Am I allowed to not like John Frusciante?

D

Dave Merrill

Axe-Master
Like at all.

Clean tones? Pedestrian, with the partial exception that it's borderline refreshing to sound nearly completely dry. But it's a one-trick move, not an inherently interesting one, and the underlying tone is totally undistinguished, ditto the parts.

Dirty tones? Worse than pedestrian. Ratty, but not rude or f-ed up enough to have serious attitude, and none of that thrilling "turn that damn thing down" vibe, like he's playing a big amp way too loud, even though he probably is. Nothing exciting about the parts either.

There's just nothing there that interests me at all. I listened to Rick Rubin's multipart interviews with them, and on paper it seems like I'd love them, but I just don't, after repeated tries, and John's a big part of that. Flea is a force of nature, and I get that the core people are lifetime friends who've stuck by each other through some serious stuff, but dang, lose that guitar player!

(I don't usually do this, out and out rag on a person or a band, especially one as well loved as RHCP, but jeez, so much ado about so much nothin. And I may take this post down later if I wake up wiser, or kinder, or something.)
 
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I discovered their songs are great for learning way after they became popular. Beyond that it never was my thing but what a great band. Happened to see them during an outdoor Rock festival in Rotterdam in 1990, by that time I still was in Dylan and Dire Straits; absolutely did not dig their performance
 
Huge fan of his playing on Blood Sugar Sex Magik. That album is so good.

Haven't really listened to anything they've done over the past ten or fifteen years other than the radio stuff, which didn't float my boat/strike my fancy.
 
His playing and his tones fit the overall thing. He's nowhere near the top of the guitar hero pantheon, but not at the bottom either. That's why he was so replaceable for so many years and then could just come right back in. The music is built for dudes who's look as as important as their playing.

They're all in their 60's now (except for Fruiscante) and the fandom is all 50+ years old so no one gives a shit about looks anymore. It's al just us kids from the high school class on '92 +/- 5 years (BSSM came out in '91 at the beginning of my senior year) who are even bothering going to a show for nostalgia reasons. None of those people at any of their shows or who bought those albums ever give a rat's fuzzy asshole about the guitar player's tone. If anything the praise was for how they were able to accomplish what they did with nothing interesting really going on on the guitar side.

It's guitar for people who don't care about guitar. It's music to party (and possibly get laid) with, not analyze the writing or the tone. That's for lame tone deaf journos.
 
ocaptainjr2 said:
Huge fan of his playing on Blood Sugar Sex Magik. That album is so good.

Haven't really listened to anything they've done over the past ten or fifteen years other than the radio stuff, which didn't float my boat/strike my fancy.
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Same here.

I do not really care about the guy but his playing on this album is absolutely refreshing, and perfect for that record.

I learned a lot playing his guitar parts.

Kind of punk rock funk rage.

But the secret sauce of rhcp is really drum and bass. They are legends to me.
 
Dislike away.

Californication was probably the first guitar oriented album I got (as a bday present) right around the same time I got my first guitar. The band, album and player have a spot in my history as a guitarist regardless of what others think of them.

Still ended up a les paul guy :/
 
I love BSSM, although I never think of Frusicante as anything but the right fit for the Peppers (which is a good thing ;-). Their other stuff, kinda hit or miss. I had high hopes when Dave Navarro joined - I loved Jane's - but overall that wasn't that exciting either.
 
I think Frusciante is a much better guitar player than he shows.

Check out what RHCP did in the last 20 years. The tendency is clear. The songs are based around guitar riffs and solos that are built up from a few notes, targeting teenagers who just picked up the guitar and are happy that they can already play RHCP after 2 weeks of playing guitar.

Even the solos consist of 3-4 notes, purposely out-of-tune bendings so beginners can feel amazing. Every new song is based on a purposely dumb guitar riff, and the rest of the band tries not to add too much. Just simple enough, so the kids' band can play it.

There is a phenomenon where musicians use gear that pays them somehow. RHCP took it to the next level. They create songs with the intention of selling TAB books for beginners.

 
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levipeto said:
I think Frusciante is a much better guitar player than he shows.

Check out what RHCP did in the last 20 years. The tendency is clear. The songs are based around guitar riffs and solos that are built up from a few notes, targeting teenagers who just picked up the guitar and are happy that they can already play RHCP after 2 weeks of playing guitar.

Even the solos consist of 3-4 notes, purposely out-of-tune bendings so beginners can feel amazing. Every new song is based on a purposely dumb guitar riff, and the rest of the band tries not to add too much. Just simple enough, so the kids' band can play it.

There is a phenomenon where musicians use gear that pays them somehow. RHCP took it to the next level. They create songs with the intention of selling TAB books for beginners.

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Can't tell what parts of your post are serious :)

From the Rick Rubin interviews it seems like you're right, he's way more sophisticated conceptually than what I hear him actually do, ever, but I haven't dug up anything he's done outside of RHCP. That part of your post I agree with.

But I don't get why he does that. It never occurred to me that they could be trying to make music their semi-musician fans could play themselves, but maybe you're right about that. Wasn't mentioned in any of those RR interviews, unless I missed it. Kind of doubt it though. They seemed more in the moment than that, less calculated.

But what do I know.
 
Brother, like who you like and dislike who you don’t! Crazy that the internet takes such exception to it. If it doesn’t do it for you, it doesn’t and that’s no one’s biz but yours.

Of course, sharing that dislike on a forum opens your opinion to everything from agreement, to critique, to attacks. Online communications are like that, so I mostly keep those things for talking face to face with musicians. To your point, though, nothing at all wrong with liking/disliking a certain player’s way of doing it.
 
Absolutely.

Providing Will Ferrell a live backing track to jam to night after night is a noble cause. Watching the videos, he consistently brings his A game, adding novel rhythmic flourishes to songs played so many times they've worn the groove out of countless records.

But to be serious... I think there's something to be said about playing what's appropriate and crafting a part that fits the song like a glove. His effects use is sometimes quite unique while still serving the song. It's kind of like the Misfits. Their first couple albums were full of great, catchy songs. Dead simple. Like caveman simple. But amazingly catchy for what little they were made of. That's hard to do.
 
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Hmmm... Even though I would rather praise somebody for a great tone or playing I am afraid I agree with @Dave Merrill . The Chilli peppers leave me cold, which for a pepper should actually have the opposite effect.

The guitar sound in most of the stuff I have had to endure to listen to sounds like a guitar that is not even plugged into anything. Clink, clink,clink... Not my cup of char, old boy.

However, as much as I don't like his sound or the band he is a guitarist with a million times more skill than me, he has sold millions of records, has adoring fans, and no doubt has a fantastic lifestyle. So good on him.

I on the other hand have a Nissan Qashqai, a wife who nags me to death, and a Les Paul that really could do with a new set of strings. So he wins every time.
 
I love RHCP, but I can understand your observations.

My hypothesis is that RHCP have a rule in their band codex that says only one member can shred at one point in a song.

Since Flea is doing most of the shredding, there's not much opportunity for the rest.

Chad Smith may have a killer fill or intro.

Frusciante tends to channel what a budding guitarist would like to hear. The man can play. Blood Sugar Sex Magic has some cool playing that works in the context of their arrangements.

The one to feel bad for if this rule is in effect is Anthony Kedis with his limited vocal range and lyrical content.

Other than Blood Sugar Sex Magic, check out the single Soul to Squeeze to hear how his parts just add to things.
 
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