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While the RHCP had been around during the '80s, and Frusciante joined them at the end of the decade, it wasn't really until Blood Sugar Sex Magik that they became alt. rock legends. With the mesmerizing "Under the Bridge" introducing us to the RHCP's love/hate relationship with California, we suddenly became a part of a whole new '90s.
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Alternate lyrics: "What I'd like is I'd like to hug and kiss ya." Alternate alternate lyrics: "Yabba dabba yabba dabba dabba do now."
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The sudden success of BSSM caused Frusciante to leave the group temporarily. However, the group had a back catalog of B-sides and so songs like this were able to be released in the following years. One album was released before he returned to the group, One Hot Minute. While it had it's share of enjoyable songs ("My Friends") it just wasn't the same.
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Fortunately, Frusciante returned to kick off the next three albums, starting with the near perfect Californication. Not only was the trip back to the seedy underbelly of California present, but we were also introduced to a character named Dani whose journey would be chronicled over the trilogy of albums.
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Drug abuse was rampant among many of the RHCP members and this song helped to reunite the members and give them the "resurrection" that they badly needed.
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I'm always a fan of songs that are the artist's personal favorite, even if they aren't big hits. These are the songs that get brought out at every live performance and it allows the setlist to feel a bit more personal. This was also included on the Greatest Hits album, despite not technically qualifying. I'm glad that RHCP did everything they could to get people to hear this one.
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Don't worry, I didn't forget the best RHCP song. Once again dealing with drug addiction and overdose, the band handles the death of one of the original band members Hillel Slovak (the pre-Frusciante guitarist) in a touching way.
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Dani returns in the title track for the second album in the California trilogy. And this is my favorite RHCP song. I like the abrupt shifts in melody between the verses and the choruses. It really feels like a race against the clock, trying to meet someone who has already been waiting for a long time and is slipping away.
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I tended to like the non-single tracks from By the Way more than the singles. They just seem a lot more fun! Don't you agree?
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After scouring through hours of B-side material, I found this gem. It feels like it should have been one of their hits, as I enjoy it a lot more than what was selected to be the singles for By the Way.
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So, I own two RHCP albums. Stadium Arcadium and this. No regrets. (Both were birthday gifts.) I know true music fans are supposed to hate compilation albums, but this really gives me that RHCP fix whenever I need it. "Save the Population" was the token new song on the album, and I like it just as much as the rest.
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Dani's story is brought to a head. The trilogy wasn't specifically planned out, but it really worked to the band's favor. There is more of a focus on who this person is and the ups and downs of her life. Apparently, she's a composite of many ex-girlfriends. I hope they're all satisfied with how this song turned out.
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I'm surprised this didn't become a single. The final RHCP Frusciante album was a two-disc magnum opus called Stadium Arcadium. Although the band continues without Frusciante to this day, this truly feels like a swan song of an album. Stories from the recording are a lot more pleasant and it was just sheer creativity coming out of every corner. Everyone did their best.
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