New John Frusciante solo album out January 27.
January 19th, 2009 by Joel Weiss in News
As far as I’m concerned, the Red Hot Chili Peppers exist solely to fund guitarist John Frusciante’s numerous solo endeavors.
In 1988, Frusciante became friends with then-Chili Peppers guitarist Hillel Slovak, who would lose his own battle with heroin addiction later that year. Through Slovak, Frusciante befriended the rest of the band – and they turned to him when their next hired gun didn’t pan out. He joined in time to contribute to Mother’s Milk, and later, their 1991 breakthrough Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Unable to cope with the band’s quick rise to fame, Frusciante quit in 1992. He retreated home to California, where he buried himself beneath both his own creative work and drugs.
Frusciante’s heroin abuse in the ’90s was legendary. When Johnny Depp and Gibby Haynes of Butthole Surfers want to film a documentary about your drug abuse, you might have a problem. A few years later, New Times LA published the incredible article transcribed here describing his miserable physical state and the squalor in which he lived.
He released two albums during this period – Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt (1994) and Smile from the Streets You Hold (1997), the second admittedly for raising drug money. These albums have been called “experimental” and “avant-garde.” I prefer to think the albums sound the way a junkie’s apartment smells.
Frusciante’s downward spiral could have concluded as just another cautionary tale of drug abuse for aspiring musicians if not for his determination and willingness to accept help. He quit heroin cold turkey and entered rehab to eliminate his crack and alcohol dependency. Flea invited him back to RHCP; and with consecutive multi-platinum albums like Californication, By the Way, and Stadium Arcadium, it’s been happily ever after for Chili Peppers fans.
In the spring of 2001, I was already sick of the suddenly resurgent Red Hot Chili Peppers. Imagine my surprise when I received Frusciante’s solo To Record Only Water For Ten Days at my college station and heard a catchy, melodic, accessible album. A somewhat minimalist affair – guitar, drum machines, and some old effects processors pushed to distortion – but it’s a sonic Garden of Eden compared to his previous solo efforts. Frusciante’s voice, in particular, resonated with me. People often throw around the word “pathos” to describe the feelings, often pain, expressed by a singer who endured massive hardship – it’s a rock criticism cliché, but I think it fits.
Frusciante entered a musical renaissance of his own in 2004, issuing seven releases in less than a year – five full-lengths and an EP under his own name, and a sixth full-length with the conceptual side-band Ataxia featuring Joe Lally (ex-Fugazi) and Josh Klinghoffer. Expectations for such prolific output usually hover around mediocre, but so much of this material is great! I favor the very rockin’ Inside of Emptiness and the mostly acoustic Curtains, the latter Frusciante recorded using a four-track on his living room floor before bringing in friends to overdub other instruments.
On January 27, Record Collection will release The Empyrean – his first solo album in three years. Frusciante describes it as a psychedelic experience. “It should be played as loud as possible and it is suited to dark living rooms late at night.” You can preview “Unreachable” at his myspace page.
In case you’ve read this far and can’t tell – I’m excited.
“The Past Recedes” off Curtains (2005).
“Going Inside” off To Record Only Water For Ten Days (2001).
Video directed by Vincent Gallo.
Frusciante back in ‘94.
January 19th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
Though I am a John Frusciante fan and been monitoring the Empyrean status since last year, but really his solo work is nice and quaint but can never compare to the Grammy-Award winning stylings of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. If John knew what was best he would stick mostly to the band that saved him and brought him back to fame after he lost all his money and things to his drug addiction.
January 19th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
John cleaned up BEFORE being invited back to RHCP. If anything, he saved the band! Flea says they would have broken up otherwise.
If John “knew what was best” and stuck to RHCP, we wouldn’t have his album after album of brilliant solo material since 2001.
January 19th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
i do not like the red hot chili peppers. i like some of their 80s stuff.
john frusiante’s solo stuff is hit or miss, but i really love the two albums he put out under the name “ATAXIA”. it helps that one of my favorite bassists (joe lally from fugazi) plays on those records.
thanks for the info!
January 19th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
I love the Ataxia stuff he put out. His solo records have been tough to digest for me though. I remember in 1997 I jammed with Froosh’s younger brother and heard his second solo album and thought “man this guy sucks and will kill himself soon”. But I am glad I was wrong. I am looking forward to hearing this.
January 19th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
And one thing you neglected Joel, Froosh was instrumental in the development of Mars Volta’s first and second LPs… Froosh lays it down thick on those albums.
January 19th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
You’re absolutely right, Ivan! In fact, I’m pretty sure Frusciante has done some guitar work on all of Mars Volta’s albums – and Omar returned the favor by making appearance’s on John’s solo albums as well.
January 19th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
I don’t think I’ve heard any of Frusciante’s solo stuff nor did I know he had anything out alone before this post. Interest is piqued. Which would you say are his best few albums for a novice who’s pretty familiar with the RHCP catalog? I’d like to dig a few up.
January 19th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
I think Inside of Emptiness would be a great place for you to start. It’s got a slightly harder edge than most of his solo material, but don’t expect anything remotely resembling RHCP. I think it’s simply his most “rock” album thus far.
January 19th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
John’s solo work sounds nothing like RHCP, but all of it is absolutely incredible. He is easily the greatest musician of our era, a remarkable guitar player and musician in general.
Anyways, The Empyrean is awesome! A crazy good album that sounds like nothing I’ve ever heard before. Great job yet again Johnny!
January 25th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
If u u tube it you’ll see for yourself he was in the hospital and says that fleas came to him and he felt like it was a redmption both health wise and music wise. Chili Peppers are awesome Rick Rubin makes them sound like disney because Universal pays him golden in golden d-cups and diamond encrusted bjs to do so. Jonhs solo shit is eclectic and people who can notice much of any negetaive aspect just cant relate and likely arent actual musicians. BTW just cuz you read notes and know theory and can play any Pale Face Jimi song doesnt make you a musician. Just like shitty doctors who can’t diagnose your conditions because they dont know how to embody the experiance your having and fail to listen properly, there are shitty musical experts that should not be referred to as musicians. They usually endup teachers and critics but unfortunately there is a good amount of them who are lifelong musicians and P.ro H.ater D.ickheads who bar real musicians from spreading their wings. Yes this is a personal story forgive the rant lol haha