By The Way

Performer: Red Hot Chili Peppers
Producer: Rick Rubin
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: Red Hot Chili Peppers: Anthony Kiedis (vocals); John Frusciante (guitar); Flea (bass); Chad Smith (drums). Recorded at Cello Studios and Chateau Merchant, Los Angeles, California. Building on the return of gifted guitarist John Frusciante on 1999's CALIFORNICATION, BY THE WAY finds the Red Hot Chili Peppers crafting an intricately crafted follow-up light years beyond the band's simple punk-funk origins. Re-teaming with longtime producer Rick Rubin, the Chili Peppers deftly add varied stylistic ingredients to a musical stew of unexpected nuance. Frusciante deals out brisk, flamenco-flavored acoustic rhythm guitar to the breezy Latin outing "Cabron," choppy chords on the ska-like "On Mercury," and double-tracked strands of guitar on "Dosed," a heartfelt ode to love. Amid this orgy of creative rediscovery, funk still remains an important component of the band's sound as evidenced by the infectious rhythms of Flea's bass playing and Frusciante's trademark chicken-scratch fretwork found on the tasty "Can't Stop" and the space-age tribal stomp of "Throw Away Your Television". Other high points find these Cali crazies stringing a distinct Motown beat and Beatles-flavored harmonies throughout the irresistible "Universally Speaking" and adding strings to the ruminative "Midnight," with its gradually escalating monster groove. Despite the daunting, 70-minute length of BY THE WAY, the mature execution and musical change-ups make this a major milestone in the Red Hot Chili Peppers canon.

Rolling Stone (7/25/02, p.71) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...A near-perfect balance of gutter grime and high-art aspiration....With the accomplished, insanely melodic BY THE WAY, RHCP dive headfirst into the pop realm that their 1999 single 'Scar Tissue' hineted at..." Spin (1/03, p.72) - Ranked #25 on Spin's list of 2002's "Albums of the Year" Spin (8/02, pp.61,2) - "...They may have made the years best rock record....BY THE WAY's sonic vibrancy, as well as its maturity, sounds like a band being reborn..." Entertainment Weekly (7/12/02, pp.81-2) - "...An even more refined version of the Chili Peppers....the music is more earnest and lofty...with a cushion of Beach Boys pop harmonies here, a somber string-section intro there..." Rating: B Q (12/02, p.68) - Included in Q Magazine's "The 50 Best Albums of 2002." Q (8/02, p.118) - 5 stars out of 5 - "...They are at the peak of their game. They're also at the peak of everyone else's game. A fantastic record, full of wonder." Uncut (9/02, p.118) - 3 stars out of 5 - "BY THE WAY presents a band who have mellowed and matured with unusual benefits to their music...jangling guitars, sunshine pop...allied to discreet electronic trim..." CMJ (8/16/02, p.7) - "...Complex vocal harmonies and slick arrangements....the Chili Peppers are still making some of the best music of their career..." Mojo (Publisher) (8/02, p.95) - "...The strongest Chili's album since 1991's BLOOD SUGAR SEX MAGIK..." NME (Magazine) (7/13/02, p.36) - 8 out of 10 - "...By and large, very good..."

Inspiring legions of imitators (especially among the rap-metal crowd), the Red Hot Chili Peppers combined biting rock guitar with funk rhythms and rap-influenced vocals for a thunderous, party-hearty sound. While the California band was popular on the alt-rock circuit in the late-'80s, they broke through to the mainstream and became superstars in the early '90s with a more mature sound that incorporated melodic ballads. Nevertheless, the band's stageshow continued to be just as unpredictable and outrageous as their music.

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