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182 of 198 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Changed the universe, June 8, 2002
I'm not discovering a new continent by saying there are things that completely change the universe after being invented. Such things like the wheel, electricity, the machine gun, the car, and finally, Red Hot Chili Peppers' 'Blood Sugar Sex Magik'.I've grown up with this album and I can't even imagine leaving it. 'Blood Sugar' isn't just a music CD, it's something to identify with, a vital piece of what I am. I know some people start listening to a CD with tracks they already know like the hit 'Under The Bridge'. Here you better leave it, feel 'Blood Sugar Sex Magik' like you feel a movie.
'Power of Equality' is a good opener with an excellent guitar solo. 'If You Have To Ask' is a party song with a party chorus and groovy background guitar. Now enough of the warm up, it's time to start the main show. 'Breaking The Girl' is a beatiful lovesong, it has a dramatic flute and Anthony's vocals are very impressive, not to mention the famous Frusciante Guitar in the beginning. 'Funky Monks' is a song about the Peppers themselves but also about every man out there. 'Suck My Kiss' is one of my personal favorites, it's even better than the hit 'Give It Away'. 'The Righteous And The Wicked' contains the best choir vocals and the funkiest guitar part. The songs 'My Lovely Man', 'Greeting Song' and 'Apache Rose Peacock' are outstanding because dominated by the genius of Flea who plays the most melodic bass I've ever heard. My favorite song is 'Sir Psycho Sexy', it's a movie itself, the last 2 instrumental minutes remind you that even the best adventures gonna end. Afterwards you can't imagine a life without 'Blood Sugar Sex Magik'. This album changed your universe, too. P.S.
Let me know if my review was helpful, Blood Sugar is my all-time favorite.
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81 of 94 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Elemental, September 9, 2000
Blood... a fluid that carries nourishment and oxygen to all parts of the body.Sugar... a sweet, white crystal. Sex... a sexually motivated phenomena or behaviour. Magik... supernatural power over natural forces. Hmm, a self-reviewing album title. Like the four elements (earth, wind, fire, and water), the title of this album perfectly encompasses all that lies within it. The blood speaks to the power of the funk; a force that (as George Clinton says) not only moves, but removes. The tight syncopated grooves put forth by these musicians are definitely life enhancing. There was a period last year when this album stayed in my CD player for months and months. I'd never get tired of listening to it, or dancing to it, or mellowing out to it. Check out "Power of Equality", "If You Have to Ask", "Funky Monks", "Mellowship Slinky" and "Apache Rose Peacock" for real hardcore funk that moves from vivacious party jams, to laid back slow burning grooves. The sugar speaks to the incredibly simple yet beautiful pop songs that ease into the mix every once in a while. "I Could Have Lied", "Breaking the Girl", and even the more uptempo "My Lovely Man" (about the late Chili guitarist Hillel Slovak) are great examples of this. And then of course there's "Under the Bridge", a song whose power is so awe-inspiring that I played it in my room over and over even at the height of its popularity (those who know of my iconoclastic tastes can testify that this is a remarkable feat). It ranks as one of my all-time favourite 'songs'. The sex refers to the primal energies that flow through the entire album. The Chilis have said that their songs are formed through intense jam sessions, the four packed together in a darkened room and playing together until they reach a Zen-like state. They have this innate power to tap into that collective sexual energy (conception) and produce something new and beautiful (birth). I can't think of anything more sexual than that. The magik refers to the interplay between John Frusciante (guitar) and Flea (bass). I've always thought that when I reach the Pearly Gates, I'd like to look off to one side and see John and Flea, shirtless, standing face-to-face, holding guitars and looking into each other's eyes. They'd be playing the most beautiful and soulful and satisfying and magical tune that my ears have ever heard. They have a great musical partnership. It saddened me deeply when I first heard that John had left the group (especially since I was just about to seem them live for the first time; I'm ecstatic he's back). He and Flea, two musicians who are fantastic on their own, form a tandem that I can listen to for hours. This album has been a constant for me over the last nine years. It is safe to say that it will always be on my top-5 desert island list. There is not a down moment over its seventy-plus minutes (except maybe the Robert Johnson cover of "They're Red Hot", which is a little too hardcore-punkish for my liking; but I can easily overlook that because it's barely a minute long). Enjoy...
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bloody-Superb-Stunning-Masterpiece!, April 30, 2005
The Red Hot Chili Peppers are arguably my favourite band ever. They are a band that everyone has heard of, and millions of people buy their records. The resurgence in their popularity with 1999's "Californication," and 2002's "By The Way" saw a whole new generation of teenagers go out and buy their back catalogue. I am one of these 'new fans' and have only been a fan for about three or four years, but in that time I've bought eight albums by the Chili Peppers, and at some point will probably own all of their records. When I listen to their music, I just get taken to another place, and I really like that place! Not many bands can last for twenty years and be at a point of such critical and commercial success.
