It’s My Party, and I’ll Play What I Want To

Today is January 24th, my birthday. I am now 25 years old. Some call this the birthday of the quarter-life crisis. Not me. I’m excited. I have a full half of my 20’s to go, and I figure that’s a pretty good place to be.

So yea, Happy Birthday to me. And since it’s my birthday, I am going to write about my favorite band. I promised that I wouldn’t overdo it with Chili Peppers stuff (and I won’t), but today it seems fitting. The band is, after all, also 25 years old this year.



If you know me, you know how much I love the Red Hot Chili Peppers, so I don’t have to explain. Furthermore, I wouldn’t dare devote a measly single entry to the band and everything they’ve done. It would simply be impossible for me. So instead, I’ve chosen to focus on one particular album… for now… Freaky Styley.



Freaky Styley is one of my favorite RHCP albums, but is also one of their least prominent, mainly because it came out in 1985. The Chilis have put out a total of 9 original studio albums thus far, but the first three are, for the most part, buried in obscurity. It is the albums of the 1990's that people are most familiar with. Mother’s Milk, released in 1989, featured the hit song “Higher Ground”, and was basically the band’s “breakthough” album, introducing them to the masses. Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991), of course, was the gold standard that made them superstars and gave us “Under The Bridge” and “Give It Away,” and Californication (1999) marked their comeback and cemented their status as rock legends.

But very, very few people seem to know any of their stuff from 1983-1989, which, I must say, is a shame. I admit, their 80’s stuff is a little cheesier and far less mature sounding than the hits we’ve all grown accustomed to, but it possesses a rawness and an edginess that you have to appreciate. More importantly, when you hear their old songs, you have to be struck by how unbelievably out of place their sound seems when compared with all of the mainstream stuff that was going on in the 80’s. You had hair bands, and synth bands, and fledgling hip-hop, and New Wave, and Madonna, and MJ, and on and on and on. When someone says “80’s music,” you immediately know what they’re talking about. But the Chili Peppers? No. You probably don’t think of them. They don’t really fit that mold. And that’s because rather than play to the style of 1980’s, they were updating the style of the 1970’s, while developing a new style that wouldn’t be seen until the 1990’s. Have I thoroughly confused you yet? Good.

What I’m saying is this. When RHCP was making music in the midst of the 80’s, they were really playing an old school style. They were four white kids who wanted to play James Brown songs, and George Clinton songs, and Sly Stone songs. They were all about funk, at a time when funk had pretty much become dated. People were into dance songs that sounded more modern and futuristic, and featured synthesized keyboards and drums. The Chilis were out there playing funk guitar riffs and basslines. They didn’t fit… at least not at that moment. See, the ironic part is that the edgy style that they created in the 80’s (when nobody was listening to it), eventually became part of the mainstream in the 1990’s. For that reason they were somewhat ahead of their time, while also being somewhat dated at the same time. Maybe that’s why nobody bought their albums in the 80’s.

But anyway, I maintain that their old stuff is incredibly underrated, especially Freaky Styley. It was their second studio album (their first, I admit, suffered from a severe lack of recording experience), and probably their funkiest venture to date. The lineup featured Anthony Kiedis on vocals, Flea on bass, Hillel Slovak on guitar, and Cliff Martinez on drums. The history of the band’s lineup is an entirely separate issue, but briefly, the lineup that everyone has grown to know as the RHCP of the last 20 years (with a brief exception in the mid-90’s) is Anthony, Flea, John Frusciante, and Chad Smith. In the 80’s, however, it was Anthony, Flea, Hillel Slovak, and a combo of drummers (Martinez and Jack Irons). Tragically, Hillel Slovak died in 1988, at the age of 26, causing drummer Irons to quit, and causing the band to nearly collapse. As you all know, that’s not how the story ultimately unfolded, but it should be noted that half of the original band changed in 1989.

Back to 1985. The Chilis are on their second album, and they’re starting to gain a little bit of recognition in the industry. One particularly big name who liked their sound was none other than the aforementioned George Clinton, of Parliament/Funkadelic fame. Clinton was actually so enthralled with their fresh, funky sound that he signed on as producer of the album. The impact of having him oversee the project can not be understated, as he took this young funk/rock style of music, and guided it to a unique, hard-edged, but soulful, sound. Furthermore, just to make sure that the sound retained the elements of pure funk, Clinton added a horn section on most of the tracks. He did not, however, employ just a few random horn players. No, he brought in Maceo Parker and Fred Wesley, two recording legends, most famous for being the right and left hand men to the Godfather of Soul, James Brown.

With three funk legends acting as mentors, the Chilis were able to tap into a deep sound that was part rock, part funk, part soul, and part young hip-hop. There really isn’t a pop-sounding 80’s song to be found on Freaky Styley. But as far as I’m concerned, that’s fine. What you get instead is even better. It’s a unique, raw, almost out-of-place sound, that offers insight into where the RHCP that we all know today came from. Their style back then was considered weird and unmarketable, but it served as the bedrock sound of a band that would eventually rocket to stardom. And the unique funk sound that so many people know and love today, was born out of this even funkier sound from way back in the day (regardless of whether or not people still like it). Freaky Styley may be somewhat dated, but it’s still funky as hell. So if you’re interested in hearing where these guys honed their funky sound, this is the album to check out. Enjoy, and have a good weekend… I know I will.

*Notes: If you want old school funk, with groovy basslines and melodic horns, check out “American Ghost Dance,” “Hollywood,” and “The Brother’s Cup”… “Hollywood” is actually a cover of the song “Africa” by The Meters… There is also a cover of a Sly & The Family Stone song on this album, called “If You Want Me To Stay”… Hillel Slovak (whose funk/rock style was a huge influence on current RHCP guitarist John Frusciante) shines most on “Nevermind”, “Battle Ship,” and “Yertle the Turtle”… Flea’s slap bass technique is at it’s best on the legendary track “Blackeyed Blonde”… As for Anthony, if you really want to see that this guy was rapping at a high level as early as 1985, check out the Demo Version of “Sex Rap” (available on iTunes… the album version just isn’t as good)… I’m probably not much help for specifics because I love this whole album. It may not rock you as hard as most modern stuff, but it’s got a great, groovy tone throughout. Plus when you think about the fact that they did this in 1985, it really makes the whole album pretty interesting and impressive.