So even if Trollheart doesn't consider "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" a classic album (He should; myself and many others consider it to be one of the defining albums of the early '90s, right up there with Nirvana's "Nevermind"...which TH also didn't like...I don't think TH likes the '90s.), here's a choice he should be able to appreciate. One of the largest candidates for best album this side of Ziggy's spiders, Sgt. Pepper's band, and...I can't figure out how to shorten "Pet Sounds," here's "Rumours" by Fleetwood Mac!

1. Second Hand News
It's a cool, catchy, country-tinged opener. The overall sound of the song is cheerful for it being about feeling unappreciated. Oh, and I must mention the scatting. Just, the scatting.

2. Dreams
The band's take on...soul/disco? Surprised when I first heard this, but damn, they do it really well. Don't know who's singing exactly, but the female vocal is really well done, as is the bass.

3. Never Going Back Again
A cool sounding acoustic song, with some neat sounding guitar bits.

4. Don't Stop
A Classic Rock radio staple, though until now, I didn't know it was by Fleetwood Mac. Lyrics are more bitter than I had initially thought. Another thing I noticed about the song that I didn't before is it's neat bassline.

5. Go Your Own Way
Another classic single, and probably my favorite song on the album. The lyrics are as bitter as the previous songs, but this time the music reflects that, with an angry vocal performance.

6. Songbird
With some pretty piano playing, this is defiantly the happiest thing on the album, without (m)any tones of heartbreak or destroyed relationships. It's a beautiful song.

7. The ChainThe vocals sound very distant, the image I get is that they're coming from a mountain top. The harmonies are absolutely great. The bass isn't the main instrument, but it defiantly helps it along. The song is pretty slow, but at the end it speeds up, which is awesome.

8. You Make Loving FunAnother funky song, but this time, it's a bit forgettable.

9. I Don't Want To KnowVery poppy, with a cool riff, and some dual vocals. And it has handclaps. Handclaps add to songs in ways we puny humans cannot even fathom.

10. Oh DaddyO_o Okay, I'll get to the elephant in the room right away: This song sounds like it's about child molestation. It does. It really does. It has a pained feel that the pained adds to. It's just tragically beautiful.

11. Gold Dust WomanThe intro sounds a bit like "The Chain." It has the greatest female vocal on the album. Is...is that possible sitar? And damn, that's a good solo. Well, here we go...

Conclusion: I can see why it's considered a classic, and it's a great album, but not really my genre here, so I can't say too much about it.

Favorite Tracks: Second Hand News, Go Your Own Way, Gold Dust Woman

Least Favorite: You Make Loving Fun

Do I feel, at the end,
A) I wish I had listened to this sooner
B) I'm sorry I bothered
C) I might end up liking this
D) Not at all sure, have to wait and see
E) Bit underwhelmed; was ok but a classic?
F) Definitely enjoyed it, but again would I consider it a classic?
More of a C, really. Maybe an F? Don't shoot me, now. Put away the 45...and I don't mean the vinyl...GET AWAY.

http://www.trollheart.com/copyrightth.png

Oh man, that was Stevie singing! Both on "Dreams" and "Gold dust woman". Don't you know the bewitching Stevie Nicks? (Clue: that's her on the cover. And on the back. The one with the big --- yeah, you know the one I mean!) :thumb:

Everybody should have to hear this album or be thrown in jail.
;)

PS Christine McVie is the solo performer on "Songbird". And yes, it is a beautiful and fragile song.

I really don't get Fleetwood Mac with their gender blender names. It was a point of confusion for me when I watched Lindsey Buckingham at the Grammy's, who's a guy, and I hear all these things of Stevie Nicks, who's a girl. Ah well, names don't matter when you have this kind of talent (and cash).

Well, I'm broke. He won the lawsuit and took everything I had. I'm using a computer made out of a broken heater, some toothpaste, and a couple toothpicks...So let's get back to reviewing albums, shall we? :D

A computer made out of a broken heater, some toothpaste, and a couple toothpicks? YOINK! My lawyers are nothing if not thorough .... bastards... ;)

Tell you what: listen to one Floyd album before the end of the month and review it and I'll consider all damages fully paid. Can't say fairer than that, now can I?

Ah, a request? Haven't had one of those in a while; You got yourself a deal! The toothpicks are starting to sag...toothpaste really doesn't hold things together.

Yeah, Comfortably Numb is great. Notice that the first solo is played on top of the chords from the chorus, and the second one on top of the chords from the verse? Think about it for a second. I think it's pretty cool.

