(1991) Red Hot Chili Peppers – Blood Sugar Sex Magik: Anniversary Special

The sound, the vibe, the songs in rhythm if you found yourself to move your hips, jump, slamming or headbanging. You don't have to be embarrassed, everything is welcomed and accepted while listening to the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS. An eclectic blend of genres with an innovative approach, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS stretched the boundaries of rock, punk, and funk and their own creativity. Always ambitious, they released on September 24, “Blood Sugar Sex Magic” 30 yeas ago, now definitely a classic.

John Frusciante guitar playing adds the crunchy clean high pitch, funky sound with some punk elements and dirty gained rock sound. Anthony Kiedis gave his best lyrics and with his distinguished vocals/rap. Flea is responsible for the groovy funk and punk rhythm section that fits perfectly with Chad Smith drumming. All those ingredients where present with "Blood Sugar Sex Magic". Album is  a glorious masterpiece. The interesting part is also the location for recording the album. They were suggested to use the old mansion owned by famous magician Harry Houdini. They moved all equipment there and they decided to remain in the mansion for the duration of recording. Everyone in their each room they worked with all their innovative ideas on album that become "Blood Sugar Sex Magic". The album was a breakthrough and managed to release several radio-hits from an extensive sized album loaded with rock/funk/hip-hop.

Album begins with a couple of up-tempo rap songs with funk backing. "The Power OF Equality" and "If You Have to Ask", funky guitar rhythm with powerful groovy bass. Each a bit lacking in interest, just recycled stereotypes, compared to the album’s other stronger material. They take a really sharp turn with the song "Breaking the Girl", it's more melodic and a complete departure from the canvas of hip-hop/funk. Acoustic and dreamy with pulsating bass, long strings and a tribal drum beat, the song shows that Anthony Kiedis is capable of singing when he wants to.

Songs start to be more interesting with "Funky Monks".  Song starts with a funky slapping guitar that only John Frusciante is capable of such an amazing funk rhythm. Flea’s slap-bass fueled with Anthony Kiedis high-pitched chorus vocals. The song has a more interesting arrangement. This is followed by the heavier song "Suck My Kiss". The heavy bass kicks you right from the start into an excellent song while progressing. Gives you pure energy that employs the higher tactic of allusive hints in contrast to the more explicit songs. An acoustic softer song, almost a ballad "I Could Have Lied" shows again the softer vocals with driven melodic bass, steady drums with broken solo that gives the impression to clear or to give resolution is a perfect expression to the song. "Mellowship Slinky in B Major" the song could be used as the standard of funk/rock if someone wants to learn or to be introduced to this style, this song is perfect for it. Song is a mixture with layers of funk and pure rock riffs. While "The Righteous and the Wicked" is another enjoyable song to listen to, it begins with a bass groove, complimented by a funky guitar, melodic vocals, and a good hook. It is essential for RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS in its diversity and even contains a nice riff in the middle which has a definitive like rock legend quality.

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS released a single "Under the Bridge". From the beginning at first it was considered the song that does not fit the style of the band. Anthony Kiedis wrote in his reflection on his addiction to drugs. In addition, a moment that he came to believe was his lowest point, The song starts with a main and recognizable riff that is repeated over the song. In addition they added a grand and epic outro to a choir sung by John Frusciante mother and her friends. Gives the song a perfect ending with choir fading till the end. The other material on the album tends to be repetitive and overdone. Still with a good quality of the groove and musicianship. There is one exception, the eight minute song, "Sir Psycho Sexy", which has a bit of a Frank Zappa feel to it with accompanying explicitly sexual lyrics.

"With Blood Sugar Sex Magik", is very diverse and dynamic album. For those who are interested in unique sound and fusion of funk/rap/rock this is a must for collection. RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS really set out their best possible to make such an album, which would be long remembered, and they definitely accomplished that goal.

(1991) Red Hot Chili Peppers – Blood Sugar Sex Magik: Anniversary Special

The sound, the vibe, the rhythm of the songs... if you found yourself moving your hips, jumping, slamming around, or headbanging, you don't have to be embarrassed. Everything is welcome and accepted when listening to the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS. An eclectic blend of genres with an innovative approach, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS stretched the boundaries of rock, punk, and funk, as well as their own creativity. Always ambitious, they released “Blood Sugar Sex Magic” 30 years ago on September 24th, 1991, which has now easily earned its status as a classic.

John Frusciante's guitar playing adds a crunchy clean high pitch and a funky sound, dressed with some punk elements and a dirty-gained rock sound. Anthony Kiedis gave his best lyrics and a distinguished performance of vocals with rapping parts. Flea is responsible for the groovy funk and punk rhythm section that fits perfectly with Chad Smith's drumming. All of these ingredients combine to present listeners with "Blood Sugar Sex Magic." Not only is this album a glorious masterpiece, but it also contains some interesting trivia regarding the place it was recorded: the old mansion owned by famous magician Harry Houdini, which was rumored to be haunted. They moved all of their equipment to the manor and most of the band remained throughout the entire duration of their recordings. Everyone had their own room, in which they worked with their own innovative ideas, resulting in material that would become "Blood Sugar Sex Magic."

The album begins with a couple of up-tempo hip-hop songs with funk backing. "The Power of Equality" and "If You Have to Ask" feature funky guitar rhythms with powerful groovy bass. While they start the album off with strong energy, they likewise lack a bit of originality, feeling like recycled stereotypes when compared to the album’s other stronger material. However, they take a sharp turn with the song "Breaking the Girl," as it is more melodic - a complete departure from the prior genre canvas. Acoustic and dreamy with pulsating bass, long strings, and a tribal drum beat, the song shows that Anthony Kiedis is capable of singing when he wants to.

The songs start to become more interesting with "Funky Monks," which starts (naturally) with a funky slapping guitar. Only John Frusciante could be capable of such an amazing funk rhythm, while Flea’s slap-bass is fueled with Anthony Kiedis' high-pitched chorus vocals, only adding more flavor into the mix. This is followed by the more rocking "Suck My Kiss." The heavy bass kicks the listener right from the start with its pure energy. Then, the acoustic near-ballad "I Could Have Lied" shows a softer side of the vocals, with driven and melodic bass, steady drums, and a broken and expressive solo.

"Mellowship Slinky in B Major" could be used as the standard of funk-rock; if someone wants to learn or to be introduced to this style, this song is the perfect starting point, with its layers of funk and pure rock riffs. "The Righteous and the Wicked" is another enjoyable song to listen to, beginning with a bass groove that is complimented by a funky guitar, melodic vocals, and a solid hook. It is typical for the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS in its diversity and even contains a nice riff in the middle, which has a definite "hard rock legend" feel.

"Under the Bridge" was one of the singles from "Blood Sugar Sex Magik," despite songwriter Anthony Kiedis having thought that this song - a reflection of his addiction to narcotics - did not suit the band's style. This track starts with a recognizable main guitar riff that is repeated throughout. In addition, the grand and epic choir towards the end was sung by John Frusciante's mother and her friends, giving the song a perfect ending as it fades out.

"Blood Sugar Sex Magik" is a groovy and dynamic album. For those who are interested in the unique sound fusion of funk, rap, and rock, this is a necessary inclusion in your music collection. The RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS really set out to harness the best that they had in the making of this album. Well, they surely accomplished their goal, as this is definitely an record to be remembered!