The band's most prolific album to date still remains their 1991 classic "Blood Sugar Sex Magik," which was released on the same day as Nirvana's "Nevermind!" That's something that doesn't happen very often; two all-time classics released on the same day! While Nevermind had more of a cultural impact and sold more, in my opinion, Blood Sugar Sex Magik is a *slightly* better collection of songs. There's seventeen songs here of pure rock and funk, and they all flow so seamlessly. I've actually owned this album for over a year, and just couldn't get into it. It's taken quite a while to penetrate the genius of this record, but once this is achieved, the results are sure to be rewarding for years to come.
The album opens with the funky "The Power Of Equality." While not one of the best songs on the album, this is a great intro that prepares the listener for what is to come over the next hour or so. Anthony Kiedis' vocals are sharp and precise. "If You Have To Ask" is an even better song with a deep rap in the verses, complemented by high backing vocals in the chorus. This song works very well with catchy guitar licks decorating the bass. "Breaking The Girl" is an almost waltz-like song with a sweeping chorus between the lyrics, "Twisting and turning, you're feeling the burning, you're breaking the girl!" A classic in the Chili Peppers back catalogue. "Funky Monks" is a great, funky, upbeat song with fresh vocals and a strong melody. Anthony's vocals are very appealing and the repetition of the lines in the verses is very anthemic. The high vocals, "You are on the run," in the chorus also add to the song's longevity. "Suck My Kiss" is a very powerful rock song with hard-hitting vocals and string drums. The guitar riff of this song is incredible, and the way the lyrics make you think dirty thoughts is so subliminal that after a while you just grow accustomed to them!
"I Could Have Lied" is one of the best songs on the album, but is often lost in the loud and funky reputation of this album. This is actually a very gentle ballad that will just take you to another place - a place of tranquility and perhaps even spirituality. The verses are gentle like a lullaby and the choruses are powerful, albeit soft in their melody. The guitar solo is the centre of genius on this masterpiece. "Mellowship Slinky In B Major" brings the funk back to the forefront with a stomping guitar riff that runs through the song. The peppy beat of this song soon morphs into a beast for the chorus. "The Righteous & The Wicked" has a force that just drives and drives into your head, with a swinging chorus that is just meant to be sang loud and proud in a car, with the roof down, on a long road trip through the desert! "Give It Away" is a classic and the second most popular song from the album. The video to this song is amazing and very sexual (isn't this just the sexiest rock band around?!) but the song is so much more! The pure funk on this song cannot be denied. It's totally undiluted, carnal, feeling the beat that rocks your body. The drums are incredible and guitar solos are works of genius.
The album's title track, "Blood Sugar Sex Magik," rocks hard but has a soft, gentle intro. The choruses are a melting pot of rock, funk, hints of pop, and rap. The true centrepiece of the album and easily the most famous song by the band ever is the next song. It is of course "Under The Bridge," and is worth nothing less than the title of masterpiece. This song saved the band and meant so much to millions of people all over the world. An anthem if ever I heard one! "Naked In The Rain" is one of my favourite songs from the album, because it has a punk rock style to it that is somehow separate from every other song from the album. The verses are well structured, the bridges flow seamlessly between the verses and choruses, and the chorus is, well, just amazing. The backing vocals that sing "Naked in the rain!" are awesome. "Apache Rose Peacock" is another fantastic song that tells a cute little story about a girl Anthony saw, and his reaction to this. His reaction is hilarious and very explicit with hints of animal passions underneath!
"The Greeting Song" is a fast-paced song that rocks well but reminds me of something from "Mother's Milk" more than the rest of the material from this album. It's still quite a good song though, just not the best. "My Lovely Man" is a brilliant song because Flea plays a very melodic bass here, one of the highlights of his career in this amazing band. "Sir Psycho Sexy" is the longest track on the album at just over eight minutes, and it's not really one of my favourites. The lyrics are probably the most explicit I've ever heard in any song, and as a gay man, it's a bit gritty to hear all about these female sex passions! The lyrics as a whole are more of a poem, though, and what a poem. The album closes with "They're Red Hot," which is a rather pointless outro to any otherwise amazing album.
OVERALL GRADE: 10/10
This album sold around 8 million copies in America throughout the Nineties, and is one of those classic rock albums that will just continue to sell and sell and sell! The music is timeless, and because of this it WILL keep selling for decades to come, meaning different things to whole new generations of fans. The Red Hot Chili Peppers are an incredible rock band, and their place in the hall of fame is definitely secured. This album is a big reason why, and one of the reasons why I will continue to buy anything they release in the future. Work begun in March on the band's new album, and is surely one of the most anticipated records in years! Blood Sugar Sex Magik isn't my favourite album by the Chilis, but it's still an incredible work of art. Your collection isn't complete without it.
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