By now, The Red Hot Chili Peppers have achieved everything a rock band can hope for. Their legacy is cemented, yet they continue to build upon it with massive stadium tours to support their growing discography. They have won three Grammys, are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and have won over critics and fans with their relentless innovation. Yes, The Red Hot Chili Peppers have forced their way into the history books of modern music. Still, they were barely taken seriously before Flea, Anthony Kiedis, Chad Smith, and John Frusciante became quintessential. In the early days, it was only Kiedis and Flea. While their vision for funk-driven punk fusion was in their visions of the future, the world wasn’t ready for it.
In 1984, Flea and Kiedis went into the studio with producer and Gang of Four guitarist Andy Gil, drummer Cliff Martinez, and guitarist Jack Sherman to record The Red Hot Chili Peppers. The band’s debut studio record may not have foreshadowed the band’s future dominance over the radio and rock scene; the tensions the band faced were always present. The 11-track album was released 40 years ago today, on August 10, 1984, and would barely scratch the surface of their creative potential. Much has been said about The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ debut record from critics, fans, and the band alike. The tension between the band and the producer is palpable in these conventional takes on 80’s alt-rock, and after seeing how the band has sonically grown over the years, attempting to put them in a box on this record could be considered one of the great musical blunders.
It’s not entirely Gil’s fault. Putting that much pressure on a producer to shape a young band into the monument they are bound to become would be equivalent to asking a young band to do it themselves. A timeless debut is rare, and it’s not like The Red Hot Chili Peppers is topping the list for worst albums of all time. After all, Flea is still on bass. Moments like “Get Up and Jump” and “Out In L.A.” hint at the jazz-rock-hip-hop fusion work the band would coin down the line, but you can hear the lack of chemistry in these songs. In his tell-all autobiography, Kiedis detailed the environment in the studio. “One day, I got a glimpse of Gil’s notebook, and next to the song ‘Police Helicopter,’ he’d written ‘Shit.’” explains the frontman. “It became very much him against us, especially Flea and me. It became a real battle to make the record.” The album landed just under the Billboard 200, reaching 201. It was greeted with mixed reviews from critics but gained airplay on college radio and MTV.
Considering that glimpse into the recording environment and combining that with four young musicians outside of their element in a professional recording studio, it is a miracle The Red Hot Chili Peppers was even completed. The album is a sprawling effort with a hectic tracklist that rarely stays consistent. It embodies restless energy clashing with untethered creativity, failing to break out of a controlled environment. Despite all the restraints, a legendary band like The Red Hot Chili Peppers needed to start somewhere. The Red Hot Chili Peppers introduced the world to only half of what would become one of modern rock’s most celebrated and long-standing fixtures.
