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Invigoration and Incoherence![]() ![]() ![]() Red Hot Chili Peppers: One Hot Minute (Warner Bros.) Working a new member into an established band can be creatively invigorating, but the spurt of inspiration can sometimes come at the cost of coherence. With former Jane's Addiction guitar phenom Dave Navarro replacing the less showy John Frusciante, the Red Hot Chili Peppers have made an interesting but scattered album in One Hot Minute--intense at times and extremely varied, but less assured than their last, breakthrough album Bloodsugarsexmagik. The opening cut (and first single), "Warped," immediately demonstrates what Navarro brings to the table. Propelled by a wiry, syncopated guitar lick, the song grooves with a tightness this band has never before shown. Bassist extraordinaire Flea finally has a fret-wielding partner with the fire to match him. Only singer Anthony Kiedis fails to rise to the challenge, coming up with a forgettable melody. Towards its end, the song splashes suddenly into a quiet coda, providing a transition into the next track. It's a technique used by the band in several spots, and it works fine, but suggests it will take the new lineup some time before they can link songs more organically. "Aeroplane," the second cut, is bubbly, hit-bound pop with a disco-rock beat and a kids' chorus to boot. Kiedis delivers his best vocal on it, but how does it tie in with either "Warped" or the next cut? After all, "Deep Kick" is a blazing number that offers a tantalizing hint of what the Navarro-era Peppers can do. It especially highlights drummer Chad Smith, who is sharp throughout the album, and who must be thanking his lucky stars for Navarro's arrival. Elsewhere, though, the album jumps around in tone and quality--from "Pea," a brief, casual disembowelment of racist rednecks, to the standard R.H.C.P. funk of "One Big Mob," to the confused "Transcending," which is dedicated to the late River Phoenix. Despite its souped-up style, One Hot Minute lacks the heart of, say, "Under the Bridge," from Sexmagik. Give the band's new firepower another year or so, though, and the next Peppers CD may just top them both.--Bob Remstein | |
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