Customer Reviews

Mother's Milk

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Before "By the Way". Before "Californication". Even before "Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik"; "Mother's Milk" was, and is, the definitive work of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Featuring the debut of guitarist John Frusciante, "Mother's Milk" finds the band at their funky best. Anthony Kiedis' vitrolic vocals are amazingly intense and in your face, while Flea's bass work must be heard to be believed. Opening track "Good Time Boys", the classic cover of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground", "Magic Johnson", "Knock Me Down", the amazing cover of the Jimi Hendrix classic "Fire", and "Sexy Mexican Maid" are all time classics that longtime fans of the Peppers know and love. If you don't already own this album, now has never been a better time as it is now remastered (and sounding better than ever) and it includes a plethora of bonus live tracks.

The late 198os were a time of great difficulty for the Red Hot Chili Peppers-- guitarist Hillel Slovak died of a heroin overdose just as the band was on the cusp of a breakthrough and drummer Jack Irons decided this was no longer the path for him. But vocalist Anthony Kiedis and bassist Flea found a way to move forward as they did when Slovak and Irons quit the band years beforehand. At a jam session with Dead Kennedys drummer D.H. Peligro (then planned to be the drummer for the Peppers), Flea met guitarist John Frusciante-- a man who would step in admirably to the shoes of Hillel Slovak. After a long series of auditions, the band stumbled upon drummer Chad Smith to round out the quartet. The resulting album, "Mother's Milk", finds the band filled with a focus and a youthful energy that they had seemed to lack on previous releases, and while the album is far from perfect, it represents probably the pinnacle of the Chili Peppers' acheivement to this point.

The album really covers the breadth of experience of the Chili Peppers' previous work, running through the usual funk/punk stuff ("Good Time Boys") and the sounds they honed on "Uplift Mofo Party Plan" (the superb "Sexy Mexican Maid"). But the strength in the album lies in its diversity, whether successful or not-- instrumental "Pretty Little Ditty" (clean tone guitar, bass, drums, and Flea doubling on trumpet) shows off both the guitar work and (I suspect) the songwriting of John Frusciante, whose influence on the band would be clear, funk-drenched cover of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground" features one of the most propulsive basslines in rock history (and thusly one of the most imitated in it's own way), and Slovak-tribute "Knock Me Down" finds the band experimenting with the directions they'd pursue on the next record. The sound's not there yet, but it's clear where this is going. And while much of hte record feels like the band is a bit unsure how to proceed ("Subway to Venus", the seemingly endles "Johnny, Kick a Hole in the Sky"), all in all, it's quite a brave effort given where the band's been.

The reissue includes several bonus tracks-- a couple demos, some unedited mixes, and a couple live tracks in addition to cleaning up the recording's sound. Flea contributed an essay to the liner notes.

The Chili Peppers would go on to bigger and better things, but by and large this was a new beginning for them. It's not as good as the records that followed, but it's definitely worth looking into.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers built up a gradual fanbase throughout the Eighties. It took three studio albums from them to develop a trademark style, which was improved on each album they released. In August 1989 they released "Mother's Milk," which was by far their greatest album up until this point. Two years later they went international with the massive, million-selling classic "Blood Sugar Sex Magik," which was a more funky rock orientated album, and a bit more polished. The difference between these two albums is incredible in terms of style. Hillel Slovak died in June 1988 of a heroin overdose, and left a gaping hole in the band. When Mother's Milk was released a year later, the line up consisted of Anthony Kiedis, John Frusciante, Flea and Chad Smith.

The album was a financial and commercial success, going Gold in the US and sending the band on a nine month world tour. It took me quite a while to get into this album, because I wasn't used to the harder element of their music when I bought it. I'll say one thing though: this album is amazing! It's also absolutely crazy! The speed of some songs, the pure energy, the unadulterated sexuality and the funk is just amazing. I don't think I've ever heard an album quite as loud and proud as this one! It's not my favourite Chili Peppers album, but it's still amazing.

It opens with the superb "Good Time Boys." This song has a funky bass intro that soon descends into an all-out rock anthem. The youthful exuberance is expressed in the lyrics, "Don't believe in age, travel 'round the world getting naked on the stage." The chorus is a pure chant that you just want to sing loud with your fist in the air. Very good opener. The Stevie Wonder cover "Higher Ground" is up next. This is widely considered as the best cover version of a Stevie song ever released. The blend of funk and rock here is amazing with a beat that seems to undulate and swirl around in your mind. Great to sing when drunk, I find! "Subway To Venus" has drums and a bass that will rip your head apart, and the trumpet cleverly seals it back together, just so you can survive the rest of the song. This song is absolutely insane and I bloody love it. This is a song to jump around your room like a nutter to! If you thought the album couldn't get any more energised, prepare yourself because "Magic Johnson" could well give you a heart attack! The speed at which the boys sing on this song is incredible and hardly fathomable. They sing about the LA Lakers with such excitement you'd think their heads were going to explode. Anthony is particularly brilliant here.

