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Impressed with John Frusciante

mattosbornemattosborne Posts: 339
edited October 2006 in Other Music
Like most people, I've been a fan of the Red Hot Chili Peppers for a very long time. I've always thought Frusciante was good but, I never actually put him in the 'great' status. Then, I decide to check out a couple of his solo albums. Curtains and Shadows Collide With People and WOW, this guy is an absolute genius. It was long overdue but, I finally checked some out and I was blown away. I know he has like six solo albums, I was just curious as to some of your favorites on here aside from the two mentioned.
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  • smarcheesmarchee Posts: 14,539
    Curtains and Shadows Collide are definitly my 2 favourites of the solo albums he released. I would also recommend picking up The Will To Death and Inside of Emptiness, those next 2 are almost at the level of the 2 you bought, with the Will To Death my 3rd favourite.

    DC is ok too, but an EP. Ataxia is ok too, but only 4 or 5 songs. A Sphere In the Heart of Silence is the one I listen to the least, I don't think there is a guitar-written song on that album, mostly experimental stuff.

    Yes, his solo stuff is amazing, the lyrics are so dark, really give insight into his frame of mind. I have made my buddy a huge fan of him as well by having him listen to his solo music.
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  • Jeremy1012Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    mattosborne wrote:
    Like most people, I've been a fan of the Red Hot Chili Peppers for a very long time. I've always thought Frusciante was good but, I never actually put him in the 'great' status. Then, I decide to check out a couple of his solo albums. Curtains and Shadows Collide With People and WOW, this guy is an absolute genius. It was long overdue but, I finally checked some out and I was blown away. I know he has like six solo albums, I was just curious as to some of your favorites on here aside from the two mentioned.
    Do not overlook his solo albums that came before that huge creative burst in the last few years. He released two solo albums, "Niandra Lades and usually just a t-shirt" and "Smile from the streets you hold" before his return to the chilis in the height of his drug addiction. You won't be prepared for niandra lades and certainly not for smile from the streets if you have only heard shadows collide and curtains but its worth taking the plunge. Niandra lades is dark, smile from the streets you hold is like the diary of an addict. its some of the bleakest, most depressing but also fascinating music ever recorded.

    Most people hate "smile..." when they first hear it. the first track, "Enter a Uh" is possibly the most horrific song I've ever heard. its 8 minutes of skeletal guitar playing and john screaming the words sounding very much in pain. If you can handle it, its a trip that you won't forget in a hurry. Niandra lades got a reissue recently and you can get it easily but you might have to download smiles because copies go for £50+ on ebay since John recalled a bunch of copies out of shame after he got clean. I hear he likes the album now though...
    "I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
  • hendrix78hendrix78 Posts: 507
    All his solo albums are worth hearing. Inside of Emptiness and Curtains are probably my 2 favorites. The Will to Death is also great - kind of Velvet Undergroundish in my opinion. Ataxia is awesome. The person who said it was only 5 songs didn't mention that several of those songs clock in around 10 minutes. It's a full album and well worth the money. It's basically experimental jams with the bassist from Fugazi. The DC Ep is too short, but the first song on it is probably in my top 5 favorite Frusciante solo songs.

    His first solo album, Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt is a 4 track masterpiece. His singing back then was no where near as strong as it is now, but the layered guitars on it make for some really original, inspiring listening. Smile From the Streets You Hold is an interesting listen in the sense that it is a look into the brain of a junkie who is at death's door, but the performances are VERY rough. There are a few songs on there that have tons of potential, though. I'd love to hear him record slightly more polished versions of the title track, Estress, and a few others.
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