Red Hot Chili Peppers

Back at the end of January, the rock world started buzzing about John Frusciante - the iconic guitarist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers - and his decision to leave the band for the second time in his career. John had been alluding in interviews that the Chili Peppers may not be in his future for months, and he had posted on his personal website that he had left the band over a year ago. But the band itself has always maintained that John remained in the band, so the Chili Peppers' wide fan base had so far been left unanswered.

On January29th the band finally set some certainty to the matter, revealing their new look at the MusicCares person of the year dinner in Los Angeles. The band played long-time friend John Klinghoffer in Frusciante's stead, rocking out to a cover of a Neil Young tune, "Man Needs a Maid". The only video of the performance, it appears, is pretty bad, but can be found at http://bit.ly/bwXCmu.

In my opinion, the band will have their work cut out without John Frusciante. The albums he's been a part of, Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Californication, By The Way, and Stadium Arcadium, are those that now define the band. Worldwide recognized hits like Under the Bridge, Around the World, and Can't Stop come under his artistic input and his rough, funk influence. Frusciante is a major part of what has made the Red Hot Chili Peppers different from the Coldplays and the Nickelbacks in the calm rock scene; his funk has brought the Chili Peppers incredible fame.

Frusciante is not a "smooth around the edges" guitarist; he plays a melodic but scratchy sound that has become the sound of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Not only is the vibe unique, but it complements Anthony Kiedis' relatively untrained singing in a jarring, distinctive affinity that has made them a top rock band for over 20 years. Only a truly wicked guitarist can replace this harmony.

So in steps in "John Take 2", Mr. Klinghoffer. A great resume, has played with Gnarls Barkley, has toured with the Chili Peppers, has even played on stage with Frusciante at one point. He is amigos with the boys already, so he slides nicely in, so the band is nicely set to record their 10th studio album, the highly anticipated follow-up to Stadium Arcadium.

But will it be the Chili Peppers? How many of you know the album One Hot Minute? That album was supposed to be the electrifying follow-up to Californication. Except it was a dud. Why? John Frusciante had quit the band, to be replaced by good friend, Dave Navarro. Sound familiar? The tracks were okay, though turned out strange hits like "Aeroplane", and it wasn't till Frusciante's return for By The Way that the band really sounded like themselves again.

I don't want to be too prejudice to Klinghoffer. I would like to give him a chance. But if you watch a practice session with him and the band playing "Snow" at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8Y7xFNFTRI, you may start to realize what i'm talking about. He's stiff. He's cemented to his spot. He lifelessly plays the riff again and again as if he's spent all night memorising it and he's trying not to mess up. The scratchy, dirty feel of Frusciante is lost, and instead it feels cut and dry; just what its supposed to be and nothing more.

If you skip to the end of the song you get a taste of his improvisational technique, and technique is all it really is. Stays within the confines of the chord, finishes of the song, and pretends its more than what he has been composing for his big solo moment. Compare this to Frusciante, please do, playing Don't Forget Me live, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djkEHxypctU, and you get a little bit of a sense of what i'm talking about. Did Frusciante write that before going on stage? Could that ever actually be written down? Art, especially the Art the Chili Peppers have created, is not polished, is not perfect, it is energized unfinished sublime beauty. I just don't see the sublime in Klinghoffer.