Monday, December 14, 2009

BAD NEWS: NME REPORTS FRUSCIANTE QUIT RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS


Few posts in the history of No Expiration have bummed me out as much as this one: NME reports that John Frusciante has quit The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Again. The first time was in 1992, after the release of the band's all-time classic, BloodSugarSexMagik as they were about to headline the second Lollapalooza tour. They did that tour with a guitarist named Arik Marshall who didn't last past the tour (he went on to play in Macy Gray's band). After that, they got a guy named Jesse Tobias, who didn't last long at all (no shows, no released recordings) (he went on to play for Alanis Morissette and Morrissey). After that was former Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro, who they actually recorded an album (1995's One Hot Minute, not a bad album but it paled in comparassion to the Frusciante-era albums). Navarro wasn't into the band, and quit, and it looked like that was it for the band. During that time, Frusciante was a huge drug addict and this has been well documented. But he got healthy and rejoined the Chili Peppers rejuvinating everyone involved, and they put out the classic 1999 album Californication, the really good 2002 By The Way and the still good 2006 double album Stadium Arcadium.

Frusciante wasn't the band's original guitarist - he replaced the late Hillel Slovak - but I think they made their best music with him (with all due respect). NME reports that Frusciante is being replaced by Josh Klinghoffer, who collaborated with Frusciante on lots of his solo projects, and even toured as an extra musician with the Chili Peppers on their last tour. So, at least he is a friend of the band, it seems more organic than their process last time. Josh has also played with PJ Harvey, Beck and Gnarls Barkley, among others.

I wonder when the band will start working on their next record: that's going to be a tough one for sure.

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