Fantastic song, but "The Wall" is chock-full of them. Check the scarily sparse "Mother", the manic "One of my turns", The oh-so-powerful "In the flesh" (both parts) and the incredible "The trial".

And the rest of it.
Amazing album.

Are you familiar with the movie version of "Mother"? I think I like that even more than the album version.

Oh yeah. The movie just blew my mind! Love the extra track, "When the tigers broke free." Geldof's finest hour imo...

I actually have a 7" of tigers I bought when the movie came out in 1982. It says on it "taken from the album the final cut" and of course It did not end up being on that albums original release which confused me. Probably more than you wanted to know but there you go. The wall is one of the greatest albums of all time for sure.

The Wall has some great songs, but I don't think it's the right place to start if you're new to Pink Floyd. I think Dark Side of the Moon would be better since it's shorter and flows better.

Wow, that's actually kinda neat.

So there are three Floyd albums I'm interested in hearing: Anyone care to narrow it to one?

-The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (Syd Barret interests me :P)
-The Dark Side Of The Moon
-The Wall (I know it's 2-LP but I still wanna hear it)

I have only heard a few songs off of Piper, but I don't think they really represent the known and beloved Pink Floyd sound very well. The Wall has its moments, but it also has its fillers. Then there's Dark Side of the Moon, which I will gladly listen to in one sitting any time. Trollheart's the expert, though. This reminds me I should listen some more to Floyd. Mind if I steal ideas from you and start a Pink Floyd spotlight in my Cave?

I wouldn't consider it stealing if you just wanna review some Floyd. I was inspired to review The White Stripes's "Elephant" after TH did...keep in mind this was before I lost all my cash, but still.

I had that too, and bought it same as you, once I'd seen the movie. Sadly I gave away all my singles (don't ask!) so don't have it any more. :(

I'd personally recommend "Dark Side" but also "Wish you were here". Course "Meddle" is an amazing album too. Sorry, you were trying to narrow it down...
go for Dark side. You will be amazed. But play it loud (pref with headphones)...
:thumb:

Dim light, one sitting, headphones, volume at 11... go for it. I've never tried shrooms, but I'm sure this is better. It must be.

I may have to improvise the dim lights, but I think I can do that. And thanks, TH, for helping me make my final decision. You guys will be in for a treat this week ;)

Well, you people demanded I review a Floyd album, and after asking you, you said Dark Side best represented what was great about the band. Now I could introduce this album. I could go on and on about the process of recording the album, the impact it had on the musical scene, it's continued legacy, and praise this thing to pieces. But no matter what I say, I cannot begin to describe the legacy that this album has built over the years, there's just no possible way to do it justice. With that said, I'm just going to dive face first into it.

1. Speak To Me
We open on the sound of a beating heart, with then adds in more sound effects including a man describing how insane he is and absolutely demented laughter. It's a interestingly eerie way to open an album and I love it. Now, this is the only time I will mention fading into the next song as nearly every track on the album does it, so let's get to...

2. Breathe
Pretty good way to properly open the album. It's chill, has a good beat, and overall, if I did drugs, this would be a good one for that. Gilmour has some cool slidey things going on during the intro, even the bassline is audible and adds to the overall relaxing mood of the song.

3. On The Run
Instrumental segue that shows off some cool synth, reverb, and sound effects. It just has this really cool fast paced energy about it and the synth is really cool, and...I would say flighty, but a lower pitched flighty. I can't really describe it properly.

4. Time
The first song on the album I can actually sing along with and that could stick in my head if I listen to it enough, "Time" is also the first song that really gets you rocking and is just a solid 7 minutes that I'm going to have to listen to more.

5. The Great Gig In The Sky
The quiet piano that starts the song off. The hypnotic vocals by guest Clare Torry. Out of all the songs on the album, after my initial listen, this one stuck with me and haunted me the most. It royally pisses me off that some people can call this album filler. As much as I like the rest of the album, this is the only song that really impacted me in a significant way.

6. Money
One of the biggest hits of the album is known for it's interesting tape loop and unusual time signature. It has an overall catchy melody, with some sweet electric piano which adds to the sweet bluesy feel the entire thing has going.

7. Us And Them
Another really chill, relaxing song that sticks in the head. Obviously, if I'm going to talk about this song, I'm going to talk about Dick Parry's wonderful saxophone solo. It's so smooth and just fits the mood perfectly.

