In the particularly
competitive world of pop music, staying at the top is as hard as, if not harder
than, reaching it. Red Hot Chili Peppers was formed in 1983, and despite the
unavoidable ups and downs that most acts go through, not to mention several
personnel changes, the band has managed to remain in the limelight, with over
100 million records sold, 12 albums released and countless concerts the world
over.
اضافة اعلان
Unlimited Love is the latest album and the 12th to
date by this American supergroup. It just came out this April 1. On it, the
first thing to notice is the generous amount of material recorded: 17 songs for
a program that lasts a good 73 minutes. This is quite unusual, and about 50
percent longer than the average pop album.
From the instrumental viewpoint, the elaborate work
of the multiple guitars is the most remarkable. It remains the band’s strong
point. The music is mainstream pop-rock, as it was from the very beginning of
the group. The opening track, Black Summer, also published as a single and one
of the best on the album, has a pleasant, slightly bluesy flavor that is not
found again in any of the tracks that follow.
These Are the Ways is the other song that was
released as a single. The lyrics, “These are the ways, when you come from
America, the sights, the sounds, the smells, these are the ways, when you come
from America”, are an obvious tribute to the group’s country.
Fans of Red Hot Chili Peppers will enjoy about half
of the 17 songs, despite the lack of innovation, overall. Those less familiar
with the band’s previous works may find even fewer songs attractive, as new
material. Perhaps an album with the best 10 or eight of the 17 tracks would
have made a better “concentrate of quality”.
In addition to Black Summer and These Are the Ways,
Not the One, One Way Traffic, It’s Only Natural, the Heavy Wing, Tangelo, and
Watchu’ Thinking, are the songs on the album that strongly convince you that
the group is still hot after all these years. I found the rest, alas, to be
somewhat tepid.
Fans of Red Hot Chili Peppers will enjoy about half of the 17 songs, despite the lack of innovation, overall.
Those who may
disagree with me are the die-hard lovers of traditional rock music where loud
ringing, often distorted electric guitars, and well played acoustic drums are
the main ingredients. And also, just maybe, those who still have in mind the
group’s top songs from years past, like Zephyr, Stadium Arcadium, and Scar
Tissue. Not forgetting my Jordanian friends who in the summer of 2012 went to
see them play live in Lebanon and are still talking about the event with
emotion, passion, and enthusiasm. One must admit that, indeed, energetic rock
bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers shine particularly in concert, and sometimes
less in studio recorded albums.
The relatively
limited number of great songs in the new release has to do with the reduced
amount of fresh inspiration in the compositions and not with the quality of the
performance or the recording, which remain superior on all 17 tracks, without
exception.
The very last song, Tangelo, nicely and gently ends
the album with a soft sound and a slow tempo. Very appropriate and soothing,
after the loudness of the preceding 16 songs.
The studio production is brilliant, technically
speaking, resulting in a superb, genuine rock sound. But then again, these days
most if not all well-known pop acts manage to deliver pristine productions like
these. When big budget is not a problem, as it is the case for Red Hot Chili
Peppers, you can always manage to secure the best engineers to record and
master great sound for you in the studio. This has become the norm.
On Metacritic, the reference website that rates
music and films, the new album has received a score of 75 out of 100, which is
considered “very positive”.
Red Hot Chili Peppers’ current lineup, who performed
on the new Unlimited Love album consists of Anthony Kiedis on lead vocals,
Michael Balzary (aka Flea) on bass, piano, and trumpet, John Frusciante on
guitars, vocals, synthesizer and Chad Smith on drums and various percussions.
The writer is a computer engineer and a classically
trained pianist and guitarist. He has been regularly writing IT articles,
reviewing music albums, and covering concerts for more than 30 years.
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