Five Things That Could Go Right With the New Red Hot Chili Peppers Album
Red Hot Chili Peppers are set to unleash their first album in five years with 'I'm With You' on Aug. 30. We've already gotten a little taste with the recent release of the disc's first single, 'The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie,' but what can we expect from the rest of the album? For those with low expectations, check out our feature Five Things That Could Go Wrong With the New Red Hot Chili Peppers Album. But for fans who expect only the best from the group, take a look at the following list of Five Things That Could Go Right With the New Red Hot Chili Peppers Album:
- 5
New guitarist Josh Klinghoffer shakes things up a bit
John Frusciante was the heart and soul of the band's music, and the last time he jumped ship we got 'One Hot Minute,' which had about one hot song. The band made a triumphant comeback with Frusciante's return for 'Californication,' but also stuck to a similar formula on the next two albums. Josh Klinghoffer, as evidenced by his slide guitar work on 'The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie,' might bring some added spice to the Chili Peppers.
- 4
Drummer Chad Smith puts his Chickenfoot down
OK, the new RHCP single is heavy on melody and light on rock, but that doesn't mean there won't be some hard-rocking joints on the rest of the album. With drummer Chad Smith kickin' it with his other outfit Chickenfoot (hear their Zeppelin-like new single, 'Big Foot'), he may have gotten the rest of the Peppers to rock out with their socks out on 'I'm With You.' Fans of the Peppers' harder earlier albums would certainly appreciate that.
- 3
We get a nice mix of old and new Chili Peppers
There are a lot of old-school Chili Peppers fans who dismiss the band's recent albums because the songs don't satisfy their minimum testosterone requirements. However, gems like 'Scar Tissue,' 'By the Way' and 'Dani California' prove the band doesn't have to kick people in the ass every time they release a single. Still, we'd like to see at least part of 'I'm With You' dish out some 'Mother's Milk' or perform some 'Blood Sugar Sex Magik.'
- 2
Piano-playing Flea drops some music theory on the band
During the band's recent extended hiatus, bassist Flea attended music theory classes at USC. As part of his curriculum, he started playing piano, which he recently told Stereogum had a great effect on the album. "A lot of the songs on the record were written on piano," explained Flea, who added that it "lends a much different energy to what we’re doing." Maybe we'll hear a whole new side of the Peppers that we've never heard before.
- 1
Anthony Kiedis' new life as a father is reflected in his lyrics
Twenty years ago, RHCP singer Anthony Kiedis diverged from the funk-rock party tunes that dominated the band's catalog by writing the introspective anthem 'Under the Bridge.' In 2007, Kiedis became a dad for the first time with the birth of his son Everly Bear. Perhaps, Kiedis' life as a father gives the Chili Peppers frontman a new experience that we expect to result in further lyrical maturity for the songs on 'I'm With You.'