Rocktrospectiva: The Successful "Californication" Turns 25

 

Released on 8 June 1999, "Californication" was the seventh studio album by the American band Red Hot Chilli Peppers, produced by Rick Rubin, is along "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" on of the band's best-selling albums. The record marked the return of the band's guitarrist John Frusciante, the creator of the band's guitar sound and style, the lyrics were about sexual innuendos associated with the band, and some other topics like death, suicide California, drugs, globalization and travel, the album spawned five singles "Scar Tissue", "Around The World", "Californication", "Otherside" & "Road Trippin'".

 

The record marked a different insight in the band's style, with a more spiritual and epiphanic, softer and melodic side totally different to their previous six albums, practically Frusciante was the key element of the band's sound included in their breakthrough album "Blood Sugar Sex Magik", after the released of this album, Frusciante left the band after feeling overwhelming of the band's massive popularity, then the band incorporate Dave Navarro with a more heavy metal and psychedelic rock sound on the band's One Hot Minute" album which failed to achieved critical and commercial success, then the band fired Navarro, a couple years later Frusciante return to the band and transforming again the sound and pursuit again the alternative rock direction, with sessions full of fun and relaxed, during that period the band we're having fun for the sake of music. The band hired again Rick Rubin and recorded the album at Cello Studios in Los Angeles, and recording the songs in just five days, with all the members recorded their instruments at the same time within the same room.

 

Most of the material and lyrics in the album came from the personal and professional turmoil that the members of the band went through or were currently; Californication's lyrics were derived from Kiedis' ideas, outlooks, and perceptions of life and its meaning. "Porcelain" resulted from Kiedis' meeting with a young single mother at the YMCA, who was attempting to battle her heroin addiction while living with her infant daughter in Los Angeles during the summer of 1998. Kiedis also had a love interest in Yohanna Logan, a fashion designer whom Kiedis met while she was working in New York City. Kiedis' involvement with Logan influenced his examination of love throughout the album, in songs such as "This Velvet Glove". 

 

Sarcasm was a concept that Kiedis had dealt with in the past, and he ultimately crafted a song around it. Frusciante approached the guitar line present in "Scar Tissue" as an attempt to use two notes that are played far apart, but produce a "cool rhythm", "Emit Remmus" was inspired by Kiedis' brief relationship with Melanie C of the Spice Girls, "Get on Top", a song which contains significant use of a wah pedal, was formed after a jam session conducted shortly after Frusciante had listened to Public Enemy, "Savior", a song found towards the end of the album, features heavy effects, The hit "Around the World", which harkens back to the Chili Peppers' funk-influenced sound, was constructed by Frusciante at his home. The rhythm and beat, however, are intricate; this required him to play the song with the rest of the band rather than alone for them to understand it. The record was a change of style for the Chili Peppers, especially compared to One Hot Minute. Although Californication still contains some funk rock songs such as "Around the World", "Get on Top", "I Like Dirt", "Purple Stain" and "Right on Time", it leaned towards more melodic riffs.

 

The album debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, surpassing the initial sales of the huge "Blood Sugar Sex Magik", but also conquered The UK Charts, Australia, Finland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden with a global salles of 15 million copies, the commercial success was because of the popularity of its singles. The album was well-received by critics, a return to roots in style, soulfulness and melodic sensibility, considered the album as a major improvement over its predecessor, a renewed instrumentation and harmonies with severeal references to California, in mayor part due the return of guitarist John Frusciante. 

 

Californication Track List:

 

1. Around The World

2. Parallel Universe

3. Scar Tissue

4. Otherside

5. Get On Top

6. Californication

7. Easily

8. Porcelain

9. Emit Remmus

10. I Like Dirt

11. This Velvet Glove 

12. Savior

13. Purple Stain

14. Right On Time

15. Road Trippin'