lambchops's Full Review: Blood Sugar Sex Magik by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Albums often have a few good songs surrounded by a whole lot of crap. That’s certainly not the case with a certain alterna-funk album released in 1991.
Well before the world’s collective bones were jumped by Red Hot Chili Peppers, the band was just a kinetic Southern California funk-punk rock act with a drug problem and a long-standing friendship. The band actually was formed way back in 1983 by a group of three eclectic, energetic high school chums in the form of Anthony Kiedis, Hillel Slovak, and Michael Balzary (later known as Flea). Initially, the band went by Tony Flow and the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem. That name didn’t stick (for good reason), and the threesome became the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
The band released four increasingly popular albums in the 1980’s. Each including the band’s signature funk-punk combination, and each gathering more and more support from fans underground. George Clinton (one of the band’s many idols) even produced their 1985 sophomore effort Freaky Styley. But the 1980’s were marked by more than just musical successes for Red Hot Chili Peppers. Sure, they were infamous for their stage antics (and the famous socks), but there was also the erratic behavior and well known drug problems.
With Slovak’s heroin OD death in 1988, the band was forced to face a few demons. But, as many people know thing weren’t all good in the years that followed. But, what can be said is that 1989’s Mother’s Milk, an album featuring the new look and retooled sound of RHCP to guitarist John Frusciante and drummer Chad Smith ended up the most popular to date. Thanks in part to a song dedicated to Slovak entitled Knock Me Down and a Stevie Wonder cover Higher Ground, the album helped catapult the band to stardom.
Things were really looking up when rock producer Rick Rubin signed on to collaborate on the band’s fifth album�’s Blood Sugar Sex Magik. The album was an immediate hit and eventually went seven times platinum stateside. With fabulous tracks like the uncharacteristically tender Under The Bridge and the funky alternative of Give It Away, the album was a bona fide hit. But, this album marked the last time for a while that Frusciante would be a part of RHCP. He, too, was hopelessly addicted to heroin.
At over seventy-three minutes and seventeen tracks, Blood Sugar Sex Magic is an exceptionally long album. Fortunately for listeners and RHCP alike, it proves time well spent. Sure, there’s much talk about sex and drugs and another homage to Slovak, but overall the album is very complete and very entertaining on the whole. And, the band even manages to try some new things including ballads unlike anything on previous albums. It’s good music, but probably not what most fans were looking for on a new album.
If I had to name two songs that most people can correctly identify from this album, they would be Under The Bridge and Give It Away. But there are certainly other tracks of note including (but not limited to): Breaking The Girl, Suck My Kiss, The Power of Equality, I Could Have Lied and the sexually explicit yet raucous fun of Sir Psycho Sexy. It seems that Rubin helped to further round RHCP and helped to introduce a style that would help to further popularize them without completely dismissing the band’s funky punk roots.
Don’t get me wrong, as with all long albums, there are some shallower tracks. I’m less excited about the plodding rhythm of Apache Rose Peacock and the strange-at-times The Greeting Song. But, with seventeen tracks it’s pretty darned impressive to have so many great tracks and so few unremarkable ones. For people that own the album and have yet to explore it beyond the bounds of two to four tracks, please check it out a bit further. It’s much more worthwhile that one might expect. But, also keep this in mind, it earned that parental advisory sticker for good reason….the aforementioned Sir Psycho Sexy certainly being one.
I highly recommend Blood Sugar Sex Magic over and above their most recent near sell out Californication. Other albums of note are Mother’s Milk and the earlier Freaky Styley and the darker overtones of One Hot Minute (with the guitar work of the uber-strange Dave Navarro) aren’t all bad in my opinion. After listening to lots of RHCP music, it’s important to note that Kiedis is in no way an impressive vocalist. He’s a rapper of sorts, but lends his rhymes to funky punk tracks instead of bassy beats. Flea plays the bass unlike any other man, and his handiwork lends itself well to RCHP and Blood Sugar Sex Magik. And, this particular album has the benefit of the talented (though problematic) Frusciante. Smith is a decent drummer, but not remarkable…just a nice, round addition to RHCP.
If you haven’t already, go out and buy this album. It’s well worth the money, and as a band that will certainly be inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame in ten or so years you won’t be sorry. Red Hot Chili Peppers were at the top of their game (despite some lineup changes and musical shifts) with Blood Sugar Sex Magic. The Grammy Awards even recognized the band’s musical achievement with a 1993 award for Best Hard Rock Performance for Give It Away. Blood Sugar Sex Magik represents a happy medium for fans and critics alike (aside from a public lynching thanks to Rolling Stone and others).
Moral of the story? RHCP has had their ups and their downs both musically and personally. This is an up. Way up.
Track Listing:
1. The Power of Equality
2. If You Have To Ask
3. Breaking The Girl
4. Funky Monks
5. Suck My Kiss
6. I Could Have Lied
7. Mellowship Slinky In B Major
8. The Righteous & The Wicked
9. Give It Away
10. Blood Sugar Sex Magik
11. Under The Bridge
12. Naked In The Rain
13. Apache Rose Peacock
14. The Greeting Song
15. My Lovely Man
16. Sir Psycho Sexy
17. They're Red Hot
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