05-09-2006, 11:37 PM
Picked it up this morning (along with the new Neil Young- more on that one later). What an exhausting listen! John Frusciante's guitar wizardry completely dominates both discs, and that alone is worth buying the record in my opinion. Like most double albums, not every song is a gem, but I think it's safe for me to say that at least 20 out of the 28 tracks are excellent, while the others are one tiny step above mediocre. Self indulgent? You bet. But when the music's this good, who gives a shit? There are about 4 or 5 songs that I don't really like, but I wouldn't go so far as to say they're bad. These guys know what they're doing, and they do it very well.
Much like their other albums, this one has a very raw sound, and was obviously recorded live-off-the-floor without a lot of polishing in the studio, save for a few layered guitar and vocal overdubs on some of the tracks. I should also mention that Anthony Kiedis delivers the best vocal performance of his career. If there's any weakness at all to this album, it's definitely Kiedis' lyrics, which unfortunately haven't developed much since "Blood Sugar Sex Magik". A lot of them are just nonsensical jumbles of words that happen to rhyme. But these guys have never been known for their lyrical prowess, so it's a minor complaint. I like different bands for different reasons, and Keidis' lyrics are usually the last thing I'm listening for when I throw on the Peppers. What I dig most about this band are their strong melodies and their insanely talented musicianship. Their lyrics may be silly, but these guys can write a catchy hook like nobody's business.
My rating: *** 1/2 out of 4.
Much like their other albums, this one has a very raw sound, and was obviously recorded live-off-the-floor without a lot of polishing in the studio, save for a few layered guitar and vocal overdubs on some of the tracks. I should also mention that Anthony Kiedis delivers the best vocal performance of his career. If there's any weakness at all to this album, it's definitely Kiedis' lyrics, which unfortunately haven't developed much since "Blood Sugar Sex Magik". A lot of them are just nonsensical jumbles of words that happen to rhyme. But these guys have never been known for their lyrical prowess, so it's a minor complaint. I like different bands for different reasons, and Keidis' lyrics are usually the last thing I'm listening for when I throw on the Peppers. What I dig most about this band are their strong melodies and their insanely talented musicianship. Their lyrics may be silly, but these guys can write a catchy hook like nobody's business.
My rating: *** 1/2 out of 4.
