Hey Frusciante
John Frusciante is perhaps one of the greatest living guitar players out there. He always brings silky smooth riffs and hooks to the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I am especially grooving on the song Hey from their latest release Stadium Arcadium. The hooks and guitar work are simply heavenly, smooth, thoughtful, and pensive.
Frusciante’s life story, rise and fall with drugs and falling out of the Chili Peppers in the 90’s is certainly a cautionary tale. But to hear the story of his reunion with the Chili Peppers is heart warming. And the turn around has been nothing short of amazing with the Chili Peppers putting out the best albums of their career in the last several years. It is great to hear a true artist back in the swing producing intensely great songs.
UPDATE:
After initially posting this I went and checked out some of Frusciante’s solo work on iTunes. I purchased two albums Curtains and The Will to Death. I am speechless. This music is so beautiful. Very different from traditional RHCP music. John’s music is very much like solemn prayers to a divine presence. Church music really. I didn’t really know John’s music outside of the Chili Peppers. This is truly some of the best music I have listened to in a long, long time. Fresh, unique, fundamentally beautiful, introspective and spiritually envigorating. John is like some beautiful angel bringing us music from another otherworldly place. His music and his muse are full of meditation. His voice angelic. Kind of reminds me a little bit of Cat Stevens.
What is really amazing about Frusciante is how prolific and prodigious his output has been. And the quality seems to be consistent. Many of his solo albums come from 2004 where he released 6 albums in 6 months including “Curtains” and “The Will to Death”. A profound feat in itself. It is really amazing stuff. My words cannot really give it its proper due. You just have to listen.
And for the record I want the song Unchanging played at my funeral. It is one of the most lovely hymns I have ever heard. Ecstatic and redemptive.
Unchanging:
And we will show that wherever you are
that is where all time starts
It’s a pleasure to die
a pleasure to be gone
Into the sky we move on
Life is unchanging
It let me go
Life gave me up
and I have no control
Everything goes a way that I do not
I clean up the clouds I ride
I’ve never been up where I see the others climb
Seems like it must be nice
Laughters an ugly friend of mine
We share the best and the worst of times
Everyone goes where they belong
Nobody goes elsewhere
Never much thought goes to being
right or wrong
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February 5th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
I totally agree. I’ve been listening to solo Frusciante for the past 10 years and I think he’s the best thing in music lately. When I first heard RHCP, it wasn’t really about the funk for me. It was like, “Wow … who is this guitarist and what planet did he come from?”
Oddly, I never really considered him a virtuoso at soloing. But he’s one of the most beautiful and underrated songwriters and singers of all time.
You’re spot on with your description; he is like an angel (whether of darkness or light or both) and he seems perpetually engaged in a conversation with divinity. The emotion is more than raw and naked – it’s cleansing and helpful! He’s done a lot for me I know. I’ll never understand how he can make himself so vulnerable and put it in sound. Total genius.
Thanks for listening to true music. Hopefully by now, you’ve also had a chance to check out To Record Only Water, Inside of Emptiness, Shadows Collide, etc. Take care!
Yeah, Unchanging is a beauty! That’s one of those songs that really sinks in after 4 or 5 listens.
April 7th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
J.F.,I,m a huge fan of your music and I relate to your story as well…I write and respond to spiritual progress and process and am from Manhattan!!!! Much love and peace to you and yours!!!!C.P.