:: Red Hot Chili Peppers - Greatest Hits

Red Hot Chili Peppers

The Red Hot Chili Peppers has released its second best of collection, simply titled “Greatest Hits.” It is one of the rare compilation albums that avoid the pitfalls that commonly plague such collections. The track listing doesn’t run in order of release, as the two opening tracks are “Under the Bridge” and “Give It Away,” two of their most famous songs, from the “Blood Sugar Sex Magik” album. The former is a great representation of Anthony Kiedis’s lyrical ability, while “Give it Away” shows his vocal talents, and gives a good overall showcase of the band. The next two tracks are from the “Californication” album, the title track and “Scar Tissue,” a huge single in the summer of ’99. These tracks show how much the band has grown as musicians. A leading player in all those was producer Rick Rubin. He was able to harness their power and funky edge from the ‘Blood Sugar Sex Magik’ days, and the band started to reap the benefits. The only negative for hardcore fans could be that the first three albums are ignored, and only one track from the fourth album, the Stevie Wonder cover “Higher Ground”, appears. The rest of the songs represent the grown up, more mature Chili Peppers. “Otherside”, “Breaking the Girl”, “Universally Speaking,” and “Road Trippin’” put the full range of the band’s talents on display. Kiedis can sing so many different styles, and some flamboyant and capable musicians, highlighted by Flea’s terrific bass playing and John Frusciante’s rousing guitar. Another highlight of this disc is the title track and lead single from the “By the Way” album. It has a little bit of everything from the Chili Peppers’ career: fast verses, melodic choruses, and a lyrical journey similar to the one the band has taken. Finally, the album closes with two brand new tracks that deserve to be placed with the group’s greatest hits. “Fortune Faded” and “Save the Population”. ‘Fortune Faded’ is the new single for this release; it‘s a good song that slowly grows on you with its simplicity. 'Save The Population’ is another new track but you'd be forgiven for thinking it was earlier material. It does sound a bit like a B-Side but again it's not bad. This set is an essential buy for fans.