Red Hot Chili Peppers, Unlimited Love | Album Review 💿

Following a six-year hiatus, alternative darlings Red Hot Chili Peppers make a compelling comeback with Unlimited Love.

F

“Black Summer” 

“It’s been a long time since I made a new friend / Waitin’ on another black summer to end.” 🤩 🎵 “Black Summer” was the first sign that 🎙 Red Hot Chili Peppers, still has a pulse! The single prefaced the long-awaited, Unlimited Love. There is plenty to heart despite those dark, pessimistic vibes from the chorus. From the onset, the intro is ‘sweet,’ establishing the minor key that lasts throughout the record. 🎙 Anthony Kiedis remains a force as the lead vocalist. He gets ample fuel for the fire from the band (including the return of 🎙 John Frusciante and 🎛 Rick Rubin behind the boards. The theme and lyrics might be the most interesting part. The lyrics are focused on nature, specifically ecological happenings. From the start, the words are ear-catching:

“A lazy rain am I, the skies refuse to cry

Cremation takes its piece of your supply

The night is dressed like noon…”

Intriguing, right? It doesn’t end there, with “My crater weighs a tone, the archer’s on the run / And no one stands alone behind the sun.” Woo! As “Black Summer” progresses, the band’s intensity ratchets up, led by a spirited Kiedis.

Appears in🔻:

• Awesome Songs: February 2022

🎵 “Here Ever After” has a tough act to follow.  Even so, there’s still plenty to heart.  The bass playing is fabulous – love the assertiveness and rhythmic nature.  It follows an enigmatic, slow-moving, opening pad. After “Here Ever After” establishes itself, Kiedis offers his usual blend of rapping and singing on the verses.  The most memorable part of his performance is when he comes through with a tuneful chorus: “She’s the kinda girl that’ll make you wanna go faster now / She’s the kinda girl that’ll make you steal your child.”

🤩 🎵 “Aquatic Mouth Dance” has an utterly ridiculous song title. That said, musically, Red Hot Chili Peppers come through in a big way.  The record is simultaneously chill, light, and funky as hell.  I love the chemistry between Flea and Frusciante here, with that insane, rhythmic bass line and superb guitar riffs.  Of course, Mr. Smith holds it down on drums. Add in some keys, and horns (including Flea on trumpet), and this already funky joint gets exponentially funkier. Kiedis, of course, is true to self, notably singing about the rough early days of the band.

“Not the One” 

🎵 “Not the One” slackens the pace on Unlimited Love.  In this ballad, Anthony Kiedis sings gorgeously.  He never forces things, sounding natural but potent.  The harmonic progression is a huge selling point, particularly the changes that occur during the centerpiece, the chorus. “Blue strides are callin’ and I can’t stop fallin’,” he sings towards the end, adding, “Give me the love and I’ll tell you when I wanna run.” John Frusciante delivers a radiant guitar solo prior to the final chorus.

🎵 “Poster Child” returns RHCP to their funkier, groovier ways.  That said, if you can follow what Anthony Kiedis is melodically rapping without studying and analyzing the lyrics, you deserve a medal.  Sift through the lyrics and Kiedis pays ode to a host of notable musicians including Led Zeppelin, Parliament, and M.I.A. (“Maya’s making ‘Paper Planes’”).  Ultimately, regardless of his mixed views regarding the rock star life, Kiedis asserts, “I will be your poster child / La-da-da-da, ba-ba-ba-dum.”

“I just want the great apes to be free!” Agreed, Anthony, agreed! Of course, it should be noted that 🤩 🎵 “The Great Apes” isn’t referencing monkeys but rather, humans. Yes, there is the reference made to apes, as well as snakes, an eagle, and a rain bird, but it’s poetic, metaphorical, etc.  Besides the intriguing theme and colorful lyrics, the music continues to impress.  These five-minute joint features some fabulous, rocking moments.  After freeing those Great Apes, well, 🎵 “It’s Only Natural” Flea stimulates our ears with one of the funkiest basslines of Unlimited Love.  If Unlimited Love does nothing else, it reminds listeners how crucial Flea is to the success of the band.  Few play the bass like him.  Of course, the song keeps Unlimited Love on the up-and-up, with more chill vocals by Kiedis, a colorful guitar solo by Frusciante, and continual, hard-hitting grooves from Smith.  The chorus, expectedly, is the crème de la crème.