8. Any Colour You Like
Sweet instrumental showcasing some more synth as well as Gilmour's smooth guitar playing. This synth is slightly more "flighty" than "On The Run," but the tune is way more relaxed.

9. Brain Damage
Often mistaken for a title track along with it's sister song "Eclipse," "Brain Damage" is another chill song with some hints of finality to it. Waters's vocals have been smooth all album, but this song is where they shine the most in my opinion. The organ reminds me a bit of The Beatles's "Don't Pass Me By."

10. Eclipse
This defiantly feels like an ending to an album. Most defiantly, this and "Brain Damage" going without one and other would be like The Beatles's "Golden Slumbers" trilogy going without each other, it would just be a travesty. It then ends with the same beating heart that brought us in.

Conclusion: Out of all the "essential" albums I've heard, this was defiantly more interesting. "Sgt. Pepper" was good, but not amazing, "Rumours" was good, but not amazing, and I still have a hard time calling this "amazing," which some of you will no doubt massacre me for. What can I say, the better an album is said to be, the higher my expectations, which no album could live up to. But most certainly, this album, more than "Sgt. Pepper" and "Rumours," impactful as they may have been on the music scene, deserves to be called a classic.

Final Score: 95/100 (Brilliant)

So my birthday happened recently, and most of what I got was CD's, so I'll be having things to review. Sorry this journal died out for like 2 weeks. xD

Okay, so I've been dead around here despite saying I wasn't, so I'm going to review the followup to one of my favorite albums of all time. Described by vocalist Brandon Flowers as "the best album made in 20 years," it leans more towards a Springsteen-esque heartland rock style than the synth-drenched rock of their debut "Hot Fuss." Well, let's get into it.

1. Sam's Town
We open with a hard-rocking track. Fantastic opener, very catchy song, and it gets you hyped for the album ahead.

2. Enterlude
Nice little interlude into the album proper, simple, short, and nice.

3. When You Were Young
First song I knew from the album, it just brings me back to 2006. A lovely song, with everything that makes a lead single. And the solo is also pretty cool.

4. Bling (Confession Of A King)
The key this is in just brings the dramatic feel of the song to such a higher level. One of the best songs on the record, with a sing along section at the end ala "All These Things That We've Done" but shorter (And the song is overall less ballady and way more dramatic), it's one of the most heart-wrenching songs on the album.

5. For Reasons Unknown
Note, I said one of. This song was catchy and cool when I didn't know what it meant, but when I found it was about the lead singer's grandfather who has Alzheimer's, I got choked up. The song is still but so hard yet so easy for me to listen to because of just how catchy the melody is. Of special note is the low-harmony vocals at the beginning that add an odd element of creepiness to the song.

6. Read My Mind
The favorite Killers song of vocalist Brandon Flowers, it's hard to argue that this song is as touching as it is catchy. Synth everywhere, it's a pretty good match with "Smile Like You Mean It" from the debut. I particularly enjoy the music video which is The Killers dicking around in Japan. Good stuff.

7. Uncle Jonny
Another solid rocking track about an "uncle" with a cocaine addiction. One person called it the worst track and the album and went on to say it just shows how good the album is. Indeed, one of the album's weaker tracks, but still so strong in it's own right that it can't be faulted.

8. Bones
Well this is weird. The choruses are really catchy and light-hearted, but the verses take on sort of a creepy tone. Considering this is a song about taking a girl to a beach and the overall song is rather creepy, one can't help but draw parallels with "Midnight Show" from the much-mentioned-in-this-entry debut, "Hot Fuss." In that song, the narrator takes a girl to the beach...and drowns her to death.

9. My List
An anthematic track, complete with handclaps. It is the weakest song on the album, but like "Uncle Jonny," it's still a great track in it's own right.

10. This River Is Wild
Faster-tempo track with some cool harmonies. Flowers just gives a particularly amazing vocal on this one (though he'd been doing so on the rest of the album), and you can't help but sing along after you know it.

11. Why Do I Keep Counting?
A song about Flowers' thoughts of suicide, he also holds a particularly touching sustained note near the end of the song. It's a great track to "properly" end the album, but we have one more song left to look at.

12. Exitlude
An extended reprise of "Enterlude." Not much to say except where the original was 40 seconds, this is 2 minutes. Anyways yeah. That was Sam's Town

Conclusion: I have a very difficult time choosing whether I like this album or their first one better. They're both completely different, yet so similar. So yes. Overall, this is an amazing album, and I'd highly recommend it, even if you don't like The Boss.