"Nobody Weird Like Me" has a crazy-ass bass that will have you dancing around like a loony. This song chugs along at supersonic speed like a train, occasionally slowing down for the magnificent chorus before speeding up for the rest of the song. "Knock Me Down" is a bit of a slower song, which adds variety to the album. This song was written about the death of Hillel. It carries a strong message about life, with great lyrics such as, "If you see me getting mighty, if you see me getting high, knock me down! I'm not bigger than life." The chorus is quite melodic too. This song was also a huge evolution for the band, because it brought a new melodic chord change that wasn't evident in any of the band's previous work. At the time, it was an immense new element to the sound of the band and a big opening for a new thing for them. The final minute also features some haunting female vocals that add texture to the song. "Taste The Pain" is one of my lesser favourite songs on the album, but it's still a fine cut with a melodic chorus. "Stone Cold Bush" is an absolute classic, with a crazy bass and a heavy drum section making this a strong cut. The chorus is very melodic, and the way the guitars stomp after the chorus is incredible. I also love Anthony's chanting of "Ay-ay-ay-ay-ay!" at the start of the song!

"Fire" is a short song at just over two minutes, and a cover of the Jimi Hendrix original. This song has an energy to it that just blows me away every time I hear it. It's loud and raw in just over two minutes. I didn't think it were possible to cram so much beautiful sound into just 123 seconds! "Pretty Little Ditty" is a simple instrumental, but boy, what an instrumental. This has to be one of the best songs the band have ever recorded. The melody is fresh, deep and natural. The guitars are just amazing, and this has been sampled by CrazyTown's "Butterfly." The song frequently changes speed and tempo, which makes for a great rock piece. "Punk Rock Classic" is not really one of my favourites because it's just a little too crazy for my liking! It's about the band not conforming to society's rules and expectations, and how they really don't need fame and fortune. How ironic that things would change so dramatically for them two years later. And do I also detect a hint of "Sweet Child O' Mine" at the end? "Sexy Mexican Maid" is another great track, and a bit slower than the other songs. There always seems to be a song that portrays the strong sexuality of a woman on the band's albums, and this is this album's. It's a great song with some funky chanting in the background after the chorus. The album closes with "Johnny, Kick A Hole In The Sky." This song has a funky bass and some heavy guitars. The verses are really cool, and the female-sung chorus is incredibly catchy.

OVERALL GRADE: 10/10

This CD is remastered with tons of extra tracks (okay, so there's six, but that's more than most remastered albums!) that really make this a worthwhile purchase for true Red Hot Chili Peppers fans. This album took me quite a while to get into, but now I'm in it, I never want to leave! One of my aspirations in life is to see the band live in concert, because it really would be one of the best days of my entire life! This band has kinda changed my life, and opened me up to more rock music. Mother's Milk is a crazy, insane, energetic, youthful album, yet also poignant, beautiful and powerful as it is dedicated entirely to the memory of Hillel Slovak. It's easy to see why many Chili Peppers fans consider this to be the true pinnacle of the band's brilliance. I would disagree, but this album is so amazing that in time I too could be hailing it as their best work.

One thing people have neglected to mention about this album is how great the remaster is. The original had a very flat 1980s rock equalization that did nothing for the guitar work or the outstanding rhythm section, as well as using WAY too much echo on Anthony's voice. The remaster has turned up the dynamics big time and the result is something more like Blood Sugar Sex Magic. It sounds SO much better. So much so, I'd consider buying a copy EVEN if you already have it on CD and VINYL like I do.

Somebody kidnap this album's producer and make him redo all the grunge albums from the late 80s and early 90s. I can only wonder what magic he could do with Ten, My Brother the Cow, Uncle Anesthesia or Louder than Love...

If you love the chili peppers or just happen to want to pick up one of their cds you can't go wrong with this one. How they play gives me a sense of freedom and you can tell they really love what they do. As opposed to Blood Sugar Sex Magik this cd isn't as "beautiful"; it doesn't have ballads like Sir Psycho Sexy, I Could have Lied, Under the Bridge, or Breaking the Girl, but that isn't what the chili peppers were at the time- it was all punk/funk and great tunes. Some of you may be turned off by its rather different sound (such as in Subway to Venus) but it will soon grow on you. Here are my grades for each individual song.

