teenager. Didn't need to relive.

The guitar riffs are great, the bassplay is amazing, the lyrics are as non-sensical as always.
But the whole thing is flat. From production to songwriting, it's safe and a bit empty.

On kyllä kiimaisia äijiä :D Tykkäsin tästä enemmän kuin Blood Sugar Sex Magicista, mutta ehkä jätän silti 3/5. Letkeetä ja onneks muitakin ok biisejä ku loppuun saakka kulutettu nimikko, jota en oo jaksanu moneen vuoteen.

Was lucky enough to see the Red Hot Chilli Peppers at T in the park 2006 one of my all time favourite live performances.

This is one of these albums I really like, from Around the World to Californication is brilliant, with Otherside being one of my favourite songs, but the second half is such a let down I usually never get to the end of the album, which is a shame as the album ends on road tripping which is a great song. The mastering on this album is also very poor, these two points make it hard to give this album full marks, but a very good 4 star album that is one of my personal favourites.

I'm old enough to remember when this came out, and was absolutely everywhere, and I absolutely hated it at the time. Listening to the whole album reveals it's not too bad; it has a certain ADHD energy and Kleidis is a surprisingly sharp lyricist. But every song relies on the same formula, which wears a bit thin, and it's far too long.

Decent album. I like the hits songs fairly well...Scar Tissue is a top 3 RHCPs song IMO. Feel like some of the album serves as filler. 3/5

not a fan of RHCP but have to admit this is a pretty good album. even the songs that aren't top 40 hits are solid. like it more than I expected.