GCSE Chili Peppers (What Hits!? - Red Hot Chili Peppers)

Member Name: ihatebroccoli

Product:	What Hits!? - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Date:	07/10/00 (133 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A great mix of music from a variety of albums

Disadvantages: There is only one song on it from BloodSugarSexMagik

Red Hot Chili Peppers - What Hits!?

What Hits!? is an 18-track collection; a compilation ranging over four EMI albums and one EP, and one Warner Bros. album, and including covers by the likes of Stevie Wonder, and Jimi Hendrix, and some tracks used on soundtrack albums. I would say, if you can’t afford to buy all the early RHCP albums, this is a good starting place to delve into their history. The tracks included span some seven years, and numerous styles including funk (obviously), rock, rap, metal, soul, hip hop, and as always, lots of bass.

This is probably as good example as any of how diverse the Chili Peppers’ music has been (even Californication has examples of that!) and still is. My favourite tracks of this album would probably have to be the two film soundtrack numbers – “Show Me Your Soul”, and “Taste The Pain”. The former is a swinging, funky, fast-talking song, and the latter, at the completely opposite end of the scale; is more subdued and orchestral in parts, even ending with a cello solo.

I can’t help mentioning “If You Want Me to Stay” however, as I always have to sing along to this in a stupid voice. It’s a brilliant cover of the Sylvester Stewart (aka Sly Stone) song of the same name, and is probably the funkiest thing you’ll find on this album, having said that, “Behind the Sun” has a pretty funky bass line, and I can’t help visualising the video for it, whenever I hear the song.

Tracks:

Higher Ground
(From: “Mother’s Milk”)

Stevie Wonder cover from his 1973 album “Inner Visions”. Catchy, faster version of the original, treated to a classic Chilis freaky styley. Opens with Flea’s funky bass riff, going into John Frusciante’s whiney guitar tune and Kiedis’ half-talk vocals. Chad Smith pounds away at the drums, and you can’t help nodding your head a
long with it. Not one of the best songs on this album (and that’s hard for me to say about any Chilis song!), but captures the sound of the band during Mother’s Milk (starting to pursue the punky sound a little more – songs like Catholic School Girls Rule and Johnny Kick a Hole in the Sky). Ends abruptly with a furious outburst of guitar and drumming.

Fight Like A Brave
(From: “The Uplift Mofo Party Plan”)

To me, this will always be a “marching on” song. In the video, the Chilis are marching through a park dressed up in various outfits, one as a soldier. The classic chorus line “Fight like a brave, don’t be a slave, no one can tell you, you’ve got to be afraid” will forever ring in my ears, and conjures up visions of Anthony Kiedis with a tall soldier’s hat and baton. Opens with a collective “Roaaarrr” from the band, and leads into Kiedis’ quasi-rapping style lyrics. I find myself waiting for the chorus section every time, and there’s not as much of a strong tune in this song, as in, say Behind the Sun, or If You Want Me to Stay, again, not one of the best or one of my favourite songs in this collection.

Behind The Sun
(From: “The Uplift Mofo Party Plan”)

Killer descending bass line, catchy tune, interesting lyrics. Again, I have to mention the video – great animation, paintings, dolphins and swirly painted people in boats – perfect visuals for the song. Shakey tambourine sound throughout and the lingering surfer guitar sound plays along with the vocal tune. Environmentally friendly Chili Peppers at their best.

Me & My Friends
(From: “The Uplift Mofo Party Plan”)

Don’t try and sing along, the chorus is like a sung version of “Peter Piper”. I really hated this song when I first heard it, as there’s no real tune, and the repetition starts to get to y
ou after a while. Opens with a swooping lyrical bass, and abruptly goes in to repetitive rapping, and doesn’t do much else from then on. Short and soaring guitar solo about half way through, ends with an ascending guitar tune (like a comedy ending). Thankfully! ;-)

Backwoods
(From: “The Uplift Mofo Party Plan”)

Gravelly opening guitar, funky bass comes in after 4 bars, and vocals follow. Another song where I long for the chorus. The whole song is a lead up to the chorus. There is a guitar solo, again, about halfway in, where the guitar sings a funky soaring bridge section between the end and beginning again of the lyrics, which basically consist of “Take me to your Backwoods… now” for much of the song.

