Blog 3 - By the Way

By the Way (2002), the eighth album by the Red Hot Chili Peppers continued the success the band achieved from their previous release Californication. The same lineup returned for only the second time in the bands history and this allowed for the band to explore new musical directions without changing lineups. The album takes a more melodic and subdued approach in comparison to the bands previous outputs and this leads to a ultimately unique set of songs from the band. Several of the non singles are standouts such as Don't Forget Me, This is the Place, and Midnight which are all great examples of the bands shift to more melodic music and insightful lyrics. The singles too are cleverly written and instantly memorable. Be it the title track which became the most successful track off the record, to one of the few fast rockers on the album in Can't Stop. The Zephyr Song, Universally Speaking, and Dosed were all successful as well and add further credence to the new melodic style of the band. Perhaps the best song is the closing track Venice Queen --- a tribute to the late Gloria Scott a rehabilitation therapist who helped the Chili Peppers lead singer Anthony Kiedis through his drug addiction --- which is truly one of the best written songs by the band from a lyrical standpoint. The B - Sides aren't nearly as good but the cover of Teenager in Love is enjoyable. Nonetheless this was the third most successful album by the band to date and is thoroughly entertaining from start to finish. Another highly recommended album especially for those interested in lighter more melodic rock.

Tracklisting:

1. By the Way
2. Universally Speaking
3. This is the Place
4. Dosed
5. Don't Forget Me
6. The Zephyr Song
7. Can't Stop
8. I Could Die For You
9. Midnight
10. Throw Away Your Television
11. Cabron
12. Tear
13. On Mercury
14. Minor Thing
15. Warm Tape
16. Venice Queen