RHCP "By The Way" - Funky REM Placebo?

When RHCP made Mothers Milk & BSSM, Frusciante literally was trying to play like Hillel Slovak did, so those albums were pretty much made with John-playing-Hillel-style. Now that John Frusciante is playing/writing John Frusciante style, the people who become fans of the John-playing-Hillel-style stuff can't get to it, cause it's too Beach Boys-ish and too Staples Singers-ish and not Hillel-ish enough.

Personally, I like it. Not as much or even in the same way I like Blood Sugar Sex Magik (and DEFINITELY not in the way I like Uplift Mofo Party Plan), but more like the way I like The Beatles or REM, more melodic/mellow.

Plus, I don't think Flea ever really busts-the-fuck-out on it, and that's kinda a drag...but I still like the record.

I do not include By The Way in this.

Oh, you got 'dyke' on daytime Radio 1. Here's a puddle. Drown.

Now this would not be a compliment in my book. ;-)

That said, the one or two songs I had heard from this new album randomly somewhere actually didn't get my goat like most of the band's work does. Who knows?

I can see this walking down the street in LA any time I'm there though. Last night I saw a guy with a Cat in the Hat hat who was about seventy playing random songs on his keyboard while a pet mouse ran in a wheel. :-)

Dude, you're thinking this is a BAD thing?

Besides which, Counting Crows aren't from around here, thank fuck. Though board member Donut Bitch can tell you about the time they played UCI in 1993 -- he did sound, and said the band were apparently shiftless tools led by a 'we're going to make it big!' manager. I guess the manager was right, but eventually ending up on a coheadlining tour with Live -- York's finest! -- can't be seen as big this days. ;-)

But again, I think being on the west coast makes you more aware of the culture that births these dorks. Where as we out in nowheresville can more easily judge them by their radio efforts. I couldn't enjoy Sugar Ray until I forgot seeing them circa-Lemonade & Brownies for free at Penn State, and I can't imagine how long it would have taken me had I heard the Shrinky Dinx. Likewise, "Mr. Jones" works better on the radio than when you can actually see the "shiftless tools."

Best depiction of Adam Duritz ever -- Mike Nelson on an MST3K episode. In order to save the ship, he had to become the most loathsome thing in the universe so as to drive away a horrible alien. Cure Duritz impression with dreadlocks, whining singing and flailing while the robots cried and vomited in pain.