True Men Don't Kill Coyotes
(From: “The Red Hot Chili Peppers”)

Bass opening again, strong tune, funky sound, and occasional soaring guitar solos, with an addictive whine. Kiedis adds his naturally weird lyrics: “Ridin’ wild on a paisley dragon, through the Hollywood Hills, yeah…”

Fire
(From: “The Abbey Road EP.”)

Fast and furious Jimi Hendrix Cover, sounds like the original on speed.

Get Up And Jump
(From: “The Red Hot Chili Peppers”)

One of the first songs ever penned by the Chili Peppers as a band. *Does* make you want to get up and jump.

Knock Me Down
(From: “Mother’s Milk”)

Largely built around the sentiment “If you see me getting high…. Knock me down”, and the immortal line “It’s so lonely when you don’t even know yourself”. The song relates to the drugs history of the band, and its original guitarist in particular. It is a great song, with some really good guitar-based parts. I always find myself waiting for the guitar solo bridge in the middle, as is the case with many Chili Peppers songs.



Under The Bridge
(From: “Blood Sugar Sex Magik”)

Is there anyone out there who *doesn’t* know this song (and All Saints version doesn’t count!) This is the one and only song off Blood Sugar Sex Magik to be included, and also the only non-EMI track on the compilation. Recognises a new sound for RHCP, a movement towards a more mature sound if you will. Under the Bridge is a mellow, lamenting ballad, with a lot of meaning. I particularly like the gospel-style voices at the end, and during the chorus.

Show Me Your Soul
(From: “Pretty Woman Soundtrack” – featured in the bit where Julia Roberts goes into the Blue Banana bar looking for her friend)

Funky, fast-talking, swinging, body-moving kind of song. I can’t sit still when this is on.

If You Want Me To Stay
(From: “Freaky Styley”)

One of my favourites. This is about the funkiest darn thing you ever will hear on this album. It was originally a classic, and this cover certainly does it justice. Sylvester Stewart Cover (Sly and the Family Stone).

Hollywood
(From: “Freaky Styley”)

A cover of a song by The Meters originally entitled “Africa”, the Chilis gave it their own little bit of Californian treatment, and it became “Hollywood”.

Jungle Man
(From: “Freaky Styley”)

Produced by George Clinton (formerly of Parliament Funkadelic) and it shows! Great funky drums and bass, and some strange lyrics.

The Brothers Cup
(From: “Freaky Styley”)

Another funky offering on the lines of If You Want Me to Stay. A Classic.

Taste The Pain
(From “Mother’s Milk”, also featured in the film “Say Anything” – featured in part throughout the film, but John Cusack plays it in his car as they drive home from the Graduation party. Also in this soundtrack is
Fishbone, one of RHCP’s favourite bands) Trivia: Ione Skye who starred in Say Anything was singer Anthony Kiedis’ girlfriend during the Mother’s Milk Album.

One of my favourite Chilis songs ever. A haunting song that really empathises with a broken heart.

Catholic School Girls Rule
(From: “Freaky Styley”)

Most of the tune is in the chorus, much of the rest of the song is talk-singing – again, I can’t help visualising the video to this song (risqué as it may be) – Anthony Kiedis tied to a crucifix, wearing only a loin cloth, and carried through a crowd of girls in a catholic school…hmn…

Johnny, Kick A Hole In The Sky
(From: “Mother’s Milk”)

Punky no-tuner to end the album with a bang. Also the last song on Mother’s Milk.


Also available, the What Hits!? Video, (so you can see what I’ve been going on about!) including videos for:

Behind The Sun, Under The Bridge, Show Me Your Soul, Taste The Pain, Higher Ground, Knock Me Down, Fight Like A Brave, Jungle Man, True Men Don't Kill Coyotes, Catholic School Girls Rule, Fire (Live), Stone Cold Bush (Live), Special Secret Song Inside (Live), Subway To Venus (Live).

P.S If you’re interested in more covers by the Chili Peppers – try the album “Under the Covers: Essential Red Hot Chili Peppers”

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