Stream the entire album here.
Yes, we know Red Hot Chili Peppers reference their home state of California quite bit, but that ever present influence on their engaging mixture of alternative music reached it’s ultimate with the release of possibly their best album 1999’s ‘Calfornication’. This month the Peppers celebrate the album’s 20th anniversary so let’s go around the world (wink wink) and look back how it came it together to touch a generation.
The album saw the band rocket out of the 90’s with their genius guitarist John Fruschante rejoining the fold after brief run with Janes Addiction’s Dave Navarro, singer Anthony Kiedis regaining health in sobriety, and the band is odd spot trying to rebound in a changing musical landscape. They delivered this instant classic that personified the bittersweet acceptance of chasing dreams on the West Coast, broken relationships, and knowing who you on the other side of the tough times.
On this day twenty years ago, Californication was released! What's your favorite song on the album?
Listen to #Californication on your preferred streaming service here: https://t.co/M0NoruQsU4 pic.twitter.com/BZQfzUFBD9
— Red Hot ChiliPeppers (@ChiliPeppers) June 8, 2019
Rolling Stone loved it, giving it four out of five stars:
While all previous Chili Peppers projects have been highly spirited, Californication dares to be spiritual and epiphanal, proposing that these evolved RHCP furthermuckers are now moving toward funk’s real Holy Grail: that salty marriage of esoteric mythology and insatiable musicality that salvages souls, binds communities and heals the sick. Not exactly your average white band.
It was re energized more mature yet still funky leap for RCHP and based on this behind the scenes documentary from that period you could see how much fun the boys had being smarter and ridiculous in all of it. Highlights include Flea goofing in airport when he loses his boarding pass, joking around with the Foo Fighters, and much more smile-making memories.
