By the Way

Red Hot Chili Peppers | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 9, 2002)
• Original Release Date: 2002
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Warner Bros / Wea
• ASIN: B000067CPX
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (711 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,852 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #5 in Music > R&B > Funk > Metal
  • #6 in Music > Rock > Funk Rock
  • #15 in Music > R&B > Funk > General

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

When the Red Hot Chili Peppers first appeared smeared in neon body paint with socks dangling precariously from their wieners, even the most faithful funk-metal convert couldn't have conceived they would be around some 20 years later, carrying on in much the same fashion. Despite a long history of tragedies and personnel upheavals, the California quartet's eighth album is mostly business as usual--and business, as usual, is quite good. The title track, "By the Way," is a powerful, bruised piece of slap-bass and intermediary white-boy rapping. "Universally Speaking" pays sweaty, soulful tribute to singer Anthony Kiedis's hometown of Grand Rapids. And "Lemon Trees on Mercury" sounds eerily like it could have been lifted from 1984's Freaky Styley. The band's reliable eclectic side, meanwhile, surfaces on the Latin-flavored "Cabron" and moody "Venice Queen." But the biggest surprise is "Tear," a masterful homage to the Beach Boys that suggests the Chili Peppers' perpetual state of arrested development may someday lift. --Aidin Vaziri

Product Description

Japanese edition of 2002 album (their first in three years). Includes one bonus track, 'Time'. 17 tracks in all including the lead off single, 'By The Way'. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Change is a good thing, August 23, 2002

By 

Andrew L. Chmelko (Long Island City, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: By the Way (Audio CD)

Lately I have heard many MANY people slinging mud at the Red Hot Chili Peppers calling them everything from "sellouts" to "no fun anymore". While earlier outings such as "The Uplift Mofo Party Plan" and "Mother's Milk" are what got me into the Chili Peppers in the first place, if they were still trying to churn out the same exact funk-punk that they did in the 80's I am certain I'd be bored to tears with them by now. I relish the fact that no two Chili Peppers albums really sound the same, and even appreciate the greatly panned "One Hot Minute" for its own unique style (I certainly wouldn't have minded hearing a second album with Navarro on guitar before he took off). As far as them being sellouts...whatever. I used to be one of those brainless sheep that called every band with a hit single "sellouts" until I read Henry Rollins's "Get in the Van," where he said that Black Flag were considered sellouts for (among other things) cutting their hair, not playing every single song the audience requested, playing songs that were longer than 3 minutes, and...horror of horrors...RELEASING ALBUMS. People who accuse bands of selling out should be taken every bit as seriously as an Anna Nicole Smith film festival.
This album, while maybe not as close to the typical idea of "fun" as albums where the boys rapped about sex and partying, is indeed a treasure. I'll admit I wasn't too crazy about it at first, but upon repeated listenings I found myself unable to listen to anything else for weeks. My personal favorites are the block of "This is the Place," "Dosed," and "Don't Forget Me." Other gems include the Living Colour-esque "Midnight" (seriously, imagine Corey Glover singing the chorus), the Latin-flavored "Cabron", the irresistably bouncy "On Mercury", and of course the two singles "By the Way" and "The Zephyr Song." The only thing about this album that I was a bit upset about is the fact that Flea's bass gymnastics have completely taken a back seat this time around. His contributions are much more subtle than on previous records and his breathtaking slaps and pops are sorely missed. This is an Anthony and John album all the way. But on the plus side...this is an Anthony and John album all the way! Anyone who's heard and enjoyed John's stunning 2000 solo effort "To Record Only Water For Ten Days" (easily one of the best albums of that year) knows what an unrivaled genius John is now that he's said good riddance to heroin. His sublime guitar play and experimental synth work snake their way all over this album in the aforementioned tracks and others such as "Warm Tape," "Venice Queen," and "Tear."
No fun anymore? I suppose that all depends on your idea of fun. If you're looking for something to blast at your next house party amidst kegstands and random hook-ups, look elsewhere. By the Way affects you in a much different way, but is by no means boring or not fun. Pick it up and listen to it at least twice before you pass judgment.

