At various points on the disc, his ax sounds like an organ, like a Sputnik satellite, like water sprites at play, like time turning in on itself, like the sun exploding. Stadium Arcadium is awash in the sound of Frusciante’s guitar mutated by modular analog synth gear, the latest stomp boxes and tape manipulation sorcery. Beyond this, Frusciante has come closer than perhaps any other modern guitarist in realizing Hendrix’s vision of the recording studio as one enormous guitar effect. At times on Stadium Arcadium it seems like Frusciante’s directly channeling Hendrix – echoing the guitar legend’s distinctive sense of phrasing and tone with supernatural verisimilitude, but still managing to transmute his Hendrix worship into pure Frusciante deviancy. But there are also times when he just let fly with a Hendrixian, Pagian flurry of loudness.”įlea’s Hendrix comparison hits home. But on this album, he did both of those things. “He wants to make a stylistic statement, so he doesn’t just let go and play. “John often puts limits on himself as a guitarist,” says Chili Peppers’ bass icon Flea. The album contains some of the most furious, fierce and fiery fretwork he has ever committed to disc. On Stadium Arcadium, Frusciante’s musical approach is expansively celestial, but when he cuts loose on guitar, he sounds like a man with a hellhound on his trail. The album rocks harder than its predecessor, 2002’s By the Way, but without sacrificing the high level of harmonic sophistication that the Chili Peppers achieved on that disc. But in a lot of ways in which I think I could go further.”įrusciante’s sojourn into the metaphysics of sound has certainly paid off. “I did some sonic experiments I went pretty far with that. I want it to recreate certain psychedelic feelings that come about in life, whether it’s just looking at the ocean or watching a bird flying in the sky.” Over the years, he’s made concerted efforts to achieve his goal. “I want the music to produce certain brain waves in the listener. “It’s my dream to make music that can make people feel like they’re flying,” says Frusciante. At the very least, he certainly gets messianic gleam in his eye when he starts talking about his aspirations for the new Chili Peppers album, Stadium Arcadium (Warner Bros.) Over the past decade, he has risen from the depths of hopeless drug addiction to become something of a visionary, both musically and spiritually. Rock and Rollers from Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard onward have toyed and struggled with the dichotomy between bestial behavior and beautitude that seems to be an inherent part of the music itself.įew however, have had as dramatic a journey from darkness to light as the Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist.
It was John Frusciante’s idea to be photographed as Satan and Jesus for this interview. The Red Hot Chili Peppers, guitarist tells how Hendrix, meditation and a few friendly spirits shaped the group’s new double-length album Stadium Arcadium. Through all of it, the voices in his head have never been silent. Once in league with the devil, John Frusciante has found inner peace by tapping into a higher power.
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