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| Furious funk soph set from Anthony Kiedis & co. If You Want Me To Stay, Jungle Man, Blackeyed Blonde, Nevermind, American Ghost Dance, nine more. |
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| 1 Jungle Man |
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| 2 Hollywood (Africa) |
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| 3 American Ghost Dance |
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| 4 If You Want Me to Stay |
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| 5 Never Mind |
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| 6 Freakey Styley |
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| 7 Blackeyed Blonde |
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| 8 The Brothers Cup |
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| 9 Battleship |
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| 10 Lovin' and Touchin' |
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| 11 Catholic School Girls Rule |
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| 12 Sex Rap |
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| 13 Thirty Dirty Birds |
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| 14 Yertle the Turtle |
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| 15 Never Mind [*][Demo Version] |
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| 16 Sex Rap [*][Demo Version] |
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| 17 Freakey Styley [Original Long Version][#][*] |
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| 18 Millionaires Against Hunger [#][*] |
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Album Review
Long before the Red Hot Chili Peppers became alternative rock darlings via tear-jerking ballads, they were firmly rooted in pure, uncut funk. Of course, their stint as a funk band extended for a very short time, from their inception (showcased on their formative self-titled debut) to their more stylistically varied guitar-orientated efforts (hinted at on "Uplift Mofo" and fully realized on "Mother's Milk"). Of this short era before Anthony Kiedis decided to take a more poetic approach to songwriting, and before Hillel Slovak's unfortunate death, "Freaky Styley" stands as the group's masterpiece. Here, the Peppers seem fully in control of their vision to be accessible successors to '70s P-Funk, laying down a varied collection of quirky songs propelled by Flea's omnipresent bass riffs and Slovak's restrained efforts. Above all, though, much of this album's success from all angles goes to producer George Clinton, perhaps the most inspiring individual the Peppers could have worked with at this point in their career. "Freaky Styley" is the mid-'80s album that Clinton could never make on his own. Where Clinton's '80s albums seemed infused with the right ideas, he never had the seemingly limitless energy that the Peppers employ here. Above all, the Peppers' stunning rendition of Sly Stone's "If You Want Me To Stay" is a testament to just how funky the Peppers were at this point, even if it doesn't quite have the original's soul. Other notable moments include "Jungle Man" and "American Ghost Dance," two tight funk numbers with wonderful choruses. This album probably won't appeal to those weaned on "Under The Bridge" or "Scar Tissue," but it's undeniably a somewhat forgotten cult favorite, particularly to those infatuated with the group's short-lived Slovak era, the group's zenith in terms of quirkiness and funkiness. [Capitol's 2003 reissues of RHCP's early albums appended previously unreleased and other bonus materials.] ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
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• Biography
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Other albums by: Red Hot Chili Peppers |
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