Sixty-One Hot Minutes

After guitarist John Frusciante decided he'd had enough red hot fun for a lifetime and left Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1992, Dave Navarro was eventually brought in as a replacement. During Navarro's time in RHCP, the group recorded One Hot Minute which is easily the darkest album of their career. Most die hard RHCP fans couldn't get their head around this album which is a shame because hidden under the surface are some of the trippiest, grooviest and most emotional songs the band have recorded.

Dave Navarro does exactly what he did in Jane's Addiction, plug in and play riffs that'll twist and warp your mind. Being one of my favourite guitarists, he was the main reason I bought the CD and he doesn't disappoint. It helps that he's backed up by Flea, one of the best bassists of the 90's and Chad Smith who's drumming compliments the funky bass-lines. Anthony Keidis sounds at home when almost rapping and he sounds a little out of his depth on this album but at this point in their career, his whiny voice almost goes hand in hand with the music.

Warped opens the CD with Keidis talking over a humming bass-line and quiet drumming. Then it kicks in with the kind of stubborn guitar riff that will make any Jane's Addiction fans feel at home. The song is dark and twisted but after a few spins, it's also undeniably catchy. The sound of Flea's bass and Chad Smith's drums thudding away as the guitar plays all kinds of psychadelic sounds is awesome.

After that, Aeroplane starts with gentle guitar which then leads into a bass-line which shows off Flea's immense skill on the bass. Flea and Chad Smith get locked into a funky groove and refuse to let go as Navarro stays remarkly quiet. Then towards the end of the song he launches into an absolute screamer of a solo as a group of children sing the outro chorus. This song was the only real hit single of the album and, ironically, is the only tune on the album that sounds upbeat.

My Friends was another single from this album and sounds like a moodier version of Under The Bridge with it's rythm gently picked out on an acoustic guitar. Keidis' lyrics sum up the atmosphere of the song:
"I love all of you
Hurt by the cold
So hard and lonely too
When you don't know yourself"
The subdued heartache of this song can also be found in Tearjerker which has sorrowful violins backing up the touching music.

None of the songs on this album sound even remotely similar as the band explore all directions with their new guitarist often being the driving force behind it. Navarro uses pedals all over the album and even Flea gets in on the effects pedal action on Falling Into Grace, another funky but sinister song.

One Big Mob begins with a crunching guitar riff and bass-line and shouty chorus but it's about halfway through the song that RHCP's experimenting becomes obvious. All kinds of background noises fill the air including a baby crying as the song gradually builds back up. Eventually it erupts back into the shouty chorus which sounds even louder because of the light/hard contrast in the song. The whole song just sounds amazing and completely different to anything else ever recorded by RHCP.

The final track is Transcending, written for the late River Phoenix whom Flea was best friends with. Navarro and Flea are again at the heart of the song with their respective instruments gently playing as Keidis' vocals take centre stage in the song. Then with 2:40 left the guitar suddenly turns menacing, the bass-line gets furious and the drumming becomes explosive while Keidis screams the lyrics out over the top. Transcending sums up the whole album; dark, different and funky but never obvious.

One Hot Minute got mixed re-actions from critics and fans and Navarro left afterwards. Frusciante re-joined and the band then recorded Californication, which seems to lack depth and substance compared to this album. For warped and twisted alternative hard rock, One Hot Minute is the album to get.