Red Hot Chili Peppers By The Way ( vinyl 2LP )

Release date 11-05-2002

2002 EU re-issue  2LP vinyl set

"The Red Hot Chili Peppers' eighth studio album finds the California foursome exploring the more melodic freeways of harmony and texture, contrasting the gritty, funky side streets of their early days. Luckily, with this more sophisticated sound, the Peppers have not sacrificed any of their trademark energy or passions for life, universal love, and (of course) lust." - All Music Guide including the singles By The Way The Zephyr Song & Cant Stop picture sleeve plus lyric insert

Tracks
A1     By The Way     
A2     Universal Speaking     
A3     This Is The Place     
A4     Dosed     

B1     Don't Forget Me     
B2     The Zephyr Song     
B3     Can't Stop     
B4     I Could Die For You     

C1     Midnight     
C2     Throw Away Your Television     
C3     Cabron     
C4     Tear     

D1     On Mercury     
D2     Minor Thing     
D3     Warm Tape     
D4     Venice Queen

Building on the return of gifted guitarist John Frusciante on 1999s CALIFORNICATION BY THE WAY finds the Red Hot Chili Peppers crafting an intricately crafted followup light years beyond the bands simple punkfunk origins Reteaming with longtime producer Rick Rubin the Chili Peppers deftly add varied stylistic ingredients to a musical stew of unexpected nuance Frusciante deals out brisk flamencoflavored acoustic rhythm guitar to the breezy Latin outing Cabron choppy chords on the skalike On Mercury and doubletracked strands of guitar on Dosed a heartfelt ode to love

Amid this orgy of creative rediscovery funk still remains an important component of the bands sound as evidenced by the infectious rhythms of Fleas bass playing and Frusciantes trademark chickenscratch fretwork found on the tasty Cant Stop and the spaceage tribal stomp of Throw Away Your Television Other high points find these Cali crazies stringing a distinct Motown beat and Beatlesflavored harmonies throughout the irresistible Universally Speaking and adding strings to the ruminative Midnight with its gradually escalating monster groove Despite the daunting 70minute length of BY THE WAY the mature execution and musical changeups make this a major milestone in the Red Hot Chili Peppers canon