They used to be awesome. I stopped really caring after BSSM. They were so good at funk, and after they got Frusiante back, he was off the smack and they were playin' pop. Now, they've sunk even lower with their new sound. I guess they would say they grew up, but it's hard to see someone go from so funky, to so funkin' bad......

call me a conformist but I prefer their new stuff because it's a little more mainstream. I've never been a chilli's fan so the only album I own is the latest (a prezzie), but that's probably because I'm not a great fan of funk or rnb at all.

but they were playing pop as soon as frusciante joined the band in 89... listen to 'knock me down' from mother's milk... they had 3 ballads on bssm... i've got a bootleg from 90 where they cover elton john's tiny dancer... frusciante brought the pop element to the band from the moment he walked in... i'm not so keen on it being their primary focus at the present... but it's still better than most pop acts out there...

I remember how cool it was to see Funky Monks, and then how dissapointed I was to hear Californication. Navarro did alright with One Hot MInute, but I was deep into my hip-hop days at the time and I knew Frusiante would be back. But I had no idea they'd go so mainstream folk/pop....It's almost like they tease you here and there with some funk, but they've grown into a sound that's more profitable and marketable (I guess) and I'm just missin' the old days......Chad Smith is one of my heroes!

yeah i hear you... californication started off so well... for about the first 20 seconds... then when it should have kicked it kinda didn't... it wasn't bad... but it wasn't what i was expecting... and hoping for... it's kind of funny i see 'around the world' as a relative miniature version of the album... it started wih a kick then went mellow with a few heavier spots thrown in and ended on a good note...

and i liked one hot minute quite a bit... it's often overlooked but there are some really good tracks on there... quite heavier than their other albums though...

i agree that californication is their turning point in music. the album lacks the freshness and punch of earlier works. but its not pennyless. penetrating vocals would not disappoint. the album features the softer side of rock.

plus i really like their scare tissue in californication.

try to listen to "wat hits!? "Even if you dun like funk or RHCP, you will like this album. Thats how good it is. Seriously, its one of my fav albums.

I thought One Hot Minute was pretty good...some nice tracks.

Coffee shop, Aeroplane...good stuff!

Yeah, and that first track was awesome too......
Ever heard Out In L.A.? It's a compilation they put out in 94(I think) it's got Get Up and Jump(awesome! this song alone is worth getting the CD), Police Helicopter, some live stuff, and the song (I think it's called ) out in L.A. (it's right after Get Up and Jump) plus, there's a cover of Hendrix's Waterfall.....
It's great, you should get it. It's a mix of new and old, but it's a must for any true RHCP fan.....