r/albums

Synopsis:

Following the critical and commercial disaster of their 1983 synthesizer-rock misstep Into the Unknown, Bad Religion Broke up.  When the core lineup reunited in the late 1980s, they abandoned experimentation to reclaim their raw, high-speed hardcore roots.  Suffer merged the breakneck speed and aggression of traditional 1980s hardcore punk with  razor-sharp pop structures, soaring three-part vocal harmonies, and  politically charged lyrics. Driven by singer Greg Graffin’s academic wordplay and guitarist Brett Gurewitz’s knack  hooks, the album rescued the band from obscurity and laid the exact blueprint for the 1990s California skate-punk explosion (influencing bands like NOFX, The Offspring, and Pennywise).

The Review:

The album opens with “You Are (The Government)” a 80 sec flash of aggressive hard-core punk energy with some soaring backing vocals mixed in that would be the template of the album. “1000 More Fools continues” that backbreaking energy that never is relentless and never lets up. “How Much Is Enough” attacks consumerism and the destruction of the environment for profit. Once again a short simple hard-core track track. “When?” pumps the breaks slightly but still feels heavy as hell but there is a melodic denseness to it as well. “Gives You Nothing” is just chaotic and has this rhythmic texture to it. Forgive me for saying this but it feels  very close to thrash metal. “Land Of Competition" is driven by these tight rhythmic melodies. The song is about capitalistic competition mentalities. “Forbidden Beat” veers closer to traditional punk rock  grooves. The song is about censorship and creative censorship. “Best For You” Featuring guest backing guitars from L7 members Donita Sparks and Suzi Gardne this track is filled with such high energy  velocity. The guitars just are cranking throughout the song and do not stop. “Suffer” is highlighted by the thumping bassline that is the foundation of the track and gives the track a pulsating rhythm. “Delium Of Disorder” is a punk rock warning of an atomic apocalypse. Done over this heavy hitting punk rock melody. The backing vocals add some punch to the grooves. “Part II” (The Numbers Game) is really a sequel to a song but rather a continuation of the themes found on earlier albums. Following Part III that was on the debut album “How Can Hell be Even Worse”. “What Can I Do” is the longest song on the album clocking in at 2:42.  Built on a driving drum beat it just lays out this heavy flow of hardcore energy. It even features a nice guitar solo from Brett Gurewitz. “Do What  You Want?” is just this blistering punk rock track that barely lasts a minute but packs one hell of a punch. “Part IV: The Index Fossil” mocks human main character syndrome. As we are just a blip on this planet. Graafian uses his background in zoology in the lyrics. The album closes with "Pestimatic Lies” it is one last blast of hardcore punk energy with some cool harmonies and a breakdown towards its climax that just ends and we are left to pick up the pieces of what we just heard. 

Why Is It Considered A Comeback?

After the bizarre left turn of their second album Into The Unknown that was so despised by its fanbase that the band broke up. The band returned with its original line-up and created one of the most influential albums of the hard-core punk scene of the late 80’s and mid 90’s. It is a blistering 30 minute blast of punk rock. A must listen on any bucket list.

RS Synosis:

After nearly two decades of death, addiction, and tumult, the Red Hot Chili Peppers had hit their smoothest period yet by the early 2000s, but this double album was still a bold move for an alt-rock group that was finding its footing in the pop world. The risk was worth the reward. RHCP returned to their funk-rock roots throughout much of the project but also showed off some of their deepest, most mature songwriting yet. Ultimately, Stadium Arcadium worked because it was catchy as hell: Singles like “Dani California,” “Snow (Hey Oh),” and “Tell Me Baby” are pristinely produced stadium-rock classics and were mega-hits upon release, helping give the band its first Number One album.

Review:

The album opens with “Dani California” I guess you can call this your typical RHCP opener with funk rock melodies, John Frusciante blaring guitar riffs, and Anthony Kedis just scatting along vocally. It all works extremely well and is infectious as hell. “Snow (Oh Hey) feels so melodic and chill it does build up momentum as it moves along. Frusciante lighting fast guitar picking style gives the track some uniqueness. “Charlie” begins with a heavy bassline intro from Flea. It is a dense hard funk/rock track with some nice harmonies on the hook. Frusciante once again has a blazing guitar solo. “Stadium Arcadium” ventures into chilled out psychedelic rock. A nice change of pace for the album and for the band. “Hump De Bump” is a callback to their funk rock beginnings. Just a fun fast paced tune. Kedis has never been known as a master lyricist but his silliness amped up on this track. “She’s Only 18” has this raw, dense vibe. Chad Smith and Fea are just an incredible rhythm section. Frusciante guitar work has this layered distorted tone. “Slow Cheetah" is an emotional mid-tempo ballad. A type of song that the band has done so well on past records and this track is no exception. “Torture Me” is a fast and loud funk rock blast of energy. “Strip My Mind” is a soulful psychedelic rock track. It is another song on the album that stretches what a chili peppers song could be as they experiment  with other genres. “Especially In Michigan” features Omar Rodríguez-López of the Mars Volta on the guitar solo. The song feels heavier yet maintains the band's funk/rock roots. “Warlocks” featuring legendary keyboardist Billy Preston on the clavinet. It has this tight funky sound. “C’mon Girl” features this mid-tempop funk groove that just grows bigger as the track moves along. “Wet Sand” starts out as a mild alt rock track but builds into this heavy denseness which climaxes with one of Fruciante’s most blistering yet passionate  guitar solos. The first disc closes with “Hey” is an atmospheric blues laced track. It is anchored by Flea’s hypnotic bassline that acts as the foundation of the track. The track closes with Fruciante wailing a blues-infected guitar hook. The second disc opens with "Desecration Smile” has this mild mid-tempo vibe featuring a swirling 3-part harmony. It gives the track a dreamy cool sound. “Tell Me Baby” begins with a lush introduction before you are hit with that classic RHCP funk-rock grooves. It doesn’t break any new ground, it just hits you hard with what the band does best. “Hard To Concentrate" has a very minimalist sound with its thumping bassline, tender guitar notes, and Kedis’ low-key vocal delivery. “21st Century” has Flea digging deep with his heavy thumping slap bass playing giving the track this heavy funk rock design. It is one of the heaviest  tracks on the record. “She Looks At Me” adds some string arrangements giving the track some lushness that works well with the band’s hypnotic mid-tempo funk melodies. “Readymade” is a simple heavy funk rock track that borders on heavy metal at times. “If” is this tender acoustic ballad akin to previous RHCP ballads “Under The Bridge” and “My Friends”. “Make You Feel Better” is designed to put a smile on your face with its upbeat melodies and uplifting vocal harmonies. “Animal Bar” has this atmospheric psychedelic vibe. It feels so laid back and chilled out. “So Much I” is just a simple aggressive funk rock track that just rocks the fuck out. “Storm In A Teacup” feels like the band are channeling their 80’s heavy funk-rock sound. “We Believe” has some afrobeat influences that gives it a dreamy landscape. A children’s choir is featured on the chorus to give the track some added lushness. Frusciante’s guitar tone sounds so aquatic which also adds to the song’s aura.  “Turn It On Again” is your average melodic funky RHCP’s track until the finale that features dozens of interlocking guitar solos weaving together into a chaotic wall of sound. The album closes with “Death Of A Martian” is an elegy for Kedis’ dog which gives the track an emotional tenderness. Which is a nice way to end this journey of an album. 

Final Thoughts:

Listening to a 28 track RHCP wasn’t the way I intended to spend my day but here we are. You either love the Peppers or hate the Peppers there is no inbetween. I personally love them. I know they can get a little cringy but what band doesn’t. The blend of funk rock is always nice to jam out to. This is them at their peak. The band will never sound as tight as this again in my opinion. I also respect that they were experimenting with other genres on this album.  I was mildly surprised with its inclusion because you know its RS. Do I think a two hour RHCP is necessary?  no but I never felt like it was a slog to get through. I wish they did their original idea to split this record in three separate albums released six months apart. If you are in the mood to jam to some cold funk rock melodies, put this one on your bucket list.

Synopsis:

After I totally missed putting this in my daily albums released on this date series I decided to revisit this masterpiece. 

Released on August  9th 1969, Blind Faith is the only studio album by the legendary English supergroup composed of Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker, and Ric Grech. As rock's first major "supergroup," Blind Faith carried immense expectations. Coming off the collapses of Cream (Clapton and Baker) and Traffic (Winwood), alongside bassist Grech from Family,  featuring only six songs  the album captures a fascinating tug-of-war: Winwood’s soulful, concise songwriting and soaring pop-blues sensibilities versus Baker and Clapton’s preference for sprawling, uninhibited blues-rock jamming. Though rushed into production and famously wrapped in a controversial piece of cover art (featuring a nude adolescent girl holding a metallic spaceship, which was replaced by a photo of the band in the US), the record debuted at No. 1 on both sides of the Atlantic.

