Volume CXXXII, Number 1 September 13, 2002 f

Chili Peppers outgrow their tube socks
BRIAN DUNN
ORIENT STAFF

If the Chili's work in the 90s hinted at their talent outside the world of hardcore funk-rock, then their magnificent 2002 release, By the Way, is the culmination of the band's slow and progressive transformation. Rick Rubin, their longtime producer helps bring this album to form by helping the Chili's create beautiful, heartfelt melodies coupled with a number of sounds and influences.

The major problem that the Chili Peppers ran into before Blood Sugar Sex Magik was their overall sound--it was becoming monotonous and overdone. By the Way is their best album to date. It does what Kiedes and Co. have failed to do on any album before; they create a cohesive album with tracks that easily stand out by themselves.

"I Could Die for You" and "The Zephyr Song" flow so smoothly with perfect melodies that you almost forget they made albums like Freaky Styley and The Uplift Mofo Party Plan. The fact that the Chili Peppers are all pushing 40 and Anthony Keides' most recent breakup could attribute to the amazing "Don't Forget Me" and "Tear," two of the more serious and somber songs in the Chili Peppers' catalogue.

For "Cabron," Fusciante plays a fun Latin number proving to be the album's highlight. The salsa doesn't stop there as "On Mercury" blows the listener away with horns and other Latin sounds.

Now don't simply dismiss the Chili Peppers as an edgy band gone soft in their old age. You need only listen to the opening track "By the Way" to find that it rocks more than all the tracks on the latest John Tesh album combined."Can't Stop," like "By the Way," is an adrenaline rush, but it's catchy chorus and smooth flow help it work with the albums rotation.
Maybe the Chili Peppers don't rock as hard as they used to, but what the hell, they don't have anything to prove to us. We know they can still rock.