Good Time Boys- really one of my personal favorites just because of its autobiography of the bands fun, and overall good times. It has a great tune and there is a part in the middle with rather intersting clips of songs that to this day I have no idea what they are.- A-

Higher Ground- perhaps the most "popular" song on the album, it is a cover of Stevie Wonder's Higher Ground. It starts out with a great bass riff by Flea and then the whole song comes into place with Frusciante and Smith. The chorus is also good.- A-

Subway to Venus- this song is nuts. Anthony's vocals are very different, and so is the overall sound. A lot of trumpet and to me this is pure genius.- A

Magic Johnson- a funny song; its the whole band chanting about the L.A. Lakers and its full of crazy voices and a great riff toward the end.- B

Nobody Weird Like Me- starts off with a bass solo like Higher Ground, but even faster. Also nuts like Subway to Venus it sounds almost Arabian toward the end. Some intersting lyrics.- B+

Knock Me Down- a song about the death and grievance of the band's previous guitarist Hillel Slovak. To me this is one of their absolute greats; it has a great tune, chorus, beat, and even has the background vocals of Vicki Calhoun who also appears in Higher Ground, and Johnny Kick a Hole in the Sky; a great song- A

Taste the Pain- the most underrated. Flea is a master of the trumpet in the middle and the whole crazy sound adds to its greatness.- A

Stone Cold Bush- very fast and to me this shows who the chili peppers were. The middle could be considered disturbing at the solo but who really cares?- B+

Fire- to me this isn't a great cover of Jimi Hendrix's version. I guess the vocals can get annoying but it is worth a listen or two.- C

Pretty Little Ditty- their total masterpiece, to me the best instrumental and song they have ever done. Once again Flea shows his skills on the trumpet and John Frusciante is great on the guitar. It has been stolen (I shouldn't say STOLEN) but used by other bands such as in Crazy Town's "Butterfly". So Great.- A+

Punk Rock Classic- funny and fast. Uses Guns and Roses guitar solo from Child O Mime at the end. Only about a minute and thirty seconds but thats all that was needed.- B+

Sexy Mexican Maid- its a shame this song is so overlooked. Very good with raunchy lyrics, better and more refined than Stone Cold Bush.- A-

Johnny, Kick a Hole In the Sky- this and Knock Me Down were my first two favorites on the album. A great song with very powerful lyrics. My only problem with it is it is the same for 5 minutes; no guitar solo or anything but thats no trouble.- A

I guess what I've been trying to say is that this album is the 2nd best of the bands older music. Some people say the second half of the album is repetitive and annoying, which I guess could dawn on people because tracks 9,10, and 11 are all under 2 minutes but this is still the most classic Chili pepper album in my book. A fan should definately pick it up but if you are a newcomer you may not adjust to the sound. Overall it loses out to BSSM because it is not as moving but a great effort and a good buy.

The amazon.com editorial review states "Milk was also guitarist John Frusciante's debut with the group and he shines, especially on Jimi Hendrix's "Fire." --Michael Ruby"

Frusciante does indeed shine, but not on "Fire" - that track features their previous guitarist, Hillel Slovack. Read the liner notes, Michael.

Red Hot Chili Peppers-Mothers Milk ****

Incredible guitar riffs, syncopated drumming, and out of this world bass playing. What more could you want from a rock band? Maybe real vocals from the frontman/lead singer. Look I love Anthony Keidis, he is one of the greatest frontmen in all of rock and roll history but he hadn't found his niche as one of the greatest vocalist's ever. Mothers Milk was the first death after the death of original guitarist Hillel Slovak and the first with new drummer Chad Smith and with the genius guitar of John Frushanti. The band was just now starting to find themselfs on this album. Before they just wanted to be a funk band but here they found a way to mix the funk and soul with hard rock to create one of the greatest lineups in rock history. This was a very important album in Chili Peppers history indeed.