The Review:

The album opens with “Had To Cry” a blistering blues jam that begins with the dual guitars of Winwood and Clapton before dropping into a heavy blues groove led by Clapton’s heavy blues guitar riffs and Winwood’s soaring vocals. “Can’t Find My Way Home” is simply one of the best songs ever written. Winwood's intimate and delicate vocals are a perfect match for the soft fingerpicking guitar hook. It just sucks you in one of the few songs I could listen to on repeat. The band takes a break from the heavy dense blues rock with this upbeat cover of the Buddy Holly song “Well Alright”  “Presence Of The Lord” is another classic banger found on the album. One of my favorite Clapton penned tracks. It starts out as an uplifting piece of gospel rock before it breaks down into this heavy guitar rock jam that features some of Clapton’s best guitar work. Even if you aren’t religious I think you can find something to love in its melodies.  “Sea Of Love” delves into some of the psychedelic rock sound of Winwood’s former band Traffic. This is his finest moment on the record as his vocals just seem to get more intense as the track moves along. The album closes with “Do What You Like” a 15 minute epic of experimental rock that was written by Ginger Baker who is the star of the track. It even breaks down at some point with a thunderous drum solo. It is just the band jamming along to keep up with Baker’s rhythmic drumming. It also features an electric organ solo and chanting vocal section. Clapton also has a fiery guitar solo. It's just the band just jamming along and flexing their muscles and it's a great way to end this record.  

Final Thoughts:

This is just one hell of a record that packs alot of punch for being a six song album clocking at at only 42 minutes. Clapton, Baker, Winwood and French are all playing at their peak. Master songwriting and performances are featured throughout the album. Just to bad they couldn’t stay together and give us more great music but I’ll take this staple of classic blues rock and you should put it on your bucket lists.  

Synopsis:

Following up on their Grammy-winning 2020 LP The New Abnormal, frontman Julian Casablancas blends his experimental side-project (The Voidz) aesthetic with classic Strokes songwriting. Recorded partly in Costa Rica, the album leans heavily into digital vocal processing, mid-century weariness, and a relaxed, wandering instrumental atmosphere that challenges fan expectations about aging and relevancy in a machine-driven world. Rick Rubin returns, producing the album, the band's weirdest album to date blending their classic sound with synth textures, heavy auto-tune, and themes dealing with midlife alienation. 

The Review:
The album opens with “Psycho Shit” ; it begins with light synths that build bigger as the track moves forward. I think the auto-tone works well with the musical themes of the track. The track feels more dense and menacing as it builds to its climax. “Dine N’ Dash” has this hard hitting rhythm that sounds so hypnotic. The guitars have this hazy distortion that gives the track some ambiance. Julian’s vocals sound tight as ever. It is perhaps the best track on the album structurally. It could have easily been an outtake from their last album. “Lonley In the Future” is easily the most controversial song on the album. It takes shots at the Weeknd, Harry Styles, and Anthony Fantano. The song begins with a heavy crunchy guitar riff before it settles into a bounce indie rock groove. “Falling Out Of Love" was the second single released before the album’s release. It is a ballad that meshes indie/country/synth rock. It sounds so lonely and isolated, containing the themes of the record. “Going To Babble On” has  a mid-tempo indie rock groove. It feels very chill and laid back. “Going Shopping” was our first glimpse of what the Strokes were going to bring us during this album cycle. It is a definition of a grower and not a shower track. I like this more every time I listen to it. Its infectious melodies get brighter throughout as the song moves along. The auto-tone might be unsettling at first but it settles in nicely. “Liar’s Remorse” is this beautiful percussion free ballad. It is just hazy jagged guitar tones and Juilan’s compelling vocals. It just feels so empty and lonely. The song deals with how AI and other technology has disconnected us. “Fruits Of Conquest” adds some funky rhythms to The Strokes melodies. It gives the song a sleazy dub-step vibe. The album closes with “Tyrants Of The Mellow Moon” has this ambient synth indie rock hybrid groove. It just feels so chilled out and hazy. Ending the album with a whimper and not a bang. 

Final Thoughts

Everyone is freaking out about the auto-tone on this record. I am not that annoyed by it. At first listen this seems just to be a bland late career change of pace record. If you dive deeper it really sucks you in. Maybe Strokes fans wanted more after a six year wait between albums which I can understand. Maybe it feels more like a Voidz album than a Strokes album. I also get that. I just feel sometimes during musical discourse people get distracted by what “critics” or what the hear someone on Tik Tok have to say and not taking time to really delve into the work. I do enjoy this album for what it is but don’t take my word for it go and listen to this on your own. If you dig it, that's cool. If you don't, the sun will rise again tomorrow.