Red Hot Chili Peppers
Freaky Styley

THE REVIEW

Undoubtedly the funkiest album by the Californian band, and in this it differs from the Peppers' first work, where crossover experimentation was more pronounced. Produced by George Clinton (Parliament, Funkadelic), "Freaky Styley" also benefits from the collaboration of important figures in the funky world.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers leave California, move to Clinton's personal studios in Detroit, and create the 14 tracks of the album. "Freaky Styley" is certainly played better than the previous work; the arrival of Hillel Slovak on guitar has given the Peppers' sound an unmistakable mark, and the creativity and guitar riffs make the album a good funky work even though the RHCP that would later become successful are different.

The album starts with "Jungle Man" and the band's intentions become clear, with a festive refrain, Kiedis accompanying the sound with a faint rap that goes hand in hand with Flea's bass lines, Slovak funking freely and including one of his riffs while Cliff Martinez hits hard on the drums. A very funky track is "Hollywood," Clinton's production is evident and the RHCP seem to learn well from the master of funk, a track that also gained some notoriety in Europe. In "American Ghost Dance," it's Flea’s bass that holds the piece together, while Slovak's guitar takes the lead in the driving refrain, with the usual Kiedis uniting everything with his rap. There's also time for a cover of Sly & The Family Stone, "If You Want Me To Stay," a very soul track, with a nice dialogue between guitar and bass and a versatile Kiedis who knows his stuff even in a field that certainly doesn't belong to him entirely. A return to the origins in "Nevermind," here come the peppers that drive me crazy, punk-funk with an appropriately angry Kiedis; with their intuitions, RHCP will make their fortune. Frankly, I didn't understand the title-track, certainly excellently played but the intro is too long, and at the first listen, I changed the song before the arrival of Kiedis's incomprehensible singing that seems to recite magic formulas. Spectacular "Blackeyed Blond," slapping bass and guitar unite in a very fast funk, also helped by the excellent charleston work signed by Martinez. Amidst all this, the fun-loving spirit of the L.A. guys doesn't go amiss, as they indulge in various shouts and hollers. A beautiful funk dialogue between bass and guitar in "The Brothers Cup," amidst various horns and winds in a track that shows what the Peppers wanted in that album. Back to punk-funk in "Battle Ship," with an unleashed Kiedis, an insistent rhythm from Martinez, while Slovak plays hard funk, Flea's usual bass virtuosity is not lacking. There's also room for a bland nursery rhyme "Lovin' And Touchin," which precedes one of the album's best moments "Catholic School Girls Rule," a perfect Red Hot crossover style, spiced with very explicit provocations about the virtues of Catholic schoolgirls (how can you forget the video?!). The sexual charge continues with "Sex Rap," with its very provocative lyrics, although RHCP should be taken with great irony, and Kiedis's voice emphasizes this. We've reached the end of the album, before the last track, we have "Thirty Dirty Birds," a rhyming poetry of a few seconds with questionable artistic quality. And to finish in style, "Yertle The Turtle," a live favorite of that era, with Martinez perfectly accompanying the track, Flea's bass is very funky, while Hillel Slovak is extraordinary, even simulating a turtle's sound with his guitar towards the end of the piece.

"Freaky Styley" is an excellent funky album though I prefer the crossover that characterized them initially with "The Red Hot Chili Peppers" and later with "Mother's Milk," the true masterpiece of the Californian peppers, I recommend the remastered version of the album since the sound of the old recording leaves a bit to be desired. I highly recommend RHCP retire from the scene!!! NOSTALGIA FOR WHAT WAS...