Final Score: 95/100 (BECAUSE THIS RIVER IS WILD! GOD SPEED, YA BOY!)

So like, Nirvana got inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame last night, and for the first time in years, Dave Grohl, Pat Smear, and Krist Novoselic played some Nirvana songs together.

Joan Jett growled out "Smells Like Teen Spirit" amazingly, Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth destroyed "Aneurysm" (But unfortunately, not in a good way), and Annie Clark of St. Vincent did a fantastic job doing "Lithium," but special note must go to Lorde (Who I'm actually not a fan of) doing a great rendition of "All Apologies" with everyone I mentioned as well as the members of Nirvana (With Krist Novoselic, the bassist, playing an accordion). At the very end of the video, Dave Grohl (Drummer) raises his head to the microphone, as if he wanted to sing the final chorus as it was on "In Utero," but he then stops and lowers his head...it's so sad...anyways though, great performances all around, but I wanna put a spotlight on this one:

Well friends, all things must come to an end. Do I mean this journal? In it's current form, yes. In general, no. What I mean is that the text reviews and articles you have gotten used to seeing will no longer be a part of it. Instead, album reviews will now be presented in video form, and less frequently. So, to ring in this new time in Thought-Filled Barfland, here's a collaborative review of the They Might Be Giants album, John Henry.

Ok this is an interesting idea. I had a similar thought myself some time back but decided against it. Why? For various reasons, some of which included not wanting anyone to see the secrets contained within my Bedroom of Wonder (!) as well as the fact that I'm an ugly ****er, and not to mention that doing something like this may open you to copyright infringement as you need to use the music as a backdrop. I see you've got around the final point there by using YouTubes, and quite well.

But do I think it will work? I have to say no I don't. Why? Because I think people here in general skim through articles or else read them all the way through, but I would imagine the ratio of people who click YTs as opposed to those who don't is quite low and weighted on the side of the latter. People coming to a journal want to read, not watch; they want to see what your writing style is like and they want to get lost in the review. It's not so easy to do that in a four-minute video.

I could be completely wrong --- and if I am, readers, please tell me because I would love to know this will work for him --- but I think people will check your journal, see a post with one YT and either click it in half interest or move on. Of course, you could be starting a whole new trend here, and it'll certainly be a big feature in this week's update, but I think personally you're going the wrong direction. Podcasts like these are great but I don't believe they suit the music journal format and I would much rather see four columns of text than click one YouTube.

Not to mention that if anyone has YouTube blocked in work or in their country you're excluding them.

Not meaning to put a damper on things; maybe this will work fine. But from my point of view, if this is how you intend things to go for the future, I am disappointed and I have to say I would be unlikely to check any of the videos. I can read your text in half the time it takes to go through your video.

Still, good luck with it. But I would suggest maybe a mixture of the two? Writing and video reviews maybe? Perhaps this is what people want. Time, as they say, will be the judge, not me.

I can defiantly see what you're saying, and I have to thank you for being honest. The truth is, I kind of ran out of motivation to do reviews the way I was doing them, and I don't just mean the format of text. I personally don't want to have to talk about each and every track on the album, even though that's more detailed, because a lot of the time, if there's a forgettable or generic song, I can't really talk about it too much. In this new form, I won't have to.

Another thing with the old format was that if there was a song I really liked, a lot of the time it was hard to put it into words, so with this, I can allow the music to speak for itself a bit. But, I can totally see what you mean about it being risky and less convenient. I think a possible solution to the problem would be having the YouTube review, but including a transcript or summary of what I say about the album below, so those short on time, or without YouTube can easily see what my opinions on the album are.

And probably the main reason I'm trying the YouTube format is because I can reach outside of MusicBanter for an audience. I have a small YouTube channel, but it does have a few viewers, and if I'm to do album reviews on it, more people can give me feedback and tell me how to improve and it'll feel like there are people viewing my content. I've actually wanted to do video reviews for a while, but didn't really know how to approach it until recently.

Again, I have to thank you for stating your honest opinion, and I'm sorry if you're still disappointed. I will admit that there are advantages to the old style of review that don't transcend to video well. Who knows, I may go back to the old style if enough people want me too, I know there are some things I'll miss, but for now, I'm gonna test out the new format and see what the other members think, and if it just gives more of a voice in a different way. Thanks for the post, I was really curious to see what the readers would think.