“She’s a Lover”

🎵 “She’s a Lover” commences intensely – that rhythm! It settles into another record that serves as a catalyst for body movement.  Got to appreciate the harmonized treatment of the titular lyric, as well as another infectious chorus.  Throw in fat bass, lit guitar riffs, and dat groove, and RHCP keeps things rolling without a hitch. 🤩 🎵 “These Are the Ways” thematically focuses on America, always an intriguing topic, particularly depending upon the angle.  In the chorus, Kiedis sings, “These are the ways when you come from America / I don’t want to die and she’s gonna take good care of ya / I just want to thrive and there’s gonna be hystеria.” Kiedis doesn’t offer heavy criticism but seems to take a jab at the greatest country in the world in the second verse: “Lost in a dream / Please step down from your bully machine / Can we all back it up? / Can we all give it up?” Another interesting moment is the reference to 🎙 Bruce Springsteen and 🎙 George Clinton: “Bruce and George / Singing for their own reward.” Clever!

🤩 🎵 “Whatchu Thinkin’” is socially driven.  Among the funkier moments, Anthony Kiedis provides food for thought regarding Native Americans (he has Native American ancestry).  Numerous times he references Crazy Horse, who famously tried to protect his tribe from white settlers.  One must wonder, are those white colonizers possibly the “White buffalo be drinkin’ dirty?” Kiedis emphasizes appreciation for the lands as well as cursing those who stole them (“I could be your beneficial friend / Call me every name in the book / Punk-ass fascist and a dirty crook”).  RHCP follows with a more modern-sounding number, 🤩 🎵 “Bastards of Light,” which features the prominent use of a synthesizer by John Frusciante.  No worries! The Peppers haven’t become a synthpop band! The synth does catch the ears and is well integrated into a rock setting.  It’s also worth noting, that there’s acoustic guitar too! Two extremes, right? The result is another intriguing song.

“White Braids & Pillow Chair” 

🎵 “White Braids & Pillow Chair” show an appreciation for the love that Anthony Kiedis once witnessed.  The song title references this, as does the lyric, “In a Sunday diner, I’m reminded there’s no finer place to kiss / Than one like this.”  Notably, the outro references everything California – not surprising for this band!  “White Braids & Pillow Chair” is interesting, but

🤩 🎵 “One Way Traffic” is the stronger record.  It features an electrifying groove from the onset that screams funk. Here, the listener gets more of the rap-rock vocals from Kiedis with no shortage of personality. “One Way Traffic” gets you ‘hype’ from the jump. The guitar riffs are epic.

On 🎵 “Veronica,” love is a big takeaway. Notably, each verse features love from different perspectives.  The first verse is obviously Veronica. In the second, it’s Nebraska and yes, Omaha is mentioned (“My name is Nebraska / I live in a matchbox of Omaha”).  Love is mentioned universally in the final verse (“‘Cause we all play the same game”). The chorus stands out, with its awesome, unexpected change of pace (slower, more dramatic).  🎵 “Let ‘Em Cry,” the 15^th track on Unlimited Love gets a lift thanks to one of the most badass instruments of them all – organ (🎙 Cory Henry) ! The timbre is just special, though speaking as an organist myself, guess I’m biased! Anyways, also shout out Flea’s trumpet skills once again! That said, back to the organ. That celestial timbre coupled with Frusciante’s guitar – effin’ A!

“The Heavy Wing” 

Ah – we’re at home stretch on this nearly 75-minute project! 🎵 “The Heavy Wing” serves as the penultimate track on most versions of Unlimited Love.  Notably, we get some Frusciante vocals in addition to the main man, Anthony Kiedis. Musically, there are some alluring happenings on “The Heavy Wing.” Is it the best of Unlimited Love? Not necessarily but, again, alluring. 🎵 “Tangelo” concludes and it’s very orange – okay, I couldn’t resist.  To be fair, Kiedis does reference the smell of a tangelo in the chorus.  Is the song really about a tangelo? Of course not! On this enigmatic, stripped number, Kiedis is reflective about embracing life despite its rough spots and having a reason to live.  It makes sense why RHCP would conclude Unlimited Love with this record.

Final Thoughts 💭 

So, how does 💿 Unlimited Love, the return of 🎙 Red Hot Chili Peppers, stack up? All in all, the 🏆 Grammy-winning band still has plenty of magic in its arsenal. Is Unlimited Love a focused album? No, but there is no shortage of funk and ample ear-catching moments.  You might even argue the songwriting at times, um, ‘all over the place.’ Still, it’s not for a lack of good ideas by my estimations.  Unlimited Love is far too long but there’s a lot to like.

🤩 Gems 💎: “Black Summer”, “Aquatic Mouth Dance,” “The Great Apes,” “These Are the Ways,” “Whatchu Thinkin’,” “Bastards of Light” & “One Way Traffic”

🎙 Red Hot Chili Peppers • 💿 Unlimited Love • 🏷 Warner • 🗓 4.1.22

[📷: Warner]