By The Way (2 Lp's)

Red Hot Chili Peppers: Anthony Kiedis (vocals); John Frusciante (guitar); Flea (bass); Chad Smith (drums). Recorded at Cello Studios and Chateau Merchant, Los Angeles, California. Building on the return of gifted guitarist John Frusciante on 1999's CALIFORNICATION, BY THE WAY finds the Red Hot Chili Peppers crafting an intricately crafted follow-up light years beyond the band's simple punk-funk origins. Re-teaming with longtime producer Rick Rubin, the Chili Peppers deftly add varied stylistic ingredients to a musical stew of unexpected nuance. Frusciante deals out brisk, flamenco-flavored acoustic rhythm guitar to the breezy Latin outing "Cabron," choppy chords on the ska-like "On Mercury," and double-tracked strands of guitar on "Dosed," a heartfelt ode to love. Amid this orgy of creative rediscovery, funk still remains an important component of the band's sound as evidenced by the infectious rhythms of Flea's bass playing and Frusciante's trademark chicken-scratch fretwork found on the tasty "Can't Stop" and the space-age tribal stomp of "Throw Away Your Television". Other high points find these Cali crazies stringing a distinct Motown beat and Beatles-flavored harmonies throughout the irresistible "Universally Speaking" and adding strings to the ruminative "Midnight," with its gradually escalating monster groove. Despite the daunting, 70-minute length of BY THE WAY, the mature execution and musical change-ups make this a major milestone in the Red Hot Chili Peppers canon.