Well like you say, try it and see. The only problem feedbackwise I can see is that, well, even in the best journals there is minimum feedback. You could perhaps open a poll in the main section and ask people's opinions? Or see how you YT audience feel.

I get what you say about long reviews though. Sometimes I get bored writing mine, and will occasionally let a track or two slip by without comment if there's nothing I either like or really dislike about it. That's why I tried the "Bitesize" format, sort of like what Briks is now doing too. I know generally people don't read long reviews, apart from a few people like Unknown Soldier and Anteater, so I know much of my stuff probably goes unread. However if I'm enthusiastic enough about the album or indeed series or film I'm looking at I will give it all I have.

You could maybe try doing your video reviews and then a short review in the "Bitesize" style, just getting the main points across. Or you could review in the style of Urban! ;)

Anyway whichever way you decide to do it hope it works for you, and remember if reviews don't keep you interested it's your journal: try something else. Review a sporting event, a movie or maybe a game? Or do something totally different. Surprise yourself, and your readers.

Best of luck as always. I'll keep watching. And reading.

Thanks TH. I may consider trying a bitesize type review, but so far, I do quite enjoy the video reviews. I totally get what you mean about lack of feedback. That's part of why I'm reaching out and getting these reviews to a larger audience. If it doesn't work, I may go back to where I was before or, as I mentioned, try bitesize type reviews. But right now, it's just gonna be very experimental. Not in a hard to swallow way, just a couple reviews of testing the waters.

Alright, here's another review, this time of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' eighth album, "By The Way!"

Chili Peppers month begins tomorrow! :D

Here's the first review of the month, Mother's Milk!



The future reviews will have a transcript below the video for those who want to read instead of watch.

Hey everyone, Powerstars here with another Chili Peppers review! Today, we're discussing their critically acclaimed 1999 album, Californication! Now, after the Peppers took off with 1991's Blood Sugar Sex Magik, they went on a tour larger than any they had done before. Guitarist John Frusciante was not prepared for this, and, combined with his growing hatred for vocalist Anthony Kiedis, quit the band in the middle of the tour and slipped into heroin over the next 5 years. The Peppers recruited Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro, and released One Hot Minute, maybe I'll talk about that one later. Eventually, it was seen that the Peppers and Navarro were not getting along, and the band was on the verge of breaking up. Fruscainte, by this point, had gotten himself off of heroin, and was in tears when Flea asked if he wanted to rejoin. The resulting album was Californication.

Californication opens with the explosive bass riff to "Around The World," a single that is easily one of the highlights of the album. After another amazing rocker, "Parallel Universe," which, I have to mention, has one of my favorite guitar solos from John Frusciante...it's clear that the Peppers have begun to embrace their softer, smoother side, with songs like "Scar Tissue," "Otherside," and "Californication" itself. But it's clear that the album isn't missing it's share of funk with songs like "Get On Top," "I Like Dirt," and "Purple Stain." Not to mention the wonderful distortion of "Easily" and "Emit Remmus." "Emit Remmus," in particular, is just a really simple, yet solid guitar riff being played around with by Frusciante, while Flea and drummer Chad Smith lay down a great rhythm to go with it. While there are some exceptions, most songs on the album, lyrically, deal with the dangerous sex and drug fueled life of California, Hollywood in particular. The title track, unsurprisingly, is the most obvious example.

Speaking on the vocal side of things, John Frusciante's harmonies are utilized to their full advantage here. While they started experimenting with vocal harmony on Blood Sugar Sex Magik, this is where they perfected it. Good examples of songs that use the harmonies to an amazing degree are "Right On Time," "Around The World," and "Otherside." Unfortunately, this is where we got to the only huge negative of the album. I mentioned distortion earlier in the review, and while it does work wonders for "Parallel Universe," "Emit Remmus," and the like, there is a glaring problem with it. Every song on the album is distorted in some way. To further explain this, I'll need to make sure my viewers are familar with the Loudness War. Over time, musicians began wanting their music to be louder, so that it would stand out among other musicians. Problem is that everyone was doing this, so eventually those who wanted to compete had to make their music REALLY loud, and those who just wanted to be heard in all the madness had to crank their music up as well

The problem with this lays in the limits of the digital format of sound. Basically, it can only be so loud without being distorted. When a sound wave reaches it's limit, this is called peaking, which is generally considered bad, because it's when the distortion begins. The more times a sound wave peaks, the more distorted it is. This is done through a process called compression. The less compressed a sound wave is, the more it moves, basically it has more dynamic range, which allows the music to sound more "alive," if you will. When a sound file is compressed to the point of little or no dynamic, the music sounds flatter, with less noticeable drums and more distortion. Unfortunately, "Californication" is one of the albums most infamous for this practice, as usually for albums with this issue, fans can listen to the vinyl edition instead, as analog sound had many differences to digital sound, and thus is mastered seperately. Sadly, the vinyl has the same issues, but there is an unmastered version floating around if the compression bugs you too much. Personally for me, it's never noticeable enough for me to cringe or want a different version of the album, but it is a large issue a lot of people have with the album, so I figured I'd mention it.