35 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Too good to be true, July 9, 2002

By 

Susan D Phillips (New Hartford, CT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: By the Way (Audio CD)

This album is amazing, i just bought it at 10 o'clock this morning, and i bet i will not be able to stop listening forever....the chili peppers are the best, i don't give 5 stars often but this album definantely deserves it, you can tell the chili peppers put so much effort into making this album enjoyable...my favorite reviews are the ones that go through all the songs, so here's the tracks one by one and what i think of them:
1.) By the Way: You've probably heard this one by now, but this songs cannot be overplayed, john's funk guitar, and flea's nice slap bassline complete the song over anthony's rapping and soul singing
2.) Universally Speaking: A nice little ballad with smooth vocals and rythamic guitar and bass
3.) This is the Place:...an awesome output by the chili peppers, as flea plays one bass line through the whole song, all the other peppers are playing off it with sweet effect and smooth backround vocals by john, a masterpiece
4.) Dosed: Nice double guitar work here, a very catchy tune that will be stuck in your head (in a good way)
5.) Don't Forget Me: Beautiful chords, great vocals, and a nice job done on the rythem side by chad and flea, i love the drums in this song!
6.) The Zephyr Song: I love how diverse the chili's can get, this almost has a latin hip hop flavor to it..but then it changes and john's vocals come in, and it's amazing!
7.) Can't Stop: My absolute favorite song on this cd, john's playing a bass line!, or it sounds like that, then flea takes over with it later in the song, and how do they make john's ohhhhh ahhhh's sound good over funk?, i don't get it, but it's great, and then the chorus comes in, unexpected, and it's amazing, i hope they release this song, because everyone deserves to listen to this song
8.) I Could die for you:...A nice intro in this song, and then it starts up, and a nice, a very full sound for a slow song, which makes it very enjoyable
9.) Midnight: As the orchestra starts, you think...wait?, what happened, but it works with the song, who ever's idea this was...i like it, and another wonderful song comes out of it...rock on chili's
10.) Thrown Away Your Television: You hear the bass line and you say...."yeahhhhhhhhhhh" and the chili's go tribal style, but stay themselves, a foot tapping song that you can't just stop playing, very very very very catchy
11.) Cabron: We go latin again, as kiedes roll's his r's on cabrrron, and john's guitar is awesome, nice 1-5-8, bass line, but there are play-off on it which is nice, and chad bangs away on a samba style drum beat
12.) Tear: My second favorite song on the cd, pretty close to can't stop, it's a complete masterpiece, so many things happen in this song, you wonder what happened in the begginnging, when it started, and beautiful backround vocals too
13.) On Mercury: Wow, what a change from the last song, you're all sad after 'tear' then a ska sort of song, it's great, too great, it's sooooo awesome, omg, this song it up there with can't stop, haha, i can't decide
14.) Minor Thing: Good song, nice bridge in this song, with oohhhhhh goin on in the backround which completes it, wow,,, too many good songs here. haha
15.) Warm Tape: Interesting intro in this song, but i love it still....haha, and then it goes into the acoustic chorus which perfects it
16.) Venice Queen: How could the cd end any better? A beautifully arranged song, everything is perfect, the balance, the riffs, it's so complete

Buy this cd, or you will be deprived, this cd is worth 100 bucks, every song is awesome, just take my word for it, from the first reviewer, amazing!

33 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Like the Music, July 9, 2002

By 

Michael Leach (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: By the Way (Audio CD)

"By the Way" is, undeniably, a stellar album, representing yet another tremendous offering from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It easily equates its predecessor, "Californication", in terms of its accessibility and the consistency with which it displays quality musicianship and meaningful lyrics. As always, Anthony Keidis' wonderfully unique vocals are complemented expertly by Flea's mastery of the bass guitar, Fruisciante's great guitar performances and Chad Smith's rhythmic drum beats. It is understandable, then, that, in a similar vein to "Californication", all 16 of the album's tracks are excellent, and are not let down by any pointless `filler' tracks.
However, the Chili Peppers appear to have significantly stretched their musical boundaries since "Californication", as "By the Way" manages to encapsulate an earnestness and emotiveness that the band has rarely revealed to its legion of fans. While the album retains the band's raw edge, especially through hard-hitting songs such as catchy first single "By the Way" and the bittersweet funk tune "Can't Stop", it also introduces a wealth of songs based around beautiful vocal harmonies and soaring melodies. Moving ballad "I Could Die For You" illustrates this point perfectly, as it stands as among the most beautiful three minutes in the Chili Peppers' recording history. Thankfully, the band has definitely not transformed into a soppy, dull, Train-esque rock act. Even the album's most tender moments either maintain a degree of intensity or are balanced out by more unrefined moments, such as those involving rapping and chanting. For instance, the juxtaposition of Keidis' aggressive rapping with moving vocal harmonies in "Minor Thing" culminates in an aurally appealing contrast.
All in all, after careful consideration of the album's 16 superb songs, I would have to say that "Midnight" is my personal favourite. It is a rocking, lyrically-rich, orchestral monster of a song that is home to one of the Chili Peppers' most powerful, uplifting choruses to date. The album attains five stars from me for this song alone; its fellow 15 stand-out tracks make this album worthy of much more than just five stars.