Album Review: One Hot Minute by The Red Hot Chili Peppers

The Red Chili Peppers 1991 album “Blood Sugar Sex Magic” was a land mark album that took the band from moderate radio success after 1989’s “Mother’s Milk” to World wide super stardom in the 90’s (due largely to the smash hit “Under the Bridge”) While other notable tracks on the album such as “Give it Away” “Suck my Kiss” ”Breaking the Girl” and the B-side single “Soul to Squeeze” (which was actually left off the Blood Sugar Sex Magik album but was eventually released on the “Under the bridge” and “Give it away” Singles, as well as on the soundtrack to the 1993 movie “Cone heads”) would become radio staples.

Even though the band appeared to be on a roll, the departure of Guitarist John Frusciante in 1992 (himself a replacement for founding member Hillel Slovak who had died of a drug overdose in 1988) as well as a 4 year gap between albums left many wondering if the Peppers had a follow up in them worthy of “Blood Sugar Sex Magik”.

What did follow was 1995’s Psychedelic, Funk-Rock opera titled “One Hot Minute”  The album is radically different from its predecessor, so much so in fact, that it stands out among the Peppers records. It is the only album to utilize former “Jane’s Addiction” guitarist Dave Navarro, and it saw a shift towered a new direction for the band.  The Album acts as a transition album between the two era’s of the Chili Peppers music, the old school Peppers more Funky sound (Showcased on Their 1984 Self-Titled debut, 1985’s “Freaky Styley”, 1987’s “The Up Lift MoFo Party Plan”, as well as Mothers Milk”, and finally being perfected on “Blood Sugar Sex Magik”) and the “new school Peppers sound” that showcases a more moody vibe (1999’s “Californication”, 2002’s “By the Way”, and 2006’s “Stadium Arcadium” all with Frusciante back in the mix.)

Though this album is a transition album, it bares little resemblance to any of the Chili Peppers other albums, in fact it sounds like a totally different band.  That might be the reason the album didn’t fair as well with fans and critics, but it’s also why it’s such a great album.  Instead of photo copying the past, the Peppers forged ahead with new Guitarist Dave Navarro, incorporating his musical influences into their own style to create a new Chili Peppers sound, writing some really original songs along the way.