Around The World / Parallel Universe / Scar Tissue / Otherside / Get On Top / Californication / Easily / Porcelain / Emit Remmus / I Like Dirt / This Velvet Glove / Savior / Purple Stain / Right On Time / Road Trippin'

After John Frusciante, being off the band so long time came back, this piece was created after an interval of four years as their 7th original album.

When "BSSM" was released, Anthony expressed the ballads included in the album as "salads," now that almost of all tunes in this album are the ballads or middle tempo songs. But, salads included in this piece could be staple foods itselves...as it were..."power salad."

General impression of the sounds became just simple compared to the former one and has no gorgeousness. i think it depends on the play style of John Frusciante too much. After the release of "BSSM," his play on the stage changed to simple and...how to say..."bluesy." No fast play, (almost)no effecter, it was like just only put the plug into the amplifier and play... On stage we could saw, while Anthony and Flea were doing furious, crazy performance, John was just "layed back" which was quite weird. i think it depended on his behavior of narcotics because he was deeply addicted to heroin at that time.

There is a song called "Soul To Squeeze" which was recorded at the "BSSM" session but not included in the album. We can listen to that song on the coupling of single. When i firstly listen to "Californication," i thought the "bridge" song between two albums which were made by same members was this tune. i don't know if members were conscious about, but "Soul To Squeeze" was played in all shows of "Californication" tour as far as i know.

Like we can see in this "Soul To Squeeze," bluesy and simple guitar sounds of John certainly developed in this piece, thus it decides the total tone and the atmosphere of this album. Sorrow and delicate feeling...especially, the guitar phrase on the last part of "Easily" makes me cry. While the sound making style in BSSM was creating the sound by cool riff generally, it's amazing how "melodious" tunes increased in this one.

One of the features of this work is, middle tempo tunes which are not "fast," not "ballads" were focused mainly. "Parallel Universe," "Scar Tissue," "Otherside," "Easily," "This Velvet Glove"... not gorgeous but left something in your mind, these middle tempo tunes are the core of this album, and new "reality of sound" that RHCP accuired. Of course, usual funk rap tunes like "Around The World," "Get On Top" or "fast" songs like "Right On Time" exist, but this album seems to be full of "sorrowful" feelings.

By the way, this album reminds me of how wonderful Chad Smith is. He has been wonderful from the beggining of course, but in this work, the fact that the middle tempo tunes increased, the tendency to the simple sound...brought his importance into sharp relief. In the case that the contents of the album are mainly middle tempo tunes, there might be a danger of losing its tension and end up with...how to say..."lazy" one. But even in the song "Californication," which is not funk tune at all, there certainly is a 'groove'. Therefore, the tension is kept on all through the album and never makes us weary.

The quality of middle tempo tunes are good. Yes. But, i don't quite understand the tunes like "Emit Remmus," "Savior," to tell you the truth. i don't mean these songs are not good, but i just can't see clearly why RHCP have to create and play these songs now. Probably i will come to know the meaning of these tunes when i listen to the next album. i don't know.

The video clip of "Scar Tissue" which was firstly cut from this album, is very impressive. In this clip, members are driving a convertible car through a desert in some state in the U.S.A. Their whole bodies are wounded and covered with bandages. Here, this expresses that RHCP were DEFEATED to the fights on which they have been keeping from the beggining. In "Transcending" of the former "One Hot Minute," they were madly cursing, writheing, spitting to something. After that struggling, they were DEFEATED here. The beautiful melody of "Scar Tissue" rings to their broken souls after their painfull fights as a requiem.

It is courageous thing to admit that someone was defeated. But the defeat is a defeat. You might think what is making such kind of album for? But i think they could clearly express their defeat because they fought their fights serioulsy through their carrier and i think it's a thing of meaningful.

Then, what were they defeated against?

They are from Hollywood, L.A. and they emphasize that through their songs again and again. They express repeatedly that they were from Hollywood because they were proud of being the band who shoulderd the 'West Coast culture' and being Hollywood's home boys.

"Californication," the album title, is considered as a coined word combined "California" and "mass-communication" if i think simply. Should i say..."California-like mass-communication?" Hollywood is no doubt the center place of this "Californication" that is, "West Coast culture." It is transmitted all over the world by the media. In fact, what RHCP were defeated against was, this "West Coast culture" itself...which they loved sincerely, i think. They were defeated against Hollywood, California which they relied on and depended on. Considering the fact that RHCP was the most band which have been embodying this kind of "West Coast culture," it is said that "they were defeated against themselves" which is really ironical and unbearable way of defeat.

In the end of "Scar Tissue" video clip, John throws ragged guitar down to the road, and the convertible car is gone somewhere. Where did they head for? In the last tune "Road Trippin," they sing "Let's go get lost. Anywhere in the U.S.A." No matter where they run away, they might not be able to escape from the story of "America." It must be so.