New school RHCP vs. Old school RHCP

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Layton

War Child
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Oct 18, 2002
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750
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Ok, just once before I die I want to honestly say that at least one major rock artist was better in their 'older' years than in their 'younger' years. Strange thing is, I can't think of a single one. Red Hot Chili Peppers came to mind as a current possibility. The maturity and growth of their songwriting on the last 2 albums has been impressive. Plus, they don't have a real great catalog of great albums from their 20's to compete with for the rest of their life. "Old Men Don't Kill Coyotes" (or whatever it's called) isn't really an unscaleable landmark of a song---lol. For the sake of defintion, I'll put the Blood Sugar album in the old school category and everything after in new school. Blood Sugar will probably be the major test when deciding if you prefer old school RHCP or new school RHCP.
 
I've never got into the old school stuff so I would have to go with new school because I really like the last 2 albums and can relate to them.. I can't really relate to their druggy days.
 
I think when John Frusciante returned to the fold their stuff has got better and better.
Blood Sugar Sex Magik is one of my all time favourite albums however and I also like some off the stuff from Mothers Milk. I see BSSM as very different from some of their earlier stuff, however so I'd put that as new school!
 
Your spot for the dividing line is off. " Sex Magic" is where the "New School" RHCP starts. Mother's Milk back is old.

At least that's how I see them, and I've been listening to them since 87. The new stuff is better.
 
I think the chili peppers more recent stuff is better. The other side:drool:
 
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BonoVoxSupastar said:
Yes new school should start with Blood Sugar...

And yes I think new school is better.

Ditto! Even though I haven't really listened to By The Way except for the radio singles, I prefer their mature 90s material to their funky and goofy 80s stuff. Bloodsugarsexmagik and Californication are my favorites... :drool: and the only albums I own copies of, actually. But I've heard One Hot Minute and like it somewhat.
 
BloodSugarSexMagik is transitional to me, as is One Hot Minute (though I think it has essentially ceased to exist to most fans).


Song for song, Californication and By the Way stack up to any release by any band I own. At least to me. So I'm new school aaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllll the way. Though I do like old classics like "Behind the Sun," "Knock Me Down" and "True Men Don't Kill Coyotes."
 
The really old records(self-titled, Mofo's Uplift Party Plan[whatever]) aren't very good anyway. Mother's Milk is an improvement but still nothing special. BSSM started a string of very good records. So, new-school.

Breaking The Girl
I Could Have Lied
Righteous And The Wicked
Under The Bridge
The Greeting Song
Sir Psycho Sexy
Warped
Aeroplane
My Friends
Tearjerker
Falling Into Grace
Soul To Squeeze
Around The World
Scar Tissue
Otherside
Californication
Easily
This Velvet Glove
Savior
Road Trippin'
By The Way
Dosed
Don't Forget Me
Zeypher Song
Midnight
Tear
Warm Tape

:drool:
 
VertigoGal said:
New school, I guess. Californication and By the Way are the only albums I really listen to, to be honest.

VG didn't come to the describe hangout joint today? :ohmy:
 
I really don't like the RHCP's older stuff. At all. Mother's Milk was...meh. As was Freaky Styley, Uplift Mofo Party Plan and the self-titled one.

Moving into the new era...BSSM was fantastic musically, but lyrically could have done with some improvement. One Hot Minute was a disappointment to me, but I'll exclude it for now :wink:. Californication was tremendously better...By The Way, musical EONS ahead of their old stuff. I miss the tight sound the band had on BSSM, but Anthony's lyrics and vocal style have evolved more effectively than one could have ever expected or hoped for.

So I think you're right. The Red Hot Chili Peppers are one of the few bands that have made much better music in their old age than in their early days.
 
MrBrau1 said:
Your spot for the dividing line is off. " Sex Magic" is where the "New School" RHCP starts. Mother's Milk back is old.

At least that's how I see them, and I've been listening to them since 87. The new stuff is better.

Well, I had to make it interesting. I figured if I put 'Sex Magic' in the new school category it would make the choice to easy. Plus, if you do the math that album falls into the first half of their career. I think they started in 83-84. So that's about 21-22 yrs. so far. Divide that in half and you've got 1994 as the dividing line. So pre-'94 I'll call old school. Post-'94 I'll call new school.
 
new school is better. the music is much more diversified as opposed to just silly stuff from the 80's/early 90s (Mother's Milk did have a few outstanding tracks though).

And Anthony Keidis has improved imensely.

saw them live over the weekend and they rocked HARD !:drool:
 
I attended the same high school as some of the members (and some who left to join other bands or who are no longer with us). They were about 3-4 years ahead of me...
 
The OOTS said:


They went to school??

:wink:

Yes, the same one in Los Angeles. Hillel Slovak died of an overdose I believe sometime during the 80s. Jack Irons drummer for Pearl Jam for a time, I think. I can't remember the details. I remember with Anthony emceed the talent show one year...
 
I really, really like By The Way, I think it's the record U2 wished they had made with HTDAAB. Rich harmonies, great choruses and melodies and tight pop/rock songs. One of the best albums I've heard in the last 5 years. John Frusciante is the man.

And I'd say the last 4 albums are clearly their best work starting with Blood Sugar. Even if you put Blood Sugar in the old school, I'd still give the nod to new school. The last 2 are classics, By the Way is outstanding and Californication is very good as well. I even like One Hot Minute, it has some stellar stuff on it, Dave Navarro's last good album. Not as cohesive and a couple of turds, but I still like it.

I only like Mothers Milk outside of that and tend to think that Anthony Keidis was pretty crap until that album.
 
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