The Red Hot Chili Peppers - Red Hot Chili Peppers (CD)

All Music Guide

This eponymouslytitled long player from the Los Angelesbased Red Hot Chili Peppers (RHCP) firmly establishes the quartet's trademark inyourface synthesis of heavy metal and no nonsense funk. However, the musicians that participated on these recordings were only half of the original foursome. Presented on these eleven sides are core members Flea (bass), Anthony Kiedis (vocals) as well as former Captain Beefheart drummer Cliff Martinez and Jack Sherman who had previously contributed to the debut release from Coup de Grace. The latter pair replaced Jack Irons (drums) and Hillel Slovak (guitar) who had split to form the short lived What Is This. As Flea muses in his liner notes essay for the 2003 reissue of Red Hot Chili Peppers (1984), “In retrospect, the smart thing to do would have been to keep Jack and Hillel there at least for the recording process to keep the original raw and rollicking rockin' feeling we had at the time." The five demos that accompany the original album on the 2003 ...CD reissue serve as evidence that the incipient ensemble offered a much tighter and funkified sound, also showing off their immaculate sense of slippery syncopation and tricky time signatures. Not to say that the personnel on this platter don't get the job done, because the most certainly do. Right out of the box, they demonstrate a musical versatility and range some fail to develop over a period of decades. This is evident from the vivid imagery (“Ridin' wild on a paisley dragon") and aural assault of the early RHCP anthem “True Men Don't Kill Coyotes" to the trippy and languid “Grand Pappy Du Plenty". Between these extremes is ample evidence of the band's obvious affinity for screaming electric guitar metal and involuntary body propelling funk. “Get Up And Jump" could have easily been a Prince derived groove, while “Why Don't You Love Me" offers glimpses into their Wonder Bread rap style that would resurface later on sides such as “Give It Away". The sexy “Mommy Where's Daddy" is altogether different, offering up a bopping jazzy vibe that is notably augmented by a tight horn section and vocals from Gwen Dickey. The 13 second thrash throwaway “You Always Sing The Same", while somewhat inane is also a brief exercise in the Peppers' skin tight rhythms and innovations. The 2003 reissue contains five demos from the Mark I incarnation and includes: “Get Up And Jump", “Police Helicopter", “Out In L.A.",“Green Heaven" and “What It Is [aka Nina's Song]". Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide Read more Less