The Red Hot Chili Peppers: A "Real" Band

Rock music and music in general has really taken a plunge in quality. It's really hard to find a song on the radio that is worth listening to. Bands these days may come out with one or two hit songs then you never hear about them again. So it is really hard to find a band worth following. No longer are the days where it was hard to decide on what band to follow. The days when there were bands like Metallica, Guns N Roses, Nirvana, ACDC, and the list could go on. But the latest band, and my all time favorite band, that has actually come out with more than a handful of hits is the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Why have they been such a sensation for so long? It is originality. That is what bands lack these days. This band started playing in bars wearing nothing but socks to cover their private parts caught people's attention. But that's not the only reason. Their music is uniquely comprised with sounds that people haven't heard before, a mix of funk, rock, rap, reggae, heavy metal, grunge and soul.

A Short Biography of the Band

The Red Hot Chili Peppers was formed in Los Angeles, California. The group originally consisted of Anthony Kiedis (vocals), Michael "Flea" Balzary (bass), Hillel Slovak (guitar), and Jack Irons (drums). Jack and Hillel left the band to focus on their other group, What is This?. Later Slovak rejoined the band as he got tired with What is This?. This later followed with the return of Irons. But in 1988, Hillel died of a heroin overdose. Irons then quit the band because "he didn't want to be part of a band where his friends were dying". He was later replaced with D.H. Peligro (of the band 'Dead Kennedy'). They temporarily hired Dewayne McKnight as the guitarist until they discovered the up and coming guitarist, John Frusciante. And eventually they found a permanent drummer in Chad Smith. Having drug problems himself, Frusciante quit the band after their award winning album Blood Sugar Sex Magic and was replaced with the Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro to record the album One Hot Minute. After having recovered from his addiction, Frusciante rejoined the band and has been a member since. Although this band has had many members of the lineup, it has always been a band that has always been very "different" from other bands, not mainstream. Many bands have tried to replicate the sounds of the Chili Peppers, but have been unsuccessful.

The Band's Albums

The Red Hot Chili Peppers (1984)

Freaky Styley (1985)

The Uplift Mofo Party Plan (1987)

Mother's Milk (1989)

Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)

One Hot Minute (1995)

Californication (1999)

By the Way (2002)

Stadium Arcadium (2006)

What Is Next

After the release of their last album Stadium Arcadium and their last tour, the Red Hot Chili Peppers have taken a break to enjoy life and to achieve their own personal goals. Kiedas spends his time with his family and his kid. Frusciante and Flea are working on their own individual music projects. Kiedas explained that they are just taking a twelve month break to just breath. After having worked vigorously on their latest albums Californication, By The Way, and Stadium Arcadium, he believes that they all are emotionally and mentally zapped. You can look for the Chili Peppers to return to making great albums after this break.