![]() ![]() Much like his early idol, Frank Zappa, John is a fan of shaping sound with effects like echo, reverse, and modulation (phasing, flanging, chorus, etc.). Even more remarkable is that he’s not afraid to take chances and be experimental, whether with his playing style or his use of electronic effects. With most guitarists, this sometimes affects their ability to play with looseness because they are trying so hard to be perfect, but this isn’t the case with John.Īlthough, he can demonstrate his virtuosity with the instrument, he deliberately downplays this because he feels that his music needs to be more organic and natural. He is noted for his knowledge of music theory and perfectionism. John’s technique could best be described as melodically driven allowing the melody of the tune to dictate his playing. Tracks like Hump de Bump and Storm in a Teacup recall some of the earlier Chili Peppers albums with their funk, rap and R&B influences. Stadium Arcadium was in some ways a progression from By the Way, but in other ways, it showed that John was more comfortable in being able to look back and reincorporate a funk sound into some of their music. The song On Mercury featured elements of ska and the heavily flamenco influenced Cabron showed that the band, and by extension, Frusciante, were willing to take some real chances. Nearly absent of singer Anthony Kiedis’ rap/rock lyrical style, we also find John branching out in more acoustic and melodically complex directions. ![]() 2002’s By the Way was much more pop oriented than previous albums. John’s third and fourth albums with the band further solidified and refined his sound. This was apparent not just on more mellow numbers such as Scar Tissue and Otherside, but also on more driving songs like Around the World. ![]() It’s impossible to determine what it was that changed in the period from 1993-1998, since, by his own admission, much of it is lost to a drug induced haze but upon his return, John’s sound maintained much of its earlier funk flavor, but it was now more mature and refined, having lost some of its former looseness. He ended up conquering his demons and returned to the band in 1998 following the departure of Dave Navarro. He also was dealing with personal issues, including growing substance abuse issues. John left the band in 1993, deciding that the band had become “too popular” leaving him unhappy. The jazz-flavored Under the Bridge shows John becoming comfortable with a more subdued and understated tone while still featuring the guitar as a key element in the mix. The quirky Mellowship Slinky in B Major harkens back to the Frank Zappa influences in his past with its complex fret work and studio tape effects. The first single off the album, the frenetic Give it Away, shows him really solidifying the funky, sometimes staccato groove that would become instantly identifiable as his unique tone. For me, striving for the perfection he was known for demanding from his bands was a powerful motivation and force behind the huge amount of practicing I was doing back then.” In the liner notes for the 2007 Frank Zappa album The Dub Room Special!, Frusciante writes, “By the time I was 15 I owned all of the records and was spending about 70% of my musical life studying and learning his music. ![]() His earliest influences were not that different from any of the thousands of other young guitarists of the day, basically, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, David Gilmour and Jimi Hendrix.Īt age 11, he discovered Frank Zappa, and by age 15, it had become an obsession. He was an unusual choice for the band since he did not have a background in funk music as the previous guitarists had. John was just 18 when joined the Chili Peppers in 1988 following the firing of Blackbyrd McKnight, who himself was a recent replacement for original guitarist Hillel Slovak who died of a heroin overdose earlier that year. We’ll take a look at John Frusciante’s gear during the Chili Peppers years to analyze how he achieved his tone, and look at some of the artists that inspired him and how their playing style and gear influenced him. Part of that can be attributed to his playing style, while the rest can be put down to the guitars, amps and effects he used. Massive hits like Give It Away, Under the Bridge and Otherside sound nothing like anything that came before them. John Frusciante’s name might not be immediately recognizable to the average music fan, but as lead guitarist for the funk rock group Red Hot Chili Peppers from 1988-1992, and again from 1998-2009, his tone is very distinct and instantly recognizable. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |