A Comeback Story for the Ages: Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Californication at 25  

Twenty-five years since the release of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ mid-career defining album Californication (1999), there is now a generation that does not remember a time when they were not a part of alternative radio, like Weezer. These kids do not recognize a world without the breezy melodies of “Dani California”. It’s a long way off from the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ early work as part of the Los Angeles punk and funk scenes. Californication saw the band resurrect their career from the ashes, mainly due to egocentricity and self-destruction. Red Hot Chili Peppers took a roundhouse to doubters and repositioned themselves as a group to be reckoned with in the popular mindset. If they were not yet at the height of their powers, they soon would be, as they possessed all the potential that had fizzled out in the mid-1990s. Californication also marked a turning point in their staying power, as the band established a newfound stability that fans have come to appreciate–if not take for granted–to this day.    

After One Hot Minute (1995), many people had written off Red Hot Chili Peppers. Relative newcomer and former Jane’s Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro had stopped showing up for rehearsal, and when he did, he was high. In addition, he was working on a solo project with drummer Chad Smith, which was taking away any focus he may have had. When founding members Anthony Kiedis (vocals) and Flea (bass) kicked him out, the writing was on the wall.

According to Kiedis, in his autobiography Scar Tissue, Flea had threatened to end the group numerous times over the years. By this point, the Red Hot Chili Peppers appeared to have finally run its course. The best and really only option was to ask John Frusciante (guitar) to rejoin, which was highly unlikely because he was trapped in an insular world of drug abuse and painting (not guitar playing). That is not to mention Kiedis faced persistent battles with addiction, which largely correlated with the band’s bouts of inactivity and regularly threatened their existence. 

In a wild turn of events, the Red Hot Chili Peppers returned from the brink in relatively short order. Flea approached Frusciante, who was interested; Frusciante and Kiedis worked out any lingering animosity, and Frusciante re-learned the guitar. It was that simple. Against all odds, the Red Hot Chili Peppers reformed with what most people consider their quintessential lineup from Mother’s Milk (1989) and Blood, Sugar, Sex Magik (1991), with Kiedis on vocals, Frusciante on guitar, Flea on bass, and Smith on drums. According to Kiedis, “Everyone was having fun. It was as if we had nothing to lose, nothing to gain. We didn’t care; we were making music for the sake of making music.”  Even if the record industry had largely written them off, the more they played, the more they realized they still had music to share and that people would want to listen. 

One might have expected Red Hot Chili Peppers to return to their roots for this new album, but that was not the case, despite some constants regarding producer Rick Rubin and the overall songwriting process. They approached a number of different producers, knowing the band were intentionally setting off in a new direction. According to Kiedis, they approached Brian Eno first, which turned out to be the fourth time he declined their offer (and wouldn’t that have changed their sound). After some back and forth with Daniel Lanois, they settled on Rubin again. That turned out to be a great decision in terms of ease of the recording process and their overall sound. The band recorded plenty of material for the album and delivered a signature Red Hot Chili Peppers product but not nearly as heavy, as it was jauntier and sunnier than anything they had ever recorded. 

All the pieces that make Red Hot Chili Peppers a singular ensemble are present in Californication. Those elements can be experienced nowhere more fully than in the opener, “Around the World”. The track highlights Flea’s bass-playing chops, from the frenetic intro to the simple funk pattern that serves as the song’s backbone. Frusciante’s wailing guitar and Smith’s assault on drums complement the initial battery of sound, as it goes from raucous to melodic in the span of seconds, then back again. Kiedis scats about some of his favorite things, like his own youthful energy, girls, travel, and God, but he then delivers a vulnerable chorus with Frusciante’s harmonies floating on top.

Frusciante’s vocals are one of the most underrated aspects of his musicality, and those harmonies have become an indispensable part of the band’s signature sound. Californication found the Red Hot Chili Peppers as funky as ever (“Get on Top”, “I Like Dirt”, “Purple Stain”) but also delicate (“Scar Tissue”, “Porcelain”,), which showcased their complexity and how they could not be pigeonholed into any one style. 

Red Hot Chili Peppers had previously created anthems (case in point, “Under the Bridge”), and not surprisingly, Kiedis’ lyrics and delivery were the focal point. That remained the case for a song like “Californication”, which is very much the record’s center. Kiedis wrote the lyrics before recording, but they couldn’t get the music right. Those involved in the recording wanted to move on, as they had so many quality songs already laid down, but Kiedis insisted, and Frusciante was unwavering in his support. As Kiedis recounts, toward the end of the recording process, Frusciante rushed in with a “sparse yet haunting combination of notes”, and the rest is history.

