The best of (one of) the best
This band need no introduction. It's almost impossible not to have been in some way affected by the 3 decade-spanning, 20-year career of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, because when it comes to pure, honest, decent music, the Chilis are the last word. This degree of longevity is testament to the band's somewhat chaste approach to music; they haven't relied on any aggressive marketing campaigns or fashionable statements to sell records, instead finding a slow-burning success that is simply fuelled by good music.
The problem with having such a long career, is that the band are inevitably not the same people they were 20 years ago; they have different lifestyles, different outlooks, and most importantly, different musical tastes. They are therefore faced with the unenviable task of writing music that both accurately reflects their current stance as musicians and artists, and also appeals to their existing fans. Unlike Incubus, whose new album positively smacks of a band that are out of touch with who they were and struggling to express who they are, the Chilis achieved this with consummate ease, with their progressively mellowed style finding almost universal acclaim - the critics loved it, the old fans were happy, and legions of new fans were converted. This is unquestionably the Chilis' biggest strength - it's almost impossible not to like them. They may have aged like a fine wine but that is where the comparisons end, because their music couldn't be any less exclusive; this album would sit comfortably in the collection of fans of almost any genre, from pop to rock to jazz or blues. Even fans of 'tough guy' metal like them, though they probably wouldn't admit it.
You only have to casually glance at the track listing to appreciate the breathtaking array of classic hits RHCP have produced: 'Under The Bridge', 'Californication', 'Scar Tissue', 'Otherside', 'Parallel Universe', 'By The Way' and 'Road Trippin', to name but a few. As with any 'Best Of' album, the track selection won't please everybody, but there is little I can think of that is absent in this case. The album also features 2 new songs: 'Fortune Faded' and 'Save The Population', which were both recorded on the recent 'By The Way' tour, and another that was previously unreleased: 'Soul To Squeeze', which originally featured on the soundtrack to the film 'Coneheads'.
The collection will be available as a limited CD/DVD edition, with a DVD that includes fifteen videos with commentary from the band and the directors; a special 'Making Of' documentary; and some behind the scene footage from the 'Californication' tour.
Even though it performs perfectly as a 'Best Of' package, it is impossible to compact 20 years of a band of such quality onto one disc, so be warned: if you buy this as an introduction to the RHCP - the other albums will surely follow! The only minor gripe I would have, is that this is not the anthology of a band no-longer in existence, but another 'pre-death' Greatest Hits release from a band still writing and recording new material. The cynic in me sees this as nothing more than another money-spinning venture - but regardless of whether or not this is the case, the most important thing is that it is worth your hard-earned readies, because this is a bona-fide classic.