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Album Review: Red Hot Chili Peppers – I’m With You

Album Review – Red Hot Chili Peppers
I’m With You
Warner Records

Leave it to an American guy who sold over half a billion records to describe the music industry best when he said, “popular music in this country is one of the few things in the twentieth century that has made giant strides in reverse.”  Bitter words from someone who’s been out of the record business (and dead) since 1977 or a prophetic statement meant to shake up a narcissistic industry blind to its own impending doom? For an example of this type of “stride,” look no further then I’m With You, the latest Red Hot Chili Peppers album.

This being their tenth studio album and the first freaturing guitarist Josh Klinghoffer (after the departure of John Frusciante in 2009), one may expect a stripped down, no nonsense Chili Peppers harkening back to the days of true men not killing coyotes or fighting like braves. If this was a throwback to Chili Pepper days gone by it’d be a welcome addition to their already impressive discography. Instead what we have here is a step in perhaps not an entirely different direction, but a huge “giant stride” in reverse none-the-less.

Loaded with pseudo-hooks and one note guitar solos, what I’m With You really needed is a good left jab followed by a well placed upper-cut that knocks you on your ass akin to what Mother’s Milk or the classic Blood Sugar Sex Magik did. For a band forging their own destiny for over twenty-five years this sounds more like a love letter to radio friendly banality.

Fortunately this album is still the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Red Hot Chili Peppers still kick the collective asses of 75-80% of the shit presently being played along side them on mainstream corporate radio. They may not be approaching Bing Crosby’s record of over half a billion records sold, but still pumping out radio friendly music after 25 years together sure won’t hurt record sales now will it?

RedHotChiliPeppers.com

WarnerMusic.ca

By Grimm “Can’t Stop” Culhane

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