True Men Don't Kill Coyotes / Baby Appeal/Buckle Down / Get Up And Jump / Why Dont't You Love Me / Green Heaven / Mommy Where's Daddy / Out In L.A. / Police Helicopter / You Always Sing / Grand Pappy Du Plenty

As a live band that showed crazy performances in their home town L.A., RHCP, already acquired a high reputation, released this debut album firstly after making a contract with major EMI. Hillel Slovak, the guitarist and Jack Irons, the drummer both original members left the band just before the debut because of the fact they were also the members of another band("What's This?"). Anthony and Flea had to recruit new members such as, Jack Sherman the guitarist, Cliff Martines the drummer. The producer was Andy Gill(ex. Gang of Four).

You know the painter Gary Panter? He started to be introduced to Japan in the beggining of 80's. i like his paintings. Though he also paint his illustration on the third "The Uplift Mofo Party Plan," i specially love his illustration on this first album. Because i imagine the figures of members, drawn by rough touch, show well how crazy their shows were at that time. if i were asked about the most favorite illustration of RHCP among many, i'd name this first album's one.

But, it is hard to say that the sounds of this album could express the special features of the band at that time as well as the cover illustration could. Top of all, i'm embarrased by the flimsy guitar sound like "New Wave," the sound of base, drums, they don't have any punch at all entirely. i don't mean to accuse "New Wave" itself, but no matter what kind of music were "on" at that time, the speciallity of this band must be the totally whole new concept of "the fusion of punk and funk." Andy Gill, the producer's fault of misunderstanding the band's flavor must be accused.

You'd better listen to the tunes "Get Up And Jump," "Out In L.A.," "Green Heaven," "Police Helicopter"...included in "Out In L.A.," the compilation of outtakes which has been released from EMI after RHCP moved to Warner. The tunes are different from the album version, just demo version which RHCP recorded before they debut, but they are extremely great. Of course, they are rough and incomplete takes, but i think they express punky and crazy side of the band at that time very well. They make me imagine how their shows were great. It is worth buying "Out In L.A." only to listen to these demo versions.

When dealing with the debut album of the band like RHCP, i think the important job of the producer should be... to guide dexterously their part of sound which is naive and undisposed to the stage of "the article for sale." If he couldn't make the most of band's characteristics, and if only thing he did was to just confine their sound to an enthusiastic field, i'd like moderately to say what's the role of the producer?

But, the songs included in this album themselves are not so bad. i don't mean to just say "This album sucks!" This is not so seriously bad one. The unique world of RHCP unrolled in this album is surely the part of this band, yes. But, again, the most characteristic and interesting part of early RHCP was "Punk" side, i think. It's really shame that their charms couldn't be expressed in their album at this time.

According to this misproduction of the first album, RHCP were thrown into the situation that getting off to a bad start and had to spend quite a long time till their break.