The lyrics capture Kiedis’ love of California but also the fabrication within and outside of Hollywood that pervades so much of our reality, which he encapsulated in Nietzsche-like aphorisms (“Destruction leads to a very rough road / But it also breeds creation”). This time around, the Red Hot Chili Peppers also included an unheralded anthem in “Savior” that brought the talents of the main three musicians to the forefront, something they would replicate on By The Way (2002) with “Midnight” and “Venice Queen”.

Some of the most enduring tracks on Californication may not be readily apparent, nor do they fit the mold of previous deep-cuts like “Pretty Little Ditty”, “I Could Have Lied”, and “My Lovely Man”. “Parallel Universe” contains the driving beat and repetition of Krautrock but packs a punch. “Get on Top” propels forward in a punctuated fashion and then evolves into a groovy jam, similar to how they open their concerts.

“I Like Dirt” conjures up the choppy and angular guitar work of once contemporary post-punk acts. “Easily” doesn’t give listeners a chance to breathe, let alone the musicians. Even “Right on Time” is charming in its simplicity, comprised of Kiedis’ rapid-fire lyrics (“Supercalifragilistic / Kiss me in the futuristic / Twisted but I must insist it’s / Time to get on top of this”), Flea’s buoyant bass, and Frusciante’s ethereal chorus. It’s children’s music on speed.

Of course, some songs have not stood the test of time (“Porcelain”, “Purple Stain”), even if they are largely inoffensive and likely hold meaning for the band. None of this is to discount those on the radio (“Scar Tissue”, “Otherside”, and “Californication”), which are all incredible in their own right.   

Many tracks from Californication have had staying power, but in the late 1990s, there was no guarantee that Red Hot Chili Peppers’ new collection of songs could produce a hit. As stoked as they were about the finished product, their new management company was unimpressed, finding one song they could maybe promote (that being “Scar Tissue”). Radio stations were primarily controlled by Clear Channel Communications (now iHeartMedia), and they predominately played pop music or post-grunge. Bands making any impact were doing so underground or were curated by narrow media outlets like Fuse or MTV2. Most of those acts were buzz bands in their late teens or early 20s. There wasn’t a logical place for a revitalized band like the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

For instance, Stone Temple Pilots, who were in a different place but on a similar trajectory, were forced to headline MTV’s Return of the Rock tour with Godsmack and Disturbed. Thankfully, that was not the fate of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, possibly because their music did not tangentially align with those sounds, but more than likely because they weres intent on forging their own way.   

With various iterations of the Red Hot Chili Peppers over different periods of their career, there will always be an argument for other lineups, especially the original foursome comprised of Kiedis, Flea, and fellow high school mates Hillel Slovak (guitar) and Jack Irons (drums). In his autobiography, Kiedis celebrates those relationships, in particular, his brotherhood with Slovak, who died tragically all too young from a drug overdose; however, he is the first to acknowledge the power of this group of four guys. Kiedis declared, “Each one of these guys…is individually a bridge to God for me, and there’s nothing I would do to change any of these people or the experience I’ve had with them. Every one of them has given me love and music and the best life I could ever hope to have.” You can hear that bond on album closer “Road Trippin’” (despite referencing only two of his favorite allies). The now eternal bond will remain unbroken, as these musicians are writing relevant music today and playing as dynamically as ever, despite being in their mid-50s and early 60s, respectively.   

The scary part is that the Red Hot Chili Peppers could have—maybe should have—dissolved over 25 years ago. Kiedis and Frusciante are likely to be happy to be alive, but fans should also be grateful for the seven albums (two without Frusciante) that stem from that time. Californication has become synonymous with the group’s rebirth, but it is so much more. Maybe Frusciante was still getting his footing and couldn’t deliver a rip-roaring solo with the same ease, but it allowed the others to learn how to play off each other and delve into deeper influences. Certain touchpoints had always been there, but they were granted the freedom to explore those avenues fully. That is not to mention Kiedis stretching his vocal range and further coming into his own as a musician, not merely a frontman.

Californication stacks up with the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ best work, even in the face of alternative and classic rock airplay, something that risks diminishing their innovation. Over the span of eight short years (and with the same musicians, no less), Californication became the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ second career-defining work, one that would slingshot them into bigger and much-deserved stardom.