“I’m with you” not to be confused with the Avril Lavigne song is the new album from The Red Hot Chili Peppers. The last album the Chili Peppers released was the two-disk album Stadium Arcadium in 2006, which went on to win seven Grammy awards and was the only album of theirs to make it to number one in the United States.
So clearly Stadium Arcadium is going to be a tough act to follow and I’m sure this will be reflected in many of the reviews released. The fact there has been a five year gap between albums and John Frusciante the former lead guitarist having left the band adds further stress. Frusciante has been replaced by Josh Klinghoffer, who has previously toured with the Chili’s on the last few legs of the Stadium Arcadium tour performing additional guitar, keyboard and vocal parts.
I find the album enjoyable although it doesn’t have the same energy that past album does but then again with the Chili Peppers getting older perhaps they don’t have the same energy anymore either. It would appear the days of rocking out with socks are over...some people will be very glad to hear this.
Having been a Chili Peppers fan for a long time I’m slightly biased but I do feel there is a track on the album for everyone and maybe the people that did not like a lot of the Chili’s previous work may find this album more appealing as it definitely appears to have a slightly slower pace to it in general but it is not so much slower that you lose the funk that the Chili’s are renown for.
Rolling Stone magazine gave the album 3 and ½ stars out of 5 and Q Magazine gave it 3 stars.
The first single from the album ‘The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie’ made it to number 1.in the U.S Billboard rock charts but only made 44 in the U.K charts.
The songs that stand out on the album for are firstly “Did I Let You Know” which will have you singing the catchy chorus in your head for the rest of the day. Secondly “Brendan’s Death Song” which is in memory of Brendan Mullen a long-time friend of the band and one of the first promoters to give them a chance and thirdly “Ethiopia” which has the catchy line of “e io ie ia”.
Something I found particularly interesting about the albums promotional material was the live stream coverage of the album performed in Cologne, Germany being shown at selected cinemas across the world on the day of the album’s release in North America. I was meant to go but the person that was going with me had placement that day.
However if you missed that also the Chili peppers are embarking on a UK tour later this year and are playing Glasgow SECC on the 12th of November. Tickets are available at www.TicketSoup.com for £47.50.
I saw the Chili Peppers the last time they played Glasgow (Hampden Park) in 2007 as part of the Stadium Arcadium Tour and if I am being honest front-man Anthony Kiedis was a disappointment as he disappeared off stage and was not there for the encore. However the band more than made up with it sounding better than I imagined they could, whether you enjoy the Chili Peppers music or not it is hard to argue that the band are not talented musicians and they coped well without Kiedis’s presence.
Alternatively for your Chili Peppers fix you could go out and buy the album.
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