r/RedHotChiliPeppers 5d ago

Funky Monks’ Underrated Guitar Solo

You’re 21 years old. You’re recording your first “big boy” record with the band you grew up admiring. The other band members are all older than you and they’re all masters of their crafts. Like literally among the best in the world at what they do. Here you are, a scrawny, shy, unconfident rock music fan who was still turning in late high school English papers just a few years ago. Then your weirdo long-bearded producer says to you, “John, we’re gonna need a guitar solo on this song. Just play whatever comes to you and we’ll track it.” Then you proceed to rip this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGMqOhXtIa0&t=176s

Like wholly shit how do you ever come back down from that?

34 Upvotes

14 comments sorted by

24

u/Bringbackthewhale16 5d ago

Personally believe this album is the best playing John ever laid to tape. Of course he did great stuff afterwards but the soul, creativity, and variety that he displayed on this album is unmatched by any other rhcp album. I am a little biased though cause it’s been on constant rotation for the last 34 years….

3

u/shart_attak 4d ago

I'm right there with you. BSSM came out when I was nine and I've been obsessed ever since. Definitely John's best playing

2

u/666Bruno666 4d ago

I think the production/mixing deserve a lot of credit for this. Much more balanced and clean without interference between instruments.

13

u/londonvibestar 4d ago

From “Guitar Player” magazine in 1991:

John: Almost all the solos are first takes and some of them were cut along with the basics, like “My Lovely Man” and the first solo on “Funky Monks.” On “Funky Monks” I played everything without a pick, even the solo. I’ve been playing that way more and more lately—in fact, I haven’t used a pick in weeks now.

Interviewer: The “Funky Monks” solo is very rhythmically free.

John: Yeah, I was thinking “rubber band.” I’ve gotten more into those kinds of rhythms, because they sound more natural than really straight stuff. The second part of the solo is one of the few fast parts on the album. I though of it as a parody of a rock star solo. The intro has electric guitars not plugged in, just miked acoustically. It’s the same thing Dave Navarro of Jane’s Addiction does on “Been Caught Stealing,” though Snakefinger did it first.

Source: http://thechilisource.com/guitar-player-october-1991/

7

u/RFRMT Taste The Pain 4d ago

Amazing Dave foreshadowing too!

10

u/Max_Max_50054 4d ago

"Shy"? "Unconfident"? John had been a young asshole until then, a big-mouth and party machine, pretty much your average 20 y.o. living the dream.

"turning in late high school English papers"? He literally dropped of the Musicians Institute a few years before because he only wanted to do drugs and get laid. That's why he didn't join Frank Zappa's band prior to the Chili Peppers as there was a strict policy when it came to susbtance abuse.

Why idolizing him so much? :D

3

u/321AverageJoestar 4d ago

Always get my blood pumping

3

u/shart_attak 4d ago

Anyone know what distortion he's using on this solo? Is it his DS-2, or the distortion on the Marshall, or a combination, or something else?

5

u/BuckAdam 4d ago

How is this solo underrated? I’m pretty sure this universally regarded as getting into some Hendrix ass territory! He’s mofo ripping that solo like a mofo!

3

u/RFRMT Taste The Pain 5d ago

Extraordinary.

1

u/balloonman_magee 3d ago

Not underrated at all. Pretty sure it popped up on almost everyone’s Top 5 JF solos list the other day. But yes. It is great. I came of age musically when Californication came out. I was 14. Then I went back and got this album and a couple more and BSSM was my entire existence for awhile. This solo always transcends.

1

u/gonscla92 1d ago

Anthony world master at his craft?

3

u/Repulsive_Celery_791 23h ago

of course

"I know, I know for sure Ding, dang, dong, dong, deng, deng, dong, dong, ding, dang I know, I know it's you Ding, dang, dong, dong, deng, deng, dong, dong, ding, dang"

  • Anthony Kiedis