A funk-filled frenzy: RHCP in the ‘80s.
In an era of conformity, the Red Hot Chili Peppers stood out in ways only they could.
Before their 1988 performance at the Pinkpop Festival, Anthony Kiedis was asked about the “Mofo-Plan”, regarding the title of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ 1987 LP, The Uplift Mofo Party Plan. To Kiedis, the “Mofo-Plan” was all about love, unity, and “caring for your fellow man.” A tender and kind message from the Peppers’ frontman. Three years later, in a 1990 interview on the rooftop of the Capitol Records building in Los Angeles, California, Kiedis described the Mother’s Milk track “Good Time Boys” as something that “sounds like twenty-five garbage trucks being pushed off the Capitol Tower and landing onto the naked rear end of President Bush, filling his entire anal orifice with garbage.” Pure eloquence from one of rock’s rising stars. And yet these two interviews that seem to be completely opposite in subject matter capture the essence of the Chili Peppers in the developing years of the band. In the adolescent years of the group, they wanted to shock, rock, and make as much noise as possible. Handing out peace and love to the masses, while reserving a swift kick for the status quo, the young Chili Peppers were a uniquely chaotic force in the 1980s American rock scene, and the music they created during this time deserves a second look.
The early years of the Chili Peppers’ get lost in the quagmire of their later successes that came in the 1990s and 2000s. Who wants to talk about “Get Up and Jump”, when later hits like “Under the Bridge”, “Californication”, “Can’t Stop”, and “Snow (Hey Oh)” exist? These efforts certainly deserve praise and appreciation, but there’s something about the early tracks of the Red Hot Chili Peppers that is so uniquely distinct from their later work. Take “Behind the Sun”, for example. A track on The Uplift Mofo Party Plan, the surfy and sunny vibe the song provides is complimented by a prominent sitar that sits high in the mix, played by then-guitarist Hillel Slovak. The song leisurely slinks along, with seemingly no rush for anything but its own chord progression. “Behind the Sun” and the early Chili Peppers did everything on their own time, at their own pace, with their own unique spin on the music. They were the perfect blend of funk and punk, a wild child quartet intoxicating to witness. Their first four albums, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Freaky Styley, The Uplift Mofo Party Plan, and Mother’s Milk encapsulate an era of the Chili Peppers that produced energy, chaos, and experimentation of which they never truly revisited.
RHCP 1.0 consisted of vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, guitarist Hillel Slovak, and drummer Jack Irons. However, because of commitments to another band, Slovak and Irons were unable to commit to the Chili Peppers early on, leading to the first two albums seeing writing credits for drummer Cliff Martinez and guitarist Jack Sherman. While Slovak and Irons would return to the Peppers in part for Freaky Styley, The Uplift Mofo Party Plan was the first to feature all four founding members in their entirety. Unfortunately, this would also be the last iteration of this lineup. Soon after the release of the latter album, Slovak would tragically die from an overdose, and Irons would remove himself from the band, grief-stricken. Mother’s Milk saw the version of the Chili Peppers that fans know and love today, with Chad Smith on drums and teenage virtuoso John Frusciante on guitar. Looking back at the steady amount of change in the band’s lineup, the lack of stability is audibly apparent in their early records. Just as the Chilis were finding their musical niche, they were finding themselves, too. The music they put out in the 1980s may not be the most polished work in their catalogue, but it is a period in the band’s history where the struggles and triumphs of the young Chili Peppers are palpable for the listener, creating a more intimate and personal listening experience. In truth, these albums aren’t just the Chili Peppers figuring it out in the music studio—it’s them figuring out how to navigate the ups and downs of life, crafting their own identity from scratch.
The young Chili Peppers were wildly difficult to characterize, hopping from genre to genre with an intense fervor. They didn’t only experiment sonically, but also politically as well. More than at any other point in their career, the 1980s proved to be a time that the Chilis were willing to ruffle some feathers and take stances on some of the most pressing issues of the decade. On the Freaky Styley funk jam “Millionaires Against Hunger”, it’s incredibly difficult to interpret the song’s subject matter as anything else but a middle finger to the trickle-down Reaganomics of the decade. While many of the verses satirize the apathetic attitude of the rich and famous towards those in poverty, the chorus serves as an anthemic demand for the wealthy to pull their weight. “Hey, hey, Mr. Millionaire/Twice as nice when you share”, the Chilis shout to the heavens. On The Uplift Mofo Party Plan, the Chili Peppers continued to wave the freak flag loud and proud, positioning themselves as leaders of the counterculture. “No, I’m not your teacher and I’m not your physician/I’m just a-tryna reach you, I’m a rebel with a mission,” Kiedis declares on “Fight Like a Brave.” The early songs by RHCP are straight to the point, pulling no punches about what they want the listener to absorb from their music. Much of their early political material feels shockingly earnest, adding texture to their braggadocious and nudity-laden live performances. Like a superhero’s sidekick, the outlandish performances of the Chili Peppers complimented the political content of their songs perfectly. It was all meant to get a rise out of the audience and critics, especially at a time when Congress was taking quite an interest in the words and actions of rockstars.
It would be irresponsible to write about the Red Hot Chili Peppers in the 1980s without dedicating time to the sound that made the Peppers stand out in the first place. To put it simply, the Californians were funky. Each of their first four albums ooze with groovy basslines, jangly, strum-heavy guitar licks, and steady, pulsating drum work. If there is one song that most listeners can identify from this era of the Chili Peppers, it would be their incredibly energetic cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” that appears on their 1989 album, Mother’s Milk. As the song begins, the first sound to greet the ear of the listener is Flea, furiously slapping and popping the iconic bassline. Soon after, Chad Smith blasts onto the scene, with eight hits to his shotgun-sounding snare drum, letting the listener know that the show has begun. From there on, the song is relentless in nature, generously gifting the listener with several minutes of pure aural adrenaline.
Mother’s Milk, like the rest of the Peppers’ 80’s discography, is full of nods and tips of the cap to their legendary funk-rock predecessors. Freaky Styley, their sophomore record, was produced by seminal funkmaster George Clinton of Parliament fame. Alongside “Higher Ground”, the Chilis pay respect to another one of their inspirations with their cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Fire”, adding their own twist to the bonafide classic. Even Bob Dylan gets commemorated, with “Subterranean Homesick Blues” getting the funk treatment. The Chilis’ first four albums follow this tried and true formula—when they aren’t making funk-rock of their own, they’re paying homage to the legendary musicians that laid the groundwork for them to succeed and build on the sound. While the Chili Peppers’ sonic foundation can certainly be heard on any of their albums, nowhere is their status as funk disciples any clearer than in their first four LPs. Soaring horn sections, disco-inspired drumming, and an unforgettable stage presence are all tricks of the trade the Chilis picked up from their idols.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers are one of the most famous bands in the world. They consistently sell out world tours, and just finished a three year jog around the globe that sold over 3.4 million tickets in total. Their induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 cemented their legacy as one of the most popular and enduring bands of all time. And yet most of this fame centers around or after their 1991 breakout album Blood Sugar Sex Magik. While this LP and its successors are properly celebrated, the early work of the Red Hot Chili Peppers absolutely deserves a second look or, for some fans, perhaps even a first. These albums aren’t the most critically acclaimed of their career, but in truth, that’s part of their magic. These albums are bursting with determination and grit, supplying an exhilarating sample of a band that would eventually become an Alt Rock institution.
edited by River Wang.
photo by Paul Natkin, Getty Images