The album opens with the fun hard rocker `Good Time Boys' which was a great way to start the record. The riff is one of the best that John ever created and the chorus is very good as well, very catchy. `Higher Ground' is a Stevie Wonder cover which the band absolutely owns. I love Stevie but the boys tore this song apart and completely made it their own. Powerful vocals and a great bass line made this an instant classic not to mention the first Chili Peppers track to get real recognition. `Subway To Venus' is well exactly the reason why this album is only getting four stars. It is great musically but the vocal delivery is less then great. Keidis was still at the point where he would not sing just rap really, which is good for a while it is good for a while it does get a little annoying. Also his lyrics are a little sub par here. But the song isn't that bad it just gets old after too many listens. But Fleas horns are great. Im sorry but `Magic Johnson' is just straight up annoying and gets on my nerves every time I hear it. `Nobody Weird Like Me' is a great song, in fact it is one of the best on the album. The bass line maybe Fleas all time best. It drives the whole song and Smith's drums follow the bass perfectly. John's guitar is fantastic as well. Anthony's vocals are pretty good here and his lyrics are very good as well. The bridge is fantastic as well. `Knock Me Down' is classic Red Hot Chili Peppers. One of their all time best. This song as well as Higher Ground showed the direction they would be moving in with this album better then any other tracks. It's more just straight up rock and roll instead of funk while still not losing that edge or soul. As far as the album goes Anthony's lyrics are best here and his vocals are best here too. Once again the whole song is based around Fleas bass line. `Taste The Pain' is a little slower and a little better then most of the other songs on the album. More thought went behind this song I feel and it really shows because this is a excellent song. `Stone Cold Bush' is another Peppers classic. A live favorite and a tune adored by all fans. Very cool guitar riff. The lyrics and the melody and the delivery by Anthony reminds me of late 80's Steven Tyler, just less vocally powerful. Next is another cover by and even more legendary artist. `Fire' by Jimi Hendrix, who was a major influence on the Peppers, especially John. The bands version is great, and while not better then the original like Higher Ground this is very original. The bass is turned up and it is made into a punk song. Very good and very enjoyable. `Pretty Little Ditty' is just John playing around on his guitar for a few minutes and it is very calm and beautiful. This track alone inspired countless guitarists. `Punk Rock Classic' is a punk song done in Chili Pepper fashion and done well. `Sexy Mexican Maid' is a great song and it is one of my favorites on the album, and really one of my favorites that the band has ever made. The album comes to a close with `Johnny, Kick A Hole In The Sky' which is alright nothing too special about it. The lyrics have one rhyme scheme. The album would have ended better with Sexy Mexican Maid.
What's great about this album is the new remasterd version which features bonus tracks and out takes as well as two other Hendrix covers `Crosstown Traffic' and `Castles Made Of Sand' I recommend that version because it is longer and is amazing.

To conclude this is a fantastic record. While not the best Chili Peppers album you will hear but it is still one that should be heard. One thing is for sure your Red Hot Chili Peppers collection is not complete with out this album. Recommended to all who are interested.

When I started playing guitar in 1987, I pigeon-holed myself into one playing one type of music or the other. When I first heard this album, I didn't understand it. After 2 days of making myself listen to it, my musical interests expanded ten-fold and by the end of the week, I was listening to everything I could get my hands on. This album helped me explore music as a whole instead of categorically eliminating entire genres of music just because they weren't easily accessible. This album really got me into funk, hard rock, and general weirdness. My album collection expanded to include everything from ABBA to Frank Zappa. I can honestly say that because of Mother's Milk, I am more of a well-rounded musician today instead of a three chord chugging moron. This album introduced me to John Frusciante, and my guitar playing went from being a hobby to a passion. Thanks, John!
If you already own the original version of Mother's Milk, it is not a necessity to own this (the extra tracks don't make it any better or any less incredible), but I gave it five stars because to give it less would be criminal.

Mother's Milk is the Peppers 4th album released before their masterpiece Blood Sugar Sex Magik. This is their first album with new guitarist John Frusciante, and drummer Chad Smith replacing respectively the deceased Hillel Slovak and Jack Irons. Both new members prove their importance to the band with guitar salvos reminescent of Hendrix by Frusciante, and the tight rhythm and powerful style of Smith. Original members Flea and Anthony Kiedis bring the funk as well. Flea's bass style had become increasingly virtousic over the albums and his bass shines throughout. Anthony Kiedis brings his lyrics and vocals in tip top form, varying from rap to wacked out funk.
My favorite's are Good Time Boys with its tight bass line, good vocals, aggressive drumming, and virtuosic guitar work. The Stevie Wonder cover Higher Ground is breakneck from start to finish with slap bass intro from Flea, guitar solo, and great sped up ending. The tribute to Hillel Slovak Knoc Me Down with a more melodic progression and Anthony shines throughout. Stone Cold Bush with a vicious bass line and bass solo, funky guitar intro and screeching solo, the lyrics shine as well. Sexy Mexican Maid is also a standout track with its laid back groove, playful guitar backing Anthony's sensual lyrics, and great guitar break. This album proves that you cant fake the funk and is a great display of the Pepper's earlier work.

"Mother's Milk" is the first great peppers album. They really hit thier stride on this album, giving us a sign of things to come. This album does no rank as high as "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" or "Californication" but it does stand on it's own. The highlights on this album are: "Higher Ground", "Subway to Venus", "Magic Johnson", "Knock me Down", "Stone Cold Bush" and "Johnny Kick a Hole in the Sky". Needless to say this album is pretty damn good. This was the perppers first album with guitarist John Frusciante and he is the perfect choice for this band, Flea's bass isn't as prominent on this album as it has been on thier newer albums but it does take center stage on a few tracks. I love Kieidis' vocals on this album, he shines on all of the tracks, especially "Magic Johnson". This was also the peppers first album with drummer Chad Smith and he couldn't be better, his outstanding work is all over this album. For Peppers fans this album is a must, and even non peppers fans will like this album, pick it up.