Flea picks Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “worst” album to date: “I’ve often wanted to go back and re-record that album”
The bassist admits, however, that he could “never talk anyone into it.”
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Flea has opened up about what he believes to be Red Hot Chili Peppers’ ‘worst’ album to date and his desire to re-do the record.
In a recent interview with the LA Times, the bassist admits to being dissatisfied with the band’s self-titled debut album, saying: “I always regret the way we made the first one.”
“I think the songs are really good. Our band was smoking at the time. But [drummer] Jack [Irons] and [guitarist] Hillel [Slovak] quit, and we hired these two other guys: Jack Sherman and Cliff Martinez.”
Flea adds that while “both were great musicians”, “the connection just wasn’t as profound as we had with the guys we started with. I’ve often wanted to go back and re-record that album, but I can never talk anyone into it.”
On the flipside, the rocker names 1991’s Blood Sugar Sex Magik as the band’s best record to date, even though there are a couple of tracks he believes shouldn’t have gotten on it in hindsight.
“The Greeting Song wasn’t good enough,” Flea says, though “Californication is pretty good top to bottom.”
“I saw Adele a little while ago and she told me that was her favourite record of all time,” he adds. “That meant a lot to me because I’m a big Adele fan.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Flea also talks about current Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante’s performance on their current tour, having previously expressed concerns about how he’d fare on the road given the band’s sizable tour schedule.
“Really good. Each gig is like a sacred thing for him,” Flea reveals. “In true John fashion, he practises for like five hours before every show — Blow by Blow by Jeff Beck on, playing every single solo, warming his fingers up.”
Tickets to the RHCP tour are available at their website.