Anyway, whatever way you choose to listen to this album, CD or vinyl, unmastered or compressed, it's a great experience and one of the Peppers' best albums.

Hey everyone, Powerstars here with yet another Chili Peppers review. Today, we're talking about their infamous 1995 album, One Hot Minute. Now, after the success of 1991's Blood Sugar Sex Magik, guitarist John Frusciante was becoming uncomfortable with the band's growing fanbase. He developed a rivalry with vocalist Anthony Kiedis and began sabotaging shows, which led to him leaving the band and developing an extreme heroin addiction. The other Chili Peppers completed the rest of the tour with Arik Marshall, but let him go once the tour ended. For their next album, they brought in former Jane's Addiction guitarist, Dave Navarro, whose more metal sound clashed with the funk of the Peppers. To make matters worse, Dave was in the middle of a drug addiction, and Anthony had also just relapsed, hindering his creative ability. Eventually, after some delay, One Hot Minute was released.

Now One Hot Minute, right off the bat is noticeably different to the other Chili Peppers albums, turning some fans of the band off. The funk punk sound the Chili Peppers are known for has been thrown into a blender with Psychedelic Metal, resulting in a strange, but, in my opinion, interesting sound. The psychedelia works it's way into hit single, "Aeroplane," while the metal is pushed to the front in songs like "Coffee Shop." The album is one of the best Chili Peppers albums lyrically, dealing with Anthony's resumed drug addiction, and, for the first, and so far last time on a Chili Peppers album, Flea provides some lyrics and lead vocals on "Deep Kick," "Transcending," and most notably, "Pea."

Songs like the aforementioned "Deep Kick" and "Warped" seem somewhat disjointed, with calmer psychedelic bits, and then straight in your face rap rock like some songs from Blood Sugar Sex Magik. However, in the case of "Deep Kick" espesially, the bits may not have a very smooth transition, but by theirselves they're very good, and enjoyable to listen to. That's a word a lot of people would use to describe the album: Disjointed. I have to agree, while some transitions work, a lot of them seem off-putting. Surprisingly, one that works more than a lot on the album is when the final track, "Transcending," which is for the most part a calm heartfelt ballad, transitions into a screamed metal song for the last two minutes. I don't know, it's still very disjointed, but to my ears, it seems to work in a weird sort of way.

Now while the album may be somewhat dominated by Dave Navarro's metal guitar playing, bassist Flea still shows himself to be a driving force in the band's sound. He adds an element of funk to the metal "Coffee Shop," drives some of the funkier songs like "Falling Into Grace," and helps Chad bring up the rhythm in some of the harder rocking songs like "One Big Mob," and the title track, "One Hot Minute." The album does also have a gentler side, with songs like the aforementioned hit single "Aeroplane," fellow single and acoustic ballad, "My Friends," and the tributes to Kurt Cobain and River Phoenix respectively, "Tearjerker" and "Transcending." "Tearjerker," written for Kurt Cobain is much more of a straightforward ballad with, appropriatly, a tearjerker of a chorus, specifically the last few notes of the chorus. The guitar solo also really gets me for some reason. "Transcending," the tribute to River Phoenix, which I've mentioned before goes into a metal song for the last 2 minutes is equally heartfelt, with lyrics written by Flea for one of his best friends. River passed away at a Los Angeles nightclub run by Johnny Depp. Some of the performers there included Flea, as well as former Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante who would rejoin 5 years after his death.

"Transcending" is a bittersweet and beautiful way to end the album. I even think the metal bit is beautiful, as if it's letting off tension knowing that this person who you loved so much is gone, it represents the anger involved when a friend dies. One Hot Minute may have it's flaws, and it's certainly not the best of their albums, but it's a unique album among the Chili Peppers catalog and definately worth a listen. This is Powerstars, out. Peace.