Blogger: Chili Peppers Guitarist Going Solo

By Connect Mason Blogger Emily Culley

Sure, everyone knows who the Red Hot Chili Peppers are. Most people can point out front man Anthony Kiedis, alongside of being able to recognize Flea from his zany outfits and antics on stage. The other two bandmates are more or less known by their instruments and quiet demeanor. John Frusciante, the guitarist, has quietly been building his solo career since March of 1994, with the release of Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-shirt.

After the release of Usually Just a T-Shirt, Frusciante's addiction to heroin and other drugs drastically worsened. In 1997, when he was on the brink of death and out of money Frusciante released another album, Smile From the Streets You Hold. Much of both albums were written and recorded years earlier, some songs dating back to his days with the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

While Usually Just a T-shirt had many enjoyable songs, impressive guitar rifts, etc... Smile From the Streets You Hold was more of an expose of the declining state of Frusciante's mind, talent, and physical being. In 1998, after Frusciante had rejoined the Chili Peppers and regained his sobriety, he stopped production on both albums. In addition, Frusciante went to the stores and asked the managers to take the CDs off their shelves--when the managers refused, Frusciante simply bought their stock.

Many fans have voiced their disappointment with the removal of the albums, which lead to the re-release of Usually Just a T-shirt in 1999. Frusciante has said that Smile From the Streets You Hold will also be re-released, though he has not specified when.

Since he rejoined the Chili Peppers, Frusciante has kept himself busy with his own solo career, working in numerous side bands, and projects. In June 2004 Frusciante released six albums in the course of six months, varying drastically with the types of songs. Furthermore, Frusciante only used primitive modes of writing and recording.

My personal favorite is his album The Will to Death, the first album from the set of six. The album was written and recorded in a span of five days, using technology that was available in 1971. Frusciante has stated that he wanted to make a raw album, without computers or technology. Especially to contrast his previous album, To Record Only Water For Ten Days, which relied greatly on synthesizers and drum machines.

A few select albums from Frusciante can be found in generic record stores (such as Best Buy), it normally includes Curtains, A Sphere in the Heart of Silence, and Inside of Emptiness. All of the albums are available through the iTunes store, though Ataxia II is not available yet.

Frusciante's web page has an impressive background behind all of the albums, many of the backgrounds and explanations are written by Frusciante, then scanned and posted on the page as a picture. Additionally, Frusciante has made a download page for his fans, completely free.

Acoustics, Demos, and an Online Album. Included in his downloads are acoustic and demo tracks from his album Shadows Collide With People. Though if you have iTunes, theses songs will not play--they are formatted for Windows Media Player.