The Red Hot Chili Peppers: By The Way

By RUSSELL BAILLIE

(Herald rating: * * * * * )

Their last one, Californication, sure hit the spot. While not the best album of the Chili Peppers' now near-20-year career it became their best-selling, care of its hits such as Scar Tissue.

Now after Californication comes ... well, a whole romantic weekend leading to an in-depth relationship and possible long-term commitment.

Yes, it's a grown-up Chili Peppers album. One where their very Chili Pepper-ness - as in being the semi-naked frantic rap-rock funkateers of old - doesn't get in the way of them delivering what adds up to a glorious bunch of songs.

And it's a collection that, previous album name aside, pays even a bigger homage to their West Coast, er, roots.

That's especially pronounced on the sweetly Beach Boys-ish trio of Tear (heart-aching ballad), Universally Speaking (all upbeat roof-down sunstruck pop bliss), and the neatly cosmic The Zephyr Song.

And there's Los Angeles rock of various eras evoked in the country-rock strum of I Could Die For You or the Byrds-ian Warm Tape, the acoustic Mexican-gangsta tale of Cabron or the dizzy ska of On Mercury.

It seems that having been quite an influence on the nu-metal generation, the only way for the Chili Peppers to confound their followers is to show just how pop-crafty they can be - complete with singer Anthony Kiedis' lead vocals wrapped in deft harmonies, as well as John Frusciante's considered, sinewy guitar playing.

Which doesn't mean the trademark rhythm section of adept bassist Michael "Flea" Balzary and drummer Chad Smith have nothing to do - they just aren't needed to flail away when the songs run out of ideas as has often been the Chili Peppers' downfall in the past.

Some of this does echo previous moments in the band's history - This Is The Place could be a sequel to Under The Bridge; the wiry Can't Stop and rumbling Throw Away Your Television both suggest intriguing variations on the blueprint of tracks from 1991 album Blood Sugar Sex Magik such as Give It Away and Suck My Kiss - both have a guitar sound last heard in the days of English post-punk art-funk band Gang of Four.

Centrepiece Midnight, with its soaring, harmony-soaked, string-laden climax, is but one of those songs that will make this album quite unavoidable for a year or two to come.

And to finish, there's Venice Queen - six minutes of heady, hard-strumming psychedelia, which, after an hour-plus and 16 tracks doesn't exactly leave you wanting more. But it does end an album which, produced again by regular studio "fifth-Pepper" Rick Rubin, balances sonic detail and power with warmth and intimacy. It is really quite something especially considering the vintage of this band and a commonly held view that their musical peak was a decade ago.

By The Way further confirms the Chili Peppers as the Rolling Stones of their generation - a globally popular band who can no longer be pegged to any particular era and who remain rigorously creative at the end of their second decade.

This album won't please those who prefer the cartoon characters of old and who may see it as a lukewarm collection of wussy ballads. No matter, it's possibly the best album by a very big band you'll hear this year. Even more remarkably, it's the sound of the Red Hot Chili Peppers doing the impossible - aging gracefully.

* Want to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers close-up? We have three double passes to their November Western Springs show which get you into the front-of-stage "Chili Bin", plus copies of the new album By The Way and posters for each winner.

The Chili Bin tickets are worth $115.50 each and go on sale with the general admission tickets ($76.50) this Wednesday for the show on Sunday, November 24.

To be in to win a Chili prize pack, on the back of a sealed envelope write your name, address and daytime contact phone number, along with your answer to the question: What is bassist Flea's real name?

Send it to Red Hot Chili Peppers Giveaway, TimeOut, Features Department, PO Box 3290, Auckland. Entries close on July 22 and the winners will be announced in these pages on July 27.